There is another verse in the Bible which is sometimes referenced in an attempt to support the trinity. This is the statement made by Jesus in John 8:58, (KJV) where he says, "Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am."

This statement was made during a disagreement with the Pharisees who were challenging him, and his responses to them, telling them that they were opposing the work he was sent to do. Note verse 38, "I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father.", and verse 42, "Jesus said unto them, ′If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me.′", verse 54, "Jesus answered, ′If I honour myself, my honour is nothing: it is my Father that honoureth me; of whom ye say, that he is your God:′" and verse 57, which is the question that led to Jesus’ statement, "Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?" he then responds with the statement that, "Before Abraham was, I am." I strongly recommend that you read the whole of chapter 8 in whatever translation you prefer, so that you can understand this statement in context and not as just a few words from an isolated part of a sentence.

The claim by those who believe the trinity is that Jesus saying, "I am" is a reference to Exodus 3:14, where Jehovah identifies himself by name. The King James Version says, "And God said unto Moses, I Am That I Am: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I Am hath sent me unto you." The claim, then, is that when Jesus said, "I am" to the Pharisees, he was referencing Jehovah’s name and identifying himself as Jehovah.

Note that the Septuagint translates God’s name as meaning "I am the one" (ego eimi ho on) and not as "I am" (ego eimi), but Jesus did not say "ego eimi ho on" he simply said "ego eimi". When this is used as a complete standalone statement, it can mean "I am" in the sense of "I exist", so the verse could also legitimately be translated as, "Before

Abraham was, I exist", a response that could be expected from a person who was the spirit who created everything but himself: the only begotten son of god and the only creature Jehovah directly made. The context is also important. Jesus refers to himself as being sent by his father, as coming from his father, and that his father honoured him. For him to then claim to be his own father would be inconsistent, and certainly not understandable by an ordinary, uneducated person, as John was said to be.

It should also be noted that the Hebrew name of God does not mean "I am that I am". That is just an old English translation. Modern translations may translate it as "I will be", or "I will become", or "I will cause to become", or something similar, although the precise meaning is not known. Jesus would have understood Hebrew and most certainly would have known what God’s name meant and would presumably have used language to indicate that if he had meant he was Jehovah. But he did not, so we must conclude that he was not claiming to be Jehovah, but was simply telling the Pharisees that he already existed when Abraham was alive.

The 3 witnesses
The Johannine comma is a statement made in 1 John 5:7, (KJV) "For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one." This is sometimes still used to support the trinity, but it is known to be an addition to the Bible text. It originated as a marginal note made by a copyist that was inserted into the text several centuries ago. The earliest manuscripts do not contain it and it is not a valid part of the Bible. It should be ignored as most modern translations do by not including it in the text. Those who use it are being dishonest.

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