Exactly How Equal is Jesus Christ to the Father God?

In the history of the Christian church there was much persecution by Trinitarians against non-Trinitarians. The persecution began with the edict of the Roman emperor Theodosius in 380 AD, which compelled everyone to accept the Christian Trinity. While persecution has ceased during the last two hundred years or so, extreme wrangling still continues to this very day over the Trinity verses non-Trinity controversy.

Our doctrinal position on this issue is that there no significant difference between the best Trinitarian view and the best non-Trinitarian view of God. To test ourselves to see if we are like the worthy Bereans (Acts 17:11), I propose that we all investigate and be open to accept the predominant witness of the New Testament. The task at hand is to understand and harmonize many seemingly discordant and obviously dissimilar Bible texts.

The God child

Micah 5:2
“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
though you are small among the clans [1] of Judah,
out of you will come for me
one who will be ruler over Israel,
whose origins [2] are from of old,
from ancient times. [3] ”

Footnotes:
1. 5:2 Or rulers
2. 5:2 Hebrew goings out
3. 5:2 Or from days of eternity

What is Jesus doing with God’s name?

Isaiah 9:6
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

John 14:9
“He who has seen Me has seen the Father.”

Matthew 1:22,23
All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”—which means, “God with us.”

Compare the following

Revelation 1:8
“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”

Revelation 22:12,13,16
“Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. … I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.”

Jesus is God

1 John 5:20
“We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true—even in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.”

We are not to worship anyone but God

Revelation 19:10
“At this I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, ‘Do not do it! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God!’ ”

Revelation 22:8-9
“I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had been showing them to me. But he said to me, ‘Do not do it! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers the prophets and of all who keep the words of this book. Worship God!’ ”

Jesus received and accepted worship

Matthew 2:1,2
“After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, ‘Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.’ ”

Matthew 2:7,8
“Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, ‘Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.’ ”

Matthew 2:10,11
“When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh.”

Matthew 4:8-10
“Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. ‘All this I will give you,’ he said, ‘if you will bow down and worship me.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’ ”

Matthew 14:33
“Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, ‘Truly you are the Son of God.’ ”

Matthew 28:9
“Suddenly Jesus met them. ‘Greetings’, he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him.”

Matthew 28:17
“When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted.”

Luke 24:52
“Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy.”

John 9:38
“Then the man said, ‘Lord, I believe,’ and he worshiped him.”

John 20:27-29
“Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.’ Thomas said to him, ‘My Lord and my God!’ Then Jesus told him, ‘Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.’ ”

Hebrews 1:6
“And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says, ‘Let all God’s angels worship him.’ ”

Who is Jesus?

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6.

“And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.” 1 John 2:2.

Jesus is the bread of life

John 6:44-58
“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the Prophets: ‘They will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me. No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God; only he has seen the Father. I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life. I am the bread of life. Your forefathers ate the manna in the desert, yet they died. But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which a man may eat and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”
Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”
Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live forever.”
John 6:63
“The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.”

The Divinity of Jesus

John 8:51-59
“I tell you the truth, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.”
At this the Jews exclaimed, “Now we know that you are demon-possessed! Abraham died and so did the prophets, yet you say that if anyone keeps your word, he will never taste death. Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?”
Jesus replied, “If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me. Though you do not know him, I know him. If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and keep his word. Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.”
“You are not yet fifty years old,” the Jews said to him, “and you have seen Abraham!”
“I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I AM!” At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.

Exodus 3:13-14
Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?”
God said to Moses, “I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ”

Philippians 2:3-8
“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross!”

Hebrews 1:3
“The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.”

Colossians 1:15-20
“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.”

Colossians 2:9
“For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form.”

Jesus is subordinate to the Father

John 6:38
“For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.”

Luke 22:42
“Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.”

John 8:42
“Jesus said to them, ‘If God were your Father, you would love me, for I proceeded and came forth from God; I came not of my own accord, but he sent me.’ ”

John 5:30
“As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.”

John 8:50
“I do not seek My own glory.”

John 7:16
“So Jesus answered them, ‘My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me.’ ”

The Father is the only true God

“Yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live. But not everyone knows this.” 1 Corinthians 8:6-7.

“Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” (John 17:3).

“Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.” (1 Timothy 1:17).

The Father is greater than Jesus

“You heard me say, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I” (John 14:28).

“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.” John 10:27-29.

The Father is a God above Jesus

Matthew 27:46
“And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, ‘Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ ”

John 20:17
Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ ”

Romans 15:6
“so that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

2 Corinthians 1:3
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort.”

2 Corinthians 11:31
“The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is to be praised forever, knows that I am not lying.”

Ephesians 1:3
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.”

Ephesians 1:17
“I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.”

Colossians 1:3
“We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you.”

Hebrews 1:9
“You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.”

1 Peter 1:3
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!”

Revelation 1:4-6
“To the seven churches in the province of Asia: Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.

“To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.”

Revelation 3:12
“He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and I will write on him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My new name.”

God is a personal, singular being

Matthew 4:10 
Then saith Jesus unto him, “Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.”

Matthew 6:30 
“Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?”

Matthew 6:33 
“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

Mark 12:27 
“He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living: ye therefore do greatly err.”

John 3:16 
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

John 3:17 
“For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”

John 4:24 
“God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”

God is the Father

John 5:18
“For this reason therefore the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him, because He not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God.”

John 6:27
“Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you, for on Him the Father, God, has set His seal.”

John 6:45
“It is written in the prophets, ‘and they shall all be taught of God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father, comes to Me.”

John 6:46
“Not that anyone has seen the Father, except the One who is from God; He has seen the Father.”

John 8:41
“You are doing the deeds of your father. They said to Him, "We were not born of fornication; we have one Father: God.”

John 8:42
Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and have come from God, for I have not even come on My own initiative, but He sent Me.”

John 8:54
Jesus answered, “If I glorify Myself, My glory is nothing; it is My Father who glorifies Me, of whom you say,  ‘He is our God’.”

John 13:3
“Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come forth from God and was going back to God.”

John 20:17
Jesus said to her, “Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them,  ‘I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God’.”

Acts 2:33
“Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear.”

Romans 1:7
“to all who are beloved of God in Rome, called as saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

1 Corinthians 1:3
“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

1 Corinthians 8:6
“yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him.”

1 Corinthians 15:24
“then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power.”

2 Corinthians 1:2
“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Galatians 1:3
“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Galatians 1:4
“who gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father.”

Ephesians 1:2
“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Ephesians 4:6
“one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.”

Ephesians 5:20
“always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Ephesians 6:23
“Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Philippians 1:2
“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Philippians 2:11
“and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Philippians 4:20
“Now to our God and Father be the glory forever and ever. Amen.”

Colossians 1:2
“To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father.”

Colossians 3:17
“Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.”

1 Thessalonians 1:1
“Paul and Silvanus and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace.”

1 Thessalonians 1:3
“constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father.”

1 Thessalonians 3:11
“Now may our God and Father Himself and Jesus our Lord direct our way to you.”

1 Thessalonians 3:13
“so that He may establish your hearts without blame in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus.”

2 Thessalonians 1:1
“Paul and Silvanus and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:”

2 Thessalonians 1:2
“Grace to you and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

2 Thessalonians 2:16
“Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace.”

1 Timothy 1:2
“To Timothy, my true child in the faith: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.”

2 Timothy 1:2
“To Timothy, my beloved son: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Titus 1:4
“To Titus, my true child in a common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.”

Philemon 1:3
“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

James 1:27
“Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.”

1 Peter 1:2
“according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure.”

2 Peter 1:17
“For he received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying,  ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased’.”

2 John 1:3
“Grace, mercy and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.”

Jude 1:1
“Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James, To those who have been called, who are loved by God the Father and kept by Jesus Christ:”

There’s a clear distinction between God and Jesus

Daniel 7:13
“I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.”

Luke 1:32
“He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David.”

Acts 3:13
“The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified His servant Jesus, the one whom you delivered and disowned in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release Him.”

Acts 5:30
“The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had put to death by hanging Him on a cross.”

Acts 22:14
And he said, “The God of our fathers has appointed you to know His will and to see the Righteous One and to hear an utterance from His mouth.”

1 Corinthians 11:3
“But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.”

Galatians 1:1
“Paul, an apostle (not sent from men nor through the agency of man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead).”

1 Timothy 2:5
“For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.”

Revelation 21:22
“And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.”

The Meaning of Sonship

Let’s consider what the word “son” means

1. A male child; the male issue, or offspring, of a parent, father or mother.

Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son. —Gen. xxi. 2.

2. A male descendant, however distant; hence, in the plural, descendants in general.

I am the son of the wise, the son of ancient kings. —Isa. xix. 11.

I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. —Mal. iii. 6.

3. Any young male person spoken of as a child; an adopted male child; a pupil, ward, or any other male dependent.

The child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. —Ex. ii. 10.

4. A man considered as if in a relationship of child to parent.

A son of the soil.

5. A native or inhabitant of some specified place.

Sons of Albion; sons of New England.

6. A person closely associated with or deriving from a formative agent.

i.e., from a nation, school, or race.

7. One personified or regarded as a male descendant.

Pinocchio. “He is my son.”

8. The produce of anything.

Earth’s tall sons, the cedar, oak, and pine. —Blackmore.

9. The son of man.

God’s messiah destined to preside over the final judgment of mankind. (Note: Jesus is not literally the son of any man).

10. The sons of God.

Adam and the angels are called sons of God (Luke 3:38, Job 1:6, 2:1, 38:7). Peacemakers will have that title (Matthew 5:9). True Christians are the sons of God right now (Galatians 3:26, Romans 8:14 cf. 8:19, 9:26).

Note: The expressions son of pride, sons of light, son of Belial, are Hebraisms, which denote persons possessing the qualities of pride, of light, or of Belial, as children inherit the qualities of their ancestors. The sons of Zebedee were called “Sons of Thunder” (Mark 3:17).

11. The Son of God.

In a royal family, a son is a person not in the servant class but in the family class. Note to self: All created beings are in the servant class (Revelation 22:8-9, 19:10, 19:5-6). Compare that with Jesus’ high standing (Matthew 21:33-44, John 3:16, 5:18, 5:22).

We . . . do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world. —1 John iv. 14.

Who gave His Son sure all has given. —Keble.

For centuries there has been an unsolved yet troubling mystery in the Bible. At the same time there has been a great confidence that no understanding of the mystery could be achieved. The mystery is that the Bible seems to have three contradictory definitions of God:

God is

1. The Father (1 Corinthians 8:6-7, John 17:3, 1 Timothy 1:17).
2. The Son (Isaiah 9:6, John 8:58, Hebrews 1:7-8).
3. The Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:17,18).

The mystery deepens because the Bible insists that there is only one God (Deuteronomy 6:4, Isaiah 45:21-22, Mark 12:28,29). The mystery is a good one; it is clear that the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit are separate persons. We only need one Scripture to prove this. Jesus said he would return to the Father and send the Spirit (John 16:5,7,8).

The answer to the ancient mystery, I believe, is to regard the Father as truly God and the Son of God and the Spirit of God as perfect representatives of the one true God.

How perfectly does the Son represent the Father? What is the will of the Father in the way we receive His Son?

The Father has made the exalted nature of Christ fully known. The Son should be regarded as equal with the Father. Their natures are the same. The word of the Son is to be obeyed as readily as the word of the Father. Wherever the presence of His Son is, it is as if the Father is present. To worship the Son is to worship the Father. The Son represents the revealed will and mind of God so perfectly that He is rightfully called the word of God (John 1:1).

When John said the Word was God, I think John only meant that the representation is perfect in an absolute sense. It cannot be surpassed. “For in Christ all the fullness of the Godhead lives in bodily form” (Colossians 2:9). Pure and simple, all the fullness of the Godhead dwelling in bodily form is a representational aspect.

'Godhead' in Colossians 2:9 of the King James Version is a translation of the Greek theotees, which is "an abstract noun for theos," the usual Greek word translated 'God.' (Greek-English Lexicon, Bauer, Arndt, Gingrich) "An abstract noun is one indicating a quality, as goodness, beauty." (Funk and Wagnalls Standard Dictionary, International Edition).

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How can there be a representational aspect? Consider John 1:1. Why is the Son called the Word of God? (Rev 19:13, John 1:1). I say it means that the Son is the revealed will and mind of God. Equating the word of God with Christ is clearly saying that Christ is the perfect spokesperson and representative of God.

You mustn’t just read John 1:1. You must interpret it also. The question has been asked: is there a representational aspect present in John 1:1? Not only did I answer in the affirmative but I pointed out exactly where the representational aspect was.

Language must be interpreted. When John wrote that God is love (1 John 4:8,16), John wasn’t equating God with agape literally; he was comparing God with love as revealed by God in Christ. This is a representational aspect.

This is clear precedent that the comparison between the Word and God in John 1:1 may also be representational.

Therefore, I hope you realize that you haven’t refuted my statements. You have merely confirmed my thesis by repeating the ancient yet irksome chant: The Godhead is a mystery because we insist that it is.

I can’t quote the Bible showing that the words you insist must be there are actually there. But Jesus did say, “He that hath seen me hath seen the father.” This is obviously a direct representational reference.

Following my explanation that Christ is God by imputation, suppose that you will go to church next week and the pastor will preach that your standing before God is "justification by grace through faith" and that "justification" means perfect forgiveness, "just as if you have never sinned." Will you protest and "attempt to correct" the pastor on the basis that "all have sinned"?

I believe it’s easy to count three persons in the heavenly trio: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. They’re all mentioned together in Matthew 28:19, 3:13-17, 2 Corinthians 13:14, Ephesians 4:4-6, 1 Peter 1:2 and Revelation 1:4,5.

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My definition of the Godhead:

The Godhead is a heavenly trio of three living persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19, 3:13-17, 2 Corinthians 13:14, Ephesians 4:4-6, 1 Peter 1:2 and Revelation 1:4,5).

The Father is all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and is invisible to mortal sight.

The Son is all the fullness of the Godhead manifested (Colossians 2:9 cf. John 1:1). He is the express image of His Father (Hebrews 1:3 cf. Colossians 1:15).

The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of the Father and the Son (Romans 8:9). This is an enlightening and sanctifying power. It is a distinct Person, a free, working, independent agency (John 14:16-17, 15:26, 16:13-15). The Comforter that Christ promised to send after He ascended to heaven, is the Spirit in all the fullness of the Godhead.

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