Question for Trinity - John 17:3?

Question

John 17:3 "Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent." - NIV
As I know the trinity consisted by three persons Father, Son, Holy Spirit. So let's place these three persons near the word "God".

"Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God [Father, Son, Holy Spirit], and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent."
John says us to to know the true God and in this true God Jesus Christ is included. But John says us to to know also Jesus (the only of three for second time). If trinity is correct why was John repeated?
If there is no trinity and the Father is the only true God, then it's logic but from a trinity view I can't see logic.

For Larina S
1 John 5:7 changed. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1_John_5:7 for more info. The question is, if trinity is so obvious why did they change this verse to "prove" trinity? Think about it.

Answer 1

Through your examination of John 17:1-3, you have accurately identified a fundamental problem for Trinitarians which is:

In the Bible, Jesus and God are numerously phrased as two different, seperate persons. Therefore, Jesus cannot be God.

In John 17:1-3, Jesus said:
"Father....This is eternal life, that they may know YOU, THE ONLY TRUE GOD, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent."( NASB)

Jesus called his Father, "the only true God". Why would Jesus ONLY call the Father that if Jesus was God too? Jesus refers to God as a seperate person from himself.

Another scripture that phrases Jesus as a seperate and different person from God is 1 Cor. 11:3:

"But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ." (NASB)

God and the heavenly residing Christ are phrased as two different persons in this text. Not only that, but God has headship over Christ. If there really was a Trinity, then the word "Father" would be used here instead of "God" and then of course Trinitarians would have no problem with the Father and Christ then being two different people. But in reality, the word "God" is used showing a seperateness between God and Christ.

Another scripture:

"And Jesus said to him, 'Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone.'" - Mark 10:18 (RSV)

Not only is Jesus is talking here about someone else (God), but says that this someone else (God) exhibits this quality far greater than Jesus.

Another scripture:

"Believe in God, believe ALSO in me." - John 14:1 (RSV)

By using the word "also", Jesus clearly defines here how God is someone other than himself.

Answer 2

At John 17:3, did Jesus say that the Father, Son, and the holy spirit is the true God? Not even close. Instead, he called the Father the only true God.

What Jesus said here is in harmony with 1 Cor. 8:6, where it says: "There is actually to us one God the Father, out of whom all things are, and we for him."

Eph. 5:6 says: "One God and Father of all [persons], who is over all and through all and in all."

All three of these verses identify the Father as God, NOT the Son.

One God and Father. NO trinity.

The Catholic Church invented the trinity over 300 years AFTER the death of Christ. As A Catholic Dictionary notes: “The third Person was asserted at a Council of Alexandria in 362 . . . and finally by the Council of Constantinople of 381.”

Those who defend the trinity with 1 John 5:7 have not been informed by their clergymen that the phrase "For there are three witness bearers” this added passage reads, “in heaven, the Father, the Word and the holy spirit; and these three are one" is a spurious addition to the Bible. That phrase does NOT appear in most modern Bibles, including the Catholic Jeusalem Bible and the New American Bible.

Answer 3

Rev 1:1 says God gave Jesus a revelation. God and Jesus were two separate entities. I ahd a minister point out that there are two differnt forms of god in the greek, genereic and specific. Here is the rub: Rev. 1:1 is the specific referring to Almighty God. John 1:1 referring to the word was the generic version of the title 'god'. The answer then is no. John 1:1 does not confirm the trinity doctrine.

Answer 4

It doesn't matter what Bible you read, as long as it IS the Bible. You are correct about God, and Jesus, and if they are all the same thing and one, why didn't John say anything about the holy spirit, too? The trinity does not make any sense.

God wants us to know about him, why would he make it so difficult to know him? It's men who have made it difficult by their doctrines that are not Bible based. The trinity is a man-made concept, not made by God.

Answer 5

Jesus is not repeating himself.

He is showing that he is not the only true God,

He is one whom the only true God sent.

Jesus on several occations removed himself from God.

"No my will but yours"

"Do the will of Father"

"I do nothing of my own originality"

"My God and your God"

We are told to worship God with our power of reason. (Rom 12:2)

We have been given the Bible so that we can know God.

We are told "the Glory of the Christ, who is the image of God" has been blinded to unbelievers by Satan, the god of this system. (2 Cor 4:4)

If we believe Jesus is more than an image, we are blinded and are an unbeliever.

.

Answer 6

The Trinity doctrine is a dead horse,and has had the life kicked out of it millions of times down through the years,let it stay dead and buried.

Answer 7

The trinity concept was made up by the Catholic Church several hundred years after John wrote. It is all nonsense.

Answer 8

First of all don't listen to nonsense and those who speak it. You can read and see.

Secondly, Jesus is speaking to the Father and when He says..." that they may know Thee, the only true God,"..., He is referring to the Trinity but then He includes Himself in the passage when He mentions His name.

John wasn't repeated; he was stating the words of Jesus.

Answer 9

The God head is made up of three and together they are one as stated in this verse...

1Jo 5:7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.

Answer 10

I think that you'd be better off asking Neo or Morpheus!