Scriptural Evidence The Son is not Equal to His Father

The Bible tells us time and time again, sometimes even in Christ Jesus’ own words, that God, our Father, is greater than he. So if Yahweh God is greater than he, how can they be “co-equal” as the doctrine of the trinity states? Nowhere does Jesus proclaim himself co-equal or even equal to the Father. In many places he tells us in the Bible that God is greater, or that he does nothing he has not seen the Father do or that the

Father has not sent him to do and even that authority was “given” to him by Yahweh God. This is neither “equality” nor “co-equality”, it’s a servant of his Father and Master as Christ Jesus states himself in scripture:

John 14:28 NJB 

28. You heard me say: I am going away and shall return. If you loved me you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.

John 10:29 NJB 

29. The Father, for what he has given me, is greater than anyone,and no one can steal anything from the Father's hand.

1 Corinthians 11:3 NJB 

3. But I should like you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.

In all of these verses, Christ Jesus proclaims quite clearly that he is not co-equal to the Father, but that the Father is “Greater” than even himself. How therefore, can the doctrine of the trinity, claim that Christ is co-equal with Yahweh God the Father? The Philosophy of the Doctrine does not match the Scriptures. In this case, scripture always trumps philosophical concepts, for the Bible tells us quite clearly that we should “test everything and hold on to what is good and shun every form of evil (1 Thessalonians 5:21-22 NJB)” and what is good is what is from Scripture and that which is not in scripture is evil for “All scripture is inspired by God and useful for refuting error, for guiding people's lives and teaching them to be upright. This is how someone who is dedicated to God becomes fully equipped and ready for any good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17 NJB)”.

In other verses we find that Christ Jesus admits to all openly that Yahweh God, His God and Our God is superior in knowledge to Him. If the Father and Son were truly co-equal, then he would know the answer to these scriptural verses:

Matthew 24:36 NJB

36. But as for that day and hour, nobody knows it, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, no one but the Father alone.

Mark 13:32 NJB 

32. 'But as for that day or hour, nobody knows it, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son; no one but the Father.

Again in the following scripture it shows that Christ Jesus is not co-equal or even equal with Yahweh God as the doctrine of the trinity proclaims:

Matthew 20:20-23 NJB 

20. Then the mother of Zebedee's sons came with her sons to make a request of him, and bowed low;

21. and he said to her, 'What is it you want?' She said to him, 'Promise that these two sons of mine may sit one at your right hand and the other at your left in your kingdom.'

22. Jesus answered, 'You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup that I am going to drink?' They replied, 'We can.'

23. He said to them, 'Very well; you shall drink my cup, but as for seats at my right hand and my left, these are not mine to grant; they belong to those to whom they have been allotted by my Father.'

Even when the Jews believed that Christ Jesus was proclaiming himself equal to God, Jesus corrects them and states himself quite clearly that he can do nothing by himself, that he can only do what he sees the Father doing.

John 5:18-23 NJB

18. But that only made the Jews even more intent on killing him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he spoke of God as his own Father and so made himself God's equal.

19. To this Jesus replied: In all truth I tell you, by himself the Son can do nothing; he can do only what he sees the Father doing: and whatever the Father does the Son does too.

20. For the Father loves the Son and shows him everything he himself does, and he will show him even greater things than these, works that will astonish you.

21. Thus, as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so the Son gives life to anyone he chooses;

22. for the Father judges no one; he has entrusted all judgement to the Son,

23. so that all may honour the Son as they honour the Father. Whoever refuses honour to the Son refuses honour to the Father who sent him.

With all this scriptural evidence to test the doctrine of the trinity with, just on the equality or co-equality of the Son with the Father, the doctrine fails terribly. The following verses show even more how wrong the doctrine of the trinity is according to scripture:

John 5:36-38 NJB

36. But my testimony is greater than John's: the deeds my Father has given me to perform, these same deeds of mine testify that the Father has sent me.

37. Besides, the Father who sent me bears witness to me himself. You have never heard his voice, you have never seen his shape,

38. and his word finds no home in you because you do not believe in the one whom he has sent.

John 8:26-29 NJB

26. About you I have much to say and much to judge; but the one who sent me is true, and what I declare to the world I have learnt from him.

27. They did not recognise that he was talking to them about the Father.

28. So Jesus said: When you have lifted up the Son of man, then you will know that I am He and that I do nothing of my own accord. What I say is what the Father has taught me;

29. he who sent me is with me, and has not left me to myself, for I always do what pleases him.

John 8:53-55 NJB

53. Are you greater than our father Abraham, who is dead? The prophets are dead too. Who are you claiming to be?'

54. Jesus answered: If I were to seek my own glory my glory would be worth nothing; in fact, my glory is conferred by the Father, by the one of whom you say, 'He is our God,'

55. although you do not know him. But I know him, and if I were to say, 'I do not know him,' I should be a liar, as you yourselves are. But I do know him, and I keep his word.

John 10:25-38 NJB

25. Jesus replied: I have told you, but you do not believe. The works I do in my Father's name are my witness;

26. but you do not believe, because you are no sheep of mine.

27. The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice; I know them and they follow me.

28. I give them eternal life; they will never be lost and no one will ever steal them from my hand.

29. The Father, for what he has given me, is greater than anyone, and no one can steal anything from the Father's hand.

30. The Father and I are one.

31. The Jews fetched stones to stone him,

32. so Jesus said to them, 'I have shown you many good works from my Father; for which of these are you stoning me?'

33. The Jews answered him, 'We are stoning you, not for doing a good work, but for blasphemy; though you are only a man, you claim to be God.'

34. Jesus answered: Is it not written in your Law: I said, you are gods?

35. So it uses the word 'gods' of those people to whom the word of God was addressed -- and scripture cannot be set aside.

36. Yet to someone whom the Father has consecrated and sent into the world you say, 'You are blaspheming' because I said, 'I am Son of God.'

37. If I am not doing my Father's work, there is no need to believe me;

38. but if I am doing it, then even if you refuse to believe in me, at least believe in the work I do; then you will know for certain that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.

John 14:23-31 NJB

23. Jesus replied: Anyone who loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we shall come to him and make a home in him.

24. Anyone who does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not my own: it is the word of the Father who sent me.

25. I have said these things to you while still with you;

26. but the Paraclete, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you of all I have said to you.

27. Peace I bequeath to you, my own peace I give you, a peace which the world cannot give, this is my gift to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.

28. You heard me say: I am going away and shall return. If you loved me you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.

29. I have told you this now, before it happens, so that when it does happen you may believe.

30. I shall not talk to you much longer, because the prince of this world is on his way. He has no power over me,

31. but the world must recognise that I love the Father and that I act just as the Father commanded.

Come now, let us go.

It is clear from these Scriptures and many others that Jesus never saw or believed that he was Equal or Co-Equal to God his Father, so how can the doctrine of the Trinity and those that believe in it honestly accept it after reading scripture and testing the doctrine by scripture which we Christians are told to do anyway when judging error. Let us now look at scripture regarding the doctrines claim that Jesus is co-eternal.

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