Key Trinitarian Prooftexts
The following articles are written to provide commentary on key prooftexts that are often used to advance trinitarian thinking. They provide in-depth analysis and critique of trinitarian arguments, and alternative ways to understand the scripture from a patternist perspective.
Matthew 28 presents the final words of Jesus before his ascension to the throne of God in Heaven. Known as the great commission, this passage contains a charge to baptize disciples in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Trinitarians use this passage as evidence of their viewpoint; the article instead argues that the three names are presented here because of the nature of baptism, rather than the nature of God.
John 5 includes a statement by Jesus that nearly got him killed — that God is his father. His listeners tried to stone him because they understood this to be a claim of equality with God. Trinitarians view this as evidence for the divinity of Christ, and for the idea that his divinity comes from his sonship toward the Father (i.e. he is the divine Son from before time began). While patternists agree that Jesus is divine, we deny that his divinity comes from his sonship. This article addresses Jesus’ claim of equality by viewing it through the lens of his authority as the vice-regent of God.
Hebrews 1 is often cited as a text that is difficult to reconcile with non-trinitarian viewpoints. In particular, it speaks of the Son as being divine, and also seems to speak of His divine nature as being begotten (but not created) by God (the Father). In this article, we examine the argument and old testament scripture citations in the first chapter of Hebrews to see if the theory of eternal generation accurately reflects an in-context reading of the passages involved.