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The most difficult
thing about the Christian concept of the
Trinity is that there is no way to perfectly
and completely understand it. The Trinity is
a concept that is impossible for any human
being to fully understand, let alone
explain. God is infinitely greater than we
are; therefore, we should not expect to be
able to fully understand Him. The Bible
teaches that the Father is God, that Jesus
is God, and that the Holy Spirit is God. The
Bible also teaches that there is only one
God. Though we can understand some facts
about the relationship of the different
Persons of the Trinity to one another,
ultimately, it is incomprehensible to the
human mind. However, this does not mean the
Trinity is not true or that it is not based
on the teachings of the Bible.
The
Trinity is one God existing in three
Persons. Understand that this is not in any
way suggesting three Gods. Keep in mind when
studying this subject that the word
“Trinity” is not found in Scripture. This is
a term that is used to attempt to describe
the triune God—three coexistent, co-eternal
Persons who are God. Of real importance is
that the concept represented by the word
“Trinity” does exist in Scripture. The
following is what God’s Word says about the
Trinity:
1) There is one God
(Deuteronomy 6:4; 1 Corinthians 8:4;
Galatians 3:20; 1 Timothy 2:5).
2)
The Trinity consists of three Persons
(Genesis 1:1, 26; 3:22; 11:7; Isaiah 6:8; 48:16; 61:1; Matthew 3:16-17; 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:13). In Genesis 1:1, the
Hebrew plural noun "Elohim" is used. In
Genesis 1:26; 3:22; 11:7 and Isaiah 6:8, the
plural pronoun for “us” is used. The word "Elohim"
and the pronoun “us” are plural forms,
definitely referring in the Hebrew language
to more than two. While this is not an
explicit argument for the Trinity, it does
denote the aspect of plurality in God. The
Hebrew word for "God," "Elohim," definitely
allows for the Trinity.
In Isaiah 48:16 and Isaiah 61:1, the Son is speaking while
making reference to the Father and the Holy
Spirit. Compare Isaiah 61:1 to Luke 4:14-19
to see that it is the Son speaking. Matthew 3:16-17 describes the event of Jesus'
baptism. Seen in this passage is God the
Holy Spirit descending on God the Son while
God the Father proclaims His pleasure in the
Son. Matthew 28:19 and 2 Corinthians 13:13
are examples of three distinct Persons in
the Trinity.
3) The members of the
Trinity are distinguished one from another
in various passages. In the Old Testament,
“LORD” is distinguished from “Lord” (Genesis 19:24; Hosea 1:4). The LORD has a Son (Psalm 2:7, 12; Proverbs 30:2-4). The Spirit is
distinguished from the “LORD” (Numbers 27:18) and from “God” (Psalm 51:10-12). God
the Son is distinguished from God the Father
(Psalm 45:6-7; Hebrews 1:8-9). In the New
Testament, Jesus speaks to the Father about
sending a Helper, the Holy Spirit (John 14:16-17). This shows that Jesus did not
consider Himself to be the Father or the
Holy Spirit. Consider also all the other
times in the Gospels where Jesus speaks to
the Father. Was He speaking to Himself? No.
He spoke to another Person in the
Trinity—the Father.
4) Each member of
the Trinity is God. The Father is God (John 6:27; Romans 1:7; 1 Peter 1:2). The Son is
God (John 1:1, 14; Romans 9:5; Colossians 2:9; Hebrews 1:8; 1 John 5:20). The Holy
Spirit is God (Acts 5:3-4; 1 Corinthians 3:16).
5) There is subordination
within the Trinity. Scripture shows that the
Holy Spirit is subordinate to the Father and
the Son, and the Son is subordinate to the
Father. This is an internal relationship and
does not deny the deity of any Person of the
Trinity. This is simply an area which our
finite minds cannot understand concerning
the infinite God. Concerning the Son see
Luke 22:42; John 5:36; John 20:21; and 1 John 4:14. Concerning the Holy Spirit see
John 14:16; 14:26; 15:26; 16:7, and
especially John 16:13-14.
6) The
individual members of the Trinity have
different tasks. The Father is the ultimate
source or cause of the universe (1 Corinthians 8:6; Revelation 4:11); divine
revelation (Revelation 1:1); salvation (John 3:16-17); and Jesus' human works (John 5:17; 14:10). The Father initiates all of these
things.
The Son is the agent through
whom the Father does the following works:
the creation and maintenance of the universe
(1 Corinthians 8:6; John 1:3; Colossians 1:16-17); divine revelation (John 1:1; 16:12-15; Matthew 11:27; Revelation 1:1); and salvation (2 Corinthians 5:19; Matthew 1:21; John 4:42). The Father does all these
things through the Son, who functions as His
agent.
The Holy Spirit is the means
by whom the Father does the following works:
creation and maintenance of the universe
(Genesis 1:2; Job 26:13; Psalm 104:30);
divine revelation (John 16:12-15; Ephesians 3:5; 2 Peter 1:21); salvation (John 3:6;
Titus 3:5; 1 Peter 1:2); and Jesus' works
(Isaiah 61:1; Acts 10:38). Thus, the Father
does all these things by the power of the
Holy Spirit.
There have been many
attempts to develop illustrations of the
Trinity. However, none of the popular
illustrations are completely accurate. The
egg (or apple) fails in that the shell,
white, and yolk are parts of the egg, not
the egg in themselves, just as the skin,
flesh, and seeds of the apple are parts of
it, not the apple itself. The Father, Son,
and Holy Spirit are not parts of God; each
of them is God. The water illustration is
somewhat better, but it still fails to
adequately describe the Trinity. Liquid,
vapor, and ice are forms of water. The
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are not forms
of God, each of them is God. So, while these
illustrations may give us a picture of the
Trinity, the picture is not entirely
accurate. An infinite God cannot be fully
described by a finite illustration.
The doctrine of the Trinity has been a
divisive issue throughout the entire history
of the Christian church. While the core
aspects of the Trinity are clearly presented
in God’s Word, some of the side issues are
not as explicitly clear. The Father is God,
the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is
God—but there is only one God. That is the
biblical doctrine of the Trinity. Beyond
that, the issues are, to a certain extent,
debatable and non-essential. Rather than
attempting to fully define the Trinity with
our finite human minds, we would be better
served by focusing on the fact of God's
greatness and His infinitely higher nature.
“Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom
and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his
judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!
Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who
has been his counselor?” (Romans 11:33-34).
See:
https://www.gotquestions.org/Trinity-Bible.html
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