Key Concepts
Before diving into the passages, it helps to understand the concepts and frameworks that shape the debate. These walkthroughs give you the tools to evaluate the arguments for yourself.
Jewish Agency
Background"A man's agent is as himself." How God acts through authorised representatives who bear his name and authority.
The Shema & Jewish Monotheism
BackgroundWhat did "one God" actually mean in the world of the NT authors?
"Son of God" in Jewish Context
TerminologyA royal title, not a statement of ontological deity — unless the NT changed its meaning.
"Son of Man" — From Daniel to Jesus
TerminologyA human being, a representative of Israel, and the one who receives God's kingdom.
Kyrios: Lord or YHWH?
TerminologyThe most common title for Jesus, and the most ambiguous.
Pre-existence vs. Foreknowledge
HermeneuticsDid Jesus exist before Bethlehem? And what kind of existence counts?
The "Two Natures" Framework
HermeneuticsThe 5th-century lens through which most Christians read the 1st-century texts.
Worship and Proskyneō
TerminologyDid early Christians worship Jesus as God? Depends what you mean by "worship."
The 4th-Century Councils
HistoryThe 56 years between Nicaea and Constantinople — when anti-Nicene positions dominated the church.
How Trinitarian Arguments Have Changed
HistoryFrom Platonist metaphors to social theory — why the doctrine keeps being re-argued.
The History of Unitarianism
HistoryNot fringe. Not modern. From Paul of Samosata to Isaac Newton — a tradition that was suppressed, not refuted.
Ready to see these concepts in action? Browse the passage analyses →