The False Doctrine

of “Jesus Only” or “Oneness”

This false doctrine, held by hundreds of thousands of people, goes by several names, labels, or titles. It is sometimes called “Jesus Only.” It is also known as “Oneness.” And sometimes it is labeled as “Apostolic.” Whatever we may call it, this view says that Jesus is God, period. Or that Jesus is God the Father. We know that Jesus (the Word of God) is sometimes is called God and is known as “God” but here we are referring to the doctrine that claims that Jesus is God the Father. Is this true?

We know that this title does sound somewhat strange to our ears but it is true.  The idea that Jesus alone is to be loved, served, believed, and worshiped is a false doctrine that is widely held in our age—at least by a sizeable minority of people.

The “Jesus Only” belief began about 1913 in California but it is now known around the world. The United Pentecostal Church began about 1945 in Saint Louis, a merger of the Pentecostal Assemblies of Jesus Christ” and the Pentecostal Churches. Perhaps Oral Roberts was one of the better known preachers but he later joined the Methodist Church. Presently David K. Bernard heads the church. It is composed of about 42,000 congregations and has about 4,300 members. We may know this fellowship as “Apostolic” in nature and it has a number of other well-known names or titles.

(Encyclopedia Britannica and Wikipedia.)

In order to understand this false doctrine, we must know the distinction between the view that Jesus Christ is related to but also separate from God the Father as opposed to the doctrine that says that Jesus Christ is God the Father or is God. Which is true? Is Jesus God or is He the Son of God? We know that Jesus is God (John 1:1-3, 18; 20:28, John 5:18; 8:58; 14:8-11, etc.) but is He alone God? Is He only God (the Father) or is He the Son of God? Of course, this could be formulated and ask in several different ways.

In order to discover the truth on this matter, we must examine various Biblical texts. Let’s do this, without a long discussion of this subject. Notice:

John 3:16-17. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.” These verses show that God (the Father) is different from Jesus Christ (the Son). They are two entities but also related.

John 3:35-36. “The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand. He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on Him.” In these two verses, we see that God the Father is different from the Son of God, thus we must recognize that there are (at least) two entities within God.

John 5:21-23. “Just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes. For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son, so that all will honor the Son even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.” These verses again show that there is a clear distinction between God the Father and Jesus Christ the Son.

John 14:1. “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me.” Here we clearly see that there are at least two entitles—God and Jesus Christ. Further, as long as “also” is found in this verse, we know that there must be two entitles—God and Jesus Christ—and not merely one.

John 6:57. “As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats Me, he also will live because of Me.” We can see two in this verse—the Father and the One sent by the Father.

John 8:17-18. “Even in your law it has been written that the testimony of two men is true. I am He who testifies about Myself and the Father who sent Me testifies about Me.” In these verses, we see that God the Father sent Jesus Christ (the Speaker). There must be at least two entities here. Is this not clear to you?

John 15:1. Notice that Jesus says, “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vine-dresser.” This not only shows the unique and important place of our Lord Jesus, but it again shows that there is a radical distinction between Jesus (the true vine) and God the Father (the vine-dresser).

John 15:10. “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.” Once again we notice that there is the two-pronged statement of Jesus and the Father and keeping of their commandments.

John 16:27-28. “The Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me and have believed that I came forth from the Father. I came forth from the Father and have come into the world; I am leaving the world again and going to the Father.” Here we see the relationship of the Father to the Son. There is a clear distinction.

John 17:1b. “He [Jesus] said, ‘Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You.’” In this case, the Father and the Son are distinguished.

John 17:3. “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” This is another passage in which the “true God” (the Father) is distinguished from “Jesus Christ” (the Son).

John 17:5. “Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.” Jesus is speaking but He speaks to God the Father. This makes two and not one.

John 17:11. “I am no more in the world; and yet they themselves are in the world, and I come to You, Holy Father, keep them in Your name, the name which You have given Me, that they may be one even as we are.” This one verse shows that there is a vast difference between Jesus who speaks and the Father to whom Jesus speaks.

John 17:21.  “.. . . that they may all be one; even as you, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.” This shows that God the Father is the One who sends and Jesus Christ is the sent One and they both are in “Us” which again shows a plurality.

John 17:22. “The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one.” Once again, we see that there are more than one. “You” and “Me” would be two. And, of course, there is a plurality in the pronoun, “We” are one.

John 17:23. “I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them even as you have loved Me.” There are many pronouns here—all showing that there is a distinction between the “You” and “Me.”

John 17:24. “Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.” If different pronouns mean anything, we must say that Jesus (the One who prays) who is praying to the Father, is a different personality from the Father.

(1 Corinthians 3:23). “. . . You belong to Christ; and Christ belongs to God,”

(I Corinthians 8:6).”. . . For us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him.”

1 Corinthians 11:3 “. . . I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ.”

1 Corinthians 15:28. “When all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One [the Father] who subjected all things to Him, so that God may be all in all.”

1 John 1:3b. “Our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.” In this case, we have two: the Father (God) and the Son of God (Jesus Christ).

1 John 1:7b. “the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.” Here we have God the Father and His Son (Jesus Christ)—the Giver of the blood. This would be two and not One.

1 John 2:1b. “. . . we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” Here we have the “Advocate”—Jesus Christ.” And also the Father. This would be two and not one.

1 John 2:22-23. “Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son. Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father also.” We here have at least two—the Father and the Son. This is found in verse 22 and in verse 23. Notice that it is the “Antichrist” who denies both the Father and the Son—or denies either of them!

1 John 2:24b. “. . . you also will abide in the Son and in the Father.” As we can see, there are two—the Father and the Son of the Father.

1 John 4:14. “We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.” Again, we are reminded that there are two—the Father (God) and the Son (the Savior of the world).

1 John 4:15. “Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.” We must remember that not only must we confess that Jesus is the Son of God, but the one who denies that Jesus is the Son of God does not have God. This shows how utterly important it is that we confess both—whether we are speaking about the “Jesus Only” Pentecostals, the Muslims, or others.

1 John 5:11-12. “And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.” We must not only believe and confess that Jesus is the Son of God, but we must refuse to confess the opposite.

2 John 3. “Grace, mercy and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ the Son of the Father, in truth and love.” Here we can see the Two involved—God the Father and “Jesus Christ the Son of the Father.” Why is it that some people (professing Christians) cannot or refuse to see this? This is a very clear passage that must be accepted.

2 John 9. “Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son.” Notice especially the two involved: the Father and the Son. We may think that this is elementary—and it is. But the word “both” shows that there are two involved and not merely one.

Jude 1b. “. . . beloved in God the Father, and kept for Jesus Christ.” Here we have two—God the Father and (second) Jesus Christ.

Jude 4b. “. . . turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.” This would be two—“our God” and “our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.”

Jude 21. “. . . keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life.” Two would be involved here: God (the Father) and our Lord Jesus Christ.

Jude 25a. “. . . to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Again, two would be involved—God our Savior and Jesus Christ our Lord. Not one but two.

1 Timothy 2:5. “For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” Two are involved in this—God and the man Christ Jesus who is the one mediator.

Revelation 7:10b. “Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” Two and not one—“ Our God” and “the Lamb.”

Revelation 11:15b. “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever.” The conjunction “and” brings together “our Lord” and “His Christ.”

Revelation 12:10b. “Now salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come….” Here we have two entities listed: “Our God” and the authority of “His [God’s] Christ.” We must acknowledge both.

Revelation 12:17b. “. . . who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus.” Both God the Father and Jesus are mentioned in this verse.

Revelation 14:1. “Then I looked, and behold, the Lamb was standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His name and the name of His Father written on their foreheads.” Two are mentioned here: “His name” and “the name of His Father.”

Revelation 14:4b. “. . . firstfruits to God and to the Lamb.” Again, we see two entities—God and the “Lamb.”

Revelation 14:10b. “He also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God. . . he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.” First, there is “God” and, second, there is mention of “the presence of the Lamb.”

Revelation 14:12. “Here is the perseverance of the saints and keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.” We only note God and Jesus here—not one but two.

Revelation 15:3a. “And they sang the song of Moses, the bond-servant of God, and the song of the Lamb.” A reference to “God” and the “Lamb”—two and not one.

Revelation 20:6b. “. . . they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.” Again, we see reference made to the priests of God and that of Christ—two priests and not one.

Revelation 21:22. “I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.” We really don’t understand why those of this false theology (Jesus Only theology or “Oneness” theology) cannot or will not see this, but this verse does show a difference between “the Lord God the Almighty” and “the Lamb.” Two and not once.

Revelation 21:23. “And the city has no need of the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb.” Even though this popular (but wrong) theology sees no difference, this verse speaks of “the glory of God” and it also speaks of the “lamp” being “the Lamb.” This shows that there are two involved and not merely one.

Revelation 22:1. “Then he showed me a river of thee water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb.” Once again, we have two mentioned—there is the throne of God and also the throne of the Lamb.

Revelation 22:3. “There will no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve Him.” We notice here a reference to the
throne of God” and also the throne of “the Lamb”—two entities and not one.

We know that this can be a difficult subject but there are enough verses like this that show that there are two personalities involved and not merely one.

It is important that you and I and all people see that there are two in the one deity or perhaps it is best to refer to both God the Father as well as Jesus Christ the Son. This sort of observation will surely anger certain people yet it cannot be denied. It is as clear as possible. It is the truth and if we are to be considered people of the truth, then we must accept the truth on this utterly vital subject.

Won’t you? Won’t I? Then let us share it widely!

–Richard Hollerman