Interpretations of Jesus

Principals

Concerns about Unitarians from a Trinitarian view

Trinitarian concern Unitarian response
Unitarians are "antichrists" (1 John 1:1-2; 4:2). This because of a misunderstanding of 1 John.
Unitarians are "heretics" according to the earliest known Church fathers. The church's opinion does not matter.
Unitarians are "blaspheming" against God, because they reduce Jesus to a human. This is not a Unitarian idea. It is written in scripture that Jesus was a human.
Unitarians will go to hell because they do not believe Jesus is God. The bible records that thousands got saved without the knowing that "Jesus is God".

Concerns about Trinitarians from a Unitarian view

Unitarian concern Trinitarian response
Trinitarians practise idolatry by worshipping and serving Jesus. Jesus is God, therefore it is impossible to idolize him.
Trinitarians gives God's glory to a human Jesus which defies the purpose God created us (Ephesians 1:3-6). It does not matter to whom you give the glory because they are equal.

Why was the world created?

  • Trinitarians: To serve Jesus
  • Unitarians: To glorify and love the Father
Scripture Trinitarian argument Counter argument
Colossians 1:13-17; Hebrews 1:1-2 We were created to serve Jesus context
Scripture Unitarian argument Counter argument
Mark 12:33 Our purpose is to love the Father and each other. godhead
Ephesians 1:3-6 We were created to be adopted by the Father for His glory when we praise Him. godhead

God's glory

Question Trinitarian answer Unitarian answer
How did God proved His love? God proved His love by suffering as a limited human being until death. God proved His love by sending "His only beloved son" (John 3:16-17 KJV) with whom he is "well pleased" (Mark 1:11) to suffer and die in our place.
Did God proved He can beat the devil as a human (Hebrews 2:14)? God proved that He can beat the devil without using His almighty power. A real human (not a God restraining Himself) can beat the devil.
Did God sacrificed His son? Concern: God would commit child sacrifice if He sacrificed His own son (Leviticus 18:21; Deuteronomy 12:31). Jesus could had bailed out (Luke 4:2; Matthew 26:39; Mark 14:36), but choose to proceed with God's plan (John 4:34, 5:30, 6:38) because they were in agreement on it (John 10:30).
Is God a sadist? According to John 3:16, God would be a sadist if He sacrifice someone else for His own pleasure. God had pleasure in saving the world (1 Timothy 2:3-4). Death gives God no pleasure (Ezekiel 18:32, 33:11). John 3:16 does not say God send His son to be tutored, but instead to save the world.
Does Jesus obedience glorified God? No, because there are no glory in self-obedience. Yes, despite the persecution and several opportunities to bail out (Luke 4), Jesus still choose to obey God (John 17:4).
Does God glorify Himself? Yes, self-glorification is a form of boasting. No, as the Son is distinct from the Father they can truly glorify each other (John 13:31, 17:1).
Does God witness to Himself? Yes, that is why we need to believe in Jesus. No, as the Son is distinct from the Father they can independently witness each other (John 8:17-18; 1 John 5:9).
Has God always been holy? No, He temporarily became contaminated (unholy) to bear our sin. Yes, his Son became cursed with sin (Galatians 3:13; Isaiah 53:6; 1 Peter 2:24) without contaminating the Holy God.

Relating to the Godhead

Question Trinitarian answer Unitarian answer
What is the role of the Father? He was Jesus incarnation in the Old Testament and not relevant today. He is our Almighty God and Father.
What is the role of the Son? He is our Almighty God. He is our Lord as God's glorified Son.
What is the role of the Holy Spirit? He is the current incarnation of Jesus. It is God's Spirit (God's force that interacts with creation)
Why was these names chosen for the members of the Godhead? Jesus sometimes relate to us as a father, other times as a son and other times as a spirit. God, the Father, is Jesus' God and Father. The Son is the Father's Son. The Spirit is God's Spirit..
Are we welcome in the Godhead? No, the Trinity only allow 3 members, but Jesus will care for us like adopted sons. Yes, God "the Father" adopts us as His sons.
Which Godhead member should we worship? It does not matter, they are "equal". God the Father, as Jesus said himself.
Which Godhead member should we pray to? It does not matter, they are "equal". God the Father, as Jesus taught his discples.
Which Godhead member care for us? It does not matter, they are "equal". God the Father, Who personally interacts with His creation through His Spirit.

Relating to Jesus

Question Trinitarian answer Unitarian answer
Would Jesus have been born if mankind did not sin? No, he would have stayed divine because it would have been unnecessary to solve mankind's sin problem. Yes, his birth was planned by God even before the fall of mankind (John 1; 1 John 1-2).
Does Jesus truly understand our needs, suffering and desires? Yes, because he is omniscient, but because he only temporarily limited himself in a human form and still had god-like power, he did not had a true human experience like us. Yes, because Jesus is real human like us.

Salvation

Both Trinitarian and the Unitarians groups agree that salvation is needed:

  • God has to end sin.
  • Because we have sinned, God is obliged to end us too (Romans 3:22-23, 5:12).
  • Therefore, sin brings separation between us and God (Isaiah 59:1-2).
  • Therefore, forgiveness of sin is essential for salvation.

However, they disagree on the solution:

Who can save us?

  • Trinitarians: Only God Himself can forgive and save us from His own wrath, therefore Jesus our saviour has to be God.
  • Unitarians: God made it possible for Christ to "pay" for our sin (Matthew 20:28; Mark 10:45; 1 Peter 1:18-19), but establishing the new blood covenant which enable Christ to reconcile God again with us. This reconciliation authority (name of Jesus), enabled Christ to forgive sin on behalf of God (as a delegate under His authority). Therefore, they are both "Saviours", but each in their own way.
Scripture Trinitarian argument Counter argument
Matthew 9:2; Mark 2:10 Jesus forgives sin against God. Therefore Jesus has to be God. assumption
Titus 2:13 (NIV) Jesus is our great God and Saviour. bad translation
Scripture Unitarian argument Counter argument
Nehemiah 9:27; 2 Kings 13:5; Obadiah 21 Humans are also considered "saviours" in the bible.
Isaiah 61:8-9; Matthew 26:26-28; Luke 22:17-20; Mark 14:22-24; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 God saved us by establishing a new blood covenant with the blood of Christ. man-part of Jesus
Revelation 7:10 Both God on the throne and the standing "Lamb" are considered "saviours". symbolic

Do we need to belief that Jesus is God to be saved?

  • Trinitarians: Yes, the early church fathers determined that those who do not believe Jesus is God, are "heretics" (or "antichrists").
  • Unitarians: No, neither Jesus, nor Peter, nor Paul preached it and thousands of people who did not know Jesus got saved.
Scripture Trinitarian argument Counter argument
The council of Nicaea determined that anyone who do not believe Jesus is God is a "heretic". theology
1 John 1:1-2; 4:2 Anyone that state that "Jesus is not God in the flesh" is the antichrist. wrong conclusion
Scripture Unitarian argument Counter argument
Luke 7:36-50 Jesus converted a woman without telling her that he is God.
Acts 2:14-47 Peter converted 3000 people without telling them Jesus is God.
Acts 13:13-44; 17:22-34 Paul converted people without telling them Jesus is God.

How is it possible keep the standards set by Jesus?

  • Trinitarians: It is impossible to keep Jesus (the God)'s standards, therefore we should only strive to be more like Jesus
  • Unitarians: Jesus demonstrated that God's standards are fair and that it is possible for a human to live according to it.
Scripture Unitarian argument Counter argument
John 13:15 Jesus commanded that we should do as he did. strive
Romans 8:29 Paul wrote we should conform to the image of Christ. strive
1 Peter 2:21 Peter say it is possible to follow Jesus. strive
1 John 2:5-6 John wrote we should walk as Jesus walked. strive

Should we worship and serve Jesus?

  • Trinitarians: Yes, as God.
  • Unitarians: Worship in the sense of respect, serve in the sense of obedience, but not "worship and serve" in the sense of sacrificial offering to a god.
Scripture Unitarian argument Counter argument
1 Samuel 7:3-4 & Matthew 4:10; Luke 4:8 Only the God, YHVH, should be "worshipped and served". demo
Matthew 4:1-2 Jesus fasted (worship a greater God). demo
Acts 24:14 Paul only worship the God of the fathers of Israel (the fathers of Israel did not knew Jesus). godhead

Should we pray to Jesus?

  • Trinitarians: Yes, as God.
  • Unitarians: No, instead we should pray to the Father.
Scripture Trinitarian argument Counter argument
John 14:12-14,16:23 When we use Jesus' name in prayers, we pray to Jesus. proven wrong
Acts 7:56-60 Stephen prayed to Jesus. assumption
Acts 9:1-6 Saul prayed to Jesus. vision
Acts 9:10-16 Ananias prayed to Jesus. vision
1 Corinthians 1:9; 1 John 1:3 We are supposed to have fellowship with Jesus. Communication is essential for fellowship. wrong conclusion
2 Corinthians 12:8-10 Paul prayed to Jesus. context
Revelation 22:20 John prayed to Jesus. assumption
Scripture Unitarian argument Counter argument
Ezra 9:5-6 Ezra prayed to the LORD (YHVH) instead. godhead
Matthew 6:9-13; Luke 11:1-2 Jesus taught that we should pray to our Father in heaven. demo
Matthew 26:39,42; John 11:41, 17:1-26 Jesus himself prayed to the Father. demo
Philippians 4:6-7; 1 Timothy 2:1-4 Paul taught that prayer requests should be made to God. interpretation

Essence

Did Jesus pre-exist?

"Pre-exist" means that Jesus already existed as a living being before he was born as Mary's child.

  • Trinitarians: Yes, as God.
  • Arians (or JW): Yes, but as a lesser divine being.
  • Strict Unitarians: No, as Matthew testified, his physical beginning ("genesis") started at his conception.
Scripture Trinitarian argument Counter argument
Genesis 3:8 Jesus was in the Garden of Eden, therefore he must have pre-existed. assumption
Deuteronomy 32:3-4 & 1 Corinthians 10:1-4 Jesus was Moses' rock. wrong conclusion
1 Samuel 2:2 & 1 Corinthians 10:1-4 Jesus was Hanna's rock. wrong conclusion
Psalm 18:2, 19:4 & 1 Corinthians 10:1-4 Jesus was David's rock. wrong conclusion
Daniel 7:13 Jesus was seen by Daniel before he was born, therefore he must have pre-existed. wrong conclusion
Psalm 2:7-12 Jesus was born when Psalm 2 was written, therefore he must have pre-existed. symbolic
Luke 2:41-52 Jesus knowledge from his pre-existence as a child. wrong conclusion
Luke 10:18 Jesus saw Satan fall from heaven. context
John 1:1-14 Jesus is "the Word" which existed before our world was created. biased translation
John 3:13 Jesus said that he descended from heaven before coming to Earth. misunderstood idiom
John 8:58 Jesus said that he existed before Abraham was born, therefore he must have pre-existed. context
John 16:27-30 Jesus said that he came forth from God, therefore he must be God's incarnation. came-forth
John 17:5 Jesus said that he had been with the father before the world existed. interpretation
Jesus created the world, therefore he must have pre-existed. multiple arguments
Jesus is eternal. multiple arguments
Scripture Unitarian argument Counter argument
Matthew 1:1 Matthew's genealogy shows that many people existed before Jesus came into existence. man-part of Jesus
Matthew 1:17-18 Matthew recorded that Jesus originated from his birth. man-part of Jesus
Galatians 4:4 Jesus was born of a woman, not an incarnation of God. man-part of Jesus
The prophecies were about a future Christ who did not exist yet. man-part of Jesus
Nature shows that a son has to be younger than his father. Therefore there has to be a period where the Son did not exist yet.

What was Jesus when he was born on Earth?

  • Trinitarians: Fully 100% God, also 100% man too (God-man). Trinitarians have different views on how this contradiction is possible:
    • Hypostatic Union: Jesus had always been God and man simultaneously. Jesus is almighty and anything is possible for him, even if it defies logic. We should believe this mystery.
    • Kenosis Theology: Jesus only temporary limited ("emptied") himself from his God-hood to have a true human experience like us.
  • Unitarians: A 100% human like us, except that he did not inherit any sin from Joseph (virgin birth) and therefore he was sinless and holy like God originally created Adam. Jesus is not God Himself, but the Son of God which means his Father is also his God.
Scripture Trinitarian argument Counter argument
John 1:14, Hebrews 1:1-4 Jesus was God's manifestation. assumption
John 1:17-18 (NLT), Titus 2:13 Jesus was God's image. bad translation
Romans 9:5 (NIV) Jesus was God's human incarnation. confusing translation
Colossians 1:15 Jesus was God's image. wrong conclusion
Colossians 2:9 Jesus' body contained God. context
1 Timothy 3:16 Jesus was God's manifestation. bad translation
1 John 1:1-2, 4:2 Jesus was God's body. wrong conclusion
Scripture Unitarian argument Counter argument
Numbers 23:19 God is not the "son of man". restriction of Jesus
Psalm 2:7 (KJV) & Acts 13:33, Hebrews 1:5,5:5 (KJV); John 1:14,18,3:16 (KJV); 1 John 4:9 (KJV) Jesus is the Father's offspring. biased translation
Psalm 90:2; Isaiah 40:27; Romans 16:26 God had always been God and never incarnated into anything else. restriction of Jesus
1 Kings 8:27 The earth cannot contain God. restriction of Jesus
Matthew 1:1-17; Luke 3:23-38 Jesus had a human genealogy. man-part of Jesus
Matthew 1:18 Matthew wrote that Jesus' "origin" (genesis), but translated as "birth" started with Mary. man-part of Jesus
Matthew 8:20; 9:6; 10:23; 11:19; 12:8, 40; 13:41; 16:13,27,28; 17:9,12,22; 18:11; 19:28; 20:18; 20:28; 24:27,30,37,39,44; 25:13(KJV),31; 26:2,24,45(KJV),64 Matthew wrote that Jesus is the promised "son of man". man-part of Jesus
Mark 2:10,28; 8:31,38; 9:9,12,31; 10:33,45; 13:26; 14:21,41,62 Mark wrote that Jesus is the promised "son of man". man-part of Jesus
Luke 5:24; 6:5; 7:34; 9:22,26,44,56(KJV),58(KJV); 11:30; 12:8,10,40; 17:22,24,30; 18:8,31; 19:10; 21:27,36; 22:22,48,69; 24:7 Luke wrote that Jesus is the promised "son of man". man-part of Jesus
Luke 24:38-43 & John 4:21-24 Jesus is human and not spirit, but God is spirit and not human. restriction of Jesus
John 1:51; 3:13,14; 5:27; 6:27,53,62; 8:28; 12:23,34; 13:31 John wrote that Jesus is the promised "son of man". man-part of Jesus
Galatians 4:4; Romans 8:29; Colossians 1:13-15,18 Paul wrote that Jesus was born. man-part of Jesus

What is Jesus today?

  • Trinitarians: Trinitarians argue among themselves on this point. Some suggest:
    • Hypostatic Union: Jesus was already God from the beginning and that his nature never changed.
    • Kenosis Theology: Jesus only temporary limited ("emptied") himself from his God-hood to have a true human experience like us.
  • Unitarians: A resurrected and exalted lord (king)
Scripture Trinitarian - Hypostatic Union argument Counter argument
Malachi 3:6 Jesus is the LORD and never changed. confusing concepts
John 1:14,18, 3:16-18, 1 John 4:9 Jesus is God's son, therefore he has to be of the same divine kind (essence). wrong conclusion
Scripture Trinitarian - Kenosis Theology argument Counter argument
Mark 1:1; John 1:39, 20:30 & Matthew 8:20; 9:6; 10:23... Jesus is both "Son of God" and "Son of Man". wrong conclusion
Acts 9:1-8 Jesus' limitation was removed so that he could appeared to Saul. wrong conclusion
Philippians 2:10-11 Jesus' exaltation means: He removed his previous human limitations. context
Scripture Unitarian argument Counter argument
Matthew 18:20 It was necessary for Jesus to return so that God's Spirit could continue God's work in the body (delegates) of Christ in the absence of Jesus godhead
Philippians 2:9-11 Jesus' exaltation means: He received great authority from God to be our Lord.
Philippians 3:21 Paul's disciples have the same type of body as Jesus. man-part of Jesus

Witnesses

What was prophesied about Jesus nature?

  • Trinitarians: Jesus is God. Every reference to "the Lord" in the Old Testament refers to our "Lord Jesus" even when the name "Jesus" is not mentioned.
  • Unitarians: Jesus is human. No Jew expected a God to be born.
Scripture Trinitarian argument Counter argument
Psalm 2 The LORD "begot" Jesus before Psalm 2 was written. wrong conclusion
Psalm 78 & Matthew 13:34-35 Jesus is God. bad correlation
Psalm 82 Jesus is God. confusing translation
Psalm 97 Jesus is God. bad quotation
Psalm 102 Jesus is God. bad quotation
Psalm 118 & Matthew 21:2; Luke 20:17; Acts 4:11; 1 Peter 2:7 Jesus is God. bad correlation
Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:23 (ESV) Jesus is called "God with us". wrong conclusion
Isaiah 9:6 Jesus is the eternal Father. biased translation
Isaiah 40:1-5 quoted by Matthew 3:1-3; Mark 1:2-3; Luke 3:4-6 John the Baptist prepared the path for God, then Jesus came. confusing subjects
Isaiah 54:13, John 6:45-46 Prophesied that God would teach, then Jesus came. bad correlation
Isaiah 61:1-2 & Luke 4:14-22 Jesus did miracles, therefore he is is God. wrong conclusion
Jeremiah 23:5-6 Jesus is the LORD God. bad correlation
Zechariah 11:4-17 quoted by Matthew 27:3-10 Both the LORD God and Jesus was priced 30 pieces of silver. biased translation
Zechariah 12:10 (NIV) Prophesied that God would be pierced, then Jesus was pierced. biased translation
Malachi 3:1 & Matthew 11:7-11 Jesus fulfilled the prophecy which implies he is "the LORD of hosts". bad correlation
Matthew 16:27-28 Jesus will return to judge the world. wrong conclusion
Matthew 25:31 Jesus will sit on a throne in heaven, therfore he is God. bad correlation
Revelation 1:8 Jesus is the Alpha and Omega which is God. confusing translation
Revelation 5:8-14 Jesus is worshipped by all angels and creatures, therefore he is God. confusing events
Scripture Unitarian argument Counter argument
Genesis 3:15 God has no ancestors, yet Jesus would be a descendant of Adam and Eve. man-part of Jesus
Genesis 49:10; Jeremiah 30:21; Micah 5:2-5 & Matthew 2:5-6 God has no ancestors, yet Jesus would be a descendant of Judah. man-part of Jesus
Deuteronomy 18:15-19 & John 5:46-47, Acts 3:22-26 Jesus would be a human prophet like Moses. man-part of Jesus
Psalm 2; Acts 13:16, 32-33 God is eternal, yet it was prophesied that Jesus would be born. man-part of Jesus
Psalm 16:8-11 & Acts 2:22,25-34; Isaiah 42:1-4 & Matthew 12:15-21; Isaiah 52:13-53:12 & Luke 22:37 God serves nobody, yet Jesus would be God's servant. demo
Psalm 110:1; Micah 5:2-5 & Matthew 2:5-6; Matthew 22:41-46 (ESV); Mark 12:35–37; Luke 20:40–44 God does not have a god, yet Jesus would have a God. man-part of Jesus
Isaiah 11:1 God has no ancestors, yet Jesus would be a descendant of Jesse. man-part of Jesus
Isaiah 11:1-2; 42:1-2; 61:1 Jesus would need God's Spirit.. man-part of Jesus
Isaiah 61:1-2 & Luke 4:14-22 Jesus is distinct from God. demo
Daniel 7:10,14,27 Jesus appeared separately before God. symbolic
Daniel 9:24-27; Zechariah 13:7-9 & Mark 14:27; Matthew 26:31 God is immortal, but Jesus would die. man-part of Jesus
Luke 1:26-37 Gabriel announced that Jesus would be the son of God, not God Himself. godhead
Revelation 1:1 God gave Jesus a revelation.
Revelation 1:4-5 God and Jesus is mentioned distinctively in the same sentence.
Revelation 4:2 & Revelation 5:2-6 God is seen distinctively from Jesus symbolic

How did Jesus identified himself?

Scripture Trinitarian argument Counter argument
Psalm 27:1, John 1:5 & John 8:12 Jesus said that he is "the light of the world" like God. bad correlation
Jesus made various equality claims to the Father.
Scripture Unitarian argument Counter argument
Matthew 16:17; John 9:35, 10:36, 17:1-5, 19:17 Jesus said that he is "the Son of God". godhead
Matthew 19:17 Jesus said that he is not God man-part
Matthew 26:39,42,53; Luke 6:12; John 11:41, 17:1 Jesus prayed to his God demo
John 5:19-30 Jesus is the Son of God. godhead
John 5:44-55, 8:49-50,54, 17:1-3 Jesus said that there is only 1 God which is not him. man-part
John 8:39-40 Jesus said that he is human. man-part
John 20:17 Jesus said that he has a God man-part

How did the believers identified Jesus?

  • Trinitarians: As God because "the Son of a God" has to be a god, but since there can only be 1 God, Jesus has to be the God.
  • Unitarians: As the Son of God or the Son of Man
Scripture Trinitarian argument Counter argument
Psalm 45 & Hebrews 1:8-9 Sons of Korah: Jesus is forever God bad quotation
Jeremiah 17:5 (NIV) We are cursed if we trust in a man, so Jesus cannot be a man. overgeneralized
Matthew 16:13-17; Acts 3:13, 4:27-30 Peter: "the Son of God" godhead
John 20:28 Thomas: "My Lord and my God!" context
Acts 20:28 (NIV) Paul: "the church of God, which he bought with his own blood." bad translation
Romans 9:5 Paul: "Christ who is God over all" confusing translation
Colossians 2:9 Paul: "the whole fullness of deity" context
Titus 2:13 (NIV) Paul: "the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ" bad translation
1 Peter 1:20-21 Peter: "Jesus are your faith and hope as God" biased translation
2 Peter 1:1 Peter: "our God and Savior Jesus Christ" biased translation
1 John 5:20 (ESV) John: Jesus is the true God confusing subjects
Scripture Unitarian argument Counter argument
Matthew 1:18 Jesus is the child of the Holy Spirit godhead
Matthew 14:25-33; Mark 6:35-37 Jesus close disciples doubted Jesus, which shows he did not belief he was God.
Matthew 16:13-19 Peter: Jesus is the Son of God godhead
Matthew 26:14-16; Mark 14:10-11 Judas Iscariot did not belief Jesus was God.
Matthew 26:34-35; Mark 14:27-29 Jesus close disciples forsook him, which shows they did not belief he in control as God.
Matthew 27:54 The centurion said Jesus is "the Son of God". godhead
Mark 1:1 Mark: Jesus is the Son of God godhead
Mark 8:21 Jesus close disciples misunderstood him, which shows Jesus was not an all knowing God.
Mark 14:32-42 Jesus close disciples did not took him seriously, which shows they did not belief he was their God.
Luke 2:52 Luke wrote that Jesus grew in favour with God, which means God is distinct from Jesus. man-part
Luke 22:55-62; John 18:15-18 Peter denied Jesus, which shows he did not believe Jesus was in control as God.
Luke 24:13-32; John 20:25 The disciples were surprised to see Jesus alive, which shows they did not belief he was an immortal God.
John 1:19,39, 20:30 John the Apostle: Jesus is the Son of God godhead
John 1:30 John the Baptist: Jesus was human. man-part
John 11:27 Martha: Jesus is the Son of God godhead
John 13:8-17 Peter argued with Jesus, something you do not do with your God.
John 14:8-9 Thomas did not believe that Jesus was omnipresent. man-part
Acts 9:20; Romans 1:1-6; Galatians 4:4-5; Ephesians 1:3,15-18; 2 Corinthians 1:19 Paul: Jesus is the Son of God godhead
Romans 5:15-17; 1 Timothy 2:5-7; 1 Corinthians 15:21-22 Paul wrote that Jesus is a man. man-part
Ephesians 1:3,15-18; Romans 15:5-6; 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 Paul wrote that Jesus has a God.
Hebrews 2:14-17 The author of Hebrews wrote that Jesus was a human. man-part
Hebrews 4:14 The author of Hebrews: Jesus is the Son of God godhead
1 Peter 1:3-5 Paul wrote that Jesus has a God.
Revelation 1:4-6 John from Patmos wrote that Jesus has a God.
Revelation 3:12 The witness ID as Jesus (Revelation 1:17-19) said that he has a God.

How did the unbelievers identified Jesus?

  • Trinitarians: It does not matter
  • Unitarians: Not God, but "the Son" of God (it confirms the believers)
Scripture Trinitarian argument Counter argument
Matthew 26:63-66 High priest: Jesus is God context
John 3:1-2 (REV) Nicodemus: Jesus "came" God. biased translation
John 5:17-18 Jews: Jesus is equal with God context
John 10:33 Jews: Jesus is God context
Scripture Unitarian argument Counter argument
Matthew 27:54 The centurion: Jesus is the Son of God man-part
John 3:1-2 (REV) Nicodemus: Jesus is a teacher "sent" from God. He also acknowledged that Jesus was distinct from God and did not respond as if he believed that Jesus was God. man-part

Did the devil belief Jesus is God?

  • Trinitarians: Yes, that is why the devil tried to tempt him.
  • Unitarians: No, God cannot be tempted. The devil never assumed to tried to disproof Jesus' god-hood. Instead, Jesus was tempted on human desires.
Scripture Trinitarian argument Counter argument
James 2:19 The devil know who God was. not-jesus
Scripture Unitarian argument Counter argument
Matthew 4:1; Luke 4:1-2,13; Hebrews 4:15 vs James 1:13 Jesus was tempted, while God cannot be tempted. demo
Matthew 4:3,6; Luke 4:3,9 The devil never asked Jesus to proof that he is God, instead he challenged his sonship. man-part of Jesus
Matthew 4:4; Luke 4:4 Jesus defend himself with a scripture that is only applicable to humans. man-part of Jesus
Matthew 4:4; Luke 4:4 The devil tempted Jesus to be disobedient to God. man-part of Jesus
Matthew 4:5-7; Luke 4:9-11 Jesus admit that he needs God's protection. man-part of Jesus
Matthew 4:8-9; Luke 4:5-6 The devil offered kingdoms to Jesus, but God would not need the devil's help.
Matthew 4:9; Luke 4:7 Only a human can worship the devil, not God. man-part of Jesus
Matthew 4:10; Luke 4:8 Jesus said only God (not himself) should be worshipped. man-part of Jesus
Matthew 4:6-7; Luke 4:12 Both Jesus and the devil agrees that God is someone distict from Jesus. godhead

Sacrifice

Why was Jesus baptized?

  • Trinitarians: To set an example for us.
  • Unitarians: To "fulfill all righteousness" with his God.
Scripture Trinitarian argument Counter argument
Jesus only demonstrated how we should baptize and dedicate ourselves to Him. assumption
Scripture Unitarian argument Counter argument
Matthew 3:13-17 Jesus was baptized out of obedience to be accepted by God. demo
Matthew 3:13-17; John 17:17-19 Jesus was dedicated for God's special purpose. demo
Mark 1:9; Acts 19:4 God does not repent (Numbers 23:19), yet Jesus was baptized into repentance. demo

Why was Jesus' sacrifice necessary?

Scripture Trinitarian argument Counter argument
Matthew 5:17; Hebrews 8:7-13 Jesus deprecated His Own previous laws (as God) biased translation
Romans 5:6-8 Jesus had to proof that he loves us. assumption
Hebrews 2:14 God had to bargain a fair price with the devil to buy us back. unknown author
Hebrews 2:14-15 God has to proof that He can defeat the devil as a human. unknown author
Hebrews 7:27, 10:11-14 Jesus was a divine high priest. unknown author
Jesus as a Jew, had to pay the price for breaking the Old Covenant. assumption
Scripture Unitarian argument Counter argument
Matthew 16:17; John 4:21-26 Jesus had to have human blood, God is spirit man-part of Jesus
Isaiah 61:8-9; Matthew 20:28; Mark 10:45; Luke 22:17-20; John 3:16-18; Romans 3:21-26, 5:6-19, 6:10-23; 1 Corinthians 15:6-22; Galatians 3:13, 4:3-9; Ephesians 2:12-22; Titus 2:9-14; 1 Peter 1:18-19; 1 John 2:2,4:9-10 God established the new blood covenant by "paying" with His only-begotten Son's blood (redemption prize) to enable reconciliation with us. symbolic

What was sacrificed for our sin?

  • Trinitarians: God in a human form
  • Unitarians: A real human Christ
Scripture Trinitarian argument Counter argument
John 3:16; Romans 5:6-8 God cannot proof His love unless He sacrificed Himself. assumption
Romans 5:8 1 human sacrifice is not sufficient to pay for all humanity's sin. Only an infinite God can redeem infinite sin. assumption
Romans 8:34 God would be a sadist if he sacrifice someone else for His own pleasure. wrong conclusion
Philippians 2:7 (ESV) God "emptied" Himself to experience human pain, humiliation and death. bad translation
If Jesus was a human, then God could have sacrificed anyone. wrong conclusion
Scripture Unitarian argument Counter argument
Isaiah 6:3 vs 1 Peter 2:24 God is holy, yet Jesus took the sin of the world upon himself. godhead
Malachi 3:6 & Deuteronomy 21:21-23 A divine being could not have been sacrificed because it needs to die. godhead
Matthew 16:17; John 4:21-26 Jesus had to have blood and flesh, God is spirit man-part of Jesus
Mark 10:45; Romans 8:34; 1 Corinthians 15:21-22 Jesus died and Jesus was resurrected, not God. godhead
John 4:24 & Leviticus 17:11 God is spirit and a sacrifice require blood. godhead
Colossians 1:15 vs 1 John 1:1 God is invisible, yet many witnessed Jesus' crucifixion. godhead
1 Timothy 1:17 vs Acts 3:18, 17:3, 26:23 An invincible God cannot suffer like Jesus did. godhead
An Almighty God could not have been sacrificed.
A God-man could not have been sacrificed.
An avatar of God could not have been sacrificed.
A God-like Jesus' suffering would not have been real.
A temporary human incarnated Jesus, would not have lost anything. So no payment would have been done.
A real human Jesus with no superpowers would earn more honour than an actor who is actually divine.
A distinct human Jesus who still choose to follow through with God's plan would glorify God more than anything else.

Power

Who created the world?

  • Trinitarians: Jesus as God
  • Unitarians: Not Jesus, but God
Scripture Trinitarian argument Counter argument
Malachi 2:10 The "Him" in John 1:10 refers to Jesus and quotes Malachi. confusing concepts
John 1:1-3 Jesus as "the Word" was the Creator. biased translation
Acts 3:14-15 Jesus is the "Author of life". biased translation
1 Corinthians 8:6 The Father gave the command, but Jesus did the actual creation work. confusing translation
Colossians 1:13-17 Jesus created the world. context
Hebrews 1:2 The Father made through Jesus the world. confusing translation
Scripture Unitarian argument Counter argument
Psalm 33:6-9; 95:3-6; 148:5; Isaiah 44:24, 45:12, 48:13; Romans 4:17; Revelation 4:11 God alone created the world, not Jesus. godhead

Is Jesus the Father God?

Scripture Trinitarian argument Counter argument
Deuteronomy 30:20 & John 1:4, 6:35, 11:25-36, 14:6 Both the Father and Jesus is called "the Life". bad correlation
2 Kings 19:22; Psalm 1:22, 78:41, 89:18... & Luke 1:35; Acts 2:27, 13:35; Hebrews 7:26 Both the Father and Jesus is called "Holy". bad correlation
Psalm 23:1, 95:7; Isaiah 40:11; Ezekiel 34:2 & John 10:14 Both the Father and Jesus is called "the Shepherd". bad correlation
Psalm 27:1; Isaiah 60:1-5,19-20; 1 John 1:5-7 & John 1:5, 3:19, 8:12 Both the Father and Jesus is called "the Light". bad correlation
Psalm 55:22 & Matthew 11:30 Both the Father and Jesus carries our burdens. bad correlation
Isaiah 41:4, 44:6, 48:12; Revelation 1:8, 21:5-8, 22:13 & Revelation 1:17 Both the Father and Jesus is called "the First and the Last". bad correlation
Isaiah 43:11; 1 Timothy 1:1, 2:3, 4:10 ... & Philippians 3:20; 2 Peter 1:11, 2:20, 3:18 ... Both the Father and Jesus is called "the Saviour" bad correlation
Isaiah 54:5-10, Hosea 2:16-20 & 2 Corinthians 11:2 (NLT), Ephesians 5:25-27, Revelation 21:9-11 Both the Father and Jesus will marry the Church. symbolic
Matthew 10:40; Mark 9:37; Luke 9:48; John 12:44 The Father is received, when Jesus is received. context
Matthew 16:27-28, Revelation 14:1, 19:11-16, 22:1-5 & Matthew 16:27-28, Revelation 22:1-5 Both the Father and Jesus will return to judge the world bad correlation
John 5:21, Acts 2:24; Romans 4:17; Galatians 1:1 Both the Father and Jesus can resurrect people bad correlation
John 10:30 Jesus said he and the Father are one. context
John 13:33 Jesus calls his disciples "children" like a Father. bad translation
John 14:18 Jesus adopts children like a Father. context
John 15:9 Jesus can love like the Father. biased translation
Romans 14:10-12 & 2 Corinthians 5:10 Both the Father and Jesus appear on "the judgment seat". context
Philippians 2:9-11 Both the Father and Jesus has the same name: "the Lord" confused by name removal
Titus 2:13 (NIV) Jesus is our great God and Saviour. bad translation
Hebrews 1:6 The angels worship Jesus context
Revelation 5:13-14 Every creature worship Jesus confusing events
Scripture Unitarian argument Counter argument
Exodus 33:20; John 1:14,18 God has never been seen, but Jesus was seen. man-part of Jesus
Matthew 3:16-17; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21; John 1:51 God personally declared that he is distinct from Jesus. man-part of Jesus
Matthew 5:45-6:9, 26:53 Jesus prayed to a distinct God. demo
Matthew 16:17; John 4:21-26; 1 Timothy 1:17 God does not have blood like Jesus. godhead
Matthew 23:9 Jesus said that the Father is in heaven while he was on earth. godhead
Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34 Jesus and God can be seperated. reflecting
Luke 2:52 Jesus grew in favour with God.
John 4:21-24 Jesus teach that God is spirit while speaking in person to a Samaritan woman.
John 4:25-26 Jesus revealed to a Samaritan woman that he is the Messiah distinct from God.
John 8:17-18 Jesus and God the Father are 2 distinct witnesses. godhead
John 14:1-2 It is possible to separately believe in Jesus or God. godhead
Acts 7:55-56 Stephan saw Jesus separately from God. symbolic
Acts 10:38 John preached that God anointed Jesus as a distinct person. man-part of Jesus
Romans 8:34; 1 Timothy 2:5 Paul wrote that Jesus is our mediator, distinct from God.
Hebrews 3:1-2 The author of Hebrews says Jesus was appointed like Moses, by God. man-part of Jesus
Revelation 5:1-6, 7:10 John saw God sitting on the throne while Jesus was standing among the elders. symbolic
various Many bible books introduce Jesus as a human distinct from God. godhead

Is Jesus equal with the Father?

Scripture Trinitarian argument Counter argument
Genesis 18:25 & Matthew 10:32-33, John 5:22, 1 John 2:1 Both the Father and Jesus judge sin. bad correlation
Exodus 3:14 & John 8:58 Both the Father and Jesus identified themselves as "I am". bad correlation
Exodus 10:17-19, 32:32; Numbers 14:18; Psalm 25:18; Isaiah 43:25; Matthew 6:14-15 & Matthew 9:2; Mark 2:10 Both the Father and Jesus forgives sin. bad correlation
Exodus 15:26 & John 4:46-54, 5:8-9 Both the Father and Jesus can heal. bad correlation
Exodus 34:6; Numbers 14:17 & Psalm 2:12 Both the Father and Jesus have emotions. bad correlation
Psalm 33:6-9; 95:3-6; 148:5 ... & John 1:10, Colossians 1:16-17, Hebrews 1:10, Hebrews 2:10 Both the Father and Jesus created the world. multiple arguments
Psalm 95:3 Both the Father and Jesus is called "the King". bad correlation
Matthew 19:17; Mark 10:18; Luke 18:19 & John 10:11,14 Both the Father and Jesus is good. bad correlation
John 8:55, 13:32, 17:1,5; Philippians 2:11 Both the Father and Jesus should be glorified. bad correlation
John 14:18-19 Both the Father and Jesus are inside each other. biased translation
Philippians 2:6-8 Paul states that Jesus is "equal with God". bad translation
Scripture Unitarian argument Counter argument
God and Jesus are distinct for various reasons.
Isaiah 46:5 No one is equal to the Father.
Matthew 20:23 Jesus has less authority than the Father.
Mark 16:19 [Mark saw Jesus sat at the right hand of God (submissive position).]()
Luke 10:21 Jesus address the Father as "Lord (Master) of heaven and earth". man-part of Jesus
John 8:49-50 Jesus says the Father is the Judge. man-part of Jesus
John 10:29; John 14:28 Jesus says the Father is "greater" than him. man-part of Jesus

Is Jesus almighty?

  • Trinitarians: Yes, because he is God.
  • Unitarians: No, because he is a human.
Scripture Trinitarian argument Counter argument
Job 11:7; Luke 1:37 God is almighty. not-jesus
Matthew 11:28-30 Jesus said he can solve everyone's problems. Therefore he has to be God. context
Matthew 25:31 Jesus will rule from his glorious throne. wrong conclusion
Matthew 28:18; John 16:15,17:1-2 Jesus got all authority. context
1 Timothy 6:15; Revelation 17:14,19:16 Jesus is the King of kings and Lord of lords. wrong conclusion
Scripture Unitarian argument Counter argument
Matthew 3:16; Mark 1:10; Luke 3:22; Acts 10:38 Jesus needed the Holy Spirit.. man-part of Jesus
Matthew 4:11 (ESV); Mark 1:13; Luke 22:43 Jesus needed angels to strengthen him. man-part of Jesus
John 5:19-20,30 Although God is almighty, Jesus is limited. man-part of Jesus
John 14:12 Jesus' "works" (miracles?) are limited.

Is Jesus all-knowing?

  • Trinitarians: Yes, because he is God.
  • Unitarians: No, because he is a human.
Scripture Trinitarian argument Counter argument
Job 11:7; Isaiah 40:13-14; Luke 1:37; Romans 11:33; 1 John 3:20 God is all knowing. not-jesus
John 16:29-31 The disciples said that Jesus "knows all things". context
Scripture Unitarian argument Counter argument
Matthew 24:36; Mark 5:30; Luke 8:45 Jesus does not know everything. man-part of Jesus
Matthew 27:33-34 Jesus did not notice that they mixed gall with his drink. man-part of Jesus
Luke 2:52 Jesus grew. man-part of Jesus
John 5:19-20, 7:16, 14:24 Jesus teach what he learned. man-part of Jesus
John 8:28; Hebrews 5:8 Jesus is teachable. man-part of Jesus
John 10:31-36 Jesus could not read the Jews' minds. man-part of Jesus

Is Jesus omnipresent?

  • Trinitarians: Yes, because he is God.
  • Unitarians: No, because he is a human.
Scripture Trinitarian argument Counter argument
Psalm 139:7-10; Ephesians 4:6; Revelation 19:6 God is omnipresent. not-jesus
Matthew 18:20; Matthew 28:20 Jesus says that he is omnipresent. misunderstood idiom
Scripture Unitarian argument Counter argument
John 11:14-15 [Jesus was not present at Lazarus' death.](/god/son/essence/of-man/limitations#Jesus is not omnipresent) man-part of Jesus
John 14:2-4; 16:28 [Jesus has left.](/god/son/essence/of-man/limitations#Jesus is not omnipresent) man-part of Jesus
John 17:11-13 [Jesus is not in the world.](/god/son/essence/of-man/limitations#Jesus is not omnipresent) man-part of Jesus

Is Jesus immortal?

  • Trinitarians: Yes, because he is God.
  • Unitarians: No, because he is a human.
Scripture Trinitarian argument Counter argument
John 2:19-22, 10:17-18 Jesus raised himself from the dead. assumption
1 Timothy 6:13-16 Jesus alone has immortality. confusing subjects
Scripture Unitarian argument Counter argument
Acts 2:32, 13:30, 17:30-31; 1 Corinthians 15:15 God resurrected Jesus from the dead. man-part of Jesus
1 Corinthians 15:1-8 Jesus had to be able to die for our sins. man-part of Jesus

Is Jesus eternal?

  • Trinitarians: Yes, Jesus pre-existed before time started because he created our world, and he is an invincible eternal God who cannot cease to exist.
  • Unitarians: Not on his own, but Jesus was created by God, resurrected by God after he died, and exalted by God to live forever with God.
Scripture Trinitarian argument Counter argument
Genesis 1:5 Jesus created time. assumption
Micah 5:2 & Matthew 2:5-6 Jesus is the eternal ruler, which is only possible for God. wrong conclusion
Revelation 1:17-18 Jesus is the First and the Last. misunderstood idiom
Revelation 1:8, 21:6-7, 22:12-13 Jesus is the "Alpha and Omega". bad correlation
Jesus created the world, therefore he must have pre-existed. multiple arguments
Jesus is the Aleph-Tav, written in the first verse in the Bible. proven wrong
Scripture Unitarian argument Counter argument
1 Chronicles 29:29; 2 Chronicles 35:26-27 Like Jesus, other humans are also considered "first and last".
John 1:18 Jesus is God's begotten son, therefore there had to be a period where the son did not exist yet. man-part of Jesus
John 3:16; Revelation 21:4 Like Jesus, believers will also live forever.
Jesus did not pre-exist before his birth. multiple arguments

Does Jesus serve God?

  • Trinitarians: No, because he is God.
  • Unitarians: Yes
Scripture Trinitarian argument Counter argument
Psalm 2:7-12 The Son rules over all nations. confused by name removal
Psalm 83:18; Daniel 4:34-37 The LORD has the highest authority. not jesus
Scripture Unitarian argument Counter argument
Matthew 4:1-2 Jesus was lead by God's Spirit. demo
Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34 Jesus called out to his God. reflecting
John 3:16-18, 4:34, 6:57, 8:29, 14:24, 17:1-3; 1 John 4:14 God sent (commission) Jesus. godhead
John 4:34, 5:19, 6:38, 8:55, 10:37, 14:31 Jesus obeys the Father. demo
John 15:1-9 Jesus uses the metaphor to explain that his Father is "the Vinedresser" and he is "the vine". symbolic
Acts 3:13 (ESV); 4:27-30 (ESV) Peter believed that Jesus serve God. godhead
Romans 6:10 Paul believed Jesus is still serving God. godhead
1 Corinthians 3:23,11:3,15:28 Jesus submits under a head authority. godhead
Ephesians 1:2-3,17-20; Romans 15:6; 2 Corinthians 1:3, 11:31 Paul believed that Jesus had a God. godhead
1 Peter 1:3 Peter believed that Jesus had a God. godhead
1 Peter 2:23 (ASV,KJV,NET,REV,YLT) Jesus was committed to be obedient to God. man-part of Jesus
1 Peter 2:23 (ESV,HCSB) Jesus entrusted himself to God. man-part of Jesus
Revelation 1:6 John of Patmos, believed that Jesus had a God. godhead

Relationships

How does God relate to Jesus?

Scripture Unitarian argument Counter argument
Matthew 3:16-17; Mark 1:9-11, 9:7; Luke 3:21; John 1:51; 2 Peter 1:16-18 The disciples heard that God's voice distinct from Jesus
Matthew 3:16-17; Mark 1:9-11, 9:7; Luke 3:21; John 1:51; 2 Peter 1:16-18 God is not suffering from NPD when He announces that He loves Jesus
Matthew 3:16-17; Mark 1:9-11, 9:7; Luke 3:21; John 1:51; 2 Peter 1:16-18 No father can be his own son, yet some believe God the Father is the Son godhead
Matthew 3:16-17; Mark 1:9-11, 9:7; Luke 3:21; John 1:51; 2 Peter 1:16-18 God calls Jesus "My beloved son", not "Godhead member", "body" or "avatar" demo
Matthew 12:48-50; 16:13-19; John 15:14-15; 17:1-26 Jesus calls God "My Father" godhead
John 4:34, 5:19, 6:38, 8:55, 10:37, 14:31; Romans 6:10 ... Jesus is a servant of God. see above
John 17:1-26 Jesus said that he is not God reflecting

How does Jesus relate to God?

Scripture Unitarian argument Counter argument
Psalm 2:7-11; Romans 8:17 Jesus is a fellow heir of God.
Jesus identified God as his God, but also his Father, distinct from himself. godhead
There a multiple other witnesses indicating that Jesus is the Son of God. godhead

How does God relate to the disciples?

Scripture Unitarian argument Counter argument
Psalm 68:4-6 God is the Father to the disciples. roles
Matthew 23:9 Jesus said, while being on earth: "Call no man your Father on earth"
Ephesians 1:3-6; 2:14-22; 5:1-2,8-10 The disciples are God's adopted and beloved children. roles
They did not serve him as their God, but instead paid obeisance to him. biased translation

How does Jesus relate to the disciples?

Scripture Trinitarian argument Counter argument
Isaiah 54:5-10; Hosea 2:16-20 & 2 Corinthians 11:2; 2 Corinthians 11:2 We are God's bride and we are Jesus' bride, therefore God and Jesus is the same husband. bad correlation
Matthew 2:11, 8:2, 9:18, 14:33, 15:25, 20:20, 28:9,16-17; Mark 5:6; Luke 24:52; John 9:38 They worshipped him as God. biased translation
John 12:26 They served him as God. confusing translation
Scripture Unitarian argument Counter argument
Isaiah 55:8-9 & John 14:6 Jesus is our way, God is our destination, not the other way around. roles
Matthew 12:48-50; 25:40; Romans 8:29 Jesus calls his disciples brothers and sisters. roles
John 15:14-15 Jesus calls his disciples friends. roles

(This article mainly focus on the reasoning of the Trinitarians and Unitarians. I also compare interpretations of Jesus from other views in another article.)