One of the basis for the confusion regarding Jesus’ relationship to the Father stems from the misunderstanding of the following facts of Scriptures and how they are all in agreement.

The Scriptures state that

1. The Father is God [1Co 8:6; 2Co 1:3; 1Pe 1:3].
2. Jesus Christ is God [Joh 1:1; 5:18]. And
3. There is only one God [Deu 4:39; Mar 12:29,32].

Since the Father is God and Jesus too is God, the natural and reasonable conclusion would have been that they are two Gods. But since the Scriptures state that there is only One God, to say that the Father and Jesus Christ are two Gods seems to be a contradiction of the plain statement of the Scriptures. Thus, we conclude that the two Gods are One God and we call it a mystery.

But is this really satisfactory? Of course not, but who can question it?

To reject it is heresy. To reject it is to reject the authority of scriptures. To question it shows a lack of faith. (Thus we separate faith from being reasonable and prepare ourselves to be recipients of so many false doctrines in the name of faith and God though they contradict the clear teaching and sound reading of the Scriptures.)

If, however, we paid attention to the scriptures, we would see that the contradiction we have tried to resolve, and the mystery we may have come to believe in, does not even exist.

What the Scriptures Mean By One God

You see, though the Scriptures state that there is only one God, it also plainly states that there are other gods—not idols made by men but gods made by God.

I said, ‘You are “gods”; you are all sons of the Most-High.[Psa 82:6]

Please, please, take note that it is God who called them “gods”, and not men. And take note that the basis for their being “gods” is that they are “sons of the Most-High”.

So, according to scriptures, according to God’s own word, there are other legitimate, scripturally recognized gods (and these are not man-made gods).

Now, we must note that these Gods are Gods because they are sons of the Most-High”. In other words, according to God’s own word, to be a son of God is to be a God.

This was the understanding of the Jews in the days of Jesus’ life on earth. This is why they interpreted Jesus’ claim to be the Son of God as a claim to be God [Joh 5:17,18; 10:29-30,33] and you can see that it didn’t mean and they weren’t saying or thinking that he was claiming to be the Most High God. Jesus confirms their interpretation of his words as true and consistent with scriptures [Joh 10:33-36].

It is important for us to note that apart from the Most-High God, every other God is a God because of the Most High God. And it is very clear from the Psalm, that though they are called Gods, these other Gods owe their deity to God and are subject to his power and judgment. Therefore, there is indeed only one God. As Jesus said in his prayer to the Father, the Father is the only true God.

Father… that they may know you, the only true God… [Joh 17:2-3]

So, what do the Scriptures mean when they say that there is only one God?

What they mean is that there is only One True God.

And is the Father being God and Jesus being God any longer a mystery or contradiction to the fact that there is only one God?

No it isn’t. It would only be a mystery or contradiction if, according to the Scriptures, both were or had to be the Only True God to be God. However, the Scriptures do not regard Jesus to be God in the exact same way it regards the Father to be God.

The Father is God because he is the Only True God, the Father of Gods. Jesus, however, is God because he is the Son of God for according to Scriptures, anyone who is a son to the Only God is God (or a God).

The First Adam and His Children

The relationship of God and the other Gods is similar to the relationship in scriptures between Adam and all other men.

In the scriptures, men, descended from Adam, are often called Adams (this is translated as man or men). Why the scriptures call us men is understandable and it is because we, generally speaking, are like Adam [Gen 5:3] and we descended from him. The scriptures, however, do not mean that we are really Adam, that first man created in the beginning, nor do they mean that we share every attribute in common with Adam.

So, according to scriptures, there are many Adams. Nevertheless, we know that there is only one true Adam, the one that God created in the beginning, the father of all human beings. This is, in a sense, how it is with God and the other Gods.

Unscriptural Beliefs about what it means to be God

When we understand this, that according to scriptures there are other Gods in existence and whose existence is by God, we can also understand the fact that some, if not many, of our ideas about what it means to be a God are not really scriptural. One of the reasons why it is important to note this is because if we have a distorted understanding of what it means to be God it will lead to a distortion of our understanding of Christ since he is God.

Can a God have a Beginning?

We often believe that to be God means that one is eternal without a beginning and without an end. Since the Most High is the Only True God, and all other Gods (PS: not idols) were made Gods by him, then, they are gods who had a beginning.

Also, since God said they would die like men [Psa 82:6-7], it means that they will have an end.

Therefore, to be a God according to scriptures does not require that one have no beginning and no end. Every God, except for the Most-High, i.e., the Father, certainly has a beginning, and if the Father so judges, will have an end.

Must a God be all Knowing?

Also, we expect a God to know all things. Well, apparently, the Gods who are Gods because they are sons of the Most High do not and cannot know everything, no matter how great their wisdom and understanding is. If they knew everything, they would be able to prevent their death at the hand of the Most-High.

So, though the Father is all knowing, no, one does not have to be all knowing to be a God.

Must a God be all Powerful?

Also, a God does not have to be all powerful and have absolute authority to be God. As we see in Psalm 82, the gods are judged by the Most-High, meaning that they don’t have absolute authority. Also, since they are to die like men, it means that they are not all powerful, for if they were, they would be able to prevent their death.

No, though the Father is certainly all powerful, you don’t have to be all powerful to be a God.

Knowing this truth, we must study each God to know what attributes the Most-High bestowed on him and to what degree. Jesus certainly is so much higher than all other gods [Gal 4:8 cf., Php 2:6; Joh 10:33-36] but the Father who is the Most-High God is greater than him [Joh 14:28], has always been and will always be.

Conclusion, There is only One God

So, understanding all this, we can see that the Scriptures are not contradicting themselves and neither is it an inexplicable mystery when they state that there is only one God and yet say that the Father is God and that Jesus Christ is God. There is indeed only one God and he is the Father, the Most-High God. As for Jesus Christ, he is God because the one true God is his Father, i.e., Jesus is God’s Son.

And again, Jesus does not have to share every attribute in common with the Most-High God for him to be God. Or put another way, Jesus does not have to be the One True God, the Most-High God, to be God.