38 Trinity Contradictions — Comparing the Trinity Claim With the Word of God

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A detailed introductory poster for Simon Brown’s study, 38 Trinity Contradictions. The series compares what traditional Trinitarian doctrine teaches about the Father, Son and Holy Spirit with key passages of Scripture concerning the one God, His Son Jesus Christ and the biblical identity of God.

QUICK FACTS: 38 TRINITY CONTRADICTIONS

PART ONE — WHO IS THE ONE TRUE GOD?

Research by Simon Brown

The doctrine of the Trinity traditionally teaches that there is one God in three distinct persons—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit—and that the three are coequal and coeternal. That is a fair description of historic Trinitarian belief, not something invented for this article. (Orthodox Church in America)

In this series, we are going to do something very simple:

THE TRINITY CLAIM

versus

THE WORD OF GOD

For each point, we will ask:

What does Trinitarian doctrine teach?

What does Scripture actually say?

And do the two teachings agree—or contradict one another?

These are the first five of the 38 Trinity Contradictions in my original study.

---

TRINITY CONTRADICTION NO. 1

GOD SAYS THERE IS NO OTHER GOD BESIDES HIM

WHAT THE TRINITY TEACHES

Traditional Trinitarian doctrine teaches that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are three distinct persons, while each is fully divine and together they are the one God. (Orthodox Church in America)

WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES

Throughout Scripture, Yahweh repeatedly speaks of Himself using unmistakably singular language:

“Now therefore, Yahweh our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you are Yahweh, even you only.”

— Isaiah 37:20

Again:

“I am Yahweh, and there is none else. Besides me, there is no God.”

— Isaiah 45:5

And:

“Remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me.”

— Isaiah 46:9

And perhaps most strikingly:

“See now that I, even I, am he. There is no god with me.”

— Deuteronomy 32:39

This same pattern appears repeatedly throughout Isaiah and the other prophets in the passages collected in my original study.

WHERE IS THE CONTRADICTION?

God does not say:

“We are God, and there is nobody besides Us.”

Instead, the biblical language repeatedly says:

I AM GOD

BESIDES ME THERE IS NO GOD

THERE IS NO GOD WITH ME

The question for the Trinitarian interpretation is therefore:

If the one God consists of three distinct coequal divine persons, why does God repeatedly identify Himself using this strongly singular “I” and “Me” language?

These passages are foundational to the biblical understanding of God and deserve to be allowed to speak for themselves.

---

TRINITY CONTRADICTION NO. 2

GOD IS ONE — THE GREATEST COMMANDMENT

WHAT THE TRINITY TEACHES

Trinitarian theology agrees that there is only one God, but defines that one God as existing in three distinct divine persons. (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)

WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES

God gave Israel this fundamental commandment:

“Hear, Israel: Yahweh is our God. Yahweh is one.”

— Deuteronomy 6:4

Centuries later, Jesus was asked which commandment was foremost.

Jesus answered:

“The foremost is, ‘Hear this O Israel: The Lord our God is One Lord.’”

— Mark 12:29, BLB

Jesus therefore reaffirmed the declaration given to Israel.

GOD IS ONE.

WHERE IS THE CONTRADICTION?

The important point is not that the Hebrew word for “one” literally means “one person”—it does not by itself establish that.

The much stronger question is this:

Did Jesus ever redefine Israel's confession by saying that the one God consists of three coequal persons?

When specifically asked for the foremost commandment, Jesus simply reaffirmed:

“THE LORD OUR GOD IS ONE LORD.”

Your original article identifies this as one of the central problems with the Trinitarian interpretation.

If believing that God is three persons were essential to understanding God's identity, why did Jesus not say so when explicitly stating the foremost commandment concerning God?

That is a serious question.

---

TRINITY CONTRADICTION NO. 3

PAUL SAYS: “ONE GOD, THE FATHER”

WHAT THE TRINITY TEACHES

Traditional Trinitarian Christianity identifies the Father as God, the Son as God, and the Holy Spirit as God, while maintaining that there are not three Gods but one God. (RCA)

WHAT PAUL TEACHES

Paul writes:

“Yet to us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things and we for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ…”

— 1 Corinthians 8:6, BLB

Look carefully at Paul's identification:

ONE GOD — THE FATHER

Then Paul distinguishes Jesus:

ONE LORD — JESUS CHRIST

Paul makes another remarkable distinction:

“For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.”

— 1 Timothy 2:5, BLB

Again we have two clearly distinguished parties:

ONE GOD

and

THE MAN CHRIST JESUS — THE MEDIATOR BETWEEN GOD AND HUMANITY

Paul also writes:

“…God is one.”

— Galatians 3:20, BLB

These were central passages in Contradiction No. 3 of my original study.

WHERE IS THE CONTRADICTION?

If Paul believed that the one God should be identified equally as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, why does he instead write:

“ONE GOD, THE FATHER”?

And if Jesus is Himself that same one God, why does Paul distinguish:

the one God

from

the mediator between God and humanity, Christ Jesus?

Paul certainly gives Jesus an extraordinarily exalted position.

But his wording still distinguishes God from Jesus Christ.

That distinction should not be ignored.

---

TRINITY CONTRADICTION NO. 4

JESUS IS THE WAY TO GOD

WHAT THE TRINITY TEACHES

The Trinity teaches that Jesus is fully divine and shares the same divine being as the Father.

WHAT JESUS TEACHES

Jesus said:

“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, if not by Me.”

— John 14:6, BLB

Notice the direction Jesus gives us:

THROUGH JESUS → TO THE FATHER

Jesus does not present Himself as the final person to whom He is bringing us.

He presents Himself as the way through whom we come to the Father.

This was the argument presented in Contradiction No. 4 of my original article.

WHERE IS THE CONTRADICTION?

If Jesus is Himself the same one true God to whom humanity is being reconciled, why does He consistently present Himself as the way to the Father?

This fits perfectly with Paul's words:

ONE GOD

and

ONE MEDIATOR BETWEEN GOD AND MEN

The mediator is:

“THE MAN CHRIST JESUS.”

— 1 Timothy 2:5

The biblical picture therefore presents Jesus as our unique mediator and way to God.

---

TRINITY CONTRADICTION NO. 5

JESUS CALLED HIMSELF “A MAN”

WHAT THE TRINITY TEACHES

Historic Trinitarian Christianity teaches that Jesus Christ is both fully God and fully man. The Athanasian Creed explicitly describes Christ as God and man, so we must represent the Trinitarian position accurately here. (RCA)

Therefore, the fact that Jesus is called a man does not, by itself, refute Trinitarian doctrine.

But there is something else in Jesus' statement that deserves attention.

WHAT JESUS ACTUALLY SAID

Jesus told His opponents:

“But now you seek to kill Me, a man who has spoken to you the truth that I heard from God.”

— John 8:40, BLB

Notice the complete statement.

Jesus identifies Himself as:

“A MAN”

and then says that the truth He proclaimed was something:

“I HEARD FROM GOD.”

Your original article specifically contrasts Jesus' description of Himself as a man with the Trinitarian identification of Jesus as God.

WHERE IS THE CONTRADICTION?

The strongest question is not simply:

“Why is Jesus called a man?”

Trinitarians already believe Jesus became genuinely human.

The more important question is:

Why does Jesus distinguish Himself from God in the very same sentence?

He says:

“ME, A MAN”

who heard:

“FROM GOD.”

The natural reading presents the man Jesus receiving truth from God.

So we must ask:

Who is the God from whom Jesus heard this truth?

And why does Jesus speak of God as someone distinct from Himself?

---

PART ONE — CONCLUSION

We have examined only the first five of the 38 claimed Trinity contradictions, but already a consistent biblical pattern begins to emerge.

God says:

“BESIDES ME, THERE IS NO GOD.”

Jesus says:

“THE LORD OUR GOD IS ONE LORD.”

Paul says:

“ONE GOD, THE FATHER.”

Jesus says we come:

TO THE FATHER THROUGH HIM.

And Jesus describes Himself as:

“A MAN” WHO HEARD THE TRUTH “FROM GOD.”

The purpose of this series is not to tell you what you must believe.

It is to put the Trinity claim beside the Word of God and allow you to examine the evidence.

Ask yourself:

Do these statements naturally teach one God who is three coequal persons?

Or do they consistently distinguish the one God, the Father, from His Son and Messiah, Jesus Christ?

Jesus Himself prayed:

“And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You sent.”

— John 17:3, BLB

There are still 33 claimed contradictions to examine.

And some of the strongest are yet to come.

Research by Simon Brown

wwwrealdiscoveriesorg-simon.blogspot.com

 

A detailed research infographic using Simon Brown’s original photographs and measurements of the Great Stone at Mount Nebo and the rolling-stone channel at the Garden Tomb in Jerusalem. The investigation compares the physical dimensions with Mark 16:4, where the tomb stone is described as “exceedingly large.”

UPDATE: DOES THE SIZE OF THE GREAT STONE AT MOUNT NEBO MATCH THE GARDEN TOMB?

Research by Simon Brown

An objection has been raised against my research into the Great Stone I discovered at Mount Nebo.

Some people argue that this enormous rolling stone could not possibly have been connected with the true tomb of Jesus because it is far too large. They suggest that the original rolling stone at Jesus' tomb would probably have been only around 5 to 6 feet in diameter.

But during my investigation, I discovered something that I believe deserves much closer attention.

The dimensions of the Great Stone at Mount Nebo correspond remarkably closely with the surviving rolling-stone channel outside the Garden Tomb.

And when we return to the Gospel of Mark, we find another fascinating detail:

Mark specifically tells us that the stone was “exceedingly large.”

Let us examine the evidence.

---

THE GREAT STONE AT MOUNT NEBO

During my investigation at Mount Nebo, I personally measured this enormous circular stone.

My measurements were approximately:

Diameter: 9 feet 8 inches

Thickness: approximately 15 inches

This is certainly not an ordinary-sized rolling stone.

It is enormous.

And this extraordinary size has been used by critics as an argument against its possible connection with the tomb of Jesus.

But then I measured the surviving rolling-stone channel outside the Garden Tomb in Jerusalem.

That produced a remarkable result.

---

THE GARDEN TOMB CHANNEL IS APPROXIMATELY 16 INCHES WIDE

When I measured the ancient channel outside the Garden Tomb, I found it to be approximately:

16 INCHES WIDE

Compare that with the Great Stone at Mount Nebo:

GREAT STONE — APPROXIMATELY 15 INCHES THICK

GARDEN TOMB CHANNEL — APPROXIMATELY 16 INCHES WIDE

That is a remarkably close dimensional correspondence.

The photographs reproduced with this article show me taking these measurements during my investigation.

Even more interestingly, marks can still be seen along the channel which appear consistent with a large stone having travelled through it.

Therefore, instead of simply asking:

“Is the Mount Nebo stone too large?”

I believe we should ask another question:

Could a stone of these dimensions physically have travelled through the surviving Garden Tomb channel?

According to my measurements, its thickness appears compatible with the width of the channel.

That does not by itself prove that this particular stone once belonged to the Garden Tomb. Its provenance would still need to be established independently.

But it does mean that the dimensional evidence deserves serious investigation rather than dismissal merely because the stone is unusually large.

---

BUT WHAT ABOUT ITS ENORMOUS 9'8" DIAMETER?

This brings us to the second objection.

Critics may argue:

“A stone almost ten feet in diameter is simply too large to have been the stone at Jesus' tomb.”

But there is an extraordinary detail in Mark's resurrection account that should not be overlooked.

The women came to the tomb early in the morning.

Mark records:

“And having looked up, they see that the stone has been rolled away—for it was exceedingly large.”

— Mark 16:4, BLB

Notice those final words:

“IT WAS EXCEEDINGLY LARGE.”

Mark does not merely call it a stone.

He deliberately draws attention to its exceptional size.

---

WHAT DOES THE GREEK SAY?

The Greek behind the description is particularly strong.

Mark uses:

μέγας — megas

meaning great or large,

together with:

σφόδρα — sphodra

meaning exceedingly, extremely, or very much.

So Mark's description is emphatic.

The stone was not merely large.

IT WAS EXCEEDINGLY LARGE.

That fact needs to be included whenever someone argues that the stone at Jesus' tomb must have been relatively small.

---

WHAT ABOUT THE WORDS “HAVING LOOKED UP”?

There is another fascinating detail.

Mark says:

“And having looked up…”

— Mark 16:4, BLB

The Greek verb is ἀναβλέπω (anablepō), which can mean to look up, though in some contexts it can also mean to look again or recover sight.

Therefore, we need to be careful here.

It would be going beyond the text to claim that the expression proves mathematically that the stone had to be taller than the women.

Nevertheless, when combined with Mark's explicit statement that the stone was “exceedingly large,” the wording certainly fits the picture of an imposing stone.

And this is precisely what makes the Mount Nebo stone so interesting.

If the women were somewhere around five feet tall, a stone measuring approximately 9 feet 8 inches in diameter would tower above them.

That is at least visually consistent with the extraordinary stone Mark describes.

But the stronger evidence remains Mark's explicit statement:

“FOR IT WAS EXCEEDINGLY LARGE.”

---

THREE IMPORTANT FACTS NOW COME TOGETHER

My investigation therefore produced three observations that I believe deserve further examination.

First: the Great Stone at Mount Nebo measures approximately 9 feet 8 inches in diameter—an extraordinarily large stone.

Second: it measures approximately 15 inches thick, while my measurement of the Garden Tomb rolling-stone channel was approximately 16 inches wide.

Third: Mark 16:4 specifically describes the stone at Jesus' tomb as:

“EXCEEDINGLY LARGE.”

These facts do not, by themselves, establish the Mount Nebo stone's provenance.

But neither should its extraordinary size automatically disqualify it.

Indeed, extraordinary size is precisely the feature Mark himself chose to emphasize.

---

COULD THE GREAT STONE HAVE BEEN MOVED FROM JERUSALEM?

This leaves another major historical question.

If the Mount Nebo stone once belonged to a tomb in Jerusalem, how did it end up many miles away at Mount Nebo?

Was it deliberately transported?

Was it reused?

When did it arrive there?

Who moved it?

And is there historical or archaeological evidence capable of tracing its earlier history?

These questions are extremely important because a dimensional match alone cannot establish where a stone originally came from.

This is where the investigation must continue.

---

MY UPDATED CONCLUSION

I believe the Great Stone at Mount Nebo remains an extraordinary object worthy of serious investigation.

Its approximately 15-inch thickness corresponds remarkably closely with the approximately 16-inch width I measured in the surviving rolling-stone channel at the Garden Tomb.

Its approximately 9-foot-8-inch diameter makes it exceptionally large.

And rather than contradicting Mark's description, its enormous size is strikingly consistent with one particular detail Mark went out of his way to record:

“THE STONE…WAS EXCEEDINGLY LARGE.”

— Mark 16:4, BLB

Does this evidence alone prove that the Mount Nebo stone is the actual Great Stone that once sealed the tomb of Jesus?

No. More evidence would be needed to establish that identification historically.

But does the objection that the stone is “too large” settle the question?

No.

The Gospel itself describes an exceptionally large stone.

And the physical measurements I recorded present an intriguing dimensional correspondence that I believe deserves further archaeological and historical investigation.

That is why I continue to ask:

COULD THIS REALLY BE THE GREAT STONE OF MARK 16:4?

And could the Garden Tomb in Jerusalem really be the tomb in which our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ was laid before His resurrection?

I encourage everyone to examine the photographs, measurements, biblical text, archaeology and historical evidence for themselves.

The search for the truth should always follow the evidence—wherever that evidence leads.

Research by Simon Brown

wwwrealdiscoveriesorg-simon.blogspot.com

Related articles: 

Could this peaceful garden in Jerusalem contain the actual tomb where Jesus Christ was buried? This investigation examines the biblical accounts, archaeological discoveries, ancient historical evidence, and geographical features surrounding one of Christianity's most fascinating sites.

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Click here to read the latest UPDATE: The Discovery of the Great Stone of Mark 16:4 – Evidence for the Garden Tomb?

Click here to watch Our Search for the Tomb of Jesus on You Tube. By Simon Brown.

Click here to read: The Garden Tomb – Could This Be the Tomb of Jesus? Part 1 – Beginning the Investigation

Click here to purchase the film on Amazon

The History, the Evidence, and the Scientific Facts Behind the Life, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

A detailed research infographic using Simon Brown’s original photographs and measurements of the Great Stone at Mount Nebo and the rolling-stone channel at the Garden Tomb in Jerusalem. The investigation compares the physical dimensions with Mark 16:4, where the tomb stone is described as “exceedingly large.”

 

A detailed Bible study infographic examining John 10:30–36, comparing the accusation that Jesus made Himself God in John 10:33 with Jesus’ own explanation in John 10:36: “I am Son of God.”

QUICK FACTS: DOES JOHN 10:30–36 REALLY PROVE JESUS SAID HE IS GOD?

Research by Simon Brown

For years, one of the most common arguments sent to me concerning the Trinity has been based upon John 10:30–33.

Jesus said:

“I and the Father are one.”

— John 10:30, BLB

The Jews then accused Jesus:

“For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a man, make Yourself God.”

— John 10:33, BLB

This is frequently presented as straightforward proof that Jesus claimed to be God.

The argument is simple:

The Jews understood Jesus to be claiming that He was God; therefore Jesus must have been claiming to be God.

But there is a serious problem with that reasoning.

John 10:33 records the accusation of Jesus' opponents.

What did Jesus Himself say He had claimed?

Keep reading.

---

QUICK FACT 1 — “YOU MAKE YOURSELF GOD” WAS THE ACCUSATION

John 10:33 tells us what Jesus' opponents believed He was claiming:

“…because You, being a man, make Yourself God.”

— John 10:33, BLB

But this is not Jesus saying:

“I am God.”

It is an accusation made against Jesus.

Therefore, we should not stop reading at verse 33 and automatically accept His opponents' interpretation.

The crucial question is:

How did Jesus answer their accusation?

---

QUICK FACT 2 — JESUS EXPLAINS HIS CLAIM HIMSELF

After responding from Scripture, Jesus says:

“Do you say of Him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You blaspheme,’ because I said, ‘I am Son of God’?”

— John 10:36, BLB

This is extremely important.

The Jews accused Him of making Himself God.

But when Jesus describes what He Himself said, His words are:

“I AM SON OF GOD.”

Notice what Jesus does not say:

“Yes, you understood Me correctly. I am God.”

Instead, Jesus identifies His own claim:

“I am Son of God.”

Surely Jesus' own explanation of His words should carry more authority than the accusation of the people trying to stone Him.

---

QUICK FACT 3 — JOHN 10:30 DOES NOT SAY “I AND THE FATHER ARE THE SAME GOD”

What had Jesus actually said?

“I and the Father are one.”

— John 10:30, BLB

The verse says they are one, but it does not itself say:

“I and the Father are one God.”

This distinction becomes especially important elsewhere in John's Gospel.

Jesus prayed concerning His disciples:

“…that they may be one, as We are.”

— John 17:11, BLB

And again:

“…that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You, that they also may be in Us…”

— John 17:21, BLB

Obviously, Jesus was not praying that all His disciples would become one literal being.

Their oneness concerns unity.

Therefore, the word “one” by itself in John 10:30 cannot establish the doctrine that Jesus and the Father are two persons within one God.

The surrounding context must determine its meaning.

---

QUICK FACT 4 — JESUS DISTINGUISHED HIMSELF FROM GOD

Elsewhere Jesus explicitly describes Himself as a man who heard truth from God:

“But now you seek to kill Me, a man who has spoken to you the truth that I heard from God.”

— John 8:40, BLB

Notice the distinction:

Jesus — “a man”

who

heard the truth “from God.”

Jesus does not say:

“I am God who told you My own truth.”

He distinguishes Himself from the God from whom He received the truth.

---

QUICK FACT 5 — JESUS REPEATEDLY CALLED HIMSELF “THE SON OF MAN”

Jesus' favourite self-designation throughout the Gospels is “the Son of Man.”

For example:

“The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere He might lay the head.”

— Matthew 8:20, BLB

Jesus also said:

“For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

— Matthew 12:8, BLB

And:

“But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on the earth to forgive sins…”

— Matthew 9:6, BLB

Again and again Jesus identifies Himself as:

THE SON OF MAN

and:

THE SON OF GOD.

That is the identity Jesus Himself repeatedly claims.

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QUICK FACT 6 — WHOSE INTERPRETATION SHOULD WE TRUST?

This brings us to the central problem with using John 10:33 as proof that Jesus is God.

Whose explanation should determine what Jesus meant?

HIS OPPONENTS:

“You…make Yourself God.”

— John 10:33

OR JESUS HIMSELF:

“I said, ‘I am Son of God.’”

— John 10:36

This should be an easy choice.

Jesus should be allowed to explain Jesus.

We should be extremely cautious about building doctrine upon an accusation made by people who were opposing Him—especially when Jesus immediately responds by explaining His own claim.

---

QUICK FACTS — FINAL CONCLUSION

Does John 10:30–36 prove that Jesus declared:

“I AM GOD”?

Look carefully at what actually happens.

The Jews accuse Jesus:

“You…make Yourself God.”

But Jesus responds:

“I said, ‘I am Son of God.’”

That distinction should not be overlooked.

Jesus does not confirm their accusation by saying:

“Yes, I am God.”

Instead, He identifies Himself as the One:

“whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world.”

And His stated claim is:

“I AM SON OF GOD.”

Therefore, Christians should be very careful about quoting the accusation of Jesus' opponents in John 10:33 as though those were Jesus' own words.

They were not.

If we want to know what Jesus claimed, surely we should listen first to Jesus Himself.

And His answer is recorded only three verses later:

“I SAID, ‘I AM SON OF GOD.’”

— John 10:36, BLB

That is the Quick Fact too often overlooked.

“But test all things. Hold fast to the good.”

— 1 Thessalonians 5:21, BLB

Research by Simon Brown

wwwrealdiscoveriesorg-simon.blogspot.com

Related articles:

• WHO IS THE ONE TRUE GOD? New video!
• 
  
• The Greatest Commandment Ever Given — Who Is the One True God?
• Mark 12:29 — Why Did Jesus Quote the Shema?
• Deuteronomy 6:4 — The Shema: "Hear, O Israel, Yahweh Our God Is One"
• John 10:30 — What Did Jesus Mean by "I and the Father Are One"?
• John 8:58 — What Did Jesus Mean by "Before Abraham Was, I Am"?
• John 20:28 — Did Thomas Really Call Jesus Almighty God?
• John 14:9 — "He Who Has Seen Me Has Seen the Father" Explained
• John 17:3 — Jesus Confirmed That the Father Alone Is the Only True God
• John 17:5 — Did Jesus Exist with the Father Before the World Began?
• John 1:1 — Does "The Word Was God" Mean Jesus Is Almighty God?
• 2 Peter 1:1 — Another Trinitarian Misunderstanding?
• Colossians 1:15–17 — Does "Firstborn of All Creation" Mean Jesus Was Created?
• Hebrews 1:2 — Did God Create the Universe or the Ages Through His Son?
• Who Is the Alpha and the Omega?
• Did the Doctrine of the Trinity Originate with Jesus Christ and His Apostles?
• Is Jesus God, or the Son of God? What Does the Whole Bible Teach?
•  Scriptures Proving Yahweh: The One True God of Israel Is the Creator Alone.
• John 6:38 — How Did Jesus Come Down From Heaven?

 A detailed biblical infographic examining who is on the throne of God. Key passages including Matthew 22:44, Hebrews 12:2, Revelation 3:21, Mark 12:29 and 1 Corinthians 8:6 distinguish God the Father from Jesus Christ at His right hand.

I’d make this one short, direct, and Scripture-focused, because the throne passages themselves make the central distinction very clearly. I’d also slightly soften the title so it invites the reader to investigate rather than giving away the conclusion immediately.

QUICK FACTS: WHO IS ON THE THRONE OF GOD — ONE GOD OR THREE?

Research by Simon Brown

The doctrine of the Trinity teaches that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are three distinct persons who are the one God.

But what picture does the Bible actually give us when it describes God's throne?

Does Scripture show the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit together as three divine persons upon God's throne?

Or does it consistently distinguish God from Jesus, His Son, who sits at God's right hand?

Let us examine the Quick Facts.

---

QUICK FACT 1 — JESUS SITS AT GOD'S RIGHT HAND

Jesus quoted Psalm 110:1:

“The Lord said to my Lord, ‘Sit at My right hand, until I place Your enemies as a footstool for Your feet.’”

— Matthew 22:44, BLB

Notice the distinction.

One is speaking.

The other is invited to sit at His right hand.

Jesus did not describe Himself as the God whose right hand He occupies.

---

QUICK FACT 2 — JESUS CALLED HIMSELF “THE SON OF MAN”

At His trial Jesus said:

“From now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power and coming upon the clouds of heaven.”

— Matthew 26:64, BLB

Again we have the same picture:

The Son of Man is at the right hand of God.

There is distinction—not one person sitting at His own right hand.

---

QUICK FACT 3 — HEBREWS MAKES THE DISTINCTION EVEN CLEARER

Hebrews tells us:

“…looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who in view of the joy set before Him, endured the cross, having despised its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

— Hebrews 12:2, BLB

Look carefully at those words:

Jesus sits at the right hand of the throne OF GOD.

The verse distinguishes Jesus from God, whose throne it is.

---

QUICK FACT 4 — JESUS HIMSELF CALLS IT HIS FATHER'S THRONE

Perhaps one of the clearest statements comes directly from Jesus:

“The one overcoming, I will give to him to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.”

— Revelation 3:21, BLB

Notice exactly what Jesus says:

“My Father”

and

“His throne.”

Jesus therefore identifies the throne as His Father's throne.

He says that after overcoming, He sat down with His Father on His Father's throne.

---

QUICK FACT 5 — WHERE IS THE THIRD PERSON?

This raises an important question for the traditional doctrine of the Trinity.

If the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are three distinct divine persons within the one God, why do these throne passages repeatedly describe:

God

and

Jesus at God's right hand

without presenting the Holy Spirit as a third person seated alongside them?

This absence by itself does not logically disprove every possible formulation of the Trinity—the doctrine does not require the Holy Spirit to occupy a literal third seat.

But it does raise an important biblical question:

Why does Scripture's throne imagery repeatedly distinguish God from Jesus rather than presenting three coequal persons seated together as God?

---

QUICK FACT 6 — DOES THIS MEAN THERE ARE TWO OR THREE GODS?

No.

The biblical passages do not describe three Gods sitting side by side.

Instead, Scripture repeatedly declares that there is one God.

God Himself declares:

“Remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me.”

— Isaiah 46:9

And Jesus Himself affirmed Israel's great confession:

“The foremost is, ‘Hear this O Israel: The Lord our God is One Lord.’”

— Mark 12:29, BLB

Jesus did not replace this commandment with:

“God is three persons.”

He affirmed:

“THE LORD OUR GOD IS ONE LORD.”

---

QUICK FACT 7 — PAUL ALSO DISTINGUISHES THE ONE GOD FROM JESUS

Paul gives us an especially clear statement:

“Yet to us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things and we for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we through Him.”

— 1 Corinthians 8:6, BLB

Notice Paul's language:

ONE GOD — THE FATHER

and

ONE LORD — JESUS CHRIST

This fits naturally with the throne passages.

The Father is identified as the one God, while Jesus Christ is His exalted Son and Lord.

---

QUICK FACTS — FINAL CONCLUSION

What do these throne passages actually show?

They repeatedly present:

GOD

with

JESUS CHRIST AT HIS RIGHT HAND.

Hebrews says Jesus sits at:

“the right hand of the throne of God.”

And Jesus Himself says:

“I…sat down with My Father on His throne.”

The Bible does not describe three Gods sitting together upon God's throne.

Nor do these passages explicitly portray the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as three coequal persons occupying God's throne.

Instead, they distinguish God the Father from Jesus Christ, His Son, whom God exalted to His right hand.

And this fits Paul's remarkably simple declaration:

“ONE GOD, THE FATHER.”

— 1 Corinthians 8:6

It also agrees with God's own declaration:

“I AM GOD, AND THERE IS NO OTHER.”

— Isaiah 46:9

And with the commandment Jesus Himself called the foremost:

“THE LORD OUR GOD IS ONE LORD.”

— Mark 12:29, BLB

So rather than beginning with a later theological formula and reading it back into these passages, Christians should ask a simple question:

What picture does Scripture itself actually give us?

Read the passages.

Compare them.

Test everything.

And decide from the biblical evidence.

“But test all things. Hold fast to the good.”

— 1 Thessalonians 5:21, BLB

Research by Simon Brown

wwwrealdiscoveriesorg-simon.blogspot.com

Related articles:

• WHO IS THE ONE TRUE GOD? New video!
• 
  
• The Greatest Commandment Ever Given — Who Is the One True God?
• Mark 12:29 — Why Did Jesus Quote the Shema?
• Deuteronomy 6:4 — The Shema: "Hear, O Israel, Yahweh Our God Is One"
• John 10:30 — What Did Jesus Mean by "I and the Father Are One"?
• John 8:58 — What Did Jesus Mean by "Before Abraham Was, I Am"?
• John 20:28 — Did Thomas Really Call Jesus Almighty God?
• John 14:9 — "He Who Has Seen Me Has Seen the Father" Explained
• John 17:3 — Jesus Confirmed That the Father Alone Is the Only True God
• John 17:5 — Did Jesus Exist with the Father Before the World Began?
• John 1:1 — Does "The Word Was God" Mean Jesus Is Almighty God?
• 2 Peter 1:1 — Another Trinitarian Misunderstanding?
• Colossians 1:15–17 — Does "Firstborn of All Creation" Mean Jesus Was Created?
• Hebrews 1:2 — Did God Create the Universe or the Ages Through His Son?
• Who Is the Alpha and the Omega?
• Did the Doctrine of the Trinity Originate with Jesus Christ and His Apostles?
• Is Jesus God, or the Son of God? What Does the Whole Bible Teach?
•  Scriptures Proving Yahweh: The One True God of Israel Is the Creator Alone.
• John 6:38 — How Did Jesus Come Down From Heaven?

 

A detailed Quick Facts infographic examining the textual evidence for Revelation 1:11. It compares the King James Version with the Berean Literal Bible and highlights commentary and manuscript evidence concerning the disputed words “I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last.”

QUICK FACTS: DID JESUS REALLY SAY “I AM ALPHA AND OMEGA” IN REVELATION 1:11?

PART ONE — WHAT DO THE OLDEST MANUSCRIPTS SAY?

Research by Simon Brown

There is a surprisingly simple textual problem in Revelation 1:11 that every Christian Bible student should know about.

For centuries, readers of the King James Version have read words that appear to have Jesus saying:

“I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last…”

— Revelation 1:11, KJV

This verse has therefore sometimes been used as evidence that Jesus personally declared Himself to be “the Alpha and Omega.”

As the screenshot reproduced in this article demonstrates, some Trinitarian teachers and websites have specifically included Revelation 1:11 among the verses they use to support that claim.

But there is a major problem:

The words “I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last” are absent from important early Greek manuscript witnesses.

That is why these words disappear completely from the Berean Literal Bible and many other modern translations.

So what happened?

Let us look at the Quick Facts.

---

QUICK FACT 1 — WHAT DOES THE KING JAMES VERSION SAY?

The King James Version reads:

“Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book…”

— Revelation 1:11, KJV

Notice those opening words:

“I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last.”

If these words were part of the original text of Revelation, they would obviously be important.

But now compare the same verse in the Berean Literal Bible:

“Saying, ‘What you see, write in a book and send to the seven churches: to Ephesus, and to Smyrna, and to Pergamum, and to Thyatira, and to Sardis, and to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.’”

— Revelation 1:11, BLB

Something very important is missing.

The BLB does not say:

“I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last.”

It simply begins:

“What you see, write in a book…”

Why such a dramatic difference?

---

QUICK FACT 2 — THE DIFFERENCE COMES FROM THE GREEK TEXTUAL EVIDENCE

This is not simply a case of modern translators deciding that they did not like the words.

The longer reading found in the KJV belongs to a later Greek textual tradition.

The clause:

“I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last”

is absent from important early Greek manuscript witnesses and consequently does not appear in the standard critical Greek text followed by many modern Bible translations.

That is why translations such as the Berean Literal Bible, NIV, ESV and NASB do not contain these words in Revelation 1:11.

So the important question is not:

Which English Bible do I personally prefer?

The important question is:

What did the earliest recoverable Greek text of Revelation 1:11 actually say?

According to modern critical textual scholarship, the evidence strongly supports the shorter reading:

“What you see, write in a book…”

without:

“I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last.”

---

QUICK FACT 3 — WE ARE NOT ASKING YOU TO SIMPLY TAKE OUR WORD FOR IT

This is why the screenshots reproduced in this article are important.

Readers can examine the evidence for themselves.

As shown in the screenshot from the Trinitarian website GotQuestions, their article states:

“Jesus proclaimed Himself to be the ‘Alpha and Omega’ in Revelation 1:8, 11; 21:6; and 22:13.”

Notice particularly:

Revelation 1:11.

It is specifically included as evidence that Jesus proclaimed Himself “the Alpha and Omega.”

But now compare that statement with what recognised Bible commentaries themselves say about the text of Revelation 1:11.

---

QUICK FACT 4 — EVEN TRINITARIAN BIBLE COMMENTARIES ACKNOWLEDGE THE TEXTUAL PROBLEM

This is not a textual issue invented by people who reject the Trinity.

It has long been recognised by mainstream biblical commentators, including Trinitarian scholars.

The Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary states concerning Revelation 1:11:

“The oldest manuscripts all omit this clause.”

What clause?

The very words:

“I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last.”

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges likewise describes the words “I am … the last” in this location as:

“Not genuine in this place.”

That is extremely important.

On one side, we have Revelation 1:11 being presented as evidence that Jesus proclaimed Himself “the Alpha and Omega.”

On the other side, textual scholarship acknowledges that the very words needed to make that argument are absent from important early manuscript evidence.

That is the textual problem every reader deserves to know about.

Quick Facts: Does Romans 9:5 Really Call Jesus “God Over All”? What Did Paul Actually Mean?

 

A detailed Quick Facts Bible study image examining Romans 9:5 and the disputed phrase “God over all.” The study compares different ways the Greek sentence can be understood and examines Paul’s statements in 1 Corinthians 8:6, Ephesians 4:6, Ephesians 1:3, 2 Corinthians 11:31 and Romans 1:25 using the Berean Literal Bible.

QUICK FACTS:

DOES ROMANS 9:5 REALLY CALL JESUS “GOD OVER ALL”?

WHAT DID PAUL ACTUALLY MEAN?

PART ONE

INTRODUCTION

Romans 9:5 is frequently used as evidence that the apostle Paul explicitly called:

JESUS:

“GOD OVER ALL.”

Some modern translations make this interpretation appear extremely clear.

But there is a problem.

The earliest Greek manuscripts did not contain the modern punctuation that translators place into the sentence.

And punctuation can substantially affect how:

ROMANS 9:5

is understood.

So before building an important doctrine upon this verse, we should ask:

WHAT DOES THE GREEK ACTUALLY SAY?

HOW SHOULD THE SENTENCE BE PUNCTUATED?

AND:

DOES PAUL'S INTERPRETATION ELSEWHERE HELP US IDENTIFY THE:

“GOD OVER ALL”?

QUICK FACT 1 — LOOK FIRST AT ROMANS 9:5 IN THE BLB

The Berean Literal Bible reads:

“whose are the patriarchs, and from whom is the Christ according to the flesh, being over all, God blessed to the ages. Amen.”

— Romans 9:5, BLB

Notice the wording carefully:

“THE CHRIST ACCORDING TO THE FLESH,

BEING OVER ALL,

GOD BLESSED TO THE AGES.

AMEN.”

The difficulty is determining exactly how the final words relate to what precedes them.

QUICK FACT 2 — SOME MODERN TRANSLATIONS MAKE THE INTERPRETATION MUCH MORE EXPLICIT

Compare translations that render the passage essentially as:

THE CHRIST,

WHO IS:

GOD OVER ALL.

That punctuation and word arrangement immediately encourages the reader to conclude:

PAUL CALLED JESUS:

GOD.

But the important question is:

DID PAUL HIMSELF SUPPLY THAT MODERN PUNCTUATION?

NO.

The punctuation represents:

A TRANSLATIONAL DECISION.

Therefore we should distinguish:

THE INSPIRED GREEK WORDS

from:

THE LATER PUNCTUATION USED TO INTERPRET THOSE WORDS.

QUICK FACT 3 — ANCIENT GREEK MANUSCRIPTS DO NOT SETTLE THE QUESTION WITH A MODERN COMMA OR FULL STOP

This is the heart of the problem.

Ancient manuscripts such as:

CODEX VATICANUS

and:

CODEX SINAITICUS

do not give us Romans 9:5 with the complete modern punctuation system found in today's English Bibles.

Therefore translators must decide how the sentence should be punctuated.

And that matters enormously.

One punctuation can produce the sense:

CHRIST...

WHO IS GOD OVER ALL.

Another can separate the concluding praise so that it refers to:

GOD,

WHO IS OVER ALL,

BLESSED FOREVER.

Therefore:

PUNCTUATION

becomes part of the interpretation.

QUICK FACT 4 — PAUL TELLS US VERY CLEARLY WHO HIS “ONE GOD” IS

This is where Paul's undisputed statements become extremely important.

Paul writes:

“Yet to us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things and we for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and we through Him.”

— 1 Corinthians 8:6, BLB

Notice Paul's words:

“ONE GOD,

THE FATHER.”

Then Paul separately identifies:

“ONE LORD,

JESUS CHRIST.”

Paul does NOT say:

ONE GOD:

THE FATHER AND JESUS CHRIST.

His explicit statement is:

“ONE GOD,

THE FATHER.”

QUICK FACT 5 — PAUL ALSO TELLS US WHO IS “OVER ALL”

This is particularly important for Romans 9:5.

Paul writes:

“One God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”

— Ephesians 4:6, BLB

Who does Paul explicitly say is:

“OVER ALL”?

THE:

“ONE GOD AND FATHER OF ALL.”

Therefore compare:

ROMANS 9:5 — DISPUTED:

“GOD...

OVER ALL...”

WITH:

EPHESIANS 4:6 — CLEAR:

“ONE GOD AND FATHER OF ALL,

WHO IS OVER ALL.”

This should immediately make us cautious about claiming that Romans 9:5 unquestionably identifies:

JESUS

as:

“GOD OVER ALL.”

QUICK FACT 6 — PAUL CALLS THE FATHER THE GOD OF JESUS

Paul repeatedly writes:

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ...”

— Ephesians 1:3, BLB

Notice:

JESUS CHRIST:

HAS A GOD.

And Paul identifies Him as:

THE FATHER.

Therefore Paul's normal distinction is:

GOD:

THE FATHER.

AND:

THE LORD JESUS CHRIST:

GOD'S SON.

QUICK FACT 7 — PAUL USES VERY SIMILAR “BLESSED FOREVER” LANGUAGE FOR THE FATHER

This is one of the strongest pieces of comparative evidence.

Paul writes:

“The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, the One being blessed to the ages, knows that I am not lying.”

— 2 Corinthians 11:31, BLB

Notice:

“THE GOD AND FATHER OF THE LORD JESUS”

is:

“BLESSED TO THE AGES.”

Now compare Romans 9:5:

“GOD BLESSED TO THE AGES.

AMEN.”

The language is strikingly similar.

Therefore the concluding words of Romans 9:5 can reasonably be investigated as:

A DOXOLOGY OF PRAISE TO GOD.

QUICK FACT 8 — PAUL DOES SOMETHING SIMILAR EARLIER IN ROMANS

Romans 1:25 speaks about:

“the Creator, who is blessed to the ages. Amen.”

— Romans 1:25, BLB

Again:

THE CREATOR

↓

“BLESSED TO THE AGES”

↓

“AMEN.”

Compare:

ROMANS 1:25:

“BLESSED TO THE AGES. AMEN.”

ROMANS 9:5:

“GOD BLESSED TO THE AGES. AMEN.”

This is important Pauline evidence.

Paul unquestionably uses this kind of doxological language concerning:

GOD.

QUICK FACT 9 — THEREFORE WE SHOULD COMPARE PAUL WITH PAUL

Rather than allowing punctuation in one disputed verse to determine our theology, compare Paul's clear statements:

“ONE GOD, THE FATHER.”

— 1 Corinthians 8:6

“ONE GOD AND FATHER OF ALL, WHO IS OVER ALL.”

— Ephesians 4:6

“THE GOD AND FATHER OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST.”

— Ephesians 1:3

“THE GOD AND FATHER OF THE LORD JESUS, THE ONE BEING BLESSED TO THE AGES.”

— 2 Corinthians 11:31

And:

“THE CREATOR, WHO IS BLESSED TO THE AGES. AMEN.”

— Romans 1:25

Then return to:

ROMANS 9:5.

Does Paul suddenly contradict this pattern and identify:

JESUS

as:

“GOD OVER ALL”?

Or should the final words be understood consistently with Paul's repeated praise of:

GOD THE FATHER?

That is the real question.

QUICK FACT 10 — WE DO NOT NEED TO ACCUSE THE GREEK TEXT OF BEING WRONG

The problem is not:

THE ORIGINAL GREEK.

The question concerns:

HOW THE GREEK IS PUNCTUATED AND TRANSLATED.

That distinction is extremely important.

The Greek text should be:

EXAMINED.

The punctuation should be:

TESTED.

The translation should be:

COMPARED.

And Paul's other writings should be allowed to:

INTERPRET PAUL.

We should never build a major doctrine merely upon punctuation supplied centuries after:

THE APOSTLE PAUL.

CONTINUED IN:

PART TWO — FINAL CONCLUSION

In Part Two we will finish the investigation.

We will examine:

THE ALTERNATIVE PUNCTUATION OF ROMANS 9:5.

WHETHER “OVER ALL” MUST REFER TO JESUS.

PAUL'S OTHER DOXOLOGIES TO GOD.

THE ARGUMENT THAT THE GREEK GRAMMAR FAVOURS APPLYING “GOD” TO CHRIST.

AND:

WHETHER ROMANS 9:5 CAN HONESTLY BE CALLED PROOF THAT:

JESUS IS GOD.

Then we will reach our final conclusion.

SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES.

COMPARE THE TRANSLATIONS.

EXAMINE THE GREEK.

COMPARE PAUL WITH PAUL.

DISTINGUISH THE ORIGINAL WORDS FROM TRANSLATOR-SUPPLIED PUNCTUATION.

TEST EVERY INTERPRETATION.

FOLLOW THE BIBLICAL EVIDENCE WHEREVER IT LEADS. 

What Did Isaiah See? A Bible Study of Isaiah 6:1 and John 12:41

 

What did Isaiah really see? A careful Bible study of Isaiah 6:1 and John 12:41 comparing Yahweh’s throne vision with Isaiah’s prophecies concerning the coming Messiah.

QUICK FACTS:

ISAIAH 6:1 AND JOHN 12:41
DID ISAIAH REALLY SEE JESUS AS YAHWEH GOD?

A CAREFUL EXAMINATION OF ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT TRINITARIAN PROOF TEXTS

INTRODUCTION

John 12:41 is frequently presented as powerful evidence that Jesus is Yahweh, the God whom Isaiah saw upon the throne in Isaiah 6.

The argument is usually very simple:

ISAIAH SAW YAHWEH.

↓

JOHN SAYS ISAIAH SAW “HIS GLORY.”

↓

THE CONTEXT IN JOHN CONCERNS JESUS.

↓

THEREFORE:

ISAIAH SAW JESUS.

↓

THEREFORE:

JESUS IS YAHWEH.

At first sight this can appear to be a powerful argument.

But is that actually what John is teaching?

Does John explicitly say:

JESUS IS YAHWEH?

Does he say:

THE PERSON ISAIAH SAW SITTING ON THE THRONE WAS JESUS CHRIST?

Or is John connecting Isaiah's prophetic visions and words with:

THE GLORY OF THE COMING MESSIAH

and:

THE REJECTION OF THE MESSIAH?

To answer this properly, we cannot isolate:

JOHN 12:41.

We must examine:

ISAIAH 6.

ISAIAH 53.

JOHN 12:37–41.

ISAIAH'S TEACHING ABOUT YAHWEH.

ISAIAH'S TEACHING ABOUT THE SERVANT.

AND:

THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN GOD AND HIS MESSIAH.

QUICK FACT 1 — ISAIAH 6 DESCRIBES A VISION OF THE LORD

Isaiah writes:

“In the year of the death of King Uzziah, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up...”

— Isaiah 6:1

Then the seraphim proclaim:

“Holy, holy, holy, is LORD of Hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory.”

— Isaiah 6:3

The Hebrew text identifies the one being praised as:

YHWH OF HOSTS.

Therefore there is no dispute that Isaiah 6 concerns:

THE GLORY OF YAHWEH.

The real question is:

DOES JOHN 12:41 IDENTIFY JESUS HIMSELF AS THIS YAHWEH?

QUICK FACT 2 — ISAIAH CONSISTENTLY DESCRIBES YAHWEH AS THE ONE GOD

Before deciding that Isaiah's God is actually Jesus, we should first ask:

HOW DOES ISAIAH HIMSELF DESCRIBE GOD?

Isaiah says:

“O LORD our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You alone are the LORD.”

— Isaiah 37:20

Notice:

“YOU ALONE ARE THE LORD.”

Isaiah repeatedly uses this kind of exclusive language concerning Yahweh.

QUICK FACT 3 — ISAIAH SAYS THERE IS NO GOD BESIDES YAHWEH

Isaiah records Yahweh saying:

“I am the LORD, and there is no other; besides Me there is no God.”

— Isaiah 45:5

Again:

“I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me.”

— Isaiah 46:9

Again:

“Is there a God besides Me? There is no Rock; I know not any.”

— Isaiah 44:8

Whatever theological interpretation we eventually adopt, Isaiah's language is unmistakably:

MONOTHEISTIC.

There is:

ONE GOD.

NO OTHER GOD BESIDES HIM.

QUICK FACT 4 — ISAIAH CALLS YAHWEH “YOUR HOLY ONE”

Isaiah records:

“I am the LORD, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King.”

— Isaiah 43:15

Notice the singular language:

“I.”

“YOUR HOLY ONE.”

“YOUR KING.”

Throughout Isaiah, Yahweh speaks as:

THE ONE GOD OF ISRAEL.

Therefore if someone claims Isaiah teaches that the Messiah is this same God, that conclusion needs to be demonstrated from the text rather than assumed.

QUICK FACT 5 — ISAIAH ALSO SPEAKS OF A SERVANT CHOSEN BY GOD

Now something extremely important happens.

Isaiah does not merely speak about:

YAHWEH.

He also speaks about:

YAHWEH'S SERVANT.

God says:

“Behold My Servant, whom I uphold, My Chosen One in whom My soul delights. I have put My Spirit upon Him...”

— Isaiah 42:1

Notice the distinction:

GOD:

SPEAKS.

↓

GOD HAS:

A SERVANT.

↓

GOD:

CHOSES HIM.

↓

GOD:

DELIGHTS IN HIM.

↓

GOD PUTS:

HIS SPIRIT UPON HIM.

The most natural reading presents:

THE ONE WHO SENDS

and:

THE ONE WHO IS SENT

as distinguishable.

QUICK FACT 6 — ISAIAH 53 ALSO DISTINGUISHES YAHWEH FROM THE SUFFERING SERVANT

This distinction becomes even clearer in:

ISAIAH 53.

We read:

“the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”

— Isaiah 53:6

Notice:

YAHWEH:

LAYS THE INIQUITY

ON:

THE SERVANT.

Then Isaiah describes the servant as:

“stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.”

— Isaiah 53:4

Again we have:

GOD

and:

THE SUFFERING SERVANT.

This distinction is central to Isaiah's prophecy.

QUICK FACT 7 — THE SERVANT IS THE ONE WHO SUFFERS AND DIES

Isaiah says the servant was:

“pierced for our transgressions.”

— Isaiah 53:5

He was:

“cut off out of the land of the living.”

— Isaiah 53:8

And:

“poured out His soul to death.”

— Isaiah 53:12

The New Testament applies this suffering-servant prophecy to:

JESUS CHRIST.

Therefore Isaiah gives us a powerful prophetic pattern:

YAHWEH:

THE GOD WHO PURPOSES SALVATION.

↓

THE SERVANT:

THE ONE THROUGH WHOM GOD'S SAVING PURPOSE IS ACCOMPLISHED.

QUICK FACT 8 — JESUS HIMSELF DESCRIBES HIS MISSION AS DOING THE WILL OF THE ONE WHO SENT HIM

Jesus says:

“For I have come down from heaven, not that I should do My will, but the will of the One having sent Me.”— John 6:38, BLB

Notice:

JESUS HAS:

A WILL.

↓

THE ONE WHO SENT HIM HAS:

A WILL.

↓

JESUS CAME TO DO:

THE WILL OF THE ONE WHO SENT HIM.

This fits naturally with Isaiah's distinction between:

GOD

and:

HIS SERVANT.

QUICK FACT 9 — JOHN 12 QUOTES TWO DIFFERENT PASSAGES FROM ISAIAH

Now we come to the crucial evidence.

John writes:

“Though He had done so many signs before them, they still were not believing in Him.”

— John 12:37

Then John quotes Isaiah:

“Lord, who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”

— John 12:38

This quotation comes from:

ISAIAH 53:1.

That is extremely important.

John is explicitly connecting the unbelief surrounding Jesus with:

ISAIAH'S SUFFERING-SERVANT PROPHECY.

But John then gives another Isaiah quotation:

“He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart...”

— John 12:40

This comes from:

ISAIAH 6:10.

Therefore John deliberately brings together:

ISAIAH 53

and:

ISAIAH 6.

Any serious interpretation of John 12:41 must acknowledge:

BOTH PASSAGES.

QUICK FACT 10 — JOHN THEN SAYS ISAIAH “SAW HIS GLORY”

John concludes:

“Isaiah said these things because he saw His glory and spoke concerning Him.”

— John 12:41, BLB

This is the central verse.

The Trinitarian argument is:

“HIS”

refers to:

JESUS.

Therefore:

ISAIAH SAW JESUS' GLORY.

And because Isaiah 6 describes:

YAHWEH'S GLORY,

the conclusion is:

JESUS IS YAHWEH.

But there is an important question:

DOES SEEING THE GLORY OF THE MESSIAH IN PROPHETIC VISION NECESSARILY MEAN THAT THE MESSIAH IS IDENTICAL TO YAHWEH?

That conclusion does not automatically follow.

QUICK FACT 11 — PROPHETS COULD “SEE” FUTURE MESSIANIC EVENTS

Jesus says something remarkable concerning Abraham:

“Abraham your father rejoiced that he should see My day; and he saw it and rejoiced.”

— John 8:56, BLB

Abraham:

“SAW”

CHRIST'S DAY.

But this does not mean Abraham literally saw Jesus physically standing before him during Jesus' earthly ministry.

The language concerns:

PROPHETIC PERCEPTION

of a future reality.

Likewise Isaiah could:

SEE CHRIST'S GLORY

and:

SPEAK ABOUT CHRIST

through prophecy without this automatically meaning:

ISAIAH BELIEVED JESUS WAS YAHWEH.

QUICK FACT 12 — JESUS HIMSELF SAYS THE PROPHETS SPOKE ABOUT HIM

After His resurrection Jesus says:

“Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?”

— Luke 24:26, BLB

Then:

“having begun from Moses and from all the Prophets, He interpreted to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.”

— Luke 24:27, BLB

Notice the connection:

THE PROPHETS:

SPOKE ABOUT CHRIST.

↓

CHRIST:

SUFFERS.

↓

CHRIST:

ENTERS INTO HIS GLORY.

Therefore John saying Isaiah:

“SAW HIS GLORY AND SPOKE CONCERNING HIM”

can naturally be understood within the broader New Testament teaching that:

ISAIAH PROPHETICALLY SAW AND SPOKE ABOUT THE MESSIAH.

QUICK FACT 13 — JOHN 12:41 DOES NOT CONTAIN THE SENTENCE “JESUS IS YAHWEH”

This simple fact matters.

John does not write:

ISAIAH SAW JESUS BECAUSE JESUS IS YAHWEH.

He does not write:

THE LORD SITTING UPON THE THRONE IN ISAIAH 6:1 WAS JESUS.

He writes:

“ISAIAH SAID THESE THINGS BECAUSE HE SAW HIS GLORY AND SPOKE CONCERNING HIM.”

Therefore:

JESUS IS YAHWEH

is:

AN INTERPRETIVE CONCLUSION

drawn from the passage.

It is not:

AN EXPLICIT STATEMENT MADE BY JOHN.

CONTINUED IN:

PART TWO

In Part Two we will examine the strongest challenge to this interpretation:

IF JOHN 12:40 DIRECTLY QUOTES ISAIAH 6:10, DOES “HIS GLORY” IN JOHN 12:41 REFER BACK TO ISAIAH'S VISION OF YAHWEH?

We will examine:

ISAIAH 6:1–10.

JOHN 12:37–41.

ISAIAH 53:1.

THE TWO ISAIAH QUOTATIONS JOHN PLACES TOGETHER.

THE GLORY OF GOD.

THE GLORY OF THE MESSIAH.

AND:

WHETHER SHARING OR REVEALING GOD'S GLORY MAKES JESUS THE SAME BEING AS GOD.

Then we will compare this with the many passages describing Jesus as:

AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD.

The central question remains:

DID JOHN REALLY IDENTIFY JESUS AS YAHWEH—

OR:

DID ISAIAH PROPHETICALLY SEE THE GLORY OF GOD'S COMING MESSIAH?

SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES.

COMPARE THE TRANSLATIONS.

EXAMINE THE ORIGINAL CONTEXT.

TEST EVERY INTERPRETATION.

FOLLOW THE BIBLICAL EVIDENCE WHEREVER IT LEADS.