The Trinity Made Simple

CHRISTIAN APOLOGETICS & RESEARCH MINISTRY ^ | Unknown | CHRISTIAN APOLOGETICS & RESEARCH MINISTRY

[HarleyD]

The Trinity

God is a trinity of persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. 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 Father. They are not three gods and not three beings. 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 coeternal, coequal, and copowerful. If any one of the three were removed, there would be no God. (See also, "Another Look at the Trinity")

Jesus, the Son, is one person with two natures: Divine and Human. This is called the Hypostatic Union. The Holy Spirit is also divine in nature and is self aware, the third person of the Trinity.

There is, though, an apparent separation of some functions among the members of the Godhead. For example, the Father chooses who will be saved (Eph. 1:4); the Son redeems them (Eph. 1:7); and the Holy Spirit seals them, (Eph. 1:13).

A further point of clarification is that God is not one person, the Father, with Jesus as a creation and the Holy Spirit is a force (Jehovah's Witnesses). Neither is He one person who took three consecutive forms, i.e., the Father, became the Son, who became the Holy Spirit. Nor is God the divine nature of the Son (where Jesus had a human nature perceived as the Son and a divine nature perceived as the Father (Oneness theology). Nor is the Trinity an office held by three separate Gods (Mormonism).

The word "person" is used to describe the three members of the Godhead because the word "person" is appropriate. A person is self aware, can speak, love, hate, say "you," "yours," "me," "mine," etc. Each of the three persons in the Trinity demonstrate these qualities.

The chart below should help you to see how the doctrine of the Trinity is systematically derived from Scripture. The list is not exhaustive, only illustrative. The first step is to establish the biblical doctrine that there is only one God. Then, you find that each of the persons is called God, each creates, each was involved in Jesus' resurrection, each indwells, etc. Therefore, God is one, but the one God is in three simultaneous persons. Please note that the idea of a composite unity is not a foreign concept to the Bible; after all, man and wife become are said to be one flesh. The idea of a composite unity of persons is spoken of by God in Genesis (Gen. 2:24).

There is only one God

The first step is to establish how many Gods exist: one! Isaiah 43:10; 44:6,8; 45:5,14,18,21,22; 46:9; 47:8; John 17:3; 1 Cor. 8:5-6; Gal. 4:8-9

"I am the LORD, and there is no other; besides Me there is no God" (Isaiah 45:5).

“Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel And his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: ‘I am the first and I am the last, And there is no God besides Me," (Isaiah 44:6).

"I am the Lord, and there is no other; besides Me there is no God, (Isaiah 55:5).

	FATHER	SON	HOLY SPIRIT
Called God	Phil. 1:2	John 1:1,14; Col. 2:9	Acts 5:3-4
Creator	Isaiah 64:8	John 1:3; Col. 1:15-17	Job 33:4, 26:13
Resurrects	1 Thess. 1:10	John 2:19, 10:17	Rom. 8:11
Indwells	2 Cor. 6:16	Col. 1:27	John 14:17
Everywhere	1 Kings 8:27	Matt. 28:20	Psalm 139:7-10
All knowing	1 John 3:20	John 16:30; 21:17	1 Cor. 2:10-11
Sanctifies	1 Thess. 5:23	Heb. 2:11	1 Pet. 1:2
Life giver	Gen. 2:7: John 5:21	John 1:3; 5:21	2 Cor. 3:6,8
Fellowship	1 John 1:3	1 Cor. 1:9	2 Cor. 13:14; Phil. 2:1
Eternal	Psalm 90:2	Micah 5:1-2	Rom. 8:11; Heb. 9:14
A Will	Luke 22:42	Luke 22:42	1 Cor. 12:11
Speaks	Matt. 3:17; Luke 9:25	Luke 5:20; 7:48	Acts 8:29; 11:12; 13:2
Love	John 3:16	Eph. 5:25	Rom. 15:30
Searches the heart	Jer. 17:10	Rev. 2:23	1 Cor. 2:10
We belong to	John 17:9	John 17:6	…
Savior	1 Tim. 1:1; 2:3; 4:10	2 Tim. 1:10; Titus 1:4; 3:6	…
We serve	Matt. 4:10	Col. 3:24	…
Believe in	John 14:1	John 14:1	…
Gives joy	…	John 15:11	John 14:7
Judges	John 8:50	John 5:21,30	…

Therefore, the doctrine of the Trinity is arrived at by looking at the whole of scripture, not in a single verse. It is the doctrine that there is only one God, not three, and that the one God exists in three persons: Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. An analogy would be time. Time is past, present, and future. But, there are not three times, only one.

[bmwcyle]

Bump for referece

[HarleyD]

For those of us who do not understand the finer underlying points of the Trinity.

[tuckrdout]

Thanks Harley!

One can also look at it as Saint Patrick did, as a clover: Three separate leaves on one stem.

Or an Egg, three separate parts: White, Yolk, Shell, yet all one egg.

Also, a Tree: Roots, Branches, Trunk, all distinct yet all make up the whole.

Isn't He marvelous!

[stop_killing_unborn_babies]

One can also look at it as Saint Patrick did, as a clover: Three separate leaves on one stem.

Or an Egg, three separate parts: White, Yolk, Shell, yet all one egg.

Also, a Tree: Roots, Branches, Trunk, all distinct yet all make up the whole.

I don't want to sound picky, but those examples are really modalistic, which is to say the parts make up the whole, which is not what Scripture teaches.

What Scripture reveals is there is One Essence which is God, and is revealed in three distinct Persons or Personalities who are co-equally of the exact same Essence God, not a subset of God, or a component that when added to the other components comprises the whole as in the examples you gave.

I hope you are not offended, but it's important that we use examples that are not confusing or inaccurate.

Ultimately, any example we try to use will break down as insufficient.

One of the best, if not the best statements concerning the Triunity of God is found in the Athanatian Creed. It's about as good as it gets.

[Between the Lines]

Thanks Harley. Book-marked and bumped.

[Logophile]

God is a trinity of persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. 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 Father. They are not three gods and not three beings. 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.

Two questions:

1. What is the difference between a "person" and a "being"? I gather that a person "has a will, can speak, can love, etc.", but there are at least some beings for which these things are true also.

2. What does it mean to say the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are "of one substance"? The word substance can mean "essential nature" or "physical material." Does either of these definitions apply to the Trinity?

[ksen]

One of the best, if not the best statements concerning the Triunity of God is found in the Athanatian Creed. It's about as good as it gets.

Yeah, but this thread is the Trinity made easy. ;^)

[HarleyD]

1. What is the difference between a "person" and a "being"? 2. What does it mean to say the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are "of one substance"?

Hmmmm....good questions. "Being" is defined as "a living thing that has (or can develop) the ability to act or function independently". If I understand the author correctly I take it the author is saying each part of the Trinity acts independently and differently then the others even though they're perfect knowledge and perfect power.

As far as "substance", I'm not sure what the author meant by it.

[PJ-Comix]

Is there a The Trinity For Dummies book out there???

[stop_killing_unborn_babies]

Yeah, I know, the TV generation wants sound bite theology.

[ksen]

Oh for the days when light reading was titled like this:

A Minor Treatise On a Treatment of the Deity, Personality, and Aseity of the Holy Spirit Set Forth in Language for the Comman Man And Approved by the Church Fathers as the Eternal Doctrine of the Bride of Christ.

;^)

[kosta50]

Divine Wisdom, Word and Spirit are manifestations [Hypistaes] of one Being we call God. For as God is eternal, so is His Wisdom, His Word and His Spirit -- all equally divine, all co-eternal; for there never was a moment when the Wisdom was without the Word, or without His Spirit. The Wisdom generates the Word, not the other way around, thereby the eternal relationship of the Wisdom to the Word is that of a Father and a Son, one way. By the same principle, the Spirit eternally originates (proceeds) from the Father. The Father is eternally the source and the cause of all. The Son is eternally begotten and the Spirit eternally proceeds from the Father.

On imperfect scale, we have a mind, from which we generate words and through which we express our spirit. Hence, we are created in His image.

[TotusTuus]

Bump for later read.

[stop_killing_unborn_babies]

Oh for the days when light reading was titled like this:

A Minor Treatise On a Treatment of the Deity, Personality, and Aseity of the Holy Spirit Set Forth in Language for the Comman Man And Approved by the Church Fathers as the Eternal Doctrine of the Bride of Christ.

But that's too hard for this culture---they prefer such creative slogans as, Jesus: This Blood's for you

[tuckrdout]

No, I am not offended. I always appreciate a person who is on the look out against modalism!

But, I have to disagree with you, that my examples display such an apostasy.

I have eaten a yolk, haven't you? A yolk and a shell are distinct parts; the White is completely different. They can be separate, exist on their own, yet they are all egg.

Have you ever seen a tree cut down, yet the roots remain? And another tree springs from that root? The Tree trunk is made into lumber. Branches can be cut off, others grafted in, yet the tree remains. They are all separate, yet one.

Each of my examples express the same idea. Separate, different functions, yet one.

Modalism says that one, is mearly taking on different roles. It is like a person who takes on different roles, or "modes". Such as you: you are a "child" of your parents, a "spouse" in your marriage, and a "parent" to your children---three yet one. You are one person in three different roles. THAT is modalism---and it is apostasy. It is saying that Jesus prayed to himself---he called himself his "son". And the worst it says is that Christ did not actually die, because of course God can not die. But, Christ, in his humanity, because he is a distinct person, did die and was raised from the dead to pay the price of our sins. He conquered death in the flesh. And now we too have that same victory over death! We will not die, we will also rise from our graves and walk in renewed, uncorrupted flesh!

[stop_killing_unborn_babies]

I have to disagree with you, that my examples display such an apostasy.

I didn't say you are a modalist.
What I said is that those examples are not accurate and are modalistic examples.
Lots of well meaning Christians use examples like that, but they paint the wrong picture.

For example, you said:
Each of my examples express the same idea. Separate, different functions, yet one.

Modalism says that one, is mearly taking on different roles. It is like a person who takes on different roles, or "modes". Such as you: you are a "child" of your parents, a "spouse" in your marriage, and a "parent" to your children---three yet one. You are one person in three different roles. THAT is modalism---and it is apostasy.

Please explain to me how "different functions" is ontologically different from "different roles"???

Again, your "egg" and "tree" examples do not accurately portray what Scripture teaches concerning the Triunity of God.
Each of those parts used in your examples are a subset of the whole, which when added make up the whole. That IS NOT the Triunity of God, for Scripture teaches that each Person of the Godhead is wholely God and not a part or subset of God.

Each Person of the Godhead are not manifested as "functions", they are Persons.