Hello and God’s love to you.
If we really want to arrive at the truth of a matter, it is not really wise for us to base our whole world view on just one Bible writer or just one or two scriptures that agree with our position. This is the kind of thing that people must do however, when they are determined to have a belief that the rest of the scriptures don’t support. If we really want to arrive at the real truth of a matter then we must determine how all the verses on the subject are all true at the same time. All the verses have to be true without contradicting each other, or else the bible is not true.
So concerning Jesus being God and the trinity, let me start by explaining what the trinity does not mean and then what it does mean. The trinity does not mean that Jesus, the Father, and the Holy Spirit are all the same person. It means that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are 3 different persons who are in relationship together as one God. Even though it is not wrong to say that they are 3 different persons, to say that they are 3 separate persons might be taking it a little too far, because they are not totally separate in the same sense as we humans are separate individuals because they each can hear each other’s thoughts and feel the emotions/desires of each other’s heart. So they are not totally 100% separate individuals in that respect, not in the same sense that we as humans are separate individuals. But still, they are 3 different persons; 3 persons who are in relationship together as one God.
So that is why Jesus could pray to God (to the Father) and not be talking to himself. Jesus was both fully man and fully God. But he laid down his power as God and came to the earth and operated as a man.
If you read the Gospel of John in a good translation of the bible (like the New King James for instance) you will see the trinity all over the place. Even John chapter 1 starts off revealing the trinity.
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made… 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us…
How can Jesus be God and be with God at the same time? Because as I’ve explained, they are 3 different persons who are in relationship as one God. The JW’s New World Translation says that Jesus was “a god”, but how can that be a correct translation when that contradicts even their own bible in several places that say that there is only one God, including Isiah 43:10,11 and 44:6.
Isiah 43:10 “You are My witnesses,” says the LORD, “And My servant whom I have chosen, That you may know and believe Me, And understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, Nor shall there be after Me. 11 I, even I, am the Lord, And besides Me there is no savior.
Isiah 44:6 “Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel, And his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: ‘I am the First and I am the Last; Besides Me there is no God.
If Jesus is “a God” then that would make two God’s, which contradicts the whole rest of the bible (unless they were calling Jesus a false god, which we know they are not).
There are many scriptures that demonstrate that Jesus is God. Here is a few of them.
Matthew 1:23 - “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”
Isaiah 9:6 - For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us…
1 Timothy 3:16 - And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory.
John 8:24 - “Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I AM [He], you will die in your sins.”
John 8:58 - Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.”
John 10:30-33 - Jesus answered them, “I and My Father are one.” Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him. Jesus answered them, “Many good works I have shown you from My Father. For which of those works do you stone Me?” The Jews answered Him, saying, “For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God.”
John 20:28 - And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!”
Colossians 2:9 - For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.
Titus 2:13 - looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.
Hebrews 1:8-9 - But to the Son He says: “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness more than Your companions.”
And I can post even more scriptures for you if you wish that compare Jesus and God the Father and demonstrate that they are both the same God. But for now, I will just show you one more scripture that that New World Translation leaves out of their bible because it doesn’t line up with their doctrine.
1 John 5:7 For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one.
If we really want to arrive at the real truth then we must determine how all the verses on the subject are all true at the same time. If part of the bible is not true then none of it is true. All the verses have to be true without contradicting each other, or else the bible is not true.
Yes, Jesus said other things like “The Father is greater than I.” (Matt 27:46), and also prayed to the Father and called him God, but he also said things like *“He who has seen Me has seen the Father”* (John 14:9) and *“I and My Father are one.”* (John 10:30).
So how do you reconcile all these verses and more that seem to contradict each other? They have to all be true at the same time or else the Bible is not true. There is only one way that these verses can all be true together at the same time without contradicting each other, and that is that Jesus and the Father are one and the same God. I’m not saying that they are the same person but that same God. This is why we have the doctrine of the trinity, because it’s the only way that all the bible verses are true without contradicting each other. The trinity does not mean that Jesus, the Father, and the Holy Spirit are all the same person. It means that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are 3 different persons who are in relationship together as one God.
That is why Jesus could pray to God (to the Father) and not be talking to himself. And that is why the Father could be greater than Jesus while he was on the earth as a man. Of course Acts 17:31 calls Jesus a man, but that is not a problem at all because Jesus was a man. He was fully God but he laid down his power as God and came to the earth as a man. But not as a fallen man, but a spiritually alive man with the Holy Spirit living in him, just as we today can be born again and made spiritually alive with the Holy Spirit living in us.
Please let me know what you think. My purpose is not to debate or try to prove anyone wrong, but only to help reveal real truth.
God’s love to you…
