Understanding The Trinity

To love God for who He is, we must know him for who He is (See: Matthew 22:37 and John 4:23-24). And, it’s essential to have an accurate view of who Jesus is if we are meant to trust Him for eternal salvation and live as his followers. John 1:12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:

Correctly understanding who God is helps us love Him, worship Him rightly, and more fully grasp His love revealed in the gospel. To that end, we will briefly examine the meaning of the Trinity, why Christians hold to this doctrine, and where it is found in scripture.

The word Trinity is a theological label used to encapsulate what the Bible teaches about God’s nature as the one and only creator God who eternally exists in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

The doctrine of the Trinity may seem unimportant for the average Christian to grasp, but this is an essential doctrine that sets Christianity apart from man-made religions including those that have created fictional versions of Jesus. For example, Muslims, Mormons, and Jehovah’s Witnesses each believe in different versions of “Jesus” that contradict each other and what Jesus’ original followers wrote about Him in the New Testament. Knowing God’s true nature keeps us from being fooled by counterfeits.

So, why do Christians believe that Jesus is God, the Father is God, the Holy Spirit is God, and yet there is only one God? This belief comes from basing our view of God on His self-revelation given to us through the Bible instead of reducing God to fit the framework of limited human understanding. The word “Trinity” does not appear in the Bible, but Scripture makes the triune nature of God apparent in what it teaches about the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.

Clarification: The doctrine of the trinity teaches that God is one being and three persons, NOT that God is one being and three beings, or one person and three persons. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are equal in being yet separate persons. This is difficult to understand since we are one being or “what you are” (a human being) and only one person or “who you are” (fill in your name). So, if we were to conceptualize a god who is merely a product of our imagination we would likely come up with a god or gods who are also one in being and one in person just like us. However, the Bible reveals one true creator God who is different from His creation in many aspects of His nature like being Omnipotent, Omniscient, and Omnipresent. With that in mind, it is not surprising that Scripture also reveals the being and personality of God in a way that transcends what we see in the realm of created beings.

The Trinity transcends human experience but the following quotes offer great perspective when it comes to grasping God’s nature:  

“We would expect the One who created the world to be more complex than anything in it” -Nabeel Qureshi

“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

Scriptural Basis:

  • There is only ONE true God: Deuteronomy 6:4, Isaiah 44:6 & 8, Isaiah 45:18, Isaiah 46:9, John 17:3, Mark 12:29, 1st Timothy 2:5, James 2:19 and many more!

  • The Father is God: Ephesians 4:6, 1st Corinthians 8:6 and tons more!!!

We don’t need to spend time proving this point because nobody even tries to argue that the Father is not God.

  • The Son/ Jesus is God: John 1:1-3 and verse 14, Colossians 1:13-19, Philippians 2:5-7, Titus 2:13.

The gospel of John records the apostle Thomas calling Jesus God when He shows up in bodily form after rising from the dead in John 20:28-29. Jesus does not correct Thomas but instead declares that other people will be blessed for believing as Thomas did even without the opportunity that Thomas was given to see and touch Jesus’ risen body.

In addition to scriptures that directly depict Jesus as God, many passages make it logical to infer that Jesus cannot be less than God. Here are just a few examples: Jesus depicts Himself as the King and Judge of all people in Matthew 25:31-46. Jesus forgives sins with the authority of God in Mark 2:5-12. Jesus claims to deserve devotion greater than a person’s love for their own family in Matthew 10:37-39 connecting Him to God in the greatest commandment as stated in Matthew 22:37-40.

Jesus says to worship God alone, yet He receives worship after rising from the dead as seen when you connect Matthew 4:10 and Matthew 28:9 & 28:16-20, or Luke 4:48 and Luke 24:50-53. Compare that to how the apostle Peter would not allow a man to worship him in Acts 10:25-26. Additionally angelic messengers do not allow men to worship them and will correct such attempts with the command to “worship God” as seen in Revelation 22:8-9. If Jesus is not God, he contradicts his own teaching by allowing his disciples to worship him without redirecting their worship to God as the apostles and angels do.

  • The Holy Spirit is God: Acts 5:3-4 and Matthew 12:31-32.

In Acts 5:3-4 we see that someone who lies to the Holy Spirit has lied to God. In Matthew 12:31-32 blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is said to be unforgivable. In context, blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is ascribing an obvious work of God to the power of Satan. Additionally, Scripture reveals that the Holy Spirit is not an impersonal force but a person with a will. Jesus constantly refers to the Spirit as he (a person), not it (a force) in John 15:26 and 16:7-15. The Holy Spirit is said to distribute spiritual gifts to believers as He chooses in 1st Corinthians 13:4-11, showing that the Holy Spirit exercises His will.   

  • God does not shift forms between Father, Son, and Spirit. Rather, God exists as all three persons simultaneously and we see them appearing together yet distinct in scripture: Matthew 28:18-19, 2nd Corinthians 13:14, Luke 3:21-22, John 14:16-17.

In conclusion, we can safely say that the doctrine of the Trinity accurately reflects what the bible teaches about the nature of God. Even if we cannot fully comprehend God in all His greatness, we can humbly worship Him and know Him through what He has revealed in scripture.

The Best Part:

Best of all, the doctrine of the Trinity is what makes the message of God’s love, and the truth of the gospel so profound! If Jesus is truly God, then the gospel message is about how the Creator of the universe loves you so much that He personally stooped down to our level to save you from your sin. Jesus accomplished what only God can do for you through His sinless life, sacrificial death, and glorious resurrection. The incarnation means that God came for you!