Matthew 3:16,17 - Was There a Triune God at Jesus' Baptism?

Hebrews 10:5 - Did Jehovah Prepare a Body for Himself?

Hebrews 10:5 - Therefore when he comes into the world, he says, "Sacrifice and offering you didn't desire, But a body did you prepare for me." -- World English. 

These words and those following are a partial indirect quotation of Psalm 40:6-8. The writer of Hebrews added the words "but a body thou hast prepared for me." Evidently, this was the basis of the later "Christianized" version of the Septuagint. 

It is being claimed, however, that "God prepares a body to dwell in." In other words, it is being claimed that Jehovah prepares a body for Jehovah to dwell in, and Jehovah names Himself in this body, "Jesus."  However, it should be obvious that this is not what the scripture says. The author of Hebrews does not write that Jehovah was stating he was preparing a body for Himself to dwell in! While God dwells in Jesus as well as in Jesus' followers, this is not what is being discussed in Hebrews 10:5.

See our study:
God in Christ

The words are attributed to Jesus as speaking to someone else who is not Jesus, and saying that some one else had prepared a body for him [Jesus]. Obviously, the one whom the Son is saying prepared the body is his God and Father Jehovah. (Micah 5:4; Ephesians 1:3; Hebrews 1:1,2) However, the Son is not saying that Jehovah prepared a body for Himself, and that he would name Himself Jesus, as is being claimed. Jehovah prepared that body for His Son who is not Himself. 

 There is definitely nothing in this verse that presents Jesus as being Jehovah, or that Jesus is a person of Jehovah. One does have to add such thoughts to what is said, and then twist what is actually stated to make it appear that Jesus is Jehovah, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, who spoke to and through the prophets of old, and who now speaks through His Son, Jesus. -- Deuteronomy 18:15-19; Acts 3:13-26; Hebrews 1:1,2. 

See our studies regarding Jesus and His God, Jehovah, at: 

https://jesusnotyhwh.blogspot.com/p/posts.html

There is Only One True God

The claim is often made by trinitarians and oneness believers that there is one true God by nature, which is true. The trinitarians, however, add to that thought the only true God is three persons: (1) The Father, (2) the Son and (3) the Holy Spirit. They usually present scriptures that refer to all three with some form of the word for "GOD", and leave this as being proof that all three are the one God, the one Supreme Being.

The Greek word in the New Testament for "God" is usually transliterated as THEOS (or QEOS). It is translated from forms of the Old Testament Hebrew word EL, which basically means “might, strength, power.” In the New Testament, forms of the Hebrew word EL are translated into Greek forms of the word THEOS. "God" in English, with a capital "G", most often means the Supreme Being. This, in effect, would correspond with the Biblical usages of forms of EL and THEOS as applied to Jehovah as being the Mighty One who is innately mighty, and not receiving his power or might from anyone else, thus the Supreme Being. Hence, the claim that there is only one true God, one true Supreme Being, agrees with what the Bible says.

Jesus identified the “one true God”, that is the one true MIGHT (the source of all might, the Supreme Being), as his God and Father. — John 17:1,3.

Paul verifies that it is the God and Father of Jesus who is the “one God” who is the source of all. — 1 Corinthians 8:4-6.

However, although forms of EL and THEOS are sometimes applied to Jesus, nowhere in the Bible is Jesus identified as the one true MIGHTY ONE, the Supreme Being. There is no might anywhere that is aside from Jehovah (Isaiah 44:6), the God and Father of Jesus. (Micah 5:4; Ephesians 1:3) The scriptures reveal that Jesus was sent by the one true Mighty One, the one true Supreme Being; that Jesus worships the one true Mighty One, that Jesus speaks the words of the one true Mighty One, etc., but the scriptures never reveal Jesus as being that one true Mighty One. — (Deuteronomy 18:15-19; Matthew 4:4 [Deuteronomy 8:3; Luke 4:4]; Matthew 4:7 [Deuteronomy 6:16]; Matthew 4:10 [Exodus 20:3-5; 34:14; Deuteronomy 6:13,14; 10:20; Luke 4:8]; Matthew 22:29-40; Matthew 26:42; Matthew 27:46; Mark 10:6 [Genesis 1:27; Genesis 2:7,20-23]; Mark 14:36; 15:34; Luke 22:42; John 4:3; 5:30; 6:38; 17:1,3; 20:17; Romans 15:6; 2 Corinthians 1:3; 11:31; Ephesians 1:3,17; Hebrews 1:9; 10:7; 1 Peter 1:3; Revelation 2:7; 3:2,12)

Even Jesus receives his might, his power, his strength, from the one true MIGHTY ONE, so while forms of the word EL and forms of the word THEOS may be used of him, such usage does not designate Jesus as being the source of all, the only true Supreme Being. The angels receive their might from the one true might, so that forms of the word EL and forms of the word THEOS may be used of them, and men are often given special mightiness from the one true God, such as Moses, the judges of Isreal, the sons of God. Thus forms of the word EL and forms of the word Theos may be used of these also, and although their might is true might, it does not make them the one true Mighty One that Jesus spoke of. As Jesus said, they are declared gods by Jehovah, but they are not the one true MIghty One, the one true Supreme Being. Their might is real, and in that sense it is true, but it does not make them the one true Mighty One from whom they have received their might.

Jesus Receives His Power and Authority From The One Who Sent Him

The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, by means of his holy spirit, reveals through the scriptures that Jesus receives his inheritance and dominion (power) from Jehovah. His power and authority is given to him by his God, his Supreme Being. The God of Jesus is not a God of three persons, but only one person. (Ephesians 1:3) The God of Christians is not three persons, but only one person. (1 Corinthians 8:6) Jesus is not Jehovah, his God.  He who anointed and sent Jesus (Isaiah 61:1; John 17:1,3) and who gives Jesus his dominion, all authority and power (with the evident exception of the position of being the Most High himself — 1 Corinthians 15:27), yet the exercise of this power and authority by Jesus is all to the praise of Jehovah, the God and Father of the Lord Jesus. The Bible writers never claimed that Jesus is the ultimate “source” of his own power. — Psalm 2:6-8; 45:7; 110:1,2; Isaiah 9:6,7; 11:2; 42:1; 61:1-3; Jeremiah 23:5; Daniel 7:13,14; Matthew 12:28; 28:18; Luke 1:32; 4:14,18; 5:17; John 3:34; 5:19,27,30; 10:18,36-38; Acts 2:22; 10:38; Romans 1:1-4; 1 Corinthians 15:27; 2 Corinthians 13:4; Colossians 1:15,16; 2:10; Ephesians 1:17-22; Philippians 2:9-11; Hebrews 1:2,4,6,9; 1 Peter 3:22.

Consequently, Micah 5:4 related that Jesus stands and feeds the sheep that his God has given to him in the strength of Jehovah, in the majesty of the name of his God, Jehovah.

Accordingly, it is by nature of being the source of all might (1 Corinthians 8:6) that there is only one Most High, and Jesus is never identified as being that one Most High, but as the son of the one Most High. The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, by means of his holy spirit, reveals through the scriptures that Jesus is the son of his Father. Jesus' Father is the only Most High, Jehovah. Jesus is never spoken of as the “Most High”; he is not the only Most High Jehovah of whom he is the son. — Genesis 14:22; Psalm 7:17; 83:18; 92:1; Luke 1:32; John 13:16.

Those who believe that Jesus is the Most High have to create a lot of assumptions beyond what is written in any scripture, and then they have to add those assumptions to, and read those assumptions into, any and every verse that they claim shows that Jesus is Jehovah, or that Jehovah is more than one person, etc. In reality, no scripture at all ever presents Jesus as being Jehovah, and no scripture ever presents Jehovah as being more than one person.

John 1:1,2 tells us that the Word was with the Might (the Supreme Being) and Jesus tells us that he was with the only true God (Supreme Being — John 17:1,3,5). The default reasoning is that theos used of the Logos in John 1:1 is not referring to the Logos as being the Supreme Being. Jesus was indeed mighty (theos) when he was with the only true God, but he was not the only true God whom he was with.

See our 
Studies related to John 1:1:

The Word is Jesus, and Jesus identified the One whom he was with before the world of mankind was a made as his Father, whom he further identified as the one true Mighty One, obviously referring to his Father as being the only one who innately is Mighty. (John 17:1,3,5) Thus, Jesus, being sent by that one true Mighty One, is not that one true Mighty One who sent him.

Ronald R. Day, Sr.

Related:

Did Jesus Really Say That His Father is the Only True God?
The Hebraic Usages of the Titles for "God"

References: We do not necessarily agree with all conclusions given.

Regarding forms of the Hebrew word for God, EL (Strong's #410, 430)
Bible Hub for EL (Strong's #410)
Bible Hub for ELOHIM (Strong's #430)
Old Testament Lexical Dictionary for Strong's #410 (Studylight)
Old Testament Lexical Dictionary for Strong's #430 (Studylight)

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Acts 3:14 - Does Jesus' Holiness Mean that He is Jehovah?

The claim is that holiness is ascribed to each of the three persons: the Father (Revelation 15:4), the Son (Acts 3:14), and the Holy Spirit (Romans 1:4), and thus this is proof that Jesus is Jehovah, and/or that Jesus, his Father, and God's Holy Spirit are three persons of the one Supreme Being.

{Revelation 15:4} Who wouldn't fear you, Jehovah,
   and glorify your name?
For you only are fully right.
   For all the nations will come and worship before you.
   For your righteous acts have been revealed." -- RLIV

The word rendered as "fully right" above is given the general transliteration as HOSIOS (Strong's G3741). Evidently, the contrast here is Jehovah with the many false gods which the nations have worshiped throughout the centuries of this the present evil age. (Galatians 1:4) In the age to come, all the nations, however, will come and worship before Jehovah, and Jehovah will be the only one proven to be fully right. Most translations render HOIOS as "holy", but such a rendering in English does not distinguish HOSIOS from other words often translated as "holy," and thus it can lead to some confusion.

The word HOSIOS is given the following meanings:

Strong's Definition:  Of uncertain affinity; properly right (by intrinsic or divine character; thus distinguished from G1342, which refers rather to human statutes and relations; from G2413, which denotes formal consecration; and from G40, which relates to purity from defilement), that is, hallowed (pious, sacred, sure): - holy, mercy, shalt be.

Mounce's Definition:  holy, pious, devout; (n.) Holy One; divine decree (Ac 13:34).

Thayer's Definition:  undefiled by sin, free from wickedness, religiously observing every moral obligation, pure holy, pious.

Forms of the word HOSIOS may be found in eight verses of the Bible: Acts 2:27; 13:34,35; 1 Timothy 2:8; Titus 1:8; Hebrews 7:26 and Revelation 15:4; 16:5. It is not used in either Acts 3:14 or Romans 1:4.

The word is used of men (other than Jesus), however, in 1 Timothy 2:8 and Titus 1:8, and thus its usage is not limited to that of the Supreme Being. It is used of Jesus in Acts 2:27; 13:35, where it used to quote Psalm 16:10. Peter and Paul used this word to render the Hebrew word often transliterated as CHASIYD (Strong's H2623).

https://www.studylight.org/lexicons/hebrew/2623.html

At any rate, the usage of the Greek word HOSIOS of Jesus in Acts 2:27; 13:35 does not designate Jesus as being the Supreme Being.

Acts 3:14 - But ye denied the Holy (Strong's #G40) and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted unto you.

Here we find that Peter used a form of the Greek HAGIOS of Jesus. This word is definitely not confined to being used of the Supreme Being, as it used many times of humans and things in the New Testament.

https://www.studylight.org/lexicons/greek/40.html

Romans 1:4 - who was declared [to be] the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness (Strong's #G42, a form of #G40), by the resurrection from the dead; [even] Jesus Christ our Lord.

https://www.studylight.org/lexicons/greek/42.html

Many claim "spirit of holiness" is referring to God's Holy Spirit. This could be, but one should realize that the word "spirit" in the Bible is not always referring to God's Holy Spirit. The word "spirit" in Romans 1:4 is probably used as may be contrasted with its usage as in the phrases such as "spirit of bondage" (Romans 8:15), "spirit of stupor" (Romans 11:8), "spirit of the world" (1 Corinthians 2:12), "spirit of fearfulness" (2 Timothy 1:7), "spirit of error." -- 1 John 4:6.

Of course, God's Holy Spirit is just as holy and God Himself is Holy. Such, however, does not mean that we need to imagine and assume that God's Holy Spirit is a separate and distinct person of God, etc.

What we do not find in any of the scriptures above is any thought that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is more than one person, or that Jesus is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, or that Jesus is a person of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

1 Corinthians 10:9 - Does This Offer Proof of the Trinity?

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Exodus 17:2 - Wherefore the people strove with Moses, and said, Give us water that we may drink. And Moses said unto them, Why strive ye with me? Wherefore do ye tempt Jehovah?
 - American Standard Version.

Numbers 21:5-6 - And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, and there is no water; and our soul loatheth this light bread.[6] And Jehovah sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died. -- American Standard Version

1 Corinthians 10:9-10 - Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. [10] Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. -- King James Version.

1 Corinthians 10:9-10 - Neither let us make trial of the Lord, as some of them made trial, and perished by the serpents.[10] Neither murmur ye, as some of them murmured, and perished by the destroyer. - American Standard Version

1 Corinthians 10:9
meede ekpeirazwmen ton kurion kathws tines
NEITHER MAY WE BE TESTING OUT THE LORD, ACCORDING AS SOME
3366 1598 3588 2962 2531 5100
autwn epeirasan kai hupo twn ophewn
OF THEM TESTED, AND BY THE SERPENTS
0846_92 3985 2532 5259 3588 3789
apwllunto
THEY WERE DESTROYING SELVES.
0622
== Westcott & Hort Interlinear with Greek transliterated.

Now these things have become types to us, for us not to be desirers of evil things, as they also desired. -- Berean Literal Bible.

Many trinitarians (and possibly some others) place 1 Corinthians 10:9 with Exodus 17:2 and/or Numbers 21:5,6 as being proof that Jesus is Jehovah whom the children of Israel tempted, or put to the test. From this, they would imagine and assume that Jehovah is more than one person, and that Jesus is one of the persons of Jehovah. 

1 Corinthians 10:9 is one of the verses that has variant readings in the manuscripts: some read as "Christ," some as "the Lord," and a few as "God."

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary tells us:

9. tempt Christ — So the oldest versions, Irenæus (264), and good manuscripts read. Some of the oldest manuscripts read "Lord"; and one manuscript only "God."

"TON KURION", as given in the Westcott and Hort text above, could be a replacement for the Holy Name. If so, it surely refers, not to Jesus, but rather to the God and Father of Jesus, the "one God [Mighty One] ... of whom are all" that Paul refers to in 1 Corinthians 8:6. Indeed, the reference is to Exodus 17:2; Numbers 21:5,6, and/or Deuteronomy 6:16, which speaks of Jehovah; thus it is quite probable that Paul actually used some form of the Holy Name in 1 Corinthians 10:9, and later copyists, after the death the apostles, changed it to a form of the Greek word meaning "LORD", or to forms of the Greek words meaning "Christ" or ."God".

While Ellicott does not speak of God's Holy Name as being replaced in the New Testament, he does say the following:

(9) Neither let us tempt Christ. -- Better, Neither let us tempt the Lord, as some of them tempted, and perished by serpents. There is much controversy as to whether the word here is "God" or "Christ" or "the Lord," each having a certain amount of MS. support. On the whole, the reading here adopted (the Lord) seems from internal evidence to have been most likely the true reading. It is possible that the word "God" crept into the text, having been put as a marginal explanation to get over the supposed difficulty involved in applying the words which follow, "they also tempted," to Christ. For in what sense could it have been said that the Israelites tempted Christ? There is no reason, however, for connecting "some of them tempted" (the word "also" is not in the original) with the object of the previous clause: and it is noticeable that the second word translated "tempted" is not the same as the first. "Let us not tempt" is in the original an intensified form of the verb which is used in its simple form in "some of them tempted." The reading "Christ" may have come into the text as being an explanation that by the word "Lord" St. Paul meant the Redeemer.
The real meaning of the passage, however, is evident. The Israelites had, by their longing after the things left behind in Egypt, tried God so that God had asserted Himself in visiting them with punishment, and so Christians must be on their guard, with such a warning before them, not to tempt their Lord by hankering after those worldly and physical pleasures from which He by His death has delivered them. (See Numbers 21:4-6.) Some of the Corinthian Christians seemed by their conduct, as regards eating and drinking and indulging in sensuality, to long for that liberty in reference to things which they had enjoyed before conversion, instead of enjoying these spiritual blessings and feeding on the spiritual sustenance which Christ had provided for them -- Ellicott, Charles John. "Commentary on 1 Corinthians 10:9". "Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers". https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/ebc/1-corinthians-10.html. 1905.

Nevertheless, "TON KURION" (with the definite article) could be referring to the Lord Jesus. If so, it would not necessarily follow that the latter part of 1 Corinthians 10:9 should also be referring to Jesus as the one whom the children of Israel put to the test.

Likewise, even if Paul did write the word for "Christ," in the first part of the verse, it does not necessarily mean that that the last part of the verse is saying that the children of Israel had put Christ to the test. Many translations add the word "him" (which does not appear in the Greek manuscripts), but in keeping with the testimony of the scripture as whole, if the first part is referring to Christ, the default reasoning should be that the latter part is referring to either Moses (who was a type of Christ) or the God and Father of Jesus, rather than to imagine and assume that Paul was writing that the children of Israel put Jesus to the test, and then further imagine, assume, add to and read into the scripture that Jehovah is more than one person, and then further imagine, assume, add to and read into the scripture that Jesus is one of the persons of Jehovah, etc.

The point, however, is the antitypical application of how the children of Israel spoke against Moses (and thus against Jehovah), as applied to a Christian who may speak against the one whom Jehovah anointed (Isaiah 61:1), which would also be against Jehovah.

What we do not find in 1 Corinthians 10:9 is any clear designation of Jesus as being the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. There is definitely nothing here or anywhere else in the entire Bible that presents the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob as being more than one person. In order to get trinity into the verse, one still has to create many assumptions beyond what is stated, and then add those assumptions to, and read those assumptions into, what is actually stated.

* Isaiah 43:10 – Before Jehovah There Was No God Formed

* Psalm 82:6 – Who Are The Gods?

John 4:24 - God is a Spirit

{John 4:24} God is a spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.
{John 4:25} The woman said to him, "I know that Messiah comes," (he who is called Christ). "When he has come, he will declare all to us."
{John 4:26} Jesus said to her, "I am he, the one who speaks to you." -- RLIV

The words of John 4:24 are the words of Jesus. Jesus refers to God, not as being Himself as many claim, but rather he refers to God as being someone who is not himself. Jesus is referring to his God and Father. -- Ephesians 1:3.

By saying that his God is a spirit, Jesus refers to God's invisible spiritual body or substance. Paul delineates the two kinds of resurrection bodies. That which consists of spiritual substance, celestial, heavenly is not that which is physical, fleshly, earthly, of dust substance. -- 1 Corinthians 15:39-41.

The God and Father of Jesus, being the Most High, has the sole distinction of having the highest glory in the universe. -- Luke 1:32.

Jesus is nowhere depicted in the Bible as being the Most High God (Genesis 14:22; Psalm 7:17; 83:18; 92:1; Luke 1:32; John 13:16); even the demons recognized Jesus to be, not Jehovah the Most High, but the Son of the Most High. -- Luke 8:28

Nevertheless, Jesus said that those who worship his God must worship "in spirit and truth." The true worshiper is not to worship along material lines, but with that which is not seen with our physical eyes, which is invisible.

2 Corinthians 4:18 - We look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. -- American Standard Version.

The Samaritan woman told Jesus that she knew that the Messiah was to come. The words "Messiah" as well as "Christ" mean "anointed," or "anointed one." Who anoints the Messiah? Isaiah quotes the Messiah as saying:

The Spirit of the Lord Jehovah is upon me; because Jehovah hath anointed me. -- Isaiah 61:1. American Standard Version.

It was the one whom Lord Jehovah had anointed that Jesus was claiming to be. He never claimed to be Jehovah, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. "Jehovah" in Isaiah 61:1 anoints someone who is not Himself. The one anointed is not Jehovah. Thus Jesus is not Jehovah who anointed him. Nor is the "spirit" in Isaiah 61:1 the Messiah, Jesus. Jesus is not Jehovah's spirit, but rather Jesus speaks of Jehovah's spirit as being upon himself. -- See also Isaiah 11:1-3.

Jehovah's God’s spirit is likened to God’s finger (as the special power of God). (Matthew 12:28; Luke 11:20) As the instrument of the revealing of truth, the holy spirit is likened to God’s “mouth”. (Deuteronomy 8:3; 1 Kings 8:24; 2 Chronicles 6:4; 36:12,21; Ezra 1:1; Isaiah 1:20; 40:5; 45:23; 48:3; 58:14; 62:2; Jeremiah 9:12,20; Ezekiel 33:7; Micah 4:4; Matthew 4:4; Mark 12:36; Acts 1:17; 28:25; Hebrews 3:7; 9:8; 10:15,16; 2 Peter 1:21) Would you look at your finger and say that your finger is you? Would one consider his own mouth TO BE himself? Nevertheless, whatever your finger does is what you yourself do; what your mouth speaks is what you yourself speak. Likewise, whatever God's spirit does or says is what God Himself does or says.