Untitled Document

Understanding the doctrine of
THE TRINITY

By Evangelist Dr. J. W. Stansell
Copyright © Stansell Christian Media
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

The doctrine of the Trinity is one of the most vital tenets of the Christian Faith. It is a cornerstone apart from which our whole theological system would collapse. Although the word "Trinity" is a term that is not found in the Bible, it is a word used to describe what is apparent about God in the Scriptures. The Trinity can be a difficult subject to study. It is my desire to present to my readers a concise study on the Trinity. It is my prayer that God will use this short study on the Trinity to open the understanding of all my readers.

I. THERE IS ONLY ONE GOD

The first step in properly understanding the Trinity is to establish how many Gods exist. According to the Bible there is only ONE God [Read: Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 43:10; 44:6-8; 45:5,14,18,21,22; 46:9; 47:8; John 17:3; 1 Corinthians 8:5-6]. Note that the Hebrew word for “one” is echad which means composite unity - it is used in Genesis 2:24 where the husband and wife become “one flesh“. The word for absolute unity is “yachid” which is never used of God in the Scripture. The doctrine of the Trinity is encapsulated in Matthew 28:19, where Jesus instructs the apostles: "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost."

The Bible clearly speaks of God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ), and God the Holy Spirit...and also clearly presents that there is only one God. Thus the term: "Tri" meaning three, and "Unity" meaning one, Tri + Unity = Trinity. Although the word "trinity" is not in the Bible, the concept of the three-in-one, the triune God, is. The term "Godhead," referring to the three-in-one, can be found in Acts 17:29 and Colossians 2:9. There are many good illustrations that we can use to compare the Trinity to. For example, the Trinity can be illustrated by time: Time is past, present, and future- but, there are not three times, only one. Here are a few other simple illustrations: A man may own many sheep, but only have one flock; There are many bananas in one bunch; There are often several partners in one business; We have fifty separate states in our one great nation.

The Trinity is perhaps best illustrated with God’s most prized creation- man. Man was made in the very image of God [Genesis 1:26-27], and God is a triune being; therefore, man is also a triune being, having body, soul and spirit in one person [1 Thessalonians 5:23; Hebrews 4:12].

The parallelism of the Father, the Son, and the Spirit is not unique to Matthew’s Gospel, but appears elsewhere in the New Testament (e.g., 2 Corinthians 13:14, Hebrews 9:14), as well as in the writings of the earliest Christians, who clearly understood them in the sense that we do today—that the Father, the Son, and the Spirit are three divine persons who are one divine being (God).

They are distinct, e.g. at the baptism of Jesus in Matthew 3:16-17 all three were present and distinct. The Son is baptized, the Father speaks from Heaven, and the Holy Spirit, in the form of a dove, flies down and lands on the Son. See the baptismal formula in Matthew 28:19 “baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost.” Note that the word “name” is singular, showing that all three Persons are one Being.

II. THE FATHER IS GOD

1. The Father is part of the Godhead (Matthew 3:16-17; 28:19; 1 John 5:7).

2.The Father is called God (John 6:27; 1 Corinthians 1:3; 2 Corinthians 1:2; Galatians 1:1, 3; Ephesians 1:2; 4:6).

3. The Father is a distinct personality apart from the Son (Matthew 10:32-33; 11:25-27; 17:5; 28:20; Mark 13:32; Luke 1:30-32; 2:27-28, 40; John 1:1-2; 5:19-20, 30; 6:37-40; 14:6, 12-13, 26, 28, 31; 16:5, 15-16; Acts 2:22-28; 3:26; 4:10; 5:30; 10:38; 13:21-38; Romans 1:7-9; 1 Corinthians 1:3, 9, 30; 3:23; 4:1; 11:3; 15:24-28, 57; 2 Corinthians 1:2-3; 4:6; 5:18-21; Galatians 1:1, 3-4; Ephesians 1:3, 17, 20; 5:20; 6:23; Philippians 1:2; 2:5-11; Colossians 1:2-3, 12-15, 19; 2:2; 3:1; 1 Thessalonians 1:1, 3, 10; 3:13; 2 Thessalonians 1:1-2; 2:16; 1 Timothy 1:1-2; 2 Timothy 2:1-2; Titus 1:4; Philemon 3; Hebrews 1:1-3; 9:24; 12:2; 13:20; James 1:1; 1 Peter 1:2-3; 2 Peter 1:17; 1 John 1:3, 5-7; 2:1, 22-24; 4:14; 5:7, 11; 2 John 3, 9; Jude 1; Revelation 1:5-6).

4. The Father is a distinct personality apart from the Holy Spirit (Isaiah 48:16; Matthew 3:16-17; 28:20; John 14:26; 1 Corinthians 2:10; 6:19; 1 Thessalonians 4:8; Hebrews 1:4; 1 John 5:7).

III. THE SON IS GOD

1. Jesus is part of the Godhead (Matthew 3:16-17; 28:19; 1 John 5:7).

2. Jesus is clearly called God throughout the Bible:

A. He is called “The mighty God” by the Prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 9:6).

B. He is called God by the Apostle John (John 1:1).

C. He is called God by the Apostle Thomas (John 20:28).

D. He is called God by God the Father (Hebrews 1:8).

E. Jesus claimed to be God when He said to the Jews, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am” (John 8:58).

F. He is clearly identified as a part of the Godhead (Colossians 2:9).

G. 1 Timothy 3:16 proves that Jesus is God.

3. Jesus is called “Lord” [kurios] in Romans 10:9, and is a translation of the Old Testament “Yahweh” [= God]. Romans 10:13 cites Joel 2:32 which makes this clear.

4. Jesus is the creator and maker of all things, a power that only God possesses (John 1:3; Colossians 1:16-17; Hebrews 1:10).

5. Jesus is the sustainer of all things, and only God can control the universe (Hebrews 1:3).

6. Jesus received worship, and only God is to be worshipped (Matthew 14:33).

7. Jesus forgave a man of his sins, and only God can forgive sin (Mark 2:5-11).

8. Jesus is identified with the “Alpha and Omega” and the equivalent “the first and the last” (Isaiah 44:6; Revelation 1:8, 17-18).

9. Jesus is the Son of God. From this, some cults try to show that Jesus is somehow less than God. But in Jewish imagery, “the son of” often meant of the order of' or having the very nature of'. For example, “sons of the prophets” meant of the order of prophets (1 Kings 20:35); “sons of the singers” meant of the order of singers (Nehemiah 12:28). Jesus' Jewish contemporaries understood that He was claiming to be God, which is why they wanted to kill him for blasphemy (John 19:7).

10. Jesus has always existed (John 1:1-3, 8:56-58), but took on full human nature in addition to His divine nature at the Incarnation (John 1:14, Philippians 2:5-11).

11. Jesus said: 'My Father is greater (meizon) than I' (John 14:28). But this refers to the Father's greater position in Heaven, not superior nature. Philippians 2:5-11 states that Jesus had equality by nature with God, but voluntarily took on the lower position of a servant. The same arguments apply to all related passages about Jesus submitting to His Father's will.

12. The fact that Jesus prayed to God the Father (John 17:1) shows there was a distinction between Father and Son. Since Jesus was fully human (as well as fully divine), and humans should pray, it follows that it was proper for Jesus to pray in His humanity.

IV. THE HOLY SPIRIT IS GOD

1. The Holy Spirit is a person (Acts 5:3; 13:2), and not some impersonal force as the Jehovah's Witness cult falsely believes.

2. The Holy Spirit is part of the Godhead (Matthew 3:16; 28:19; 1 John 5:7).

3. The Holy Spirit is clearly called God (Acts 5:3-4).

4. The Holy Spirit possesses divine attributes:

A. He is omnipresent- everywhere present in the universe (Psalm 139:7).

B. He is omnipotent- has all power (Luke 1:35).

C. He is omniscient- has all knowledge (1 Corinthians 2:10-11).

D. He is eternal (Hebrews 9:14).

5. The deity of the Holy Spirit is revealed in that His name is coupled in equality with the name of the Father and the Son:

A. In the baptism of the believer (Matthew 28:19).

B. In the apostolic benediction (2 Corinthians 13:14).

6. The deity of the Holy Spirit is seen in relation to the life and ministry of Jesus Christ:

A. Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:35).

B. Jesus was anointed by the Holy Spirit for service (Acts 10:38).

C. Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit (Matthew 4:1).

D. Jesus was crucified in the power of the Holy Spirit (Hebrews 9:14).

E. Jesus was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:11).

F. Jesus gave commandments to the apostles and the church through the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:2).

IN CONCLUSION

God is a trinity of persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The Father is not the same person as the Son; the Son is not the same person as the Holy Spirit; and the Holy Spirit is not the same person as Father. They are not three gods and not three beings. They are three distinct persons; yet, they are all the one true God. Each has a will, can speak, can love, etc., and these are demonstrations of personhood. They are in absolute perfect harmony consisting of one substance. They are co-eternal, co-equal, and co-powerful.