A “trinitarian” is one who believes in the doctrine of the “Trinity.” The word “Trinity” can be defined as “God is one God who at the same time subsists in three Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The non-trinitarian “rejects the mainstream Christian theology of the Trinity—the belief that God is three distinct persons who are coeternal, coequal, and indivisibly united in one being, or essence.” There are many religious groups who are non-trinitarians but the most well-known are the Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons). They especially focus their attention on the Jesus Christ who claimed to be the Son of God, vehemently denying that He is eternal and coequal with God the Father. I want to quote several scriptures which prove that Jesus Christ was the eternal Son of God. We will also see that one must believe He is coequal with God the Father or they will NOT be saved, but condemned to eternal wrath.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father…No one has seen God at any time…The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him” (John 1:1, 14, 18).  Here we learn that the eternal Son (also called “the Word”) was “with God” and “was God.”  At some point He “became flesh and dwelt among us” in order to manifest God before men. In short, the only begotten Son became a true Man (see Luke 1:26-35) who remained holy (without sin…see Hebrews 7:26). He was indeed “God manifest in the flesh” (1st Timothy 3:16).

“When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, ‘Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?’ So they said, ‘Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’ He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered and said, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’ Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I also say that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:13-18). We are taught in these verses that men must know and confess that Jesus is “the Christ, the Son of the living God” in order to be saved and to become part of the true church that Jesus was going to build. On another occasion Jesus said to those who denied He was the Son of God, “You are from beneath; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for IF YOU DO NOT BELIEVE THAT I AM HE, YOU WILL DIE IN YOUR SINS” (John 8:23-24).

“For many deceivers have gone out into the world, WHO DO NOT CONFESS JESUS CHRIST AS COMING IN FLESH. This is a deceiver and an antichrist…Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son.” These words are clear and plain. One who does not believe that Jesus Christ is “God manifest in the flesh” is against Christ and “does not have God.” John 3:18 & 36 teach us that they are condemned to eternal judgment, “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but HE WHO DOES NOT BELIEVE IS CONDEMNED ALREADY, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God…He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and HE WHO DOES NOT BELIEVE THE SON SHALL NOT SEE LIFE, BUT THE WRATH OF GOD ABIDES ON HIM.”

Jesus taught that He deserved “equal honor with the Father” (John 5:21-23) and that “He and the Father are one” (John 10:30). He never reproved anyone for calling Him “God” (see John 6:68-69 and 20:28). I will close by saying the Holy Spirit is also God (the Third Person of the Holy Trinity) and this is easily seen by reading Matthew 28:19 and Acts 5:3-5.  (DO)  (585.5)