Question: How can someone possibly believe that God is a single entity (i.e. not a trinity)? All through the gospel of John, Jesus makes it very obvious that he and God “are one” and this has been the case “from the beginning”.
Answer: When we read the “Shema Yisrael”, from Deut 6:4 we see that God is making it clear to the children of Israel that he is one. There are many way to read this at the Hebrew word “echad” primary reads as a singular.
But this word can also mean the first?
Answer: Yes it can, and it would also be true for God that he is the original of all, but if we if we look at how John writes about Jesus and Gods relationship we can see that its figurative, the best verse that clearly explains this is John 17:11 where is says ” 11 And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one”
From this passage we see that Jesus is making it clear that even as God and Him are one in sprit and mind, we too should be one in sprit and mind with Jesus. This would not make sense if he was meaning physically the same being.
So then how can you explain John 1:1 this seems to be saying that God and Jesus are the same being and Jesus created the world?
This verse and the following verses explain that God’s plan with Jesus was there before the world was created. This is why it explains that it was through Jesus that the world was created.
