Quick Facts Bible research image examining Matthew 7:21–23, where Jesus warns that not everyone who calls him “Lord, Lord” will enter the Kingdom, but those who do the will of his Father.

QUICK FACTS: MATTHEW 7:21–23 — “THEN I WILL TELL THEM, ‘I NEVER KNEW YOU’”

Who Was Jesus Warning When He Said, “Depart From Me, You Who Work Lawlessness”?

Does Calling Jesus “Lord” Save Us — Or Must We Do the Will of His Father?

Research by Simon Brown

Few warnings spoken by Jesus are more serious than the words recorded in Matthew 7:21–23:

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven.”
— Matthew 7:21

Jesus continues:

“Many will tell Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, didn't we prophesy in Your name, in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name do many mighty works?’ Then I will tell them, ‘I never knew you. Depart from Me, you who work iniquity.’”
— Matthew 7:22–23

Look carefully at the people Jesus describes.

They are not atheists.

They are not openly rejecting Jesus.

They call him:

“LORD, LORD.”

They claim to prophesy:

IN JESUS' NAME.

They claim to cast out demons:

IN JESUS' NAME.

They even claim to perform mighty works:

IN JESUS' NAME.

Yet Jesus gives them the terrifying answer:

“I NEVER KNEW YOU.”

How can people who openly confess Jesus as Lord and claim to perform extraordinary works in his name nevertheless hear:

“DEPART FROM ME”?

Jesus himself tells us why.

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JESUS TELLS US WHY

Jesus says:

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, but HE WHO DOES THE WILL OF MY FATHER WHO IS IN HEAVEN.”
— Matthew 7:21

This is the key to understanding the entire warning.

Jesus does not say that merely calling him “Lord” guarantees entrance into God's Kingdom.

Instead, he points us directly to:

THE WILL OF HIS FATHER.

So we need to ask a very important question:

WHAT IS THE WILL OF JESUS' FATHER?

We do not have to guess.

Jesus himself tells us.

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JESUS TELLS US THE WILL OF HIS FATHER

In John 6:40 Jesus says:

“For this is the will of My Father, that everyone beholding the Son and believing in Him may have eternal life, and I will raise him up in the last day.”
— John 6:40, Berean Literal Bible

Notice carefully what Jesus says:

“THIS IS THE WILL OF MY FATHER.”

Jesus then explains what that will involves:

BELIEVING IN THE SON.

This is extremely important when compared with Matthew 7:21.

The people in Matthew 7 call Jesus:

“LORD, LORD.”

Yet Jesus rejects them.

Therefore, merely calling Jesus Lord is not necessarily the same thing as genuinely believing in him.

True biblical belief is not merely saying the correct religious words.

It means accepting the Son whom God sent, trusting him, listening to him and receiving his teaching.

Jesus repeatedly explained where his teaching came from:

“My teaching is not Mine, but His who sent Me.”
— John 7:16

And again:

“The word that you hear is not Mine, but that of the Father having sent Me.”
— John 14:24

Jesus also says:

“For I spoke not from Myself, but the Father who sent Me, He gave Me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.”
— John 12:49

The pattern is clear:

THE FATHER SENDS THE SON.

THE SON SPEAKS THE FATHER'S WORDS.

WE ARE CALLED TO BELIEVE IN THE SON.

AND THROUGH THE SON WE RECEIVE THE MESSAGE OF THE FATHER WHO SENT HIM.

Therefore, genuine belief in Jesus cannot be separated from receiving and following the teaching God gave through him.

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MATTHEW 7 ITSELF EXPLAINS WHAT JESUS MEANS

There is another extremely important piece of evidence.

We do not even have to leave Matthew 7.

Only three verses after saying:

“He who does the will of My Father…”

Jesus says:

“Everyone therefore who hears these words of Mine and DOES THEM, I will liken him to a wise man, who built his house on a rock.”
— Matthew 7:24

Notice the connection.

Matthew 7:21:

DOES THE WILL OF MY FATHER

Matthew 7:24:

HEARS THESE WORDS OF MINE AND DOES THEM

This is extremely significant.

Jesus is contrasting religious profession with genuine faith and obedience.

Someone may say:

“LORD, LORD.”

But the real question is:

ARE WE LISTENING TO JESUS AND DOING WHAT HE TAUGHT?

Calling Jesus Lord while refusing to follow his teaching is precisely the kind of contradiction this warning should make every Christian examine.

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JESUS DID NOT SEEK HIS OWN WILL

Jesus makes an extraordinary statement in John 5:30:

“I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge, and My judgment is righteous, because I don't seek My own will, but the will of My Father who sent Me.”

Notice Jesus' own words:

“MY OWN WILL”

and:

“THE WILL OF MY FATHER.”

The distinction becomes even clearer in Gethsemane.

Jesus prayed:

“Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me. Nevertheless, not My will, but Yours, be done.”
— Luke 22:42

Again:

“MY WILL”

and:

“YOURS.”

Jesus is not rebelling against God.

Quite the opposite.

Jesus willingly submits himself to his Father.

But the distinction remains.

Jesus has a will which he submits to:

THE WILL OF HIS FATHER.

And that makes Matthew 7:21 even more significant:

“He who does THE WILL OF MY FATHER who is in heaven.”

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HOW DOES TRINITARIAN THEOLOGY EXPLAIN “NOT MY WILL, BUT YOURS”?

Later orthodox Christology explains passages such as Luke 22:42 by teaching that Jesus possesses:

A DIVINE NATURE

and:

A HUMAN NATURE.

Within later Christological formulation, Christ is also understood as possessing:

A DIVINE WILL

and:

A HUMAN WILL.

According to this explanation, when Jesus says:

“Not My will, but Yours”

his human will is submitting perfectly to the divine will.

Trinitarians appeal to various Scriptures from which they believe these conclusions follow.

Therefore, it would be unfair to claim that they have no biblical arguments for their position.

But there is still an important difference between:

A THEOLOGICAL INFERENCE

and:

AN EXPLICIT BIBLICAL STATEMENT.

Where does Jesus himself say:

“I HAVE TWO NATURES”?

Where does Jesus say:

“I HAVE TWO WILLS”?

Where does Scripture explicitly explain Luke 22:42 by saying:

“My human will is submitting to My divine will”?

Scripture never states that formula.

Jesus' actual words are much simpler:

“NOT MY WILL, BUT YOURS.”

Therefore, the later theological explanation must itself be tested against Scripture rather than simply assumed.

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JESUS REPEATEDLY SUBMITTED TO HIS FATHER

This is not based upon one isolated verse.

Jesus says:

“My teaching is not Mine, but His who sent Me.”
— John 7:16

He says:

“The word which you hear isn't Mine, but the Father's who sent Me.”
— John 14:24

He says:

“For I spoke not from Myself, but the Father who sent Me, He gave Me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.”
— John 12:49

Jesus also says:

“The Father is greater than I.”
— John 14:28

The repeated biblical picture is clear:

THE FATHER SENDS.

JESUS IS SENT.

THE FATHER COMMANDS.

JESUS OBEYS.

THE FATHER'S WILL IS GIVEN.

JESUS SUBMITS TO HIS FATHER'S WILL.

So if Jesus tells us that we must do the will of his Father, what did Jesus teach concerning the God whom we are to love and obey?

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WHAT DID JESUS SAY WAS THE GREATEST COMMANDMENT?

Jesus was asked:

“Which commandment is the first of all?”

Jesus answered:

“The first is, ‘Hear, Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.’”
— Mark 12:29

Jesus was quoting directly from Deuteronomy 6:4:

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

The Hebrew word translated one is:

אֶחָד — ECHAD

Its ordinary numerical meaning is:

ONE.

But something very important happens next.

The scribe responds:

“Teacher, You have said well that He is one, and there is none other but He.”
— Mark 12:32

Notice how the scribe understood Jesus:

“HE IS ONE.”

“THERE IS NONE OTHER BUT HE.”

Does Jesus correct him?

No.

Instead Jesus tells him:

“You are not far from God's Kingdom.”
— Mark 12:34

That is remarkable.

The confession that God is one and that there is none other but He receives Jesus' approval.

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“THERE IS NO ONE ELSE BESIDES HIM”

This was not a new teaching.

Moses says:

“It was shown to you so that you might know that Yahweh is God. There is no one else besides Him.”
— Deuteronomy 4:35

Again:

“See now that I, even I, am He. There is no god with Me.”
— Deuteronomy 32:39

Hezekiah prayed:

“Yahweh, the God of Israel… You are the God, even You alone.”
— 2 Kings 19:15

Yahweh himself declares:

“I am Yahweh, and there is no one else. Besides Me, there is no God.”
— Isaiah 45:5

Notice the language Scripture repeatedly uses concerning God:

I

ME

HE

HIM

ALONE

NO ONE ELSE

NO GOD WITH ME

Scripture doesn't merely tell us that there is one God.

It repeatedly describes this one God using singular personal language.

So we must now ask:

WHO DOES THE NEW TESTAMENT IDENTIFY AS THIS ONE GOD?

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“ONE GOD, THE FATHER”

Paul gives an extraordinarily direct answer:

“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 live through Him.”
— 1 Corinthians 8:6

Paul identifies:

ONE GOD — THE FATHER

and:

ONE LORD — JESUS CHRIST.

Jesus himself prayed to his Father:

“This is eternal life, that they should know You, the only true God, and Him whom You sent, Jesus Christ.”
— John 17:3

Notice the distinction:

YOU — THE ONLY TRUE GOD

and:

JESUS CHRIST — WHOM YOU SENT.

Paul again writes:

“For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.”
— 1 Timothy 2:5

Again we have:

ONE GOD

and:

ONE MEDIATOR BETWEEN GOD AND HUMANITY — JESUS CHRIST.

This is why I believe the biblical identification of the one God is clear:

THE ONE GOD IS THE FATHER.

Jesus is:

HIS SON.

HIS CHRIST.

THE ONE WHOM GOD SENT.

THE MEDIATOR BETWEEN GOD AND HUMANITY.

This does not diminish Jesus.

It honours Jesus according to the identity Scripture gives him.

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BUT DOESN'T THE TRINITY ALSO TEACH THAT THERE IS ONE GOD?

YES.

This needs to be stated accurately.

Classical Trinitarian Christianity does not teach that there are three Gods.

Trinitarians sincerely confess one God.

Classical Trinitarian doctrine teaches that:

THE FATHER IS GOD.

THE SON IS GOD.

THE HOLY SPIRIT IS GOD.

It also teaches that:

THE FATHER IS NOT THE SON.

THE SON IS NOT THE HOLY SPIRIT.

THE HOLY SPIRIT IS NOT THE FATHER.

These are understood as:

THREE DISTINCT PERSONS

sharing:

ONE DIVINE BEING OR ESSENCE.

Therefore, it would be inaccurate simply to say:

“Trinitarians believe in three Gods.”

They explicitly reject that conclusion.

But acknowledging what Trinitarians actually believe does not settle the biblical question.

The question remains:

WHERE DOES SCRIPTURE DEFINE THE ONE GOD AS THREE DISTINCT COEQUAL AND COETERNAL PERSONS SHARING ONE DIVINE ESSENCE?

That exact formula is never stated in Scripture.

Instead Scripture says:

“There is no god with Me.”

“There is no one else besides Him.”

“You are the God, even You alone.”

And Paul says:

“There is ONE GOD, THE FATHER.”

So the issue is not whether Trinitarians sincerely believe themselves to be monotheists.

They do.

The issue is:

DOES THEIR DEFINITION OF THE ONE GOD COME FROM SCRIPTURE ITSELF?

That is what must be tested.

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“FABRICATED WORDS” — DID PETER WARN CHRISTIANS ABOUT FALSE TEACHING?

Peter gave Christians a serious warning:

“There will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies…”
— 2 Peter 2:1

He then says:

“In covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words…”
— 2 Peter 2:3

Some translations render the expression:

“FABRICATED WORDS.”

The Greek expression is:

πλαστοῖς λόγοις — PLASTOIS LOGOIS

The adjective plastos carries the idea of something formed, fashioned, fabricated or invented.

But we need to be careful here.

Peter does not explicitly say:

“I am speaking about the Trinity.”

Therefore, I cannot honestly claim:

“2 PETER 2 PROVES THAT PETER WAS PROPHESYING SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE TRINITY.”

The passage does not say that.

But Peter's warning establishes an important principle.

Christians must test what they are taught.

No doctrine — Trinitarian, Unitarian or otherwise — should be exempt from that examination.

TEST THE TEACHING AGAINST SCRIPTURE.

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ARE WE FOLLOWING SCRIPTURE — OR LATER THEOLOGICAL DEFINITIONS?

Later Christian theology uses expressions such as:

THREE PERSONS

ONE DIVINE ESSENCE

COEQUAL

COETERNAL

ONE BEING IN THREE PERSONS

And when Jesus says:

“Not My will, but Yours”

later Christology explains Jesus through:

ONE PERSON

TWO NATURES

TWO WILLS

But Scripture never gives us those complete formulas in those words.

Now, the mere fact that a theological term is not found word-for-word in Scripture does not automatically make it false.

For example, the English word monotheism is not found in the Bible either, yet the Bible plainly teaches that there is one God.

Therefore the proper test is not merely:

“IS THE WORD IN THE BIBLE?”

The real test is:

“IS THE TEACHING IN THE BIBLE?”

And this is precisely where I believe the Trinity fails the test.

The Bible explicitly identifies:

ONE GOD — THE FATHER.

It identifies Jesus as:

THE SON OF GOD.

Jesus has:

A GOD AND FATHER.

Jesus is:

SENT BY GOD.

Jesus:

OBEYS GOD.

Jesus:

PRAYS TO GOD.

Jesus:

RECEIVES AUTHORITY FROM GOD.

Jesus:

SUBMITS HIS WILL TO GOD.

And Jesus calls his Father:

“THE ONLY TRUE GOD.”

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DOES BEING CALLED “GOD” AUTOMATICALLY MAKE JESUS THE ONE TRUE GOD ALMIGHTY?

NO.

This is another important distinction.

There are passages in which theos — “God” — is applied, or according to many translations may be applied, to Jesus.

These passages deserve serious examination.

We should not hide them.

We should not pretend the Trinitarian argument does not exist.

But neither should we simply see the word “God” and immediately conclude:

THEREFORE JESUS IS THE ONE TRUE GOD ALMIGHTY.

Each passage must be examined in its own context.

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HEBREWS 1:8

Hebrews 1:8 can legitimately be translated:

“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever.”

This traditional translation is grammatically legitimate and widely accepted.

But we must not stop reading at verse 8.

Immediately afterwards we read:

“Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You…”
— Hebrews 1:9

So even where the Son is addressed:

“O GOD”

the Son still has:

“GOD, YOUR GOD.”

That distinction is extremely important.

The question therefore is not simply:

DOES HEBREWS 1:8 CALL JESUS “GOD”?

The deeper question is:

IF JESUS IS CALLED “GOD” HERE, DOES THAT MAKE HIM THE ONE TRUE GOD ALMIGHTY?

Because the very next verse says that the Son has:

“GOD, YOUR GOD.”

This agrees with Jesus' own words after his resurrection:

“I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.”
— John 20:17

Our detailed Hebrews 1:8 research examines the Greek, Psalm 45, the different translations, and the important distinction between being called “God” and being the One True God:

READ THE FULL HEBREWS 1:8 RESEARCH

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TITUS 2:13

Titus 2:13 is frequently presented as proof that Jesus is being identified as God.

Many modern translations understand both “God” and “Savior” as referring to Jesus Christ.

Many Greek scholars support that interpretation, and this should be acknowledged fairly.

However, our detailed investigation examines whether the grammar and wider context can instead be understood as referring distinctly to:

GOD — THE FATHER

and:

JESUS CHRIST — OUR SAVIOR.

This question becomes particularly important when compared with Paul's other statements.

Paul writes:

“Yet to us there is one God, the Father… and one Lord, Jesus Christ…”
— 1 Corinthians 8:6

And:

“For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.”
— 1 Timothy 2:5

Jesus himself prayed:

“That they should know You, the only true God, and Him whom You sent, Jesus Christ.”
— John 17:3

Therefore Titus 2:13 should not simply be announced as proof of the Trinity without examining the grammar, context and Paul's wider distinction between God the Father and Jesus Christ.

There is genuine scholarly disagreement over the interpretation.

That disagreement is exactly why Titus 2:13 should be studied carefully.

Our detailed investigation examines these arguments separately:

TITUS 2:13 — DOES THIS VERSE PROVE JESUS IS GOD?

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2 PETER 1:1

Likewise, 2 Peter 1:1 is often translated so that:

“GOD AND SAVIOR”

both refer to Jesus Christ.

Many Greek scholars favour this reading, and again that grammatical argument should be acknowledged rather than ignored.

However, our detailed study examines whether Peter may instead be distinguishing:

GOD — THE FATHER

from:

JESUS CHRIST — OUR SAVIOR.

Only one verse later Peter writes:

“Grace and peace be multiplied to you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.”
— 2 Peter 1:2

Notice the distinction:

GOD

and:

JESUS OUR LORD.

This is why 2 Peter 1:1 deserves careful examination rather than simply being treated as a settled proof-text.

And even if someone concludes that theos is applied directly to Jesus in 2 Peter 1:1, another question still remains:

DOES THAT MAKE JESUS “THE ONLY TRUE GOD” WHOM JESUS HIMSELF IDENTIFIED AS HIS FATHER?

That conclusion does not automatically follow.

Our full investigation examines Peter's language, the Greek construction and the wider biblical context:

2 PETER 1:1 — WHO IS PETER REFERRING TO? A STUDY OF THE GREEK TEXT

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THE IMPORTANT DISTINCTION

These passages should not be ignored.

But neither should an entire doctrine be established by isolating a few disputed or grammatically debated verses from the rest of Scripture.

The proper approach is:

READ THE CONTEXT.

EXAMINE THE GREEK.

COMPARE TRANSLATIONS.

COMPARE SCRIPTURE WITH SCRIPTURE.

AND ALLOW THE CLEARER PASSAGES TO HELP US UNDERSTAND THE MORE DISPUTED ONES.

Jesus said to his Father:

“You, the only true God.”
— John 17:3

Paul said:

“To us there is one God, the Father.”
— 1 Corinthians 8:6

And Paul said:

“There is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.”
— 1 Timothy 2:5

Therefore, even where Jesus may legitimately be called “God,” we must still ask:

IS JESUS BEING IDENTIFIED AS THE ONE TRUE GOD HIMSELF?

Or is Scripture using an exalted title for the Messiah while continuing to distinguish him from:

THE GOD AND FATHER OF JESUS CHRIST?

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WHAT DID JESUS ACTUALLY SAY ABOUT HIMSELF?

Jesus says:

“Do you say of Him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You blaspheme,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’?”
— John 10:36

Peter confessed:

“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
— Matthew 16:16

John tells us why he wrote his Gospel:

“These are written, that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.”
— John 20:31

And John writes:

“Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?”
— 1 John 5:5

The repeated apostolic confession is:

JESUS IS THE CHRIST.

JESUS IS THE SON OF GOD.

And remember John 6:40:

“This is the will of My Father, that everyone beholding the Son and believing in Him may have eternal life.”

Therefore, recognising Jesus as the Son of God is not diminishing him.

IT IS BELIEVING WHAT GOD REVEALED ABOUT HIS SON.

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DOES THE TRINITY “DENY THE FATHER AND THE SON”?

Here we must be particularly careful.

John writes:

“Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son.”
— 1 John 2:22

I do not believe we should simply declare:

“Every Trinitarian is the antichrist.”

The verse itself does not say that.

Trinitarians explicitly profess belief in both the Father and the Son.

However, as a Biblical Unitarian, my objection concerns how those identities are subsequently defined.

Scripture presents:

GOD

and:

THE SON OF GOD.

God sends His Son.

God gives His Son.

Jesus prays to God.

Jesus obeys God.

God raises Jesus.

God exalts Jesus.

God gives Jesus authority.

Jesus calls the Father:

“MY GOD.”

And Jesus calls his Father:

“THE ONLY TRUE GOD.”

Therefore, I believe identifying both the Father and His Son as distinct Persons who are nevertheless each the same one God changes the straightforward biblical relationship between:

THE ONE GOD

and:

HIS SON.

That claim must be tested against Scripture.

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NOW RETURN TO MATTHEW 7

After examining all of this, return to Jesus' original warning:

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, but he who does THE WILL OF MY FATHER who is in heaven.”
— Matthew 7:21

These people:

CALL JESUS LORD.

USE JESUS' NAME.

CLAIM TO PROPHESY.

CLAIM TO CAST OUT DEMONS.

CLAIM TO PERFORM MIGHTY WORKS.

Yet Jesus says:

“I NEVER KNEW YOU.”

Why?

Because religious profession by itself is not enough.

Calling Jesus Lord is not a substitute for genuinely believing him.

Miraculous claims are not a substitute for obedience.

Religious tradition is not a substitute for truth.

And Jesus has already told us:

“This is the will of My Father, that everyone beholding the Son and believing in Him may have eternal life.”
— John 6:40

Then, only three verses after Matthew 7:21, Jesus says:

“Everyone therefore who hears these words of Mine and DOES THEM, I will liken him to a wise man, who built his house on a rock.”
— Matthew 7:24

This gives us an extraordinarily clear picture:

BELIEVE IN THE SON.

LISTEN TO THE SON.

DO WHAT JESUS TAUGHT.

DO THE WILL OF HIS FATHER.

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AND WHAT DID JESUS TEACH ABOUT GOD?

Jesus said:

“Hear, Israel, the Lord our God, THE LORD IS ONE.”
— Mark 12:29

The scribe replied:

“Teacher, You have said well that HE IS ONE, AND THERE IS NONE OTHER BUT HE.”
— Mark 12:32

And Jesus told him:

“You are not far from God's Kingdom.”
— Mark 12:34

Paul later wrote:

“To us there is ONE GOD, THE FATHER.”
— 1 Corinthians 8:6

And Jesus prayed to his Father:

“That they should know YOU, THE ONLY TRUE GOD, and Him whom You sent, Jesus Christ.”
— John 17:3

For me, the biblical distinction is clear:

ONE GOD — THE FATHER.

ONE MESSIAH AND LORD — JESUS CHRIST, HIS SON.

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THIS WARNING IS FOR ALL OF US

Matthew 7:21–23 should never become merely a weapon for attacking another denomination.

Jesus' warning should first cause every one of us to examine ourselves.

A person may be:

Trinitarian.

Unitarian.

Catholic.

Protestant.

Jehovah's Witness.

A pastor.

A teacher.

A Bible researcher.

And still need to ask:

AM I REALLY DOING THE WILL OF GOD?

Do I genuinely believe in the Son whom God sent?

Do I listen to Jesus?

Do I obey his teaching?

Do I love God?

Do I love my neighbour?

Do I forgive?

Do I practise mercy?

Do I seek righteousness?

Am I willing to change my beliefs when Scripture shows me that something I have been taught is wrong?

Or am I simply repeating religious traditions because they are what I have always believed?

And perhaps the most important question of all:

DO I KNOW THE ONE TRUE GOD AND HIS SON JESUS CHRIST?

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FINAL CONCLUSION

Matthew 7:21–23 contains one of the most frightening warnings Jesus ever gave:

“THEN I WILL TELL THEM, ‘I NEVER KNEW YOU.’”

The people Jesus describes call him:

“LORD, LORD.”

They claim extraordinary religious works in his name.

Yet Jesus says that the one who enters the Kingdom is:

“He who does the WILL OF MY FATHER who is in heaven.”

Jesus then tells us:

“This is the will of My Father, that everyone beholding the Son and believing in Him may have eternal life.”
— John 6:40

And within the very same Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says:

“Everyone therefore who hears these words of Mine and DOES THEM… will be like a wise man who built his house on a rock.”
— Matthew 7:24

Jesus himself lived in complete submission to his Father:

“I don't seek My own will, but the will of My Father who sent Me.”
— John 5:30

And:

“Not My will, but Yours, be done.”
— Luke 22:42

Jesus identified the greatest commandment by saying:

“The Lord our God, THE LORD IS ONE.”
— Mark 12:29

The scribe understood him to mean:

“HE IS ONE, AND THERE IS NONE OTHER BUT HE.”
— Mark 12:32

Paul identifies:

“ONE GOD, THE FATHER.”

And Jesus calls his Father:

“THE ONLY TRUE GOD.”

Therefore, after examining the biblical evidence, my conclusion remains:

ONE GOD — THE FATHER.

ONE MESSIAH AND LORD — JESUS CHRIST, HIS SON.

I do not believe Scripture teaches that the one God consists of three distinct coequal and coeternal Persons sharing one divine essence.

Nor do I believe Scripture explicitly teaches the later formula that Jesus is one Person possessing two natures and two wills.

Those theological claims must be tested against what Scripture actually says.

But neither should a Biblical Unitarian imagine that simply rejecting the Trinity guarantees that Jesus knows him.

MATTHEW 7 IS A WARNING TO ALL OF US.

Correct doctrine without obedience is not enough.

Religious claims are not enough.

Miraculous works are not enough.

Calling Jesus:

“LORD, LORD”

is not enough.

Jesus calls us to believe in him as the Son whom God sent, receive his words, follow his teaching and do the will of his Father.

So the final question is not merely:

“WHAT DENOMINATION DO I BELONG TO?”

Nor is it merely:

“DO I CALL JESUS LORD?”

The far more serious question is:

“AM I REALLY BELIEVING THE SON, LISTENING TO HIS WORDS, AND DOING THE WILL OF HIS FATHER?”

Because Jesus' warning could hardly be more serious:

“THEN I WILL TELL THEM, ‘I NEVER KNEW YOU. DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO WORK LAWLESSNESS.’”

— Matthew 7:23

Research by Simon Brown

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Quick Facts Bible research image examining Acts 7:55–56, where Stephen looks into heaven and sees the glory of God and Jesus, the Son of Man, standing at the right hand of God. Research by Simon Brown.

QUICK FACTS: ACTS 7:55–56 — WHO DID STEPHEN SEE IN HEAVEN?

Does Stephen’s Vision Show That the Father and the Son Are Distinct?

Research by Simon Brown

Acts 7:55–56 records one of the most remarkable visions in the New Testament.

Just moments before Stephen was stoned to death, he looked into heaven and described exactly what he saw.

And his words raise an important question about the identity of God, the Father, and Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

Detailed Quick Facts Bible infographic examining Acts 7:55–56 and Stephen’s heavenly vision of the glory of God and Jesus standing at God’s right hand. The study considers the distinction between the Father and the Son, Jesus as the Son of God, Modalism, and the Trinity. 

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ACTS 7:55–56

Berean Literal Bible

“But being full of the Holy Spirit, having looked intently into heaven, he saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God,

and he said, ‘Behold, I see the heavens having been opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.’”

The wording is striking.

Stephen sees:

THE GLORY OF GOD

and

JESUS STANDING AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD.

Then Stephen identifies Jesus as:

“THE SON OF MAN STANDING AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD.”

That distinction is explicitly present in the Greek text as well: God (Theou) and Jesus (Iēsoun), with Jesus described as standing at the right hand “of God” (tou Theou). (Bible Hub)

So what can we learn from Stephen's extraordinary vision?

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QUICK FACT 1 — STEPHEN SAW GOD AND JESUS

Read Stephen's words carefully.

He does not simply say:

“I saw Jesus.”

Instead, Acts tells us that Stephen:

“saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.”

And Stephen himself says:

“I see…the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”

Acts therefore presents a real distinction between God and Jesus, the Son of Man. (Bible Hub)

Whatever theological conclusions someone may subsequently draw concerning the nature of Jesus, we should first allow the passage to say exactly what it says.

JESUS IS STANDING AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD.

This becomes particularly important when we examine Modalism and Oneness theology.

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QUICK FACT 2 — JESUS IS AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD

Stephen's vision is not an isolated description.

The New Testament repeatedly presents Jesus as being exalted to the right hand of God.

LUKE 22:69

Jesus says:

“From now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the power of God.”

ACTS 2:33

Peter describes Jesus as:

“Being therefore exalted by the right hand of God…”

ACTS 5:31

Peter again says:

“God exalted him with his right hand to be a Prince and a Savior…”

Notice the consistent distinction:

GOD EXALTS JESUS.

JESUS IS AT GOD'S RIGHT HAND.

JESUS IS THE SON OF MAN.

Stephen's vision fits naturally into this repeated New Testament pattern.

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QUICK FACT 3 — THIS PRESENTS A SERIOUS QUESTION FOR MODALISM

Modalism, and modern forms of Oneness Pentecostal theology associated with it, reject the idea that the Father and Son are two distinct divine persons.

Oneness theology understands Father, Son and Holy Spirit as manifestations or ways in which the one personal God reveals Himself, rather than as three eternally distinct divine persons. (Wikipedia)

But now consider Stephen's vision.

Stephen sees:

JESUS

standing

AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD.

If the Father and the Son are simply the same divine person, we have an important question:

WHO IS JESUS STANDING BESIDE?

Stephen does not describe one person changing from one manifestation into another.

Nor does he say:

“I see Jesus, who is the Father.”

Instead, he says:

“I see…the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”

This is why Acts 7:55–56 presents such an important challenge to Modalism.

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RELATED RESEARCH — WHAT’S WRONG WITH MODALISM?

I have already examined Modalism and the Oneness understanding of God in much greater detail in a separate article:

WHAT’S WRONG WITH MODALISM?

That study examines the wider biblical evidence concerning the Father and the Son, while this Quick Facts article concentrates specifically on Stephen's remarkable vision in Acts 7:55–56.

The central question is simple:

If the Father and the Son are the same person, how can Scripture repeatedly present the Son speaking to the Father, being sent by the Father, being loved by the Father, being raised by God, and ultimately standing at God's right hand?

For the full investigation:

READ ARTICLE — What’s Wrong with Modalism?

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QUICK FACT 4 — JESUS IS THE SON OF GOD

What title does Scripture repeatedly give Jesus?

THE SON OF GOD.

Jesus Himself says:

JOHN 10:36

“I said, ‘I am the Son of God’?”

Peter declares:

MATTHEW 16:16

“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

And John explains the very purpose of his Gospel:

JOHN 20:31

“These are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God…”

Notice what John does not say:

“These are written that you may believe Jesus is God the Father.”

His stated purpose is that we believe:

JESUS IS THE CHRIST, THE SON OF GOD.

This distinction agrees naturally with Stephen's vision.

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

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QUICK FACT 5 — JESUS HAS A GOD

There is another important fact that should not be overlooked.

After His resurrection, Jesus tells Mary Magdalene:

JOHN 20:17

“I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.”

Notice the words of the risen Jesus:

“MY FATHER”

and

“MY GOD.”

Jesus still identifies another as His God.

And remarkably, the glorified Jesus continues using this language in Revelation.

REVELATION 3:12

Jesus repeatedly says:

“my God.”

This fits naturally with Stephen's vision:

Jesus is standing at the right hand of God.

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QUICK FACT 6 — WHO IS THE “ONE GOD”?

Paul gives us another remarkably clear statement:

1 CORINTHIANS 8:6

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

Notice Paul's wording:

ONE GOD — THE FATHER

and

ONE LORD — JESUS CHRIST.

Jesus is unquestionably given an extraordinarily exalted position in the New Testament.

He is the Christ.

He is God's Son.

He is Lord.

He is the risen Messiah.

He sits at God's right hand.

But Paul still identifies:

“ONE GOD, THE FATHER.”

Jesus makes an equally important distinction while praying to His Father:

JOHN 17:3

“This is eternal life, that they should know you, the only true God, and him whom you sent, Jesus Christ.”

Again we have two distinguishable subjects:

THE ONE WHO SENT

and

THE ONE WHO WAS SENT.

The Father is called:

“THE ONLY TRUE GOD.”

Jesus is:

“JESUS CHRIST” — THE ONE WHOM HE SENT.

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QUICK FACT 7 — DOES ACTS 7:55–56 ALSO DISPROVE THE TRINITY?

Here we need to be careful and fair.

Acts 7:55–56 creates a particularly direct challenge to Modalism, because Modalism denies the kind of personal distinction between Father and Son that Trinitarian Christianity affirms.

Historic Trinitarianism does not teach that Jesus is the Father.

Trinitarians believe the Father and Son are distinct persons who share the one divine being.

Therefore:

PROVING THAT JESUS IS DISTINCT FROM THE FATHER DOES NOT, BY ITSELF, DISPROVE THE TRINITY.

That would misrepresent what Trinitarians actually believe.

The deeper question is this:

DOES SCRIPTURE IDENTIFY JESUS AS A SECOND PERSON WITHIN THE ONE GOD?

Or does Scripture identify:

THE FATHER AS THE ONE GOD

and

JESUS AS HIS SON, MESSIAH AND EXALTED LORD?

That question cannot be settled from Acts 7:55–56 alone.

We must compare the whole testimony of Scripture.

And this is why passages such as:

John 17:3

1 Corinthians 8:6

1 Timothy 2:5

John 20:17

and

Acts 7:55–56

are so important when investigating the identity of the one true God.

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QUICK FACT 8 — WHAT ABOUT THE HOLY SPIRIT?

There is another fascinating detail in Stephen's vision.

Acts says:

“But he, being full of the Holy Spirit…”

Stephen then looks into heaven and sees:

“the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.”

The passage therefore mentions:

THE HOLY SPIRIT

GOD

and

JESUS.

But we should not make Acts 7:55 say more than it actually says.

The verse does not stop to define the nature or personhood of the Holy Spirit.

Nor does it give a formal doctrine of the Trinity.

Its immediate emphasis is Stephen's vision of God's glory and Jesus standing at God's right hand.

Therefore, this passage should be combined with the rest of Scripture rather than made to answer questions it does not explicitly address.

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QUICK FACT 9 — STEPHEN CALLED JESUS “THE SON OF MAN”

This detail is especially interesting.

Stephen does not announce:

“I see God the Son.”

He says:

ACTS 7:56

“I SEE…the SON OF MAN standing at the right hand of GOD.”

“Son of Man” was one of Jesus' most characteristic titles.

And Stephen's words echo Jesus' own declaration before the Jewish authorities that the Son of Man would be seen at the right hand of God's power.

Now, just before Stephen dies, he sees exactly that:

THE RISEN SON OF MAN

standing

AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD.

The distinction could hardly be more visually striking.

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QUICK FACT 10 — WHAT DID STEPHEN ACTUALLY SEE?

Sometimes theological debates become enormously complicated.

But before introducing centuries of creeds, councils and theological terminology, we should begin with the biblical text itself.

Stephen looked into heaven.

What did he see?

THE GLORY OF GOD

and

JESUS STANDING AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD.

What did Stephen call Jesus?

THE SON OF MAN.

Where was Jesus?

AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD.

Stephen's words do not identify the Father and Son as the same person.

Instead, the vision presents Jesus with God, standing at God's right hand. The wording of Acts 7:55–56 itself consistently maintains that distinction. (Bible Hub)

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THE QUESTION EVERY CHRISTIAN SHOULD ASK

We should not begin by asking:

“How can I make this passage fit the doctrine I already believe?”

Instead, we should ask:

“WHAT DID STEPHEN ACTUALLY SEE?”

Acts gives us the answer:

“THE GLORY OF GOD AND JESUS STANDING AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD.”

And Stephen himself declares:

“I SEE THE HEAVENS OPENED, AND THE SON OF MAN STANDING AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD.”

That is the biblical evidence before us.

The Father is not the Son.

Jesus is not His own Father.

Jesus is the risen and exalted Son of Man, standing at the right hand of God.

And Jesus Himself said:

JOHN 10:36

“I AM THE SON OF GOD.”

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RELATED RESEARCH

What’s Wrong with Modalism?

READ ARTICLE

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Research by Simon Brown

wwwrealdiscoveriesorg-simon.blogspot.com

John 1:1

• John 1:1 — Does "The Word Was God" Mean Jesus Is Almighty God?
• IS THE WORD JESUS IN JOHN 1:1? 
• What Is the Truth About John 1:1 to 5?
• WHY John 1:1 is not about Jesus!

Hebrews 1:10 – Did God Really Say to the Son, “You Laid the Foundation of the Earth”?

• 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?
• 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?

1 Corinthians 8:6 – One God the Father and One Lord Jesus Christ

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

Quick Facts: Does Matthew 28:19 Prove the Trinity?

Quick Facts: Does Hebrews 1:8 Really Call Jesus the One True God?

TITUS 2:13 — DOES THIS VERSE PROVE JESUS IS GOD?

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

Quick Facts: Who Is on the Throne of God — One God or Three?

Quick Facts: Does John 10:30–36 Really Prove Jesus Said He Is God?

John 8:24 Quick Facts — Unless You Believe That I Am He?

Did the Catholic Church Create the Doctrine of the Trinity? And Did Later Church Fathers Reject the Earlier Jewish Understanding of the One God?

The Shocking Trinitarian Claim – Unless Jesus Is God, He Cannot Be the Savior!

Detailed Quick Facts Bible infographic examining Acts 7:55–56 and Stephen’s heavenly vision of the glory of God and Jesus standing at God’s right hand. The study considers the distinction between the Father and the Son, Jesus as the Son of God, Modalism, and the Trinity. Research by Simon Brown.

A detailed Bible-study image examining John 3:16 and the words, “God gave His only begotten Son.” Research by Simon Brown explores the distinction between God who loved and gave, and His Son Jesus Christ who was given so that believers might receive eternal life.

QUICK FACTS: JOHN 3:16 — WHAT DOES “GOD GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON” REALLY MEAN?

Does John 3:16 Teach That God Himself Came to Earth, or That God Gave His Son?

Research by Simon Brown

Few words in the Bible are better known than John 3:16.

It is perhaps the most famous summary of God's love for humanity and His plan of salvation through Jesus Christ.

But because this verse is so familiar, it is very easy to read later theological ideas into the words rather than stopping and asking a very simple question:

WHAT DOES JOHN 3:16 ACTUALLY SAY?

Let us read it carefully.

JOHN 3:16

The Berean Literal Bible reads:

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that everyone believing in Him should not perish, but should have eternal life.”

Notice the people identified in this single sentence.

There is:

1. God — the One who loved the world.

2. God's Son — the One whom God gave.

3. The world — the people God loved.

4. Those who believe in the Son — who are offered eternal life.

That distinction is remarkably straightforward.

John does not say:

“God so loved the world that He gave Himself.”

Nor does the verse say:

“God became His own Son.”

It says:

GOD GAVE HIS SON.

That is the foundation of John 3:16.

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THE GREATEST DEMONSTRATION OF GOD'S LOVE

The central message of John 3:16 is not a theological formula.

It is love.

Humanity had sinned and become separated from God, yet God did not abandon His creation.

Instead:

GOD LOVED THE WORLD.

And God's love resulted in action:

HE GAVE HIS SON.

Think about the magnitude of those words.

Many parents would willingly sacrifice themselves to save their child.

But how many could willingly surrender their beloved child to suffering and death for people who had sinned against them?

Yet this is how Scripture describes God's love.

Paul writes:

ROMANS 5:8

“But God demonstrates His love to us, that of us being still sinners, Christ died for us.”

God did not wait for humanity to become righteous before showing His love.

Christ died for us while we were sinners.

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WHO GAVE WHOM?

This simple question is extremely important.

John says:

“God... gave His only begotten Son.”

The giver is God.

The one given is His Son.

This distinction continues throughout John's writings.

John later explains almost the same truth again.

1 JOHN 4:9

“In this the love of God has been revealed among us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, so that we might live through Him.”

Notice again:

GOD SENT HIS SON.

And the following verse continues:

1 JOHN 4:10

“In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son as a propitiation for our sins.”

Once again:

God loved.

God sent.

His Son was sent.

John then makes the distinction even more explicit.

1 JOHN 4:14

“And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world.”

Here John identifies the sender:

THE FATHER.

And whom did the Father send?

THE SON.

This wording is present directly in the Greek textual tradition and is reflected in the BLB and other translations. (Bible Hub)

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JOHN 3:16 DOES NOT SAY “GOD THE SON”

A detailed Bible-study infographic examining the actual wording of John 3:16. The study distinguishes between God, who loved the world and gave, and His Son Jesus Christ, who was given, while comparing the biblical wording with the later theological expression “God the Son.” Research by Simon Brown.

This deserves careful attention.
The expression:

“GOD THE SON”

does not appear anywhere in John 3:16.

John calls Jesus:

“HIS... SON.”

The difference matters when we are trying to establish doctrine from Scripture.

Later Christian theology uses expressions such as “God the Son” to describe Jesus within Trinitarian doctrine.

Trinitarians understand this as compatible with John 3:16 because they distinguish the Father and Son as persons while holding both to share the one divine being.

But that theological explanation should not be confused with the actual wording of John 3:16.

The verse itself says:

GOD GAVE HIS SON.

Therefore, if our question is strictly “What does John 3:16 explicitly say?”, we should allow those words to stand before importing a later theological system into them.

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WHAT DOES “ONLY BEGOTTEN” MEAN?

The Greek expression in John 3:16 is:

τὸν υἱὸν τὸν μονογενῆ

ton huion ton monogenē

Literally, we have:

the Son — the monogenēs.

The Greek word μονογενής (monogenēs) has generated considerable discussion.

It can convey the idea of someone who is only, unique, one-of-a-kind, and traditional translations render it “only begotten.”

This means we should be cautious about building an elaborate doctrine merely from the English word “begotten.”

But one thing is unmistakable in the Greek text:

HE IS GOD'S SON.

The Greek text distinguishes ὁ θεός (ho theos) — “God” from τὸν υἱὸν (ton huion) — “the Son.” (Bible Hub)

Whatever conclusion someone reaches about monogenēs, John presents God as giving His uniquely beloved Son.

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DID GOD GIVE HIMSELF?

A detailed Bible-study infographic examining the question, “Did God give Himself?” John 3:16 says that God gave His only begotten Son, while John 17:3 distinguishes the only true God from Jesus Christ whom He sent. Research by Simon Brown.

Sometimes John 3:16 is presented in preaching almost as though it says:

God loved us so much that God Himself came and died for us.

That may represent a theological interpretation of the incarnation, but those are not John's words in this verse.

John says:

“God... gave His only begotten Son.”

The same distinction appears repeatedly:

God sent His Son.

The Father sent the Son.

The Son obeyed the Father.

The Son accomplished the work God gave Him.

And Jesus Himself prayed to His Father:

JOHN 17:3

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

Jesus identifies the One to whom He is praying as “the only true God” and then identifies Himself as Jesus Christ, whom that God sent. This distinction is explicit in the text, whatever broader theological interpretation a reader adopts. (Bible Hub)

Compare the structure:

JOHN 3:16

God → gave → His Son

JOHN 17:3

The only true God → sent → Jesus Christ

1 JOHN 4:14

The Father → sent → the Son

There is a remarkable consistency.

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BUT IF JESUS IS NOT GOD ALMIGHTY, HOW CAN HE SAVE US?

A detailed Bible-study infographic examining how Jesus can be the Savior without being the God who sent Him. Scripture presents Jesus as the Christ, Son of God, Lamb of God, Savior, mediator, appointed judge and risen Lord, through whom God offers humanity eternal life.

This is another important question.
The Bible never says that Jesus must be the God who sent Him in order to save us.
Instead, Scripture tells us:

GOD MADE JESUS THE MEANS OF OUR SALVATION.

John says:

“The Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world.”

— 1 John 4:14

The Father being the sender does not diminish Jesus.

Nor does Jesus being the Son diminish the extraordinary position God has given Him.

Jesus is:

the Christ,

the Son of God,

the Lamb of God,

the Savior,

the mediator,

the appointed judge,

the risen Lord,

and the one through whom God gives eternal life.

The apostolic testimony is not that Jesus saved humanity independently of God.

It is that:

GOD SAVED HUMANITY THROUGH HIS SON.

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GOD'S LOVE AND CHRIST'S LOVE WORK TOGETHER

None of this minimizes Jesus' own love for us.

The Father willingly gave His Son.

And Jesus willingly gave His life.

Jesus said:

JOHN 10:17

“Because of this, the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life, that I might take it again.”

And Paul wrote:

GALATIANS 2:20

“...the Son of God, the One having loved me and having given up Himself for me.”

So salvation reveals both:

THE LOVE OF THE FATHER WHO GAVE HIS SON

and

THE LOVE OF THE SON WHO GAVE HIS LIFE.

That is an extraordinarily powerful picture.

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WHAT HAPPENS TO THOSE WHO BELIEVE?

John 3:16 also contains another truth that is sometimes overlooked.

It does not say:

“Whoever believes shall never experience conscious existence ending.”

It says the believer:

“should not perish, but should have eternal life.”

The contrast is:

PERISH

versus

ETERNAL LIFE.

The Greek verb translated “perish” is apollymi (ἀπόλλυμι).

Whatever conclusions are drawn about final judgment from the rest of Scripture, John 3:16 itself presents eternal life as God's gift to the believer, rather than describing eternal life as something every human inherently possesses.

That agrees with John's later statement:

1 JOHN 5:11–12

“And this is the testimony: that God has given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. The one having the Son has life; the one not having the Son of God does not have life.”

Again:

GOD GIVES LIFE THROUGH HIS SON.

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THE OLD ARTICLE AND WHAT I ONCE BELIEVED

When I originally wrote about John 3:16 in 2015, I was approaching the Bible from a Trinitarian understanding.

In that earlier article I wrote:

“We are humans made by the three persons of the Trinity — Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.”

I also described Jesus as:

“the Creator and the Maker of the universe.”

After considerably more study of Scripture, I no longer believe those statements accurately represent what John 3:16 itself teaches.

I have therefore not deleted the original article.

I believe it is useful to leave my earlier research available so readers can see how my understanding developed and examine the evidence for themselves.

My purpose is not to ask anyone simply to accept my conclusions.

It is to ask:

WHAT DOES THE SCRIPTURE ACTUALLY SAY?

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READ JOHN 3:16 WITHOUT ADDING ANYTHING

A detailed Bible-study image examining John 3:16 exactly as written, without adding later theological ideas to the verse. It highlights that God loved the world, God gave His only begotten Son, and those believing in His Son are offered eternal life. The image emphasizes the message of God’s love, the gift of His Son Jesus Christ, and the importance of allowing Scripture to speak for itself. Research by Simon Brown.

Read the verse once more:

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that everyone believing in Him should not perish, but should have eternal life.”

— John 3:16, BLB

Now ask:

Who loved the world?

God.

Whom did God give?

His Son.

Why did God give His Son?

So that those believing in him should not perish.

What does God offer through His Son?

Eternal life.

That is what the verse actually says.

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THE MESSAGE OF JOHN 3:16 IS LOVE

A detailed Christian Bible-study image illustrating the message of John 3:16: God loved the world and gave His only begotten Son. The image emphasizes God's love for humanity, the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, and eternal life as God's gift rather than something humanity can earn. Research by Simon Brown.

John 3:16 should never become merely ammunition in a theological argument.
It contains one of the most beautiful messages ever given to humanity.

GOD LOVES YOU.

Human beings sin.

Human beings fail.

Human beings rebel.

Yet God loved the world so profoundly that He gave what was most precious:

HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON.

And Jesus loved us enough to give his life.

This is not something humanity earned.

It is God's gift.

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THE FINAL QUESTION

John 3:16 does not merely invite us to debate theology.

It demands a response.

God gave His Son.

Jesus gave His life.

So the question becomes:

DO YOU BELIEVE IN THE SON OF GOD?

John tells us why his Gospel was written:

JOHN 20:31

“But these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.”

That is John's stated purpose.

JESUS IS THE CHRIST.

JESUS IS THE SON OF GOD.

GOD GAVE HIS SON BECAUSE HE LOVED THE WORLD.

And through His Son:

GOD OFFERS US ETERNAL LIFE.

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CONCLUSION

John 3:16 is one of the clearest declarations of God's love in all Scripture.

The verse does not explicitly say that God became a man, nor does it call Jesus “God the Son.”

It tells us:

GOD LOVED.

GOD GAVE.

GOD GAVE HIS SON.

THE SON WAS GIVEN FOR US.

THOSE WHO BELIEVE IN HIM ARE OFFERED ETERNAL LIFE.

John later summarizes the same message beautifully: God revealed His love by sending His only Son so that we might live through him, and the Father sent the Son as Savior of the world. (Bible Gateway)

Whatever traditions we have inherited, John 3:16 deserves to be read for what it actually says.

And what it says is extraordinary:

“FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD, THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON…”

John 3:16

Research by Simon Brown

wwwrealdiscoveriesorg-simon.blogspot.com

Dr. Grady McMurtry False teachings: John 14:9 & John 10:30 – Do These Verses Really Prove Jesus Is God Almighty?

 

A detailed Bible research image examining John 14:9 and John 10:30 and the claim that these verses identify Jesus as God Almighty. The study compares Jesus’ statements with John 14:10, John 17:3, John 17:21–22, John 10:36, Colossians 1:15 and 1 Corinthians 8:6.

QUICK FACTS: JOHN 14:9 & JOHN 10:30

DO JOHN 14:9 AND JOHN 10:30 REALLY PROVE THAT JESUS IS GOD ALMIGHTY?

Some Trinitarian teachers, including Dr. Grady McMurtry, appeal to John 14:9 and John 10:30 as evidence that Jesus is God Almighty.

But is that what Jesus actually said?

Rather than beginning with a theological doctrine and reading it back into these verses, let's examine Jesus' own words and their immediate context.

---

QUICK FACT 1 — JOHN 14:9

Berean Literal Bible

“Jesus says to him, ‘Am I with you so long a time, and you have not known Me, Philip? The one having seen Me has seen the Father. How can you say, “Show us the Father”?’”

John 14:9

The argument is often:

Jesus said:

“THE ONE HAVING SEEN ME HAS SEEN THE FATHER.”

Therefore:

JESUS MUST BE GOD.

But there is an immediate problem with interpreting Jesus' statement as meaning:

“I AM THE FATHER.”

The Trinity doctrine itself teaches that:

The Son is NOT the Father.

So Jesus cannot have meant that Philip was literally looking at the Father Himself.

What, then, did Jesus mean?

---

LET JESUS EXPLAIN HIS OWN WORDS

We don't have to guess, because Jesus continues speaking in the very next verse.

John 14:10 — Berean Literal Bible

“Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak from Myself; but the Father dwelling in Me does His works.”

Notice carefully what Jesus says:

“THE FATHER DWELLING IN ME DOES HIS WORKS.”

Jesus does NOT say:

“I AM THE FATHER.”

Instead, Jesus distinguishes Himself from the Father who is dwelling in Him.

This gives us the context for understanding:

“THE ONE HAVING SEEN ME HAS SEEN THE FATHER.”

Jesus perfectly revealed His Father.

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JESUS IS THE IMAGE OF THE INVISIBLE GOD

Paul uses remarkably similar language:

Colossians 1:15 — Berean Literal Bible

“He is the image of the invisible God…”

Notice the distinction:

Jesus is:

THE IMAGE

of:

THE INVISIBLE GOD.

An image perfectly represents the one whose image it is.

This fits naturally with Jesus' statement:

“THE ONE HAVING SEEN ME HAS SEEN THE FATHER.”

Jesus revealed the character, works, authority and nature of the Father who sent Him.

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HEBREWS MAKES THE SAME POINT

Hebrews 1:3 describes the Son as:

“THE RADIANCE OF HIS GLORY AND THE EXACT IMPRINT OF HIS SUBSTANCE…”

Again we have a distinction between the Son and the One whose glory and substance He represents.

Jesus is therefore the perfect revelation of His God and Father.

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JESUS SAID THE FATHER SENT HIM

Throughout John's Gospel, Jesus repeatedly distinguishes Himself from God who sent Him.

John 8:42 — Berean Literal Bible

“…for I came forth from God and am here; for not even have I come of Myself, but He sent Me.”

And Jesus later prayed:

John 17:3 — Berean Literal Bible

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

Jesus identifies:

THE FATHER

as:

“THE ONLY TRUE GOD”

and then distinguishes Himself as:

“JESUS CHRIST WHOM YOU HAVE SENT.”

This provides essential context when interpreting John 14:9.

---

QUICK FACT 2 — JOHN 10:30

Now let's examine another verse frequently used as a Trinity proof text.

Jesus said:

John 10:30 — Berean Literal Bible

“I AND THE FATHER ARE ONE.”

Does Jesus say:

“I AND THE FATHER ARE ONE GOD”?

NO.

The words “one God” do not appear in John 10:30.

Jesus simply says:

“I AND THE FATHER ARE ONE.”

So the question is:

ONE IN WHAT SENSE?

---

JOHN'S GOSPEL GIVES US THE ANSWER

Jesus later prayed concerning His disciples:

John 17:11 — Berean Literal Bible

“…Holy Father, keep them in Your name, which You have given Me, that they may be one as We are.”

Look carefully:

“THAT THEY MAY BE ONE AS WE ARE.”

If being “one” made Jesus and His Father one literal being or one person, then the same reasoning would make all of Jesus' disciples one literal being.

Obviously, that is not what Jesus meant.

---

JESUS MAKES IT EVEN CLEARER

John 17:21–22 — Berean Literal Bible

Jesus prayed:

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

And:

“that they may be one, as We are one.”

This is extremely important for understanding John 10:30.

Jesus uses the language of oneness for His followers.

The disciples remain many individual persons, yet they are to become:

ONE

through unity, agreement, love, faith and purpose.

Therefore, when Jesus says:

“I AND THE FATHER ARE ONE”

the statement does not by itself mean:

“I AND THE FATHER ARE ONE GOD.”

That phrase simply isn't there.

---

LOOK AT THE CONTEXT OF JOHN 10

Jesus had been talking about His sheep.

John 10:27

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.”

Jesus then says:

John 10:28

“And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish to the age, and no one will seize them out of My hand.”

Then Jesus speaks about His Father:

John 10:29

“My Father who has given them to Me is greater than all, and no one is able to seize them out of the hand of the Father.”

Then comes:

John 10:30

“I AND THE FATHER ARE ONE.”

Notice the parallel:

NO ONE CAN SEIZE THEM FROM JESUS' HAND.

and:

NO ONE CAN SEIZE THEM FROM THE FATHER'S HAND.

Then Jesus concludes:

“I AND THE FATHER ARE ONE.”

The context therefore naturally concerns the united work of the Father and Son in protecting the sheep.

---

JESUS ALSO SAID THE FATHER GAVE THEM TO HIM

John 10:29 contains another important detail:

“MY FATHER WHO HAS GIVEN THEM TO ME…”

The Father is the giver.

Jesus is the recipient.

Once again, Jesus and His Father are working in complete unity, but they remain distinguishable throughout the passage.

---

JESUS EVEN IDENTIFIES HIMSELF AS THE SON OF GOD

Only a few verses later Jesus answers His opponents.

John 10:36 — Berean Literal Bible

“…do you say, ‘You blaspheme,’ of Him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, because I said,

‘I AM SON OF GOD’?”

Notice what Jesus himself identifies as His claim:

He does NOT say:

“I SAID, I AM GOD.”

He says:

“I SAID, I AM SON OF GOD.”

And once again:

THE FATHER SANCTIFIED HIM.

THE FATHER SENT HIM.

This distinction is built directly into Jesus' explanation.

---

PUT JOHN 14:9 AND JOHN 10:30 TOGETHER

Now the picture becomes much clearer.

JOHN 14:9

“The one having seen Me has seen the Father.”

WHY?

Jesus immediately explains:

JOHN 14:10

“THE FATHER DWELLING IN ME DOES HIS WORKS.”

And:

JOHN 10:30

“I AND THE FATHER ARE ONE.”

ONE WHAT?

Jesus uses the same language concerning His followers:

JOHN 17:22

“THAT THEY MAY BE ONE, AS WE ARE ONE.”

The passages therefore do not require the conclusion that Jesus was claiming to be the same God as His Father.

They describe the extraordinary unity between God and His Messiah.

---

THE SIMPLE BIBLICAL DISTINCTION

The Bible repeatedly presents:

ONE GOD — THE FATHER

and:

ONE LORD — JESUS CHRIST.

Paul states this plainly:

1 Corinthians 8:6 — Berean Literal Bible

“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.”

Notice that Paul does not define the “one God” as Father, Son and Holy Spirit in this verse.

He identifies:

“ONE GOD, THE FATHER.”

And separately:

“ONE LORD, JESUS CHRIST.”

---

QUICK FACT CONCLUSION

Do John 14:9 and John 10:30 actually say:

JESUS IS GOD ALMIGHTY?

NO — NEITHER VERSE SAYS THOSE WORDS.

John 14:9 tells us that seeing Jesus is seeing the Father perfectly represented through His Son.

Jesus himself explains:

“THE FATHER DWELLING IN ME DOES HIS WORKS.”

John 10:30 tells us:

“I AND THE FATHER ARE ONE.”

But Jesus later prays that His disciples:

“MAY BE ONE, AS WE ARE ONE.”

And within the very same John 10 discussion Jesus identifies His claim as:

“I AM SON OF GOD.”

The distinction remains:

THE FATHER IS GOD.

JESUS IS THE SON OF GOD.

THE FATHER SENT THE SON.

THE FATHER DWELLED AND WORKED THROUGH HIS SON.

THE FATHER AND SON ARE PERFECTLY UNITED.

Therefore, rather than taking two short statements in isolation, we should allow Jesus' own explanations to determine their meaning.

That is the difference between simply reading a Trinity doctrine into these verses and asking:

WHAT DID JESUS ACTUALLY SAY?

Research by Simon Brown
wwwrealdiscoveriesorg-simon.blogspot.com

OLD RESEARCH

John 14:9 — The Correct Meaning

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