Introduction

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• Jehovah’s Witnesses today see Jesus as great, even divine, but less than fully God. Muslims affirm Jesus as a prophet, but deny that Christ is God the Son in the flesh.

• The concept of “Trinity” is hard if we want a simplistic universe, but truth in all areas of reality is often both simple and profound/complex.

• This is an important topic, not just as a theological doctrine, because it involves talking about God Himself, so we need to approach the topic with reverent humility and cautious clarity. It is important also because our salvation from sin and death, and our sanctification (growing in holiness) hinge on it!

• We don’t have total, comprehensive knowledge, but God provides sufficient knowledge upon which to understand and respond.

• “Trinity” is a coined term to express, albeit inadequately, the revealed reality about God in the Biblical record and in Christian experience.

 

Three Common Challenges to the Doctrine of the Trinity (with Responses):

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1. “I John 5:7-8, as an explicit statement of the Trinity (included in the King James Version), is not in the oldest manuscripts.” (True. Most modern Bibles note this; regardless, the Trinity is still reflected in many other passages)

2. “The word “trinity” is not found anywhere in the Bible.” (True, but the concept permeates Scripture; note that the Bible also doesn’t try to logically prove the existence of God!)

3. “The idea of Trinity only began with the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD.” (The Nicaean Creed was only the formal, precise statement of the common understanding of the Church that God the Son and the Holy Spirit are fully God; this statement was in response to new ideas being taught at that time by Arius.)

 

Key Elements of the Doctrine of the Trinity

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God is one in essence or substance, yet eternally existing in 3 persons who share this divine essence: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. These 3 persons are equal, involving only a functional subordination, and having complementary roles.

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Roles and Inter-relationship of Persons:

• The Father plans, chooses, wills, purposes (cf. Acts 2:23; Rom.11:33-34; Eph. 1:4-11; Eph. 3:11)

• The Son accomplishes redemption, does the Father’s will (cf. Jn. 17:4; 1 Cor.1:30; Eph. 1:7; 1 Tim. 2:5)

• The Holy Spirit applies in the church and individuals the results of that redemption (cf. 1 Cor. 12:13; Eph. 2:18, 22; 2 Thess. 2:13)

• The Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son (cf. Rom.8:9; 1 Ptr. 1:11; Acts 16:7; Phil. 1:19; Mt.3:1; Jn. 20:22; Acts 2:33

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Historical Background

 

For the early church, the nature of God was initially a matter not of doctrine, but of their experience. They knew God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit from Scripture and from their experience, and focused on their relationship to us, rather than to each other. The need to more precisely clarify this truth only came in response to new teachings purporting to be the truth. False teachings about God led to more precise expressions of Biblical truth through formal statements, or creeds.

• Celsus’ critique of Christians (@180 AD)- 3 Gods?

• Sabellius/monarchianism (@200 AD)- 3 modes of one God?

• Arius/Arianism (@318-381 AD)- the Son as only a begotten, intermediate creator? (but see Jn.1:1)

• Council of Nicea (325 AD)- expressing the relationship between Father, Son and Holy Spirit

• Council of Chalcedon (451 AD)- expressing the relationship between the two natures of Christ

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Reasoning from Analogies

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Reality- a 3-foldness throughout:

1)  Time- past, present, and future

2)  Space/Dimensions- length, breadth, height

3)  Family- Father, Mother, Child

• Love/Social Relations- same applies to love, or gossip!

         *The Scriptures testify that “God is love”. Love, by its very nature, is other-directed. A Creature would be an insufficient object for God’s love. But two persons, if they be good, would be willing to share their love with a third. Therefore, “in order for love to be true, it demands a plurality of persons; in order for love to be perfected, it requires a trinity of persons” (The Trinity 3.13).

• Speaking- voice, word spoken, breath that projects the sound

• Humans- body, mind, spirit/breath that animates with life

• Water- water, ice, vapor

• Fire- chemical action, light, heat

• The Trinity is expressed in prayer, in community (see C.S. Lewis’ Mere Christianity, pp.126-7, 135-136)

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Biblical Basis in the Old Testament

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• God (Heb., Elohim)- has a masculine plural ending, as in Gen.1:1; Ex.20:2-5 and is commonly used in regard to YHWH, the true God, throughout the Old Testament

• Use of the Plural pronoun “us” for God, as in  Gen. 1:26‑27 “let us make man in our image”; Gen. 3:22‑23 “has become like one of us”; Gen. 11:7‑8 “let us go down and confuse their language”; Is.6:3-8 3X-Holy; “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?”

• The “Shema” (Deut.6:4) statement about one true God uses Elohenu– lit., “our Gods”; the Hebrew word used for “one” is echad (often used to express a compound unity (cf. Gen.1:5-day, 2:24-marriage; Numb.13:23-cluster of grapes; Judg.20:1, 8, 11 and Ezra 3:1; assembly of people; Ezek.37:17- 2 sticks), and not the  other Hebrrew wordd for "one"- yachid (expressing an absolute unity or singularity (cf. Gen.22:2-only son; Judg.11:34-only daughter; Ps.25:16- lonely; Prov.4:3-only child; Amos 8:10-only son); yachid is never used in references to God.

• Passages where 2 identities of God are mentioned: Hos.1:7-“Then the LORD said…I will show love…by the LORD their God”; Gen.19:24-“the LORD rained down burning sulfur…from the LORD”; Zech.2:10-11-“For I am coming…and you will know that the LORD Almighty has sent me…”

• The Spirit of God is mentioned as being divine, possessing characteristics of personality, such as intellect, emotion, and will (cf. Is.11:2-“the Spirit of wisdom…understanding…counsel…power") and omnipresence (Ps.139:7-“where can I go from your Spirit?”)

• Passages where the Messiah, Angel/messenger of God are identified as God: The Angel/Messenger of God=YAHWEH (cf. Gen.16:7-13-God speaks to Hagar;  Gen.22:11-16-when Abraham is about to sacrifice Isaac; Gen.31:11-13-Jacob’s dream about the goats; Mal.3:1-“the Lord you are seeking…the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come”); “Christophanies” such as when Abraham is visited by God (Gen.18) and Jacob’s wrestling  with God (Gen.32:28); Is.9:6, where Messiah is described as the Mighty God; Ps.2:2,7,12- The LORD and the Anointed One, His Son

• Three persons of God are sometimes mentioned in the same passage- cf. Is.48:12-17-“I am He (who created the world)…and now the Sovereign LORD has sent Me with his Spirit” (Lord, Redeemer, Spirit); Is.63:7-16- 3 persons brought about the Exodus; Is.61:1-The LORD and Father, the angel of his presence, the Holy Spirit

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Biblical Basis in the New Testament

 

NT Passages Directly Asserting the Deity of Christ"

• Jn.1:1‑3, 14, 18  “The Word was God…became flesh…Jesus…has made (God) known”

• Col.1:15‑17 “the image of  the invisible God”

• Heb.1:2‑10 “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and exact representation of his being…”

• Titus 2:13 “our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ”

• Phil.2:6 “being in very nature God”

• Rom.9:5  “Christ, who is God over all”

• Col.2:9 “In Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form”

• Jn.20:28  “My Lord and my God!”

• 1 Cor.8:6 “there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live”

• 1 John 5:6-9 and 20 “Jesus…the Spirit…God…in him who is true-even in his son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.”

 

Old Testament Titles of YHWH used in regard to Jesus

• “First and Last” (Is.41:4, 44:6, 48:12>Rev.1:17, 2:8, 22:13-16)

• “I AM” (Ex.3:14>Jn.8:58, 18:5-6; Mk.14:62)

• Author of Eternal Words (Is.40:8>Mt.5:18, 24:35)

• “The Light”(Ps.27:1; Is.49:6, 60:20>Jn.1:5 and 9, 8:12, 9:5)

• “The Rock”(Ps.18:2, 95:1; Ex.17:6>1Cor.10:4); “Stone” (Gen.49:24; Is.28:16>1 Ptr.2:5-8)

• “Bridegroom” (Hos.2:16; Is.62:5>Mk.2:19; Mt.25:1+; Rev.21:2)

• “Shepherd” (Ps.23:1; Ez.34:11-15>Jn.10:11; 1 Ptr.2:25, 5:4; Heb.13:20)

• “Forgiver  of Sins” (Jer.31:34; Ps.130:4>Lk.5:21; Acts 5:31; Col.2:13, 3:13)      

• “Redeemer” (Hos.13:14; Ps.130:7-8>Tit.2:13-14; Gal.3:13; Rev.5:9)

• “Savior” (Is.43:3; Ez.34:22>Jn.10:15-16)

• Co-Partner in Divine Glory (Is.42:8, 48:11>Jn.17:1-5; 1 Cor.2:8)

• “Judge” (Gen.18:25; Joel 3:12>Mt.25:31+, Rom.2:3, 14:10; 2 Tim.4:1; 2 Cor.5:10)  

 

The Holy Spirit as Distinct and Personal

See, for example, Mk.3:22‑30 (can be blasphemed against); Lk.12:12 (teaches); Jn.14:26 (Counselor who teaches and reminds); 1 Cor.12:11 (works in various ways/gives gifts); Rom.8:14‑16, 26-27 (leads, speaks, testifies); 1 Cor.2:10-13 (reveals, searches, teaches, knows the thoughts of God); Rom.15:30 (loves); Eph.4:30 (can be grieved); Gal.4:6 (speaks)

 

“Trinitarian Formula” Passages  

• Mt. 28:19 “in the name (singular) of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit”

• Jn. 14‑16 describing the relationship between the Father,  the Son, and the Spirit

• Rom. 8:9‑11 “the Spirit of God…of Christ…he who raised Christ…will also give life… through his Spirit”

• 2 Cor. 13:14 “grace of Lord Jesus Christ, and love of God, and fellowship of  the Holy Spirit”

• Eph. 4:4‑6 “one Spirit…one Lord…one God and Father of all”

• Eph. 2:18, 22 “through Him (Christ)…access by one Spirit to the Father”

• Eph.3:14-17 “the Father..grant unto you..power through His Spirit…that Christ may come”

• 1 Cor. 12:4‑6 “Spirit…Lord…God”

• 1 Ptr. 1:2 “chosen according to…God the Father…the sanctifying work of the Spirit…for obedience to Jesus Christ”

• Heb. 10:7‑17  “he (Jesus) sat down at right hand of God...Holy Spirit also testifies to us"

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