Is God One or Three?

“You believe that God is one; well and good. Even the demons believe that

—and tremble with fear.” The NET Bible (Jas 2:19).

God is One! So reads the NASB, NET, ASV, BBE, Darby, ESV, HCSB, Weymouth, YLT, CBE, AMP, RSV, NRSV, Lexham, and NAB. Other translations read "there is one God" or something similar. The underlying Greek clearly allows for both, but context is always king. The word in Greek is eis, which is a cardinal number meaning one (1)! While there are certain texts which translate eis as alone, only, or even first, the word simply means one! It can also be translated by the word "single" or the preposition "a" which is used before nouns and noun phrases that denote a single but unspecified person or thing, ie. a region; a person. That it has the meaning of one singular person, or being, in the text above, is in sync with the sh’ma as recorded at Deut 6:4, "Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one! (NASB). There, the Hebrew word is echad, also a cardinal number. Like eis, it may be translated in a variety of ways depending on context, but the primary meaning is ONE!

Although it can be understood in the sense that there is only one God, even in Deut 6:4, it is equally true that, that one God has a name... Yahweh! This fact precludes any thought that He is plural in nature, or that “one” means anything other than "one person"! Also, He is called not only by His Name, but also by the term elohim (God) using singular personal pronouns thousands of times in the Hebrew Scriptures. This should be of great significance to anyone who understands the importance of words as a means of communication.

I am by no means a master of the English language, but I understand this: I must choose the correct words to convey my meaning. If I use the pronouns he, she, it, him, his, my, mine, etc; I expect to be understood as referring to a single person, place, or thing.  These pronouns as used in the the Biblical texts all support the idea of one person or one thing, it's not complicated! If the Scriptures were written for our benefit, for our instruction (2Tim 3:16), and they are truly inspired by God, it would be inappropriate and unseemly to use words that cause confusion. Certainly, “God is not a God of confusion, but of peace.” (1 Cor 14:33)

Further, the sh’ma was endorsed by Jesus himself in Mark 12:29, where he is asked by a scribe of the law "which is the greatest of all commandments?". Jesus then quotes Deut 6:4, and notice how it reads in the NASB:

“Jesus answered, "The foremost is, 'HEAR, O ISRAEL! THE LORD OUR GOD IS ONE LORD ;”  --Mark 12:29 (NASB)

He (God Almighty) is one Lord, not two or three!

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The whole of the bible proclaims the central truth, that God is One! Jews and Christians both claim to be monotheists, but the  majority of christianity has adopted and long held the notion that monotheism can be supported by the view that God is three persons in One being. Or “three who’s in one what” as one modern day theologian has stated. This idea is really a stretch from what the Bible actually teaches. There can be no distinction between a person and a being. It breaks every rule of logic and of language!

The apostle James writes his letter to "the 12 tribes in the dispersion" (James 1:1), very similar to Peter who writes to "elect exiles of the dispersion" (1Pet 1:1), both referring to Jewish people; yet these letters are clearly written to christian believers. My argument is that ALL christians in the early church, Jew and Gentile alike, were taught from the Hebrew Scriptures which adamantly demanded that God is One Person.

Acts 15 records the first church council, long before Nicea, in which the church leaders led by Peter and James, excused the gentile believers from being circumcised and, presumably, from all the "traditions of the fathers". But this very exclusion strongly suggests that the gentile church was instructed in Torah (the Law of Moses), as well as the Writings and the Prophets. While certain “traditions” may not have been incumbent on gentile christians, the all important creed of the Jews from Deut 6:4 remained central in the teaching of the Jewish christians, and certainly would not have been bypassed in the instruction of gentile believers!

But James and Peter are not the only New Testament writers to attest to the unity of God as one single Person. In Rom 3:30 Paul speaks about God being the God of both Jew and Greek and says, “Since God is one, he will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith."  Again, a strong reference to the sh’ma of Deut 6:4. Here, it should perhaps be understood that Paul means it primarily in the sense that "God alone" is God, but this does not negate the reality that He is One Person. At 1Cor 8:5-6 Paul writes:

  “For even if there are so-called gods whether in heaven or on earth, as indeed there are many gods and many lords, yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him. (NASB - emphasis mine)

Paul states that the one true God is "the Father"! This underscores what I've been saying, that God is one single person!

In Matt 19:17 Jesus himself is recorded as saying "...there is only one who is good". Who is that one? Can there be any doubt that Jesus' reference was to God the Father? This is the fundamental belief of every Jew. There is no God but one, and He is the One singular Person,Yahweh, the Father (the creator of all). Although we can’t rely on the veracity of everything the pharisee’s are reported to have said, there can be little doubt about their correctness on this point! The pharisee’s knew well that

"...We have only one Father, God himself." - John 8:41 (NET)  

Also, take note of Paul’s words in Eph 4:4-6:

   "There is one body and one Spirit, just as you too were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all." (NET - emphasis mine)

In this verse, Paul is not ambiguous about who the "one God" is; He is the Father. But who is the one Lord? Well, this should be apparent also, he is Jesus! And if words mean anything, this one fact should also be apparent: one body, one Spirit, one hope, one faith, and one baptism are not the same thing! If that is true, then neither are one lord and one God the same person. Further, if there is one God and He is the Father, then the one lord is not the Father, nor can he be God. They are not the same!

The Greek language has only one word for “lord”. It is kurios. (see comment on this for correction) Therefore, its referent must be understood from context. This fact has led to some confusion. At times, the New Testament writers refer to God as lord, and other times the term is a reference to Christ Jesus as lord. The Lord God has always been THE Lord of all, the Lord God Almighty, but Jesus was given the title of Lord and Christ by God!

“For David did not ascend into heaven, but he himself says,

   ‘The Lord said to my lord,

   “Sit at my right hand

   until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.” ’

Therefore let all the house of Israel know beyond a doubt that God has made this Jesus whom you crucified both Lord and Christ.” -- emphasis mine, The NET Bible (Acts 2:29–36)

The reference in verse 34 is from Psalm 110:1 where two distinct Hebrew words are translated as lord. The first (Lord) is from the Hebrew adonai (pronounced adonay” which is always used for God Almighty, the Lord. The second lord is a variation, adoni (pronounced adonee) found 195 times in the Old Testament, and always referring to a human master (lord). This distinction is not clear in Strong’s Concordance or the Greek language, but the NASB correctly makes the distinction using capital “L” for the first Lord, and small “l” for the second. It is the Lord God Yahweh who says to his Messiah (David’s lord), the human lord, “sit at my right hand”!

   “As a result God exalted him

   and gave him the name

   that is above every name,

   so that at the name of Jesus

   every knee will bow

   —in heaven and on earth and under the earth—

   and every tongue confess

   that Jesus Christ is Lord (should be small “l”)

   to the glory of God the Father. -- emphasis mine, The NET Bible (Php 2:9–11)

It is the Lord God who exalts Jesus (the lord Messiah), and this exaltation is meant to bring glory to God the Father! How far the christian church has fallen from its Judaic roots and understanding of who God and Jesus are as proclaimed in God’s holy book, the Bible.  

Jesus said he came not to destroy the Torah but to fulfill it! In other words, he came to correctly interpret and act it out. Look again at the primary text:

“You believe that God is one; well and good. Even the demons believe that

—and tremble with fear.” The NET Bible (Jas 2:19).

James point here is that if you profess this fundamental teaching that God is One, as all orthodox Jews did and continue to do, as Jesus did, and as all christians -Jew and gentile alike - are called upon to do, then you are doing what is good and right! Monotheism has always been and continues to be the foundation of Hebrew theology, and to believe correctly about God -  that He is one Divine Person and there is no other besides Him is the right way, the orthodox way, of believing. And notice that he says, even demons have this understanding and belief about God - they know it to be true - yet they tremble, presumably out of fear, because they know what their end will be. Correct doctrine by itself is of no value without faith, and a proper  response to that doctrine. And yet, who can deny that good doctrine is vital to the outworking of our faith?

I hope this short article will spark some deeper interest in you to research the matter for yourself. For me, it has been over six years since I came to this new understanding (which is really the old), and each day since, I never cease to be amazed at how clear the Bible really is on this subject. Yet, most christians have a blind spot on the issue of the trinity, as I did for many years. My prayer is that many more will begin to read their bibles with “new eyes”. I will end this writing with the words of Paul in Eph 1:17-23:

“...that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him.  I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,  and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might  which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,  far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.  And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church,  which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.” (NASB)


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Truth Or Tradition?

Read Acts 2:14-26

The first sermon preached by the christian church was delivered by Peter on the Day of Pentecost. When the gift of holy spirit was poured out on the faithful 120 in the upper room, it was one of the great turning points in the history of the world! And being the very first sermon it should be of enormous significance to anyone who is seriously interested in knowing truth. The fact is, we cannot possibly hope to understand the church and its message unless we understand what these early christian brothers believed and taught.

When I was in Bible College back in the 80’s, I served as an intern for a church that hosted a sizeable group of refugees from Laos. Every Sunday for about 6 months I taught a class on Sunday mornings to these wonderful people who had escaped the tyranny of the Laotian regime, many of them losing loved ones on their journey to freedom. I’ll always cherish the memory of those brave souls who endured so much hardship and heartbreak to find freedom in our country. Some of them were genuinely converted, but many others were just blending in and attended the Sunday classes just to be part of the community.

I share this with you because in the relationships I established with them I often had the opportunity to inquire about their customs and beliefs. Invariably, I found that whether it was a practice involving a wedding ceremony, or a ritual performed as part of their animistic religious beliefs (which some still practiced even though they claimed to be christian), they were unable to explain WHY they did what they did, or why they believed what they said they believed! It all came down to “tradition” which was handed down from one generation to the next. Hmmm. Not so different from many good church going people today I think.

A while back I read an amusing story ( I cannot recall the exact source) about a young woman who had a certain way of preparing a roast for christmas dinner. Everyone loved her roast, and she was meticulous about preparing it in a particular manner. Her recipe required cutting the roast in two pieces and placing the halves in separate roasting pans. When asked why she did this she replied, “I don’t know, it’s how momma always did it.” Some years later she discovered the truth about why her momma alway cut the roast in two pieces. It seems that momma just didn’t have a big enough pot in which to put the whole roast!

These anecdotes illustrate how powerful and deceptive tradition can be!

IS GOD A TRINITY?

Now, let’s look at Peter’s sermon in the book of Acts and compare it to the prevailing teachings of today’s church. Notice first that after pointing to Scripture and indicating the source behind the strange behavior of those gathered, Peter begins to speak about Jesus and his relationship to God (v22). Did Peter stand up and declare Jesus to be God, the 2nd person of the trinity, or God the Son? No! Peter, inspired by holy spirit, apparently had no concept of the trinity! If so, certainly this would have been an excellent place for it to be made known. Instead, he refers to Jesus as “a man attested to you by God”, and through whom God did many signs and wonders, and a man who was crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men, and finally, who God raised up from the dead (vv22-24)!

Nothing Peter says here supports the tradition of a Triune God. In fact, none of it makes a bit of sense if Jesus were in fact God, or even if Peter supposed him to be God. But, if Jesus was, as Peter asserts, a man attested (affirmed, proved) by God”, then it makes perfect sense. And further, I see that it brings all of the Scriptures concerning Jesus and God into perfect clarity. The plain language used here makes it impossible to misunderstand Peter’s sense of who God and Jesus are in relation to each other. Plainly read, Peter understands that God is not a man, but He works through men (v22). Also, God could never be crucified or killed, however, He alone has the power to reverse death by resurrection (vv23-24)! Then notice in v36 that it is “God” who “made him (Jesus) both Lord and Christ.” Who is this God who “raised” Jesus from the dead, and “made” him both Lord and Christ”? Clearly, it is not Jesus who is God!

This is clarified even further when Peter quotes from Psalm 110:1, “The LORD said to my lord. ‘Sit at My right hand until I make your enemies your footstool’.” (vv34-35)! In the Hebrew Scriptures, the first LORD is adonai and the second is adoni clearly showing the difference between God and a human lord! This cannot be seen in our English translations, but in Hebrew, adonai is always used of God, where adoni is never used of God! The LORD (YaHWeH - God Almighty) said to my Lord (David’s lord, the Messiah - Jesus)! This is not God talking to God, but God speaking to the human Messiah!

But there’s something else… something not written here, but relevant to the portion of Scripture Peter quotes in verses 17-21. Peter’s explanation of what was happening was “this is what was uttered by the prophet Joel” (v16), then he quotes from Joel 2:28-32. What is not quoted is v27 which says “You shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the Lord your God and there is none else.” Did you catch that? I am the LORD your God and there is no other. The word “LORD” is Yahweh, the name of God the Father, while God is elohim (o theos in the Greek). It is literally “I am Yahweh your God and there is no other”!

So then, there is only one who is God, and he is Yahweh! It is this God, Yahweh, who declares, “I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh”(v17). The reference to “My Spirit”, everyone agrees, is a reference to the Holy Spirit. But is this Holy Spirit a person, or is it the gift of God’s own presence and power? The language of “pour out of My Spirit” seems to be an awkward and inappropriate way of speaking about another person. Perhaps it’s because neither Joel nor Peter understood the Spirit as being a 3rd person of a trinity! Perhaps it’s because the Spirit is the gift of God’s personal presence and power to the church - an impartation of God’s own character and nature to those who believe!.

DO WE CHRISTIANS GO TO HEAVEN WHEN WE DIE?

One last important observation in Peter’s sermon is how he speaks of David in relation to Jesus. After quoting from the prophet Joel he quotes from Psalm 16:8-11 (vv25-28). In this Psalm, Peter asserts that David is speaking  prophetically about Messiah Jesus where God promises that he (Jesus) will not rot in the grave, but be resurrected back to life. Peter makes it clear, and is in fact “confident”, that David is not speaking about himself, and points to the fact that he both died and was buried and his tomb is “with us to this day” (v29). Peter declares that David did not rise from the dead, nor did he ascend into heaven. Understand this! David did not ascend into heaven! But wait, I thought all saints went to heaven when they die. Haven’t we been taught this from childhood? I know that some will claim that Old Testament saints went to paradise and Jesus emptied paradise during the three days his body was in the tomb. But this cannot be so because the supposed emptying of paradise would then have taken place prior to the Day of Pentecost. Therefore, David and all Old Testament saints would have already left paradise and been taken to heaven before the time Peter delivered his sermon. But Peter says, NO, David was NOT in heaven!

If not in heaven, then where? Just as Peter says, the dead are in their graves, or tombs. The bible uses the metaphor of “sleep” to describe believers who have died. This is a fitting description because just as those who experience undisturbed sleep have no awareness of time or anything else, so those who are dead - they are awaiting resurrection from the dead! So, David did not go to heaven but remained in the grave awaiting resurrection, which he will experience along with every believer, at the 2nd coming of Christ!

CONCLUSION

If Peter and the early church did not believe God to be “three in one” or that the believing dead go to heaven when they die, how did these doctrines come to have such a powerful hold over the church? The answer is tradition! Both the doctrines of the Trinity and of the dead going to heaven when they die, took root in the early centuries after the death of the apostles. Over time, they have been passed down from generation to generation with the result that very few question their veracity, or even suspect that they may be unbiblical. Yes, some can quote Scriptures that seem to support the traditional views, but in fact, these so called supporting texts are often taken out of context or misquoted entirely.

So, here in the very first sermon preached by the apostle Peter, after the holy spirit was poured out, we find a rather conspicuous contradiction between the early and modern church teaching! Here, Peter sets forth the unequivocal doctrine that there is one God and He is a single person; that there is one lord, Messiah, and he is the man Jesus; that the resting place for all at death is the grave, and that they will rise at the return of Messiah Jesus!  I ask you dear reader, to examine this for yourself. I don’t claim to have special knowledge about the bible… far from it. I only point to what the bible clearly says without redefining words or pulling Scriptures from their context. Compare this to what is taught today and ask yourself why? Then, if you are sincere about knowing truth, regardless of the consequences, ask God our Father to help you read the Scriptures with “new eyes”. I know, for me, the bible makes much more sense than it did when I tried to make certain passages “fit” traditional teaching.

I believe the bible says what it means, and means what it says… do you?

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