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).