True Biblical Monotheism

By: John Schoenheit

Introduction


The Bible teaches that there is one Elohim, the Father, and one Messiah and Lord, Yeshua Messiah, who is the divinely conceived Son of Elohim. Those are very important truths, and this article will give evidence that supports them. In doing so, this article will also show that Yeshua Messiah is the fully human “Son of Elohim,” and not “Elohim the Son,” and thus it will also give evidence that shows that the Bible does not teach the doctrine of the Trinity.


For clarity’s sake, it is helpful to understand what the Trinity is. The orthodox doctrine of the Trinity is that the Father is Elohim, the Son is Elohim, and the Holy Spirit is Elohim, and the three of them are co-equal, co-eternal, and share the same essence, and together those three individual “Persons” are one triune Elohim; also, Yeshua is both 100% Elohim and 100% man, and both Yeshua’ divine nature and his human nature live together in his flesh body. The doctrine of the Trinity, though widely believed, is never stated in the Bible.


We do not present this article to antagonize or attack anyone, but rather because we believe an honest and rigorous examination of the biblical evidence will support that the Father alone is Elohim and Yeshua is His created Son. Furthermore, we think it is important for Christians to know the truth about Elohim, Yeshua, and the holy spirit.


There is value in truth, and Elohim and Yeshua deserve to be known for who they really are. Knowing that there is only one Elohim, and that He is not triune and thus sharing His identity with two others, elevates Him to His rightful position as the one Elohim of the Bible, the Creator of the universe, and the One who we love with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. Similarly, knowing that the Lord Yeshua is who Peter said he was, “a man approved of Elohim” (Acts 2:22 KJV), elevates him to his rightful position. He is the only begotten Son of Elohim, who loved so much that he lived a sinless, obedient life and died on the cross for us, whom Elohim raised from the dead and who now stands at Elohim’s right hand as Elohim’s second in command, administering the things of Elohim.


Something that is openly admitted by theologians but not known by many Christians is that the doctrine of the Trinity is not stated in the Bible but is actually “built” by piecing together statements that are said to support it. But since most Christians believe that the Trinity is a mystery and no one can understand it, doctrinal discussions about it are often avoided or brushed aside and ignored. Worse, the teaching that the Trinity is a “mystery” has been used as a club to beat down doubters and dissenters, and those people are often branded as “heretics” and their role in Christianity minimized (the idea the Trinity is a mystery is covered in section 17 below).


Thus, the Trinity stands as an unchallengeable but never-understood fortress in the center of Christianity. But Christians should get their doctrine from the Bible. What if a careful examination of the Bible showed that there was no Trinity? What if careful study showed that Yehovah was the one Elohim of the Bible, and Yeshua was who Peter said he was, “a man approved of Elohim” and not a “God-man”? What if the “mystery” of the Trinity was not a mystery at all, but an erroneous doctrine that was formulated over time? This study will show that Yeshua was indeed a fully human man approved by Elohim.


This short article can only summarize some of the major points about who Elohim and Yeshua Messiah really are. For further study, a bibliography of some of the books on the subject is included at the end of this article. Also, it is not the intention of this article to explain the verses that are traditionally used to support the doctrine of the Trinity, such as John 10:30 or John 8:58. Each of those verses can be understood in a way that supports the Biblical Unitarian position.


1) Basic Problems with the doctrine of the Trinity


The word “Trinity” is not in the Bible. Although that does not rule out the possible existence of the Trinity, it is supporting evidence that the doctrine is unbiblical.


Trinitarians differ, sometimes greatly, in their definitions of the Trinity. The Eastern Orthodox Church differs from the Western Church on the relation of the Holy Spirit to the Father and the Son. Also, Trinitarians who hold to the “classic” definition of the Trinity, that Yeshua was 100% Elohim and 100% man while on earth, believe differently from Kenotic Trinitarians, who believe that Yeshua set aside his godhood while he was a man on earth. Oneness Pentecostals say the classic formula of the Trinity is completely wrong. Yet all these claim that Messiah is Elohim and that the Bible supports their position.


A study of the history of the Christian Church shows a definite development in the doctrine of the Trinity over the centuries. For example, the early form of the Apostles’ Creed, believed to date back to shortly after the time of the apostles themselves, does not mention the Trinity or the dual nature of Messiah. Furthermore, it only states, “I believe in ‘the holy spirit,’” which could just as easily refer to the gift of holy spirit as it could to a third “Person” in the Trinity. The Nicene Creed, written in 325 AD and modified later, added the material about Yeshua Messiah being “eternally begotten” and “true Elohim,” and about the Holy Spirit being “Lord.” But it was the Athanasian Creed, most likely composed in the late 400s or early 500s AD, that was the first creed to explicitly state the doctrine of the Trinity, and it includes that if a person does not believe it, he is not saved but will perish everlastingly. Yet saying that a person who does not believe in the Trinity is not saved contradicts the Bible. For example, when Peter addressed the Jews on the Day of Shavuot he did not mention the Trinity or that Yeshua was Elohim in the flesh, yet about 3,000 people in the audience were saved (Acts 2:41).


One of the most convincing arguments for Biblical Unitarianism is that Elohim is never described as being composed of “three.” Not “three,” “three-in-one,” “Father, Son and Holy Spirit,” or three Persons making up one Elohim. Many Trinitarians point to Matthew 28:19 which lists the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, but it does not call the three of them “Elohim.” Matthew 28:19 is not defining Elohim, it is stating the authority by which disciples will baptize: by the authority of Elohim, of Messiah, and by the power of the holy spirit. Simply mentioning three things together does not make them “Elohim.” For example, if Matthew 28:19 read, “Baptize them in the ‘name’ (i.e., authority) of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,” that would not make those three people “one Person.”


Also, the two natures of Yeshua (him being fully Elohim and fully man) are completely, absent from the scriptures. Yeshua is never said to have two natures, two personalities, two minds, two spirits within him. He is always viewed as one person with one mind.

Trinitarians say the “Threeness” of the Trinity is just as vital as his Oneness, but never once does the Bible mention Elohim’s “Threeness,” whereas it mentions His Oneness many times (e.g., Deut. 4:35; 6:4; Isa. 44:6, 8; John 5:44; 17:3; 1 Cor. 8:6).



It seems that if the doctrine of the Trinity was genuine and central to Christian belief as almost all Trinitarians claim, and especially if belief in it was necessary for salvation as many Trinitarians teach, it would have been clearly stated in the Bible and in the earliest Christian creeds. The Trinity is not “hidden,” and it is not a “mystery,” it simply isn’t there.


2) There is no Trinity in the Hebrew Scriptures


Elohim gave the Scriptures to the Jewish people, and the Jewish religion and worship that comes from that revelation do not contain any reference to, or teachings about, a triune Elohim. Since Elohim gave the Hebrew Scriptures to the Jews, surely they were qualified to read and understand it, but they never saw the doctrine of the Trinity in it; in fact, quite the opposite. Throughout their history, the Jews fiercely defended the fact that there was only one Elohim.


Yeshua himself tied the greatest commandment in the Torah together with there being only one Elohim. An expert in Hebrew Scriptures asked Yeshua which of the commandments was the most important one. Yeshua said to him, “The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; Yehovah our Elohim is alone: And thou shalt love Yehovah thy Elohim….” (Mark 12:29-30 KJV). The Jewish scholar, in accordance with the teachings of the Rabbis and the revelation and practices given to the Jews, would have believed that Yehovah was the only true Elohim. But Yeshua never corrected him or tried to modify his beliefs, he simply reinforced what this man already believed—that only Yehovah was Elohim.

Furthermore, the pronouns in the Bible that refer to “Elohim” are singular, and there are lots of them. “The Hebrew Bible and the Renewed Covenant contain well over twenty thousand pronouns and verbs describing the One Elohim” (Anthony Buzzard and Charles Hunting, The Doctrine of the Trinity: Christianity’s Self-inflicted Wound, International Scholars Publications, New York, 1998, p. 17). Singular pronouns include “I,” “my,” and “he.”


We would expect that the pronouns that refer to the “Father,” to Yeshua, and to “the Holy Spirit” would be singular if there were a Trinity, but since the Trinity teaches that “Elohim” is triune and consists of three “Persons,” that the pronouns associated with “Elohim” would be plural. This is especially the case because according to Trinitarian doctrine, each “Person” in the triune Elohim is individually omnipresent, individually all-knowing; individually all-powerful, and each individually has his own will, his own mind (which is why Yeshua could say to the Father, “not my will but yours be done”). John 3:16 (REV) reads, “For Elohim so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, so that whoever believes in him will not perish, but have life in the age to come.” But if “Elohim” were composed of three co-equal beings who each had their own mind and together agreed to send Messiah, we would expect it to say, “For Elohim so loved the world that they gave the Father’s only begotten Son….” The fact that the pronouns in the Bible refer to “Elohim” as a singular being is evidence that there is no Trinity.


3) The Hebrew Scriptures foretold that Yeshua would be a human being.


The Hebrew Scriptures prophecies about the coming Messiah foretold that he would be a human being. If we understand and believe that, it clears up a lot of misconceptions about Yeshua. For example, if he was fully human and not part human and part Elohim, then he had a beginning, which was the time when he was conceived (see Matt. 1:20 and section #9 below). Furthermore, he could not have existed before he was conceived; human beings do not exist before they are conceived, and this means that Yeshua did not exist in the Hebrew Scriptures except in the mind of Elohim and in the expectation of people. According to the Hebrew Scriptures prophecies, the Messiah would be the offspring of Eve (Gen. 3:15); a descendant of Abraham (Gen. 12:3; 18:18; 22:18), a descendant of Judah (Gen. 49:10); a prophet like Moses (Deut. 18:15); a son of David (2 Sam. 7:12-13; Isa. 11:1); a king ruling under Yehovah (Ps. 110:1); and a ruler from among the people of Israel (Jer. 30:21). That explains why the people were all expecting a human Messiah.


Even Mary, the mother of Yeshua, was expecting a human Messiah and did not know how she could give birth to the Messiah without having sex with a man (Luke 1:34-35). Although some Trinitarians claim that there are a few Hebrew Scriptures prophecies such as Isaiah 9:6 and Micah 5:2 that show that Yeshua is Elohim, it’s important to note that the ancient Jews, to whom those prophecies were given, never understood them to mean that their Messiah would be both Elohim and human. Those few prophecies can be translated and understood in a Biblical Unitarian way.

Psalm 110:1 merits special attention because it is especially clear but has been misunderstood and misrepresented. Most English versions read like the ESV: “The LORD says to my Lord….” The word “LORD” is Yehovah, but then many Trinitarian commentators argue that “my Lord” in this verse is the Hebrew word adonai, another name for Elohim, and is therefore, proof of the divinity of the Messiah. But the Hebrew text does not use adonai, it uses adoni (pronounced a-do-‘nee), which is always used in Scripture to describe human masters and lords, but never Elohim.

The Hebrew words adoni and adonai have the same root, adon, and that is the word listed in the concordances and most lexicons, which is one reason that we must use the actual Hebrew text to see what Psalm 110:1 is saying. The difference between adon (the “root” word), adoni (“lord,” always used of men or angels) and adonai (which is used of Elohim and sometimes written adonay) is critical to the understanding of Psalm 110:1. The fact that the Hebrew text uses the word adoni of the Messiah in Psalm 110 is good supporting evidence that the Messiah is not Elohim, and is one reason the Jews were expecting the Messiah to be a human ruler like the other kings who ruled under Yehovah.


The Hebrew Scriptures also refers to the Messiah as “one like a son of man.” The phrase “son of man” was a Semitic idiom for a human being and it is used that way throughout the Hebrew Scriptures. But when Daniel referred to the Messiah as a “one like a son of man” (Dan. 7:13), the phrase “son of man” also became a title of the Messiah. That explains why Yeshua called himself “the son of man” many times (cp. Matt. 8:20; 9:6; 10:23; 11:19; 12:8, 40; 13:41; 16:13, etc.). The use of “son of man” in reference to the Messiah is one more piece of evidence that Yeshua was fully human and one more reason that people were expecting the Messiah to be human.


4) The Renewed Covenant teaches that Yeshua was a man


The Renewed Covenant teaches that Yeshua was a man. For one thing, Yeshua himself said so. For example, in John 8:40, Yeshua said he was “a man who has told you the truth” [emphasis ours]. Yeshua was not being disingenuous and hiding his “divine nature.” He was making a factual statement that reinforced what the Jews were expecting of the Messiah—that he would be a fully human man.


The apostles also taught that Yeshua was a man. For example, in his sermon to the crowds gathered on the Day of Shavuot, the Apostle Peter made a very clear declaration that Yeshua was a man approved of Elohim: “Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Yeshua of Nazareth, a man approved of Elohim among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which Elohim did by him in the midst of you…” (Acts 2:22 KJV). Here Peter clearly taught that Yeshua was a man, and that Elohim did miracles “by him.”


It seems if the Trinity did exist, that when Peter had thousands of devout Jews gathered together on the Day of Shavuot would have been a good time to introduce it to them. But instead, Peter told the Jews that Yeshua was the Messiah they had been expecting: a man approved of Elohim.


Like Peter, Paul also taught that Yeshua was a man. For example, when he was in Athens, Paul taught a crowd of unsaved Gentiles about Yeshua Messiah and said that Elohim would judge the world “by the man whom He has appointed” (Acts 17:31). Paul never said or implied that Yeshua was anything but a “man.” But especially since Paul’s Greek audience was polytheistic, it seems that if there was a Trinity that Paul would have taught it to the crowd. Whereas the Jews would have likely been very upset if someone taught there was a Trinity, these polytheistic Greeks would almost certainly not have been upset, so this would have been a perfect time to introduce the subject to people. But instead, Paul said that Yeshua was a man appointed by Elohim.


There are a number of other Renewed Covenant verses that state that Yeshua was a man. For example, Romans says that a man, Adam, caused sin to enter into the world, and also that a man would have to redeem it from sin. Romans 5:15 (ESV) says, “For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of Elohim and the free gift by the grace of that one man Yeshua Messiah abounded for many.” Some theologians teach that only Elohim could pay for the sins of mankind, but the Bible specifically says that a man must do it. The book of Corinthians makes the same point Romans does. It says, “For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead” (1 Cor. 15:21 NASB).


1 Timothy 2:5 says that it is Yeshua, the man, who was the mediator between Elohim and men. 1 Timothy 2:5 (ESV) says, “For there is one Elohim, and there is one mediator between Elohim and men, the man Messiah Yeshua.” This verse calls Yeshua Messiah a “man” even after his resurrection.


Trinitarian doctrine tries to explain the verses that say Yeshua was a man by saying that he was a man, but he was also 100% Elohim at the same time. But there are problems with that. One is that there is no single verse that says Yeshua was both Elohim and man. The Elohim-man doctrine is built from many verses. Furthermore, scholars admit that there are only about eight verses in the entire Renewed Covenant that can be understood to say that Yeshua is Elohim, and every one of them can either be translated in a way that supports the Biblical Unitarian position, or disputed textually, or can be explained from the use of the word “Elohim” in the culture. In contrast, the clear verses where Yeshua is said to be a “man,” such as when Peter or Paul taught their audiences that Yeshua was a man appointed by Elohim, are not disputed and in the context, there does not seem to be any good reason those men would not have said that Yeshua was a Elohim-man if in fact, that is what he is.

Actually, the book of Hebrews seems to clear up the subject when it says that when Yeshua was on earth, he was made like us in every way: 


“Therefore he [Yeshua] had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of Elohim” (Heb. 2:17 ESV). This verse shows that Yeshua was not both fully human and fully Elohim at the same time. If he was, he would not be like us in every respect. If we believe that Yeshua was a fully human man, this verse can be seen to be completely true, but if Yeshua is fully Elohim and fully human, it is confusing at best. None of us would have the doubts, worries, and fears, that we do if we were Elohim. Saying that Yeshua was made like us in every way is the Bible saying in a very straightforward way that Yeshua was not “both Elohim and human.”


5) Yeshua was like Adam


Adam, the first man, was fully human and by his sin brought sin into the world. Yeshua is called the “last Adam” (1 Cor. 15:45), but it seems that designation would not be appropriate if Yeshua was not fully human in the same way that Adam was. Also, Adam is called a “type” of Yeshua Messiah (Rom. 5:14). The word translated as “type” in many English versions is the translation of the Greek word tupos (#5179 τύπος), which can be defined as “a type, pattern, model, or example of something else.” Although the KJV translates tupos as “figure,” most of the more modern versions say “pattern” (NIV), “prototype” (HCSB), or “type” (ESV, NAB, NASB). Adam was a type, prototype, or pattern of Messiah because he was fully human and began without a sin nature—and Yeshua was the same: fully human and made without a sin nature. The reason that no other human male after Adam could be a “type” of Messiah is that we are all born with a sin nature. But if Yeshua was 100% man and 100% Elohim, then Adam could not be a “type” of Messiah, because Adam did not have a “Elohim-nature.”


6) Yeshua has a Elohim


The Bible says in many verses that there is only one Elohim, and “Elohim” does not have a Elohim. For example, in Isaiah 44:6, Elohim says, “…there is no Elohim besides me,” and Ephesians 4:6 says that there is “one Elohim and Father of all, who is over all.” In contrast to “Elohim” who alone is Elohim and does not have a Elohim, Yeshua has a Elohim.


Before his death and resurrection, when he was on the cross, Yeshua called out, “My Elohim, my Elohim, why have you forsaken me?” (Matt. 27:46; Mark 15:34). Later, after his resurrection, he spoke of his Elohim to Mary Magdalene, saying, “…I ascend to my Father and your Father, and my Elohim and your Elohim” (John 20:17). Then, after his ascension into heaven when he was standing at the right hand of Elohim, Yeshua still called Elohim, “my Elohim.” Yeshua said about those who are victorious that he will “write on him the name of my Elohim” and “the name of the city of my Elohim” that comes down out of heaven from “my Elohim.” (Rev. 3:12). Revelation 1:5-6 also says that Yeshua is a faithful witness and ruler and has made us priests to “his Elohim.” In the Hebrew Scriptures, the prophet spoke of the coming Messiah and said he would shepherd the people “in the strength of Yehovah, in the majesty of the name of Yehovah his Elohim” (Mic. 5:4).


Also, there are verses in the Renewed Covenant that clearly speak of “Elohim” being the “Elohim” of Yeshua Messiah. Romans 15:6 says, “…you can, with one mouth, glorify the Elohim and Father of our Lord Yeshua Messiah.” 2 Corinthians 1:3, Ephesians 1:3, and 1 Peter 1:3 all say, “Blessed be the Elohim and Father of our Lord Yeshua Messiah.” Hebrews 1:9 speaks of how Elohim blessed Yeshua: “Therefore Elohim, your Elohim, has anointed you [Yeshua] with the oil of gladness.”


Who is the “Elohim” of the Lord Yeshua Messiah? The Renewed Covenant makes it clear: “the Elohim of our Lord Yeshua Messiah, the Father of glory” (Eph. 1:17), and “and [Yeshua] has made us to be a kingdom, as priests to his Elohim and Father. So the “one Elohim and Father” (Eph. 4:6) is the Elohim of Yeshua Messiah. In contrast to Yeshua, who both Scripture and Yeshua himself testify that Yeshua has a Elohim, the “one Elohim” of the Bible never says He has a Elohim. He is Elohim, the Father, the Creator, “the Most High Elohim,” and He has no equals. Yeshua is not “Elohim,” he is a man, the Last Adam, the created Son of Elohim, and Yeshua’ Elohim is Elohim the Father.


7) Yeshua called Elohim “the only true Elohim.”


Yeshua called the Father “the only Elohim” (John 5:44 ESV). The New American Standard Bible goes so far as to translate it as “the one and only Elohim.” The straightforward reading of this verse is that Yeshua did not think of himself as Elohim.


Similarly, on the night he was arrested, Yeshua prayed to Elohim that people would “know you, the only true Elohim” (John 17:3). It seems disingenuous, or at least confusing, that Yeshua would refer to his Father as “the only true Elohim” if he knew that both he and “the Holy Spirit” were also “Persons” in a triune Elohim, and that the Father shared His position as “Elohim” with them. It seems much more likely that Yeshua spoke the simple truth when he called his Father “the only true Elohim.”


Furthermore, Yeshua called Elohim the “Lord of heaven and earth.” Luke 10:21 says, “In that same hour he [Yeshua] was full of joy in the holy spirit, and said, ‘I thank you, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you hid these things from the wise and understanding, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, because this was well-pleasing in your sight.’” If the Trinity was true and Yeshua was co-equal and co-eternal with the Father he would not have addressed him as “Lord of heaven and earth.” That is not the way equals address each other. Also, if the Holy Spirit was a third member of the Trinity and thus also “Lord of heaven and earth,” it seems that Yeshua would not have left him out of his prayer, which was to the Father.


8) Yeshua was part of Elohim’s creation


Colossians 1:15 (ESV) calls Yeshua “the firstborn of all creation.” Scholars disagree on what this phrase means, but that is primarily because the doctrine of the Trinity obscures its simple meaning. Trinitarian doctrine states that Yeshua is “eternal,” but if that is true then he cannot be the firstborn “of all creation,” because that would make him part of the creation—Yeshua would be a created being. But the simple reading of Colossians 1:15 seems clear: Yeshua is a created being. The BDAG Greek-English lexicon [entry under “creation”] explains the Greek word translated “creation” as “that which is created…of individual things or beings created, creature.” Not only was Yeshua a created being, he is also called the “firstborn” from the dead because he was the first one in Elohim’s creation who was raised from the dead to everlasting life—a point that is also made in Colossians 1:18 and Revelation 1:5.


Another common title for Yeshua is that he is the “Son of Elohim” (1 John 5:10; 1 Cor. 15:28; Mark 5:7) and never once “Elohim the Son.” The phrase “son of Elohim” or “sons of Elohim” is a phrase that refers to the beings that Elohim has directly created, such as angels (Job 1:6; Psa. 89:6), Adam (Luke 3:38), Christians (Gal. 3:26; Rom. 8:14), and Yeshua. Therefore, we should not hear the phrase “son of Elohim” or even, the “Son” in reference to Yeshua and think that Yeshua is also the creator. Instead, the phrase “son of Elohim” proves that Yeshua is part of the creation, not the creator of the Genesis creation. In fact, Yeshua himself says that the Genesis creation was Elohim’s (Mark 13:19), not his.

9) Elohim is eternal, but Yeshua had a beginning


Elohim was not born; He is eternal. In contrast to the eternal Elohim, Messiah is “begotten,” that is, born. Yeshua Messiah had a beginning. Yeshua is never called “Elohim the Son” in the Bible, but he is called the “Son of Elohim” more than 50 times, and a “son” has a beginning. The very fact that Yeshua is the “Son of Elohim” shows he had a beginning. Trinitarian doctrine denies this and invents the phrase “eternally begotten.” But “eternally begotten” is not in the Bible, it was invented to help explain the Trinity but is actually a nonsensical phrase; the words are placed together but they cancel each other out. “Eternal” means without beginning or end, whereas something that is “begotten,” by definition, has a beginning.


We cannot approach the Bible with wisdom and “reason together” with Elohim (Isa. 1:18) if we must invent and use non-biblical phrases to support our theology. Also, additional evidence that Yeshua had a beginning is provided in verses such as Matthew 1:18, which speaks of the “beginning” of Yeshua Messiah, and Colossians 1:15 (covered above), which says that Yeshua is part of Elohim’s creation. The Bible calls Yeshua the “Son” of Elohim for the simple reason that he had a beginning. Yeshua had been part of Elohim’s plan since the foundation of the world, but he began his actual life when Elohim “fathered” him and Mary conceived him in her womb.


Once we understand that Yeshua had a beginning, it is logical to ask when that beginning occurred. Yeshua was foretold to come from early on in Genesis (Gen. 3:15); and we know Abraham knew about his coming (John 8:56; Heb. 11:17-19). However, he did not actually exist as a genuine person until he was conceived in the womb of Mary (Matt. 1:20).


10) The Bible teaches that Yeshua and Elohim are two distinct beings.


There are many verses where Yeshua and Elohim are portrayed as two separate beings. There are too many examples to list, but for example, in Mark 10:18, Yeshua told the rich young ruler that he was not good, but “Elohim” was good; in Luke 2:52, Yeshua grew in favor with “Elohim” and with men; Yeshua said to the Jews that he was “a man who has told you the truth that I heard from Elohim” (John 8:40 ESV); and he told his disciples, “Believe in Elohim; believe also in me” (John 14:1 ESV).


Also, the Church Epistles were authored by both Elohim and Messiah. For example, 1 Corinthians 1:3 (ESV) says, “Grace to you and peace from Elohim our Father and the Lord Yeshua Messiah.” The Book of Revelation shows both Elohim and “the Lamb” ruling in the eternal city (Rev. 22:1, 3). In all these examples, Yeshua is shown to be separate and distinct from “Elohim,” which is what the people of the time believed and expected.


The Trinitarian explanation of these verses is that Yeshua is Elohim, so when Yeshua speaks of himself and “Elohim,” then “Elohim” means “the Father.” But the Bible never says that. It is only because Trinitarian doctrine asserts that Yeshua is Elohim that the assumption is made that when Yeshua and Elohim appear together, “Elohim” means “the Father.” But the simple and straightforward reading of Scripture is that there is Yeshua and there is “Elohim,” so Yeshua is not Elohim.


Yeshua and Elohim have separate wills. Yeshua prayed to Elohim, “not my will, but yours, be done” (Luke 22:42 ESV; cp. John 5:30). If Yeshua and the Father are the same “one Elohim,” then they would have one will. Trinitarian doctrine claims that Luke is referring to Yeshua’ human will, not his divine will, but that is problematic. For one thing, the Bible never says anything like that, it is an invented explanation. It would also mean that Yeshua had two wills in conflict with each other inside him, one human and one divine. But that surely cannot be the case: Yeshua himself taught that a kingdom divided against itself cannot stand (Mark 3:24).


The Bible says that Yeshua is an “heir” of Elohim (Heb. 1:2), and a “joint-heir” with us (Rom. 8:17). But if Messiah is a co-eternal “Person” in the “Godhead,” then he cannot be an heir “of Elohim” because, being Elohim, he would be full owner of everything and there is nothing he could “inherit.” Yeshua cannot be Elohim and an heir of Elohim at the same time.


The Bible says that Yeshua Messiah is the “image of Elohim” (Col. 1:15; 2 Cor. 4:4). But if Messiah is the image of Elohim, then He cannot be Elohim, because a person cannot be himself and an image of himself at the same time. Yeshua can be called the “image” of Elohim because he always did the will of Elohim and acted like Elohim Himself would act. The fact that Yeshua was the image of Elohim is why Yeshua could say that if you had seen him, you had seen the Father.


Ephesians 4:4-6 is recognized by many Christians as listing seven of the most essential doctrines of the Christian Faith. It says there is one Elohim and one Lord and one spirit. This verse teaches exactly what the Jews expected based on the Hebrew Scriptures, and what Yeshua, Peter, Paul, and others taught: that there was one Elohim, one Lord, the Messiah, and one spirit of Elohim. There are three separate things being spoken about here, but not “one Elohim” composed of both Yeshua and Elohim, and “the Holy Spirit” as well.


11) The Bible teaches that the Father is Elohim


1 Corinthians 8:6 (ESV) says, “for us there is one Elohim, the Father…and one Lord, Yeshua Messiah.” This simple and straightforward language elucidates that the Father is Elohim and the Son is “Lord,” making a clear differentiation between the two. Furthermore, that distinction is even clearer when we consider that in the Greek culture the word “Elohim”—although it was used more loosely than we do in English and was used of pagan Elohims and even human rulers—was used in a more restricted manner than was the word “Lord,” which was used of many different kinds of people in authority.


1 Corinthians 8:6 starts out, “for us there is one Elohim,” and if the doctrine of the Trinity were true, we would expect it to finish in a typically Trinitarian fashion, such as, “the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.” We would certainly not expect it to name only the Father as “Elohim” and omit “the Holy Spirit” altogether. Along with 1 Corinthians 8:6 there are many more verses that say that the Father alone is Elohim (Deut. 4:35; 6:4; Isa. 44:6, 8; John 5:44; 17:3; 1 Cor. 8:6).


12) Elohim is greater than Messiah


Yeshua said: “…the Father is greater than I” (John 14:28 ESV). In contrast, the orthodox formula of the Trinity says that the Father and the Son are “co-equal.” We see no reason not to believe Yeshua’ simple statement.


Elohim is greater than Messiah, just as Messiah is greater than we are. 1 Corinthians 3:23 (KJV) says, “And ye are Messiah’s; and Messiah is Elohim’s.” When the Bible says, “you are Messiah’s,” it is saying, “you belong to Messiah” and many English versions say exactly that (i.e., CJB; HCSB; NASB; NET; NJB; NLT). So the verse is saying, “and you belong to Messiah; and Messiah belongs to Elohim” (NASB). It seems apparent that Yeshua cannot be Elohim and belong to Elohim at the same time.


The Bible teaches that Elohim is the “head” of Messiah, that is, He is Messiah’s leader: “But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Messiah, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Messiah is Elohim” (1 Cor. 11:3 ESV). The Trinitarian explanation of this verse is that Elohim was the head of Messiah only while he was on earth, but the Bible never says that. In fact, the Bible shows us the opposite: Elohim is still the head of Messiah and directing him even after he ascended into heaven, and will be for eternity (1 Cor. 15:28; Rev. 1:1; 14:14-15).

Elohim can be seen to be greater than the Messiah in Psalm 2. In that Psalm, Elohim’s Messiah is called “his anointed” (Ps. 2:2), and Elohim says, “I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill” (Ps. 2:6 ESV emphasis ours). The Messiah is not being shown to be a co-equal ruler with Elohim, but Elohim’s under-ruler. Furthermore, Elohim says He fathered the Messiah: “You are my Son; today I have begotten you” (Ps. 2:7 ESV). Although commentators argue about which day “today” refers to, it is clear that the Messiah is begotten at a specific time in history, he is not “eternally begotten.”


Elohim “made” Yeshua Lord. In Peter’s teaching to the Jews on the Day of Shavuot, he taught that “Elohim has made him both Lord and Messiah, this Yeshua whom you crucified” (Acts 2:36 ESV). In order to make Yeshua Lord, Elohim must have greater authority than Yeshua. Furthermore, if Messiah was Elohim, then he was already “Lord”—in which case Elohim would not need to “make” him Lord.

It has also been taught that because Yeshua is called “Lord,” he must be Elohim. But “Lord” (the Greek word is kurios) is a masculine title of respect and nobility, and many others besides Elohim and Yeshua are called “Lord,” However, that can be hard to see in English Bibles because many times kurios is not translated as “Lord,” and that confuses the issue.



Christians take Yeshua as their “Lord,” but that is not the same as saying he is “Elohim.”


The Bible says that even in the future, the Son will be subject to the Father. “When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him [Elohim] who put all things in subjection under him, that Elohim may be all in all” (1 Cor. 15:28 ESV). If Yeshua is subject to the Father in the eternal future, then it seems the teaching that the two of them are “co-equal” is wrong.


Yeshua was consecrated (sanctified) by Elohim. John 10:36 (ESV) says: “do you say of him whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of Elohim’” (John 10:36 ESV)? The fact that Yeshua was consecrated, or as it is translated in other versions, “sanctified,” by Elohim shows he is not Elohim, because Elohim does not need to be sanctified.


Philippians 2:6 (ESV) says that Messiah “did not count equality with Elohim a thing to be grasped” (cp. NAB; NASB; NET; NIV; NJB; Rotherham). There is some disagreement among scholars as to how to translate the Greek text, so other English versions translate the verse somewhat differently. Nevertheless, the point of the verse is that Yeshua Messiah was highly exalted by Elohim because he was humble and did not seek equality with Elohim. If Yeshua was Elohim, then he would never have needed to seek equality with Elohim in the first place—it would have been inherent in him.


Yeshua received his direction and his doctrine from his Father, Elohim. In John 5:19 (ESV), he said: “the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing.” Yeshua repeated that in several different ways. “I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge…because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me” (John. 5:30 ESV). “My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me” (John 7:16 ESV). “I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me” (John. 8:28 ESV). “For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak” (John 12:49 ESV). If Yeshua was Elohim, and co-equal and co-eternal with the Father, then he would not have needed to be directed by his Father.


The Hebrew Scriptures referred to the Messiah as the servant of Elohim. For example, in Isaiah 52-53, which speak of the suffering and death of the Messiah, the Bible refers to the Messiah as Elohim’s “servant” (Isa. 52:13). When the disciples prayed to Elohim in Acts, they called King David Elohim’s “servant” (Acts 4:25), and later in that same prayer they called Yeshua “your holy servant” (Acts 4:30 CSB; ESV; NAB; NASB; NET; NIV; NJB). They equated the Messiah as a servant of Elohim just like David was, rather than referring to Yeshua as if he was Elohim himself (cp. Matt. 12:18; Acts 3:26). Yeshua is not Elohim but the servant of Elohim, just like the Bible says.


There are many verses that indicate that Yeshua’ power and authority were given to him by the Father. If Yeshua was the eternal Elohim, then he would have always had those things that the Scripture says he was “given.” Messiah was:



These verses and others like them make no sense if Messiah is “co-equal” with the Father. Taken at face value they show Yeshua is a man approved of Elohim.


A rich young ruler came to Messiah and called him, “Good Teacher” (Luke 18:18 ESV). Yeshua replied, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except Elohim alone” (Luke 18:19 ESV). If Yeshua was telling people that he was Elohim, why did he not compliment this young ruler for calling him “good?” That Yeshua gave the man a mild rebuke and said that no one was good except “Elohim” is evidence that Yeshua was not teaching people that he was Elohim. Yeshua was very quick to make the distinction between himself and Elohim, and in doing so affirmed what this Jewish man would have already believed: that there is one Elohim, and Yeshua was certainly not that one Elohim.


Luke 2:52 says that Yeshua grew in favor with “Elohim.” But if Yeshua were Elohim and part of the Trinity, he could not grow in favor with himself or the Father or the Holy Spirit. The mutual love and blessing among the members of the Trinity would have been eternal and unchanging. Yeshua could only grow in favor with Elohim if he himself were not Elohim.


When it comes to assigning positions of authority in the coming Kingdom of Messiah, Yeshua said that who will sit next to him as people with authority “is not mine to give, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father” (Matt. 20:23). If Yeshua were Elohim and co-equal with the Father, those positions of authority would be his to give.


Despite the popularity of the term “Deity of Messiah,” the phrase never appears in the Bible, nor is Messiah ever called “Deity” in the Bible. “Deity” is from the Latin “Deus,” which means “Elohim,” and the phrase “the Deity of Messiah” as it is popularly (but not biblically) used means the “godliness” of Messiah.


Colossians 2:9 (ESV) says that in Messiah “the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily.” This verse is stating that Elohim (the Deity) placed all His fullness in Messiah, which is quite different from saying that Messiah is himself a Deity. Earlier in Colossians, the concept is made clear: “For Elohim was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him” (Col. 1:19 NIV84). That is true. But the fact that Messiah has “all the fullness” of Elohim does not make him Elohim. Ephesians 3:19 says that Christians should be filled with “all the fullness of Elohim,” as well, but that does not mean Christians will somehow become Elohim.


13) Yeshua died, but Elohim is immortal


In the Renewed Covenant, 1 Timothy 6:16 is a reference to the Father, not to Yeshua Messiah, and it says that Elohim alone has immortality. That the verse is about Elohim, not Yeshua, is clear from the description in the verse, that He “alone has immortality, who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen, nor is able to see.” Those descriptions refer to the Father, not to Yeshua Messiah, and “He” (the Father) will bring about the return of Messiah in its proper time (1 Tim. 6:15).


Orthodox Christianity teaches that Yeshua died and then that he raised himself from the dead, based on John 2:19; 10:17-18. It is so often said that Yeshua was Elohim and also that Yeshua died that we have forgotten that is actually nonsensical. Elohim cannot die (1 Tim. 1:17; 6:16; Psa. 90:2; Isa. 40:28; Rom. 16:26), and yet the most essential part of our faith is that Yeshua died and was raised from the dead. If Yeshua was dead then he was not “Elohim” who is immortal, and he did not raise himself from the dead if, in fact, he was really dead.”


Trinitarians get around the fact that Yeshua was dead by saying that only his human nature died, but there are quite a few problems with that. 


Firstly, the council of Chalcedon, which Trinitarians hold to, would consider that idea a heresy. Speaking of Yeshua, it says that he is “acknowledged in Two Natures unconfusedly, unchangeably, indivisibly, inseparably… not as though He were parted or divided into Two Persons, but One and the Self-same Son and Only-begotten Elohim, Word, Lord, Yeshua Messiah” (The Chalcedonian Definition, Fourth Ecumenical Council at Chalcedon, 451 AD). The idea that Yeshua’ human nature could be separated from his divine nature is a form of Nestorianism which is considered a heresy by Trinitarians and was condemned at the Council of Ephesus (431 AD) and also the Council of Chalcedon, as shown above. Therefore, saying that it was only Yeshua’ human nature that died is, according to Trinitarians themselves, a heresy.


Secondly, the Bible never says that only Yeshua’ human nature died. In fact, the Bible never says that Yeshua had two natures. That is a Trinitarian assumption not directly based on Scripture. Furthermore, the Bible never says “Yeshua’ human nature died and was raised,” it says that “Yeshua” died and was raised. The more subtle problem with saying that only Yeshua’ human nature died, is that then the Trinitarian “Yeshua” (with two natures) did not die on the cross. “Yeshua” is not just one nature, he is two natures according to Trinitarians. Trinitarian doctrine is that “Yeshua” is a Person in the Trinity who has two natures, a human nature and a divine nature. No Trinitarian document about Yeshua says that “Yeshua” is only the human nature. Trinitarians are unanimous that “Yeshua” is a Person with two natures. That would mean that when “Yeshua” died, both natures were dead. But that cannot be correct: Elohim cannot die, so Yeshua’ supposed “Elohim nature” could not die.


Since according to Trinitarian doctrine the two natures of Messiah cannot be split apart, then it seems that any Trinitarian either has to believe that Elohim (Yeshua) died, which is nonsensical, or believe that Yeshua was not Elohim and therefore, could die for our sins.


14) Major differences between Yeshua and Elohim


It is obvious from the Bible that Yeshua differed from Elohim in many ways. These points of difference reveal that Yeshua cannot be “Elohim.” Many Trinitarians explain the differences between Yeshua and Elohim by saying that it is just Yeshua’ “human nature” that is different from Elohim, not his “Elohim nature.” However, according to orthodox Christian doctrine established at the Council of Chalcedon (451 AD), the two natures of Messiah cannot be divided (see section 13). It is a heresy to divide the two natures of Messiah according to Trinitarian theology. Therefore, Trinitarians have to come up with an acceptable explanation of how “Elohim” (Yeshua) could do all the things listed below.

Wisdom


Yeshua grew in wisdom, but Elohim is all-wise. The Bible says, “And Yeshua increased in wisdom” (Luke 2:52 ESV). Also, Yeshua “learned obedience” (Heb. 5:8). Elohim does not need to learn. Trinitarians assert that it was Yeshua’ human part that grew and learned, but there is not a single verse that makes that distinction. Also, it would be considered heresy according to the Council of Chalcedon because it would be splitting apart the two natures of Messiah.

 

Knowledge


Yeshua had limited knowledge, whereas Elohim does not. Mark 13:32 (ESV) says: “But concerning that day or that hour [when the Son returns; Mark 13:26], no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” But even in the future long after he has ascended into heaven, Yeshua still receives instruction from Elohim as to when to return to earth and “reap,” i.e., conquer the earth (Rev. 14:14-16). Other verses also show Yeshua receiving knowledge from Elohim after his resurrection and ascension: “The revelation of Yeshua Messiah, which Elohim gave him” (Rev. 1:1 ESV). 

 

Perfection/Growth


The Scripture teaches that it was fitting that “Elohim” should make Yeshua “perfect through suffering” (Hebrews 2:10). Elohim is, and has always been, “perfect,” but Yeshua needed to attain perfection through his suffering.


To perfectly obey Elohim throughout his ministry, Yeshua needed the gift of holy spirit, and he received it at his baptism (Matt. 3:16; Mark 1:10; Luke 3:22) and had it upon him when he started his ministry (Luke 4:18). If Yeshua was Elohim, he would not need holy spirit, which is the very nature of Elohim. Elohim placed the gift of His holy spirit on the leaders and prophets of the Hebrew Scriptures so that they would have spiritual power and be able to hear from Him via the spirit upon them (i.e., Num. 11:17-29; Judges 3:10; 6:34; 11:2; 1 Sam. 10:10; 16:13; 1 Chron. 12:18; 2 Chron. 15:1; Micah 3:8). Furthermore, the Hebrew Scriptures prophecies, such as those in Isaiah 11:2, 42:1, and 61:1, indicated that Elohim would put His spirit upon His Messiah, showing that he was not fully equipped without it. Yeshua needed the gift of holy spirit to be spiritually powerful just as the other prophets did. Acts 10:38 (REV) says: “Yeshua, the one from Nazareth—how Elohim anointed him with holy spirit and with power, and he went around doing good, and healing all those who were being oppressed by the Devil, for Elohim was with him.”

 

Temptation


Yeshua was “one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Heb. 4:15 ESV), yet the Bible is clear that Elohim cannot be tempted: “for Elohim cannot be tempted with evil” (James 1:13 ESV).


At times of weakness or difficulty, angels ministered to and strengthened Yeshua. Luke 22:43 (ESV) says: “And there appeared to him a Messenger from heaven, strengthening him” [in the garden of Gethsemane]. Humans need to be strengthened; Elohim does not need to be strengthened by angels or by anyone or anything else (cp. also Matt. 4:11, Mark. 1:13).

 

Death


Scripture says very plainly that Yeshua died. Elohim cannot die. Romans 1:23 and other verses say that Elohim is immortal. Orthodox Christian doctrine is that only the human side of Yeshua died, but that assertion is based on assumptions. There is no verse of Scripture that says anything like “only Yeshua human nature died.”

 

Family


Hebrews 2:10-11 teaches that we are “brothers” of Yeshua and “sons of Elohim,” and Yeshua is never ashamed to call us such. Hebrews is making a distinction between Elohim and Yeshua that is very important and that we lose if we think Yeshua is Elohim. If that were the case, we would be “brothers of Elohim,” but we clearly are not that. A Trinitarian explanation is that we are brothers of the man part of Yeshua, but that is adding to the text. The Bible nowhere says or implies that; it is an assumption to support Trinitarian doctrine.

 

Works


We are commissioned to do “greater works” than Yeshua. In John 14:12 (ESV), Yeshua told his disciples that “whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do.” If Yeshua was Elohim, then his statement would be a commission for us to do greater works than Elohim—which is not possible.


If Yeshua Messiah was Elohim, he would have to have the attributes of Elohim. Most theologians agree that some of Elohim’s attributes are: unoriginated, self-existent, immortal, all-wise, all good, all-powerful, and omnipresent. But Yeshua had none of those attributes.



15) Elohim is spirit, but Yeshua is flesh and bone


Elohim is Spirit (John 4:24) yet even after his resurrection, Yeshua said about himself that he was not a spirit, but flesh and bone. When Yeshua appeared to his apostles, he said, “See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have” (Luke 24:39 ESV). That Yeshua is still flesh and bone today is exactly what we would expect if Yeshua is a “man approved of Elohim.” Part of the great hope that we Christians have is that in the future Yeshua “will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body” (Phil. 3:21 ESV). So in the future we will have bodies like Yeshua’ body, but that hardly seems appropriate if Yeshua is Elohim in the flesh.


16) Yeshua never taught the Trinity


John 1:18 says that Yeshua made “Elohim” known to people. But if “Elohim” is a triune Elohim composed of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, then Yeshua did not make Elohim known. Yeshua never taught the Trinity, even when he had good opportunities to do so. In fact, Yeshua taught quite the opposite, he taught that the Father alone was Elohim. A good example of Yeshua not teaching the Trinity occurred when Yeshua met the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4:1-42), he told her that he was the Messiah (John 4:26), but he never mentioned the Trinity and in fact, he said, “the hour is coming…when the true worshipers will worship the Father” (John 4:23), thus reinforcing the woman’s belief that there was one Elohim that people should worship. Similarly, when Yeshua asked the Apostles who they thought he was, and Peter said that Yeshua was the Messiah, Yeshua did not take that opportunity to teach them the Trinity (Matt. 16:17-20). In fact, Yeshua said that it was “my Father in heaven” who revealed that to Peter, reinforcing Peter’s belief that it was Elohim in heaven who revealed things. Also, when Yeshua healed the man who had been blind from birth, he told him that he was the Messiah but did not say a word about the Trinity (John 9:35-38), in fact, the blind man who had been healed thought Yeshua was a man who worshipped Elohim and that is why he could heal. The man said, “Elohim does not hear sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of Elohim and does his will, he hears him…If this man were not from Elohim, he would not be able to do anything” (John 9:31, 33). Another record is of the rich young ruler, and when the young man called Messiah, “Good master,” Yeshua not only did not teach the man the Trinity, he rebuffed him and said the only one who was good was Elohim (Mark 10:17-18).


Other examples could also be given, but the point is that even when Yeshua had the opportunity to teach the Trinity, he never did. That is astounding if the doctrine of the Trinity is correct, because the people were expecting a human Messiah, not “Elohim in the flesh.” So when Yeshua told them he was the Messiah but did not say anything about there being a Trinity, he was only reinforcing what they already thought, and that was doubly true when Yeshua not only did not teach the Trinity but pointed people away from himself and to Elohim. A wonderful example of Yeshua reinforcing what the Jews already believed is in Mark 12:28-34.


In that record, an expert in the Mosaic Torah asked Yeshua what was the most important commandment in the Torah. Yeshua quoted Deuteronomy 6:4-5, which includes the Shema: “Hear, O Israel! Yehovah is our Elohim, Yehovah alone.” The expert agreed that was the greatest commandment and then added to what Yeshua said by quoting Deuteronomy 4:35, “and there is no other except him” (Mark 12:32). The Jews were not Trinitarians, so this expert in the law would have understood the Shema to be referring to Elohim the Father, and no one else, and certainly not Yeshua, the man standing in front of him. Yet Yeshua agreed with what the expert said, and thought the expert had answered him “wisely” (Mark 12:34). Yeshua even said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of Elohim” (Mark 12:34). This conversation is very good evidence that Yeshua did not consider himself to be Elohim. Beyond that, according to Trinitarian theology, a person must believe that Yeshua is Elohim to be saved, but it is apparent that Yeshua did not believe that, because not only did he not make an attempt to “correct” the theology of this expert in the Torah, he actually affirmed what the Jew said. So, really, there are two issues that are clarified by this conversation: a person does not have to believe in the Trinity to be saved, and Yeshua himself did not teach the Trinity but instead taught that Elohim alone was Elohim.

There does not seem to be any compelling reason not to take Yeshua’ words at face value; that he was the human Messiah the Jews were expecting and not a Elohim-man that they were not expecting.


Trinitarians also commonly say that Yeshua claimed to be Elohim, and for that reason, the Jews hated him and tried to kill him. But that is not the case. Yeshua had been stating in various ways that he was the Messiah, and that is what the Jews were upset about. Throughout their history, the Jews made a clear distinction between “Elohim” and the “Messiah.” They did not think the Messiah was going to be Elohim or a “Person” in a triune Elohim, and if Yeshua had walked around saying he was Elohim the Jews would have considered him insane, but not a threat. But for Yeshua to claim to be the Messiah of Elohim and also do miracles, now that was a threat. Yeshua had not been claiming to be Elohim in the flesh, so at his trial the Jews never asked Yeshua, “Are you Elohim in the flesh?” Instead, they asked Yeshua about what he had been claiming to be: the Messiah.


At his trial, the High Priest said to Yeshua, “‘I charge you under oath by the living Elohim, that you tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of Elohim.’ Yeshua said to him, ‘Yes, it is as you say’” (Matt. 26:63-64). The conversation would have been somewhat protracted, and Mark records the High Priest asking, “‘Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed?’ And Yeshua said, ‘I am’” (Mark 14:61-62, cp. Luke 22:67-71). When Yeshua stated that he was the Messiah, “Then the high priest tore his garments, saying, ‘Defaming talk! What further need do we have of witnesses? See! Now you have heard the defamation. What do you think?’ They answered and said, ‘He is deserving of death’” (Matt. 26:65-66). So from the trial of Yeshua, we see that the Jews correctly assessed that Yeshua had been claiming to be the Messiah, also that Yeshua indeed said he was the Messiah, and also that the Jews thought Yeshua’ claim was worthy of the death penalty. The trial gives good evidence that Yeshua is the Messiah, the Son of Elohim, but not Elohim in the flesh.


17) Many people are saved in the Bible without believing in the Trinity or that Yeshua is Elohim


One example of a person being saved without believing in the Trinity is the sinful woman who anointed Yeshua’ feet with her tears while he was eating. All Yeshua said to her was, “Your sins are forgiven” and “Your trust has saved you. Go in peace” (Luke 7:48, 50). It is highly unlikely that this Galilean Jewess knew that Yeshua was part of a Triune Elohim, and by knowing that she gained salvation? Such an assumption would be to stretch the record beyond credible limits. The woman was a sinner, not a theologian, and if she went to synagogue at all, which is questionable, she would have known about the Messiah only from what the Hebrew Scriptures taught. The Bible says why she was saved: she loved and trusted in Yeshua (Luke 7:47, 50).


When Yeshua asked Peter, “Who do you say that I am?” (Matt. 16:15). Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living Elohim” (Matt. 16:16). Peter believed Yeshua was the Messiah he had been taught about in the synagogue and was expecting, not that Yeshua was Elohim in the flesh who was part of the Trinity. Yet Yeshua did not correct Peter, but instead complimented him on his insight, saying he was “Blessed” (Matt. 16:17).


The book of Acts records the teachings of the Apostles and disciples as they spread the good news of Yeshua. Thus, it is reasonable that if the doctrine of the Trinity were a truth not revealed in the Hebrew Scriptures but necessary for Christian salvation, it should be clearly taught in Acts. We will simply take one story in Acts for the sake of brevity, which is Acts 2:14-36. Peter spoke to the crowd of unsaved Jews in the Temple on the Day of Shavuot, just 50 days after Yeshua was crucified. All they knew about the Messiah from the Hebrew Scriptures and traditions about him, none of which included the doctrine of the Trinity or Yeshua being Elohim. On Shavuot, however, Peter presented Yeshua as a “man pointed out to you by Elohim,” who was crucified and whom Elohim raised from the dead, much of which Peter backed up by quoting the Hebrew Scriptures. Peter never mentioned the Trinity or Yeshua being Elohim, yet about three thousand people got saved that day. This is very good evidence that on the Day of Shavuot, the start of the Christian Church, a person did not have to believe in the Trinity to be saved.


One could go through the book of Acts, but you will never find someone teaching the Trinity before people are saved, it simply is not there. A search of the Renewed Covenant will show that there is no Trinitarian formula that speaks of three Persons in One Elohim, or Yeshua being both fully human and fully Elohim that was spoken to people before they got saved, which is not only evidence that a person did not have to believe in the Trinity to be saved, it is evidence that there is no Trinity.


18) When the Jews thought Yeshua was claiming to be Elohim, he denied it


Most Trinitarians assert that Yeshua claimed to be Elohim in John 5:16-18: “And for this reason the Jews were persecuting Yeshua, because he was doing these things on the Sabbath. But Yeshua answered them, ‘My Father is always working, and I am always working.’ For this reason, the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because he not only was ‘breaking the Sabbath,’ but also was calling Elohim his own Father, making himself equal with Elohim.”


The first thing we should notice is that even the Jews did not say, “Yeshua is calling himself Elohim.” They were claiming he was saying he was equal with Elohim, but they were wrong in that. Yeshua corrected their thinking and immediately stated: “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son is not able to do anything on his own, but only what he sees the Father doing….” (John 5:19). This is not an affirmation of equality. If it was, Yeshua would not have said that he was not able to do anything on his own. If Yeshua was Elohim, or even “equal with Elohim,” he would be able to do things on his own, just as Elohim does. So, Yeshua’ refutation of the claim of the Jews is evidence that Yeshua is not Elohim.


Most Trinitarians also assert that the Jews said that Yeshua was claiming to be Elohim in John 10:33 (NIV2011): “‘We are not stoning You for any good work,’ said the Jews, ‘but for blasphemy, because You, who are a man, declare Yourself to be Elohim.’” This response by the Jews comes on the heels of his statement in John 10:30 that, “I and the Father are one.” However, the Jews were wrong in their assertion. If what they said was true, it seems that Yeshua would have affirmed it in some way.


Instead, right after the accusation of the Jews, Yeshua answered them and said, “Is it not written in your Torah, I have said, you are ‘Elohim?’ If he called them ‘Elohim,’ to whom the word of Elohim came—and the Scripture cannot be broken—what about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, ‘I am Elohim’s Son’ (John 10:34-36 NIV2011)?” Yeshua explicitly says that what he was claiming to be was Elohim’s Son, not Elohim himself. Yeshua could not be much clearer here in that he is not claiming to be Elohim himself. Claiming to be Elohim’s Son is not a claim to be Elohim, it is a claim to be the Messiah and the Jews understood that (Ps. 2:7; John 1:49), and that is what they asked him about at his trial before the Sanhedrin (Matt. 26:63) and that is what they had been asking him about in John 10:24, which was the context of John 10:33.


Also, it is worth noting that in the immediate context, in John 10:29, Yeshua says that the Father is “greater than all.” This occurs in the verse right before Yeshua says, “I and the Father are one,” in John 10:30. Therefore, Yeshua does not mean to communicate equality with the Father by using “oneness” language, but intends to communicate unity with the Father. Yeshua prays in John 17:21 (ESV) that “they (Christians) may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they may also be in us.” So, if being “one” with somebody makes you equal with them, then Christians are also equal to Elohim, because in John 17:21 Yeshua equates being “one” with somebody as being “in” them, or in union with them, and Yeshua wants Christians to be “in” him and the Father. Clearly, Yeshua is not saying that we are equal to himself and the Father, but that he wants us to be in union with him and the Father, being one with them. Therefore, John 10:30 is not teaching Yeshua’ equality with the Father. This is also made clear by his response in John 10:36 in which Yeshua says that he claimed to be Elohim’s son, not Elohim himself.

Thus, both of these occurrences in John 5 and John 10 demonstrate that Yeshua did not consider himself to be Elohim, and did not teach others that he was Elohim.


Some Trinitarians will say that Yeshua is not denying being Elohim in John 5 or John 10 because he does not say, ‘No, I am not Elohim.’ However, believing Yeshua’ responses to be an affirmation is unjustified for the reasons stated above and also because we have examples throughout the Renewed Covenant of what it looks like when Yeshua does affirm people’s claims about him, and they differ greatly from John 5 and John 10. For example, at his trial, the High Priest said to Yeshua, “‘I charge you under oath by the living Elohim, that you tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of Elohim.’ Yeshua said to him, ‘Yes, it is as you say’” (Matt. 26:63-64). Mark records the High Priest asking, “‘Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed?’ And Yeshua said, ‘I am’” (Mark 14:61-62, cp. Luke 22:67-71). In John 13:13 Yeshua says, “You call me, ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am.” These are clear affirmations by Yeshua regarding his identity, unlike what we find in John 5 and John 10 where he does not affirm his opponents at all but instead calls himself the Son of Elohim (John 10:36). One does not have to say ‘No’ to deny something. For example, if someone says, “Are you the sheriff?” and I respond “I am a nurse,” that is essentially a denial because no one will think, “That person is probably the sheriff and a nurse!” Almost the exact same thing occurs in John 10. The Jews claim that Yeshua, “made himself Elohim” (John 10:33) but Yeshua replied, “I said I am the Son of Elohim” (John 10:36).


Furthermore, Yeshua also denies being Elohim in Mark 10:18, where he says, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but Elohim alone.” This is such a powerful statement because not only is Yeshua denying that he is Elohim, but he is also denying equality with Elohim, saying that he is not good, only Elohim is. Likewise, Yeshua says in John 14:28, “My Father is greater than I.” How much clearer could Yeshua be that he is not Elohim and that he is not equal to him?


If there are multiple verses teaching that Yeshua considers himself lesser than the Father and zero verses teaching that Yeshua considers himself to be equal with the Father, and on top of that, Yeshua denies being equal to Elohim in multiple instances (John 5:19; 10:36; Mark 10:18), why would we conclude that Yeshua is equal with his Father?


19) Yeshua’ miracles do not prove he was Elohim


It is sometimes said that the miracles Yeshua did prove that he was Elohim. But almost every miracle that Yeshua did on earth was done in some form by earlier prophets or by the apostles. These include healing the sick, raising the dead, multiplying food, and even walking on water. In fact, the Hebrew Scriptures prophets did some amazing miracles that Yeshua did not do, including splitting an ocean apart (Moses), stopping a river (Joshua), making the sun stop in the sky (Joshua), and calling down fire from heaven (Elijah). Elohim was the one who worked the miracles through the prophets, and He worked them through Yeshua also (Acts 2:22).


20) The Trinity and the dual nature of Yeshua are never called a “mystery”


It is said that no human can understand the doctrine of the Trinity because it is a mystery. But the Bible never even uses the words “Trinity” or “dual nature” of Messiah, much less defines them as mysteries. Furthermore, the Greek word mustērion (#3466 μυστήριον), which is translated as “mystery” in most English Bibles, does not mean “mystery” in the modern sense of the word, but rather refers to a “secret” in the religious or sacred realm. The Emphasized Bible by Rotherham correctly translates mustērion as “sacred secret.” That mustērion does not mean “mystery” can be documented from any number of lexicons or Bible dictionaries, and it is also clear in the Bible itself. The Bible says that many of the mustērion of Elohim have now been made known, which shows that they were not actually unknowable “mysteries,” but were Elohim’s secrets that are now revealed (e.g., Rom. 16:25-26; 1 Cor. 2:7-10; Eph. 3:4-5, Col. 1:26).


The reason why many English Bibles continue to translate mustērion as “mystery” in spite of the fact that the scholars and many clergy know that “mystery” is an inaccurate translation is due in large part to the many unbiblical and even self-contradictory doctrines that have crept into the Church over time. When even the clergy could not explain or understand these doctrines, the translation “mystery” became generally accepted because the concept of a “mystery” was a handy way to present inexplicable doctrines to the average Christian. People who challenged the inexplicable doctrines and other traditions of the Church were quickly labeled “heretics” and persecuted, so the translation “mystery” went mostly unchallenged.


Although the Bible says that certain things were secrets, like the Gentiles being included in the Church (Rom. 11:25; Eph. 3:4-6), or the way that living believers would be changed in the Rapture (1 Cor. 15:51), there is no verse that says the Trinity or the dual nature of Messiah is a mustērion (secret). But if the doctrine of the Trinity or of the dual nature of Messiah were true, we would certainly expect that the Bible would include them among Elohim’s mustērion. To us, the most logical reason the Trinity and the dual nature of Messiah are not referred to in the Bible as a mustērion (a secret) is that they are not biblical doctrines in the first place.


Not only are the Trinity and dual nature of Messiah not “mysteries,” they are contradictions. Doctrinal statements such as “eternally begotten,” “three ‘Persons’ in One Elohim,” and “Yeshua is both 100% human and 100% Elohim,” are actually just simple contradictions. This has been recognized for a very long time, and more than a hundred years ago William G. Eliot wrote: “Mystery and contradiction are very different things. The former is something beyond our sight or seen imperfectly. The latter is plainly seen to be untrue. …we know enough to see that two contradictory statements cannot both be true. …So when Messiah asserts that he did not know of a certain future event (see Mark 13:32), the assertion that he was nevertheless Omniscient, is evidently a denial of what he said” (Discourses on the Doctrines of Christianity, American Unitarian Association, Boston, 1870, p. 6).


The supposed “dual nature” of Messiah is never stated in the Bible and contradicts the Bible and the laws of nature that Elohim set up. Nothing can be 100% of two different things. Yeshua cannot be 100% Elohim and 100% man; that is not a “mystery,” it is a contradiction and nonsense talk. As was stated earlier in this article, the Bible clearly says in many places that Yeshua Messiah was a man, and the few verses that seem to say he was Elohim are either disputed textually or can be translated and/or understood from a Biblical Unitarian perspective. Furthermore, earlier in this article, we saw that the miracles and amazing acts that Yeshua did only showed that he walked by the power of Elohim, he did not need to be “Elohim in the flesh” to do them.


A fatal flaw in the “dual nature” theory is that both natures in Yeshua would have had to have known about each other. Yeshua’ Elohim nature would have known about his human nature. But according to Trinitarian teaching, Yeshua’ human nature knew he was Elohim, which explains why Trinitarians say Yeshua taught that he was Elohim. But if Yeshua knew he was Elohim, then Hebrews is wrong when it says that Yeshua was “made like his brothers in every respect” (Heb. 2:17). If Yeshua was 100% Elohim and 100% human at the same time, then he was not made like other humans in every way. In fact, he would have been very different from other humans in many respects. For example, in his Elohim nature he would not have been tempted by anything (James 1:13) but since his human nature had access to that knowledge and assurance, then his human part would not have been tempted either. But Hebrews says he was tempted in every way like we all are (Heb. 4:15). Furthermore, Elohim does not have the problems, uncertainty, and anxieties that humans do, and if Yeshua knew he was Elohim then he would not have had those either. Also, Luke 2:52 says Yeshua grew in wisdom, but Yeshua’ human part would have had access to his Elohim part, which would have given him infinite and inherent wisdom. Also, Hebrews says Yeshua “learned obedience” by the things that he suffered, but again, the human part of Yeshua would have accessed the Elohim part of him and he would not have needed to learn anything.


Kenotic Trinitarians claim that Yeshua put off or limited His Elohim nature, but that theology only developed to try to reconcile some of the verses about what Messiah experienced on earth, such as we have seen in Hebrews. The idea that Elohim can limit what He knows or experiences as Elohim is not taught or explained in Scripture, and Kenotic Trinitarianism has been rejected by orthodox Trinitarian for exactly that reason. The very simple way to explain the “difficult verses” that Kenotic Trinitarians are trying to explain about Messiah’s human experiences is to realize that Yeshua was a fully human being, not both Elohim and man at the same time.


Conclusion


In order to fully love and worship Elohim and Yeshua, it is important to know who they really are. Elohim, the Father, is the Creator of the universe, the Author of the plan of Salvation, the Father of Yeshua Messiah, and our One Elohim, and removing Him from that exalted position and having Him share His position as “Elohim” with two other “Persons” diminishes who He really is and what He alone has done. Furthermore, making Yeshua into Elohim, instead of elevating him, actually diminishes who he was and is, and what he accomplished and is still doing. It demeans Yeshua because his courage, mental tenacity, love, and great faith are unparalleled in human history. He went through life like each human does, with doubts and fears and concerns, and with the possibility of sin. His true greatness is lost if he is Elohim, because “with Elohim all things are possible.” Believing Yeshua is Elohim also demonstrates disbelief in Yeshua’ own words when he made statements such as “my father is greater than I” and when he prayed to the Father as “the only true Elohim.” Also, it makes it impossible for us to identify with him and strive to be like him, for how can we ever hope to live like Elohim?


By restoring the Father to His unique and singular position as Elohim, He receives all the worship, credit, respect and awe He deserves as the One True Elohim. By restoring Messiah to his position as the man approved of Elohim—the only-begotten Son of the Father, the last Adam, the one who could have sinned but voluntarily stayed obedient, the one who could have given up but loved us so much that he never did, and the one whom Elohim highly exalted to be our Lord—then Messiah receives all the worship, credit, respect, and awe that he deserves, and we can draw great strength and determination from his example.


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