See, you cannot even grasp what is being offered because of what you have come to believe.
What is being offered is that: If Christ is not God, the entire formulation of 'trinity' would be the formation of a 'different' God.
If Christ is who He stated He is: The Son of God. If you turn the Son into God, and the Son is 'not' God, you have basically created a 'different God'.
The God of the Hebrews/Jews was 'one', unique, uncompounded, no other gods beside Him.
There is only one God. That is precisely why the understanding that has been labeled "trinity" exists. Because there is but one God, and yet His word bears witness that Jesus is God.
If God is not compounded, then men come along and create a 'new' God that is 'three in one' and the true God is 'not' three in one, then the 'new' God is a 'man made God'. Therefore the God created by men is not the 'same God' as 'the' God of the Hebrews/Jews.
Now, whether you agree or disagree, it shouldn't be a difficult thing to understand what I have offered. Not what I have offered but what others have offered as well.
What has been offered by many is that upon the formulation of doctrines of men, they ended up 'creating a God of their own design'. A God that more closely resembles the gods they previously worshiped. Multi-part Gods like 'trinity'.
The Hebrews/Jews 'never' worshiped a 'multi-part God'. Their God was/is 'singular'. Not 'three in one', but 'one' period. Not other Gods like Him. Uncompounded. Not: 'three in one'.
And that is why they falsely accused Christ of claiming to be equal with God. Christ 'never' claimed equality. He always stated that the Father is greater than the Son. That He was 'sent' by the Father: God. That God was His God as well as 'our' God. He even stated that the Father had 'not revealed' all things to Him. He stated that His power was 'given Him' by God. That the miracles He performed were through the power of His Father. And He also stated that there would come others that would do 'greater works' than Himself.
Now how do you suppose that others could come along and do 'greater works' than God Himself?
Now you're just being disingenuous. If you really believed that when Jesus said "whoever believes in Me will do greater works than these" He was talking about the power and awesomeness of the miracles He performed, then I would suggest to you that you should be worried about your salvation, as I very much doubt that you have performed any miracles to rival the power and awesomeness of walking on water, feeding 5,000 with five loaves of bread and 2 fish, raising people from the dead, and obtaining forgiveness for the sins of the world through your own death and resurrection.
Additionally, if you take this to mean that those who follow Jesus will indeed perform greater miracles, you make Jesus into a false prophet. No apostle or disciple that followed Jesus (let alone every single one of them) ever performed greater miracles than those Jesus showed while He was with us. Yet Jesus said "whoever." Not "some."
When the first meaning that you see of a verse or passage in scripture is plainly not the correct interpretation, you must look more closely at the passage, the context, and the rest of scripture for your answer.
A little common sense is in order here. Jesus clearly is not talking about all His works. Otherwise every person who believes in Him will become a perfect sacrifice and save the world from their Sins. So what is He talking about? Look back to the preceding verses:
"Believe Me that I
am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves. Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater
works than these he will do, because I go to My Father."
When taken in context with the text around it, it becomes clear that Jesus is talking about works that cause people to believe in Jesus the Messiah, not miracles performed. That is why Jesus says "the works that I do he also will do..." instead of "the works that I have done he also will do..."
And in terms of greater than? There is one work that Jesus didn't do while on earth that His followers did after His ascension: the giving of the Holy Spirit. Jesus did not give the Holy Spirit to His disciples. Indeed, the Holy Spirit could
only be given once Jesus had returned to His Father. Yet the disciples were able to give the Holy Spirit by laying their hands on people. That's why He says "greater works than these he will do, because I go to my Father..."
You must also understand that Jesus is speaking here of His works done while in the flesh, and not the work of original creation.
So it's quite easy to understand what is being offered. Even if you don't agree, the concepts aren't complicated. They are actually more 'simple' than 'trinity'. I mean 'really', how difficult is it to accept a doctrine that is completely contrary to common sense? If you can do that, certainly you can understand something that does make sense. One plus one plus one equals three. Yet you have come to believe that one plus one plus one equals one. If you can accept that, certainly you can understand something as simple as one plus one plus one equals three.
Blessings,
MEC
Indeed, God is too awesome and too infinite to truly wrap your mind around, isn't He? One who tries to build a finite understanding of Him will surely fall into error. When we try to remove the mystery from God, we find we must disbelieve His word.
