The Nicene Creed and the Trinity

Please understand that this study is not meant to start a debate; I only wish to present a different opinion. But any idea that someone can’t be a real Christian unless they believe in the ‘Trinity’ is untrue and unfair, because there is ample evidence to the contrary. I will present what I consider credible information against the Trinity idea, and you can believe it or not — it’s your choice. And I’ll go out on a limb here, and state that it really doesn’t matter which way you believe, in order to be saved by Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross.

In the early days of being a student of scripture, when I stated I didn’t believe in the Trinity doctrine, some people asked what cult I belonged to. Of course I would dismiss their pettiness, because we all know what others consider a cult to be — it’s any group of people that believe differently than they do.

I could never make sense of there being only one God, where the Father is God, but the Son is also God, and the Holy Spirit is God too — and then also insist the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are three different persons.¹ Besides, there are many more Bible verses indicating there isn’t a Trinity, than there are for suggesting there is one. And, keep in mind that the word “trinity” does not even appear in the Bible, neither the Old Testament, nor the New Testament.

Listen to this article: Click the > button to start audio – click again to pause – click the speaker icon to mute. Adjust volume on the right side.

While many Christian theologians, apologists, and philosophers imply that the Trinity doctrine can be inferred or deduced from what the New Testament teaches about God. Others admit that the doctrine can’t be derived from the Bible alone, because what is taught in the Bible is incompatible with any Trinity.²

Even so, there is one verse constantly cited by Trinity believers to defend their position. That verse is, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God,” (John 1:1, NRSV).³ Most authorities consider Jesus is the ‘Word’ (or ‘Logos’ in Greek). I will tackle this scripture shortly, but first let’s find out how this Trinity idea came about in the first place.

 

The Trinity

The idea of a Trinity was neither taught by Jesus, nor by any of the founding Christian churches established during the entire first century A.D. Historically, the Trinity doctrine slowly derived its basis from Greek philosophers during later centuries. These philosophers began to influence church leaders and it wasn’t long before arguments caused a divide between various congregations.

And thus began a great debate about the relationship between God and Jesus. During that time the Egyptian priest and Christian theologian, Arius of Alexandria, argued that “if the Father begat the Son, he that was begotten had a beginning of existence: and from this it is evident, that there was a time when the Son was not.”⁴ Arius didn’t like that Christian theology was being freely mixed with Greek paganism. His basic statement evolved into what is now known as the ‘Arius Doctrine’.

Basically, Arius believed that the pre-existent Son of God was directly created by the Father, and that he was subordinate to God the Father. “Arius taught that in the creation of the universe, the Father was the ultimate creator, supplying all the materials and directing the design, while the Son worked the materials, carrying out the instructions of the Father.”⁵ The following scripture in Colossians establishes this concept.

“He [Jesus] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones, or dominions or rulers or powers — all things have been created through him and for him,” (Colossians 1:15–16, brackets added for clarity).

But two other Church leaders, Archbishop Alexander, and Athanasius of Alexandria, believed differently. They taught that Jesus, as the Son of God, was eternally generated from the Father. So confusing was the controversy that the Roman Emperor Constantine urged them to end the dispute and reconcile, but they refused to settle the issue. So Constantine was forced to call a council meeting and demanded all Christian bishops to come to Nicaea⁶ and settle their dispute once and for all. This meeting was the First Council of Nicaea in 325 A.D.

Arius’ beliefs lost out and the doctrine of God and Jesus being one entity won the vote. This First Council of Nicaea set a precedent for resolving theological disputes through interchurch councils, but it took a later such council (in 381 A.D.) to debate and decide a similar nature for the Holy Spirit. Meanwhile, some churches refused to stop teaching the Arius doctrine and it lingered on for several hundred years in various places. Even today, some modern Christian denominations still teach a non-Trinitarian doctrine.

A major outcome from all the councils of Nicaea was the establishment of a doctrine called the ‘Nicene Creed’. This is a list of teachings for general acceptance of church groups. Although created by Roman Catholics, today Catholics, Anglicans, and major Protestant Churches accept the Nicene Creed as basic truth. This creed, which establishes the Trinity as a Christian fact, is listed below.

I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds; God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God; begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made.

Who, for us men and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary, and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; He suffered and was buried; and the third day He rose again, according to the Scriptures; and ascended into heaven, and sits on the right hand of the Father; and He shall come again, with glory, to judge the quick and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end.

And I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of Life; who proceeds from the Father and the Son; who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified; who spoke by the prophets. And I believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins; and I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.⁷

 

John 1:1

As previously mentioned, proclaimers of a Trinity theory use the first verse in The Book of John as their strongest proof that God and Jesus are one and the same. It states, “In the beginning was the Word [Logos],⁸ and the Word [Logos] was with God, and the Word [Logos] was God,” (John 1:1, brackets added for clarity).

On the surface, this statement seems to be a rather straightforward explanation of the relationship of God and Jesus. However, truth does not arise from single Bible verses taken out of context or blindly accepted without research and study. There are many translations of this verse, which give a different meaning. Always remember, a translation — because of its language complexity — is only one translator’s (or group of translators’) opinion.

John was the only apostle to call Christ the ‘Logos’ (Word). John had much knowledge about the mystical terms and thoughts of some popular Greek philosophers, who believed that besides God the Father, there was a second God, whom they called the ‘Logos’. But although he used the same word they did, he presented it in a different sense and bestowed it upon Jesus, not as some attribute of God the Father, but actually as a person distinct from the Father.⁹

This term was also known among the Jews of Palestine and indicated the belief in an entity of a celestial nature, with majesty and dignity near that of the Father, and clothed in a human body, that would be appointed to the position of Messiah. Rabbinical writings indicate that all entities of a celestial nature were thought not only superior to all humans, but were pre-existent with God before the creation of the world.¹⁰

Pertaining to John 1:1, one biblical scholar wrote that John spoke in terms of relationship and specialization, which meant that the logos was ‘divine,’ without specifying in what way or to what extent he was divine.¹¹ The 1935 Moffatt version of the Bible translates this same verse as: “The Logos existed in the very beginning, the Logos was with God, the Logos was divine.”¹²

The 1864 Diaglott version gives this translation: “In a beginning was the Word, and the word was with the God, and a god was the Word.”¹³ Notice that “god” for the Word (Jesus) is written with a lowercase ‘g’ indicating of a lesser level than God the Father.

Then there is this: “In the beginning the Word already was, the word was in God’s presence, and what God was, the Word was” (REB).¹⁴ And yet, here is another translation: “In the beginning the Word was existing. And the Word was in fellowship with God the father. And the Word was as to his essence absolute deity” (WET).¹⁵ Besides these four versions mentioned above, I’ve included six more Bible translations listed in the notes at the end of this article that indicate similar thoughts.¹⁶

 

Other Evidence & Conclusion

There are a few times in the Gospels that Jesus attests to the fact that he was not God. In the Book of John at the Last Supper, when praying to his Father with his disciples, Jesus said, “that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent,” (John 17:3). Biblical writer Kermit Zarley stated that this verse indicates “Jesus tells the Father that he [the Father] is ‘the only true God’ and then distinguishes himself from that one God. Both of these points clearly indicate that Jesus himself cannot also be God.”¹⁷

That author goes on to say that two other passages “which irrefutably establish that only the Father is God, and distinguish Jesus from God, are in Paul’s letters.” In writing to the church at Corinth, Paul states “for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist,” (1 Corinthians 8:6, emphasis added). And in his letter to the Ephesians, “Paul implicitly identifies Jesus Christ as ‘one Lord’ and distinguishes him from the ‘one God,’ whom he unequivocally identifies as ‘the Father.’”¹⁸ Paul said, “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all,” (Ephesians 4:4-6).

There are many verses that indicate Jesus is not God Almighty, which can be found in most any Bible version. Here are a few, also from the Book of John.

“Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, the Son can do nothing on his own, but only what he sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, the Son does likewise . . . I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge; and my judgment is just, because I seek to do not my own will but the will of him who sent me’,” (John 5:19, 30).

“My teaching is not mine but his who sent me. Anyone who resolves to do the will of God will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own,” (John 7:16-17).

“. . . I do nothing on my own, but I speak these things as the Father instructed me,” (John 8:28).

“Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say — ‘Father, save me from this hour?’ No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.’ Then a voice came from heaven, ‘I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again’,” (John 12:27-28).

In the first sentence of this article I stated this study is not meant to start a debate. I only present opinions for Christians that may be looking for a different point of view. We should search the scriptures to learn and decide for ourselves what is true or not. God gave us the free-will to investigate and make up our own minds.

Bare in mind that the Bible’s only requirements to receive salvation is: (1) believe that salvation is a free gift of God’s grace, (2) admit you are a sinner, repent, and ask for forgiveness, (3) believe Jesus is God’s son and he died for your past sins, and (4) turn away from evil things and live a transformed life (i.e., have a spiritual rebirth — become born again).

Copyright © 2026, Ray Hermann
OutlawBibleStudent.org

** The featured top photo for this article is in public domain – obtained from freesvg.org.

PHOTOS, ART, & MEDIA — FAIR USE COPYRIGHT DISCLAIMER: Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976 allowance is made for “Fair Use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, teaching, news reporting, scholarship, and research. Non-profit, educational, and/or personal use tilts the legal balance in favor of Fair Use. For more information, see “Legal Stuff” on the top menu bar. If a copyright holder finds their creative work on this web site and did not give permission for its use, it will be immediately removed upon proper notice with the copyright registration numbers. We do not intentionally use copyright material that cannot be used for such purposes.

→ Leave comments at the end, after ‘References & Notes’.
You can see our basic rules for comments by clicking “Legal Stuff” on the top menu bar.

References & Notes

1. Kou, Christopher, “The Trinity 101: What Every Christian Should Know”, (Word by Word, Logos/Faithlife Bible Software, Bellingham WA, 4 April 2023), https://www.logos.com/grow/nook-what-is-the-trinity-doctrine-101/
2. Tuggy, Dale, “History of Trinitarian Doctrines” in The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, (2025, Zalta & Nodelman, Eds.), also online at https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/trinity/trinity-history.html#Intro
3. Unless otherwise noted, scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible (NRSV), ©1989, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers). Used by permission. All rights reserved.
4. “The Dispute of Arius with Alexander, his Bishop,” Socrates and Sozomenus Ecclesiastical Histories (Christian Classics Ethereal Library, retrieved 23 July 2018), http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf202.ii.iv.v.html
5. “Nontrinitarianism,” (Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., 21 June 2018), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nontrinitarianism
6. Nicaea: this ancient city is now İznik in Turkey.
   “First Council of Nicaea”, (Encyclopædia Britannica, 20 July 1998), https://www.britannica.com/event/First-Council-of-Nicaea-325
7. “Nicene Creed”, (Christian Classics Ethereal Library, retrieved 2 February 2026), https://ccel.org/creeds/nicene.creed.html
8. Note: Brackets [ ] are added for clarity. ‘Word’ is translated from the Greek ‘Logos’.
9. Bloomfield, S. T., Recensio Synoptica Annotations Sacrae, (London: C. and J. Rivington Publishers, 1826), vol. 3, pp. 1-3.
10. Ibid.
11. Harner, Philip, “Qualitative Anarthrous Predicated Nouns” (Journal of Biblical Literature, The Society of Biblical Literature, 1973), vol. 92, no. 1, pp. 81-87.
12. Moffatt, James, A New Translation of the Bible, (New York: Harper & Brothers Publishers, 1935).
    Note: A 1913 copy of this book is available for free viewing at: https://archive.org/details/newtestamentnewt01moff/page/n7
13. Wilson, Benjamin, The Emphatic Diaglott, (New York: Fowler & Wells Co., 1864).
    Note: A later copy of this book is available for viewing or download in PDF, Kindle, and other forms at: http://www.archive.org/stream/emphaticdiaglott00wils#page/n7/mode/2up
14. The Revised English Bible (REB), ©1989 by Oxford University Press.
15. Wuest, Kenneth S., Wuest Expanded Translation, (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1961).
16. Note: also see these additional resources for similar translations:
    (1) Kneeland, A., The New Testament in Greek and English, 1822.
    (2) Heinfetter, H. (Frederick Parker), A Literal Translation of the New Testament, 1863.
    (3) Thompson, J. S., The Monotessaron; or, The Gospel History According to the Four Evangelists, 1829.
    (4) Young, R., Concise Commentary on The Holy Bible, 1885.
    (5) Horner, G. W., The Coptic Version of the New Testament, 1911.
    (6) Tomanec, J. L., The New Testament of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Anointed, 1958.
17. Zarley, Kermit, “Jesus Is Not God Bible Verses”, (Patheos, 23 November 2018), https://www.patheos.com/blogs/kermitzarleyblog/2017/05/jesus-not-god-bible-verses/
18. Ibid.