Jesus and the Father

Are Jesus and the Father the same, or are they distinct persons? Is 'Oneness' doctrine correct, or does the Bible teach that the Father and the Son are distinct (one of the truths of the Trinity of God)? This is answered in the following verses.

Jesus did what the Father did and said what the Father told Him to say.
Jesus and the Father are distinct, and they are unified in purpose.

Jesus did nothing of Himself. Instead, He only did what He saw the Father do. This shows a distinction between Jesus and the Father, as well as showing their unity in purpose.

      "Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise." John 5:19

Jesus said what the Father told Him to say.

      "For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak." John 12:49-50

When Jesus was on the earth, the Father was in heaven.

Jesus was sent by God the Father to the earth.

      "... the Father which hath sent him." John 5:23
      "Jesus said unto them, ... for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me." John 8:42
      "O righteous Father ... these have known that thou hast sent me." John 17:25
      "... as the Father has sent Me, I also send you." " John 20:21

After Jesus came from heaven to the earth, Jesus was on the earth while the Father was in heaven.

      "I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father." John 16:28

Jesus talked to the Father who was in heaven and who sent Him.

      "... And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me." John 11:41-42

The Father spoke from heaven when Jesus prayed from the earth.

      "Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again." John 12:28
      "... there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount." 2 Peter 1:17-18

Jesus left the earth to go unto the Father in heaven.

      "... Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father ..." John 13:1
      "... I go unto my Father." John 14:12
      "And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves." John 17:13
      "... I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I." John 14:28
      "Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more;" John 16:10
      "... I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren, and say to them, 'I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.' " John 20:17

When talking about the Father, Jesus used words that show a distinction between Him and the Father.

Jesus used the plural pronoun 'We' to indicate the Father and the Son. Instead of showing 'oneness,' this shows they are distinct.

      "... If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him." John 14:23
      "And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are." John 17:11
      "That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:" John 17:21-22

      [The meaning of 'one' in John 17:21-22 does not support the concept of 'Jesus only' as believed in Oneness Pentecostalism. Otherwise, not only would Jesus and the Father be the same person, but also the disciples, Jesus, and the Father would all be the same person ("... that they also may be one in us ... that they may be one even as we are one."). Instead, the verses refer to unity that exists between the Father and Jesus and between God and those who believe and glorify Him.]

Jesus referred to the Father as 'Thou' (You), not as 'I'.

      "While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled." John 17:12

Jesus referred to the Father as 'He', not as 'I'.

      "... whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you." John 15:16
      "And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you." John 16:23

Jesus used the word 'both' to refer to Himself and to the Father. This does not indicate 'oneness;' rather, it shows a distinction between them.

      "... but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father." John 15:24

Although they are distinct, both the Father and the Son are God.

Since the Father is God, and Jesus is equal with the Father, Jesus also is God.

      "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." John 5:18

Summary

The Bible teaches that Jesus and the Father are one (unified) in purpose - they are united in what they do. Statements declaring that the Father and Jesus are 'one' show this. Their unity is also shown by Jesus being sent by the Father, praying to the Father, listening to the Father, watching and doing what the Father does, saying what the Father tells Him to say, and leaving the earth and going back to the Father. Moreover, the Father listening to Jesus and proclaiming that Jesus is His Son and that He is very pleased with Him evidences unity between Him and Jesus. Unity is also shown in the fact that both are God (God the Father and God the Son). Since they are two of the persons of the one triune God (the Father is God, Jesus is God, and the Holy Spirit is God), they, as one God, are unified in purpose, in actions, in characteristics and in nature.

The things in the above paragraph also show that Jesus is distinct from the Father; Jesus is not the Father and the Father is not Jesus. Additionally, the truth that Jesus is distinct from the Father is shown by Jesus being sent from heaven and being on the earth while the Father is in heaven, communication of the Father and Jesus with each other, and words used by Jesus (such as we, our, He, you, and both) that signify that He and the Father are not one person, but, instead, they are distinct persons. (The use of 'persons' here does not refer to 'people'.)

Thus, Oneness doctrine, which claims that Jesus is the Father and the Father is Jesus, is contrary to Biblical truth. The Jesus of the Bible who was sent by God is different from a 'Jesus' who is also the Father. It is very important that those who believe in the 'Jesus Only' doctrine repent and believe in Jesus who is the Son sent by the Father for the purpose of dying as the sacrifice so sinners can be forgiven.

Being distinct persons of the triune God, the Father and Jesus Christ the Son work in unity to glorify God through the provisions, goodness, grace, mercy, forgiveness, and salvation they give to mankind.

Scripture quotations taken from the KJV.

L.D. Hammons © 2005 This article may be freely copied and distributed without charge, if it is copied in its entirety (without editing, without deletions, and without additions) along with this copyright notice - including the author's name and the internet address to this web site.

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