Is Jesus Equal to God?

"Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father, when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto Him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all." - 1Cor.15:24,28

When Paul taught that Jesus would "himself be subject unto Him [the Father] that put all things under him", what was he teaching? There are some groups which teach that Jesus is one part of a "triune" Godhead [trinity], and that Jesus is equal to the Father, a part of three equal parts which make up "God". Other groups teach that Jesus IS God (the Father). And of course, there are many other teachings and variations on the same issue, none of which have been ordained by God.

It is obvious that there is only ONE truth. There are not two, or three, or more. There is only one. God knows what the truth is. Men do not. Therefore, we must have, as Paul did, a revelation from God which tells us what the truth is. Without this revelation, men are doomed to receive, in place of true revelation, the creeds and doctrines of men. We must ask where we received the truth we hold to be truth. Did you receive your ideas of Jesus from men, or from a revelational experience? Did you receive them through diligent study of the Scriptures and prayer, or from a man's study guide, denominational statement, or religious course? If you received them of men, without a spiritual experience confirming them, then you cannot be taught the truth; because if a man sent by God tells you something which contradicts that which you, in your own mind's wisdom hold to be the truth, you will most likely reject him. That is what is so evil about the denominations and sects of Christianity. That particular brand or sect DEMANDS that you hold to an idea about God (such as "trinitarian", "oneness", etc.) in order to be a part of it. Paul saw this corruption in the early congregation when he told a group of believers, "they zealously affect you, but not well; yea they would exclude you, that ye might affect them" (Gal.4:17).

The apostle John wrote the words, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God", John was confessing a newly revealed truth. In this opening verse of his gospel, John was proclaiming the existence of two divine persons who somehow were one, and, at the same time, were with each other. How did John know this?

Verses existed in the Old Testament which indicated that God had a Son (e.g. Prov.30:4); however, during the time those Scriptures were written, God did not allow even the men who wrote them to understand the mystery of His Son, who was with Him in heaven. On the other hand, the earliest congregation preached Christ everywhere they went, with only the Old Testament writings as a Bible, for their eyes had been opened to the meaning of the ancient Scriptures. They saw the Son of God in every book Moses wrote, though Moses himself did not see.

None of the wise men and prophets of Israel saw the truth concerning the Son, "for [scriptural] prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the holy Spirit" (2Pet. 1:21; Mt.13:16-17). Strange as it may seem, God spoke of His Son through the ancient holy men, but He would not allow them to understand the meaning of their own words (1Pet.1:9-12). John's message of two divine persons was not new to the Scriptures. What was new was that John understood what he was writing, whereas the old covenant men of God were "kept in the dark" concerning their own prophecies of the Son of God!

In John's Revelation, Jesus gives this testimony of his own creation by calling himself "the beginning of the creation of God" (Rev.3: 14). Not only is he the beginning, Christ is also the ending. In his own words, "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last" (Rev. 22:13). In other words, the first and the last thing which the Father created was the Son. Everything else was created by the Son (Jn.1:3). The heavens and the earth, angels, men, beasts, fowl, sea creatures, - everything, everywhere - was created by the Son for the praise and glory of his Father. It was the Father speaking to the Son in Genesis 1:26, when He said, "Let us make man in our image". The "us" in this verse from Genesis is not a reference to a "trinity" of divine persons. There is no such thing stated here, except to those who want to read their doctrine into it. This is simply the Father making known to another person in heaven . . . and we must ask ourselves, who is this other person in heaven with God at the time of creation? The answer can only be, upon diligent comparison of other scriptures: Jesus. God was speaking His will to His Son, who then created man - according to the will of God, his Father. Empowered by his Father, the Son of God created everything, except himself.

The books of the prophets are replete with such examples of the truth concerning the Father and the Son (read Isaiah 53), truth which was hidden from the very ones who proclaimed it. One may learn much about parents by observing their children. Especially is this the case with the Son of God. Jesus said, "He that hath seen me hath seen the Father." Amen. Anyone who has seen or known Jesus has seen the Father, because the Son is "the Amen; the true and faithful witness" (Rev.3:14). My sons are like me in many respects, but Jesus is much more like his Father than my sons are like me. As testimony to this, Hebrews says that Jesus is "the express image" of the Father's person (Heb.1:3). Incredibly, this phrase, and others like it, have been misconstrued by some to mean that Jesus is the Father Himself! Pray, child of God, to avoid this grievous error, for "he is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son" (1Jn.2:22).

So, while some teach that there are "three Gods in one", others say that Jesus is the only God there is, but the truth lies between these two errors. The Father created the Son, "the firstborn of every creature" (Col.1:15), and the Son created all other things. This is easily understood and clearly proclaimed in the Scriptures. Neither the doctrine of the "holy trinity" nor the doctrine of "Jesus only" is true. There are in heaven two persons who are worthy to receive worship: The Father and the Son.

Jesus did say, "I and my Father are one" (Jn.10:30), but the issue is, "how are they one?" The answer is found in Jesus' prayer to his Father, just hours before his crucifixion. In that compassionate prayer for his followers, Jesus pleaded with the Father "that they may be one as we are" (Jn.17:11). So, the question is, "How are believers `one' in Christ?" For in the same way that we are "one" in Christ, the Father and the Son are also "one".

Surely, my dear brothers and sisters in Christ, it is clear to see that this unity is in spirit, not in body. If Jesus were the Father Himself, and we are to be made one as he is one with the Father, then all believers must become the same person. This is nonsense. When believers are made one as Christ and his Father are one, we are united in spirit and mind, not in person. You are you, and I am I. We will never become one person, and neither will the Father and the Son. Nevertheless, in Christ, believers may be "likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind" (Phip. 2:2).

Jesus is not the Father. But he walked so meekly, doing the Father's will, that anyone who saw Jesus was seeing the heart of God in action (Jn.14:7). Jesus showed us the Father (Jn.14:8-9). To know Jesus is to know the Father because Jesus does only what pleases the Father. Jesus and his Father are of the same mind, the same judgment, the same love and purpose. This is the unity that Jesus prayed would be given to us, and it must grieve him deeply to see the body of Christ so completely divided and confused by the doctrines of Christianity! If there is any prayer we can pray that must be acceptable with God, surely it is that all His children walk together in the unity of the Spirit and strive together for "the faith that was once delivered unto the saints" (Jude 3).

"Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment." - Paul, in 1 Corinthians 1:10

What a powerful witness it would be to the world, if the saints were united, as Jesus is united with the Father! For all who would ever believe in him, Jesus prayed "that they all may be one. As Thou Father art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us, that the world may believe that Thou hast sent me" (Jn.17:21). But, how can the world believe that Jesus is the only way to the Father, when those who belong to him preach conflicting doctrines and practice differing ways of worship?

There was never a misunderstanding between Jesus and the Father. There was never a quarrel over doctrine or position, no suspicion or gossip. They were in perfect accord as to faith and purpose, and Jesus suffered and died to make that peaceful communion with the Father available to us - not a oneness in person, but in spirit! We will never be united bodily into one person. But through Christ, we can be "partakers of the divine nature.... likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind". By the precious holy Spirit, we can know the Father, and live according to His will, as Jesus did, without ever a cross word between us! We can do it, in Christ! We can do it! O God! Let it be!

"Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!" - David, in Psalms 133:1

Let us be thankful for the simple truth of the gospel, and let us honor both the Father and His Son! The only way for us to "speak the same thing" about such doctrines, is for each of us to have a personal revelation of the truth. This happens, when we hear the truth, and the Spirit inside of us leaps up to embrace it, and we are able to say: "that's it! that's the truth!" When we have such an experience, the truth will be clear. We will, as Jesus did, "speak the same thing", speaking only that which we have seen of the Father.

Return to Main Page