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Sunday, March 21, 2010

Is God comprised of three persons, or is He just one person?

What is the Trinity?

Page 630 of Today's Dictionary of the Bible, Bethany House Publishers, 1982 defines it:

"Trinity, a word not found in Scripture but used to express the doctrine of the unity of God as subsisting in three distinct persons."

And the Encyclopedia Britannica Online:

"In Christian doctrine, the unity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as one God in three persons."

But does the Bible really portray God "as subsisting in three distinct persons"?

No. The Scriptures clearly show that God is only one person and that person is identified as the Father:

"There is actually to us one God the Father.” (1 Cor. 8:5, 6)

"Hear, O Israel: Jehovah our God is one Jehovah." (Deut. 6:4) ASV

It is interesting that even some trinitarian scholars apparently (inadvertently?) admit that Gal. 3:20 shows God to be one person.

You should be aware, however, that some trinitarian Bibles translate Gal. 3:20 as “a mediator is not for one party only; whereas God is only one.” - NASB. The underlined words (“party” and “only”) are not in the original text, but certain trinitarians insist that something like “party” has to be understood in order for God to be three persons [a “party”] and not just one person.

However, even some trinitarian translators don’t believe such a translation of Gal. 3:20 is correct. For example, the Roman Catholic New American Bible (1970) renders Gal. 3:20 as:

“Now there can be no mediator when only one person is involved; and God is one [heis - masculine singular].”

And the highly trinitarian Good News Bible (GNB) renders it:

“a go-between is not needed when only one person is involved; and God is one.” - also TEV.

Even the extremely trinitarian The Amplified Bible, which often goes to incredible lengths in its attempt to produce trinitarian “proof” scriptures, renders Gal. 3:20 as:

“there can be no mediator with just one person. Yet God is [only] one PERSON.”

For more, see:
God is one, not three

Are there many gods, or is there only one God?

Trinity Indexes

Examining Trinity 'Proof Texts'

Search For Bible Truths - ARCHIVE 

Scriptures Index

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