Author: Josh Schmitz
Editor: Darryl Record
A. God is one in person, with three different
manifestations.
B. God is one God, but also three Gods at the same
time.
C. God is one in nature, with three different persons.
D) The Father, Son, and Spirit are three separate Gods.
E) He is a character in the movie Matrix
Note: Traditionally, Christian theology has taught that God is
three persons in one: the Father, Son, and Spirit.
Introduction:
It might help if we break the word down. “Tri” means three
while “Unity” means one. Basically, “trinity” means that
something is three in one sense and one in another sense. The
purpose of this web page is to discover why people use the
word, “trinity” to describe God’s nature as defined in the Bible.
It is important to know why we use the word “trinity,” even
though it is not mentioned in the Bible.
Questions to Think About:
Regardless of your background, what kinds of explanations or
examples have influenced you in your understanding the trinity
(e.g., hymns, sermons, parental influences)?
With which aspects of the trinity do you think most people
struggle? Would you say that it is too mysterious to try to
explain?
Biblical Trinity:
Traditionally, Christian theology has taught that God is three
persons in one: the Father, Son, and Spirit. God is a plural of
oneness; hence, the term “trinity.” Let us look at some Bible
passages (NIV translation) dealing with the oneness of God,
and then passages dealing with the three-persons of God. We
will also examine some objections to these claims.
God as One Being
Deuteronomy 6:4 “Hear, O Israel: the LORD our God, the LORD
is one.” This verse is known as the Shema (Hebrew for “Hear”),
the Jewish confession of their faith.
Isaiah 43: 10-11 “You are my witnesses,” declares the LORD,
“and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know
and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god
was formed, nor will there be one after me. I, even I, am the
LORD, and apart from me there is no savior.” “LORD” is the
English name for “Yahweh.”
I Corinthians. 8:5-6, “For even if there are so-called gods,
whether in heaven or on earth, yet for us there is but one God
the Father, 'from whom are all things, and we exist for Him; and
one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things and we exist
through him.'"
Other verses that mention God as one being are: James 2:19;
Isa. 44:6, 46:5-6; and Deut. 6:4.
God the Father is fully Divine or God because He is worthy of
worship. Jesus’ model prayer begins, “Our Father in heaven,
(Matt. 6:9). The Father is also shown to be worthy of worship in
John 4:23, “But an hour is coming , and now is, when the true
worshippers will worship the Father in spirit; for such people
the father seeks to be his worshippers.”
Question: If there is only one God, then how do we explain the
relationship between Jesus, the Father, and the Holy Spirit?
God as Three Persons:
The challenge for Trinitarians is to show how the Bible reveals
that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are distinct
persons from each other while still being God, who is one in
nature.
Verses on the Father—Matthew 6:9 “This then, is how you
should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed by your name.’ ”
2 Peter 1:17 “For he [Jesus] received honor and glory from God
the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory,
saying, ‘This is my Son, whom I love.’”
Verses on the Son—Isaiah 9:6 “For to us a child is born, to us a
son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And
he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting
Father, Prince of Peace.”
John 1:1, 14 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was
with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the
Beginning. . . “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling
among us” (v. 14).
Verses on the Holy Spirit—Isaiah 63: 9-10 “In his love and mercy
he redeemed them [Israel]. . . Yet they rebelled and grieved his
Holy Spirit.”
John 14: 26 “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the
Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and
remind you of everything I have said to you.”
Note, in several New Testament passages, the writers quote
from an Old Testament verse, in which they credit the Holy
Spirit with saying. When you look up these Old Testament
verses, though, they read, “Thus says the Lord.” (you could
compare Hebrews 10:15-17 with Jeremiah 34:31 and Acts 28:25-
26 with Isaiah 6:9-10).
Verse on all Three: Matthew 28:19 “Therefore go and make
disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the
Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”
Groups that Deny the Trinity:
Unitarianism (Unitarian/ Universalists)
Modalism (United Pentecostals)
Arianism (Jehovah’s Witnesses)
Polytheism (Mormons)
Question: Have you ever been challenged by these groups to
define what you believe about God?
Roles of the Members of the Trinity:
Even though each member of the Trinity is fully God and is
therefore equal, different roles are played by each. God the
Father is the leader of the Trinity. There are distinctions
between the three persons of the Trinity. Jesus is the High
Priest and Advocate (I John 2:1). The Holy Spirit is the
counselor and makes intercession for us (John 14:26, Rom. 8:
27). The Holy Spirit is not just a force but a masculine person.
Even though the Son and the Spirit are sent by the Father to do
their work on Earth, it should not be understood that they are
created by the Father. They have all existed eternally. The
Son came to the Earth in human form. He is fully God and fully
man. The Holy Spirit is continually with us as our comforter and
counselor. The individual believers with in the church are the
Temple of the Holy Spirit, in which God is “with us.”
The fact that God is a Trinity means that he has always been
complete. He has always had perfect fellowship between the
members of the Trinity. Therefore, God has never been lonely.
God did not need to create the Universe or even people in order
to be complete. He was already complete.
Concluding Thoughts:
There are many more Scripture passages that deal with this
important topic. Hopefully, you’ll feel encouraged to do your
own personal study. If we accept that the Old and New
Testaments do not contradict each other, then, from the verses
we’ve looked at, what may we conclude about God’s nature?
Personal salvation?
