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THE NATURE OF GOD AND CHRISTDoctrinal Study PaperAppendix FExplicit Scriptures?The argument is made by unitarians that the Scriptures are explicit in statements madeabout the absolute unity of God. But is that true? How does one answer the scriptures that makethe claim that there is only “one” God? First of all, it should be noted that there is no scripturethat uses the term “one God being.” Of course there are statements such as “one Lord” and “nonebeside Me.” Do these scriptures establish the case for only one member in the Godhead? It is afair question to ask and certainly deserves an answer. This appendix examines the scriptures thatare most commonly used by unitarians to proclaim the “oneness” of God and deny the divinity ofJesus Christ.There are many reasons for believing that Jesus Christ is divine and that He preexistedHis human birth. The weight of biblical evidence is clear that Jesus Christ is God (John 1:1-3).Christ is eternal and He existed before the creation. So how should the scriptures be addressedthat seem to exclude Him from being God?Exodus 3:14: “And God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM.’ And He said, ‘Thus youshall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”The question is asked why there isn’t a plural reference to God in this passage. It shouldbe noted that there are many singular references to God in the Old Testament. When Godintroduces Himself to Moses it is in the singular. This passage isn’t defining the Godhead norcounting the number of members. In John 1:18 Jesus states that “no one has seen God at anytime” and in John 5:37, when referring to the Father, He states, “You have neither heard Hisvoice at any time, nor seen His form.” Whose voice did Moses hear? When other scriptures areconsidered, it is clear that it isn’t the voice of God the Father that is being heard, but someoneelse’s voice who is identified as “I AM.” Rather than proving singularity, we see a clearstatement of plurality—one member speaking on behalf of another, yet the statement is in thefirst person.Deuteronomy 4:35: “To you it was shown, that you might know that the LORD Himself isGod; there is none other besides Him.”This section of Deuteronomy is condemning idolatry. Israel departed from Egypt and leftbehind the multitude of gods that were worshipped in that pagan society. In this context God tellsIsrael that they should worship no other God. They are to worship the true God. We know fromother scriptures that the Father and Son are one (John 10:30) and that if you have seen the Sonyou have seen the Father (John 14:9).Deuteronomy 32:39: “Now see that I, even I, am He, and there is no God besides Me; Ikill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; nor is there any who can deliver from Myhand.”Page 62September 2005© 2005 United Church of God, an International Association
THE NATURE OF GOD AND CHRISTDoctrinal Study PaperThis verse is also addressing idolatry. Notice the following verses of this chapter thatprovide a better understanding of the context:Verse 12: “So the LORD alone led him, and there was no foreign god with him.”Verse 16: “They provoked Him to jealousy with foreign gods; with abominations theyprovoked Him to anger.”Verse 17: “They sacrificed to demons, not to God, to gods they did not know, to newgods, new arrivals that your fathers did not fear.”Verse 21: “They have provoked Me to jealousy by what is not God; they have moved Meto anger by their foolish idols. But I will provoke them to jealousy by those who are nota nation; I will move them to anger by a foolish nation.”Verse 37: “He will say: ‘Where are their gods, the rock in which they sought refuge?’”2 Kings 19:15: “Then Hezekiah prayed before the LORD, and said: ‘O LORD God ofIsrael, the One who dwells between the cherubim, You are God, You alone, of all thekingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth.’”In this prayer, Hezekiah prays to God in the singular. Even in the New Testament Christinstructs us to pray to the Father, in the name of the Son. This verse doesn’t prove that there isonly one member in the Godhead, but only shows a prayer to YHWH God (Elohim, which canalso denote plurality).Isaiah 43:10: “‘You are My witnesses,’ says the LORD, ‘and My servant whom I havechosen, that you may know and believe Me, and understand that I am He. Before Methere was no God formed, nor shall there be after Me.’”This is also written in the context of idolatry. God is saying that all the foreign gods wereformed or created, but not God. This verse is not defining the Godhead but simply contrastingthe Godhead with the idols built by the nations. Other verses in this chapter are quite revealing.If this verse were taken to mean that only the Father is God, it would deny the divinity of Christwho is also God.Verse 11 continues: “I, even I, am the LORD, and besides Me there is no savior.” Yet inthe New Testament we find that Jesus Christ is the “only” savior. Notice the following verseswhich illustrate that Christ is our Savior: John 4:42; Acts 5:31; Acts 13:23; 2 Timothy 1:10; 2Peter 1:11. But we know Christ is not the only Savior as the verses below show. In the ultimatesense God the Father is our Savior as well.1 Timothy 1:1: “Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the commandment of God our Saviorand the Lord Jesus Christ, our hope…”Page 63September 2005© 2005 United Church of God, an International Association
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