When we read the Bible, we discover many different ways that people have tried to understand who God is. In this essay, we will look at four views: the view of Jesus and His apostles, the Sebellian view, the Trinitarian view, and the view of the Binarians (Biblical Unitarians) today. We will see what the Scriptures say (using the KJV and ESV versions) and then finish with an invitation to follow the teaching that is closest to the way Jesus and His apostles taught in the early church: you can read the linked version here
Part I: Jesus and His Apostles
Jesus and the apostles taught a simple and clear message: there is one true God. Jesus prayed to “Our Father” and always showed respect for the uniqueness of God. For example, Jesus said, > “God is a Spirit: and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.” (John 4:24 KJV | John 4:24 ESV)
In His prayer, Jesus asked the Father, > “And now, O Father, glorify Thyself in me, that I may glorify You.” (John 17:5 KJV | John 17:5 ESV)
The apostles also taught that all things come from one God. For instance, Paul wrote, > “But to us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and we through him.” (1 Corinthians 8:6 KJV | 1 Corinthians 8:6 ESV)
In these examples, Jesus and His apostles keep the focus on one, unchangeable God. They do not teach that there are several gods or that God changes His person. This is the very heart of biblical monotheism.
Part II: The Sebellian View
The Sebellian view—also known as modalism—teaches that God has not always been different persons but shows Himself in different “modes” or ways at different times. Sebellians say that when the Bible talks about the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, it is not speaking of three separate persons. Instead, it is showing three different ways that one God has worked in the world.
For example, in John 10:30, Jesus declares, > “I and my Father are one.” (John 10:30 KJV | John 10:30 ESV)
Sebellians understand this to mean that the same God appears in different forms. They say that when Jesus speaks, “I am the Son,” He is not saying that He is a separate person from the Father. Instead, He is using a different mode or form of the one true God.
However, critics of the modal (Sebellian) view point out that even though God may work in different ways, the Scriptures clearly show that Jesus prayed to “His Father” (see John 17:5) and that He acted as God’s appointed representative. This suggests a clear distinction between the one God (the Father) and the way He reveals Himself. The Sebellian view can be hard to understand if we try to make all of God’s appearances seem exactly the same in personal character.
Part III: The Trinitarian View
The Trinitarian view holds that God is one being in three distinct, co‑eternal persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Trinitarians believe that although there are three persons, they all share the same divine nature perfectly. They refer to passages like this one in the Bible:
> “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit:” (Matthew 28:19 KJV | Matthew 28:19 ESV)
To Trinitarians, this shows a formula for how believers are to be baptized and indicates that all three persons are fully God. They also often refer to verses like John 14:16, where Jesus says, > “And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever;” (John 14:16 KJV | John 14:16 ESV)
Although the language of “three persons in one God” may sound confusing, Trinitarians insist that every part of the Bible teaches both the oneness of God and the distinct roles of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. For many, this mystery is accepted as part of God’s holy majesty.
Part IV: The Binarian (Biblical Unitarian) View
The Binarian view (what some call Biblical Unitarianism) holds that the Scriptures teach one true, singular God—the Father—while also clearly showing that Jesus is His Son, the Messiah, and that the Holy Spirit is not a separate person but God’s power or presence.
For example, Paul writes, > “But to us there is but one God, the Father … and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things …” (1 Corinthians 8:6 KJV | 1 Corinthians 8:6 ESV)
Additionally, when the angel told Mary about Jesus’ miraculous conception, the Scripture said, > “The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee.” (Luke 1:35 KJV | Luke 1:35 ESV)
Binarians believe that these passages show a strict monotheism. They say that God is one person—the Father—who uses His Son as His representative. Jesus, while being very special and the only begotten of God, is not the same as the Father in his eternal nature. Similarly, the Holy Spirit is God’s active force and presence rather than a co‑equal person.
This view closely follows the teachings of Jesus and His apostles. The early church in its first two centuries tended to understand God in this simpler, monotheistic way, just as Jesus taught.
Conclusion: Returning to the Way of Jesus and His Apostles
Looking at all these ideas, the view that is closest to how Jesus and His apostles taught—and how many in the first two centuries of the church understood God—is the Binarian view. This view tells us that there is one true God, our Father; that Jesus is His Son who came to save us; and that the Holy Spirit is God’s power working in our lives.
The Scriptures remind us in Deuteronomy 6:4 (KJV) and 1 Corinthians 8:6 (ESV) that God is one. Jesus Himself prayed to the Father and taught His followers to do the same (John 17:5 KJV). When we read these Scriptures, we learn that God’s oneness is clear, and that our salvation is found in following Christ—not in trying to solve mysteries about three persons in one God.
If you have not yet trusted in Jesus Christ, I invite you today to repent of your sins, come to the cross of Christ, and be born again. As it is written in Acts 2:38 (KJV) and John 3:16 (ESV), God loves you, and through Jesus you can have eternal life. Follow the clear teaching of Jesus and His apostles, and experience the true, saving power of God in your life.
This essay has explored four views on God’s oneness—from the clear teaching of Jesus and His apostles, to the Sebellian mode of viewing God, to the later Trinitarian doctrine, and finally to the simple monotheism taught by the Binarians. May the Scriptures guide you to a personal relationship with the one true God and to a life-changing faith in Jesus Christ.