DOCTRINE OF THE TRINITY  

GOD'S THREE-IN-ONENESS

 

Three Persons equal in majesty, undivided in splendour, yet one Lord.

THE DOCTRINE DEFINED

The word "trinity" is not found in the Bible. But the concept of the Trinity is all over the Bible. The Westminster Confession states,

  In the unity of the Godhead there are three persons, of one substance, power, and eternity: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit

       God is one in essence and three in person. In other words the Bible affirms that  God eternally exists as three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and each person is fully God, and yet there is One God.  In other words, the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God. They are not three gods but only one God. The Father is not the Son, the Son is not the Spirit, and the Spirit is not the Father. They are distinct but one. 

1.      God is three persons.

2.      Each person is fully God.

3.      There is one God

     Someone stated it right when they said, "If you try to explain the Trinity, you will lose your mind. But if you deny it, you will lose your soul."

 

EVIDENCE FOR THE TRINITY

These are some examples of the Trinity of God. The conclusion is obvious:

 

I) There is only one true God:

OT: Exod 8:10; Deut 4:35; 6:4; 2Sam 7:22; 1Ki 8:60; Neh 9:6; Ps 18:31; Isa 43:10; 44:6,8; 45:5f,14,18,21; 46:9

  NT: John 5:44; 17:3; 1Cor 8:4-5; 1Tim 2:5.

 

II) The Father is God:

  OT: Deut 32:6; Ps 89:26; Isa 63:16; 64:8; Mal 1:6; 2:10

  NT: Matt 6:9; John 6:27; Gal 1:1-3; Eph 4:6; 5:20; 6:23; Phil 2:11; 4:20; Col 3:17; Jude 1.

 

III) The Son is God:

  1) Called God or Ascribed Deity:

  OT: Gen 19:24; Ps 45:7; Isa 7:14; 9:6; Jer 23:5f; Zech 2:10-3:2; 12:10

  NT: Matt 1:22f; John 1:1; 5:18; 20:28; Acts 20:28; Rom 8:9; 9:5; Phil 2:5-9; Col 2:9; 1Tim 3:16; Titus 2:13; Heb 1:3,8f; 2Pet 1:1; 1John 5:20.

  2) Spoke and Acted as God:

  Omnipresent: Matt 18:20; 28:20; John 1:48; 3:13.

Omniscient: Matt 11:27; 12:25; Mark 2:8; Luke 9:46; 11:17; John 4:16-18.

Foretold the future: Matt 16:21; 24:18f,25; 26:21-25,31-35; Mark 14:30; John 6:64,70f; 21:18f (cp. Isa 41:21-23).

Omnipotent: Rev 1:8; 3:7.

Sovereign: Matt 17:24-27; 28:18.

Controlled the weather: Matt 14:32; Mark 4:39-41 (cp. Job 38:25-38; Ps 135:7).

Incomprehensible: Matt 11:27.

Holy: Josh 5:13-15 (cp. Exod 3:5f); John 8:46.

Gave commandments: Matt 5:27f,31f.

Forgave sin: Mark 2:5-11; Luke 7:47.

Love: Matt 20:28; John 15:13.

  3) Ascribed Attributes of God:

  Omnipresent: Eph 1:22f; 4:10.

Omniscient: John 2:23-25; 16:30; 21:17.

Omnipotent: Phil 3:20f.

Sovereign: Acts 10:36.

Eternal: Isa 9:6; Mic 5:2; John 1:1; 17:5,24; Col 1:17; Heb 7:3.

Immutable: Heb 1:8-12; 13:8.

Preeminent: Col 1:18 (cp. Ps 97:9; 148:13).

Good: John 7:12.

Holy: Matt 26:59f; Mark 4:36-41; Luke 5:1-11; 2Cor 5:21; Heb 4:15; 7:26; Rev 1:17.

Righteous: Luke 23:47; 2Cor 5:21; 1John 2:1.

Just: Zech 9:9.

Wrath: Rev 6:15-17 (cp. 11:17f).

Grace, Mercy, and Love: Matt 9:36; 14:14; John 13:1; 1Thes 5:28.

  4) Does Acts of God:

  Creates and Sustains: Gen 1:1; Isa 44:24; John 44:24; John 1:13; Col 1:16f; Heb 1:2f.

Gives life: Gen 2:7; 1Tim 6:13; John 1:4; 5:21; 11:25; Acts 3:15.

Judges: Ps 96:13; John 5:22f; Rom 14:10; 2Tim 4:1; Heb 13:4.

Redeems: Ps 130:7f; Isa 43:25; 44:22; Eph 1:7; Titus Heb 9:12-15; 1Pet 1:18f.

Saves: Isa 45:22; Acts 2:21; 4:12; 16:30f; 1Tim 1:15; Heb 12:2.

Fills the hungry soul: Ps 107:9; John 6:48-51.

Calms the storm: Ps 107:29; Matt 8:26.

  5) Treated Like God:

  Worshipped: Josh 5:13-15; Matt 14:33; 28:9,17; John 9:38; Phil 2:10f; Heb 1:6; 2Peter 3:18; Rev 5:8-14 (ct. Acts12:20-23; 14:8-15; Rev 19:10).

Receives Divine service: Rev 22:3f (cp. Exod 20:3-5; Matt 4:10).

Prayed to: Acts 7:59f; 2Cor 12:8; 1John 5:13-15.

             6) Theophanies = Christophanies:

  (Appearances of God in the OT are actually appearances of Christ.)

John 1:18; 6:46; 12:41; Isa 6:1-8; Josh 5:13-6:2 (cp. Numb 13:1f).

  7) The Angel of the LORD and the LORD:

  2Sam 24:16f; 1Chr 21:15f,27; Zech 1:12.

Gen 22:1f,11f,15f; 28:10-22; 31:11-13; 48:15f

Exod 3:2,4/ Exod 13:21; 14:19.

Exod 20:1; Deut 1:6-8; Judg 2:1.

Judg 6:12-15/ Judg 13:21f.

  8) Titles of Deity:

  The Alpha and the Omega; The First and the Last: Isa 44:6; Rev 1:8,11,17f; 2:8; 21:6; 22:12-17.

King of kings; Lords of lords: Deut 10:17; Ps 136:3; 1Tim 6:15; Rev 17:14; 19:16.

I AM: Exod 3:14; Deut 32:39; Isa 43:10; Hos 13:4; Joel 2:27; Matt 14:27; Mark 6:50; John 8:24,58

Judge: Ps 94:2; 2Tim 4:8; Heb 12;23; Jam 5:9.

Savior: Isa 43:11; Hos 13:4; 1Tim 1:1; 2:3; 2Tim 1:10; Titus 1:3f; 2:10,13f; 3:4,6.

Shepherd: Ps 23:1; Ezek 34:11-16; John 10:11,14; Heb 13:20; Rev 7:17.

Majestic: Luke 9:43; 2Pet 1:16.

 

IV) The Holy Spirit is a Person:

(A self-conscious Being capable of thought, will, and interaction with others.)

  1) Acts 13:1-5:

  Speaks, commands and calls: verse 2

Refers to himself with personal pronouns: "to Me" and "I" - verse 2

Sends out missionaries: verse 4.

  2) Elsewhere in the Book of Acts:

  Inspired Scripture: 1:16.

Is lied to: 5:3.

Bears witness: 5:32.

Instructs: 8:29.

Comforts: 9:31.

Tells and sends: 10:19f; 11:12.

Confirms: 15:28.

Forbids: 16:6f.

Testifies: 20:23.

Makes overseers: 20:28.

Prophesies: 28:25.

            3) Elsewhere in the Bible:

  Hovers: Gen 1:2 (cp. Deut 32:11).

Sends: Isa 48:16.

Speaks for believers: Matt 10:16-20.

Teaches: Luke 12:12.

Assures, leads, bears witness, and enables: Rom 8:14-17.

Loves: Rom 15:30.

Searches: 1Cor 2:10f.

Wills: 1Cor 12:11.

Fellowships: 2Cor 13:14; Phil 2:1.

Grieves: Eph 4:30.

Instructs: 1Tim 4:1.

Witnesses: Heb 10:15-18.

Is insulted: Heb 10:29.

Commands: Rev 22:17.

  4) John 14:16:

  The Spirit is "another Helper" (Greek: allos parakletos) besides Jesus (1John 2:1, "Advocate" in Greek is parakletos). See also Rom 8:26f,34.

 

V) The Holy Spirit is God:

  1) Equated with God:

  Exod 29:45f; Haggai 2:5.

Acts 5:3,4.

Rom 5:5; 2Thes 3:5.

1Cor 12:6,11,18.

2Cor 3:17.

  2) The Temple of God = The Temple of the Holy Spirit:

  1Cor 3:16; 6:19; 2Cor 6:16; Eph 3:19; 5:18.

  3) Possesses Attributes of God:

  Omnipresent: Ps 139:7-10.

Omniscient: 1Cor 2:10f.

Foretells the future: Acts 1:16; 20:22f; 21:33.

Omnipotent: Luke 1:35-37.

Eternal: Heb 9:14.

Good: Ps 143:10.

Holy: Rom 1:4.

Grace: Zech 12:10; Heb 10:29.

  4) Does the Works of God:

  Creates: Job 26:13.

Forms humans: Gen 2:7; Job 33:4.

Calls into ministry: Matt 9:38; Acts 13:2; 20:28.

Inspired Scripture: 2Tim 3:16; 2Pet 1:20f; Rev 1:1; 2:7.

Gives eternal life: John 3;3-8; Titus 3:5; 1John 5:11.

  5) The Holy Spirit's Words are Equated with God’s Words:

  Lev 16:1-34; Heb 9:7f.

Isa 6:9f; Acts 28:25-27.

Jer 31:33f; Heb 10:15f.

 

VI) The Father, the Son, and the Spirit are distinct from each other:

  1) In the OT:

  Gen 1:2,26f; 11:7; Neh 9:20; Ps 2:1-9; Prov 30:4; Isa 6:8; 48:16; 63:11.

  2) In the Gospels:

  Matt 3:16; 4:1,6; 11:25-27; 12:32f; 14:23; 16:16f; 17:5; 26:39; 27:46; 28:18f.

Mark 1:1,8; 13:32; 15:34.

Luke 2:49; 4:18; 6:12; 11:13; 23:34,46.

John 1:1f; 3:16f; 5:19f,30; 6:27,37-46; 8:17f; 11:41f: 13:1; 14:6,16,26; 15:26; 16:13f; 17:1,24; 20:17,21f,30f.

  3) In the Book of Acts:

  2:22-36; 3:13-15; 4:24-30; 7:55f; 10:34-42; 13:33-37; 15:8; 17:30f; 20:21.

  4) Elsewhere in the NT:

Rom 1:1-9; 1Cor 1:1-9; 2:10f; 2Cor 5:18-21; 13:14; Gal 4:4-6; Eph 2:18; Phil 2:5-11; Col 2:2; 1Thes 4:8; Heb 1:1-8; 2:17; 5:5-10; 7:25; 9:14; 1John 1:3; 2John 3; Jude 1; Rev 1:1-6.

  Although this whole concept is a mystery, through our faith in God’s Word it MUST be accepted.  We do not serve THREE different Gods ~ this is the difference between Christianity and other religions: The Plurality of gods also known as Polygamy.

Deuteronomy 6:4

Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God is one Lord: