“And he said, Who art thou, Lord?  And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks” (Acts 9:4-5).

“For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD.  Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you” (Acts 17:23).

A popular, misguided doctrine is called the “Trinity.”  This doctrine has been accepted by many churches today. It means that God consists of three separate and distinct persons. These three are co-equal, co-eternal, and co-existent.  They each have equal power.  This doctrine did not form part of the doctrine of the apostles in the Book of Acts.  When you survey the Scripture you will not find any reference to the word, “Trinity.”  That’s right, nowhere in the entire Bible does it speak of God as a trinity or three persons.  However, there are several titles mentioned to describe the different manifestations, roles, and modes of activity.

Therefore, we do not accept the “Trinity” but believe in three manifestations of the one true God. These manifestations are the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. The Father and the Holy Ghost are the same Spirit, and can only be seen through the body of Jesus Christ.  This doctrine was firmly established in the hearts of the Israelites in Deuteronomy 6:4, “Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God is one Lord.” People often refer to us as “Jesus Only” but that is not true.  We believe in the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.  Many Scriptures emphasize the oneness of God:  Isaiah 42:8; 43:10-11; 44:6-8, 24; 45:21-23; 46:5-9; Mark 12:28-30; Galatians 3:20; 1 Timothy 2:5; James 2:19 (taken from What In the Word Do You Believe? by Chris Tharp).

The term “Holy One” can be found almost fifty times in the Scriptures, but the term, “Holy Three” cannot be found once.  How many do you think we will see when we get to heaven?  Read Revelation 4:2-3 for the answer.

What about the Titles?

Father             Family relationship to man.

Son                 God in flesh.

Spirit              God in activity (Acts 1:8).

Nicky Sisco relates, “A very interesting animal to note is the chameleon.  It has the most peculiar feature that it uses as a protective device, that of colors. The chameleon, depending on the need, has the ability to change colors and adapt to its surroundings.  Its fundamental color is yellow-brown; however, it can cause different colors to become more visible depending on the circumstances. It becomes a lighter yellow-brown (still considered yellow-brown) when scared, gray when cool and greener when warm. Yet, a chameleon has never been accused of being three different lizards, it is described as simply changing modes or colors.  Its colors change from yellow-brown to gray, to green.

This is the way it is with God. God is one, and beside Him there is no other. As the chameleon is yellow-brown by nature and will always remain so; likewise, God does not change (Malachi 3:6) — He will always be God.  However, different manifestations become more evident depending on the need, surrounding or circumstance.  If you are feeling down and need someone to comfort you, the Comforter which is the Holy Spirit (John 14:26; 16:7) will become more evident and meet your need. We know that the Comforter is Jesus and Jesus is God because John 16:13 refers to the Comforter as the Spirit of Truth. Furthermore, John 14:6 tells us that Jesus is Truth. 1 John 5:7 states:  “There are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are One.”

John 1:1 informs us that the Word was God and John 1:14 tells us that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.  John 10:38; 17:11-22 specifically let us know that Jesus and God are One.

The chameleon, at times, can seemingly become invisible to mankind. God is invisible to mankind.  God is a Spirit (John 4:24) and cannot be seen by mere mortals (John 1:18; 1 Timothy 1:17.)  Nevertheless, we can see God through His Son Jesus, who is the express image of His person (Hebrews 1:3; Colossians 1:15 [verse 13 and 14 let us know that the person being referred to is Jesus]). Simply put, God is one person with three modes of responsibility: Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.  There is only one God (Isaiah 44:8; James 2:19; Revelation 4:2) and Jesus is His name.

Like the Chameleon, God may change modes or manifestations, but He is still and always will be, God (Isaiah 46:9).

Jesus is as constant as the Northern Star and changes not (James 1:17).”

You might also consider an egg.  It is made up of three parts: the shell, the yoke, and the white. However, it is still an egg. If you separate the parts, it is still considered to be one egg, not three.

If you had a cup of water and boiled it, then you would see steam coming out of the pot; and if you froze it you would have an ice block.  However, it is all water.

Repeatedly throughout His walk on the earth Jesus referred to Himself as “I am.” This statement declared who He was. The same words spoken to Moses at the burning bush were also used by Jesus twenty-three times.  “God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself” (2 Corinthians 5:19).

It was so important we understand who He was that He asked His disciples one day, “Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?…But whom say ye that I am?”  (Matthew 16:13,15).

Who is this God we worship?

·         1 Timothy 3:16           •    Colossians 2:9

·         2 Corinthians 5:19     •     John 10:30

·         John 10:38                   •     John 14:9-10

1. What is meant by the “Trinity”? ____________

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2. Where is this word found in the Bible? ___________________________________________

3. What is the difference between the “Trinity” and the “Oneness”?  ________________________

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4. The “Oneness” doctrine was firmly established in the hearts of the Israelites.  Prove by Scripture. _______________________________

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5. Compare the “Oneness of God” to the chameleon, the egg, and water.    _____________

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6. What do each of the titles describe?_________ ___________________________________________

7. Prove (using the Bible) that Jesus and God are the same. __________________________________

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