IS GOD A TRINITY? PART EIGHT
SCRIPTURE #17
1 Timothy 3:16: And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory (KJV).
The KJV translation of this passage suggests Jesus is God as it speaks of God being manifest in the flesh, referring to Jesus. This rendering is sometimes used by Trinitarians as a proof text to show Jesus is God. Yet the oldest Greek Manuscripts do not show Theos but a different Greek construction that doesn’t say God was manifest in the flesh but that “He,” which is believed to refer to the Son, was manifest in the flesh. The reference to God in verse 15 is believed to be a reference to the Father and since it was not the Father who became flesh but the Son; it is the Son being referenced in verse 16. Most modern translations render this passage using the word “He” as referring to Christ.
Without any doubt, the mystery of our religion is very deep indeed: He was made visible in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed to the gentiles, believed in throughout the world, taken up in glory (New Jerusalem Bible).
Even though this translation was made by Catholic scholars who are Trinitarians, they chose to use Greek texts that they felt were closer to the original even if it didn’t necessarily support Trinitarian doctrine as do the texts used by the KJV translators. The Simple English translation says it this way:
We must agree that the secret of our faith is great: Christ appeared in a human body. He was shown to be right by the Spirit. He was seen by angels. He was preached among the nations. He was believed in the world. He was taken up to heaven.
SCRIPTURE #18
Colossians 2:9: For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity (Greek theotees: = State of being God) lives in bodily form,
Some Trinitarians see this passage as proof that Jesus is God as it is argued that the fullness of Deity can’t live in someone and that someone not be Deity. Oneness theologians draw the same conclusion. Most Non-Trinitarians see the very next verse along with Ephesians 3:19 dispelling that notion.
Verse 10: and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority.
Ephesians 3:19: that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
If all the fullness of Deity dwelling in Jesus makes Jesus God then it should follow that the fullness of Jesus as God and certainly the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:19) in us should make us God. Furthermore, if all the fullness of God dwells in Christ as to make Christ God, does that mean Father and Spirit reside in Christ? While Oneness theologians believe this to be the case, such a conclusion is in contradiction to the many passages that show clear separation between the Father as the one and only true God and Jesus Christ (John 17:3). There are serious problems encountered when trying to make Colossians 2:9 say Jesus is God, let alone a Trinitarian God.
SCRIPTURE #19
Matthew 28:19: Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
2 Corinthians 13:14: May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
Trinitarians see both these passages as supporting Trinitarian doctrine as to the nature of God. It is believed these statements show an internal relationship between Father, Son and Spirit as the one God. In the Matthew passage, Jesus is seen not as speaking of individual names of the Father, Son and Spirit but is believed to be actually saying “in the name of God who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit.”
Non Trinitarians point out that this Trinitarian conclusion as to what Jesus was saying is purely speculative and runs contrary to Christ’s statement in John 17:3 where He identifies the Father as the only true God. For those who may conclude that the three persons of the Trinity are here being named it is pointed out that while the Father has the name YHWH and the Son is named Jesus, there is no name for the Holy Spirit found in scripture. In the Greek manuscripts, Father, Son and Holy Spirit are not capitalized in the Matthew passage and Holy Spirit is not capitalized in the Corinthian passage in the Greek manuscripts as is the case throughout the Greek NT. In 1 Timothy 5:21, Paul says, “I charge you, in the sight of God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels….” No one would conclude from this that God, Jesus Christ and angels are in some kind of Trinitarian relationship. In the Corinthian passage, Paul distinguishes between God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. If Jesus and the Holy Spirit are God as God is God, why the distinction?
We will deal more extensively with Matthew 28:19 at the end of our discussion of the Holy Spirit.
SCRIPTURE #20
Isaiah 40:1-3: Comfort, comfort my people, says your God (Elohim). Speak tenderly to
Matthew 3:1-3: In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the
Trinitarians and “Oneness” theologians believe the “Lord” referred to in Matthew 3:1-3, is Jesus. Since this Lord is spoken of as the LORD (YHWH) in Isaiah, it is believed that Jesus must be YHWH and therefore must be God.
Non-Trinitarians respond by showing that Jesus puts a different spin on this prophecy of Isaiah and shows that it is YHWH talking to Him (Jesus) about making the path straight for His appearing. In speaking about John the Baptist, Jesus said this:
Matthew 11:10: This is the one about whom it is written: "`I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.'
The “I” is referring to YHWH and the “you” is referring to Christ. Therefore, Jesus sees Isaiah as saying it is YHWH saying to Christ that John the Baptist will prepare the way for Christ’s appearing. The New Jerusalem Bible translation makes it very plain:
Matthew 11:10: He (John) is the one of whom scripture says: Look, I am going to send my messenger in front of you to prepare your way before you.
THE “I AM” STATEMENTS:
Trinitarians often point to the “I am” statements of Jesus as evidence for Jesus being God. For example in John 8:24 Jesus says: "I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am [the one I claim to be], you will indeed die in your sins"(NIV).
The statement “I am” is believed to be associated with Exodus 3:14 and Isaiah 43:12.
Exodus 3:14: God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: `I AM has sent me to you.'"
Isaiah 43:10: “You are my witnesses," declares the LORD, "and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me.
Other NT scriptures having “I am” statements that are used to support the concept that Jesus is God are the following: These are all taken from the NIV.
John 8:28: So Jesus said, "When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am [the one I claim to be] and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me.
John 13:19: "I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am He.
John 18:4-8: Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, "Who is it you want?" Jesus of Nazareth," they replied. "I am he," Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.) When Jesus said, "I am he," they drew back and fell to the ground. Again he asked them, "Who is it you want?" And they said, "Jesus of Nazareth." "I told you that I am he," Jesus answered. "If you are looking for me, then let these men go."
The Greek for “I am” in these passages is ego eimi and means “I am.” It is a common Greek clause that is often found with a predicate that defines what “I am” refers to or if a predicate is not present the context will provide the definition of what “I am” is referring to. For example we see Christ making statements such as “I am the bread of life, “I am the good Shepherd,” “I am the light of the world,” etcetera. In passages where there is no identifying predicate, the context of the passage identifies and defines the meaning of “I am.”
Trinitarians make the claim that where there is no identifying predicate and the phrase “I am” in the Greek stands alone, Jesus is identifying Himself with the Elohim of Exodus 3:14 and the YHWH of Isaiah 43:10? Some even go so far as to say when there is an identifying predicate such as in “I am the good Shepherd,” that by using the phrase “I am” Jesus is identifying with YHWH. It is pointed out that the “he” as in “I am he” is added by the translators and is not in the Greek. Do we see in the Greek ego eimi Jesus identifying Himself with YHWH?
When Jesus walked on the water toward the boat the disciples were in and they expressed great fear at what they were seeing, Jesus said, "It is I; (ego eimi) don't be afraid" John 6:20. When Jesus healed the blind man and people questioned the man who was blind whether he was the one who had been blind he said “I am.” (ego eimi) John 9:9. When Jesus was speaking to the Samaritan women and she spoke of the coming Messiah, it’s recorded that Jesus said "I who speak to you am he." (ego eimi) John 4:26. Ego eimi is found dozens of times in the NT scriptures and by it predicates and by context can be clearly seen to act as a verbal connection identifying the person associated with this clause. There is no grammatical or linguistic reason to associate this common Greek clause with YHWH or Elohim.
Translators commonly add “he” to clarify the Greek which they understand is using ego eimi as a connecting clause associated with the person in the passage. Some translators, such as in the NIV, actually add inserts such as “the one I claim to be” to further clarify what Jesus is saying. Context of the passage or the entire Gospel will tell you who Jesus claimed to be. If you read through John, as well as the other Gospels, it is clear that Jesus claimed to be the Messiah and the Son of God. Nowhere does Jesus claim to be YHWH or Elohim. As already covered in this series, being the Son of God does not necessarily equate with being God.
Some claim that Jesus saying “I am” in John 18:5-8 clearly shows that Jesus was identifying Himself as God because those who came to arrest Him fell backwards to the ground when He identified Himself by saying “I am.” Jesus said “I am” in response to His inquiry as to who they were looking for. Some believe they fell to the ground because they felt Jesus was blaspheming by calling Himself God. Others believe those arresting Jesus were stunned by the power of His proclamation of being God. It must be kept in mind, however, that the soldiers said they were looking for Jesus of Nazareth and Jesus told them He was the one they were looking for. They could have fallen backwards simple in response to Jesus offering Himself to them without resistance, something they probably weren’t use to.
Non Trinitarians point out that if Jesus was using the “I am” statements to identify Himself as God, then why didn’t such statements have a similar effect on others who heard them during the course of His ministry. Furthermore, in Mark 13:6 Jesus is recorded as having said, “Many will come in my name, claiming, `I am he,' (ego eimi) and will deceive many.” It is obvious, however, that Jesus was not claiming that others would come and claim to be God but would claim to be Christ. Matthews’s record of this statement clarifies what Jesus meant by saying “I am.” “For many will come in my name, claiming, `I am the Christ, ' and will deceive many" (Matthew 24:5). By comparing these two accounts it becomes clear that when Jesus in some contexts used the expression “I am” He is referring to Himself as the Christ, the promised anointed one (Messiah) of Israel. Jesus being the Messiah doesn’t equate with Him being YHWH.
Jesus statement in John 8:58 is believed by Trinitarians to identify Jesus as God. In fact this is one of the most frequently used scriptures by Trinitarians to support their contention that Jesus is the YHWH of the OT that spoke to Moses from the burning bush.
John 8:58: I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "before Abraham was born, I am!" (ego eimi).
Trinitarians believe Jesus identifies Himself with the “I AM” of Exodus 3:14 and by context shows He existed as the “I AM” before Abraham existed. Therefore Jesus identifies Himself as the eternal God. It is pointed out by Trinitarians that the Septuagint translation of the OT uses ego eimi to translate the Hebrew ehyeh asher ehyeh for “I AM who I AM” and this further gives evidence to Jesus being the same “I AM” that is spoken of in Exodus 3:14.
Non-Trinitarians point to the extensive work done by Greek and Hebrew scholars, grammarians and translators on these passages and show that the commonly used English versions do not reflect the true meaning of these passages which consequently has led to false conclusions as to these passages supporting the concept that Jesus is God.
A number of Biblical scholars have shown the Hebrew in Exodus 3:14, ehyeh asher ehyeh is better translated “I will be what (or who as asher can mean either who or what) I will be." Ehyeh is translated as “I will be” in other OT scriptures. For example in Exodus 3:12, the same Hebrew word ehyeh is translated, “And God said, I will be with you.” It is pointed out that God, in telling Moses that He is ehyeh asher ehyeh, is not revealing His name. His name is YHWH which is made plain in verse 15.
Exodus 3:15: God also said to Moses, "Say to the Israelites, `The LORD, (YHWH) the God of your fathers--the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob--has sent me to you.' This is my name forever, the name by which I am to be remembered from generation to generation.
It is the name YHWH that God wants
It must also be noted that the Septuagint rendering of the Hebrew in Exodus 3:14 is ego eimi ho on which in English means “I am the being” or “I am the one being.” The third mention of “I AM” at the end of this verse in the Septuagint is not ego eimi but “ho on” which means in English “the being,” or “the one being.” It is apparent the translators of the Hebrew into the Greek saw this passage as God telling Moses to tell the Israelites that He as “the being” is sending Moses to them. Therefore it is not "I AM” who is sending Moses but “the being.” In none of the “I am” statements associated with Jesus, including John 8:58, does Jesus use this expression of “the being” as found in the Septuagint rendering of Exodus 3:14. This being the case, Non-Trinitarians believe it is absolutely false to claim that Jesus is identifying Himself with the God that spoke to Moses out of the burning bush in John 8:58 or any other “I am” passage. It is believed the phrase “I am,” as use in the Greek, is not a title for God at all but simply an expression of the verb “to be” such as in the phrase “I am the good Shepherd.” Non-Trinitarians accuse Trinitarians of trying to make this verb into a proper name.
So what does Jesus mean by saying “before Abraham was I am?” Grammarians who have studied this passage find that in the Greek construction of this verse the phrase ego eimi, being in the perfect indicative tense, expresses a past action that is still going on and therefore the actual meaning of this passage is that “before Abraham came to be I have been.” In terms of the grammatical construction of this passage, ego eimi covers the entire period from some time before Abraham to the time Jesus was speaking to Jews standing before Him. Various translations render this passage with this understanding of the Greek grammar. For example, one Greek scholar, K. L. McKay in his A New Syntax of the Verb in the New Testament Greek renders this passage as “I have been in existence since before Abraham was born.” This rendering portrays the sense of continuing existence from before Abraham up to and including the present. Some translations, such as the 1971 edition of the New American Standard Bible, footnote “I AM” with (or, “I have been.”)
AUTHOR’S COMMENT: It is quite apparent that upon close examination of the “I AM” statements of Jesus that these statements do not associate Him with YHWH at all or provide evidence Jesus is God or that He has eternally existed. All that ego eimi appears to do is act as a connecting verbal clause that links Jesus to a descriptive noun or identity such as in “I am the good shepherd.” Most translations add the word “He” where a definite predicate is lacking to show a relationship to a previous statement of identity. Since it is apparent that “I AM” is not a title for God, to claim the “I AM” statements of Jesus proves He is God is bogus. I have personally looked at Greek renderings of John 8:58 and the construction discussed above is applicable.
It appears on the surface that Christ’s statement that He existed before Abraham is damaging to the position A Trinitarians who do not believe in the preexistence of the Son of God. On the other hand, position A folks look at John 8:58 and see it as Jesus saying that Abraham foresaw the day of Christ as it is believed verse 56 indicates this when Christ said: “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.” It is believed that Christ was in the plans of YHWH before the creation of the world and foreseen by some of the patriarchs. It is pointed out that the scriptures tell of Christ being crucified before the foundation of the world. He wasn’t actually crucified until the end of His ministry on earth. In the mind of God, however, Christ was as good as crucified from the time God determined to create a Son who would become the Savior of the world. In the same manner it is believed Christ was before Abraham in the mind of God and Abraham was made privy to God's plan and able to see the day of Christ in advance and rejoice over it. While this position appears tenable, there are a variety of other passages that appear to clearly teach preexistence for the one who became Jesus.
REVELATION:
The book of Revelation has a number of passages that are used by Trinitarians and Non-Trinitarians to support their respective positions. Non Trinitarians point to the Revelation as solid evidence that Jesus is a separate Being from God.
Revelation 1:1-2: “The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who testifies to everything he saw--that is, the word (logos) of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Non-Trinitarians point out that John does not say “which the Father gave him” but says “which God gave him.” God is seen as a separate Being from Jesus.
Trinitarians will argue that when John writes that it is God who gave Jesus the Revelation it is God as Father giving the Revelation since God is distinctions of Father, Son and Spirit. Trinitarians claim that the scriptural writers use the terms God and Father interchangeably. Non-Trinitarians respond that the following passage dispels such a notion.
In this passage John gives greetings from “him who is, and who was, and who is to come” and from the seven spirits before his throne and from Jesus Christ who is identified as the first born from the dead who has made us a kingdom of priests to serve His God and Father. Here we see distinction not only between the Father and Jesus but between the God and Father of Jesus. If distinction was only being made between the Father and Jesus, it could possibly allow for some kind of one Being relationship as found in Trinitarian and Oneness theology. Distinction, however, is being made between God and Father and Jesus. John is clearly saying that the Being who is to be praised is both God and Father of Jesus, not just the Father of Jesus. If God is seen as the God of Jesus, how can Jesus be that same God? Remember, we are seeing Jesus after His ascension. Jesus still relates to God as His God after he has ascended to God. Therefore to postulate that God and Jesus are of single Being and equally God is contrary to what we plainly see in the scriptures.
Distinction is made between the one associated with the throne before which are seven spirits and the person Jesus. Who is associated with the throne? In chapter four is a description of the throne on which sits the Lord God Almighty who is characterized as “who was, and is, and is to come."
Revelation 7:10: And they cried out in a loud voice: "Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb."
The lamb (Jesus) is seen as separate from the Lord God Almighty who sits on the throne and therefore Jesus is not the Lord God Almighty. Since the Lord God Almighty is seen as “him who is, and who was, and who is to come,” this title is not referencing Jesus. Since Jesus relates to God as His God and Father in 1:5, it is apparent from the overall context of Revelation that the Lord God Almighty is the God and Father of Jesus to whom Jesus is shown to be subservient and therefore not coequal with.
Some Trinitarians believe Revelation 1:18 refers to Jesus and therefore Jesus is “him who is, and who was, and who is to come,” and Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega and the Lord God Almighty. Therefore, Jesus is God as God is God.
Revelation 1:8: "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty."
Here again reference is made to "who is, and who was, and who is to come” and, as we have seen, this title is associated with the Lord God Almighty who sits on the throne. Since the title "who is, and who was, and who is to come” references the one associated with the throne in verse 4 and now in verse 8 this title is seen as associated with the Lord God, Almighty, it should be apparent that the one who sits on the throne is the Lord God, the Almighty. Since Jesus speaks in terms of serving His God and Father within the context of references to he who sits on the throne, it appears that he who sits on the throne is God the Father who also is the Alpha and the Omega of verse eight. Therefore, Jesus is not the Alpha and Omega in this verse. In Revelation 21:5-7 the one who sits on the throne is specifically identified as the Alpha and the Omega.
Revelation 21:5-7: He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true." He said to me: "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son."
It is pointed out that in this passage it is the one seated on the throne who will be the God of those who overcome and they will be his sons. Since the scriptures speak often of we becoming sons of God and since becoming a son implies a Father/son relationship, it is believed that we become sons of God the Father which further verifies that the one seated on the throne is God the Father who is the Lord God Almighty and the God and Father of Jesus in Revelation 1:4-6. If the one who sits on the throne is the God and Father of Jesus it shows separation and difference in status between God and Jesus.
Trinitarians will point to Revelation 22:12-13 as referring to Jesus as the one coming soon and therefore being the Alpha and Omega of scripture.
Revelation 22:12-13: "Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End."
What must be determined in chapter 22 is who is speaking and when. In verses one through six it appears the angel is speaking. In verse seven Jesus may be speaking or the angel may be speaking on His behalf. In verse eight, John is speaking. In verses nine through eleven the angel is speaking. Who is speaking in verse twelve and thirteen? The speaker says he is coming soon and his reward is with him. In Revelation 11:16-18 the Lord God Almighty is seen as being worshipped on his throne and is identified as the “one who is and who was.” He is also seen as bringing reward to his servants. In Matthew 6:1-4, reward is seen as derived from the Father. Since the one sitting on the throne is previously identified as the Alpha and the Omega in the Revelation, this title appears to exclusively apply to the Lord God Almighty. Since the Lord God Almighty is the one sitting on the throne and is seen as separate from the lamb (Jesus) throughout the Revelation, it is the Lord God Almighty who is speaking here and not Jesus. While it is true that Jesus is also seen as the one coming in the Revelation, His coming is as the agent of His Father, the Lord God Almighty. It is the Father who facilitates reward and judgement through the Son. The Son is seen as coming in the presence of God the Father. God the Father is seen as the one coming through His agent Jesus Christ.
1 Thessalonians 3:13: May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.
Trinitarians will point to Jesus saying He is the first and the last in Revelation 1:17 and 2:8 as proof He is the Alpha and Omega. Non-Trinitarians respond by pointing out that in both these passages Jesus associates being the first and the last with His death and resurrection. Therefore, Jesus is identified as the Lamb of God slain for the sins of the world and not as the Almighty God who sits on the throne as the Alpha and Omega. In Revelation 1:19 Jesus is quoted as saying “I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever!” In Revelation 2:8, John speaks of Christ who died and came to life again. God can’t die. Since God can’t die He certainly didn’t come back to life. Jesus died and came back to life. There is no hint here of Jesus being God and somehow only the human side of Him died.
AUTHOR’S COMMENT: The strongest argument Non- Trinitarians have against the Trinity in the Book of Revelation is Jesus referring to God not just as His Father but as His God and Father. Secondly, we see God referring to Jesus as His Christ. This clearly shows a lesser status of the Son as compared to the Father and therefore places in serious question the idea that the Father and the Son are coequal. Furthermore, it is an unproven Trinitarian assumption that when the scriptures speak of God in relationship to Christ the Father is meant. As already covered, dozens of scriptures speak of God not only being the Father of Jesus but being the God of Jesus as well. Scripture repeatedly shows God to be the God, as well as the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 8:6: Yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ through whom all things came and through whom we live.
2 Corinthians 1:3: Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Romans 15:5-6: May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 1:3: Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Peter 1:3: Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
In these passages we see the one God identified as the God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ. While the scriptures also identify God the Father as Lord many times, it is as the One and Only Supreme Lord God Almighty whose Name is YHWH and Adonai (Lord). Jesus is not the One and only Supreme Lord God Almighty. Jesus is the one Lord as the One and Only begotten Son of the Father through whom the Father does His work and accomplishes His purpose. Jesus is the adoni lord as discussed earlier in this series. Jesus is not YHWH as previously shown and He is not the Alpha and the Omega. The fact that the Alpha and the Omega is the one who sits on the throne and is seen as handing the scroll to the Lamb should make it clear that the one sitting on the throne is superior to the Lamb. It is clear the Lamb (Jesus) has been granted great glory, power and authority and is worthy of worship. It is also clear that the Lamb is subservient to the Lord God Almighty who sits on the throne and is the God and Father of the Lamb. There is no equality of Being here as Trinitarians claim. Jesus Christ cannot be God as God as God is God when He clearly speaks of God being His God and Father.
In Daniel's vision of the coming of Christ we see Jesus appearing before the “Ancient of Days” and being given authority and power by the “Ancient of Days” If Jesus is coeternal, coequal and consubstantial with the Father He would have the same power and authority as the Father and would not have to be given such power and authority. The very language of this passage shows the superiority of the Father to the Son.
Daniel 7:13-14: "In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.
If the Ancient of Days is God and Jesus is God, how do you approach someone you are already a part of? How are you led into the presence of someone you already are? Why do you need to be given authority, glory and power if you already have it as a coequal with the one giving these things? Even if the Ancient of Days is looked upon as the Father only of a Trinitarian unity of Father, Son and Spirit, the language of the passage demonstrates not just a distinction in a consubstantial, coequal and coeternal relationship but a separation of Beings and status.