Trinity 101 - Exploring the Foundations of the Christian Doctrine
The Trinity is one of the most controversial, misunderstood, and misinterpreted biblical doctrines. To understand the Trinity, we first have to clarify some truths:
- All doctrines of the Trinity must come from the Bible and the Bible alone. The Bible alone is sufficient to explain the Trinity. Writings from extrabiblical sources, such as the Church Fathers, as intensive as the writings are, do not determine whether the Trinity is true or not.
- The Trinity isn’t known by human logic/reasoning, it is known by divine revelation.
- Because no models of the Trinity exist within Creation, we cannot understand the Trinity using Creation. Any analogies that attempt to make the trinity more understandable will always fail.
- Although the word “Trinity” can not be found anywhere within Scripture, the concept definitely exists. The term “Trinity” is only used to describe this biblical concept and make it into a structured doctrine to rid heresy.
Now that we have stated the ground rules, let’s delve firstly into the general explanation of the Trinity because going into specifics. The doctrine of the trinity goes as follows:
There is One God. Within this One God consists of Three distinct Persons, co-eternal and co-equal. These Three Persons are the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Each Person is God: the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God.
At first glance, this may sound confusing: “how can there be One God and Three Persons?” “How can each be God and part of God?” Hopefully, questions like these will get answered.
One God, Three Persons
Let’s delve into how there can be One God and Three Persons. Passages such as Isaiah 44:6, Deuteronomy 6:4, and Mark 12:29 state that only One God exists. Other passages also depict a plurality within this One God. Let’s go back to that Deuteronomy verse: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one!” Many who deny the Trinity would say that there is only One God with no plurality within Him since this verse says God is One. However, does this word only denote singularity? Look at Genesis 2:24, the same Hebrew usage of the term “one”, where “a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.”
Thus says the Lord , the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: “I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god. Isaiah 44:6
“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Deuteronomy 6:4
Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. Genesis 2:24
The usage of the term “one” in this verse denotes plurality. If a man and woman can become “one” in marriage, it is possible (and logical) for there to be One God in Three Persons. Next, let’s show that each Person is called God:
- For the Father, a few verses would be Isaiah 63:16, John 3:16, and 1 John 3:1
For you are our Father, though Abraham does not know us, and Israel does not acknowledge us; you, O Lord , are our Father, our Redeemer from of old is your name. Isaiah 63:16
- For the Son, a few verses would be John 1:1-3, John 5:18, John 20:28, Acts 20:28, and Titus 2:13
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. John 1:1-3
- For the Holy Spirit, a few verses would be Isaiah 6:8 and Acts 28:25, Jeremiah 31:31 and Hebrews 10:15-16, Acts 5:1-4, 1 Corinthians 2:10–12
And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.” Isaiah 6:8
And disagreeing among themselves, they departed after Paul had made one statement: “The Holy Spirit was right in saying to your fathers through Isaiah the prophet: Acts 28:25
Now let’s go deeper and see how these Three Persons are distinct, co-eternal, and co-equal.
Distinctness
By saying that They are distinct, we are saying that: The Father is not the Son (and vice versa), the Father is not the Holy Spirit (and vice versa), and the Holy Spirit is not the Son (and vice versa).
A constant question (both genuine and ridiculing) is: “how Jesus can pray to God if He is God? Is He praying to Himself?” This question fails to understand the distinctness of the Persons. All Three Persons are fully God, and They each have Their own unique roles and relationships within the Trinity.
One way to understand the distinctness of the persons of the Trinity is to consider their roles in the salvation of humanity. The Father is the one who sent his Son, Jesus, to be the savior of the world (John 3:16). The Son, fully God and fully Man, lived a sinless life, died on the cross for our sins, and was raised from the dead, conquering death and offering eternal life to all who believe in him (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). The Holy Spirit was sent by the father to be the Comforter and Guide who indwells believers and empowers them to live a life pleasing to God (Romans 8:9).
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life., John 3:16
For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 1 Corinthians 15:3-4
You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. Romans 8:9
Therefore, when Jesus prays to God, he is not praying to himself, but rather to God the Father. In the Bible, Jesus often refers to the Father as “my Father” and speaks of their distinct relationship, such as in John 5:17 where he says, “My Father has been working until now, and I have been working.”
But Jesus answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.” John 5:17
Co-Equality
For the co-equality of the Persons, an example is in Matthew 28:19, where Jesus commands his disciples to baptize “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” showing the equal importance of each person of the Trinity. Additionally, the apostle Paul speaks of the co-equality of the Holy Spirit with the Father and the Son in several of his letters. For example, in 2 Corinthians 13:14, he says, “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” Here, Paul lists the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit together, showing their equal importance and presence in the lives of believers.
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Matthew 28:19
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. 2 Corinthians 13:14
Co-Eternity
The co-eternality of the persons of the Trinity is evident in the Bible in several ways. First, the Father is referred to as the “ancient of days” (Daniel 7:9), indicating that he has always existed. The Son, as the second person of the Trinity, is also co-eternal, as seen in the many passages that describe him as existing before the creation of the world (John 1:1-2, Colossians 1:15-16).
“As I looked, thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days took his seat; his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames; its wheels were burning fire. Daniel 7:9
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. John 1:1-3
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. Colossians 1:15-16
Additionally, the Holy Spirit is also described as being co-eternal with the Father and the Son. In the book of Genesis, the Holy Spirit is present at the creation of the world (Genesis 1:2), showing that he has always existed. Furthermore, the apostle Paul speaks of the Spirit as being “with” God at the beginning (1 Corinthians 2:10-11), indicating that he is co-eternal with the Father and the Son.
The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Genesis 1:2
these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 1 Corinthians 2:10-11
The doctrine of the Trinity is a biblical concept that is essential to the Christian faith. It teaches that there is only one God, who exists as three distinct persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Each person is fully God, and they are co-eternal and co-equal. While the concept of the Trinity may be difficult to understand, it is a fundamental tenet of the Christian faith, and it is essential to our understanding of God.