Witnesses
The Trinity is a later theological formulation. It was not a developed doctrine available to the authors of the Bible when its texts were written. Later readers may draw Trinity-related interpretations from biblical passages, but the wording and historical setting of those passages should be considered first. This article examines what Jesus, Jewish hearers, and the apostles say about God, the Father, and the Son.
Did Jesus Believe in the Trinity?
There is no evidence that Jesus believed in the Trinity. Mark recorded:
One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”
“The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this:
‘Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. -- Deuteronomy 6:4-5
The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
There is no commandment greater than these.”
“Well said, teacher,” the man replied. “You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but Him. To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.”
And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.
-- Mark 12:28-34 (ESV)
The scribe restated the Shema as the confession that God is one and that no other is beside Him. Jesus approved this answer.
This would have been the perfect opportunity for Jesus to correct the teacher and explain to him that he misunderstood the Trinity, but instead he said: "Well said, teacher... You are not far from the kingdom of God".
The typical Trinitarian response is that the Shema identifies the one God but does not, by itself, exclude Jesus from that divine identity. However, Mark 12:29-34 does not explicitly address that claim. Yet its immediate language identifies God as the one to whom Israel gives exclusive devotion, and Mark continues to distinguish the Son from the Father (Mark 13:32).
In Mark's Gospel, Jesus calls God “your Father” (Mark 11:25) and distinguishes himself from “the Father,” who alone knows the day and hour (Mark 13:32). In this context, the passage supports the Father-alone reading: the one God whom Jesus affirms is the Father.
Did the Jews Believe in the Trinity?
In John 10:30 Jesus made the statement:
"I and the Father are one". -- John 10:30 (ESV)
The Jews misunderstood Jesus and wanted to kill him for saying it (John 10:31-33):
"...you, being a man, make yourself God".
If the Jews did believe in the Trinity, they would have considered that Jesus could be God's human avatar.
Did the Apostles Believe in the Trinity?
The Trinity theology requires that all Trinity members are co-equal.
Most arguments about the Father having more power and authority than Jesus are dismissed because the reasoning is that the scripture only applies when Jesus was incarnate (limited) as a human being.
However, Paul wrote about the end times:
Then comes the end, when he the Son delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power.
For he the Son must reign until he the Son has put all his the Son enemies under his the Son feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. For
“God has put all things in subjection under his the Son feet.”
But when it says, “all things are put in subjection,” it is plain that He the Father is excepted Who put all things in subjection under him the Son. When all things are subjected to him the Son, then the Son himself will also be subjected to Him the Father Who put all things in subjection under him the Son, that God the Father may be all in all.
-- 1 Corinthians 15:24-28 (ESV)
According to Paul, the Father and the Son are not equal in power and authority, even at the end times.
Conclusion
The passages considered present Jesus affirming one God, Jewish hearers responding to his claims, and Paul distinguishing the Father and the Son. See Jesus' witness, the Jewish response, and the apostles' teaching.
There are no evidence that any bible author were Trinitarian.