“The Only True God” : How Trinitarians and Unitarians Got It Wrong
By Bro. Nathan
“ And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” (Jn. 17:3) KJV
When Jesus said that Heavenly Father is the only true God, Trinitarians and Unitarians will make interpretations in light sa kanilan doctrine na kung saan ay nawala ang very essence of why did Christ adressed Heavenly Father with a title. Jn. 17:3 is the words na sinabi ni Jesus Christ sa kanyang intercessory prayer na kung saan ay kanyang kinilala ang greatness ni Heavenly Father as ang Supreme Ruler ng universe. this statement goes against sa Trinitarian Theology dahil according dito, si Heavenly Father ang tanging nasa category ng Only True God, and not three according to Trinitarian Theology. ang words na ito ni Jesus Christ ay naka-adress lamang sa iisang person according sa grammar ng text and not one in three persons. with this, Unitarians will also use this for their Unitarian Theology, na ang Diyos ay iisang person lamang at na si Heavenly Father ang tanging ontologically existing God, at na si Jesus Christ ay hindi na divine. this is a bad interpretation of the text. sa Greek, ang nakalagay ay τὸν μόνον ἀληθινὸν θεὸν (ton monon alethinon Theon) with the Greek word/adjective ἀληθινός (alethinos) used to show ang pagka-instrinstic ni Heavenly Father, making Heavenly Father distinguished above all. yung "only true" does not mean na hindi God si Jesus Christ or walang ibang existing na gods. the same Greek word sa Jn. 17:3 is used when Jesus said :
"Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you note that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven [τὸν ἄρτον ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ τὸν ἀληθινόν - ton arton ek tou ouranou ton alethinon]." (Jn. 6:32) KJV
Yung bread was also described as ἀληθινόν (alethinon). It does not mean na ang manna is not really bread or false na bread. ang bread however na dinescribe ni Jesus Christ have intristinctness na kung saan, ito ay tagabigay ng eternal life at hindi kagaya ng sa mana na kinain ng mga Israelites for hunger. the Greek word as an adjective in Jn. 17:3 was used in places also of the Johainne Gospel to show the instrictiveness of things e.g ἦν τὸ φῶς τὸ ἀληθινὸν (en to phos to alethinon - that was the true light; Jn. 1:9) to show that Jesus is the true light (cf. 1 Jn. 2:8 ); with Jesus being the true light, that does not mean that we as disciples of Jesus Christ are false lights (Mt. 5:14). we are lights also, and we are representatives of the true light who is Jesus Christ. we represent the true light by being a good example to people. Jesus as stated above also said that he is the τὸν ἄρτον ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ τὸν ἀληθινόν (ton arton ek tou ouranou ton alethinon - the true bread from Heaven; Jn. 6:32-33) to show contrast with the bread i.e manna that was given to the Israelites at the times of Exodus but that does not mean that the manna that the Israelites ate is not real bread. Jesus is the true bread that gives eternal life to those who will eat it (Jn. 6:51-56). the manna made the Israelites alive from hunger and it is a representation of how Jesus made us alive with the eternal life that he provides (Jn. 3:16-17; 14:6; Rom. 5:1-17; Eph. 2:1-10). Heavenly Father is the τὸν μόνον ἀληθινὸν θεὸν (ton monon alethinon Theon - the only true God; Jn. 17:3) but that does not make Jesus a false god or not God. as for the uses of the adjective, Jesus is a copy of God's being; and therefore Jesus is also God; he also shares God's nature but the God that he represents is the true God, the only true God. This is also why problematic yung mga arguments ng mga Biblical Unitarians at mga INC. In Latter Day Saint Theology, only Heavenly Father is God in an underived sense (autotheos), and with Jesus in participation with Heavenly Father, he is also God for he is God’s perfect represent nature. he represent God and his nature in all ways (Heb. 1:3; cf. Col. 1:15-17). Kinilala ni Jesus Christ ang intristinctiveness ni Heavenly Father, predicating the adjective only to Heavenly Father. Heavenly Father is under the category ng "Only True God" and no one else. kinilala ni Jesus Christ ang greatness ni Heavenly Father over him, thus is contrary sa Trinitarianism where Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father ay mga co-equal na persons. this does not also teach Unitarianism dahil ang greatness ni Heavenly Father ang kinilala at hindi ang kanyang existence. hindi sinasabi ng verse na tanging si Heavenly Father lamang ang Diyos na nageexist, but na si Heavenly Father ang tanging tunay na Diyos, ang tanging kikilalanin na dakila na Diyos; ang tanging Diyos na kailangan natin na sambahin. this does not prove na hindi God si Jesus Christ o na false god lamang si Jesus Christ. Jesus is also God (Jn. 1:1-18; Acts 20:28; Phil. 2:5-11; Heb. 1:8-9), na kung saan, he is also subordinate to the Father—na kung saan ay something that Unitarians disagree.
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