Exposition Against Trinitarianism: John 14:9 – "He that hath seen me hath seen the Father"
Text (KJV):
“Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?”
— John 14:9
Introduction
Trinitarianism teaches that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are three co-equal, co-eternal persons in one Godhead — distinct yet unified. However, this doctrinal framework is called into question by Jesus' direct statement in John 14:9, where He identifies seeing Himself as equivalent to seeing the Father. A straightforward reading of this verse strongly supports non-Trinitarian views, such as Oneness theology, which holds that Jesus is the visible manifestation of the one God — the Father.
1. Jesus Does Not Say "Like" the Father — He Says "Is"
Jesus does not say, “He that has seen me has seen someone like the Father,” or, “You see the Father’s character in me.” He explicitly states:
“He that hath seen me hath seen the Father.”
This is a declaration of identity, not mere representation. If the Son and the Father are two separate divine persons (as Trinitarianism claims), then seeing the Son would not equate to seeing the Father. The statement only makes logical sense if Jesus is the Father in manifestation — not a separate person.
2. The Context: Philip’s Request
Philip asks:
“Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us.” (v. 8)
If Trinitarianism were correct, Jesus could have answered, “You will see the Father later,” or, “I represent the Father.” Instead, His response rebukes Philip for not already recognizing the Father in Him.
Jesus makes it clear that the Father was not someone other than Himself to be introduced later — the Father was already present and visible in Jesus.
3. The Oneness View Explained
Oneness believers hold that God is a single divine person who manifests Himself in different ways — as Father in creation, Son in redemption, and Spirit in regeneration. John 14:9 affirms this beautifully. Jesus is not a second person alongside the Father; He is the Father revealed in the flesh.
Supporting Scripture:
Isaiah 9:6: “His name shall be called… The Everlasting Father.”
2 Corinthians 5:19: “God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself.”
Colossians 2:9: “In him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.”
All of these passages harmonize with Jesus’ statement in John 14:9 — showing that the fullness of the Father is embodied in Jesus.
4. The Weakness in Trinitarian Explanation
Trinitarians often argue that Jesus reveals the character or nature of the Father, not that He is the Father. However, this interpretation undermines the clarity and directness of Jesus' words. It also ignores the cumulative testimony of Scripture that describes Jesus as the visible image of the invisible God (Col. 1:15), not as a separate person showing another.
Furthermore, in John 10:30, Jesus declares, “I and my Father are one.” Again, this is more than unity of purpose — it implies essential unity, which oneness theology explains as one person, one essence, revealed in different modes.
Conclusion
John 14:9 stands as a profound and powerful testimony against the Trinitarian doctrine of three distinct persons in the Godhead. Jesus’ words are not ambiguous: “He that hath seen me hath seen the Father.” If this is true — and it is — then Jesus is the Father in human form. The distinction of persons taught by Trinitarianism collapses under the weight of Jesus’ own testimony. God is one — and His name is Jesus.
Only the Father Is God:
A Biblical Exposition Against Trinitarianism
One of the most fundamental doctrines in mainstream Christianity is the doctrine of the Trinity—the belief that the one God exists eternally in three coequal, coeternal persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. However, the question must be asked: Is this how the Bible actually describes God? A careful and honest examination of key Scriptures reveals a strikingly consistent pattern—only the Father is ever explicitly called “the one God” in the Bible.
This is not a matter of isolated verses, but a cumulative testimony echoed throughout the Old and New Testaments. Let us consider four critical passages that reveal the identity of the one true God.
1. John 17:3 — Jesus’ Own Definition of the True God
“And this is life eternal, that they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.”
(John 17:3, KJV)
In this intimate prayer to the Father, Jesus draws a clear distinction between the only true God and Himself as the one sent. Trinitarians often try to read a co-equal relationship between Jesus and the Father into the text, but Jesus Himself does the opposite—He identifies the Father alone as “the only true God.” If Jesus were equally and personally “God” alongside the Father, this would have been the moment to affirm it. Instead, He defines eternal life as knowing the Father as the only true God, and Himself as the one commissioned by that God.
Rather than implying a co-equal Trinity, this text undermines it.
2. Ephesians 4:6 — One God, the Father, Above All
“One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.”
(Ephesians 4:6, KJV)
Paul states unequivocally: There is one God—and He is the Father. Not the Father and the Son and the Spirit as co-equal persons, but the Father alone. Furthermore, Paul describes Him as “above all,” a phrase that rules out any notion of equality among divine persons. If the Father is “above all,” then no other person—Son or Spirit—can be equal to Him in status, position, or identity.
Trinitarians often say that the Son and the Spirit are equal in essence but subordinate in function. However, the biblical text does not support such metaphysical gymnastics. Paul calls the Father the one God who is above all, which leaves no room for co-equal divine persons alongside Him.
3. 1 Corinthians 8:6 — The Apostle Paul’s Explicit Contrast
“But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.”
(1 Corinthians 8:6, KJV)
Paul is writing to a Gentile church steeped in polytheism. He seeks to clarify Christian monotheism, and in doing so he offers a precise identification:
The one God Is the Father.
The one Lord is Jesus Christ.
This structure follows the pattern of Jewish Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4) and adapts it to include Christ—not as a second God, but as the Lord through whom the one God works. Paul could have easily said “one God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,” but he didn’t. He was inspired to distinguish God as the Father, and Christ as the Lord through whom God acts.
This distinction is consistent with the theology of functional distinction within divine unity, but not with the idea of coequal divine persons. The text limits the identity of the “one God” to the Father alone.
4. Malachi 2:10 — The Old Testament Consistency
“Have we not all one father? Hath not one God created us? Why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother, by profaning the covenant of our fathers?”
(Malachi 2:10, KJV)
Long before the incarnation, the Old Testament people of God understood that they had one Father, who was also their one Creator-God. There is no hint of a “triune” deity or a distinction of divine persons. The Father is not simply one person among three, but the only God acknowledged by Israel.
This is echoed in Isaiah 64:8, which says, “But now, O Lord, thou art our Father; we are the clay, and thou our potter.” The Old Testament foundation is that God is the Father, and there is no other.
The Consistent Biblical Pattern: The Father Alone Is God
Let us summarize the findings:
John 17:3
“The only true God”
The Father
Ephesians 4:6
“One God and Father of all”
The Father
1 Corinthians 8:6
“One God, the Father… one Lord, Jesus…”
The Father
Malachi 2:10
“One Father… one God created us”
The Father
In all these passages, the Father alone is called God, while Jesus is distinguished as Lord, Messiah, or the one sent by God. This is the consistent scriptural witness. Nowhere does the Bible say “one God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.” That formulation is a theological invention of post-biblical creeds, not divine revelation.
Conclusion: Returning to Biblical Monotheism
The doctrine of the Trinity collapses under the weight of scriptural testimony that only the Father is God. Jesus, the Son, is the visible manifestation of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15), the agent of God’s work in creation and redemption, and the one whom God raised from the dead. But in every case, Jesus defers to the Father as His God (John 20:17) and never once refers to a tri-personal deity.
Biblical monotheism affirms what Scripture consistently teaches:
The one God is the Father, who is above all, working through His Son and in us by His Spirit (Ephesians 4:6).
The time has come to return to the clear, powerful, and uncomplicated faith of the Bible—that there is one God, the Father, and Jesus Christ is His Son, Lord, and anointed manifestation. This is not merely a doctrinal point—it is eternal life (John 17:3).