Scriptures that refute the teaching of the Trinity
Acts 5:31 :
Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.
How can God exalt himself with his right hand? This does not make sense if Jesus is God, but does make sense if Jesus is God's son.
Acts 8:36,37 :
And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
In order to be baptised the eunuch had to believe that Jesus was the son of God, not that Jesus was God.
1 John 4:14 :
We have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.
It does not make sense for God to send himself, it does make sense for him to send another being, in this case his son (remember John 3:16 - "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotton son, that whoever believes in HIM shall not perish but have eternal life."?).
1 Tim 2:5 :
For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
Again we have a distinction between God and Jesus. If Jesus is the mediator between God and men, then how can Jesus be God?
Titus 3:4-6 :
But after that the kindness and love of God our saviour toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;
Note the Holy Spirit "which" - not whom - God "shed" or "poured upon". This implies that the Holy Spirit is not a person and is not God. It does not make sense for God to shed his spirit through himself, it does make more sense if it is shed through his son, or representative.
Colossians 1:15-20 :
Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation: for by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are upon earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: and he is before all things, and by him all things consist. And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he may have the preeminence. {in...: or, among all} For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; and, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things to himself; by him, I say, whether they are things on earth, or things in heaven. {having...: or, making}
Jesus' own words :John 3:17-18 [NIV] :
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.
Again, Jesus distinguishes between his father and himself. He is also saying that those who do not believe that Jesus is God's only begotten son are condemned.
John 5:19-30 :
Then answered Jesus and said to them, Verily, verily, I say to you, The Son can do nothing by himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for whatever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise. For the Father loveth the Son, and showeth him all things that himself doeth: and he will show him greater works than these, that ye may marvel. For as the Father raiseth the dead, and giveth life to them; even so the Son giveth life to whom he will. For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment to the Son: that all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father who hath sent him.
Verily, verily, I say to you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation [judgement]; but hath passed from death to life.
Verily, verily, I say to you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; and hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.
Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, to the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, to the resurrection of damnation.
I can of my own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not my own will, but the will of the Father who hath sent me.
This makes it quite plain that Jesus is not God.
John 8:17-18 :
It is also written in your law, that the testimony of two men is true. I am one that bear witness concerning myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness concerning me.
This can only be a valid thing for Jesus to say if he and God are two separate persons, otherwise there are not two witnesses.
John 8:28-29 :
Then said Jesus to them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things. And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.
John 20:21 :
... as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.
Jesus can only send his disciples "as his father sent him" (i.e. in a like manner) if Jesus was sent by somebody other than himself, therefore Jesus is not God.
John 8:42 :
Jesus said to them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me.
Mark 13:32 :
But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the father.
If Jesus is God then he would have known this information. Note that after his resurrection God exalted him to a higher position than he had before, and also revealed to him more of His plan and of the timing. Jesus then revealed some of this information to his disciple John; this is the book of Revelation.
John 10:25 :
... the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me.
If Jesus was God (and equal to God according to the Trinitarian creeds) then why would he do works in God's name and not his own?
Luke 24:49 :
.. I send the promise of my Father upon you;
Clearly states that Jesus has a father (Yahweh).
John 5:43 :
I am come in my Father's name,
Ditto.
John 12:50 :
... whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak.
This implies a communication between Jesus and his father, Yahweh, and that Jesus was following orders. This communication would not be necessary if Jesus was Yahweh, and contradicts the Trinitarian view that Jesus and Yahweh are equal.
John 14:28 :
If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I.
Very clearly states that Jesus and Yahweh are not equal. Also if Jesus is going unto the Father then this clearly implies a separation from the Father and that Jesus is not the Father.
John 20:17 :
... I ascend unto my Father, and your father; and to my God, and your God.
If Yahweh is Jesus' God then Jesus cannot be God.
Rev 3:12 :
Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.
Jesus clearly states (four times in one verse), after he has ascended to heaven to be with God, that he has a God. Therefore Jesus cannot be the almighty God.
John 17:3 :
And this is life eternal, that they may know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
Revelation 3:14 :
And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;
Also the following :
Hebrews 1:1-14 :
God, who at many times and in many ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken to us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself made purification for our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. For to which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son? And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him. And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.
But to the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy companions. And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thy hands: they shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall become old as doth a garment; and as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail.
But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thy enemies thy footstool? Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall inherit salvation?
[Note verse 4 "being made", and verse 9 "thy God, hath anointed thee".]
1 Cor 8:6 :
Yet to us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him. {in: or, for}
1 Cor 11:3 :
But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.
1 John 4:9 :
In this was revealed the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
1 John 4:15 :
Whoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.
1 John 5:5 :
Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?
Ephesians 1:17 :
That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:
Eph 3:14 :
For this cause I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
1 Peter 1:3 :
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again to a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
1 Cor 15:28 :
And when all things shall be subdued to him, then shall the Son also himself be subject to him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.
Rev 1:1 :
The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave to him, to show to his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel to his servant John:
Proverbs 8:22-31 :
The LORD possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old. I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was. When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water. Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth: while as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world. {fields: or, open places} {the highest...: or, the chief part}
When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a circle upon the face of the depth: when he established the clouds above: when he strengthened the fountains of the deep: when he gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment: when he appointed the foundations of the earth: then I was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him; rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth; and my delights were with the sons of men.
Acts 3:26 :
Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.
Acts 7:55,56 :
But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, and said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.
Stephen obviously did not think that Jesus was God!
Mark 3:11 :
And unclean spirits, when they saw him, fell down before him, and cried, saying, Thou art the Son of God.
Luke 4:41 :
And devils also came out of many, crying out, and saying, Thou art Christ the Son of God. And he rebuking [them] suffered them not to speak: for they knew that he was Christ.
These spirit beings knew that Jesus was not God, but that he was God's son.
To help counter the mistranslation of John 1:1 :
1 John 1:1-3 :
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (for the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) that which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.