The Trinity Trinity Defined Slide What Does it Mean That God is a Trinity? The doctrine of the Trinity means that there is one God who eternally exists as three distinct Persons--the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Stated differently, God is one in essence and three in person. These definitions express three crucial truths: (1) The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinct Persons, (2) each Person is fully God, (3) there is only one God. Three Distinct Persons Slide Matthew 3:16-17: “And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” John 1:1: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” John 14:26: “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”

John 16:10: “because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer”

Another example is that the Father sent the Son into the world (John 3:16), He cannot be the same person as the Son. Trinity Chart Slide The fact that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinct Persons means, in other words, that the Father is not the Son, the Son is not the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit is not the Father. Jesus is God, but He is not the Father or the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is God, but He is not the Son or the Father. They are different Persons, not three different ways of looking at God. The personhood of each member of the Trinity means that each Person has a distinct center of consciousness. Thus, they relate to each other personally--the Father regards Himself as "I," while He regards the Son and Holy Spirit as "You." Likewise the Son regards Himself as "I," but the Father and the Holy Spirit as "You." Often it is objected that "If Jesus is God, then he must have prayed to himself while he was on earth." But the answer to this objection lies in simply applying what we have already seen. While Jesus and the Father are both God, they are different Persons. Thus, Jesus prayed to God the Father without praying to Himself. In fact, it is precisely the continuing dialog between the Father and the Son (Matthew 3:17; 17:5; John 5:19; 11:41-42; 17:1ff) which furnishes the best evidence that they are distinct Persons with distinct centers of consciousness.

Sometimes the Personhood of the Father and Son is appreciated, but the Personhood of the Holy Spirit is neglected. Sometimes the Spirit is treated more like a "force" than a Person. But the Holy Spirit is not an it, but a He (see John 14:26; 16:7-15; Acts 8:16). The fact that the Holy Spirit is a Person, not an impersonal force (like gravity), is also shown by the fact that He speaks (Hebrews 3:7), reasons (Acts 15:28), thinks and understands (1 Corinthians 2:10-11), wills (1 Corinthians 12:11), feels (Ephesians 4:30), and gives personal fellowship (2 Corinthians 13:14). These are all qualities of personhood. In addition to these texts, the others we mentioned above make clear that the Personhood of the Holy Spirit is distinct from the Personhood of the Son and the Father. They are three real persons, not three roles God plays. Another serious error people have made is to think that the Father became the Son, who then became the Holy Spirit. Contrary to this, the passages we have seen imply that God always was and always will be three Persons. There was never a time when one of the Persons of the Godhead did not exist. They are all eternal. While the three members of the Trinity are distinct, none is inferior to the other. Instead, they are all identical in attributes. They are equal in power, love, mercy, justice, holiness, knowledge, and all other qualities. Monotheistic Slide To start with it is very important to note that Christianity is a monotheistic (one God) religion as are Judaism and Islam. The Bible clearly teaches that there is only one God. In Deuteronomy 6:4 is called the Shema from the Hebrew word for “Hear”.

“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.” Seven times in Isaiah 44 and 45 God declares, “I am the LORD, and there is no other”. For example in Isaiah 45:5, “I am the Lord, and there is no other, besides me there is no God” In Mark 12:29, the Lord Jesus quotes the Shema, clearly demonstrating His knowledge that there is but one God. In 1Cor 8:4 the Apostle Paul affirms that there is only one God, “there is no God but one.” The WSC question #5 is, “Are there more Gods than one?” Ans: “There is but one only, the living and true God”. Where the Christian faith diverges from the other monotheistic religions is in this; Christians believe that God eternally exists as three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and each person is fully God, and there is one God. The Westminster Shorter Catechism question #6 puts it like this: “How many persons are in the Godhead?” The answer is, “There are three persons in the Godhead: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, and these three are one God, the same in substance, equal in power and glory”. Father Is God Slide The Father is God: In John 17:3: “And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God...”

The Apostle Paul makes this claim in Philippians 2:11, “...and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father”. The Apostle again says in 1 Cor 8:6: “yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist”

One final example is from 1 Pet 1:2, “...according to the foreknowledge of God the Father...”. Clearly the bible teaches in these passages (and many others) that the Father is God. The Son is God Slide The Son is God: Perhaps the clearest passage in the Bible for claiming the Deity of Jesus is from the Gospel of John 1:1 and 14. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God....And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” In this verse “the Word” (Greek “logos”) is referring to Jesus. The Apostle Paul refers to Jesus as God in many places. For example in Titus 2:13,

“...waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ...”. One last passage that speaks clearly to the deity of Jesus is Hebrews 1:8, “But of the Son He says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your Kingdom.” Jesus Claimed To Be God Slide Some have said that Jesus never claimed to be God, but this is not true. In John’s gospel, John 10:30 Jesus says, “I and the Father are one.” And in John 8:58, Jesus said to the Jews, “Truly, truly I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” This statement by Jesus is a clear reference to His eternal preexistence. Since this is an attribute of God alone, this text is a forceful statement of Jesus’ deity. What Jesus was claiming was not lost on the Jews, since the very next verse says they picked up stones to throw at Him. Another verse where Jesus claims to be God is John 14:9: “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.” Jesus’ favorite term to refer to Himself was Son Of Man. For example in Luke 6:1-5:

“On a Sabbath, while he was going through the grainfields, his disciples plucked and ate some heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands. But some of the Pharisees said, “Why are you doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath?” And Jesus answered them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: how he entered the house of God and took and ate the bread of the Presence, which is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those with him?” And he said to them, “The Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.” So, where does this term Son Of Man come from and what does it mean? It’s an allusion to Daniel 7:13-14: “and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed” Make no mistake about it, the Bible clearly teaches that Jesus Christ is God. The Holy Spirit Is God Slide The Holy Spirit Is God: The Bible also teaches that the third person of the Godhead, The Holy Spirit, is God. To begin at the beginning in Genesis 1:1-2,

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 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.” The Holy Spirit was present at the time of creation. The most direct and clear passage which claims the deity of the Holy Spirit is Acts 5:3-4. “But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land? While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men, but to God.” There are also many passages that attribute to the Holy Spirit some of the attributes of God. For example: The Spirit is eternal from Hebrews 9:14, “...how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit...” The Spirit is omnipresent from Psalm 139:7-10. The Spirit is omniscient from 1 Cor 2:10-11. The spirit is omnipotent from Luke 1:35-37. The Spirit is holy, Rom 1:4. As we can see from all of these passages of scripture each of the persons of the Godhead; The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit are God. Three Heresies Slide There have been various heresies associated with the doctrine of the trinity throughout the years. We will look at three here, the first of which is Modalism. Modalism is the idea that there is one God who appears to people in different “modes” at different times. For example, in the Old Testament God appeared as “Father”. Throughout the Gospels this same divine person appeared as “the Son” as seen in the human life and ministry of

Jesus. After Pentecost, this same person then revealed himself as the “Spirit” active in the church. The fatal shortcoming of modalism is the fact that it must deny the personal relationships within the Trinity that appear in so many places in Scripture. Thus it must deny three separate persons at the baptism of Jesus, where the Father speaks from heaven and the Spirit descends on Jesus like a dove. And it must say that all the instances of Jesus praying to the Father are an illusion or a charade. The idea of Jesus or the Spirit interceding for us before the Father is lost. Oneness Pentecostal. Another heresy associated with the Trinity is Arianism. Arianism is derived from Arius, a Bishop of Alexandria whose views were condemned at the Council of Nicea in A.D. 325. Arius taught that God the Son was at one time created by the Father, and that before that time the Son did not exist, nor did the Holy Spirit, but the Father only. Jehovah’s Witness The last heresy we will look at is Tritheism. This view says that God is three persons (Father, Son and Spirit) and that each person is God. Therefore, there are three Gods. This heresy denies what we have already seen that the Bible clearly teaches, that there is only one God. What are the distinctions between the members of the Trinity? In creation, the Father spoke the creative words to bring the Universe into being (Gen 1). The Son carried out these creative decrees (John 1:3). The Spirit sustained and manifested God’s immediate presence in His creation (Gen 1:2). In redemption, the Father planned redemption and sent His Son into the world (Jn 3:16, Gal 4:4, Eph 1:9-10). The Son obeyed the Father and accomplished redemption for us (Jn 6:38, Heb 10:5-7). The Holy Spirit was sent by the Father and the Son to

apply redemption to God’s elect. It is especially the role of the Holy Spirit to give us regeneration or new spiritual life (Jn 3:5-8), to sanctify us (Rom 8:13, 15:16, 1 Pet 1:2) and to empower us for service (Acts 1:8, 1 Cor 12:7-11). In general the Spirit’s role is to bring completion to the work that has been planned by God the Father and begun by God the Son. Contradiction Slide Although the orthodox view of the Trinity seems contradictory (God is one and yet three) the contradiction is not real, but only apparent. A contradiction exists if something is A and not A at the same time and in the same respect. So if we were to say there is one God and there are three Gods, that would be a contradiction. But the Bible teaches there is one God, revealed in three persons. This is not a contradiction. Mystery Slide Tertullian (who first coined the term Trinity) was right in affirming that the doctrine of the Trinity must be divinely revealed, not humanly constructed. It is so absurd from a human standpoint that no one would have invented it. We do not hold the doctrine of the Trinity because it is self evident or easily comprehended. We hold it because God has revealed that this is what He is like. As someone has said of this doctrine: “Try to explain it, and you’ll lose your mind; But try to deny it, and you’ll lose your soul.” “Bring me a worm that can comprehend a man, and then I will show you a man that can comprehend the Triune God.” John Wesley

Practical Implications Of This Doctrine: 1. The Doctrine of the Trinity makes definitive revelation of God possible as He is known through Christ. Exodus 33:20: “for man shall not see me and live.” 2. The Trinity makes the Atonement possible. Redemption of sinful man is accomplished through the distinct and unified activity of each person of the Godhead. Hebrews 9:14: “how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.” 3. Because God is triune, He has eternally been personal and relational in His own being, in full independence from creation. God has never had any unmet needs, including relationships. 4. The Trinity provides the ultimate model for relationships within the body of Christ and marriage: “But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God.” (1 Cor 11:3) “There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift.” (Eph 4:4-7)

Closing Quote: “If we would rightly “acquaint ourselves with God and be at peace", we must know Him as He has revealed Himself, not only in the unity of His essence, but also in the plurality of His persons. God said, "Let us make man in our own image" - let not man be content until he knows something of the "us" from whom his being was derived. Endeavor to know the Father; bury your head in His bosom in deep repentance, and confess that you are not worthy to be called His son; receive the kiss of His love; let the ring which is the token of His eternal faithfulness be on your finger; sit at His table and let your heart make merry in His grace. Then press forward and seek to know much of the Son of God who is the brightness of His Father's glory, and yet in unspeakable condescension of grace became a man for our sakes; know Him in the singular complexity of His nature: eternal God, and yet suffering, finite man; follow Him as He walks the waters with the tread of deity, and as He sits upon the well in the weariness of humanity. Be not satisfied unless you know much of Jesus Christ as your Friend, your Brother, your Husband, your all. Forget not the Holy Spirit; endeavor to obtain a clear view of His nature and character, His attributes, and His works. Behold that Spirit of the Lord, who first of all moved upon chaos, and brought forth order; who now visits the chaos of your soul, and creates the order of holiness. Behold Him as the Lord and giver of spiritual life, the Illuminator, the Instructor, the Comforter, and the Sanctifier. Behold Him as, like holy unction, He descends upon the head of Jesus, and then afterward rests upon you who are as the skirts of His garments. Such an intelligent, scriptural, and experimental belief in the

Trinity in Unity is yours if you truly know God; and such knowledge brings peace indeed.” From Morning and Evening by C.H. Spurgeon.

Doxology, Numbers 6:24-26:

“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.”