The Trinity

We need to understand that the Father is not the same Person as the Son, the Son is not the same Person as the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit is not the same Person as the Father. They are not three Gods. They are three distinct Persons, yet they are all the one God. Each has a will, can speak, can love, etc., and these are demonstrations of personhood. They are in absolute perfect harmony consisting of one substance. They are co-eternal, co-equal and co-powerful.

• The word "Trinity" comes from the Latin noun "trinitas" meaning "three are one."
  
• Although the term "Trinity" is not found in the Bible, most Bible scholars agree that its meaning is clearly expressed in Scripture.
  
• The Trinity is a term used to attempt to describe one God existing in three Persons who are co-equal, co-eternal as the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
  (Genesis 2:24 * John 10:30)
  

Just as a man and woman when married are considered one, the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are One. They each have their owns thoughts, perspectives, purpose, and work, but all are still God. But we need to be careful to compare them too closely to people, because God is so vastly different His Oneness is much more complex and complete than a husband and wife's, which is marred by sin.

• There is one God
  (Deuteronomy 6:4 * 1 Corinthians 8:4-6 * Galatians 3:20 * 1 Timothy 2:5 * Isaiah 43:10 * Isaiah 44:6 * Isaiah 44:8)
  
• The Trinity consists of three Persons
  (Genesis 1:1 * Genesis 1:26 * Genesis 3:22 * Genesis 11:7 * Isaiah 6:8 * Isaiah 48:16 * Isaiah 61:1 * Matthew 3:16-17 * Matthew 28:19 * John 10:30 * John 14:16-17 * John 17:11 * John 17:21 * Acts 2:32-33 * 2 Corinthians 13:14 * 1 Peter 1:2)
  
• God the Son is distinguished from God the Father
  (Psalm 45:6-7 * Hebrews 1:8-9)
  
• The LORD has a Son
  (Psalm 2:7, 12; Proverbs 30:2-4)
  
• In Isaiah 48:16, 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.
  
• 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.
  
• 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 13:14 are examples of three distinct persons in the Trinity.
  
• The Spirit is distinct from the Father and the Son
  (Numbers 27:18 * Psalm 51:10-12)
  
• 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)
  

The Trinity has a hierarchy

• 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.
  
• Concerning the Son:
  Luke 22:42 * John 5:36 * John 20:21 * 1 John 4:14)
  
• Concerning the Holy Spirit:
  (John 14:16 * John 14:26 * John 15:26 * John 16:7 * John 16:13-14)
  

The roles of the Father

• The Father is the ultimate cause of the universe
  (1 Corinthians 8:6 * Revelation 4:11)
  
• The Father is owns divine revelation
  (Revelation 1:1)
  
• The Father is the author of salvation
  (John 3:16-17)
  
• The Father guided Jesus' human works
  (John 5:17 * John 14:10)
  

The roles of the Son

• 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 * John 16:12-15 * Matthew 11:27 * Revelation 1:1)
  ...salvation
  (2 Corinthians 5:19 * Matthew 1:21 * John 4:42)
  

The roles of the Holy Spirit

• In the power of the Holy Spirit 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)
  ...Jesus' works
  (Isaiah 61:1 * Acts 10:38)
  

Scripture sometimes refers to God in plural, i.e. the Trinity

• The Hebrew word for God, Elohim, is a plural noun.
  (Genesis 1:1)
  
• Sometimes God is referred to as "us"
  (Genesis 1:26 * Genesis 3:22 * Genesis 11:7 * Isaiah 6:8)
  
• While these are not an explicit argument for the Trinity, it does denote the aspect of plurality in God.
  

   

  Bible Answer From: The Holypop Team