The Father is the only true God, which means Jesus cannot be God.

A careful analysis of the passages referring to the Father as the only true God shows that the New Testament writers did not intend to exclude the Son or the Holy Spirit from being God. For instance, in John 17:3, the context indicates that the Father is the only true God in contrast to idols worshiped by the heathen, not in opposition to His Son. Similarly, 1 John 5:20-21 affirms that Jesus Christ is also referred to as the true God, reinforcing the idea that the Father’s designation does not negate the divinity of the Son. Furthermore, passages like 1 Corinthians 8:6 highlight that while there is one God, the Father, there is also one Lord, Jesus Christ, indicating a shared divine status. If one argues that the Father being the only true God excludes the Son, then by the same logic, the Son being identified as the one Lord would also exclude the Father from being Lord. This inconsistency reveals the flawed reasoning behind the claim that the Father’s title as the only true God negates the divinity of the Son. Historically, Christians have addressed these misinterpretations, as seen in the writings of early theologians like Daniel Waterland, who countered arguments against the Trinity and the preexistence of Christ. The consistent message throughout the New Testament is that while the Father is the source of all, the Son and the Holy Spirit share in the divine nature, thus affirming the doctrine of the Trinity.