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Chapter 6
"One" Used to Show
the Holiness of God

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Defining the Oneness of God

by Carl Franklin

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"One" Used to Show the Holiness of
God

Both Old Testament and New Testament describe God as the "Holy One."
This name of God is translated from Hebrew and Greek words meaning "holy,
sacred, merciful, gracious, kind." The actual Hebrew and Greek words for
"one" are not present in the text, although the meaning is implied.

As the texts indicate, the focus of this name of God is "Holy" rather
than "One." The name "Holy One" does not limit God to one Being or to "one
divine Substance." The Hebrew and Greek words that are translated "Holy
One" are not intended to define or specify a number but to describe a
divine attribute of God.

In the Old Testament, the name "Holy One" describes the Lord (Jehovah),
the God of Israel, and in the New Testament it is used in reference to
Jesus Christ. One Old Testament reference to the "Holy One" is quoted in
the New Testament by the apostle Peter, who shows that it is referring to
Jesus Christ. The original words are those of David and are found in Psalm
16:

"Therefore My heart is glad, and My glory rejoiceth: My
flesh also shall rest in hope. For Thou wilt not leave My soul in hell;
neither wilt Thou suffer Thine Holy One to see corruption"
(verses 9-10).

Here are some other examples of the use of this name of God in
the Old Testament:

"How oft did they provoke Him in the wilderness, and
grieve Him in the desert! Yea, they turned back and tempted
God, and limited the Holy One of Israel. They remembered not
His hand, nor the day when He delivered them from the enemy. How
He had wrought His signs in Egypt, and His wonders in the field of
Zoan [the most ancient of Egyptian cities]" (Psalm 78:40-43).

"Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of
evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the
LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they
are gone away backward " (Isaiah 1:4).

"And it shall come to pass in that day, that the remnant of
Israel, and such as are escaped of the house of Jacob, shall no
more again stay upon him that smote them; but shall stay upon
the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. The remnant shall
return, even the remnant of Jacob, unto the mighty God" (Isaiah
10:20-21).

"So will I make My holy name known in the midst of My people
Israel; and I will not let them pollute My holy name any more:
and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in
Israel" (Ezekiel 39:7).

How do these references to the Lord (Jehovah) as the "Holy
One of Israel" fit the apostle Peter's interpretation of the "Holy
One" spoken of by David in Psalm 16:10? In preaching the
resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, Peter declared,

"For David speaks concerning Him, 'I foresaw the Lord
always before My face, for He is on My right hand, that I should
not be moved: therefore did My heart rejoice, and My tongue was
glad; moreover also My flesh shall rest in hope: Because
Thou wilt not leave My soul in hell, neither wilt Thou suffer
Thine Holy One to see corruption'....He seeing this before spake
of the resurrection of Christ, that His soul was not left in hell,
neither His flesh did see corruption" (Acts 2:25-27, 31).

Peter was inspired by the Spirit of God to reveal that the "Holy
One" of Israel, the Lord (Jehovah) of the Old Testament, was
the One who became Jesus Christ! The apostle Paul confirms that the
"Holy One" in Psalm 16:10 is Jesus Christ (Acts 13:35). Paul also
declared to the Corinthians,

"Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be
ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all
passed through the sea; and were all baptized unto Moses in the
cloud and in the sea; and did all eat the same spiritual meat; and
did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that
spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was
Christ" (1Corinthians 10:1-4).

The apostles Peter and Paul both testify that Jesus Christ was
the Lord God of the Old Testament. The apostle John also testifies
that He was the "Word"--the Spokesman for the God of heaven (John
1:1). He was the One who spoke to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and to
Moses and Israel at Mt. Horeb. He became the "Holy One of Israel"
when He mercifully redeemed Israel from bondage and entered into a
covenant with them. As Lord of the Old Testament, He established the
Old Covenant with Israel. As Lord of the New Testament, He died to
end the Old Covenant and establish the New (Hebrews 10:1-10).

Here are some additional New Testament references to Jesus Christ
as the "Holy One":

"The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the
God [Greek Theos, the Father] of our fathers, hath
glorified His Son Jesus; Whom ye delivered up, and denied Him in
the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let Him go.
But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer
to be granted unto you; and killed the Prince of life,
Whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses. And
His name through faith in His name hath made this man strong, whom
ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by Him hath given him
this perfect soundness in the presence of you all" (Acts 3:13-16).

"And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit;
and he cried out, saying, 'Let us alone; what have we to do with
Thee, Thou Jesus of Nazareth? art Thou come to destroy us? I
know Thee who Thou art, the Holy One of God.' And Jesus
rebuked him, saying, 'Hold thy peace, and come out of him.' And
when the unclean spirit had torn him, and cried with a loud voice,
he came out of him" (Mark 1:23-26).

"Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard
that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists;
whereby we know that it is the last time. They went out from us,
but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no
doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might
be made manifest that they were not all of us. But ye have an
unction [anointing] from the Holy One, and ye know all
things" (1 John 2:18-20).

In verse 20, the apostle John is speaking of the "anointing"--the
gift of the Spirit of truth--which comes through Jesus Christ, the
"Holy One." In the last chapter of his epistle, John shows that the
gift of understanding spiritual truth comes through Jesus Christ.
John declares,

"And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath
given us an understanding, that we may know Him that is true,
and we are in Him that is true, even in His Son Jesus Christ. This
is the true God, and eternal life" (1 John 5:20).

The apostle John confirms that the "Holy One" of God is Jesus
Christ, the Son of God, sent by the Father. In this same epistle,
John points out the testimony that the Father gave concerning His
Son. Let us examine the record of that testimony, and we will learn
another Scriptural use of the word "one."

"One" Used of the Testimony of God

The inspired record of the testimony of the Father to the Sonship
of Jesus Christ is found in the fifth chapter of 1 John. This
passage contains a verse that is often quoted by those who hold the
Trinitarian view of God. While this verse appears to support
the argument for a "three in one" God, these words are actually
not part of the inspired Scriptures! This spurious verse
was inserted into the text many centuries after the apostle John
wrote his epistle.

Here are the actual historical facts concerning this verse, which
is printed as 1 John 5:7 in most editions of the Bible today:

"The texts read, 'The Spirit, and the water,' &c.,
omitting all the words from 'in heaven' to 'in earth' (v.8)
inclusive. The words are not found in any Gr. ms. [Greek
manuscripts] before the sixteenth century. They were first
seen in the margin of some Latin copies. Thence they have crept
into the text" (Bullinger, The Companion Bible, p.
1876).

The record of history plainly states that 1 John 5:7 is not
found in any of the original Greek manuscripts, yet these
words are found in most Bibles today. In order to differentiate the
inspired words of the apostle John from the spurious words that
were added fifteen centuries later, the words that were wrongly
inserted into the text have been printed in italics and enclosed in
brackets in the example below.

"Who is He that overcometh the world, but he that
believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? This is He that came by
water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by
water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness,
because the Spirit is truth. For there are three that bear
record [in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy
Ghost: and these three are one. And there are three that bear
witness in earth ], the Spirit, and the water, and the
blood: and these three agree in one [Greek hen, one in
essence; i.e., "the three to the one [point] are" (Berry,
The Interlinear Greek-English New Testament, p.
616): all three testify that Jesus is the Son of God]. If we
receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for
this is the witness of God which He hath testified of His
Son. He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in
himself: he that believeth not God hath made Him a liar; because
he believeth not the record that God gave of His Son" (1 John
5:5-10).

In these verses, the apostle John is proclaiming the "witness of
God"-- the testimony that God the Father gave of His Son Jesus
Christ. This testimony was given through "the Spirit, and the water,
and the blood." The first public testimony was given at the
dedication of the infant Jesus in the temple, where the Spirit of
God inspired two witnesses--Simeon and Anna--to testify to His
Messiahship (Luke 2:26-38). The second public testimony was given at
Jesus' baptism in the waters of the Jordan River, when the Spirit
descended like a dove and a voice from heaven testified, "Thou art
My beloved Son... (Luke 3:22). The third public witness was given at
Jesus' crucifixion, when His blood was shed, and the hand of God the
Father shook the earth and split the veil of the temple (Matthew
27:51).

Thus it was that God the Father testified of His Son through "the
Spirit, and the water, and the blood." These inspired Scriptures do
not reveal God as a Trinity or as a single divine Being, but as two
divine Beings--the Son of God, and the Father Who sent Him and
testified of His Sonship. Many Scriptures in both Old and New
Testaments reveal the eternal existence of these two divine Beings.
One Old Testament reference to these two Beings is especially
revealing. It is found in Genesis 3:22, where God Himself is
speaking. Let us examine this Scripture closely, and we will find
additional evidence to verify the true nature of God.

Chapters in
Defining the Oneness of God

Introduction

Chapter 1

Modalistic, Trinitarian
and
Tritheistic Oneness Defined

Chapter 4

"One" Used of Spiritual Unity with Jesus
Christ

Chapter 2

Ditheistic Oneness
(Binitarian or
Bi-personal)

Chapter 5

A Primary New Testament Example of
"One"

Chapter 3

The Scriptural Meaning of
"One."

Chapter 6

"One" Used to Show the Holiness of
God

Chapter 7

"As One of Us" in Genesis 3 Refers to
Godlike
Characteristics

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