The Trinity
Lesson 2
Recently I gave a series of three lessons to the young adults in our church. They had requested to know more about the Trinity, a fact I was mightily impressed by. This is the second of three posts that contain some notes I used. They are a bit rough and ready, but I hope you find them useful.
The first post can be found here.
Biblical Basis
The end of Lesson 1 listed the following essentials of the doctrine of the Trinity
- God is three persons
- Each person is fully God
- There is one God
These statements sum up what the Bible says about God, we will now look at the Biblical support for the doctrine of the Trinity.
Old Testament
Are there any parts of the Old Testament that lend support to the doctrine of the Trinity?
OT sometimes uses the plural when speaking of God
Then God said, "Let us make man in our image (Gen 1:26)
And the LORD God said, "The man has now become like one of us (Gen 3:22)
Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other." (Gen 11:7)
Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" (Isaiah 6:8)
You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy. (Ps 45:7)
The LORD says to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet." (Psalm 110:1).
This latter verse was quoted by Jesus Himself.
Is 63:10 speaks of the Holy Spirit being grieved. (Yet they rebelled and grieved his Holy Spirit.).
“Angel of the Lord” sometimes means just an angel sent by God, but at other times is equivalent to God Himself.
However, it is in the New Testament that the Trinity is fully revealed.
New Testament
Trinitarian sayings and incidents
Baptism of Jesus
As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased." (Matt 3:16,17)
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matt 28:19,20)
Gifts
There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. (1 Cor 12:4-6)
The grace
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. (2 Cor 13:14)
There is one body and one Spirit-- just as you were called to one hope when you were called -- one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. (Ephesians 4:4-6)
who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance. (1 Peter 1:2)
But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. (Jude 20,21)
God is Three Persons
The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are distinct.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. (John 1:1,2)
This shows the equality and distinction between the Son (the Word) and God the Father.
These verses show the unity of the Son and the Father
I and the Father are one. (John 10:30)
I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: (John 17:22)
"Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. (John 17:24)
Jesus is our High Priest and Advocate
We do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven (Heb 8:1)
Jesus sent another counsellor, the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is clearly different from Jesus, but he takes over much of the role of Jesus with the disciples (including us)
But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. (John 14:26)
And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will. (Romans 8:27)
Holy Spirit searches the mind of God
The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. (1 Cor 2:10)
Jesus is not the Holy Spirit
But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counsellor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. (John 16:7)
Holy Spirit is a person, not a force.
Therefore go 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)
Holy Spirit is called He, when the word is neuter. He teaches and bears witness. (John 14:26, 15:26, Rom 8:16).
"When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me. (John 15:26)
We can grieve the Holy Spirit
And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. (Eph 4:30)
Each Person is God - the Father
God the Father is fully clearly fully God. Where the NT just refers to God it often means the Father.
Each Person is God - the Son
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. (John 1:1-4)
Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!" (John 20:28)
The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. (Heb 1:3)
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, (Col 1:15-19)
Each Person is God - the Holy Spirit
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, (Matt 28:19)
Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. (Psalm 139:7,8)
but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. (1 Cor 2:10)
There is One God
It is this concept that is difficult to comprehend. The three persons are one in essence.
Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. (Deut 6:4,5)
I am the LORD, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God. I will strengthen you, though you have not acknowledged me, so that from the rising of the sun to the place of its setting men may know there is none besides me. I am the LORD, and there is no other. (Isaiah 45:5,6)
For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, (1 Tim 2:5)
since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith. (Rom 3:30)
yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live. (1 Cor 8:6)
Erroneous Ideas
Simplistic Ideas
Simplistic ideas tend to negate one of the three statements.
One person fulfilling three different roles – negates first statement
One or more of the persons is not fully God – negates second
Three different Gods – negates last statement
Analogies have short comings
Three leaf clover – each is part of God. Denies each is fully God
Water, ice, steam, liquid – not three distinct persons
A man having different roles – not three distinct persons.
Modalism
Last two of the above analogies are effectively this error,
Sometimes called Sabellianism after Sabellius who lived in Rome in 3rd century.
Denies interaction between the three, which is crucial to understanding scripture.
Denies independence of God. He cannot love or communicate.
Arianism
Arian was Bishop of Alexandria in 4th century, led to the Nicene Creed in 325.
Denies full deity of Christ and the Holy Spirit.
Taught that Christ was created by God, albeit before the rest of creation.
Based on Christ being God’s “only begotten Son” (John 1:14; 3:16,18 1John 4:9).
Col 1:15 means Christ has the rights of a first born son.
Subordinationism
While saying the Son was divine and not created, says He is subordinate to the Father. There has recently been debate in evangelical circles about the eternal subordination of the Son. In the economic trinity (ie how the Father, Son and Holy Spirit function), Jesus certainly is subordinate to the Father. He did only what He saw the Father do (John 5:19), 1 Cor 15:28 would also seem to support eternal subordination of the Son. However, the crux of the matter is whether this is part of the economic trinity, or the ontological trinity (ie the essential nature of God). Any understanding that mean the Son is in anyway “less God” than the Father is a mistaken understanding.
Adoptionism
Jesus lived as an ordinary man until baptism and was then adopted as God’s Son. Many people today effectively believe this. There is no support for this. It is specifically outlawed by statements about Christ’s role in creation, and His being sent by the Father.
Filoque Clause
Led to the split between the west and orthodox church (though political matters were also important) in 1054. It was over whether the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father alone, or from the Father and the Son.
The Importance of the Doctrine
The primary reason is the full deity of the Godhead is crucial.
If Christ is not God, then how can he turn away God’s wrath?
If Christ is not God, how can we trust Him to save us?
If Christ is not God, then why should we worship Him and pray to Him?
Primary relevance is the unity and relationship that is inherent in the Godhead. They are different, have different roles, are distinct, but are perfectly one. They work in relationship. This is how the church should work, it is how families should work. Marriage is the prime example, two become one.
Human relationships should reflect the relationships within the Godhead. Because of sin they don’t, but part of the work of the Holy Spirit is to build and restore Godlike relationships.
It is a guard against error. Many false teachings deny the trinity.
What are the distinctions?
They have a different role in relating to the world
God the Father spoke the word that created the world, but Christ carried it out.
It is Jesus who came to earth, died and rose again.
The Holy Spirit came after Jesus ascended.
The Father chose us before creation, Christ carried out the work, the Holy Spirit mediates it, makes it a reality.
Subordination does not imply inferiority. This is a fundamental misunderstanding of the world.
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