Unitarianism.net

Five Short Arguments for Unitarianism

What follows are some short, concise arguments for Unitarianism. These are developed more in other resources, both on this site, and written by others, but this is intended as a brief overview of some points favoring a Unitarian view of God and Scripture.

Five Arguments

  1. No Prophet of God, no Apostle of Jesus, and no writer of Scripture ever once took the time to write a concise statement of the doctrine of the Trinity, let alone offer a cursory explanation or clarification of the doctrine. Not a single sentence is spared to describe it. Consider how easy it would have been to write, "Brethren, God is three in one", or "Brethren, Jesus Christ is Almighty God, in the same way as the Father". Consider how many centuries of bitter debate would have been prevented, and how much bloodshed and exile would have been avoided with such simple sentences, and yet, God inspired no such sentence, anywhere. Why?

    If the doctrine were true, it would be explained in Scripture, and taught unambiguously. It would be repeated many times, and guarded against misconceptions or attacks, which it definitely would have generated, with clarity and precision. It would not need to be pieced together from various statements of various different authors, and then declared to be the crowning revelation of God, which one is damned for rejecting. The lack of an explicit Biblical mention or explanation of the doctrine, along with the nature in which it is constructed, gives good reason to believe that it is a later addition, not occupying the minds of the Biblical writers.

  2. When Jesus asks the disciples who they say He is, Peter responds that He is the Christ, the Son of God (Matthew 16:13-17, Mark 8:27-29, Luke 9:18-20, compare John 6:67-69). Others think that He is a prophet, or Elijah, or John the Baptist (Matthew 16:13-14, Mark 8:27-28, Luke 9:7-8, 9:18-19, 24:19, John 6:14, 7:40). The demons confess that He is the Son of God (Matthew 8:28-29, Mark 3:11-12, 5:6-9, Luke 4:41, 8:27-30), and the Devil tempts Him on that claim specifically (Matthew 4:3, 4:6, Luke 4:3, 4:9). John the Baptist confesses that He is the Son of God (John 1:34), Nathanael confesses that He is the Son of God (John 1:49), Martha confesses that He is the Son of God (John 11:27), the disciples in the ship with Him confess that He is the Son of God (Matthew 14:33), and John the Apostle makes that the explicit thesis of his book (John 20:30-31). None of those who are closely acquainted with Him confess that He is God (not even Thomas), which would immediately be the first and foremost thing one would mention in these situations, if they had believed it. They instead confess what are in comparison lesser titles (the anointed of God, the Son of God), because they do not believe that He is God, but one chosen by God.

  3. The first preaching of the Apostles after the resurrection, when their religion was the newest, and most in need of clarification, and the most subject to misunderstanding, totally excludes the doctrine that Jesus is God, and instead communicates that He is distinct from God, and is not God (Acts 2:22, 2:36, 3:13, 3:26, 4:10, 5:30-31, 10:38-42, 13:37-38, 17:30-31).

  4. Whenever the "one God" is mentioned, when He is specified, it is always the Father, and never Jesus (1 Timothy 2:5: 1 Corinthians 8:5-6, Ephesians 4:4-6). When Jesus mentions the "only true God", it is the Father, in distinction from Himself (John 17:3). It is only the Father who is good in a supreme or underived sense (Matthew 19:17, Mark 10:18, Luke 18:19). It is the Father who is "the only God" (1 Timothy 1:17, compare John 5:44). It is the Father "who alone has immortality" (1 Timothy 6:16).

  5. There is no controversy over the nature of God in the New Testament. Old Testament Jews had no concept of a God who was three co-equal, co-eternal Persons, with one of those Persons being Jesus of Nazareth. So, such a change would have been a shock to them. It would have required much clarification. And, it would have generated significant controversy from those who did not understand it, or thought it was a departure from how the Jews had always understood God, or otherwise had questions or critiques of this new understanding of the nature of God brought about by the supposed Trinitarian New Testament revelation. Yet, no controversy at all is mentioned.

    Consider how much controversy arose in the early Church over a comparatively small matter like the abrogation of circumcision, and how often the controversy is mentioned in the Bible (Acts 15:1-29, 21:18-22: 1 Corinthians 7:18-19, Galatians 2:3-5, 5:1-13, 6:12-15), and that it is officially ruled on by a council convened by the Apostles (Acts 15:23-29). A brand new, and extraordinarily difficult to comprehend revelation that Jesus, who is distinct from the Father, is also God, would have immediately generated far more controversy. It would have required constant defense, and constant explanation and clarification. Yet, there is nothing whatsoever to that end, anywhere in the New Testament.