11-29-2010, 11:10 PM
Since i got PM that my essay can't be downloaded, i will post it here, even if it is long.
I decided to post this publically, even if stones will be thrown. This is intended as a direct answer to justalex's request. My view of the Godhead does not correspond with the orthodox/traditional view of the trinity. If anyone feels offended, please let me know in a civilized manner.
To be fair, I will tell you about my background, though it should not matter, as we are talking about scripture, not opinion. I grew up in an Oneness Pentecostal (also called ?Apostolic Pentecostal?) Church. i am a German, and i grew up here. i do not necessarily agree with all that is promoted as oneness theology, just as none of you agrees with all that is promoted as Trinitarian theology (nine persons anyone? : <!-- s:yell: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/yell.gif" alt=":yell:" title="Yell" /><!-- s:yell: --> ), so please don?t tell me what I believe. i do, however, find the foundations of strict monotheism inescapable. I have personally engaged in a deep, thorough, and prayerful search for the truth concerning God. I have always tried to hear all sides that claim to be based solely on scripture on the issues. Interestingly, I have found that many modern ?Trinitarian? theologians do not believe that there actually is a clear model of the Godhead in the Bible. I disagree.
Introduction
In this document, I will attempt to demonstrate my understanding of God, and who Jesus is. My view of the Godhead does not directly correspond with the orthodox/traditional view of God as a trinity.
I find the foundations of strict monotheism inescapable. I have personally engaged in a deep, thorough, and prayerful search for the truth concerning God. I have always tried to hear all sides that claim to be based solely on scripture on the issues. Interestingly, I have found that many modern ?Trinitarian? theologians do not believe that there actually is a clear model of the Godhead in the Bible. I will attempt to proof them wrong with this essay.
I do not like any illogical, metaphysical, mystical, parabolic approaches, as they are never concrete and have undefined, unclear, often overlapping, meanings. If we want to know who He is, we have to be able to find that knowledge reflected in scripture and logic, not in irreproducible argument or theory.
I will give you a quick explanation of how I see God. It is impossible to address all issues in this essay, and I do not claim to have all answers, or to always use proper terminology, but I do believe to have a very solid foundation. I will attempt to make my points by scripture rather than endless, anchorless arguments.
All insertions in verses in brackets () are my commentaries
The Jews knew who God is
In John 4:22, Jesus said ?Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.?
Making this more clear:
?Ye (the Samaritans) worship ye know not what (Note: ?what?, not ?who?! This deals with nature!): we (the Jews) know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.?
I know the first argument here may be ?Well, Jesus knew the Father? etc, but that is not the point of the verse. The point is the contrast between Jews and Samaritans.
The Old Testament could not be clearer on the Oneness of God.
Deu 6:4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:
Isa 40:25 To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One.
Note: if this is the Father speaking, why does he not say he is equal to the Son? If it is the Trinity speaking, why does it say ?Says the Holy One.?, not the ?Holy three.??
Isa 42:8 I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.
Isa 43:10 Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.
Note: ?I am he? is a reference to the ?servant whom I have chosen (=Jesus)?! Why did God choose that servant? ?that ye may know (?) me? and ?understand that I am he (the chosen)?!!!
Isa 43:11 I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no savior (note: this is still referring to the chosen. This identifies Jesus as YHWH.).
Isa 43:12 I have declared, and have saved, and I have shewed, when there was no strange god among you (Remember: The Jews knew who God is, Jesus was that God among us. Jesus is the God that has been revealed to the Jews in the OT): therefore ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, that I am God.
Isa 44:6 Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.
Isa 44:8 Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any.
Note: within two verses, God said that hthere is no elohim besides him, and no eloah besides him, and no tsoor (Rock) besides him. Why did he not say ?as, but there are two persons besides me though??
Isa 46:5 To whom will ye liken me, and make me equal, and compare me, that we may be like?
Note: See notes on Isaiah 40:25.
Isa 46:9 Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me,
Note: God tells us to ?Remember the former things of old?. This means he wants us to look into the past, into how it used to be. The Way He revealed Himself to the Jews.
Now, reading these verses, I cannot see how God could have been any clearer on his Oneness than he has been. Suppose there are three persons in the Godhead, how comes God never told the Jews? Remember, the Jews knew God!
Suppose there is only one being, then how could he have been clearer? If you may say ?But he did not say ?I am one Person??, then let me tell you that God is not a person in the way a human is a person. Yet, if he had said ?I am one person?, that would not have made any difference in the doctrine of the trinity. Why? Because (I am going to early church history here, so forgive the Greek. I am not doing real exegesis.), originally, God has been defined as three persons (prosopon), later this was changed to three ?hupostasis?, because the ?prosopon? position was impossible to maintain for several theological reasons.
Point being, if God would, for example, have clearly said ?I am one Person?, then, it would have been easy to find another word to agree upon to be used to describe the proposed distinction in the Godhead, for example ?three Personalities? or ?powers? or ?authorities? etc. instead of ?Persons?.
Whenever God prominently revealed an attribute of his within the Bible, he made it clear that there is only one of him. It would be nothing less than bizarre to find the Bible say anything that has the words ?God? and ?three? (or any other number but ?one?) in reference to each other. This is the reason why
God is one Person
It is often overlooked, that the Bible actually does call God a person (both prosopon and hupostasis). In Hebrews 1:3 we read:
?Who (Jesus) being the brightness of his (God?s) glory, and the express image of his (God?s) person,(?)?
Note that the word ?person? (hupostasis, better translated as ?being?, the same word used to describe the three persons of the trinity), referring to God, is singular. Saying that God is more than one person in any way directly contradicts the statement of the verse. Jesus is the express image of God?s singular person. There is nothing to indicate that God is anything else but one person in this verse.
In fact, if we assume that ?God? refers to the entire trinity, then, according to this verse, Jesus is the express image of the persons of that trinity. This is, of course, impossible, since the reference is to one person. The word is clearly in the singular form. If we assume that God in this Verse is the Father, then this verse expresses that the person of the Father is expressed in Jesus Christ, which, according to Trinitarian doctrine is another person (the Son).
This would mean that Jesus would be the revelation of at least two persons, which would be a direct contradiction of the Trinitarian doctrine. Logical problems like these move people to believe in very strange concepts, like a God revealed in nine persons and similar, if they do not have knowledge of the truth revealed in scripture.
In 1 Peter 3:12 we read ?For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face (prosopon) of the Lord is against them that do evil.?
This and other verses like it express God as one person (prosopon, also ?face?). Though prosopon typically refers to the face, it is also the only word that can be translated as ?person? that is applied to humans in the New Testament. Therefore, it is the closest word applied to humans used in the New Testament to the English word ?person?. Again, the singular form is always used when used to refer to God. The mere absence of a plural application to God reveals that God is one prosopon.
Jesus is God
The Bible clearly states that Jesus is God in multiple instances:
Joh 20:28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.
1Jn 5:20 And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.
Rom 9:5 Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.
Col 2:9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
Isa 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
Mat 1:23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
Joh 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Joh 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
Tit 2:13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
1Ti 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.
The Bible also does not hesitate to identify Jesus with the Father:
Isa 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Joh 14:9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?
Jesus was a man
The scripture clearly shows that Jesus was a man and that he was subject to the weaknesses of the human nature. For example, he hungered (Mt. 4:2), thirsted (John 19:28), died (Mk. 15:37), grew mentally, physically and spiritually (Lk. 2:52), and much more.
God is invisible
The Bible is very clear about God?s invisibility. It even expresses the impossibility of perceiving God:
Joh 1:18 No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.
1Jn 4:12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.
Col 1:15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
1Ti 1:17 Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Joh 6:46 Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father.
1Ti 6:16 Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.
Joh 5:37 And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape.
Jesus is the perfect expression towards humans of the otherwise invisible God
Col 1:15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
Heb 1:3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
Joh 14:9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?
2Co 4:6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
2Co 5:19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
Col 2:9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
Joh 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Joh 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
Explanation
Now that I have sufficiently established all the facts necessary for my concise explanation, I will do this with all previously established points in mind. Because of that, I will not bother with scripture references.
God is one, indivisible, invisible, unreachable, the absolute origin of all things. He revealed himself in his creation in many ways. When he created light and darkness, he chose to reveal himself as light. When he created good and evil, he chose to reveal himself as good. When he created man, he knew he will one day come to reveal himself as the Messiah.
Now, God, throughout history, communicated with men in many ways. He was revealed in the burning bush, as a hand writing on a wall, as the angel of the Lord, as the one sitting on the throne in heaven, and many more. But, all these revelations of God were only symbols to mankind. None of these could really make man see eye to eye with God. Yet, God had the desire to fellowship with men. This is one of the purposes of the incarnation.
Though God has revealed himself to several people throughout history in the form of a man (e.g. Abraham, Jacob), he never truly was a man in these encounters. It was still a rather distant God merely using a human image like a puppeteer uses a puppet. However, the incarnation was about to change this.
When humans tell stories of things unknown to them, they will project human characteristics onto that thing. Like, if we tell a story about animals, we will use us as a reference point to evaluate the actions of these animals. The results of this are so-called anthropomorphisms. Animals will wear human clothes, express human character traits and so forth. This is because humans only truly understand that which is human. God, of course, knows this.
If in Rome, do as the Romans do. That is not only wise to us, but God did the same thing. But, instead of merely puppeteering a human body, God decided to reveal all of himself in a human that can fit into a human. Since we, as humans, think in human terms, feel with human emotions, act with human limitations, etc., such a revelation would be the very highest revelation of God possibly perceivable to us.
This was God?s intention for the incarnation. To truly be revealed in a man, God had to be born of a woman, and be subjected to the limitations of any other man. Yet, all the fullness of the Godhead was manifest in the flesh and dwelt among us. At any given time, Jesus reflected the invisible God, yet within the limitations of humanity.
The revelation of Jesus Christ trumps all other possible revelations of God towards humans. Yet, God is not a man, and a man cannot be God (Numbers 23:19). And this is where all misunderstandings come from: The understanding of the sonship.
Distinction, separation, plurality, submission
If Jesus is God, why can we find verses that show distinction, separation, submission, even plurality with reference to the father?
This is actually rather simple. Since Jesus was not only 100% God, but also 100% human, that human nature, which could only reveal so much of God?s being, was submitted to the invisible, eternal God. God is not a human, but the man Jesus is the best possible, ideal representation of God as a human. This human nature of Christ, however, is distinguishable from God?s nature, as previously shown (?Jesus is God? and ?Jesus is man?).
The Bible also says that ?there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;? (1Timothy 2:5). So, Jesus is the middle ground between God and humans. He is the bridge crossing the gap, a compatible interface to access God for our limited understanding.
The fully human part of Christ, born of a woman, was, of course, subject to God. If we wish to establish terminology, we could say, that the human nature was subject to the divine nature. If we wish to apply the term ?person?, one would have to clearly realize, that God is not a person in any human sense, so the limited human personality of Jesus was subject to the unlimited divine personality, which is far more complex than a human could ever be. It has to be understood, that these two natures are completely different from each other, and so we cannot say ?God has/is two persons/natures?, but rather, God is one, and the man Jesus is subject to him.
God can speak of himself as ?I?, referring to his divine nature (or person, if you wish), while Jesus can refer to himself as ?I?, referring to his human nature (or person, if you wish), and this is why Jesus uses the plural ?we? when he refers to himself and God.
So, for example, when Jesus was praying, it was not one almighty (or almost almighty) person of the trinity praying to another, but rather a man praying to God.
This man was humble, sometimes tired, had weaknesses, needed to pray, as any other man. Yet, in him, the almighty God was revealed.
Conclusion
As I attempted to demonstrate, God is one. He revealed himself as Jesus Christ, who is the highest revelation of God a human can possibly perceive. However, since he was limited by human nature, he was also subject to the invisible, unknowable, unapproachable Father. The very word ?son? in reference to him suggests submission to the Father. Jesus acted both as God and as human.
Appendix : Excerpt from the ?Worldwide Pentecostal Fellowship Articles of Faith?:
God in his essential being is, invisible (John 1:18, I Timothy 1:17) unknowable (Luke 10:22, Matthew 11:27) immaterial (John 4:24) omnipresent (Psalm 139:7-12) is one in number and unity (Deuteronomy 6:4) is Father of the universe as Creator / Progenitor ( Isaiah 63:16, 9:6, Psalm 89:26) and Paternally to humanity as Nurturer and Caregiver (Psalm 103:13, Matthew 9:6).
The Word is God self-revealing (John.1:1-3), God?s self-disclosure of himself (Hebrew1:1-3, Isaiah 9:6), God going out from himself (Revelation 5:6,7) God proceeding or emanating, the one whose ?goings forth? have been from of old, from everlasting. (Micah 5:2 Revelation 1:8).
Jesus Christ is the Word become flesh (John 1: 1, 14 Micah 5:2), God manifest in the flesh (I Timothy 3:16), the image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15), and in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily (Colossians 2:9). He is God visible (Hebrews 1:1-3) knowable, (John. 14:8), approachable (Matthew 11:28-30) touchable (I John. 1:1-3, John. 20:27), is the revealer of the Father (John. 14:9, 17:6) the only way to the Father (Matthew 11:27, John. 14:6-8) and the Father revealed (John.10:30, Isaiah.9:6, Revelation 1:8, 11). He is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, the Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come (Revelation 1:8). He is also complete human (Heb. 2:10-18), the true son of Mary (Matthew 2:1, Luke 2:33, 34, Gal. 4:4), the second man Adam (I Corinthians 15:47), the last Adam (I Corinthians 15:45) and the Son of God by both birth (Luke 1:35, Rom. 1:3) and declaration (Rom. 1:4, Acts 13:33). His victory over death, hell, and the grave (I Corinthians 15:1-4) elevates the name of Jesus to the position of highest universal authority. The full power and authority of the Godhead is encapsulated in that name (John 5:43, Philippians 2:9, John 14:13, 14, 26, Acts 4:12).
The Holy Spirit is God indwelling the believer in personal agency, (Jeremiah 31:31-33, Romans 8:9), is one Spirit (I Corinthians 12:13), is the Spirit of Grace, (Hebrews 10:29) , is the Spirit of God (Romans 8:9) is the Spirit of Jesus (John 14:17, 18, Acts 16:7, II Corinthians 3:17), is the source of and medium for dispensing God?s grace in the Church Age. (Acts 2:38, I Corinthians 12:l) and is essential for salvation (Acts 2:36-38, 11:14, Romans 8:9).
I decided to post this publically, even if stones will be thrown. This is intended as a direct answer to justalex's request. My view of the Godhead does not correspond with the orthodox/traditional view of the trinity. If anyone feels offended, please let me know in a civilized manner.
To be fair, I will tell you about my background, though it should not matter, as we are talking about scripture, not opinion. I grew up in an Oneness Pentecostal (also called ?Apostolic Pentecostal?) Church. i am a German, and i grew up here. i do not necessarily agree with all that is promoted as oneness theology, just as none of you agrees with all that is promoted as Trinitarian theology (nine persons anyone? : <!-- s:yell: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/yell.gif" alt=":yell:" title="Yell" /><!-- s:yell: --> ), so please don?t tell me what I believe. i do, however, find the foundations of strict monotheism inescapable. I have personally engaged in a deep, thorough, and prayerful search for the truth concerning God. I have always tried to hear all sides that claim to be based solely on scripture on the issues. Interestingly, I have found that many modern ?Trinitarian? theologians do not believe that there actually is a clear model of the Godhead in the Bible. I disagree.
Introduction
In this document, I will attempt to demonstrate my understanding of God, and who Jesus is. My view of the Godhead does not directly correspond with the orthodox/traditional view of God as a trinity.
I find the foundations of strict monotheism inescapable. I have personally engaged in a deep, thorough, and prayerful search for the truth concerning God. I have always tried to hear all sides that claim to be based solely on scripture on the issues. Interestingly, I have found that many modern ?Trinitarian? theologians do not believe that there actually is a clear model of the Godhead in the Bible. I will attempt to proof them wrong with this essay.
I do not like any illogical, metaphysical, mystical, parabolic approaches, as they are never concrete and have undefined, unclear, often overlapping, meanings. If we want to know who He is, we have to be able to find that knowledge reflected in scripture and logic, not in irreproducible argument or theory.
I will give you a quick explanation of how I see God. It is impossible to address all issues in this essay, and I do not claim to have all answers, or to always use proper terminology, but I do believe to have a very solid foundation. I will attempt to make my points by scripture rather than endless, anchorless arguments.
All insertions in verses in brackets () are my commentaries
The Jews knew who God is
In John 4:22, Jesus said ?Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.?
Making this more clear:
?Ye (the Samaritans) worship ye know not what (Note: ?what?, not ?who?! This deals with nature!): we (the Jews) know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.?
I know the first argument here may be ?Well, Jesus knew the Father? etc, but that is not the point of the verse. The point is the contrast between Jews and Samaritans.
The Old Testament could not be clearer on the Oneness of God.
Deu 6:4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:
Isa 40:25 To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One.
Note: if this is the Father speaking, why does he not say he is equal to the Son? If it is the Trinity speaking, why does it say ?Says the Holy One.?, not the ?Holy three.??
Isa 42:8 I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.
Isa 43:10 Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.
Note: ?I am he? is a reference to the ?servant whom I have chosen (=Jesus)?! Why did God choose that servant? ?that ye may know (?) me? and ?understand that I am he (the chosen)?!!!
Isa 43:11 I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no savior (note: this is still referring to the chosen. This identifies Jesus as YHWH.).
Isa 43:12 I have declared, and have saved, and I have shewed, when there was no strange god among you (Remember: The Jews knew who God is, Jesus was that God among us. Jesus is the God that has been revealed to the Jews in the OT): therefore ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, that I am God.
Isa 44:6 Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.
Isa 44:8 Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any.
Note: within two verses, God said that hthere is no elohim besides him, and no eloah besides him, and no tsoor (Rock) besides him. Why did he not say ?as, but there are two persons besides me though??
Isa 46:5 To whom will ye liken me, and make me equal, and compare me, that we may be like?
Note: See notes on Isaiah 40:25.
Isa 46:9 Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me,
Note: God tells us to ?Remember the former things of old?. This means he wants us to look into the past, into how it used to be. The Way He revealed Himself to the Jews.
Now, reading these verses, I cannot see how God could have been any clearer on his Oneness than he has been. Suppose there are three persons in the Godhead, how comes God never told the Jews? Remember, the Jews knew God!
Suppose there is only one being, then how could he have been clearer? If you may say ?But he did not say ?I am one Person??, then let me tell you that God is not a person in the way a human is a person. Yet, if he had said ?I am one person?, that would not have made any difference in the doctrine of the trinity. Why? Because (I am going to early church history here, so forgive the Greek. I am not doing real exegesis.), originally, God has been defined as three persons (prosopon), later this was changed to three ?hupostasis?, because the ?prosopon? position was impossible to maintain for several theological reasons.
Point being, if God would, for example, have clearly said ?I am one Person?, then, it would have been easy to find another word to agree upon to be used to describe the proposed distinction in the Godhead, for example ?three Personalities? or ?powers? or ?authorities? etc. instead of ?Persons?.
Whenever God prominently revealed an attribute of his within the Bible, he made it clear that there is only one of him. It would be nothing less than bizarre to find the Bible say anything that has the words ?God? and ?three? (or any other number but ?one?) in reference to each other. This is the reason why
God is one Person
It is often overlooked, that the Bible actually does call God a person (both prosopon and hupostasis). In Hebrews 1:3 we read:
?Who (Jesus) being the brightness of his (God?s) glory, and the express image of his (God?s) person,(?)?
Note that the word ?person? (hupostasis, better translated as ?being?, the same word used to describe the three persons of the trinity), referring to God, is singular. Saying that God is more than one person in any way directly contradicts the statement of the verse. Jesus is the express image of God?s singular person. There is nothing to indicate that God is anything else but one person in this verse.
In fact, if we assume that ?God? refers to the entire trinity, then, according to this verse, Jesus is the express image of the persons of that trinity. This is, of course, impossible, since the reference is to one person. The word is clearly in the singular form. If we assume that God in this Verse is the Father, then this verse expresses that the person of the Father is expressed in Jesus Christ, which, according to Trinitarian doctrine is another person (the Son).
This would mean that Jesus would be the revelation of at least two persons, which would be a direct contradiction of the Trinitarian doctrine. Logical problems like these move people to believe in very strange concepts, like a God revealed in nine persons and similar, if they do not have knowledge of the truth revealed in scripture.
In 1 Peter 3:12 we read ?For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face (prosopon) of the Lord is against them that do evil.?
This and other verses like it express God as one person (prosopon, also ?face?). Though prosopon typically refers to the face, it is also the only word that can be translated as ?person? that is applied to humans in the New Testament. Therefore, it is the closest word applied to humans used in the New Testament to the English word ?person?. Again, the singular form is always used when used to refer to God. The mere absence of a plural application to God reveals that God is one prosopon.
Jesus is God
The Bible clearly states that Jesus is God in multiple instances:
Joh 20:28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.
1Jn 5:20 And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.
Rom 9:5 Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.
Col 2:9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
Isa 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
Mat 1:23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
Joh 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Joh 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
Tit 2:13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
1Ti 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.
The Bible also does not hesitate to identify Jesus with the Father:
Isa 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Joh 14:9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?
Jesus was a man
The scripture clearly shows that Jesus was a man and that he was subject to the weaknesses of the human nature. For example, he hungered (Mt. 4:2), thirsted (John 19:28), died (Mk. 15:37), grew mentally, physically and spiritually (Lk. 2:52), and much more.
God is invisible
The Bible is very clear about God?s invisibility. It even expresses the impossibility of perceiving God:
Joh 1:18 No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.
1Jn 4:12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.
Col 1:15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
1Ti 1:17 Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Joh 6:46 Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father.
1Ti 6:16 Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.
Joh 5:37 And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape.
Jesus is the perfect expression towards humans of the otherwise invisible God
Col 1:15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
Heb 1:3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
Joh 14:9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?
2Co 4:6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
2Co 5:19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
Col 2:9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
Joh 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Joh 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
Explanation
Now that I have sufficiently established all the facts necessary for my concise explanation, I will do this with all previously established points in mind. Because of that, I will not bother with scripture references.
God is one, indivisible, invisible, unreachable, the absolute origin of all things. He revealed himself in his creation in many ways. When he created light and darkness, he chose to reveal himself as light. When he created good and evil, he chose to reveal himself as good. When he created man, he knew he will one day come to reveal himself as the Messiah.
Now, God, throughout history, communicated with men in many ways. He was revealed in the burning bush, as a hand writing on a wall, as the angel of the Lord, as the one sitting on the throne in heaven, and many more. But, all these revelations of God were only symbols to mankind. None of these could really make man see eye to eye with God. Yet, God had the desire to fellowship with men. This is one of the purposes of the incarnation.
Though God has revealed himself to several people throughout history in the form of a man (e.g. Abraham, Jacob), he never truly was a man in these encounters. It was still a rather distant God merely using a human image like a puppeteer uses a puppet. However, the incarnation was about to change this.
When humans tell stories of things unknown to them, they will project human characteristics onto that thing. Like, if we tell a story about animals, we will use us as a reference point to evaluate the actions of these animals. The results of this are so-called anthropomorphisms. Animals will wear human clothes, express human character traits and so forth. This is because humans only truly understand that which is human. God, of course, knows this.
If in Rome, do as the Romans do. That is not only wise to us, but God did the same thing. But, instead of merely puppeteering a human body, God decided to reveal all of himself in a human that can fit into a human. Since we, as humans, think in human terms, feel with human emotions, act with human limitations, etc., such a revelation would be the very highest revelation of God possibly perceivable to us.
This was God?s intention for the incarnation. To truly be revealed in a man, God had to be born of a woman, and be subjected to the limitations of any other man. Yet, all the fullness of the Godhead was manifest in the flesh and dwelt among us. At any given time, Jesus reflected the invisible God, yet within the limitations of humanity.
The revelation of Jesus Christ trumps all other possible revelations of God towards humans. Yet, God is not a man, and a man cannot be God (Numbers 23:19). And this is where all misunderstandings come from: The understanding of the sonship.
Distinction, separation, plurality, submission
If Jesus is God, why can we find verses that show distinction, separation, submission, even plurality with reference to the father?
This is actually rather simple. Since Jesus was not only 100% God, but also 100% human, that human nature, which could only reveal so much of God?s being, was submitted to the invisible, eternal God. God is not a human, but the man Jesus is the best possible, ideal representation of God as a human. This human nature of Christ, however, is distinguishable from God?s nature, as previously shown (?Jesus is God? and ?Jesus is man?).
The Bible also says that ?there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;? (1Timothy 2:5). So, Jesus is the middle ground between God and humans. He is the bridge crossing the gap, a compatible interface to access God for our limited understanding.
The fully human part of Christ, born of a woman, was, of course, subject to God. If we wish to establish terminology, we could say, that the human nature was subject to the divine nature. If we wish to apply the term ?person?, one would have to clearly realize, that God is not a person in any human sense, so the limited human personality of Jesus was subject to the unlimited divine personality, which is far more complex than a human could ever be. It has to be understood, that these two natures are completely different from each other, and so we cannot say ?God has/is two persons/natures?, but rather, God is one, and the man Jesus is subject to him.
God can speak of himself as ?I?, referring to his divine nature (or person, if you wish), while Jesus can refer to himself as ?I?, referring to his human nature (or person, if you wish), and this is why Jesus uses the plural ?we? when he refers to himself and God.
So, for example, when Jesus was praying, it was not one almighty (or almost almighty) person of the trinity praying to another, but rather a man praying to God.
This man was humble, sometimes tired, had weaknesses, needed to pray, as any other man. Yet, in him, the almighty God was revealed.
Conclusion
As I attempted to demonstrate, God is one. He revealed himself as Jesus Christ, who is the highest revelation of God a human can possibly perceive. However, since he was limited by human nature, he was also subject to the invisible, unknowable, unapproachable Father. The very word ?son? in reference to him suggests submission to the Father. Jesus acted both as God and as human.
Appendix : Excerpt from the ?Worldwide Pentecostal Fellowship Articles of Faith?:
God in his essential being is, invisible (John 1:18, I Timothy 1:17) unknowable (Luke 10:22, Matthew 11:27) immaterial (John 4:24) omnipresent (Psalm 139:7-12) is one in number and unity (Deuteronomy 6:4) is Father of the universe as Creator / Progenitor ( Isaiah 63:16, 9:6, Psalm 89:26) and Paternally to humanity as Nurturer and Caregiver (Psalm 103:13, Matthew 9:6).
The Word is God self-revealing (John.1:1-3), God?s self-disclosure of himself (Hebrew1:1-3, Isaiah 9:6), God going out from himself (Revelation 5:6,7) God proceeding or emanating, the one whose ?goings forth? have been from of old, from everlasting. (Micah 5:2 Revelation 1:8).
Jesus Christ is the Word become flesh (John 1: 1, 14 Micah 5:2), God manifest in the flesh (I Timothy 3:16), the image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15), and in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily (Colossians 2:9). He is God visible (Hebrews 1:1-3) knowable, (John. 14:8), approachable (Matthew 11:28-30) touchable (I John. 1:1-3, John. 20:27), is the revealer of the Father (John. 14:9, 17:6) the only way to the Father (Matthew 11:27, John. 14:6-8) and the Father revealed (John.10:30, Isaiah.9:6, Revelation 1:8, 11). He is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, the Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come (Revelation 1:8). He is also complete human (Heb. 2:10-18), the true son of Mary (Matthew 2:1, Luke 2:33, 34, Gal. 4:4), the second man Adam (I Corinthians 15:47), the last Adam (I Corinthians 15:45) and the Son of God by both birth (Luke 1:35, Rom. 1:3) and declaration (Rom. 1:4, Acts 13:33). His victory over death, hell, and the grave (I Corinthians 15:1-4) elevates the name of Jesus to the position of highest universal authority. The full power and authority of the Godhead is encapsulated in that name (John 5:43, Philippians 2:9, John 14:13, 14, 26, Acts 4:12).
The Holy Spirit is God indwelling the believer in personal agency, (Jeremiah 31:31-33, Romans 8:9), is one Spirit (I Corinthians 12:13), is the Spirit of Grace, (Hebrews 10:29) , is the Spirit of God (Romans 8:9) is the Spirit of Jesus (John 14:17, 18, Acts 16:7, II Corinthians 3:17), is the source of and medium for dispensing God?s grace in the Church Age. (Acts 2:38, I Corinthians 12:l) and is essential for salvation (Acts 2:36-38, 11:14, Romans 8:9).
Jesus is the one true God of the Bible.