Oneness Theology Denies the Deity of Jesus Christ

The dilemma with Oneness Theology and its strict adherence to unitarianism against trinitarianism, is that it denies Jesus Christ coming in the flesh and is therefore by definition antichrist.(1 Jn.4:1-4, 2:22-3) Both by denying Jesus was a full human person separate from the Father and also a divine person preexisting with the Father; two infinite persons. If Jesus is not a human person and also an eternal person (one person with 2 natures) with the Father, then it is a denial that he came in the flesh. Either a denial of his preexistence, so he did not come in the flesh; or if there aren’t 2 persons then he didn’t fully come in the flesh as he was not a separate human person from the Father. Or if they are forced to admit he was a 2nd person as a human then since in their doctrine God is unipersonal, Jesus would be a created human person and didn’t come in the flesh (any more than everyone else). If Jesus is a created person, this negates his death for our sins impugning the nature of God in punishing a third created person for our sins. (Prv.17:15, Ezk.18:4,20, 2 Chr.25:4, Ex.32:32-3, Dt.24:16) The nature of God, the person of Christ and the atonement are inextricably linked. 

Take note from this sampling of scripture that Jesus is a person (an ‘I’) other than the Father who existed with the Father prior to his coming in the flesh. 

Jn.8:17-9 It is also written in your law, that the testimony of two men is true. I am one that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me. Then said they unto him, Where is thy Father? Jesus answered, Ye neither know me, nor my Father: if ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also.  

Jn.8:42 Jesus said unto 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.  

Jn.16:28 I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father. 17:8 ... I came out from thee 

Jn.13:1 ...Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.v 3 Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God; 

Jn.6: 62 What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before? 1 Cor.15:47 The first man is of the earth, earthy; the second man is the Lord from heaven. 

Jn.8:23 ... I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world. 

Jn.5:17 But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work. 

Lk.24:49 And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you 

Jn.10:15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father v30 I and my Father are one 

Jn.20:17 Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God. 

Jn.14:28 I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I. 15:24 both me and my Father. 

Rev.3:21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. 

This might sound strange if you listen the Oneness teachers as they seem to think they alone have the revelation that Jesus is the I AM of the Old Testament.(Ex.3:14, Jn.8:58)  But as unitarians (God is unipersonal) as opposed to trinitarians (God is tripersonal) they are forced to conclude a 2^nd human person called Jesus was just a man who prior to his incarnation was not a person at all; and who will cease to exist in the future. All you need to do is listen to them explain the passages above or John 17:5 where you have two persons clearly indicated and they will tell you one did not preexist his human birth.  

The consistent theme with Oneness obfuscation is when Jesus and the Father are ever speaking to each other or Jesus is praying suddenly instead of 2 persons we have 'flesh' praying to God. Which is supposed to hide the heresy. Suddenly 2 persons become 'human nature' praying to Spirit but only one person. So, if Jesus is not a person there, only 'human nature' then he was not fully a man/person (i.e. Jesus Christ did not come in the flesh). But if he was fully a man/person (i.e. Jesus Christ is come in the flesh) then he was a person with the Father before the world was. Either way Oneness are denying Jesus Christ came in the flesh. And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. Jn.17:3 

It is antichrist to deny that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh (1 Jn.4:1-4, 2:22-3). But they make it meaningless because although in reality the person who was with the Father (Jn.1:1-3, 1 Jn.1:1-3) in the beginning became a man- i.e. came in the flesh. They say the 2nd person (in Jn.17 & elsewhere) was a created person- like every other person and did not preexist. So, he didn't "come in the flesh”, he was just simply a human. In that sense every human being “came in the flesh”. Which means they deny Jesus Christ is come in the flesh- because he didn't previously exist his birth as a person. So, while they are forced to believe in 2 persons, they therefore must insist one was a created man and the other was the Creator. 

2 John 1:7 For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. 

1 Jn.2:22-3 Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also. 

Let’s compare for example Phil.2:5-11 with John 1 & 1 John.1 to establish the preexistence of Jesus Christ.  

Phil.2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 17:5 And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. 

1 John 1:1 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; v2 that eternal life, which was with the Father... 

Then: 

Phil.2:7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 

John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. 

1 John 1:2 (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;) 

So, the Son in a personal relational sense was with the Father in the beginning. We see this in these passages as well: 

Heb.1:1-2 God... Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;  

Col.1:13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son (v16) For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: 

Eph.3:9 ... God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: 

Jn.1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.  

Here John tells us that in the beginning, which would be the beginning of creation, the Word was. The Word which is Jesus Christ already was, he already existed in the beginning before anything else was for all things were made by him and for him. He is the “beginning of the creation” (Rv.3:14); the beginning and the ending, the first and the last, the Alpha and the Omega (Rv.1:8,11,17). The beginning of the creation does not mean he himself was the first creation of God as the blasphemers declare. But that as Colossians 1:16-17 states “... all things were created by him, and for him” So, he is the beginning- that is all things were created by him; and he is the ending- that is all things are created for him. 

From John’s warnings we can draw out that we are to believe and confess that Jesus the preexistent one from the beginning with the Father (was with God and was God) was made flesh, or came in the flesh and was seen, felt and handled by the apostles. Not simply that there was a human called Jesus of Nazareth, but that he came from the Father in heaven and already was in the beginning, and came in the flesh. Jesus Christ came in flesh and blood. This is to confess and believe on the Son of God. That he was manifested unto us in the flesh and is the Christ. To deny this is by definition antichrist. 

I pulled this from the transcript of Dr. David K. Bernard a leading Oneness educator trying to explain the incarnation from a modalist view. (timestamps included) Bernard tries to say Jesus was a real human person (to avoid orthodox heresy) but not not use the word 'person'. But also to deny that Jesus was another person (to avoid contradicting Oneness heresy). Sorry for the grammatical errors, this is copied and pasted: 

4:17 the godhead bodily, a real human identity 

4:46 i say i mentioned a moment ago flesh body don't think of it as just god in a body or god putting on a piece of flesh like i put on a coat, that's an inadequate explanation it's god in human identity or god personified god coming as a human person 

5:14 if he's going to pay the punishment for our sins he can't be just a body he has to be a human. now not a sinful human as i've already said but a true human nevertheless. now if you think of what makes us human not only do you have a body we have an inward person. 

5:46 Soul, spirit, mind, heart, will all those terms are used to jesus in his humanity when he prayed in gethsemane not my will but your will there's a human will my soul is sorrowful exceedingly sorrowful even unto death he's speaking of humanness in his soul at the cross he cried out father into your hands i commend my spirit there's a difference he's not talking about god's spirit he's talking about human spirit  

6:13 we shouldn't think of two different spirits in jesus because that would imply these two persons or you know he's schizophrenic or it might imply that he's no different than us because after all we are human beings  

6:43 jesus did not have a separate human identity the incarnation means humanity and deity were united in his spirit so if you're going to speak of his spirit i think you have to say he was both human and divine in spirit 

8:28 sometimes we might say as oneness people well the son was the flesh and the father was the spirit i think that's inadequate the son is the total person. god as he is manifested in the flesh but the term son always has always has reference to the incarnation so we think of father we're thinking of god and his transcendence we think of son that's god in the flesh so there is a distinction again not a separation not two persons 

9:25 well did he speak his man one minute and speak as god wouldn't well he spoke as a whole person he acted as a whole person he was the son of god so no you can't say that when he cried out on the cross i thirst well god doesn't get thirsty so it was because he was a human that he could say that but it was jesus who said that i'm not it wasn't the flesh saying That it was jesus saying that. 

9:54 well what was going on when jesus prayed well the flesh was praying to the spirit now that's inadequate one nature is praying to another nature that's can a nature pray what is the nature can a can a f can flesh a piece of flesh pray knows jesus as a human a real human like us now if that surprises us think of it this way if he didn't pray he wasn't a real human 

does that mean jesus is praying to himself no again that's inadequate that's trying to reduce jesus to one sidedness. jesus as a human prayed to god. 

11:16 the inner workings of how god could be a man at the same time our human minds will never comprehend