One God Report

Contrary to some overly zealous Trinitarian preaching, to be “Lord” does not mean you are God. Otherwise the upper house of the British parliament would be the House of Gods. Sometimes LORD/Lord in the Bible does mean God, but there are many lords/Lords in the Bible who are not God. “Jesus is Lord” is not a claim to deity (Act 2:36, Rom. 10:9). The confusion over LORD/Lord/lord stems from the translation of the Hebrew Old Testament into Greek. The title “Lord” kurios (“master, sir, prince, ruler”), an honorific title acknowledging authority, was substituted for God’s personal name, Yehovah יהוה . English translations of the Old Testament usually indicate Yehovah’s personal name with all capitals LORD. But God’s name Yehovah is very different from the replacement title “Lord”. Yehovah/Yahweh is God’s personal name but the title Lord is adon in Hebrew and kurios in Greek). Abigail distinguished between her Lord (David) and her God (LORD/Yehovah): “for the LORD will certainly make for my Lord an enduring house, because my Lord is fighting the battles of the LORD” (1 Sam. 25:28, Abigail called David “Lord” 13x in this chapter). In the Hebrew text there is no confusing Abigail’s LORD from her Lord, because they are two very different words. In the Greek text the words are exactly the same, and therefor confusing. Sometimes God is called “Lord” in the New Testament, using the Greek practice of substituting the title Lord/kurios for Yehovah’s personal name. Context can most often determine if kurios/Lord in the New Testament means God, or the Lord Messiah, or some other lord. Lord/kurios in the Gospel of John, for example, refers to God only in direct Old Testament quotations. Scriptures referred to in this podcast: Acts 2:36 Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified. Romans 10:9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Ephesians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ... Ephesians 1:17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, 1 Samuel 25:28 Please forgive the trespass of your servant. For the LORD will certainly make my lord a sure house, because my lord is fighting the battles of the LORD, and evil shall not be found in you so long as you live. Matthew 17:4 And Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good that we are here...." Mark 9:5 And Peter said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good that we are here..." Luke 9:33 ...Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good that we are here..." Matthew 27:63 and said, "Sir (Lord/kurios), we remember how that impostor said, while he was still alive, 'After three days I will rise.' Acts 25:26 But I have nothing definite to write to my Lord about him. Therefore I have brought him before you all, and especially before you, King Agrippa... Psalm 110:1 A psalm of David. The LORD (Yehovah) says to my Lord (adoni): "Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool." Revelation 11:15 …"The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever."

"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" (Matthew 28:19). - Trinitarians have said that this verse, like 2 Corinthians 13:14, is evidence that God is a Trinity. But are these verses evidence that God is a three-in-one-God? We think not. - Rather, in these verses the Son of God, the Lord Jesus the Messiah, is distinguished from God. - Other Scriptures referred to in our discussion of the Spirit of God, and how Jesus is differentiated from God: - In Matthew 12:28, Jesus was able to cast out demons by the "Spirit of God" , which is parallel to  the "the finger of God" in Luke 11:20. - Acts 10:38, "God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him."  Jesus of Nazareth is differentiated from God. It was God's Spirit and power which enabled Jesus to heal and cast out demons. God was with Jesus, which means Jesus was not God.  - Acts 2:32-33 "This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses.  Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. " - Again, Jesus is differentiated from God. Jesus was dead, but God raised him from the dead and exalted Jesus to the right hand of God, which shows that Jesus is not God. Jesus received the Holy Spirit from God, and poured it out on others. - Acts 2:36, "Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified." Again Jesus is differentiated from God. God made Jesus Lord and Messiah (Christ). Jesus had been crucified. God was not crucified. - 2 Corinthians 1:2-3, "Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort..." 2 Corinthians 11:31,  "The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, he who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying. " - These verses, also from 2 Corinthians, show the distinction in the Apostle Paul's mind between God (the Father) and the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus the Messiah is not God.  The Lord Jesus has a God, the Father. Jesus is not God if he has a God. - The challenge: Where in the Scriptures is God described as three persons in one God, or three persons in one God essence?

In Genesis 1:26, before the creation of man, God said, "Let us make man in our image".  The plural verb and pronoun ("let us make", "our image") is claimed by some Trinitarians to be evidence that God spoke to other members of a three-person "godhead".   But is this claim correct? We think there is a much better way to understand Genesis 1:26. So does modern Trinitarian scholarship. One Trinitarian scholar, G. Wenham who wrote the evangelical Word Biblical Commentary Genesis writes: "It is now universally admitted that this was not what the plural meant to the original author." But pastors and popular apologists don't appear to have gotten that memo since one still hears Genesis 1:26 proclaimed as evidence for the Trinity. This podcasts explores the problems with the Trinitarian interpretation, and suggests a more biblically consistent way to understand Genesis 1:26. We also recommend: this podcast which examines the same verse: https://biblicalunitarianpodcast.podbean.com/e/032-%e2%80%9clet-us-make-man%e2%80%9d-and-other-passages-with-plural-pronouns/ and this article http://www.angelfire.com/space/thegospeltruth/TTD/verses/genesis1_26.html