Greetings, dear ones,
Today, let’s take a moment to learn about how the Bible teaches about the Holy Trinity:
“Draw near to Me, hear this:
From the first I have not spoken in secret,
From the time it took place, I was there.
So now Lord Yahweh has sent Me, and His Spirit.”
— Isaiah 48:16
One of the most attacked doctrines in Christianity is the doctrine of the Trinity. Critics of Christianity go as far as saying that Christians believe in many gods, claiming that Christians are polytheistic. This misunderstanding arises from the fact that God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are all referred to as God. To critics, this implies there are three gods.
Unfortunately, some Christians have succumbed to this attack and tried to “correct” the doctrine, inadvertently embracing the heretical teachings of Arianism, which claim that Jesus Christ is only the son of God but not truly God Himself. Others argue that the Holy Spirit is not a person but rather a force of some kind that does the will of God.
However, we know that this is not what the Bible teaches. The Bible is very clear about the Trinity. Despite the actual word “Trinity” not appearing in the Bible, the concept is referred to in multiple passages. Let’s explore a few passages that teach about the three persons of the Godhead.
God the Father is God
First of all, we see God identifying Himself to the children of Israel, telling them that He is the one who brought them out of the land of Egypt. Note that the same name God uses here is the one He used to introduce Himself to Moses when calling him to speak to Pharaoh back in Exodus 3:14:
“And God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM’; and He said, ‘Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, “I AM has sent me to you.”‘”
— Exodus 3:14“I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before Me.”
— Exodus 20:2-3
In this passage, God expresses the exclusivity of worship, commanding that He is the one true God and that the children of Israel shall have no other gods before Him.
There is little to no dispute about the deity of God the Father.
God the Son is God
This is where confusion often begins. Many heretical teachings discredit the deity of Jesus Christ. Let’s look at some passages that teach that Jesus Christ is indeed God.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
— John 1:1
In this famous opening passage of the Gospel of John, we see John introduce the Word as a person and as God. Shortly after this, John says the Word became flesh:
“And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
— John 1:14
Finally, John says that this Word that became flesh is actually Jesus, because truth came through Him:
“For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.”
— John 1:17
Another scripture that we can look at to see the Bible referring to Jesus as God is an interesting quote of the Psalms by the author of Hebrews:
“But of the Son He says,
‘Your throne, O God, is forever and ever,
And the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of Your kingdom.’”
— Hebrews 1:8
Here, we see the author of Hebrews quoting God the Father, who says to the Son, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever,” directly calling Jesus Christ God and affirming His deity.
A final instance is when Jesus Himself refers to Himself as God. In John 8, during a discourse with the Pharisees and Sadducees, Jesus responds to their emphasis on the supremacy of Abraham by stating that He pre-existed before Abraham:
“Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.’”
— John 8:58
What’s interesting about this proclamation is Jesus’ choice of words. He does not say, “Before Abraham was, I was,” but rather, “Before Abraham was, I am.” This phrase mirrors the name God used to introduce Himself to Moses in Exodus. The Jews who heard Jesus understood this reference, explaining their reaction of wanting to stone Him to death for blasphemy, claiming to be God.
God the Holy Spirit is God
Some refer to the Holy Spirit as merely a force that God uses to get things done. However, the Bible teaches that the Holy Spirit is a person in the Godhead, possessing personality, desires, and a will, just like every other member of the Godhead. The most direct reference to the Holy Spirit’s personhood is when Jesus promises His coming and uses personal pronouns for the Holy Spirit:
“And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever;”
— John 14:16
Here, Jesus refers to the Holy Spirit as the Helper and uses the pronoun “He.” If the Holy Spirit were only a force, it would make more sense for Jesus to refer to Him as “it.”
Another account in the book of Acts shows Peter referring to the Holy Spirit as God:
“But Peter said, ‘Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back some of the price of the land? While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not under your control? Why is it that you have conceived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.’”
— Acts 5:3-4
Peter tells Ananias that he has not lied to men but to God, equating lying to the Holy Spirit with lying to God. This direct correlation affirms the deity of the Holy Spirit.
One God, Three Persons
Finally, let us explore the unity that exists between the three persons of the Godhead: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
In Matthew’s account of the baptism of Jesus Christ, we see all three persons mentioned and manifested simultaneously. We see God the Father speaking from heaven, God the Holy Spirit manifested as a dove, and God the Son being baptized by John the Baptist:
“After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him, and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.’”
— Matthew 3:16-17
Another passage that shows this clear distinction is Jesus’ Great Commission to His disciples, where He commands that all men should be baptized in the name of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit:
“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,”
— Matthew 28:19
By stating it this way, Jesus highlights the distinction and unity within the Godhead.
It is important for us as Christians to have a certain level of understanding about God. We cannot ignore such an important doctrine. The distinct persons of the Godhead brought us salvation.
The passage in Isaiah says: “So now Lord Yahweh has sent Me, and His Spirit.” Here, we see the Son speaking, stating that He and the Holy Spirit were sent by Yahweh to bring about redemption.
Here are some points to encourage you:
- We need not shy away from this beautiful doctrine of the Holy Trinity.
- While the world might try to confuse us by saying that it is illogical for there to be three persons and yet only one God, a close examination of the doctrine of the Trinity from the biblical text shows that this is exactly the case: three persons, one God.
- The doctrine of the Trinity is meant to edify us, knowing that there is fellowship within the Godhead, making our salvation and relationship with God personal.
I pray that this word reassures you of what we believe. Believing in the Holy Trinity is neither illogical nor uneducated. Let’s have the courage to defend the doctrine of the Holy Trinity because that is what the Bible teaches with clarity.
“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
Be well,
Paul
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