There are many verses in the New Testament that are used to show a distinction between the Father and the Son. These verses show the Son speaking to or about the Father, the Father speaking from heaven, or Jesus in some way apart from the Father. In fact, there are many verses in the New Testament that are used to teach a plurality of persons within the Godhead. This contradicts the many verses that teach the Godhead as a singularity. Once the dual nature of Jesus is understood, it will be clear that these verses actually teach the oneness of God.
One thing to keep in mind is that Jesus had two natures. He was 100% God and 100% man at the same time. Any time we see a plurality in reference to Jesus it is in reference to his dual nature. In other words, the duality of Jesus is his two natures- humanity and Divinity. There really is a duality, but it is not a duality of persons within the Godhead. It is simply a distinction between the human side of Jesus and the Divine side of Jesus. The humanity of Jesus is not the same thing as his Divinity. The two terms are not interchangeable. Jesus could speak and act from both, and many times he did.
In every passage in reference to Jesus we must ask ourselves, is this in reference to his humanity, his Deity, or both? Jesus could act from just humanity, just Deity, or both at the same time.
Anytime we see a plurality in reference to God we must not assume that God has acted as a person. The scriptures describe God in roles and relationships. We must look at every verse with the scriptural concept of roles and relationships in each passage. Let scripture place itself in proper context. Let scripture interpret scripture.
The New Testament writers did not have a concept of a trinity. The doctrine of the trinity wasn’t developed until the third century (Bernard, p. 105). The doctrine of the trinity was developed by Tertullian and others and is not the belief held by the first century Church fathers (Watts, para. 4). The Jewish writers of the New Testament were strict monotheist (belief in one God). They believed in one God to the point that they understood Jesus to mean that he was their one God of the Old Testament.
John 8:56-59 56 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad. 57 Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? 58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. 59 Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.
John 10:30-33 30 I and my Father are one. 31 Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him. 32 Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me? 33 The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.
The Jews believed in one God.
Deuteronomy 6:4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:
Mark 12:28-32 28 And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all? 29 And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: 30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. 31 And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these. 32 And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he:
When Jesus claimed to be God, they understood that he was claiming to be their one God. They had no other concept of the nature of God other than the fact that there is one God. The idea of the trinity would have never entered their minds because of their strict monotheistic belief.
Some passages at first might seem to have a Trinitarian concept of God because they have been interpreted and taught with a Trinitarian viewpoint for centuries. Trinitarians have interpreted these verses according to Trinitarian beliefs to the point that the Trinitarian interpretation is accepted without question. Trinitarian answers are the commonly accepted answers because they are the most popular.
To the New Testament writers, the passages that are commonly interpreted to describe a Trinitarian viewpoint simply referred to God in Christ; not a second person in the Godhead. The idea of God in Christ did not contradict their understanding of one God. God in Christ was simply the one God of the Old Testament manifest in flesh- just like He said He would.
Isaiah 43:10-11 10 Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. 11 I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour.
When verses that are interpreted through Trinitarian glasses are viewed from the standpoint of the dual nature of Jesus, we do not see persons within the Godhead but rather one God manifest in flesh. All verses that seem to show a duality actually do show a duality, but not within the Godhead. The duality is the two natures of Jesus- God and man. Many say they see two when Jesus is speaking to the Father. This is because there are two when Jesus is speaking to the Father. The question is two what? Two Gods? Two persons within God? The two-ness that we see is two natures. Jesus is speaking as a man to God.
When Jesus ate, he ate as a man. When he prayed, he prayed as a man. When he slept, he slept as a man. When he died, he died as a man.
When Jesus healed the sick, he healed the sick as God. When he raised the dead, he raised the dead as God. When he forgave sin, he forgave sin as God.
Jesus is God.
Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
Matthew 1:23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
John 20:28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.
Colossians 2:9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
As a man, Jesus is the Son of God.
Galatians 4:4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
Hebrews 1:4 Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.
The scriptures show us that Jesus was unique in a way that no other human being has ever been- he had two natures. He had a human nature, which consisted of a human body, soul, and spirit, and he had a Divine nature, which was the one God manifest in flesh. With these scriptural concepts in mind, every perceived Trinitarian verse in scripture can be answered by the dual nature of Jesus.
References
Bernard, David K. (1998). Oneness and trinity A.D. 100-300
Hazelwood: Word Aflame Press
Watts, Joel (2008). Reviewing early Christian doctrines. Retrieved January 12, 2010 from,
http://thechurchofjesuschrist.us/2008/07/reviewing-early-christian-doctrines/
7/ 12 I just finished reading some of your commentaries. I fine that they hold to the truths of God’s word. Trully, we must worship God in Spirit and in truth. Oh, what a revelation Jesus Name is. I am 66 yrs. old and many years ago , He revealed Himself to me along with His standard and way of living. Thank you for taking time to post His word.
I understand the dual nature of Jesus but my question is this. In John 17:5 Jesus asked that He be glorified in the Father’s own presence, which is the glory He had with the Father before the world was.
What form, nature or substance did He have while in the presence of the Father before the world was?
Hi John. Sorry it’s taken me so long to respond. I’ve been looking through my posts. I’ve covered this in detail, but I’ve not been able to find it. The short answer is Jesus was referring the glory of the lamb slain from the foundation of the world – in the plan of God. I’ll keep looking for the article and post a link.
Thanks
I know that many verses are interpreted through a Trinitarian lense. How can this be anything other than just another presupposition? There is no objective proof that this is the correct way to read the text, is there? Not an opinion of a theologian, not from what the Bible says because we cannot prove that the person who wrote it was accurate. What then is the criterior for “true” belief? Is a consensus the way to determine truth? No. We can all believe something that is wrong. All we have is an interpretation based on our presuppositions. Please direct me to where a determination of “true belief” concerning the issue of Christ.
Because he had a body he cant be a God|
He can’t be God in his humanity.
In the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God,the Word was God,the Word became flesh and lived among us.
If you have seen me you have seen me you have seen the Father,
The Father and I are One.
The Bible tells us that one of the Beasts of Revelations will suffer a deadly wound. (man cannot heal)
In my opinion, Br-exit was the start of preventing the One World Government Beast from completion.
Donald Trump has started a movement that will kill this beast. God has stated I stand up governments
and I tear down. England and the U.S.A. are the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh sons of Joseph,
Jacob (Israel) took them as his own.The Anti-Christ Jews are going to lose this one.
Absurd! You lose me, (and any rational person) once you say He can speak from either “nature” and yet do not recognize that as personage.
In fact you betray scriptures, when Jesus is praying to the Father, or the Father is speaking from heaven. Because if it’s just a nature then why does the voice come from somewhere else?
Or why does Jesus say, “not my will but yours”? What is a person but a will. And 2 distinct wills is pretty cut and dry. Even if it is divine side and human side it’s still 2 PERSONS with 2 WILLS.
The integrity of oneness is lost many times over and over again. And oneness adherents complete lack of understanding of the Tri-unity doctrine rings loud and clear as I hear these arguments.
And make no mistake, one of us has a false god. My God had fellowship with Himself before time space and matter.
This is how He loved, (as said in John) because love takes 2! Just like a man will be joined with his wife and the 2 become ONE.
(which is exactly why God designed marriage, as a picture of Himself)
The gospel is also dismantled if only a man died on the cross. Or if it WAS GOD, then how’d resurrection take place?
Who is Jesus making intercession to on our behalf? (Heb.)
Who is Jesus the mediator between? (Acts)
What is the Word that was WITH GOD in the beginning that became flesh?
In fact, just study this one word “begotten”
With some integrity, you can learn about God and His Son sufficiently simply from study of that one word.
And the great thing is that God is still ONE. And I serve that one true God.
In love
“John November 7, 2012
I understand the dual nature of Jesus but my question is this. In John 17:5 Jesus asked that He be glorified in the Father’s own presence, which is the glory He had with the Father before the world was.
What form, nature or substance did He have while in the presence of the Father before the world was?”
John I am a little late in this conversation, and perhaps you will never see this answer, but I will give it anyway in hopes you will.
I agree completely with Randy Brown on the dual natures, but fear he missed the mark slightly on answering you. John tells us that Jesus/Yeshua is the Word of God and that that the Word became flesh. He also says of Jesus, “He is that true Light that lighteth that lighteth all man.
Here is the Glory to which Yeshua was referring to returning to. That man that was a part of Jesus’ dual nature, was in truth the very Word that God “spoke” forth from which all creation in turn sprang forth from. He, the “Word” besought the “Father” from which He sprang forth from, that He might return to that very presence. This is how He was 100 percent devine and 100 percent man. He was the very seed from which man sprung forth from, and became man Himself. But at the same time He was born directly from the essence of God in the form of the “Word” that sprang from the Eternal Father. He in His Humanity was/is 100 percent God, and He in His divinity was 100 percent humanity. And the Father Himself tabernacled in the “body prepared for Him” that very “Lamb slain from the foundation of the world”…Yeshua Hamashiac !
At the baptism of Jesus we seem to “see” three person’s because we think spacially, but God is not limited by space. God can speak, seemingly from above AND take the appearance of a dove (HS), while indwelling the Messiah’s body. This does not make him Three. God spoke for the benefit of the hearers, to confirm Jesus as Messiah!
Jesus put aside his God-powers while living on Earth as the 2nd Adam…one like us in every way sans a nature broken by sin. Like all obedient believers, Jesus did only what God (His Divine nature) directed Him to do. He lived in constant obedience in His flesh. We must strive to live as Jesus did…He is our model. As we do so, God does supernatural things through us (via spiritual gifts). This truth should give us great confidence! “He who is believing in Me will do the things that I do, and greater things…” John 14:12