Is the Trinity Three Different Gods?

The following is briefly in response to: Is the Trinity Three Different Gods?

Trinitarians are usually claim misrepresentation when a non-trinitarian speaks of the trinity as being three gods in one god, for their claim is that there are not three Gods, but rather one God who is three persons, or three persons all of whom are the one God. Our purpose here is not make the claim that the trinitarian dogma teaches that three Gods, but rather to address many of the statements presented by Dr. Jobe Martin on the site linked to above. This posting presents brief responses, especially as related to scriptures presented. Various words in the responses below are linked to some of our other studies where one may find more information concerning what is being spoken of.

Despite whatever declarations of men might present as being trinity, the truth is that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is not once in the Bible presented as being more than one person, nor is the concept of a triune God ever presented in any scripture of the Bible.

Deuteronomy 6:4,5

Deuteronomy 6:4,5 is cited as proof that God is one. The scripture is misrepresented in the translation as given. A more correct rendering is in the American Standard Version: "Hear, O Israel: Jehovah our God is one Jehovah." This identifies Jehovah as the God of Israel, and informs that He is "one Jehovah" These verses do present Jehovah as one, not as three. Of the Messiah, we read: "And he shall stand, and shall feed his flock in the strength of Jehovah, in the majesty of the name of Jehovah his God: and they shall abide; for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth." (Micah 5:4) Rather than identifying the Messiah as a person of Jehovah, Micah refers to Jehovah as being the God of the Messiah. 

Paul tells us that this one Jehovah, the God of Israel and the God of the Messiah (Ephesians 1:3),  is the Father (1 Corinthians 8:6), and Jesus identified his God and Father (Ephesians 1:30 as being this "one true God." -- Isaiah 61:1; John 17:1,3.

2 Corinthians 13:14

It is claimed that the 2 Corinthians 13:14 presents the plurality of God, evidently with the idea that God is three persons, not one person.

2 Corinthians 13:14 -  The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, be with you all. 

The word "God" is found here, but is it being applied to three persons, or one person? It should be obvious that 2 Corinthians 13:14 does not present 'God" as being three persons, but as only one person, the Father.
See our study: Did Paul Present a Triune God?

We are next presented with Matthew 28:18-20. There is definitely nothing in these verses that present the trinitarian concept, but such a concept has to be imagined beyond what is written, assumptions related to the concept have to created beyond what is written, and then the assumptions have to be added to, and read into what is written. 

Matthew 28:18 -  And Jesus came to them and spake unto them, saying, All authority hath been given unto me in heaven and on earth. -- ASV

The very fact that the authority is given to Jesus should be enough to lead one to realize that Jesus was not claiming to the Supreme Being, the one God of whom are all. (1 Corinthians 8:6) Rather than imagine and assume that there Matthew 28:18 is speaking of Jesus as being a person of God, we should note that the scriptures reveal that it is the God and Father of Jesus who has made Jesus both Lord and Christ, the one Lord through whom are all  (Ezekiel 34:23,24; Isaiah 61:1,2; Acts 2:36; 1 Corinthians 8:6), and has exalted him to the highest position in the universe, far above the angels, next to the only Most High. (Acts 2:33,36; 5:31; Philippians 2:9; Ephesians 1:3,17-23; 1 Corinthians 15:27; Hebrews 1:4,6; 1 Peter 3:22) The Messiah stands, not in his own strength, but in the strength of his God, Jehovah. -- Micah 5:4.
See our study: Jesus and All Power

Matthew 28:19 -  Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. -- ASV.

Again there is nothing there that presents the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob  as being more than one person.

However, Eusebius’ earlier quotes of Matthew 28:19 do not contain the baptismal formula as we find in the extant Greek manuscripts, but simply refer to being baptized in the name of Jesus.

The Shem-Tobb Evan Bohan manuscript presents Jesus as saying nothing about baptizing anyone in Matthew 28:19. It simply says "Go" which is connected to Matthew 28:20. 

Eusebius' earlier quotes of Matthew 28:19 only speak of baptizing in Jesus' name.

Thus, some scholars believe that the words as we have them in the extant Greek manuscripts may not represent what Jesus actually stated.

Nevertheless, as found in the extant Greek manuscripts, it still says nothing about the three all being the "one God" as trinitarians claimed; there is definitely nothing there that says the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is more than one person, or that the three mentioned are separate and distinct persons of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, as our trinitarian friends often claim. All such ideas have to imagined beyond what is actually stated, various assumptions have to be formulated beyond what is written for formulate the theories necessary to see such theories in the verse, and then these assumptions have to be added to, and read into, what is actually stated.

In the Bible the singular is often used in a distributive sense to more than one person or thing. (Genesis 5:2; 48:6; Deuteronomy 7:24; 18:20; Ruth 1:2; Ezra 2:6; Nehemiah 7:63; Psalm 9:5; 77:20; 109:13; Hosea 32:14; Zephaniah 3:19; Revelation 3:1) Such usage in no sense offers proof of what is claimed for the trinity dogma.

In harmony with 1 Corinthians 8:6 and many other scriptures, the singular usage of the word "name" in Matthew 28:19 should therefore be recognized as being distributed to each of the three given, either as representing being baptized in the authority of all three, or in recognition of coming harmony with with all three.

There is definitely nothing in Matthew 28:19 to means we need to add to the scriptures that God -- the Supreme Being (1 Corinthians 8:6) -- is more than one person, and then further imagine and assume that Jesus was speaking of three different persons of the Supreme Being, etc.

For more details regarding Matthew 28:19, see our study:
The Baptismal Name

Matthew 28:20 -  teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world [age]. -- ASV.

We still no thought presented that God is more than one person, or that Jesus is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. 

Since Jesus is speaking of being with being with his followers until the end of the age, many imagine and assume that Jesus was claiming to have the omnipresence of Jehovah Himself, and according to their reasoning, since this attribute only belongs to God, then it is an "incommunicable" attribute. Then based on this, they imagine and assume that God is more than one person, and further imagine and assume that Jesus is a person of God, etc.

Rather than create all these assumptions and read such into the scriptures, it is better to read what Jesus stated in harmony with Matthew 28:18, and other scriptures throughout the Bible, that show that Jesus has received his power and authority to be present with his followers from his God, Jehovah. Having given all power to Jesus, this would certainly include the ability to present with his followers even in multiple places all over the earth. The Bible writers never claimed that Jesus is the ultimate "source" of his own power. -- Deuteronomy 18:15-19; Psalm 2:6-8; 45:7; 110:1,2; Isaiah 9:6,7; 11:2; 42:1; 61:1-3; Jeremiah 23:5; Ezekiel 34:23,24; 37:24; Daniel 7:13,14; Micah 5:4; Matthew 12:28; 28:18; Luke 1:32; 4:14,18; 5:17; John 3:34; 5:19,27,30; 10:18,36-38; Acts 2:22,36; 3:13-26; 10:38; Romans 1:1-4; 1 Corinthians 15:27; 2 Corinthians 13:4; Colossians 1:15,16; 2:10; Ephesians 1:3,17-23; Philippians 2:9-11; Hebrews 1:2,4,6,9; 1 Peter 3:22.

See also our study:

Jesus' Ability to be Present in Many Places

*******We are in the process of editing; below still needs to be edited and expanded.

In Matthew 3:16,17, the word "God" refers, not to three persons, but only person, that is, the God and Father of Jesus.

1 Corinthians 15:24 identifies only one person as being the Supreme Being.

Romans 1:27 does not refer to Jesus as "God", but refers only to the Father as being the Supreme Being. Of course, from the Hebraic standpoint, even if Paul had referred to Jesus by use a form of Greek word transliterated as THEOS, this would not necessarily have meant that we would need to imagine that Paul had meant that Jesus is the Supreme Being, and then to imagine that Paul meant that Jesus is a person of the Supreme Being.

John 10:30 does not present God as being more than one person, but Jesus declares his unity with his Father, whom he said was "the only true God" (John 17:1,3), and he later prayed that all of his followers would have this same unity with himself and with the only true God. -- John 17:1,3,11,20-23.

In Jesus' words recorded in Matthew 4:7, Jesus quotes the Law in answer to Satan. In doing so, Jesus was not saying that he -- Jesus -- was Jehovah, and that Satan was under the Law Covenant, and thus that Satan should not tempt Jehovah. Jesus was not declaring himself to Satan's God. Jesus was not referring to himself as being Jehovah in Matthew 4:7, but rather he was saying that he -- Jesus -- was not to tempt Jehovah, his God. -- Micah 5:4.

Isaiah 7:14 and Matthew 1:23 designates a titular name given to the Messiah, Immanuel, which means "God is with us." Such a name does not designate the bearer as being "God", but it does indicate that, as prophesied, through the Messiah, God is with His people. We find nothing in this name, however, that says that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is more than one person.

In Hebrews 1:8, if the Greek word transliterated as THEOS is applied to Jesus (not all translators rendered it that way), it would not be in the sense of being the Supreme Being, the source of all might, power, but rather in the sense of mighty one, similar to the way that the angels are mighty ones. (Psalm 8:5; Hebrews 2:7) Jesus, however, is distinguished from the Supreme Being throughout Hebrews chapter 1; indeed, the next verse (Hebrews 1:9) shows that Jesus is not the Supreme Being, for the Supreme Being does not have another Supreme Being which is greater than the Supreme Being. The default reasoning should be that Jesus is not the Supreme Being.

Jehovah's Holy Spirit (Isaiah 61:1) is represented in many different ways and fulfills many different functions. God’s holy spirit is likened to God’s finger (as the power of God). (Matthew 12:28; Luke 11:20) As the instrument of the revealing of truth, the holy spirit is likened to God’s “mouth”. (Deuteronomy 8:3; 1 Kings 8:24; 2 Chronicles 6:4; 36:12,21; Ezra 1:1; Isaiah 1:20; 40:5; 45:23; 48:3; 58:14; 62:2; Jeremiah 9:12,20; Ezekiel 33:7; Micah 4:4; Matthew 4:4; Mark 12:36; Acts 1:17; 28:25; Hebrews 3:7; 9:8; 10:15,16; 2 Peter 1:21) Are we to think of God’s finger or his mouth as a separate and distinct person of God (using trinitarian terminology)? Is your finger, or your mouth, a separate and distinct person of yourself?

In Acts 5:3,4, God's Holy Spirit is not presented as being God, but is contrasted with "men", for it was to "men" that Ananias directly lied. At any rate, God's Holy Spirit is integral to God just as your finger or your mouth is integral to you. If your mouth speaks, it is actually you that speaks; if your finger performs some work, it is actually you that has performed the work.

John 14:26 and John 15:26 refer to the Holy Spirit in the masculine, since the Greek word for Comforter (some translations render it as Counselor, or Helper) is masculine. Nevertheless, as shown in Acts 2:33, Jesus receives the Holy Spirit from his Father (the only true God -- John 17:1,3).

In Deuteronomy 33:27, not all translations render the Hebrew word transliterated as qedem (Strong's #6924) as "eternal"; some render it as is "of old" or something similar. Obviously, however, the only true God (John 17:1,3) has existed from eternity past.

In Micah 5:2, many translations make it appear to be saying that the promised Messiah has existed for all eternity past. However, as best as I can determine, Micah 5:2 is the ONLY place that any translation renders the Hebrew phrase in question as "from everlasting". Micah 5:2 is only place I know of that this phrase is rendered in any translation with some form of "everlasting". Indeed, the same phase occurs again in Micah 7:14, but, as far as I can determine, no translator would think of rendering it a "from everlasting". Indeed, no translation that I know of renders this same phrase as "from everlasting" in Psalm 77:5; Isaiah 51:9; 63:9,11; or Amos 9:11. And yet many translators make an exception of Micah 5:2. Why? Could it be that they do so because of their belief that Jesus was uncreated, and that he always existed? Indeed, this would seem to be reason. This, would, in effect, mean circular reasoning is applied when using Micah 5:2, as it reads in some translations, in an effort to prove that Jesus was "from everlasting". However, in context (Micah 5:4), the promised Messiah is shown to not be Jehovah, but Jehovah is presented as being the God of the Messiah.

Hebrews 9:14 speaks of the eternal spirit; of course, God's Holy Spirit is just as eternal as God himself is. "God" in Hebrews 9:14 is presented, not as three persons, but only one person. Jesus is not presented as being "God", but rather Jesus is presented as offering himself to God. This harmonizes with John 17:1,3 and 1 Corinthians 8:6. There is nothing Hebrews 9:14 about a triune God.

Jeremiah 10:10-12 does not say anything about a triune God, but it does show that Jehovah, the only true God [Supreme Being], the God and Father of Jesus, is distinct from the idol gods of the nations.

What is lacking in all these scriptures is any thought of a triune God. The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is always presented as one person or individual. He is never presented as being a more than one person.

A lot of extra-Biblical assumptions and assertions have to be created and added to all the above scriptures in order to make them appear to support the trinitarian concept that God -- Jehovah -- is three persons, all of whom are one God. No such concept is presented anywhere in the Bible. 

Now as to the question of whether the trinity doctrine presents three different Gods..... ***** more to be added later.