Part I. Scripture Teaches the Holy Trinity.
Christians have often been accused of inventing the doctrine of Trinity. But this is not true. Trinity is the way the Christian God presents himself in his inspired word, the Holy Bible. Our doctrines are based upon the teachings of our God, teachings that we could never have imagined unless he revealed them to us. From these teachings we have our creeds (beliefs). For example, Jews today have the Shemah (hear) in Deuteronomy 6:4,
“Sh’ma, Yisra’el. Adonai Eloheinu, Adonai echad.”
Which translated reads,
“Hear, O Israel. The Lord our God, the Lord is one.”
The word Eloheinu (from Elohim) is plural, meaning “our” God. Quite literally the Shemah reads “. . . the LORD our Gods the LORD is one.” Elohim in the Old Testament designates the one true God, who created the world and everything in it. Occasionally elohim designates “angels” or the false “gods” of men. But when the one true and living God reveals himself it is in a plurality, Elohim, which suggests more than one person in one God.
What is the doctrine of Trinity taught in the Bible? There are three unalterable truths to remember:
1. There is one, and only one, true and living God.
2. One God exists as three co-equal and co-eternal persons—Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
3. Though these three persons are each fully and completely God, they are not identical in roles or personhood. From all eternity they are in relationship with one another. That relationship is love (1 John 4:16).
The triune (three-one) nature of God is revealed in his teachings. For example:
Genesis 18:1-21 One God (YHWH, LORD, vs. 1) appears to Abraham as three men, whom Abraham addresses as one Lord (Adonai, vs. 3). Walking with Abraham as three men, the LORD refers to himself as singular (YHWH, LORD vss. 16-19).
God refers to himself as both plural and singular in Genesis 1:26-27, “let us make, in our likeness” (plural) and “his own image” (singular).
The Old Testament God designates himself by the plural Hebrew word, Elohim (his title), not el or eloah, which are singular nouns. Elohim is translated as God (singular) and when Elohim acts he does so with a singular verb. In the few instances of elohim that refer to pagan “gods” or “angels” plural verbs and pronouns are used.
Neither can God’s title, Elohim, be considered the plural of majesty presumptuously invented by later human monarchs to magnify their status and accompanied by a plural verb (for example, “we are not pleased” or “we are disposed“).
Elohim often appears with God’s name, Yahweh, and is translated LORD God (Yahweh Elohim). Yahweh Elohim is uniquely singular; there is no God but him.
Deuteronomy 4:35 . . . the LORD is God; besides him there is no other.
Isaiah 43:10 “You are my witnesses,” declares the LORD, . . . Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me.
Isaiah 44:6 “This is what the LORD says– Israel’s King and Redeemer, the LORD Almighty: I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God.
Jeremiah 10:10 But the LORD is the true God; he is the living God, the eternal King.
Why then do we say that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are each God? And why do many stumble over the rationality of the Trinity doctrine? Is it because the doctrine conflicts with our common experience of being and personhood? Is God, who created human beings, limited in form and being as humans are? We are like him, but he is not like us. He is above us and beyond us. We err if we think that God must be confined as we are in our individual personhoods. Trinity is what distinguishes the God of the Bible as truly unique. He is other than all humanly derived gods, which are no more than superhuman caricatures. As my friend the Reverend John Rankin has noted,
“Yahweh Elohim is the only written concept in history for the one who is greater than time, space, and number, and thus the concept of the Trinity follows.”
The concept of Yahweh Elohim is supernatural but not irrational.
Christians worship one God in three Persons, because that is what God teaches us. For example:
The Father is God.
Before time and space existed, God (Elohim, plural) created everything (Genesis 1).
We are taught by Jesus to call God our Father in heaven . . . (Matthew 6:9 ff.)
. . . the LORD (Yahweh) is God (Elohim); besides him there is no other. (Deuteronomy 4:35)
1 Timothy 1:17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Also: Psalm 18:31, 2 Samuel 22:32, Isaiah 43:10, Jeremiah 10:10.
The Son (Jesus Christ) is God.
Jesus was in the beginning “with God” (two of them together) and he “was God” in and of himself (John 1:1-2).
Jesus reveals (explains) God the Father (John 1:18; John 14:9).
Jesus created all things (Colossians 1:15-16).
Jesus set divine privileges aside in his incarnation (Philippians 2:6-7)
Jesus forgives sins (Mark 2:5), something only God can do (Mark 2:6-7).
Jesus said, “. . . before Abraham was born, I am.” (John 8:58) The Greek grammar in this sentence (ego eimi) combines the Greek personal pronoun “I” (ego) with the Greek verb form “I am” (eimi) to emphasize the personal pronoun (literally reading, “I, I am”) and indicates that Jesus was claiming to be I AM, the name that God gave to Moses in Exodus 3:14. Jesus repeatedly referred to himself in this way. His first century Jewish audiences knew what he claimed and resented him for it. They heard him teach that he himself was God, Yahweh, who has always (eternally) existed (John 8:59).
Thomas, the skeptical disciple, called Jesus “my Lord and my God.” (John 20:28)
The Holy Spirit is God.
The Holy Spirit was active in the beginning of creation (Genesis 1:2)
He conceived Jesus in the flesh (the incarnation) in the virgin Mary. (Luke 1:31,35)
He has a mind, and intercedes for us with God the Father. (Romans 8:26-27)
He has a will (1 Corinthians 12:11)
He has emotions and grieves. (Isaiah 63:10, Ephesians 4:30)
He brings joy. (1 Thessalonians 1:6)
He teaches and reminds us of what Jesus said. (John 14:26)
He is sent by the Father and the Son to teach us their truth (John 15:26)
He convicts. (John 16:8)
He leads. (Romans 8:14)
He calls us into fellowship; therefore he must be a person in his own right. (2 Corinthians 13:14, Philippians 2:1)
There are many other examples of Trinity taught in Scripture, but the preceding are sufficient to establish the doctrine for those who are willing to believe God’s words. Still, charitably might we ask, for those who stumble over difficult doctrines, “Is there any way we can facilitate understanding?” Jesus, and his disciples as they were led by the Spirit of God, often spoke in parable and metaphor in order to “unwrap” the “difficult” portions of God’s revelation. I think there is an amazing metaphor for the Trinity in the first letter of the Apostle John (1 John 1:5), which we shall explore next.
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