Introduction

Today we will deal with the topic quite thoroughly, because I see that it interests you very much. This issue is especially interesting, and I keep receiving similar messages from you. No wonder – many people are for it, many people are against it, and between the two sides there is a dispute that has been going on for centuries.

Before we move on to the verses, however, I have to say something more important: about the basis on which we will decide at all what is true.

For me the matter is simple – the highest authority for me is the Word of God, that is, the Bible. People can come up with various theories, but if those theories contradict what is written in Scripture, then they are simply their theories. We are interested in the truth.

As Christians we believe that God worked in this way: he chose various people for himself, revealed the truth to them, and they wrote down what they received. Not everyone left books behind – some had a mission to carry out on the spot, here and now. But some prepared writings that we still study and analyze today.

And this is a tremendous gift. Think about it: almost two thousand years have passed since the last book, the Book of Revelation. During that time, a great many changes have taken place. People have invented various theories, changed views, some decided to “modernize” them, adapting them to the present day. And unfortunately – what people believe today differs greatly from what the apostles believed, what the apostles preached, and what Christ himself preached.

But thanks to the fact that we have these writings, we can check. We can look inside and see what the first Christians really believed.

Of course there were attempts to falsify these writings – also regarding the Trinity. Verses were twisted, added to. Fortunately, over time probably most such interventions have been caught. The biggest dispute still concerns one more passage – the one about baptism “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”. We will mention it later.

Let’s establish a common measure

Before we move on, I hope you are of the same opinion as I am regarding the source of truth. Because if you think that a person can figure something out for themselves, add something, supplement something – then we will not come to an agreement.

We must have a common measure. And that measure cannot be what we like. People very often believe in what arouses positive emotions in them. And if something does not arouse such emotions – they reject it, they do not want to think about it, they do not want to believe it.

It cannot be this way. We should believe in the truth, and the truth has been revealed in the Holy Scripture. So if the Holy Scripture is our common test, our measure – then we will come to an agreement.

So let’s open 1 Corinthians 4:6:

“In saying this, brothers, I had in mind myself and Apollos for your sake, so that you may learn not to go beyond what is written, and that no one in pride may exalt themselves over another.”

This is a very strong sentence. Notice: the Corinthians mainly had the Old Testament – and they were not to go beyond what was written in it. We have more today. We have the Old and New Testament, and the New sheds new light on the Old, because it shows how the apostles interpreted the Hebrew texts. Many quotations were carried over into the New Testament together with an explanation.

So we have even fewer reasons to go beyond what is written.

A principle I recommend to everyone

Many people – both supporters and opponents of various teachings – claim that their position is “based on the Bible”. Today we will check the verses that supporters of the Trinity appeal to, and see whether they really prove what they are supposed to prove.

And my method is very simple. I will give an example.

Gospel of John 14:28:

“You heard that I said to you: I am going away and I will come to you again. If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I am.”

This is biblical information. This is the truth – because that is what is written.

Now pay attention, because this is the most important sentence in today’s entire meeting: to refute a biblical argument, you must not invent an alternative translation in your head. Because that will be your argument, invented by you.

What is needed to refute a biblical argument? A second verse. A verse that would say, for example: “I and the Father are equal”.

And only then – when we have two passages, one of which says that the Father is greater, and the other that they are equal – only then do we put our heads to work and think: how do we reconcile this? How do we understand it?

The truth is most often in the middle

And you know what? In such situations the truth usually lies in the middle, because people have a tendency to go to extremes.

I will give an example from another field. Some believe that the soul ceases to exist after the body dies, others – that it lives on. Why such a dispute? Because there are verses about killing the soul, but there are also Christ’s words that a human cannot kill the soul. So we have two seemingly contradictory texts – and only then do we start looking for a solution.

And what do people do? They fall into one extreme. They choose the verses about the mortality of the soul, and twist the others. Or the other way around. Meanwhile, the truth is often in the middle and most often has to do with context – with what the author really meant.

People, however, like to argue over words. They tear a passage out of context and build an entire philosophy around it. Let us avoid that.

So let us remember: first arguments from Scripture, only then figuring out how to reconcile them. And if there is no verse that would refute a given claim – as in the case of John 14:28 – then we have nothing to discuss. Human philosophy does not interest me here.

Because people do it the other way around. Instead of believing what is in the Bible, they first have their own beliefs – most often because they were born into a given religion. A religion that, over time, has changed more than once. And now they interpret all the verses so that they fit that religion. Instead of adapting their life to the Bible.

I hope we agree here: we do not want to twist biblical words so that they fit our teachings – we want to adapt our teachings to biblical words.

You can always invent some philosophical, fictional argument, insist that it is true, and force others to believe it. But that is the path to invalidating biblical truth. Because if a verse does not suit you – then take scissors and cut it out. At least it will be honest.

And how do supporters of the Trinity deal with John 14:28? They say: that is because he was human then, so he was lower – but when he returned to heaven, he became equal to the Father again. Except that this is not in the Bible. That is philosophy. They had to somehow neutralize an argument that is practically impossible to overcome – so people invented something. But the fact that we can invent something does not yet mean that it is true.

How many views on the Trinity are there?

That was the introduction. I will also add that there are quite a few different positions on this issue:

• Christ was only human and did not exist before birth.

• Christ existed before birth and is the first creation (this is what Jehovah’s Witnesses believe).

• Christ was God, but not equal to the Father (this is the view of the first Arians).

• Christ is God, but there are not three persons.

So there really is a lot of confusion. We, however, will look at the verses.

Group one: “God is one”

We will start with texts saying that God is one. Why with them? Because it was precisely monotheism – belief in one God – that in practice forced people to create the theory of the Trinity.

Look at the dilemma: in the Bible we find verses calling both the Father and Christ God. At the same time, there are passages – as you will see, mostly badly translated – saying that there is only one God. This somehow had to be reconciled. And a theory was invented that is not in the Bible: one God in three persons, but not three Gods.

That is, something that is contradictory in itself and simply illogical. And when someone points this out, they hear: “you do not understand, because you do not have the Holy Spirit”.

All right, except that this is not in the Bible. It is teaching passed from person to person, not from Scripture. Someone who read only the Bible would never come to the conclusion that God exists in three persons. But if you think otherwise – we will gladly discuss it.

Deuteronomy 6:4 – what is really written there?

Let us open the Book of Deuteronomy 6:4 – the famous confession of faith of Israel, the Shema.

In the original Hebrew we have literally:

“Hear, Israel, YHWH – our gods – YHWH one.”

Notice: the word rendered as “our God” is in the plural – “our gods”. And at the end: “YHWH one” – or “unity”.

And here is something interesting: almost all translations render this completely differently. As a result, when you look into your Bibles, you do not see what is really written there.

But let us look more carefully at the original. In the Hebrew text there is a plural form there: YHWH elohim – literally “YHWH our gods, YHWH one” or “unity”. This is not my interpretation, it is a matter of grammar.

And here an important conclusion appears: since we have the plural, from this verse it is impossible to clearly infer that God is only one in a numerical sense. It is largely a matter of what translation we have been given. Interestingly – wherever the name YHWH appears, it is usually accompanied precisely by the form elohim, the plural. Hardly anyone mentions this.

Isaiah 44, 45 and 46 – favorite verses of supporters of the trinity

Let us now move on to Isaiah, because these are the texts most often quoted as proof.

Isaiah 44:6 – I checked the text word for word: “Thus says YHWH, the king of Israel and his redeemer, YHWH of hosts: I am the first and I am the last, besides me you have no gods”. Simple, right?

Isaiah 45:5-7 says similarly: “I am YHWH and there are no other gods besides me. I girded you, although you do not know me. So that they may know from the rising of the sun and from the setting of the sun that there is none besides me. I am YHWH, and there is no one else”. And further, what is very important: “Who make light, and create darkness, make peace, and create evil. I, the Lord, do all these things”.

Isaiah 46:9 – and here it starts to get really interesting: “Remember the former things. I am God, there are no other gods like me”.

Notice the wording: like me. That is, other gods exist – they simply are not like Him. That is a completely different thought than “no one else exists”.

The problem no one wants to face

And here we get to the heart of the matter. In the Bible many people are called gods. Many spirits as well. In a moment we will see that even Satan in the New Testament bears this designation. Christ himself quotes a psalm, saying that people were called gods.

Paul develops this in the Letter to the Corinthians: there are many so-called gods, but for us there is only one God. And exactly the same applied to Israel. For them there was one God – they were not allowed to have another. That is exactly what these verses are talking about. It is a confession of exclusive loyalty, not a treatise on the number of beings.

“You have no rock” – a key clue

Let us return to Isaiah 44, but let us read further than verse 6. The context speaks of prophecies: “For who is like me who proclaims and tells this and arranges it for me?”

And verse 8 is really interesting: “Do not fear, nor be terrified. Have I not foretold from long ago and declared it? You are my witnesses: Is There A God Besides Me? – you have no rock – I know no such one!”

There is no other rock. And do you know who was the Rock? Christ – Paul says this directly.

The angel in whom is the name of God

Remember this passage, because it explains the apparent contradiction between verses about one God and verses about many gods.

Exodus 23:20-21: “Behold, I send an Angel before you, to guard you on the way, and to bring you to the place which I have prepared for you. Be cautious before His face; and listen to His voice; do not provoke Him, for He will not forgive your transgressions, for my name is in him“.

Notice: “angel” is not a species, it is a function – messenger, someone sent. And that someone was Christ, that Rock who led them. He could use the name of God, appear under it. He did not act under His own name, because He did not seek glory for Himself – which fits perfectly with how we come to know Him in the New Testament. He did nothing for Himself, everything for the glory of God. And that is precisely why God places such great trust in Him and entrusts authority to Him.

Historical testimony

The early Christians knew this. Take, “Dialogue with Trypho the Jew, by Justin Martyr” – a conversation dated to around 135 AD, that is, shortly after the apostles. The apostles were no longer alive, but some of their disciples were still living.

Justin explains there directly: The one who appeared in the role of God in the Old Testament was Christ. Later this was forgotten.

Of course “Dialogue” is not an inspired book – it is a record of someone’s life and thoughts. But as a historical source it has enormous value: its author was one of the first followers of the apostles, and his knowledge of what the apostles believed was incomparably greater than ours today.

Two YHWH in one scene

And now something that settles the matter. We know that no one has ever seen God – even Moses could not see His face and remain alive.

Meanwhile, in Genesis 18 we read how God comes to Abraham and stays with him together with two angels. In your translations it says “and the Lord said to Abraham” – and you have no idea that in the manuscripts it says YHWH there. He came. He spoke. Then He left. Earlier He bargained over Sodom: “if I find fifty righteous people in the city itself, I will spare the city”.

And now Genesis 19:24 – a verse that probably no one likes, because it explains too much:

“Then YHWH rained on Sodom and on Gomorrah sulfur and fire from YHWH out of heaven“.

Two YHWH in one sentence. The one on earth rains down fire, which comes from the One who is in heaven. Of course there will be people who will philosophically bend this to fit their teaching – but the plain message of the text is exactly that.

And all of this forms a coherent picture: God the Father exists under this name and allowed His Son also to appear under it. No convoluted metaphysics. The angel, “in whom is my name”, carries that name with Him. Christ Himself prays in the Gospel of John for “the name that you gave me”.

Who aims, and who gives power

Notice the division: This YHWH on earth has to come and check in order to know what is happening. This YHWH from above – God the Father – has the power. The Son on earth recognized the situation and indicated the target, the Father rained down fire from heaven.

This explains one more thing that some people laugh at: why did YHWH change His mind under the influence of Moses’ intercession? God the Father is infallible and unchanging in His decisions – if He decides something, it must happen. But the Son, who represents Him, can change His mind. Similarly the verse in which YHWH takes counsel with the angels – the Father would not need counsel. Christ would, because – as we will see – the Bible says directly that He learned.

What you will not find in the Old Testament

A very important observation: nowhere in the Old Testament will you find the statement that YHWH is God the Father. It is not there.

That is why when Christ said that He was the Son of God, He was accused of making Himself God – because the Son of God would be God, that is how they understood it. They simply did not know the concept of “God the Father”. Christians spread it. We, reading the Bible through this later filter, do not realize this.

One could cautiously say that YHWH was God Most High. But even here there is a catch: there are textual variants saying that when El-yone’, God Most High, divided the nations among his sons, YHWH received Jacob. He did not “get something ready-made” – He still had to develop and shape that nation. It was an assignment.

And this suggests that YHWH as Christ is not identical with God Most High. He is the One who can be sent. The One who can be seen. The One whom Abraham saw.

I think we have explained that – we still have the matter of creation left.

Who created? The Father, the Son, or both?

Let’s look at the Book of Isaiah, chapter 45, because the matter of creation is addressed there. At first glance, it might suggest that only one person created – that only one God created, right? And here, right away, an important note that we must constantly remember: some people argue over words. And if you argue over the words themselves, then in the Bible you will find a truly large number of opportunities for so-called apparent contradictions.

But if you think about the context of the words being spoken – what the person who said or wrote them had in mind, or even what God Himself had in mind – then you will understand that a given word could have been used in a completely different meaning than the one you are arguing about today, claiming that it should be understood differently.

An example of such a misunderstanding could be the situation when Christ said: “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will rebuild it”. He was speaking about His body, but the listeners seized on His words and wanted to accuse Him of speaking about destroying the real temple – the one made of walls. And yet He did in fact say something like that, He conveyed such a teaching. Do you understand? He meant one thing, and they understood the words in their own way.

And so we have to empathize. If we want the truth, if we do not want to preach our own teachings, but the truth that Christ preached, then we have to consider what He meant when He spoke certain words.

Isaiah 44 – “there are no other gods besides me”

Isaiah 44, verse 24: “Thus says the Lord, your redeemer, and the one who formed you from the womb of your mother: I the Lord do all things, I alone stretch out the heavens, I spread out the earth by my own power”.

This passage says that YHWH created alone, that there was no one to help.

And yet the Gospel of John says otherwise

And here it gets interesting. Because if there are verses saying that YHWH created alone and no one helped Him – then look at what the Gospel of John says. It states that Christ also created. The word logos appears there, right?

“All things came into being through It” – that is, through the Word – “and without Him nothing came into being that came into being”. And at the same time it is clearly said: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God”. And the Word was God – so we have two Gods, right? “It was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through It” – that is, the whole work of creation, all creation took place through Christ, who appears here as the Word.

Actually, it should not be “Word” here, a better translation would be “Wisdom”. It is just that the habit of using the word “Word” is so strong that it is hard to break. We will talk about this again with chapter 8 of the Book of Proverbs, where Christ is indeed presented as Wisdom, whom God created.

Proverbs 8 – Wisdom was present at creation

We will start with verse 12. First there are the virtues of Wisdom: “I, Wisdom, prudence is close to me, I possess deep knowledge”. From this verse we know that it is about “Wisdom”, and now we will jump to verse 22:

“The Lord created me as His masterpiece, as the beginning of His power” – as the first beginning of His power, right? “From ages I have been created, from the beginning, before the earth came into being, before the ocean… When He established the heavens, I was with Him. When He drew the vault over the surface of the waters, when above He fixed the clouds…”.

So Wisdom – this logos, because logos and Wisdom are the same – was with God when God created.

So look: on the one hand we have a verse saying that God created alone, and on the other hand verses saying that Wisdom was with Him, that He created together with Christ. And there are more such verses about creating together with Christ.

The Letter to the Colossians – everything through Him

Colossians, chapter 1, verses 15–17. It is said of Christ that He is “the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation” – so the first creation – “because in Him everything was created”. So Christ was present at creation, right? “In the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions, or authorities, or powers. Everything was created through Him and for Him. He is before everything and everything stood in Him”.

So Christ was present at creation.

And that is precisely why some people – supporters of the Trinity – claim that Christ and the Father are one. Literally one, right? But we know they are not literally one, because after all they are separate persons, right? Well, but they philosophize like that because they cannot reconcile it.

And it can be reconciled quite simply. When we say that God created, in this case it refers to God by the name YHWH – under which both the Father and the Son appeared. Both appear under this name. And indeed the Son does nothing that the Father would not want; He does everything according to His will. And these verses clearly say that God was creating, using the Son for creation.

Who built Solomon’s temple?

So why can it be said that God was creating? Let us ask an analogous question: who built Solomon’s temple? The name itself suggests that Solomon did. And how many bricks did he personally lay there? Probably not a single one.

So when we say that Solomon built the temple, it means that he provided the funds, hired people, financed everything, gave the means and power for it – but in fact someone else was building. The chief architect, the famous, legendary one. He, in turn, can say that he received the funds – that is, in this case God the Father is the one who gives the power, and Christ was creating. That follows from these verses, among others from the Letter to the Colossians.

And the same goes for that architect – even he does not do everything personally, because he hires workers who lay those bricks. And then we say that Solomon built the temple for God.

Do you understand? The fact that we say “Solomon built the temple” does not mean that he did it literally by himself, personally. However, Solomon can truthfully say that no other king did it with him. Exactly as in those verses: no other – He alone. “Alone” in the sense: no other god cooperated with Him. But that does not change the fact that He had the Son at His disposal.

So we must always take the context, because otherwise we will have seemingly contradictory statements and we will argue – being a supporter of one side or the other, and neither will be right. Because the truth is in the middle: one has to reconcile one with the other. That is why we are considering what all of this means.

Someone here in the comments writes that He acted through His Word. Exactly – and that Word was Christ, as it turns out, right?

Listen, we are not skipping any verses here. I do not do what some people do, pretending that certain verses simply do not exist. We try to do this: if there are verses that somehow conflict with each other, we look for a third way – one that will not conflict and will explain both verses, not one that invalidates one of them.

I know there is a lot of material and people get lost. I am arranging all of this for you right now. If it is too much, perhaps you will need to listen/read a second time – I am discussing this debate very thoroughly.

“One God” – an argument used by both sides

We are now talking about verses that theoretically are supposed to prove that there is only one God. But what is the problem? The problem is that the same verses are used both by supporters of the Trinity and by its opponents. Everyone bends them in their own way. I am telling you how it is, and you judge for yourselves, think it over and check it.

Another verse that both sides refer to is 1 Corinthians, chapter 8. You will see for yourselves that everything begins with interpretation. Verses 4–6, in a literal translation:

“As for foods offered to images [idols], we know that images in the world are nothing and that there is no {other} god, except One. Although in fact there are those called gods, whether in heaven or on earth, so there are many gods and many lords, but for us one God the Father, from whom are all things and we to Him and one Lord Yeshu Anointed, through whom are all things and we through Him”.

Listen, you are given polished translations, and in these polished translations the sentence is arranged so that it comes out literally that there is only one God. But if you look closely, it does not say “there is one God” – it says: “there is one God the Father“.

Whereas others are nothing or no one – in my translation “no one”. Other gods are no one, except for this one. That is the sense.

But this does not deny the existence of other gods! That is why in a moment Paul himself writes: “although they are in fact called gods”. So he does not deny it – and even the Bible calls them gods, whether in heaven or on earth. And he sums up: “So there are many gods and many lords”. He does not deny this. “But for us there is one God the Father, from whom are all things and we from Him, and one Lord Yeshu Anointed”.

And now note: this does not give grounds to claim that Christ must not be called God. Indeed, He is not God the Father – although in the New Eon that title too will belong to Him, but we are not talking about that today.

Distinction: God the Father and Lord Yeshu

For the sake of distinction – when we speak about God, we mean the Father, and we then call Christ Lord. But on other occasions we can also call Christ God. And the Bible itself does this.

Notice a certain symmetry. Just as God the Father can be called Lord – although in this verse we read that there is only one Lord – so too Christ can be called God, although we read here that there is only one God the Father. One God the Father, right?

And yet Paul himself admits that there are many so-called gods. There is not the slightest problem with that. As if he reflected for a moment – because you know, when one writes, a thought comes a moment later: “oh no, after all, there really are many who are called that. But for us they have no significance.”

And this is exactly the same logic we find in the Shema Israel. Even though many gods existed, for Israel they had no significance – because Israel was allowed to have only One.

Second verse: 1 Timothy 2:5

All right, let us move on to another verse that some also invoke, claiming that there is only one God. This is 1 Timothy, chapter 2, verse 5:

“For there is one God, and one Mediator of God and humans – the human, the anointed one, Yeshu.”

In your translations it is probably “intermediary” here. A more precise rendering of this word, however, is mediator – and that matters.

Moses was a mediator. That is precisely why Moses established several legal regulations of his own – because he simply negotiated them. The issue of divorce, for instance, remember? And Christ was also a mediator, establishing new legal regulations. He could do it, he had the right to do it.

But look: “For there is one God, and one mediator”. We have a clear distinction here – between God and Christ. This is not the same person. Clearly. He is even called a human. That is interesting, right? Although at that time he was no longer only a human.

And here a dilemma arises. Some say: since there is one God, no one else can be called God. And yet the Bible calls Him God! They cannot reconcile this. But the matter is simple: one can call Him God, but not the Most High God.

Christ is not the Most High God. He is not equal to the Father. Even though He is God.

That is precisely why – as we already said with the Book of Genesis – He could be seen. It was Christ who appeared in those revelations. Just as it is said that Jacob wrestled with God, while some translations say with an angel. That was also Christ. Justin Martyr claims exactly the same thing – that it was Christ who wrestled with Jacob then and struck his hip.

“One” – what does this word really mean?

Okay, I think we have discussed that. But let us return once more to Deuteronomy 6:4 – that famous “God is one”.

Well, the same Hebrew word echad appears in Genesis 2:24:

“Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother… and they become one flesh.”

This is exactly the same word as in the sentence “YHWH, the gods are one” or “are one”.

You can see for yourselves – a man and a woman are still two bodies. If someone wanted to argue, they would have to justify it somehow. It is written that they are one flesh, but of course they are not literally one. Do we understand each other?

It is about what the author means – not about quarreling over words. Because if we start quarreling over words, someone will say: “what nonsense they write there, after all, a woman and a man are different, they can separate, one dies, the other lives”. What is more – they may even enter into a new marriage. One dies, the other does not necessarily die, right?

What I mean is honesty in reading. The same applies to the verses we will read on the issue of the unity of God with Christ – because such arguments are also raised.

Genesis 3:22 – “one of us”

Let us look once more at the third chapter of the Book of Genesis. The same Hebrew word with which it is described that God is one – and in reality, that Elohiym, gods, are one.

Look at what we read here in Genesis 3:22. This is my literal translation:

“YHWH Gods said: Behold, Adam has become like ONE OF US, knowing good and evil. And now may he not reach out his hand and take from the tree of life and eat and live longer.”

“Has become like one of us”. Perhaps a better translation would be “has become one of us”. But no matter how we translate it – does “one” mean here that there are no others? After all, it is exactly the same word that appears in “YHWH, gods, is one”.

One. As one. A single one. That is how many meanings this word has. It can also mean that they are in unity.

So yes – the Father and the Son are absolutely in unity. But like husband and wife: not in the literal sense, because they have two separate bodies, even though it was said that they would be one flesh.

There is a lot of symbolism here and we do not take all words literally. This word “one” simply does not mean what some people would like it to mean. But if someone wants to argue, because they have a theory and it suits them that “one, there are no more” – they will argue. It is just that the Bible gives no basis for that.

Let us summarize this group of verses. I would like you to remember: yes, God is one – God the Father. But there are also so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth. The Bible tells us that too. It is just that they are not gods for us in the supreme sense. Which does not change the fact that the Bible calls them that.

Arguments of supporters of the Trinity

Now we move on to verses that are among the main arguments of supporters of the Trinity – and at the same time they show very well how weak their argumentation is.

I will still take a look at the comments. Revelation 5:13 – “does the shared honor given to the One sitting on the throne and to the Lamb not testify to equality? Or Yeshu’s words that the Father’s will is to honor and respect the Son?”

You see, the theory of the Trinity assumes that Christ was equal to the Father always. And what you are appealing to shows something completely different: that God only then gives Christ something that you can call equality. I mean – He will never be equal, because He is not able to surpass the Father in power. But the Father exalts Him as much as He possibly can.

Marek writes that they are of one mind in spirit. Yes, and we too are to be one with Christ. Therefore again: this is not literal unity.

Someone will say: “but how is it not literal? Unity is unity”. Not in the sense that we will stick together and be – I do not know – walking leg in leg, moving identically and doing everything the same way, because we are one body. Symbolically we are one body – through spiritual union.

Christ did nothing on His own, said nothing on His own. He did nothing private on earth. He did everything for the glory and honor of God the Father. And in that sense He was united with Him. There was not even the slightest possibility that Christ would betray the Father. Although Satan tried.

“Mentioned together” – that is, an argument that is not one

All right, now I have another group of Bible verses which – for lack of other arguments – is considered an argument.

I do not even know whether to read them all, because they come down to one thing: somewhere in the Bible the Father is mentioned, the Son is mentioned, and the Holy Spirit is mentioned. And they say: “oh, this is proof that there is a Trinity!” Because in one place the first, the second, and the third are mentioned.

I will give you a few such verses, not all of them, because there are quite a few. You will see in a moment that this is no argument at all.

For example, the baptism of Christ – Matthew chapter 3, verses 16-17:

“And when Yeshu was immersed, He immediately came up out of the water.” – so we have Christ – “And behold, the heavens opened to Him and He saw the Breath (Spirit) of God descending like a dove and coming upon Him.” – the Holy Spirit – “And a voice from heaven said: This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” – and we have the Father.

And they say: this is proof of the existence of the Trinity. Really? Where?

Three persons simply appeared. But that proves nothing. Where is it written here that they are equal? Equal in what way? The man Christ would be equal to God the Father? Then why does the Spirit descend upon Him, if He has the same powers? Why does He need the Holy Spirit?

Exactly. The fact that they appear together is not proof of anything.

Counterexample: 1 Timothy 5:21

Why? Look at 1 Timothy 5:21. A similar situation – three parties are also mentioned. Except that instead of the Holy Spirit there is someone else:

“I testify before God and the Anointed One Yeshu, and the chosen Messengers (angels), that you keep these things without prejudice, doing nothing with partiality.”

The Holy Spirit is replaced here – in my translation I have “messengers”, because that is the function, they are sent – but it refers to angels. There is no Holy Spirit.

Does that mean that God the Father, the Anointed One, and the angels are one God in three persons?

If the argument were supposed to be the mere mention of three together, then following the same line of reasoning, we would have to recognize angels as God. And that is truly dangerous – because there is worship of angels.

Angels and the Holy Spirit

Besides, I will tell you something that I will discuss in detail another time: angels appear in the role of the Holy Spirit. Many times.

Notice the pattern: most often when an angel appears, an angel is spoken of. And when they act invisibly – the Holy Spirit is spoken of.

That is why, in my opinion, these are most definitely “chosen angels” here – meaning there is some group of chosen angels that appears in the role of the Holy Spirit.

Think about it for a moment. Are angels spirits? Yes. If they serve God, are they holy? Yes. So an angel who serves God is a holy spirit.

This is a kind of anonymous name – because no one knows the name of the Holy Spirit. It is an anonymous holy spirit. It is more a function than a name. So it is no wonder that angels perform it.

I will tell you more. When we say that someone had the Holy Spirit – for example, those who received prophecy – how did that happen? An angel went with the prophecy. An angel was the one who delivered it.

This is described both in the case of Daniel, where the angel Gabriel literally flew to him, and in John – where we read that Christ sent his angel with the prophecy to John, so that he would write down the revelation. He was that Holy Spirit who brought the gift of prophecy. I could give you a whole hour-long lecture on angels and the Holy Spirit – and maybe someday we will do that. The last time I talked about this was probably seven years ago, and there really are a great many verses that confirm it. But today, one by one, calmly, step by step.

I have already read Matthew. Oh, and one more interesting thing when it comes to the descent of the Holy Spirit upon Christ. I will give you a verse that almost no one quotes. People avoid it, they do not like passages like this, because they mess everything up for them.

The Gospel of John, chapter 1, verse 51:

“Then he said to him: Truly, truly I say to you: You will see the heavens opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”

Does that remind you of anything? “You will see the heavens opened and the angels of God…”

And how was it in Matthew 3? Do you remember?

“And behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and he saw the Breath of God descending like a dove and coming upon Him.”

A similar situation, right? The Holy Spirit comes – just as it is described there that angels will descend and ascend upon the Son of Man. These are things worth placing side by side. Today I am only giving you an outline of what the Bible says about angels and about holy spirits. There is so much material that a separate, solid lecture could be made from it.

The Letter to the Ephesians – is it really proof of the Trinity?

In the Letter to the Ephesians there is an interesting verse that is supposedly meant to prove the unity of the Trinity. Ephesians 4: 4-6:

“There is one body and one spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling. One Lord, one faith, one baptism. One God and Father of all.”

There is Spirit, there is Lord, there is God the Father – and some say: “Well, there you go, the Trinity again!” All right, but there is also a body here, there is baptism, there is faith. Are they God too? If the mere fact of being listed together were supposed to prove something, then to be consistent we would have to add baptism and faith to the Trinity as well. Illogical, right?

And now look more closely: one body, one spirit, one Lord, one faith…In all these statements, a hierarchy is visible. And at the end: “one God and Father of all”. One God – not three gods. And Father of all, so also of the Holy Spirit and Christ. And Christ is not the father of God the Father. God the Father truly is only one.

Matthew 28:19 – a verse that raises doubts even among supporters of the Trinity

Another passage that people refer to. I will read it from the Catholic Bible, because mine has already been corrected. Chapter 28, verse 19:

“Go therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”

Interestingly, even supporters of the Trinity have doubts about this verse. Why?

Yes, it appears in the oldest complete codices – but they come from the 4th century. So they were produced after the doctrine of the Trinity had already been approved. However, when this verse is quoted in writings from the 2nd and 3rd centuries – so before the 4th century – it reads differently:

“Go therefore and teach all nations, immersing them in my name.”

And exactly this version, without the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, also appears in the Hebrew version of the Gospel of Matthew – the one that circulated among Jews and was discovered in the Middle Ages. There is no trinitarian formula there either.

The conclusion is simple: it is an addition, a forgery from a later time, intended to lend credibility to the new doctrine of the Trinity. And that doctrine appears only in the 4th century.

The question is: does the truth need to falsify books? No. Only a false teaching needs to falsify books.

The practice of the apostles speaks for itself

There is one more argument, strong and very practical. If Christ had really said “in the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit”, then the apostles would have done that. Meanwhile, nowhere did any apostle, any preacher immerse in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Everyone immersed in the name of Yeshu, in the name of Christ. Everyone – and we have many such situations described in the Acts. No one ever did otherwise.

1 John 5,7-8 – a forgery that everyone has already backed away from

And we have another verse that was falsified. It is the 1 John 5, verses 7–8:

“For there are three that testify: the spirit and the water and the blood, and these three are one.”

This is already the corrected version. Spirit, water and blood. But in the falsified text it said that the Father, the Word and the Holy Spirit testify, and that these three are one.

Here the matter is so well proven that practically all translators have backed away – though it was not to their liking. All modern translations that respect themselves simply no longer include this addition.

And again the same question: does the truth need to falsify the Holy Scripture? Because you remember what is written at the end of Revelation? Whoever adds anything – God will add plagues to them, and whoever takes away – God will take away from the tree of life from them. So every distortion of Scripture will be accounted for.

Answers to your questions

Question about the Word, the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning of the works of God.

All right, I will explain it step by step.

Christ is the first creative work – but in principle we do not say that God created him, we say that he begot him. Why? Because there was nothing then. There was only God the Father, and God as if separated his Son out of himself. No one else will ever come into being that way again.

And now note: for two persons to be able to exist, there must be space. Only at that moment does the need appear for space to exist. And when there are two persons, time also comes into being. Before that, there was no time. Because when one person speaks and the other answers, the interval between the question and the answer is already being measured by something. Time appears.

So for time and space to be able to exist, Christ had to come into being first. Truly, before that there was nothing – absolutely nothing. That is why it can be said that Christ was before time.

God the Father was also first – because he was even before Christ. But when it comes to creative works, Christ was first. And that is precisely why the Bible says that he was the firstborn of all creation. Firstborn means first. And only-begotten means the only one – he is called the only-begotten Son of God, that is, the only Son of God in that sense.

Another comment: “The Holy Spirit was poured out, so obviously it is not a person.”

Then how will you explain that angels are to ascend and descend upon Christ?

Look at it when examined more closely. In the Bible there is possession, right? Possession consists in a spirit that does not serve God – a demon, an unclean spirit (and unclean precisely because it does not serve God) – entering a person and being able to take control over them.

Whereas the Holy Spirit can also enter a person and can likewise take control over them – to the point that the person will speak words they do not understand themselves. Speaking in tongues, right?

So possession is structurally similar to a person being visited by the Holy Spirit. The difference is fundamental: in possession an evil spirit acts, and in a visitation – a good one, the Holy Spirit.

The issue is what the author had in mind. This is a classic example of a dispute over a word. We understand “poured out” in our own way – but how did the author understand it?

The word “spirit” itself I translate as breath. Literally, it is breath, a breeze. We have grown used to the word “spirit” and often understand it personally, but at its source it is breath. We also understand spirit as a force – and rightly so. We ourselves also have a spirit, and it is not a separate person within us. It is our energy with a certain software, which we receive from the moment of birth. It is our private spirit: it gives us strength, energy, supports us.

And now a question worth asking Jehovah’s Witnesses.

If the Holy Spirit is simply “God’s active force”, then why does God need angels? After all, that active force will take care of everything.

And what if it is precisely the angels who are that active force of God? That is what they were created for, that is their function – they are messengers. Why would God need messengers if he could use the spirit itself in some supernatural way?

See for yourselves that although the Holy Spirit is one, in reality Scripture speaks of spirits in the plural – but we will come back to that.

Someone here is quoting Hebrews 7:7. Let us check what we read there: “And beyond all dispute, the lesser receives the blessing from the greater.” I will repeat it, because it is worth it: the lesser receives the blessing from the greater. For me, then, it is obvious that the Father is greater than the Son, and the Son greater than the Holy Spirit. We will discuss this even more precisely next time – there are truly very many verses that testify to this.

Thanks for listening until the end. I would be extremely grateful for likes, shares and comments, because it helps grow the channel, which gives a chance to reach even more people.

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Glory to Yeshu!!!