A Biblical Study of the Trinity
Trinitarian-ism is an
enigmatic ideology shared by the vast majority of Christian denominations. In
this section, I plan to explore if the concept is biblically sound. The following
exploration is entirely to question the Christian doctrine. To understand why
this route has been presented, please visit “Why Quote the Bible?”
If we have to use the Bible,
there is no using it without first establishing the distinction between statements
that must be metaphorical and allegorical. This goes for any scripture. We can
not take everything literally because some things simply can not be taken as
such. For example in our concise analysis about God in Christianity, we asked
the question ‘was Jesus was the biological offspring of God’? The fact of the
matter is that no rational man would ever consider Jesus the biological
offspring of God because the concept defies biology, and therefore the literal
and precise definition of a ‘son’. However if we go beyond
the literal meaning of ‘son’ and conceive perhaps a more spiritual or
metaphorical concept, that seems to much more acceptable. Let me just
throw out a couple of Bible verses to clarify my point.
I have said ye are gods; and
all of you are children of the most high. (Psalms 82:6)
Ye are of your father the devil, and lusts of
your father ye will do. (John 8:44)
Return faithless children, for I am a husband
unto you. (Jeremiah 3:14)
But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter.
"Get behind me, Satan!" he said.
It
is the Christian that has to make a very crucial decision here. If are you
going to quote the Bible to prove that Jesus was divine or god, in the literal
sense, then you have to also take these quoted verses and also see them
literally. The fact of the matter is, that you can’t.
There is no other option but for you to accept that the above verses are not
literal at all. And if they are not literal, but are allegorical, then the
debate is over. It ends right here and right now, simply because each and every
Bible verse that you’ll throw at me, even though I don’t believe in the Bible,
I can throw those verses you give me into the circumstance of metaphor,
allegory, and parable. Why? Because Jesus can not be the
biological son of God. His flesh can not be divine. These are facts that
can not be disputed by any Christian! Explain, I say, how the Jews were “gods”.
Once the Christian explains this particular verse, and there is only one way to
explain it without actually believing that the Jews were divine, and if that is
the case, then that seriously means that the Christian
simply has no where else to turn. The Christian has to put his or her
interpretation of that single verse in context with their claim pertaining to
the figure of Jesus.
Now
keeping this contextual circumstance of metaphor in mind, let us examine some
Bible passages. The simple fact that Jesus prayed on his face to
His creator, and made statements such as "My Father is Greater than
I", and "I can Myself do nothing",
which in these instances are used literally and can not be interpreted in any
other way, show clearly beyond any shadow of a doubt, that there exists some
sort of distinction between God and Jesus. Not only does it not make any sense
for God to pray to Himself, or to say God is greater than God, but from the
accounts which are given in the New Testament, we see that Jesus continues to
distinguish his status from the status of God. He claims inferiority. Why?
Because God is greater than what He has created, and Jesus, like any other man,
who passed through the stages of infancy, childhood, adolescence, and
adulthood, was an element within God's creation.
Beyond all logic and
rationality, what is the context of Jesus’ claims? In John chapter 10, Jesus is
narrated as having claimed that he is "one" with God. However,
similar instances as narrated in the accounts given in the Bible, shed light on
the contextual meaning behind this claim.
"That ALL may be ONE, as you, and my Father are in me, I am in you; that they also may be ONE in US,
that the world believe that you sent me." (John 17:20)
I am in my Father, and
you in me and I in you. (John 14:20)
Are we literally one with
Jesus and God, as God and Jesus are one with each other? And if we are one with
them, does that make us divine too? On the contrary, we take these verses from
the allegorical perspective and see that it is the unity of God with His
followers and His messengers that is being promoted in the words and claims of
Christ. For Jesus to be one with God, or even one with the people, signifies
unity of God with the congregation and Messiah. Furthermore it seems that
Trinitarians often read John 10:30, and stop. What about John: 10:31-35 which
give emphasis on its meaning? If we read the following verses in John chapter
10, after Jesus claims that he and the Father are one, we come to irrefutable
evidence which proves that Jesus did not claim divinity.
The Jews took up stones again to stone him. Jesus
replied, ‘I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these
works do you stone me?’ The Jews answered, ‘It is not for a good work that we
stone you, but for blasphemy, because you, though only a mortal, are making
yourself God.’ Jesus answered, ‘Is it not written in your law, “I said, you are gods”? If those to whom the word of God
came were called “gods” can you say that the one whom the Father has sanctified
and sent into the world is blaspheming simply because I said, “I am the Son of
God”? (John 10:31-35)
The above becomes
irrefutable evidence that Jesus in fact DENIED divinity. Obviously if Jesus was
God, this was the perfect opportunity to accept the allegation and explain it,
but instead we find denial on his behalf. Jesus, instead of claiming that he is
God quotes Psalms chapter 82, "is it not written in your law: I said you
are gods?"
Jesus
spoke of the following verse which is recorded in the book of Psalms, a source
of law for Jews:
I have said ye are gods; and all of you are children of the
most high. (Psalms 82:6)
Reality becomes clear when
we put the claim of Jesus side by side with the verse he quoted. We come to the
realization that Jesus was only a man to whom "the word of God came" and
the one to whom the Father "has sanctified and sent". Rather, Jesus
is simply from among the "children of the most high" and that is what
is meant by the phrase "Son of God".
Jesus uses the analogy in
Psalms 82 to show why and in what context he is called the son of God, because
whoever the 'word of God came to', and 'whoever the Father has sanctified and
sent' is the son of God. Jesus is further narrated as having explained the
status of one who is "sanctified and sent".
Jesus claimed that he is "sent" by God
and "he who is sent is not greater than He who has sent him."
I can myself do NOTHING, as I hear I judge and my
judgment is just; because I seek not my own will, but the will of the Father
which hath SENT me, has born witness of me. (John 5:137)
Thou (God) have SENT me. (John 17:21-23)
... neither came I of
myself, but He SENT me (John
"Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Servant
is not greater than his lord; neither he that is SENT is greater than
He that sent him." (John 13:16)
This life is eternal, and that they might know
Thee, the ONLY true God and Jesus Christ whom He has SENT. (John 5:30)
Jesus never claims equality with God, we always
find him claiming to be inferior to the Father.
"I can myself do NOTHING" (John 5:30)
"I do nothing myself" (John 8:28)
For my Father is GREATER than I." (John
14:28)
"WHY do you call ME good? There is NONE good
but ONE, that is God"
(Matthew 19:16-17)
From the above Biblical
passages we can not come to any other conclusion besides the very fact that
Jesus did not claim equality with God, rather, his claim is having been
"sent" by the God who is superior and "greater" than him.
Complete distinction is what has been portrayed.
The trinity is entirely a
false doctrine added to the teachings of Jesus. We find no mention of the
actual word "trinity" anywhere in the Bible. Unitarians, who
attempted to uphold the original understanding of the disciples that Jesus was
but a mortal Prophet, and the Trinitarians, who attempted to uphold Paul’s
teaching to the gentiles, that Christ was divine, often disputed this issue.
This dispute between Christians was brought up before an organized
Council. In 325 AD, the Nicea Council officially adopted the Trinity concept, and
therefore initiated, yet another deviation into the scope of Christianity. The
fact of the matter is, that even though prior to the
Council of Nicea that Christians did believe in the
divinity of Jesus, they did not uphold a “Trinity” doctrine. This official
doctrine was initiated by the Council.
Let us continue our biblical
analysis.
Jesus does
not fit the criteria of GOD at all. Take a look at these passages:
“God is not man, that he should lie, or a
son of man, that he should repent. Has he said this, and will he not do it?”
(Numbers 23:19)
"No man has seen God at any time." (John
1:18)
“You have neither heard His voice at any time
nor seen His shape.” (John 5:37)
“You can not see my face; for man shall not see me and
live.” (Exodus 33:20)
Evidence beyond doubt, once
again, that Jesus is not God. For NO one can see Him or His shape. Jesus does
not fit the above criteria, because we know that
We now move on to the
subject of Jesus being the son of GOD. Does the title "son of GOD",
make Jesus the Almighty? According to mainstream Christian theology it does.
But whether it does according to the allegorical context of the Bible is
another story. Examine these passages.
Behold of the Manner of Love of the Father hath
bestowed upon us, that we should be called the SONS of God. (John 3:1)
One God is Father of ALL, who is
above all, and through all, and in all. (Ephesians
4:6)
For as many are led by the spirit of God, they are
the SONS of God... The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit
that WE are the CHILDREN of God, and if Children then heirs; heirs with God,
and joint heirs with Christ. (Romans 8:14-17)
Being the son of GOD does
not make an individual divine. As explained earlier through John chapter 10
where simply being "sanctified and sent" makes Jesus the son of God
and makes the Jews according the scriptures 'gods and children of the most
high'. We understand that it is the love of GOD for his creation and more
importantly his true followers which is being portrayed in such a labeling. You
will notice from the following verse that if one fails to follow in the ways
which GOD has ordained that such people are not the children of GOD rather the
children of satan!
Ye are of your father the devil, and lusts of your
father ye will do. (John 8:44)
Once we take the status of
being the "son of GOD" into context with how it is used within the
writings of the Bible and Prophets we can understand that such a label is not
the literal or biological concept of a son, rather a spiritual and metaphorical
concept of a son. Even the concept of 'begotten' or 'first born' can be put
into this effect.
He Solomon shall be my son, and I will be his
Father. (1 Chron. 22:10)
David wrote ... the Lord hath said unto me, Thou
art my SON; this day I have begotten thee. (Psalms 2:7)
Return faithless children, for I am a husband unto
you. (Jeremiah 3:14)
We see from these verses
where GOD has taken
The issues which come with the Trinitarian
paradox are endless. Here are a few more issues to ponder over.
1. In Heaven, are the Father and Jesus one single entity or do they remain
divided persons? According to the Bible, even in Heaven, they remain divided. Notice how Jesus instead of taking the thrown in Heaven, sits on
the right hand of GOD.
Soon after that the Lord hath spoken unto them. He
was received into the heaven and sat on the right hand of God.” (Mark 16:19)
This confuses the situation
further because now Jesus in his own Kingdom remains to be separate from the
Father.
2. More than one God?
“And the Lord said unto Moses,
See I have made thee a GOD to the Pharaoh: and Aaron thy brother shall be thy
prophet.” (Exodus 7:1)
Now
theoretically and hypothetically let us use this Hebrew verse and replace the
names. Now remember, there exists no such statement, and we are simply
presenting this scenario to prove a point:
And the Lord said to Jesus,
See I have made thee a GOD to the Jews: and John thy brother shall be thy
prophet.
Even
though this statement does not exist anywhere, I simply made it up to point out
again, that one has to understand the use of metaphor when reading any
scripture. Now obviously Moses did not literally become divine, but its his status among the people that is being emphasized
here. What was meant by this Exodus statement I ask Christians?
3. If GOD has infinite knowledge
and HIS knowledge exists universally, than how come the Father knows when the
hour will come but Jesus, the son, does not?
"But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angles which are in heaven,
neither the Son, but the Father." (Mark 13:32)
4. The concept of Jesus’
birth to a virgin is indeed miraculous; however does it make Jesus the
biological son of God? If not having a physical father makes Jesus GOD, there
obviously exist other gods which Christians must then
acknowledge.
For this Mel-chisedec, king of
And the LORD God planted a garden in
If you might consider, Adam,
Eve and Mel-chisedec would be superior gods to Jesus
because not only were they born without a physical Father but also without a
physical Mother. Being born without both mother and father would indeed prove
to be a far superior miracle then that of Jesus, son of Mary. Nevertheless, birth miracles do not end at not having
a biological father.
Abraham fell facedown; he laughed
and said to himself, "Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old?
Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?" Then God said, "Yes,
your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. (Genesis
17:17-19)
Zechariah; your prayer has been
heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the
name John. Zechariah asked the angel, "How can I be sure of this? I am an
old man and my wife is well along in years."
The angel answered, "I am
Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you
and to tell you this good news. And now you will be silent and not able to
speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which
will come true at their proper time. (Luke 1:12-19)
Abraham
laughed at the idea of a son being born to him and Sarah. Zechariah too did not
believe angel Gabriel when the news of yet another birth miracle was conveyed
to him. Yet God does what He wills.