Chapter Five – What the Bible Teaches

Next Part The Correct Translation—And Meaning

You have learned that almost none of the scholarly explanations of the trinity come from the Bible, but are rather derived from philosophers and theologians. We also learned that even a certain element of politics within the Roman Empire played a role in what we know today as the trinity and what most consider the true God of the Bible.

As touched upon in the introduction, there could be no more important doctrine than the nature of God, and correctly identifying the God of the Bible. To understand and worship the wrong god is tantamount to building one’s entire religion by starting with a wrong premise—building on a wrong foundation—thus ending in uselessness!

The author of the Bible—the all-powerful Creator—would surely leave an explanation in His Word of who and what He is. The Bible offers explanations of every doctrine mentioned within its pages. Notice Psalm 12:6: “The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.” This would certainly apply to what He has written about Himself, and what He records would also have to be sufficiently thorough for His followers to know exactly who they were following.

They would also be equipped to know what gods they should not follow!

Through the pages of His Word, God teaches: the true gospel, the awesome potential of man, why the world is in a state of chaos, how world peace will come, what prophecy reveals lies ahead for mankind, what is human nature, who and what is the devil, the truth about angels, the nature of conversion, proper mode of baptism, financial laws, healing and laws of health—and many other truths.

Paul declared that “all scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (II Tim. 3:16). God perfectly thought out each of the above subjects, and “purified them seven times” in His Word.

Of course He would do—and did—the same with His own nature!

Let’s see what Scripture says about the “doctrine” of God’s nature. Within this chapter, we will see what the Bible actually says, by examining all the popular scriptures cited to supposedly prove the trinity. This will be followed by an examination of passages disproving it.

Biblical Proof?

You may be asking, “Could all the churches of the world be wrong about God?” If you are not yet pondering this, you probably will soon. Eventually, everyone must squarely face this fundamental question with an open mind—and then be willing to face the facts from the Bible.

Although some scholars openly acknowledge that there is no biblical proof for the trinity, most professing Christians either overlook or know nothing of such admissions, and choose to “accept on faith” as biblical truth what is asserted from the pulpit.

But is it?

Remember, the term “trinity” is found nowhere in Scripture. Nor are the phrases “three-in-one, triune god” or any similar term. Let’s establish this as an admission from trinitarians:

“The term ‘Trinity’ is not a Biblical term, and we are not using Biblical language when we define what is expressed by it as the doctrine” (“Trinity,” International Standard Bible Encyclopedia).

Harper’s Bible Dictionary adds this: “The word [Trinity] does not occur in the Bible…The formal doctrine of the Trinity as it was defined by the great church councils of the fourth and fifth centuries is not to be found in the NT [New Testament]” (pp. 1098-1099).

But proponents of the trinity attempt to base their belief on a handful of passages, taken completely out of context and misapplied. Let’s examine them for their correct meaning.

I John 5:7-8

The “strongest” scripture used to support the trinity is I John 5:7-8. It states: “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit: and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness in earth, the spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.”

At first glance, this passage appears to directly prove the trinity. Could this scripture be revealing that God is a trinity? Was it inspired by God so that mankind would understand who and what He is?

Here are the plain facts of this verse: Transcribers who believed in the trinity concept—but who could find no scriptural support—added the bold italicized words to support their beliefs. Get this! They are pure human invention! Those who use these verses to support the trinity doctrine are either unaware that the passage was altered, or they are aware but feel that their use serves a “greater good.”

Most Bible margins directly state the truth of the passage. For example, the New King James Version margin states, “NU, M [versions] omit the rest of v. 7 [after “record”] and through on earth of v. 8, a passage found in Greek in only four or five very late mss. [manuscripts].”

The Critical and Experimental Commentary says of this section that the verse was not found in the Latin Vulgate until the eighth century. The New Interpreter’s Bible states, “This verse in the KJV is to be rejected…It appears in no ancient Greek MS [manuscript].”

Here is what Adam Clarke’s Commentary, written by an avowed trinitarian, states, “But it is likely that this verse is not genuine. It is wanting [missing] in every MS. [manuscript] of this epistle written before the invention of printing, one excepted, the Codex Montifortii, in Trinity College, Dublin: the others which omit this verse amount to one hundred and twelve.”

Clarke continues, “It is wanting in both the Syriac, all the Arabic, Ethiopic, the Coptic, Sahidic,Armenian, Slavonian, etc., in a word, in all the ancient versions but the Vulgate; and even of this version many of the most ancient and correct MSS. have it not. It is wanting also in all the Greek fathers; and in most even of the Latin.”