Misquoting Jesus with Bart Ehrman Is the Trinity Really in the Bible?
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May 12, 2026 
Bart Ehrman, New Testament scholar and bestselling author, gives a concise historical tour of how Trinitarian ideas arose. He compares early views of God and Jesus. He examines key biblical passages, textual insertions like 1 John 5:7, Matthew 28, and John’s portrayals. He traces the doctrine's historical development and where Spirit language appears.
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Early Alternatives To Trinitarianism
- Early Christian views varied widely: some taught three gods, others taught Jesus was subordinate, and modalism claimed one God in three modes.
- Ehrman outlines modalism as God appearing as Father, Son, or Spirit at different times, akin to H2O states.
Gospel Differences On Jesus' Divinity
- The Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke) contain no explicit self-claim by Jesus to be God, while John presents high Christology asserting pre-existence and 'I am' language.
- Ehrman notes Mark/Mat-Luke portray Jesus as powerful via God's power, but John depicts Jesus as divine and one with the Father, provoking opponents' charge of blasphemy.
Always Read Verses In Historical Context
- To understand Bible passages correctly, put them in their literary and historical context rather than isolating verses for devotional use.
- Bart D. Ehrman recommends reading within the book and the first-century setting to avoid misinterpretation.