Romans 9:5

Some scholars claim that Paul though that Jesus is God's flesh:

Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of the Messiah, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen. -- Romans 9:5 (NIV)

Direct translation from Greek to English:

whose the patriarchs and from whom is - Christ - according to the flesh - (being/exist) (over/to) (all/whole) God -- BibleHub

As seen, this verse could be interpreted in many different ways because the original text had no punctuation. For example, other translators translated the same verse:

To them belong the Fathers, and from them, according to the flesh, is the Christ. (God, who is over all, be blessed forever. Amen.) -- Romans 9:5 (REV)

Therefore, one could understand the verse as: "Christ is God over all", but in the context of Ephesians 4:6 which was also written by Paul, he more likely meant: "Christ existed for the God of all", in other words, God is also Christ's God.

If one consider the opening of Romans, it is clear that Paul considered it foolish to think of God as a man:

Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man -- Romans 1:22-23 (NKJV)

Instead, Paul believed God is invisible:

For His invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. -- Romans 1:20 (ESV)

Compare for example how Romans 9:5 is translated by different people:

Colossians 2:9

For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily... -- Colossians 2:9 (ESV)

People often quote these verse to proof "the deity of Christ". This is an invented term that does not exist in the Bible. Paul did not write that Christ is the deity. He wrote that "the deity dwells" in Christ as he explained in the previous chapter:

For in him (Jesus) all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell... -- Colossians 1:19 (ESV)

To consider that "God was pleased to dwell in Himself" is a paradox and actually proofs that Jesus cannot be God. Some Trinitarians might argue, the spiritual Father dwells in the human Jesus. However, Paul specifically wrote "God" instead of the Father, so if Jesus is a member of God it would mean that Paul wrote a nonsense statement "For in Jesus all the fullness of Jesus was pleased to dwell".

But, if you continue reading Colossians 2...

For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, Who raised him from the dead. -- Colossians 2:9-12 (ESV)

If the first part of the verse meant that Jesus is God, then it should also mean that a disciple is also Jesus or even a god, which does not make sense.

Paul also wrote to another congregation:

In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit. -- Ephesians 2:22 (ESV)

and

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from Whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of His glory He may grant you to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith — that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. -- Ephesians 3:14-19 (ESV)

That does not mean that we turn into gods. Paul meant that we may be filled with God's Spirit in our inner beings.

In the next chapter Paul wrote:

There is... one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. -- Ephesians 4:6 (ESV)

"all" does not mean "Jesus only". If "all" also include His "sons" then it means God also dwells in his other sons without turning them into gods.

These statements are based on what Jesus said himself:

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. -- Acts 1:8 (ESV)

1 Timothy 3:16

And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness:

God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

-- 1 Timothy 3:16 (KJV)

Unfortunately this is a bad translation.

These Greek texts were altered by scribes in favor of the Trinitarian position. The reading of the earliest and best manuscripts is not “God” but rather “he who.” Almost all the modern versions have the verse as “the mystery of godliness is great, which was manifest in the flesh,” or some close equivalent.

In regard to the above verse, Bruce Metzger writes:

[“He who”] is supported by the earliest and best uncials…no uncial (in the first hand) earlier than the eighth or ninth century supports theos; all ancient versions presuppose hos or ho [“he who” or “he”]; and no patristic writer prior to the last third of the fourth century testifies to the reading theos. The reading theos arose either(a) accidentally, or (b) deliberately, either to supply a substantive for the following six verbs [the six verbs that follow in the verse], or, with less probability, to provide greater dogmatic precision [i.e., to produce a verse that more clearly supports the Trinitarian position].”

-- Spirit & Truth Fellowship International

For example the ESV renders:

Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness:

He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.

-- 1 Timothy 3:16 (ESV)

This changes the meaning to Jesus was a human "manifested in the flesh". In other words, God did not cheat. Jesus was like us.

Paul was addressing a "church". It would not have been a mystery who Jesus was. Paul more likely meant "the revelation" of Jesus.

"godliness" according to Strong's Concordance:

eusebeia: piety
Original Word     : εὐσέβεια, ας, ἡ
Part of Speech    : Noun, Feminine
Transliteration   : eusebeia
Phonetic Spelling : (yoo-seb'-i-ah)
Definition        : piety
Usage             : piety (towards God), godliness, devotion, godliness.

Why would God devote Himself to Himself?

1 John

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) -- 1 John 1:1-2 (KJV)

and

Hereby know ye the Spirit of God:

Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God;
And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.

-- 1 John 4:2 (KJV)

The council of Nicaea determined that anyone who do not believe Jesus is God is a "heretic".. This scripture is often quoted to proof that you need to belief that Jesus was "God in the flesh" to be saved.

One of the false belief systems rivaling Christianity at the time 1 John was written was Gnosticism. The Gnostics believed that all matter is evil, and therefore they taught that Jesus Christ was not actually a human being of flesh and blood, but rather some kind of phantom or spirit being. Thus the Gnostics did not believe Jesus had come “in” the flesh.

By saying that Jesus had come “in” the flesh, the Bible is saying that Jesus was a flesh and blood human being. To not believe that Jesus was a human being is to be of the antichrist.

...

[1 John 4] Verse 2 is not saying that Jesus is God incarnate or God in human flesh. Rather, it is saying that those who acknowledge that Jesus Christ was born, grew up, carried out his ministry, and was a real human being, have the spirit of God within them. He came in the flesh indeed, just like every other flesh-and-blood human being.

-- Spirit & Truth Fellowship International

Often, the next few verses are ignored:

And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent (ordered) the Son to be the Saviour of the world.

Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.

--1 John 4:14-16 (KJV)

The true testimony was never that Jesus incarnated from a God into a human flesh, but instead that the Father ordered Jesus "to be the Saviour of the world". That is what we are supposed to confess.

The true test is to check who confess that:

• Jesus was indeed a true human (not a Gnostic spirit)
• Jesus is the son of God (not God Himself)