Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Cross Examined

Home
Nonreligious
Contradictions to the Trinity in the Bible

Contradictions to the Trinity in the Bible

Last updated on: August 6, 2016 at 8:56 am by Bob Seidensticker

Contradictions to the Trinity in the Bible 2016-08-06T08:56:48-07:00 Bob Seidensticker

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Broken egg Let’s remember the key traits of the Trinity. According to the Athanasian Creed,

The Father unlimited; the Son unlimited; and the Holy Ghost unlimited.…

So likewise the Father is Almighty; the Son Almighty; and the Holy Ghost Almighty. And yet they are not three Almighties; but one Almighty. So the Father is God; the Son is God; and the Holy Ghost is God. …

And in this Trinity none is before, or after another; none is greater, or less than another.…

About Jesus, it says:

Perfect God; and perfect Man …

Who although he is God and Man; yet he is not two, but one Christ.

Okay, okay, I get it. Three persons, all equal. None greater than another. Jesus is unlimited, almighty, and perfect.

But look to the Bible for confirmation and you’ll find that unlike the clear definition of monotheism in the Koran, the doctrine of the Trinity is not clear. It took almost four centuries to congeal.

Consider some Bible verses that challenge the Trinitarian concept as defined in the creed above. First, verses that portray Jesus as an ordinary person who didn’t know everything, who wasn’t completely on board with the program, who got impatient, and who spoke to God as you or I would.

When Jesus heard this, he was amazed (Matt. 8:10)

[Jesus] turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?” (Mark 5:30)

[Jesus prayed,] “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” (Matt. 26:39)

Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mark 15:34)

Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. (Luke 5:16)

You are looking for a way to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. (John 8:40)

[Jesus said,] “I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.” (John 20:17)

Faithless and perverse generation! How much longer must I be with you? How much longer must I put up with you? (Matthew 17:17)

Verses that state that only God has certain traits or abilities.

No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. (Matt. 24:36)

[Jesus said,] “The most important [commandment is:] The Lord our God, the Lord is one.” (Mark 12:29)

God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light (1 Tim. 6:15–16)

Verses that portray Jesus as inferior to God.

“Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good.” (Matt. 19:17)

[Jesus said,] “the Father is greater than I” (John 14:28)

The head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God. (1 Cor. 11:3)

The Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all (1 Cor. 15:28)

You have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. (Col. 3:1, see also 1 Peter 3:22)

There is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus (1 Tim. 2:5)

Ever-nimble Christian apologists have had two thousand years to handwave responses to these. Perhaps they’ll argue that we’re seeing the limited human side of Jesus here, not the God side. Or that other verses can be brought in to bolster the Christian position. Nevertheless, there is no evidence for the Trinity coming from the Bible. It was invented by theologians centuries later.

The simplest explanation is that the Bible is a collection of books from authors (many unknown) who had similar but not identical religious beliefs, which has been modified in unknown ways over the centuries, and which has no more accuracy in its depiction of the supernatural than the Iliad.

See also:

It ain’t supposed to make sense; it’s faith.
Faith is something that you believe
that nobody in his right mind would believe.
— Archie Bunker

(This is an update of a post that originally appeared 6/14/13.)

Photo credit: Samuel Livingston, flickr, CC

Christianity

Trinity

Previous Post

August 3, 2016

Criticizing the Logic of the Atonement

Next Post

August 8, 2016 Criticizing the Logic of the Atonement (2 of 2)

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Abortion Apologetics Atheism Bible Christianity Cosmology Creationism/ID Debate Evolution History Homosexuality Humor Morality Other Religions Prophecy Religion Science Separation of Church and State Skepticism Social Issues Uncategorized Words

Select a Month December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What Christian group uses the term "synod" for its governing body?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Baptists Methodists Lutherans Pentecostals

Books by This Author Books by Bob Seidensticker

See All Titles »