The Father and Jesus Compared
Characteristic
God the Father (Yahweh)
Jesus Christ
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Worship Others?
Worships no one. He is God!
The Father:
John 4:22; Mark 14:26; Hebrews 2:12.
Jesus worshiped God. God (the Father) doesn’t worship Himself. Jesus said, “You worship what you do not know; ‘we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews’” (John 4:22). The Apostle Mark wrote, “26 And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives” (Mark 14:26) [1]. Jesus said, “I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise” (Hebrews 2:12). Trinitarian translations (ESV, NKJV, NASB, etc.) purposefully didn’t place these problematic words of Jesus in red.
[1] This verse doesn’t explicitly state that this hymn was sung to God. A consideration of the other verses makes this likely.
Characteristic
God the Father (Yahweh)
Jesus Christ
Called “one” or “only God?”
Deuteronomy 4:35, 39; 6:4; 32:39; 2 Samuel 7:22; 2 Samuel 22:32;1 Kings 8:60; 19:15; 1 Chronicles 17:20; Nehemiah 9:6; Psalm 18:31; Isaiah 37:20; 43:10; 44:8; 45:; 45:14; 45:18; 45:21; 46:9; Zechariah 14:9;
New Testament: Mark 10:18; 12:29; John 5:44; 17:3; Romans 3:30; 1 Corinthians 8:4-6; Galatians 3:20, etc.
Abundant verses establish the Father as the one and only God. No Bible verse includes Jesus and/or the Holy Spirit within the definition of one God. Strikingly, Jesus called the Father, “the only God” (John 5:44), “the one true God” (John 17:3), “God alone” (Mark 10:18), and “the Lord our God, the Lord is one” (Mark 12:29).
Characteristic
God the Father (Yahweh)
Jesus Christ
Has a God?
“I am God:”
Genesis 17:1, 35:11, 46:3, 10, 50:7; Isaiah 43:12, etc.
God the Father is “GOD” in the absolute sense throughout the entire Bible. Jesus was/is subordinate to God. He called God, “my Father and your Father, to my God and your God” (John 20:17). Paul called God, “Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 15:6), “the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 1:3), and “the God and Father of the Lord Jesus” (2 Corinthians 11:31). Peter called God, “the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!” (1 Peter 1:3). John the Apostle, speaking of Jesus said, “and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father” (Revelation 1:6). Jesus called the Father, “my God” (Revelation 3:12). Since Jesus, Paul, Peter and John believed that Jesus had a God, so should we.
Characteristic
God the Father (Yahweh)
Jesus Christ
Has a Father?
He is the Father
Has a Father:
Romans 15:6; 2 Corinthians 1:3, 11:31; Colossians 1:3; Ephesians 1:3; 1 Peter 1:3.
Because God is “GOD,” he doesn’t have a Father. Paul believed that Jesus had a Father who was God Himself: “the God and Father of our Lord Jesus” (Romans 15:6), “the God and Father of the Lord Jesus” (2 Corinthians 1:3), “The God and Father of the Lord Jesus” (11:31), “God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Colossians 1:3), “the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 1:3). Peter believed this also, “the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!” (1 Peter 1:3). Do you believe that Jesus has a Father who is God?
Characteristic
God the Father (Yahweh)
Jesus Christ
Is Begotten?
Never Begotten
Is a begotten God
John 1:1
God the Father is not begotten because He always existed. However, Jesus is. John 1:18 should say (ESV), “only begotten God,” but states, “the only God” (ESV). The word “only” in bold is a more friendly Trinitarian substitute for the words “only begotten.” The Greek manuscripts don’t contain the word “only” (μόνον), but the word “begotten” (μονογενής). The NKJV has, “only begotten Son” (with the word “God” in the margin). The Olive Tree Enhanced Strong’s Dictionary states for this word: “1. single of its kind, only used of only sons or daughters (viewed in relation to their parents) used of Christ, denotes the only begotten son of God” (accessed 10/2017).
Characteristic
God the Father (Yahweh)
Jesus Christ
Sits on the central throne?
Only the Father
At right hand of Father’s throne:
Psalms 110:1; Mark 16:19; Matthew 26:64; Romans 8:34; Ephesians 1:20; Colossians 3:1.
God sits on the central throne. This determination can be made because Jesus sits at the right hand of the Father’s throne. There are many verses that attest to this fact; some are listed above.
In Matthew 20:20, Jesus was approached by a mother desiring that her sons sit at the right and left of Jesus in His kingdom. Remarkably, Jesus goes on to state, “but to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father” (23). Notably, the Father is greater than Jesus because He decides this matter and Jesus sits to the right of God’s central throne.
Characteristic
God the Father (Yahweh)
Jesus Christ
Was a prophet?
Deuteronomy 18:15, 17-19; Acts 3:22-23.
In Deuteronomy 18:15, God (Yahweh) “will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers…” The Lord God here is not Jesus Christ. If Jesus is equal to the Father, why is God calling the shots?
In verse 18, God says, “And I will put my words in his mouth, and he [Jesus] shall speak to them all that I command him.” Again, why is God sovereign over Jesus? Trinitarians teach that the subordination of Jesus was only functional and ontological. But the Bible doesn’t state this anywhere. The doctrine of the Trinity is a man-made, 4th century Roman Catholic Church doctrine that elevates Jesus over His Father.
Characteristic
God the Father (Yahweh)
Jesus Christ
Has been promoted/exalted?
God cannot be promoted.
Acts 2:33; Philippians 2:9; Hebrews 1:9; 2:7-9
Jesus Christ was exalted to His current position as Lord by God the Father. This exaltation springs from His obedience and sacrifice:
“Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit…” (Acts 2:33).
“And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore [because of what He did] God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:8-11).
This exaltation indicates that Jesus was not equal. It’s impossible to exalt someone to a position they already had.
Characteristic
God the Father (Yahweh)
Jesus Christ
Called Himself God?
“I am God:”
Genesis 17:1, 35:11, 46:3, 10, 50:7; Isaiah 43:12
“Son of God”
Luke 1:32, 35, 14:33; John 1:14, 10:36, etc.
It’s remarkable that most Christians believe that Jesus is equal to the Father, yet He never claimed to be God [1]. While Jesus was a god or divine [2], when the rich young man called Jesus, “good teacher,” Jesus quickly transferred this praise back to the Father who is greater: “And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone” (Mark 10:18). Jesus calls His Father “God alone” because there are many good and evil gods in the Bible (good gods: angels, judges Moses, etc.; bad gods: satan, idols, etc.). There is only one God (absolute sense) who is His God and Father (John 17:3).
[1] In John 10:34-35, Jesus defended Himself against the false charge of blasphemy by appealing to the existence of other gods (Psalm 82). While not stated explicitly, implicitly Jesus is justifying his existence as “a God.”
[2] In John 1:1, both God the Father and the Word are called “God.” However, Trinitarian Bible versions purposefully mistranslated this verse (or omit a footnote with an explanation). John 1:1 includes three clauses: 1. “In the beginning was the word”; 2. “and the word was with God”; 3. “and the word was God.” The second clause in the Greek, has the direct article “the” before God (the Father): “the Word" [Jesus] was “with [the] God.” Note: the article “the” is found in the Greek and omitted in En-glish versions. Because this is an important inspired distinction, at least a footnote should be present in modern Bible versions. This is because in the third clause, the Word (pre-incarnate) is called “God” (no direct article).
In his Gospel, John made an important distinction between the Father (“the God”) and Jesus [no direct article] “god.” The omission of the direct article (“the”) for Jesus means that Jesus is “divine” or “a god.” All Trinitarian Bible translations pretend that John also called Jesus “the God” in the ab-solute sense, thereby making the contradiction that Jesus is the same God He was with (“and the Word was God”).
Characteristic
God the Father (Yahweh)
Jesus Christ
Can be tempted?
Psalm 5:4; James 1:13
“Son of God”
Luke 1:32, 35, 14:33; John 1:14, 10:36, etc.
Jesus was tempted by satan. If Jesus was/is God (Trinitarian view), it’s incomprehensible and contradictory: “…For God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one” (James 1:1).
Characteristic
God the Father (Yahweh)
Jesus Christ
Can Die?
God is Immortal:
1 Timothy 4:17, 6:16; Romans 1:23
Romans 5:8, etc.
God (Yahweh) cannot die: “who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen” (1 Timothy 6:16). See also 1 Timothy 1:17 and Romans 1:23.
Jesus died 100%. If Jesus didn’t die, he didn’t rise from the grave. If Jesus didn’t die, we are still dead in our sins. But since Jesus died, he was mortal and therefore was not the “alone” God who “has immortality” (1 Timothy 6:16).
Characteristic
God the Father (Yahweh)
Jesus Christ
The One God of Monotheism?
Deuteronomy 6:4-9; Mark 12:29; 1 Corinthians 8:4-6; John 17:3.
The true meaning of monotheism is the belief that God the Father (Yahweh) is the one true God. Monotheism is the core component of the Shema: “4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one” (Deuteronomy 6:4). The word “one” means one, not two or three gods. Jesus taught that the Father was the one true God (never Himself):
“29 The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” 32 And the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher. You have truly said that he is one, and there is no other besides him. 33 And to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” 34 And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God” (Mark 12:29-34). For other affirmations from Jesus of monotheism, see John 5:44, 17:3 and Mark 10:18. Paul also affirmed that the one God was only the Father: Romans 3:30; 1 Corinthians 8:4-6; Galatians 3:20.
Characteristic
God the Father (Yahweh)
Jesus Christ
Is mediator?
He is God!
1 Timothy 2:5
”For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5).
Because of God’s greatness, He has a mediator. The one God is the Father. Jesus is never the “one God” in the Bible.
Characteristic
God the Father (Yahweh)
Jesus Christ
Seen by Men?
Because of Yahweh’s exceeding greatness, no human can see Him in the flesh and live (John 6:46; Colossians 1:15; 1 Timothy 6:16; 1 John 4:12;).
Characteristic
God the Father (Yahweh)
Jesus Christ
Created Universe?
Genesis 1:1; Acts 17:24, etc.
Agent
Colossians 1:16; John 1:3; Hebrews 1:2
Most passages describe God (the Father) as creator of the universe (Genesis 1:1, 1-2; Job 38:4; Psalm 33:6; Proverbs 3:19; Jeremiah 32:17; Acts 17:24; Revelation 10:6, etc.). Some even testify that God created the world alone (Isaiah 44:24; Nehemiah 9:6, etc.). Other passages describe Jesus as creator.
This is not a contradiction. The passages that place Jesus at creation indicate He was an agent of God. That is, the world was created indirectly (through) Him: “3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made” (John 1:3). “10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him” (John 1:10). “…and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist” (1 Corinthians 8:6b). “16 For by [1] him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him” (Colossians 1:16). “2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world” (Hebrews 1:2).
[1] While the word “by” is used here in most translations, the summary of this verse (same verse) states, “all things were created through him and for him.” Also, the word “by” at the beginning of the verse has a range of meaning to include “in connection with” (A Greek–English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 3rd edition,327-328).
Characteristic
God the Father (Yahweh)
Jesus Christ
Called YAHWEH?
The doctrine of the Trinity teaches that Jesus is not the Father. Yet Trinitarians often teach that Jesus is Yahweh. But Jesus never, ever claimed to be the Father. There are known heresies that teach that God and Jesus are the same person, notably Oneness and Modalism.
Characteristic
God the Father (Yahweh)
Jesus Christ
Knows all things?
Matthew 24:36; Mark 13:32
Jesus never claimed to know everything. He didn’t know when He would return back to earth (Matthew 24:36). Because the Father is God (absolute sense), He knows all things.
Copyright © 2017
Absolutely brilliant – these columns and the red and green buttons are a good idea!
Thanks very much for this work!
If you, disciples, have seen me. you have seen the Father. He came to His own, the Jews, but His own received Him not.
May I ask, Who owns a nation?
Yahusha is a “spitting image” of His Father! JUST LIKE many sons on earth look EXACTLY LIKE their earthly fathers! This verse does NOT by any means imply that the SON is ALSO His Own FATHER. That’s absurd!
Joh 1:18 No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.
Just like an earthly father can NOT father himself to be his own son, just so this same earthly physical law applies to our Heavenly Father and His Son! – 1Co 15:46
I do not hold the same views as you. I hold to a Trinity, although many of the points you have made here I previously at some point asked myself.
This topic is fascinating. One of the difficulties in this is, if you examined the Trinitian claim, the reason Jesus could not say out right He is God is because, that would mean the Father is God and Jesus is God. Such claims would be interputed as Unitarian, with Jesus = Father = God. Clearly Jesus and the Father are expressed as different persons in the scripture.
The New Testament writters went to great lengths to show both oneness and the different roles and relationships between the Father, the son and the Spirit.
I don’t read Greek so will defer to good authorities on begotten question in John 1. I will point out that the flesh of Jesus in the Trinity was begotten of Mary and Jesus we would say is the only son of the Father, in the sence he proceeded from the Father as the Word externally. I will try to illustrate this the best I can.
My thoughts are always my thoughts. I didn’t create my thought life, they are a part of me, they maybe very different from how I physically behave. My thoughts life helps me reason with myself about differing ideas. It’s almost an inner personality that’s at work within me. I do communicate my thoughts against my reasoning before I physically act. God’s thoughts are clearly far greater than yours or mine.
Another example is our flesh and Spirits clearly wrestle. We must subject our flesh, crucify it ect… So we can walk according to the Spirit. We see clear examples of different wills, wants and desires inside of us. They have a relationship with one another. Yet in the idea state one is put to death so they can work in harmony.
God similarly has three persons that can work in harmony as the Father spends the Son, who reveals the Father. The Father and Son spend the Spirit whom reveals the son. The Spirit searches the mind of the Father and reveals it to the Son.
The Bible reveals three persons in God that work in unity, taking different roles and submitting not because one is of greater significance or value than another but, so they can work together as one in unity.
Marriage is the same concept. Man is not superior to woman but, is chosen to lead. Not to oppress or Lord over women, but to serve and Love. The have equal value but differing roles. Men cannot give birth to life but women can.
God doesn’t need an agent. His has a person called the Word of God that is and has always been God’s agent for changing, building and restoring the world. When God needed a perfect man, the Word became flesh, putting on humanity so, he Himself could be God, Mediator and Servant. He had power in Himself to bring together both parties because He became both parties. He had the interest of both perfect represented. He was the perfect High Priest and mediator. Hence the Blood of Jesus is called God’s own blood.
I won’t go on anymore. Just wanted to share my stance. Thank you for your time and may God guide us to all truth.
The fact that the Lord Jesus is the proper recipient prayer demonstrates that He is God.
Most Christians (to include myself) pray to the Father in the name of Jesus Christ. How does this prove the Trinity?
I wrote that it demonstrates the Lord Jesus is God.
1 Kings 8:38-39 (NASB)
whatever prayer…is made…then hear in heaven….for You alone know the hearts of all the sons of men.
Only God fully knows the hearts of all so only God is the proper recipient of prayer.
The Lord Jesus is the proper recipient of prayer which demonstrates the Lord Jesus is God.
No, it doesn’t demonstrate that he is God. People can pray to Baal, but that doesn’t make him God.
The reason you have to come up with these arbitrary rules is that NOWHERE in the Scripture does it say “Jesus is God.” Not in John 1 or John 20. Not in Colossians 1 or Philippians 2. Not a single place. But over and over again YHWH is called the one God very clearly with an “IS” statement.
The Biblical authors weren’t trying to keep a special secret. You just read that INTO the text because it’s what you’ve been taught. If you’d never have heard of a trinity, you wouldn’t read it into the text.
It’s a shame people refuse to actually read the Scriptures, cover to cover, to see what they say instead of traking bits and pieces out of context to try and prove what they don’t say.
I wrote, “the Lord Jesus is the proper recipient of prayer” to which you countered by referring to the fact that people can pray to Baal.
That is my point. Baal was prayed to, but it was “not proper” to do so.
The Lord Jesus is the proper recipient of prayer which demonstrates He is God. That is the difference.
It’s a shame you resorted to an argument which I already refuted in my first post.
Hi just came across this site. Excellent work. I see you address Trinitarians, I am a Oneness Pentecostal. How would you deal with them. They both believe Jesus is the god/man howbeit in different ways..
You’re missing a couple characteristics:
Is worshipped? God the Father (Yahweh) YES Jesus Christ YES
[Only God] Exodus 34:14, Matthew 4:10 [Jesus worshipped] Matthew 2:11, 14:33, Luke 24:52, John 9:38
Is “the First and the Last”? God the Father (Yahweh) YES Jesus Christ YES
Isaiah 44:6, Revelation 1:11,17
You did not deal with the evidence presented. Instead, your two suggestions don’t teach the doctrine of the Trinity.
Because others outside the Father and Jesus were worshiped in the Bible, the worship of Jesus is not a valid argument. Also, the word ‘worship’ in Hebrew and Greek doesn’t have the same meaning in western culture.
A search in the Old Testament for the word ‘worship’ (Hebrew Lemma: חוה) produces 170 results. But a search in most translations of the Old Testament in English produces fewer results. The ESV only uses the word ‘worship’ 111 times. This divergence is because there is no English equivalent word for the Hebrew word חוה (lemma).
The Old Testament is unwavering that man was not to worship any other god. It says, “14 “(for you shall worship [Hebrew lemma: חוה] no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God)” (Ex 34:14). This verse is just one of many where the Hebrew lemma חוה is used to donate worship that was only to be applied to God.
Most Christians are not taught in Trinitarian churches that humans are sometimes worshiped in the Bible. One verse of many says, “8 Afterward David also arose and went out of the cave, and called after Saul, “My lord the king!” And when Saul looked behind him, David bowed with his face to the earth and paid homage” (1 Sa 24:8).
On the surface, this verse as translated does not communicate that king David worshiped King Saul (‘paid homage’). But Hebrew has the same word ‘worship’ (Hebrew lemma חוה) that was to only be applied to God (Ex 34:14). So king David fell down and worshiped King Saul. There are several such verses in the Old Testament. Here are just a few: 1 Samuel 28:14, 2 Samuel 2:9, 1 Kings 1:53, 1 Chronicles 29:20, etc.
David’s worship of King Saul appears to contradict verses such as Ex 34:14 where only God was to be worshiped. But there is no contradiction. Most Christians interpret the Bible with a western mindset far removed from the historical culture when written. Man was not to worship any person as God. The worship of others not as God was not forbidden. While exclusive worship as almighty God only belonged to God.
This thread continues into the New Testament. The wise men bowed down and worshiped Jesus (Matthew 2:11). But they worshipped Jesus as the messiah. A messiah is not God. A messiah is sent and anointed by God. The Old Testament is explicit that the messiah would not be Yahweh: Deuteronomy 18:15-18, Micah 5:4, Psalm 2:2,7, 45:7,89:26, 110:1, Isaiah 42:1-3, 53:6, 61:1, Jeremiah 30:9.
In Philippians 2, after describing how God exalted Jesus because of his faithfulness, it instructs how Jesus is to be worshipped: “11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Php 2:11). Jesus should be worshipped because God exalted him. It gives great glory to God the Father when Jesus is worshipped as Lord.
I don’t have time now to expand in detail on your claim for the “first and the last.” The short answer is that Jesus is “first and the last” in the context of the one who died and lives (Revelation 1:18, 2:8), while the Father is the “first and the last” in the context of the exclusive God (Isaiah 41:4, 44:6, 48:12). One should not mistake Jesus for the Father.
How in your viewpoint do you deal with the “I AM” claims that Jesus made if he is not God?
Hi Connie,
The teaching that Jesus quoted the personal name of God (“I am”) in John 8:58 and applied it to Himself is respectfully in error. The phrase “I am” is not a name. No author applied it as such in the Bible. If I say “I am who I am” this does not make it a name. God is stating that He is who He is. God has one exclusive name. It is Yahweh (Deuteronomy 4:35).
The Greek phrase Ἐγώ εἰμι (“I am”) is found 47 times in the New Testament. Others in the New Testament used the phrase “Ἐγώ εἰμι” without any reference to Yahweh (Exodus 3:14). This includes the disciples (Matthew 26:22), Judas (Matthew 26:25), false Christs (Mark 13:6, Luke 21:8), the angel Gabriel (Luke 1:19), the former blind man (John 9:9), the Apostle Peter (Acts 10:21), and the Apostle Paul (Acts 22:3, 26:29). Because the phrase “Ἐγώ εἰμι” was regularly used in sentence with no reference to Exodus 3:13, one should exercise exceptional caution applying it to Exodus 3:14. Even in the English language we use the phrase “I am” within sentences. A search in Koine Greek indicates that Jesus used the phrase “Ἐγώ εἰμι” 39 times. Not one use is a quote or illusion to Exodus 3:14.
Jesus stated earlier in the chapter that the Jews were seeking for a reason to kill Him. Jesus stated why: “you seek to kill me because my word finds no place in you” (John 8:37). In John 8:40, Jesus provides another reason why the Jews wanted to kill Him, “but now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God…” Notice he heard this truth from God. Not that he is almighty God.
This background information is essential for understanding John 8:58-59. Because the Jews were already seeking a reason to kill Jesus, his statement in John 8:58 to pre-exist Abraham (“58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was I am”) further infuriated them. While it is possible that Jesus is claiming to exist in the mind of God before Abraham, I prefer the interpretation that Jesus had a pre-human existence in another life form.
Another important point should not be overlooked. Trinitarians who believe that the Jews were seeking to kill Jesus because He claimed to be the “I am” of Exodus 3:14, take sides with those in the context (John 8) who wanted to kill Jesus. As I former Trinitarian I did not realize I sided with a false argument made by those who wanted to kill Jesus.
It’s also not certain that the accusers stated that he was making himself God (in the absolute sense). It could be they were accusing Jesus of making himself “a god.” Koine Greek did not have an indirect article “a.” The context and grammar spoken at that time in history would decide how the word “god” was understood.
The context of John 8:57 contains a question posed to Jesus about His age in relation to Abraham. I think that Jesus is saying in verse 58 that He lived BEFORE Abraham (“Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am”). I think that Jesus’ claim of preexistence to Abraham (who some Jews believed was their father) was the point of the conversation where the Jews could no longer hold back their hatred and furry.
In Christ!