The Trinity

This is a subject which people get themselves confused about often. This subject is much like the Rapture issue. The word trinity often brings division within churches because of the power it possesses. This article will be one written straight from scripture with no opinions so that the trinity issue will be clear in your mind.

Genesis 1:1-3 "In the beginning "God" created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the "Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be "light": and there was light."

So we have God creating, the Spirit moving, and by God speaking the Word that represents Jesus the Son, we have light, and Jesus said that he was the light.

From the very first verse in the bible the trinity is explained.

Matthew 3:16-17 "And "Jesus", when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens, were open unto him, and he saw the "Spirit" of "God" descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

At he baptism of Jesus we have the evidence of the three divine characters of the trinity. Jesus the Son being baptized, the Spirit descending from God makes up the three in one.

Jesus taught of the trinity to his disciples.

John 14:26 "But the comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you."

John 15:26 "But when the comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceeds from the Father, he shall testify of me."

This is another example that the trinity is indeed 3 different manifestations of the same person. The Father sends the Holy Spirit upon request of the Son.

The Spirit of truth, which Jesus refers to, is for comfort of the saints. The bible tells us in John 16:13 "he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself, vs. 14 "he shall glorify me."

The trinity is like water. You can have water three ways though it is still water. You can have liquid form, you can have it as ice or water can be a vapor.

Jesus gave a last command before he ascended into heaven

Matthew 28:19 "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." This is the names of the one true God. This affirms that God is one.

Why the trinity?

The trinity is so in order that a connection can be made between God and his people. God the Father sits on the throne and answers prayers while governing the universe. The Son is the advocate with the Father, a mediator between God and man. Jesus the Son knows what it is to be flesh, to become sin, to die and be resurrected from the dead. The Spirit is sent to man to testify of Jesus who is their saviour and who can be their Lord. The Spirit draws mankind to God in the name of Jesus Christ. This threefold working of the Godhead forms a bond with mankind.

Another reference to the trinity comes in 1 Peter 1:2 "Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto the obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ."

There can be no mistake there are three at work here.

2 Corinthians closes this way "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all."

1 John 5:7 "For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: these three are one."

There are three separate and distinct persons in the Godhead "trinity." The word "one" is defined as unity in 1 John 5:7 as well as in John 17:11-23.

The Father is called God (1 Corinthians 8:6), the Son is called God (Isaiah 9:6-7, Hebrews 1:8, John 1:1-2, John 20:28), the Holy Spirit is called God (Acts 5:3-4). As individual persons each can be called God and collectively they can be spoken of as one God because of their perfect unity. The word God is either used as singular or plural, the word sheep.

The Father is the head of Christ (1 Corinthians 11:3), the Son is the only begotten of the Father (2 John 3), and the Holy Ghost proceeds from both the Father and the Son (John 14:16-26, 15:26, 16:7-15, Acts 2:34).

Jesus is not the Father! He is the Son! Matthew 5:16-48, The Father was in heaven the entire time Jesus was on the earth.

Christ now sits at the right hand of God the Father.

Matthew 10:32, Revelation 3:3 Jesus said that he would confess men BEFORE MY FATHER.

Jesus prayed to the Father (Matthew 11:25, John 17)

God was the Father of Jesus (Ephesians 1:3-17, Ephesians 3:14).

Men are taught to pray to the Father not to the Son (John 14:12-15, 15:16, 16:23-26).

Jesus committed his spirit to the Father (Luke 23:46).

Jesus called God, "My Father 57 times.

Jesus claimed that he did not and could do anything of himself but that the Father worked through him (John 5:19-30, John 6:38, 8:28, 12:49-50).

Jesus did not come to do his own will but to do the will of his Father in heaven that sent him (John 5:30, 6:38).

His doctrine was not his own but the Father's (John 7:16-17, 8:26).

He did not seek his own glory but the glory of the Father (John 8:49-54, 17:4)

He kept the Fathers commandments (John 12:49-50)

Over 80 times Jesus affirmed that he was not the Father (John 10:29, 1 Corinthians 11:3).

Jesus was not the Holy Ghost either!

Jesus had to go away in order for the Holy Spirit to come (John 16:5-15),

The Holy Spirit could not be sent until Christ had been glorified of the Father (John 7:37-39, Acts 2:33-34).

The Son can be blasphemed with forgiveness possible; but if the Spirit be blasphemed no forgiveness is possible (Matthew 12:31-32, Mark 3:29-30, Luke 12:10).

Jesus could do no miracles by himself (John 5:19), but by the Hole Spirit.

I hope that in the elementary examination of the scripture that everyone who reads this will be able to see the distinction in the trinity and understand more precisely the purpose God has for us all in the realm of his divine sovereignty.

In Christ Jesus,

Dale Thompson