Who is "the only true God"?
According to Jesus, Who Is the Only True God?
“Father… And this is life eternal, that they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent.”
— John 17:1, 3
In this profound prayer, Jesus defines eternal life as knowing “the only true God”—and He clearly distinguishes Himself from that one God. He identifies the Father as “the only true God” and refers to Himself separately as the One whom the Father sent.
The phrase “the only true God and Jesus Christ” identifies two distinct individuals, not one divine being expressed in different forms. The use of the conjunction “and” highlights this distinction.
Knowing the one true God—and His Son—is the key to eternal life. This shows that a correct understanding of who God is is not a minor theological detail; it is central to the gospel.
Jesus’ Father Is Also His God
A few chapters later, after His resurrection, Jesus again identifies the Father not only as His Father, but also as His God:
“Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.”
— John 20:17
This shows that the God Jesus worshipped is the same God His disciples worshipped—the Father.
The First Commandment and the One God of Israel
In Mark 12:28–34, a Jewish scribe asked Jesus which commandment was the greatest. Jesus answered by quoting the Shema, Israel’s foundational declaration of faith:
“Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord…”
Jesus then added:
“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart…” (v. 30)
The scribe responded:
“Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but He.” (v. 32)
Jesus praised this answer, saying:
“Thou art not far from the kingdom of God.” (v. 34)
This exchange is significant. If God were truly a triune being—three persons in one essence—this would have been the perfect opportunity for Jesus to correct that understanding. The scribe had just affirmed the Jewish belief that God is one individual, not three. Notice that he used the singular pronoun “He”, and said there is none like Him.
Yet Jesus did not correct him. Instead, He affirmed the statement.
This shows that Jesus accepted the Jewish understanding of God as correct—that the one true God is the Father, the same God whom the Jews worshipped and whom Jesus Himself called “My God” (John 20:17). If their understanding had been incomplete or false, Jesus—who is the Truth—would surely have corrected it.
Jesus Affirms the Jews’ Belief About the One God
Jesus further confirms this identification of God when He says:
“…it is my Father that honoureth me; of whom ye say, that He is your God.”
— John 8:54
Here again, Jesus declares that His Father is the God of the Jews—the One they rightly recognized as the only true God.
What Did the Apostles Teach About God?
After Jesus’ resurrection and ascension, His apostles continued teaching the same understanding of God:
“The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified His Son Jesus…”
— Acts 3:13
“Unto you first God, having raised up His Son Jesus, sent Him to bless you…”
— Acts 3:26
Peter, inspired by the Holy Spirit, declares that the God of the patriarchs is the One who glorified Jesus. If Jesus were part of a triune Godhead, this language would be confusing—suggesting that God glorified Himself, or that one divine person glorified another who was equally God.
Instead, the context is clear: the Father alone is identified as God, and Jesus is His Son—the One whom He sent and glorified.
This understanding is further confirmed in 1 Corinthians 8:6:
“But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things… and one Lord Jesus Christ…”
Paul clearly distinguishes the one God as the Father, and the one Lord as Jesus Christ. They are not merged into one being; rather, they are united in purpose, relationship, and mission, while remaining distinct in identity.
Notice also that only two beings are mentioned in this verse. Why? Because the Holy Spirit is the presence and power of God the Father, proceeding through Jesus to dwell in believers (see Acts 2:33; John 14:23).
Conclusion
Jesus, the apostles, and the early believers consistently taught that the one true God is the Father. Jesus never included Himself in that title. Though He shares divine authority, glory, and mission as the Son of God—and is therefore sometimes referred to as God in a representative or divine sense—He is never called “the only true God.”
Jesus continually pointed to His Father as the true God, the Supreme Being, and never once redefined God as a triune being.
The Jewish scribe’s statement—“there is one God; and there is none other but He”—was not corrected by Jesus because it was true. And the apostles continued to preach that same God to both Jews and Gentiles: the Father, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who glorified His Son, Jesus Christ.
To know the Father—the only true God—and Jesus Christ, whom He has sent, is the very essence of eternal life (John 17:3).
Let us therefore cling to the clarity and simplicity of Scripture and believe as Jesus believed, as He taught, and as His apostles declared.