Can God have a God?

Monotheism (the belief in one God) has three main belief systems: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Judaism, depending on who you ask will either say yes or no. Jews who say yes, are likely Messianic Jews, while Jews who do not believe Jesus is the Messiah, will say no. Muslims will say no. Christians however, say yes... but how?

After the crucifixion, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, Jesus appears to over 500 people (1 Corinthians 15:1-7). One of the first interactions Jesus had with someone after He rose from the dead was with Mary Magdalene. Looking at John 20:11-18, Jesus says in verse 17, "Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, 'I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God." (NIV).

If Christians hold the the belief that the Trinity (God the Father, Son (Jesus) and Holy Spirit) are 3 distinct persons but one God, how is this not a contradiction?


Here are examples of each member of the Trinity acknowledging that another member of the Trinity is God and that the members of the Trinity glorify each other as God:

1A. The Father calling the Son (Jesus) God- Psalm 45:6-7, "Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom. You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy."

1B. The Father glorifies the Son- Jesus is praying: John 17:1-5, "Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began."

2A. The Son (Jesus) calling the Father God- John 20:17, "Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, 'I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God."

2B. The Son glorifies the Father- Jesus is praying: John 14:13, "And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son."

3A. The Holy Spirit-  the Holy Spirit testifies of the Father and Son in all truth, He (Holy Spirit) is consistent in glorifying the Father and Son (John 4:24, "Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.")

3B. The Holy Spirit glorifies the Son + Father = Jesus speaking: John 16:13-15, "But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you."

Summary: The Father, Son (Jesus) and Holy Spirit all glorify each other and acknowledge each other as God, and are all equally YAHWEH (the LORD, Jehovah), since Isaiah 42:8 states, "I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols."