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Examine the Verse - John 5:18
Consider the verse in detail in order to find out the true message or meaning.
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Home   Examine the Supporting Verses

Examine the Verse
John 5:18
This verse is cited to imply support of the Trinitarian belief
that the true God is the Triune God, existing as three persons, God the Father,
God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, but one being.

  Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God.
(John 5:18, New King James Version)
 
  Trinitarian Belief in God and Jesus Christ:
 Trinitarians believe in the Trinity, that God is the "Triune God"
existing as three persons
God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, but one being. All three are
eternal with no beginning. M
embers of the Trinity are co-equal and co-eternal,
one in essence, nature, power, action, and will.
Trinitarians believe that Jesus Christ is the eternal second person "God the Son",
who took on a human body and nature and became both man and God. 
Thus is Jesus is fully man and fully God simultaneously.
 
  Apostle's admonition, warning and unique way of teaching:
1. No prophecy of scripture is a matter of personal interpretation. (II Pt. 1:20, NAB)
2. Do not go beyond  what is written. (I Cor. 4:6, NIV)
 3. We do not use words of human wisdom. We speak words given to us by the Spirit,
using the Spirit's words to explain spiritual truths. (1 Cor. 2:13, NLT)
 
  Points to Consider:  
  1.  Please consider the prior verses 16 and 17 which says:
  For this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus, and sought to kill Him, because He had done these things on the Sabbath. But Jesus answered them, “My Father has been working until now, and I have been working.” John 15:16-17)
Please notice that Jesus never said anything in the above verses 16-18, that He is God.
2.  Please note that in the above verse (John 15:18) the Jews wrongly accused Jesus of "making Himself equal to God" just because He said God was His Father. Now, if Trinitarians use this verse to prove their belief that Jesus is God, then they (Trinitarians) too wrongly declare that "Jesus is God" when in fact, Jesus did not explicitly say a word that He is God.
3.  Please note very carefully that there is no biblical verse where Jesus explicitly claimed that He is God. You can easily check all other Trinitarian verses that are being used to prove that Jesus is God, like John 1:1;
John 14:25-26; John 10:30;  For the complete list of Trinitarian Verses, click Examine the Supporting Verses

4.  How can the above verse be made to imply the Trinity doctrine when in fact the third person of the Trinity―the Holy Spirit, is not even mentioned in the verse;  And the verse did not even mention any of the Trinitarian elements that the three persons are co-equal, co-eternal; one in essence, action, power and will?
4.  Is the verse really about the Trinity doctrine or it is about something else?
 
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  John 5:18 in other versions of the Bible:  
 

Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.
(King James Version)  

For this reason they tried all the more to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.  
(New International Version)

You may use other version or translation of the Holy Bible.

 

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Bible Study Suggestion:
  • Search the internet for the Trinitarian explanation of the above verse.

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