The real shame is I took other peoples word for what God is telling us in His word. The other real shame is that men who have more education than I do have continued to teach a doctrine developed by gentiles.
What have these educated men done for hundreds of years? Well, they have tried to redefine "echad" to mean a compound unity. They have taken one verse in Genesis (1:26) and tried to show that since "Us" and "Our" are used in that verse God is a triune God. Now, lets us some of the reasoning power God gave us. Read Genesis 1:27 where the pronoun used is "His". Then look up all the other OT uses of elohiym that refer to God. You will not find the third person pronoun used in any of those verses. Now, look up all the uses of elohiym that do not refer to God and you will find a plethora of Scriptures where elohiym refers to just one god. Here I will save you the trouble since I have already taken the time to do this:
Exodus 22:20
20 He that sacrificeth unto any god, save unto the LORD only, he shall be utterly destroyed.
KJV
Deuteronomy 32:39
39 See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand.
KJV
Judges 6:31
31 And Joash said unto all that stood against him, Will ye plead for Baal? will ye save him? he that will plead for him, let him be put to death whilst it is yet morning: if he be a god, let him plead for himself, because one hath cast down his altar.
KJV
Judges 8:33
33 And it came to pass, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel turned again, and went a whoring after Baalim, and made Baal-berith their god.
KJV
Judges 9:27
27 And they went out into the fields, and gathered their vineyards, and trode the grapes, and made merry, and went into the house of their god, and did eat and drink, and cursed Abimelech.
KJV
Judges 11:24
24 Wilt not thou possess that which Chemosh thy god giveth thee to possess? So whomsoever the LORD our God shall drive out from before us, them will we possess.
KJV
Judges 16:23
23 Then the lords of the Philistines gathered them together for to offer a great sacrifice unto Dagon their god, and to rejoice: for they said, Our god hath delivered Samson our enemy into our hand.
KJV
Judges 16:24
24 And when the people saw him, they praised their god: for they said, Our god hath delivered into our hands our enemy, and the destroyer of our country, which slew many of us.
KJV
1 Samuel 5:7
7 And when the men of Ashdod saw that it was so, they said, The ark of the God of Israel shall not abide with us: for his hand is sore upon us, and upon Dagon our god.
KJV
1 Kings 11:33
33 Because that they have forsaken me, and have worshipped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Milcom the god of the children of Ammon, and have not walked in my ways, to do that which is right in mine eyes, and to keep my statutes and my judgments, as did David his father.
KJV
1 Kings 18:27
27 And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud: for he is a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked.
KJV
2 Kings 1:2
2 And Ahaziah fell down through a lattice in his upper chamber that was in Samaria, and was sick: and he sent messengers, and said unto them, Go, inquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron whether I shall recover of this disease.
KJV
2 Kings 1:3
3 But the angel of the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite, Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say unto them, Is it not because there is not a God in Israel, that ye go to inquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron?
KJV
2 Kings 1:16
16 And he said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Forasmuch as thou hast sent messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron, is it not because there is no God in Israel to inquire of his word? therefore thou shalt not come down off that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die.
KJV
2 Kings 19:37
37 And it came to pass, as he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons smote him with the sword: and they escaped into the land of Armenia. And Esar-haddon his son reigned in his stead.
KJV
2 Chronicles 32:15
15 Now therefore let not Hezekiah deceive you, nor persuade you on this manner, neither yet believe him: for no god of any nation or kingdom was able to deliver his people out of mine hand, and out of the hand of my fathers: how much less shall your God deliver you out of mine hand?
KJV
2 Chronicles 32:21
21 And the LORD sent an angel, which cut off all the mighty men of valour, and the leaders and captains in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned with shame of face to his own land. And when he was come into the house of his god, they that came forth of his own bowels slew him there with the sword.
KJV
Isaiah 37:38
38 And it came to pass, as he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons smote him with the sword; and they escaped into the land of Armenia: and Esar-haddon his son reigned in his stead.
KJV
Daniel 1:2
2 And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with part of the vessels of the house of God: which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his god; and he brought the vessels into the treasure house of his god.
KJV
Daniel 11:36
36 And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.
KJV
Daniel 11:37
37 Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.
KJV
Daniel 11:38
38 But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces: and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things.
KJV
Daniel 11:39
39 Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for gain.
KJV
Hosea 13:4
4 Yet I am the LORD thy God from the land of Egypt, and thou shalt know no god but me: for there is no saviour beside me.
KJV
Amos 5:26
26 But ye have borne the tabernacle of your Moloch and Chiun your images, the star of your god, which ye made to yourselves.
KJV
Amos 8:14
14 They that swear by the sin of Samaria, and say, Thy god, O Dan, liveth; and, The manner of Beer-sheba liveth; even they shall fall, and never rise up again.
KJV
Jonah 1:5
5 Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man unto his god, and cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it of them. But Jonah was gone down into the sides of the ship; and he lay, and was fast asleep.
KJV
Micah 4:5
5 For all people will walk every one in the name of his god, and we will walk in the name of the LORD our God for ever and ever.
KJV
Habakkuk 1:11
11 Then shall his mind change, and he shall pass over, and offend, imputing this his power unto his god.
KJV
So you see Reaper what men have been teaching for hundreds of years is not established by the whole word of God.
Paul warned Timothy about men who “strive about” or “wrangle” over words, which is all many theologians have done since John died in about 100 A.D.
2 Timothy 2:14
14 Remind them of these things, and solemnly charge them in the presence of God not to wrangle about words, which is useless, and leads to the ruin of the hearers.
NAS
2 Timothy 2:14
14 Of these things put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers.
KJV
2 Timothy 2:14
14 Keep reminding them of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen.
(from New International Version)
Now, I have already posted a number of Messianic prophesies from the OT that disprove that the Messiah will be God.
As to John 14:7-9, if you believe the Bible explains the Bible then read Hebrews 1.
Hebrews 1:1-4
1:1 God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, 2 in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. 3 And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high; 4 having become as much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they. NAS
These 4 verses are packed with valuable information. We see that God
appointed His Son heir of all things who is the exact representation of God’s nature. Now lets add Colossians 1:15:
Colossians 1:15
15 And He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation. NAS
Now unless you believe that God had a beginning we can discern that God created the spirit of His Son and explains the “Us” and “Our” of Genesis 1:26 that becomes “His” in verse 27 since God created
through His Son.
You mention that Justin Martyr was a heretic, how about the other ECF’s that were the primary definers of the Trinity? Have you read what they wrote?
Now you quoted John 17:5 but did not put that verse in context with:
John 17:22-23
22 "And the glory which Thou hast given Me I have given to them; that they may be one, just as We are one; 23 I in them, and Thou in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, that the world may know that Thou didst send Me, and didst love them, even as Thou didst love Me. NAS
Now back up a couple posts and read where God tells us He will not give His glory to another, but Jesus did give His glory to lots of other people.
..the doctrine of a Triune God is clearly seen throughout scriptures.
This is not true. The concept of a triune God comes from Greeks who were influenced by their pagan backgrounds and by a Roman Emperor whose main goal was religious stability in his empire. Constantine was a major influence in Christianity after Christianity was legalized in 313 A.D. A triune God was more palatable to his subjects than the strict monotheism of Judaism.
Jesus is the only way to the Father because the Father decreed that we are saved by His grace through faith in His Son Jesus Christ who God
exalted to be both Prince and Savior (Acts 5:31). Or as Paul writes:
Philippians 2:9-11
9 Therefore also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. NAS
I don't read that we are to confess that Jesus Christ is God, do you? I don't read that we are to bow at the person of the Son but at the name of the Son.
There is only one true God and His name is Yehovah, not Yehoshua (Jesus).