It has been the controversy at all time. People of different races and different groups have been debating about it and seldom come to an agreement. In the world of Christianity alone, it has become a prime issue.
The foundation of our belief when it comes to things in the spirit is the Bible. We quote 2 Timothy 3:16, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” The Bible is our source of truth when it comes to issues that concern man’s salvation. So then, what does the Bible say of the number of God or Gods?
Ironically, even Christians who claim to be followers of Jesus Christ and have the same reference (Bible) cannot agree on this. While it is true in more than fifty verses in the Holy Scripture that there is but only One True God, some argue that there are two, some that there are three. And these differing Christians engage in endless debate year after year.
The belief, recognition and service to the One True God is a big deal as far as our salvation is concerned. Mark 12:28-34 gives us an account of a scribe who asked for the first commandment. And Jesus answered him,
“The first of all commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord. 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.”
The Old Testament Account
The Old Testament of the Bible is a story of God’s love for His chosen people. Again and again, the Israelites turn themselves from the Lord and worshipped the idols of the heathen. God kept on emphasizing to them that He is the One and Only True God and there is none besides Him tells Isaiah 45:5. After loving his people, doing everything and going to after them when they go astray, it is very disheartening for God to see them giving to other gods the affection that He wanted from them.
Furthermore, He said in Isaiah 45:22,
“Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.”
Who is God? What composes Him?
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God…and the word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.” – John 1:1, 1:14
“God is a spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth” – John 4:24
John 4:24 tells us what God is. He is not composed of anything material and tangible but He is a spirit and He has a word. He created everything through speaking His word. His spirit and His word go together and they are one as much as man and his voice are not two separate entities. God is a Word. He can only be heard but not seen.
In the Old Testament, He revealed Himself to His people by letting them hear Him speak but they could not see Him like when God talked to Moses through the burning bush (Exodus 3:4) and when He gave the ten commandments (Exodus 3:4). God is a spirit and has a word. He can do as many manifestations as He can but He is only one.
God is a spirit and He is undividable. When it comes to the essence of the Godhead, God is a spirit and He is indivisible. He cannot be divided in the spirit. But in manifestation, He can have division. He can be Father and He can be Son in manifestation. But in the Godhead He remains a spirit. He is one but He can manifest Himself in various ways. He has manifested as Father in creation, as Son in redemption and as spirit in regeneration.
God has many manifestations. He has many titles but there is not two of Him. He remains ONE. He remains a spirit, one spirit. God is a spirit and He cannot be divided. Many believe that the Lord is only a Savior. I guess that is what everyone believes, but then that is all that they know.
The Essence of God
The essence of God according to John 4:24 is that God is a Spirit. Being a Spirit, He can be everywhere so as to be called the Omnipresent One. The Spirit cannot be seen but its presence is felt. However, this Spirit according to John 1:1 has a Word with Him; and this Word is God. Now we have seen the Spirit and the Word. When we talk of the Spirit, we are also talking about the Word. Therefore, the Spirit and the Word are not two separate entities but are one and the same. This is the essence of God in the Old Testament – Spirit and Word. The Word can only be heard but not seen just like the Spirit.
From Genesis, Exodus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy and throughout the Old Testament account, we can see how God dealt and manifested with them through His Spirit and Word. In Mt. Sinai, He spoke to His people but He was not seen at all. Therefore, we can conclude that the Spirit and the Word are one; and they are not in anyway separate from each other. As we continue with this study, let us proceed to the next step which is the manifestation of the Word of God.
Who then is Jesus Christ?
Jesus Christ is the word of God that was made flesh and dwelt among men mentioned in John 1:1, 1:14. As we have learned that because mankind needs a lamb or a savior to redeem him from sin, God himself appointed a Son in the Jewish setting who is Jesus Christ. He is the begotten Son of God that came from the Father through virgin birth of Mary.
We read in Matthew 1:18-21 that Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph but before they came together, she was found pregnant. Joseph had in mind to divorce her secretly but an angel of the Lord told Him in a dream to take Mary because what is in her womb is of the Holy Spirit. When Jesus Christ attained his human body He did not lose his deity. While he was on his earthly ministry, he had a dual personality. On his mother’s side, He had human emotions. He did the same things that any ordinary person does like eating, sleeping, getting angry and even dying. But on the Father’s side, He was divine as he was conceived by the Holy Spirit. In his divinity, he calmed the storm (Mark 4:35-39), forgave sins, performed miracles and rose from the dead. There are times when he speaks as a man, like when he prayed to the Father and preached and there are times that he speaks as a God. The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are all titles of Jesus Christ. He is the Father in creation, the Son in redemption and the Holy Spirit in regeneration.
“And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.” – 1 John 5:20
1 John 1:1-2 says, “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)
This verse talks about the Word of Life which is the Word of God. In the Old Testament, the Word is only heard but not seen; but in the New Testament, in Matthew 1:18-21 the Word took on the form of human flesh according to John 1:14, so now He is called the Son of God – Jesus Christ.
The Word of God in the Old Testament became the Son of God in the New Testament. In the same sense, the Spirit in the Old Testament became the Father in the New Testament; but they are not separate, they are one.
Jesus Christ and the Father are One
The speaker here is Jesus Christ. He is speaking as the Word of God. Even in the flesh, He is still undeniably the Word of God. If we analyze what the Lord meant, He is saying that the Word and the Spirit are one. Let us substitute the word “Word” for “I” and the words “my Father” for “Spirit”. The phrase becomes “Word and Spirit are one.” This is confirmed in John1:1 which we have studied earlier. It is therefore clear that Jesus is speaking here as the Word of God. There are times when Jesus speaks as the Word of God and sometimes as the Son of God.
When Jesus Christ prays and calls to the Father, He speaks in His humanity. In His humanity, He calls Himself the Son of Man; in His divinity, He calls Himself the Son of God. In Luke 22:42, Jesus Christ called out to God, “Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless, not my will, but thine be done.” This does not mean there is another God higher than Him. 1 John 5:20, “…that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.” Therefore, Jesus Christ is God Himself.
The Fallibility of Trinity
We cannot find the word Trinity in the Bible but we can read about the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. However, the Bible does not say that this is what they call “The Holy Trinity.” This doctrine teaches that there are three deities, equal in power but distinct – God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. This implies that these three are three Gods in one. This is impossible for this would mean that God has three heads. When asked to explain, Trinitarians reason that this is difficult to explain because the Holy Trinity is a mystery. This is neither Biblical nor true. The Bible teaches that there is only one God. Let us quote 1 John 5:8 telling,
“And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.”
Does the Bible speak about the mystery of God?
Yes, it does but in no way is it similar to what Trinitarians call the mystery of the Holy Trinity. In 1 Timothy 3:16 we can read, “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.” The Bible never spoke about the Holy Three, just the Holy One.
Is the belief that God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are three separate persons true?
Let us look at this verse: Matthew 3:16-17 says,
“… and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
Trinitarian interpreters advocate that the voice from heaven, the descent of the Holy Spirit in the form of the dove and the figure of Jesus in the Jordan River represent the three persons.
However, the baptism of Jesus was not meant to be a revelation of the Trinity.
In John 1:32-34, we notice that the descent of the dove and the voice from heaven were a sign to John that Jesus was the Messiah! It is very probable that John and Jesus were the only ones who heard the voice and saw the manifestation. It does not say that the crowd saw and heard anything, but rather that Jesus saw the dove (Matthew 3:16) and John bare record of it (John 1:32-34).
Furthermore, the voice from heaven, the form of the dove, and the figure of Jesus does not demand separate personalities anymore than the fire that sat upon those at Pentecost (Acts 2:3) demand 120 different spirits!
The form of the dove and the voice were all manifestations of the Omnipresent God. That same Spirit that was Christ was represented by the form of a dove and a voice from heaven. (see also John 3:23)
In Matthew 3:17, the voice referred to Jesus as a man. However, these two (the voice and Jesus Christ as the Son) are the same but having two manifestations – as God and man. Remember that the Bible in Matthew 1:18 tells us that Mary conceived and gave birth to Jesus Christ. Scripture also tells us that the conception was of the Holy Ghost. When the child was born, the Word became the Son who called out “Father.” Who is this “Father” that the Son calls out to? He is the One who conceived Him – none other than the Holy Ghost.
Let’s illustrate: When I speak, I cannot be separated from my words. My word and I are one. In the same way, when you speak, you and your word are the same; you two are not separate. So it is with God.
Who are being referred to when God said ‘let us’ in Genesis 1:26?
Many people are confused about the phrase ‘let us make man’ found in Genesis 1:26,
“And God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness…”
Adherents of the doctrine of Trinity assert that because “let us” is plural, this means that God was speaking to two other gods, thus supporting the false doctrine that there are three persons in the Godhead – God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit are not three persons, but three manifestations of One God.
Let us study verse 27, which recounts the actual Creation. It says,
“So God created man in His own image…” Take note that the Bible says, “God created man into His own image.”
It does not say, ‘So they created man in their own images’
Who then is the plural “us” referring to?
Many instances in the Bible tell us that the Lord is always accompanied by His angels. It has ever been so, since the beginning. God was with His angels even during the Creation. When the Lord said “let us” in verse 26, He was speaking to His angels – not with two other two gods.
Why did the Lord say, ‘let us’ make man in our own image?
Because angels are also made according to God’s image. They are spirit, but they can also manifest in the flesh. The Word of God reveals that angels periodically presented themselves before the Lord.
Job 1:6 “Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them.” These sons of God are angels who are able to manifest themselves in human flesh.
Job 2:1, “Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the Lord.”
In Job 2:8, God reminds Job of the Creation: was he there with God and His angels during the Creation?
Job 38:7, “When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?”
For further proof that God is always accompanied by two or more angels, let us read Genesis 18:1-2, “And the Lord appeared unto Him in the plains of Mamre. And he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day; and he lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them. He ran to meet them from the tent door and bowed himself toward the ground.”
Who were the three men that appeared before Abraham in Genesis 8:1-2?
Verse 1 states that one of them was the Lord. If one of the three men was the Lord, who were the other two? Genesis 18:20-22 goes on to tell us that the other two men went away from Mamre and went to Sodom. Finally, in Genesis 19:1, we find these two men in Sodom, “And there came two angels to Sodom…” These two men were angels.
What do we mean by the expression ‘Lord of Hosts’?
There are more than 300 verses in the Bible that say ‘Lord of Hosts’. Some people conclude that ‘hosts’ mean two other gods; but this is not so. ‘Hosts’ mean billions of angels that surround the Lord.
What is the right formula for baptism, by name or by title?
The command of the Lord to the apostles was: “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” (Matthew 28:19) In obedience to this command, the apostles baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ. The apostles rightly obeyed Christ’s commission because God opened their understanding. (Luke 24:45)
Acts 2:37-38 says, “Repent and let every one of you baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins: and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
Acts 10:46-48 – Baptism is performed by the apostles in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Acts 19:1-5 – Baptism was also administered in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ
Ephesians 4:4-5 says, “There is one body, and one spirit, as ye are called in one hope of your calling…one Lord, one faith, one baptism.”
Romans 6:3 says, “Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?”
The Lord’s command is to baptize in the Name of Jesus Christ; not His titles. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are not God’s names, but are titles of God’s three great manifestations. God’s other titles can be read in Isaiah 9:6.
How will you explain the idea that if the son was sent, somebody has sent Him?
This thought leads many to the conclusion that God the Son, who was sent, is different from God the Father who has sent Him.
We have already studied that God is a Spirit (John 4:24) and that the Spirit has the Word. It says in John 1:1, “In the beginning was the Word, and the word was with God, and the Word was God.” God, who is a Spirit, sent the Word. The word did not just remain a word but was manifested in the flesh (John 1:14)
Now, remember that God’s word has the power to create. Every word that comes out from His mouth accomplishes what is was sent out to do. He created the earth and all that are in it through His Word. In the story of Creation, we repeatedly read God saying, “And let there be…” in the same way, the Word that He sent out from Himself manifested in the flesh. (Isaiah 55:10-11) “For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my Word be that goeth forth out of my mouth. It shall not return to me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent.”
How can we explain the Essence of God in an analogical way?
We can illustrate the Essence of God, through the analogy of the phenomenon of water and ice. Let us presume that the water is the Spirit and the ice is the Word manifested into flesh (John 1:14). Water and ice are one and the same element. So are the Spirit and the Word one and the same God. When the water was frozen inside the refrigerator, it turned into ice. So was the Spirit that was placed inside Mary’s womb manifested into flesh – in the person of Jesus Christ.
The seed in Mary’s womb (Matthew 1:21) was created by the Holy Spirit. Therefore, the Holy Spirit is the Father – they are one. In the New Testament, the Spirit is called the Father.
If the Word can speak it will say, “I, the ice, am in the water and the water is in me.” Again, the Spirit and the word are one. If the Word did not manifest in the flesh, we cannot hold it just as we cannot hold water if it is not frozen (into ice). It is used to be that the Word can only be heard, but not anymore, for it can now be seen, touched and held. For 1 John 1:1 says, “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life.” Who is the Word of Life? Jesus Christ is the word of Life.
The Essence of God is the Spirit with the Word. They are not different with the Word. They are not different from each other. The Word only manifested in the flesh that is why the Word can now speak. But if you ask, where is the one who sent the Word? The Word will answer, He is with me and He is living inside of me – John 10:30, 38.
Conclusion
We get the answer from the Word of God – the bible. Nowhere in the Scriptures can we read that there are three Gods or other gods beside Him. There is only One God.
Deuteronomy 6:4 attests to this, “Hear, O Israel the Lord our God is one Lord.”
Exodus 20:3 also says, “Thou shalt have no other Gods before me.” God does not acknowledge other gods besides Him whom Israel must worship.
Deuteronomy 4:39, “Know therefore this day, and consider it in thine heart, that the Lord He is God in heaven above and upon the earth beneath: there is none else.”
This proves that there is only one God or the Holy One.
HOLY ONE:
Mark 1:24, Isaiah 60:14, Isaiah 45:11, Isaiah 29:19 Isaiah 60:9 Isaiah 41:14, Isaiah 1:14 Isaiah 54:5 Isaiah 5:24, Psalms 89:18 Psalms 71:22, Isaiah 30:15, Luke 4:34 Isaiah 12:6 Isaiah 17:7 Isaiah 30:11, Isaiah 49:7, Isaiah 43:14, 2 Kings 19:22, Jeremiah 51:5 Isaiah 41:16, Isaiah 30:12, Isaiah 47:4, Isaiah 48:17, Isaiah 10:20 Jeremiah 50:29, Isaiah 55:5, Psalms 78:14, Isaiah 41:20, Isaiah 7:23 Isaiah 31:1
ONE GOD:
James 2:19, Colossians 2:9, Deuteronomy 6:4, Deuteronomy 32:29 Isaiah 45:5, Ephesians 4:6
