All Scripture quotations are from the BSB (Berean Standard Bible) unless otherwise noted.
Introduction
You may or may not be familiar with Oneness Pentecostalism—primarily within the United Pentecostal Church International, led by David K. Bernard. It’s a growing non-Trinitarian religious group that calls itself Pentecostal, but they are in no way Pentecostal in the common understanding of it. They are a separate group from mainline Pentecostal churches. They had their beginning between 1913 and 1914. Their belief system became a real problem within the newly formed Assemblies of God. This growing problem continued between 1914 and 1916. The Oneness’ rejection of the Trinity (and other beliefs) resulted in the AOG to reject them in 1916. This resulted in one third of the non-Trinitarian pastors leaving to form their own Oneness congregations.
Oneness Pentecostals are not merely a different Christian denomination. They are a religious group that is separate from true Christianity. In other words, they’re a cult. They themselves reject historical, orthodox Christianity. They don’t believe orthodox Christians are saved. However, this is exactly how orthodox Christians are to view them. And David Bernard is to be regarded as a false teacher. The primary reasons Oneness Pentecostalism is to be rejected as a true Christian organization are listed below:
One: They reject the Trinity of God. Their belief about the nature of God is a form of modalism (different modes). They believe that the Father is the one true God, and manifests Himself in Jesus and the Holy Spirit, where there is no actual distinction between the three. In other words, they believe that Jesus is actually the Father. Likewise, they believe that the Holy Spirit is actually the Father. Thus, the names Father, Son and Holy Spirit are merely titles or modes in which God reveals Himself. They reject the idea that God exists in three distinct Persons. To be clear, they do not believe that Jesus had a pre-existence before He came into the world in human form. They believe that the Son had His beginning at that time.
Two: They believe that a person must be baptized in the name of Jesus only, contrary to the instructions of the Lord Jesus Himself, who said to baptize “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” (Matt 28:19). Thus, they completely disregard the authority of Christ. They believe that it’s only in the name of Jesus that we’re saved. Therefore, if someone has been baptized in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, they must be re-baptized in the name of Jesus only.
Three: They believe that one must speak in tongues to be saved, because they believe that tongues are proof of receiving the Holy Spirit.
Four: They believe that one must adhere to strict holiness standards—thus, making this a faith plus works salvation, which is something Paul had to deal with—such as in Galatians 1:6-9.
Oneness Pentecostalism is in the same category as Mormonism and the Jehovah’s Witnesses. Therefore, it must be rejected. We cannot allow ourselves to be fooled by this heretical group.
The focus of this study will be on the Trinity of God. Because if we can demonstrate from the Bible that Jesus had an eternal existence as the Son of God before He came into this world in human form, then the Oneness modalist view of God completely falls apart. That’s what we’re going to do here. I’m not going to go into an endless number of passages, but only focus on a few of the most important ones. They all connect with each other. One passage is a mirror image of the other.
Furthermore, the emphasis will be on what the Bible actually says, rather than on what my or anyone else’s interpretation is. We’re going to let God’s word speak for itself.
Jesus Pre-existed Eternally As The Son Of God
(John 1:1 – BSB) – In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Within the whole context of this passage and chapter, the Apostle John makes it clear that the “the Word” is Jesus, the Son of God. He makes this especially clear in verses 14-15:
(John 1:14-15 – BSB) – [14] The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. [15] John testified concerning Him. He cried out, saying, “This is He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because He was before me.
First, the Apostle John refers to “the Word” as the “one and only Son,” which removes any doubt that he is talking about Jesus in this whole long passage. Then he quotes John the Baptist in verse 15 who said, “He was before me.” This is a significant statement, because John the Baptist was actually born six months before Jesus was born. Thus, what he’s revealing here is that Jesus had an existence before He came into this world. He’s not talking about the Father. He’s talking about Jesus.
Now let’s go back to verse one:
(John 1:1 – BSB) – In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Pay close attention to what John actually SAYS about “the Word:”
“In the beginning.” In the beginning of what? He’s talking about the beginning of creation. He makes that clear in the next two verses:
(John 1:2-3 – BSB) – [2] He was with God in the beginning. [3] Through Him all things were made, and without Him nothing was made that has been made.
What John is doing is taking us back to the Genesis account of creation:
(Genesis 1:1 – BSB) – In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
Thus, when talking about the Word (Jesus), he’s making it clear that Jesus is the very God who created the universe.
Now back to John 1:1. We’re going to break this verse down phrase by phrase:
“In the beginning was the Word” — We’ve already established that John is talking about Jesus.
“and the Word was with God” — Then he says that Jesus was with God. Here he’s talking about Jesus being with God the Father. Whenever the Bible talks about God, it’s usually the Father who is being referred to, unless the context makes it clear that it’s Jesus or the Holy Spirit who is being referred to. But regardless, the main point here is that John makes it clear that Jesus was with God in His pre-existence when He created the universe.
“and the Word was God” — So not only was Jesus with God (the Father), He was God. And by implication, if Jesus was God at the time of creation, then He is still God, since God is eternal and unchanging. And if that’s not enough, notice what Genesis 1:2 says:
(Genesis 1:2 – BSB) — Now the earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.
So between John chapter one and Genesis chapter one, in the very same context of creation, we see that it was the Father, Son and Holy Spirit who were involved in the creation of the universe. This is not my interpretation. This is an obvious observation.
Now I want us to take a look at verses 4-9:
(John 1:4-9 – BSB) – [4] In Him was life, and that life was the light of men. [5] The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. [6] There came a man who was sent from God. His name was John. [7] He came as a witness to testify about the Light, so that through him everyone might believe. [8] He himself was not the Light, but he came to testify about the Light. [9] The true Light who gives light to every man was coming into the world.
With “the Light” in mind, let’s go back to Genesis:
(Genesis 1:3-5 – BSB) — [3] And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. [4] And God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the darkness. [5] God called the light “day,” and the darkness He called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.
We see that the Apostle John is still making a reference to the creation account and comparing the light of creation with “the Light” (who is Jesus) of John 1. This is important to see because of what the Apostle John lso says in 1 John:
1 John Chapter One
1 John 1:1-5 – BSB) – [1] That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our own eyes, which we have gazed upon and touched with our own hands—this is the Word of life. [2] And this is the life that was revealed; we have seen it and testified to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us. [3] We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And this fellowship of ours is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ. [4] We write these things so that our joy may be complete. [5] And this is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you: God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.
John is following the pattern of his writing in John 1. He starts by referring to “that which was from the beginning.” First, we know that “that which was from the beginning” is the Lord Jesus. We also know that “the beginning” refers to the beginning of creation. We see both of these references in all three places (Genesis, John, 1 John). In other words, John is tying all three accounts together for us. Here in 1 John, he refers to the same “Word” in John 1, which we know to be the Lord Jesus. All of 1 John 1:1 makes it clear that John is referring to Jesus, “the Word of life.” John continues talking about Jesus in the second verse of 1 John 1:
(1 John 1:2 – BSB) – [2] And this is the life that was revealed; we have seen it and testified to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us.
“The life” refers back to “the Word of life,” who is Jesus. Then he says “we proclaim to you the “eternal life that was with the Father…” This is a highly significant statement, because in John 1:1 he says that “the Word was with God.” This confirms that in the beginning of creation it was God the Father whom Jesus was with, as the Son of God. Next in verse 3 of 1 John 1:
(1 John 1:3 – BSB) – “And this fellowship of ours is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ.”
Our fellowship is with both the Father and the Son, because John has revealed to us that Jesus is God, who created the universe, as he referenced Genesis 1. Now verse 5 of 1 John 1:
(1 John 1:5 – BSB) – “God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.”
Who did John say was “the light” in John 1? It was the Lord Jesus. But here he says that God (the Father) is “light,” where there is “no darkness at all.” In John 1 he refers to the light of the Son of God, and in 1 John 1 he refers to the light of God (the Father). Both the light of the Father and the Son shine in the “darkness” that is mentioned in Genesis 1:2-5.
What the Apostle has done is tie all three places in Genesis, John and 1 John together, all referring to the same thing. As we have observed, he reveals that Jesus is the Son of God, who was with the Father. Both, along with the Holy Spirit (Gen 1:2) were involved in the creation of the universe.
All of this reveals God to be a Triune God, which is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Not three gods, but one God—because the Bible also makes it clear that there is only one true God. Again, this conclusion is not an interpretation. It’s an observation of the facts given to us. When we put those facts together, we have to ask what the combined facts reveal. An unbiased look at the combined facts reveal a God as Triune in nature.
There’s another place in Scripture where we see the same thing as we do in John 1, 1 John 1 and Genesis 1. That’s Hebrews 1. I’ll provide the whole chapter for you. I’ll comment on significant verses or phrases:
Hebrews Chapter One
(Hebrews 1:1-14 – BSB) – [1] On many past occasions and in many different ways, God spoke to our fathers through the prophets.
(He 1:2) – [2] But in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, and through whom He made the universe.
It’s significant that in all four accounts (Genesis, John, 1 John, Hebrews), the writers start in the beginning of creation, and identify who it was that created the universe. Just as we observed in the other three places, we see that the Son of God was involved in that (along with the Father and the Holy Spirit).
(He 1:3) – [3] The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His nature, upholding all things by His powerful word. After He had provided purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.
Jesus is “the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His nature.” As we have observed, Jesus existed before He came into the world. And as in the other accounts of creation, we see that Jesus is God. After Jesus provided for our salvation, He ascended back to where He came from, which was “at the right hand of the Majesty on high,” as Jesus Himself confirms:
(John 17:5 – BSB) – And now, Father, glorify Me in Your presence with the glory I had with You before the world existed.
Here Jesus is talking about His own preexistence—not the Father’s! Let’s not interpret here, as David Bernard does. Instead, listen to the Lord Jesus. Listen to what He actually says about Himself. Jesus, as the Son of God, shares the glory of God, which He had “with” the Father in His “presence” before the world existed—in other words, before He came into this world, before all of creation. Before Jesus came into this world He was in “the presence” of the Father, and shared in His “glory.” The fact that He shared the glory of God is highly significant, because in the book of Isaiah God plainly says that He will give His glory to NO ONE:
(Isaiah 42:8 – LSB) – “I am Yahweh, that is My name; I will not give My glory to another, Nor My praise to graven images.
We see that “Yahweh” Himself states emphatically that He will not give His “glory” to anyone else. In other words, there is no one else who shares the same glory that belongs to Him alone. To be clear, “glory” here refers to His nature as the one true God. Yet, Jesus reveals in John 17:5 that He shares that glory, the same glory that He had before He came into the world in the Father’s “presence.” There’s a distinction between the Father and the Son. Let Scripture speak for itself. Let Jesus speak for Himself. If you’re a Oneness follower, don’t let Bernard’s interpretation steer you away from what is being clearly stated.
Back to Hebrews 1:
(He 1:4) – [4] So He became as far superior to the angels as the name He has inherited is excellent beyond theirs.
(He 1:5) – [5] For to which of the angels did God ever say: “You are My Son; today I have become Your Father”? Or again: “I will be His Father, and He will be My Son”?
Since we’ve already learned by simple observation that Jesus is God (who is eternal), we know that this statement, “today I have become Your Father” (or “begotten”), cannot mean that Jesus had a beginning (by birth) or that He was created. That’s obvious. What we have to understand is that God is not bound by time or space, because “one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day” (2 Pe 3:8). Thus, all time and eternity is the same to God. At every point in eternity, it’s all the same to Him.
Therefore, we have to understand “begotten” as being eternal, that it had no beginning. The theological term for this is the “eternal generation of the Son.” This refers to the eternal relationship between the Father and the Son. To be more precise, eternal generation refers to this “begotten” relationship (Jn 1:14,18; Jn 3:16,18), which has no beginning, but has always existed and continues to exist throughout eternity.
(He 1:6) – [6] And again, when God brings His firstborn into the world, He says: “Let all God’s angels worship Him.”
(He 1:7) – [7] Now about the angels He says: “He makes His angels winds, His servants flames of fire.”
(He 1:8) – [8] But about the Son He says: “Your throne, O God, endures forever and ever, and justice is the scepter of Your kingdom.
Here the writer of Hebrews plainly says that the throne of Jesus – the Son of God – “endures forever and ever.” It’s NOT the Father that he is talking about. It’s the Son!
(He 1:9) – [9] You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, Your God, has anointed You above Your companions with the oil of joy.”
(He 1:10) – [10] And: “In the beginning, O Lord, You laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands.
“And” here means the writer is still talking about the Son, as a continuation from verse 8. Therefore, we see again that the Son “laid the foundations of the earth,” and that “the heavens are the work of His hands.” So we can again observe that Jesus existed as the Son of God before He came into this world and before the creation of the universe.
(He 1:11) – [11] They will perish, but You remain; they will all wear out like a garment.
(He 1:12) – [12] You will roll them up like a robe; like a garment they will be changed; but You remain the same, and Your years will never end.”
See Hebrews 13:8.
(He 13:13) – [13] Yet to which of the angels did God ever say: “Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet”?
(He 1:14) – [14] Are not the angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?
That completes our look at Hebrews chapter one.
We’re going to look at one more passage, which is parallel to the other four passages:
Colossians Chapter One
(Colossians 1:15-17 – BSB) – [15] The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. [16] For in Him all things were created, things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities. All things were created through Him and for Him. [17] He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.
Here is yet another creation account where we see that the Son of God was involved in the creation of the universe. But what I want to key in on here is in verse 17, where Paul says that the Son is “before all things, and in Him all things hold together.” Jesus is what? He’s “before all things!” The Son of God was before creation existed. This is not an interpretation, but another obvious observation.
Not only that, but “in Him all things hold together.” The Son of God holds all of creation together. The whole universe operates in perfect order. Our own solar system operates in perfect order. Everything holds together and works together in unity, and nothing falls out place or out of orbit. Nor does the sun get too close to burn up the earth, nor does it get too far away to create an ice age. All of this is attributed to the Son of God.
I have to emphasize that in all of these accounts, it’s Jesus, the Son of God who is the primary focus, not the Father. Furthermore, by careful and honest observation, we see that the Father is not the Son, and the Son is not the Father. They are two distinct Persons (not separate), both revealed to be God. In none of these five accounts is there even the slightest hint that the Father is the Son, or that the Son is the Father. With the inclusion of the “Spirit of God” in Genesis 1:2, it’s easy to observe that God is a Triune God, as one God.
What I’ve done throughout this study is merely observe what is plainly stated, and accept it as it says. What David Bernard does is INTERPRET. When we put all of these passages together, there’s simply no reasonable way to see God as Oneness Pentecostalism sees Him. It requires teachers of this religion to force their own ideas about God into these texts—and obviously all other related texts of Scripture, as well.
There’s so much more Scripture I could point to in order to establish the Trinity of God, but here I wanted to focus on what I consider to be the most important thing in refuting Oneness theology and modalism in general—which is to make a sensible and ironclad case for the eternal preexistence of the Lord Jesus Christ as the Son of God. As I said in the beginning of this study, if you can do that, then the modalist view of God completely crumbles. I believe that goal has been achieved.
I’ll end this study with the following passage:
(Galatians 1:6-9 – BSB) – [6] I am amazed how quickly you are deserting the One who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— [7] which is not even a gospel. Evidently some people are troubling you and trying to distort the gospel of Christ. [8] But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be under a curse! [9] As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be under a curse!
For Part 2, click here.
