In John 14:28, Jesus declares that He must return to His Father for His Father is greater than Him. This single verse records Jesus declaring the Father to be greater than He seems to completely destroy the Trinity argument since Jesus would be beneath the Father, which would mean He isn’t equal to God. Is that what Jesus was saying? Is the Father greater than Jesus? If so, is Jesus God, or is He just a man? Does that then mean that there is no Trinity? Join ArieRashelle as she searches through Scripture to explain Jesus’ words, “The Father is Greater Than I” in John 14:28.
John 8:28-29
John 8:54
Matthew 24:35-36
1 Corinthians 14:33
Mark 4:10-12
2 Corinthians 3:14
John 1
Genesis 1:1
Genesis 1:26-27
Deuteronomy 6:4
Matthew 12:29-30
James 2:19
Hebrews 5:11-14
Philippians 2:5-11
Revelation 2:8
Revelation 3:7
Revelation 22:12-13
Revelation 5:5-6
Revelation 5:1-5
Acts 4:11-12
Revelation 19:11-13
John 1:14
More On ‘The Father is Greater Than I’
They Have Different Roles:
While only the Father knows the day or hour of the return of the Son of Man, Jesus also has things that only He knows.
11 This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. 12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.
Acts 4:11-12
5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:5-11
11 Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. 12 His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems, and He has a name written that no one knows but Himself. 13 He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which He is called is The Word of God. 14 And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following Him on white horses. 15 From His mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. 16 On His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.
Revelation 19:11-16
Jesus’ Authority:
Jesus speaks differently about Himself after the resurrection. He no longer claims that ‘The Father is Greater Than I,’ instead He claims He is the Alpha and the Omega with all authority in heaven and on earth.
18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Matthew 28:18
5 And He who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also He said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” 6 And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. 7 The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son.”
Revelation 21:5-7
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The explanation given here regarding the Trinity, is still not convincing. Jesus spoke in parables, but later explained the parables. Also, throughout the Bible Jesus gives the Father superiority. The Trinity is human doctrine from early Catholicism. Jesus is seated at the right-hand of the throne of the father. Jesus came to give us salvation and teach us of the coming of the Kingdom of God. Jesus says in 1 Corith. that he would return everything to the Father. The Trinity exists today because at one of the Consuls, Arianism was completely destroyed so that there was only one way to go, the Trinity.
The fact that you didn’t use a single Scripture but simply said that the Trinity doctrine is a “human doctrine from early Catholicism” tells me that you have no Scripture to defend your belief. The closest thing to Scripture was referencing an entire book with 16 different chapters. The doctrine of the Trinity isn’t a “human doctrine from early Catholicism,” which is why I can further defend my faith with Scripture.
Let’s first address: “Jesus spoke in parables, but later explained the parables.”
Jesus only explained the parables to the disciples, hence the reason He said that He spoke in parables to the rest of the world. They had the Spirit, the people did not. That’s why He spoke in parables so that the world wouldn’t understand, but He explained them to His disciples, which is why He called them friends (Mark 4:11-12 & John 15:15).
Now, let’s address the accusation that the Trinity Doctrine isn’t Biblical.
If Jesus isn’t God, then would He not be a man? And if He is a man, you want me to believe that a man saved my soul, not God (Acts 4:12)? A man laid down His life and picked it up again at His own will (John 10:17-18)? I’m to be baptized in the name of a man (Matthew 28:18-20 & Acts 2:38 & Acts 10:48)? A man had glory with God before the world even existed (John 17:5)? A man is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last (Revelation 22:12-13)? All things were created by a man, through a man, and for a man (John 1:1-3 & Colossians 1:15-17)? A man received worship multiple times and accepts the title of God, yet is without sin (Matthew 14:33 & Matthew 28:9 & John 9:38 & John 20:27-29 & 2 Corinthians 5:21 & Hebrews 4:15)? God gave a man the name above all names, that would include above the name of God (Philippians 2:9)? God is going to not only have every knee on earth but also every knee in Heaven, which would include Himself, bow down to a man (Philippians 2:10)?
There’s too much evidence to prove the Divinity of Jesus as God. This is the very reason that the Pharisees and Scribes wanted Him murdered because they couldn’t reconcile in their own minds how a seemingly common man could be God (Matthew 9:1-6 & John 5:15-18 & John 8:54-59 & John 10:28-33). Paul doesn’t mince words or speak in parables; he says it plainly that Jesus was, is, and always will be God, but out of love for His creation, set off His Godliness and took on the form of man.
5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. (Philippians 2:5-7)
Jesus is God, and I am grateful for His sacrifice out of love that saved my soul. Ever wonder why the greatest command starts with:
Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.’” (Deuteronomy 6:4 & Mark 12:29)
This one statement alone proves the Trinity doctrine. In the original Hebrew, God is Elohim, which is plural. It’s the word you use for gods. He’s literally saying that the LORD our Gods are one. Jesus is literally called King of kings and LORD of lords (Revelation 19:16). This is quite the blasphemous statement if Jesus isn’t God. In fact, if Jesus isn’t God, the entire Bible is blasphemous. There’s just no way around it. Jesus is God; He and the Father are one. To deny this would be blasphemy. To deny this, according to John, would be having the Spirit of Antichrist. The Trinity doctrine isn’t of Catholic origin; if it was, Christians wouldn’t have been murdered during the Crusades by Catholics. If it was, Jesus wouldn’t have been crucified for claiming to be God. If it was, Saul of Tarsus would have never had a problem with Christianity and, therefore, would have never persecuted Jesus through His people. There is no way around Jesus being God. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last, the Great I Am.
May the LORD open your eyes and guide you into His sheepfold.