Is The Trinity Biblical?
From the Christian Research Institute
www.equip.org
The Trinity is a basic doctrine of orthodox Christianity. Yet the word "Trinity" is not found anywhere in the Bible. Is the doctrine of the Trinity really biblical?
The doctrine of the Trinity says that there is one All Mighty One (God) who exists eternally as three distinct persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. I can assure you that the elements of this doctrine are all taken directly from the Bible.
The first plank of the Trinitarian platform is that there is only one All Mighty One (God). The Bible could not be more explicit on this point, which it states explicitly about two dozen times. In Isaiah 44:8 Yahweh (The LORD) says that even He does not know of any other (mighty ones)gods!
Yahshua (Jesus) often spoke of the All Mighty One (God) as His Father, and the apostles frequently spoke of "the Almighty One (God) the Father." But the New Testament also insists that Yahshua (Jesus) is The Almighty One (God). For example, Thomas acknowledged Yahshua (Jesus) as, "My Lord(master) and my Almighty One (God)" (John 20:28), and both Peter and Paul spoke of Yahshua (Jesus) as "our All Mighty One (God) and Savior" (2 Pet. 1:1; Tit. 2:13). Yet the New Testament also makes the distinction between the Father and the Son as two very different persons. In fact they tell us that they love one another, speak to each other, and seek to glorify each other (e.g., John 17: 1-26).
The Old Testament refers often to the Holy Spirit as The Almighty One (God) at work in the world, without distinction from the Father. But Yahshua (Jesus) in John 14 to 16 explained that this Holy Spirit would be sent by the Father at the Messiah’s (Christ's) request. The Holy Spirit would teach and guide the disciples, not speaking on His own initiative, but speaking on the Messiah’s 9Christ's) behalf and glorifying The messiah (Christ). Thus, the Holy Spirit is revealed by The Messiah (Christ) to be a third person distinct from the Father and distinct from the Son.
In short, the doctrine of the Trinity is completely and totally biblical, and it is essential that all the Followers of the Messiah Yahshua (Christians) give assent to this doctrine.

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Its a bit amusing you use a group who wrongly reject the person of Jesus to make your argument for monotheism, which is already indisputable according to scripture. Instead of the usual forum 'point, counterpoint' I'd like to know what's your understanding of the passages I mentioned. There are specific verses within the gospels and Paul's letters I alluded to earlier that I'd also like to hear your understanding. I'd be happy to do the same for you if you like.
Jews and Israelites are two different groups..The Galilaeans were true Israelites while the Jews were Edomites that migrated to Southern Judea doing the Babylonian Captivity. Judas Ish-Korioth ( the betrayer ) was by ethnicity EDOMITE, which is eluded to by the city of his origin Korioth.
King Herod too, was Edomite by race, and he represented the serpents seed of Genesis 3:15-Matt 3:7. " O generation of vipers "...
Technically, they are the same substance(Hebrews 1:1-3, John 8:42, 15:26). They only do, and say what the Father tells them. Jesus is the very logos(words, wisdom, logic) of God who cannot be separated from what it is from. The Holy Spirit is, in other words, divine breathe that gives life, for the Father IS eternal life. He has life within himself. He is eternity. Follow what im saying? Let us not confuse this here now. because in the end, it may just be misunderstandings
Brother, your spirit of debate can be a bit prideful. As I said, you do not have to convince me that the Trinity is false. What you just said, I agree with!. The Lord our God is ONE

Be blessed,
James
I disagree with the "Jesus only" doctrine. That doctrine stems from the lack of understanding of God.
Thank you all for your comments, but you seem to think that I am teaching that there are three Gods. No there is only one God who is expressed in three persons (Father, Son, Holy Spirit, also known as the Godhead, also known as the First person, second person, and third person of the Godhead.) Only the Holy Spirit can help you see that God is one. All three persons always existed and neither one was created by the other. They work as one, as a team. I have a wife, and two children but we are one family. I am one man but I am made up of three parts (body, soul, spirit). I have one body but many body parts that act as one. A sports team acts as one to win the game. A company work as one to get the product done. We live in one world with 6 billion people living together. There is only one Lord, one faith, one baptism. Now do you get it?
Here is an great article From grace to you
Our Triune God

By John MacArthur
Diagram of Trinitarian Doctrine

The Trinity is an unfathomable, and yet unmistakable doctrine in Scripture. As Jonathan Edwards noted, after studying the topic extensively, “I think [the doctrine of the Trinity] to be the highest and deepest of all Divine mysteries” (An Unpublished Treatise on the Trinity).

Yet, though the fullness of the Trinity is far beyond human comprehension, it is unquestionably how God has revealed Himself in Scripture—as one God eternally existing in three Persons.

This is not to suggest, of course, that the Bible presents three different gods (cf. Deut. 6:4). Rather, God is three Persons in one essence; the Divine essence subsists wholly and indivisibly, simultaneously and eternally, in the three members of the one Godhead—the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. (We considered the deity of Christ last Thursday, in this post .)

The Scriptures are clear that these three Persons together are one and only one God (Deut. 6:4). John 10:30 and 33 explain that the Father and the Son are one. First Corinthians 3:16 shows that the Father and the Spirit are one. Romans 8:9 makes clear that the Son and the Spirit are one. And John 14:16, 18, and 23 demonstrate that the Father, Son, and Spirit are one.

Yet, in exhibiting the unity between the members of the Trinity, the Word of God in no way denies the simultaneous existence and distinctiveness of each of the three Persons of the Godhead. In other words, the Bible makes it clear that God is one God (not three), but that the one God is a Trinity of Persons.

In the Old Testament, the Bible implies the idea of the Trinity in several ways. The title Elohim (”God”), for instance, is a plural noun which can suggest multiplicity (cf. Gen. 1:26). This corresponds to the fact that the plural pronoun (”us”) is sometimes used of God (Gen. 1:26; Isa. 6:8). More directly, there are places in which God’s name is applied to more than one Person in the same text (Ps. 110:1; cf. Gen. 19:24). And there are also passages where all three divine Persons are seen at work (Is. 48:16; 61:1).

The New Testament builds significantly on these truths, revealing them more explicitly. The baptismal formula of Matthew 28:19 designates all three Persons of the Trinity: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” In his apostolic benediction to the Corinthians, Paul underscored this same reality. He wrote, “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God [the Father], and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all” (2 Cor. 13:14). Other New Testament passages also spell out the glorious truth of the Triune God (Romans 15:16, 30; 2 Cor. 1:21–22; Eph. 2:18).

In describing the Trinity, the New Testament clearly distinguishes three Persons who are all simultaneously active. They are not merely modes or manifestations of the same person (as Oneness theology incorrectly asserts) who sometimes acts as Father, sometimes as Son, and sometimes as Spirit. At Christ’s baptism, all three Persons were simultaneously active (Matt. 3:16–17), with the Son being baptized, the Spirit descending, and the Father speaking from Heaven. Jesus Himself prayed to the Father (cf. Matt. 6:9), taught that His will was distinct from His Father’s (Matt. 26:39), promised that He would ask the Father to send the Spirit (John 14:16), and asked the Father to glorify Him (John 17:5). These actions would not make sense unless the Father and the Son were two distinct Persons. Elsewhere in the New Testament, the Holy Spirit intercedes before the Father on behalf of believers (Rom. 8:26), as does the Son, who is our Advocate (1 John 2:1). Again, the distinctness of each Person is in view.

The Bible is clear. There is only one God, yet He exists, and always has existed, as a Trinity of Persons—the Father, the Son, and the Spirit (cf. John 1:1, 2). To deny or misunderstand the Trinity is to deny or misunderstand the very nature of God Himself.

Today’s article was adapted from John’s commentary on 1-3 John.
What is the doctrine of the Trinity?
From John Piper ministries
By DG Staff



The doctrine of the Trinity is foundational to the Christian faith. It is crucial for properly understanding what God is like, how He relates to us, and how we should relate to Him. But it also raises many difficult questions. How can God be both one and three? Is the Trinity a contradiction? If Jesus is God, why do the Gospels record instances where He prayed to God?

While we cannot fully understand everything about the Trinity (or anything else), it is possible to answer questions like these and come to a solid grasp of what it means for God to be three in one.

What Does it Mean That God is a Trinity?
The doctrine of the Trinity means that there is one God who eternally exists as three distinct Persons--the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Stated differently, God is one in essence and three in person. These definitions express three crucial truths: (1) The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinct Persons, (2) each Person is fully God, (3) there is only one God.

The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinct Persons. The Bible speaks of the Father as God (Phil. 1:2), Jesus as God (Titus 2:13), and the Holy Spirit as God (Acts 5:3-4). Are these just three different ways of looking at God, or simply ways of referring to three different roles that God plays?

The answer must be no, because the Bible also indicates that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinct Persons. For example, since the Father sent the Son into the world (John 3:16), He cannot be the same person as the Son. Likewise, after the Son returned to the Father (John 16:10), the Father and the Son sent the Holy Spirit into the world (John 14:26; Acts 2:33). Therefore, the Holy Spirit must be distinct from the Father and the Son.

In the baptism of Jesus, we see the Father speaking from heaven and the Spirit descending from heaven in the form of a dove as Jesus comes out of the water (Mark 1:10-11). In John 1:1 it is affirmed that Jesus is God and, at the same time, that He was "with God"-thereby indicating that Jesus is a distinct Person from God the Father (cf. also 1:18). And in John 16:13-15 we see that although there is a close unity between them all, the Holy Spirit is also distinct from the Father and the Son.

The fact that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinct Persons means, in other words, that the Father is not the Son, the Son is not the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit is not the Father. Jesus is God, but He is not the Father or the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is God, but He is not the Son or the Father. They are different Persons, not three different ways of looking at God.

The personhood of each member of the Trinity means that each Person has a distinct center of consciousness. Thus, they relate to each other personally--the Father regards Himself as "I," while He regards the Son and Holy Spirit as "You." Likewise the Son regards Himself as "I," but the Father and the Holy Spirit as "You."

Often it is objected that "If Jesus is God, then he must have prayed to himself while he was on earth." But the answer to this objection lies in simply applying what we have already seen. While Jesus and the Father are both God, they are different Persons. Thus, Jesus prayed to God the Father without praying to Himself. In fact, it is precisely the continuing dialog between the Father and the Son (Matthew 3:17; 17:5; John 5:19; 11:41-42; 17:1ff) which furnishes the best evidence that they are distinct Persons with distinct centers of consciousness.

Sometimes the Personhood of the Father and Son is appreciated, but the Personhood of the Holy Spirit is neglected. Sometimes the Spirit is treated more like a "force" than a Person. But the Holy Spirit is not an it, but a He (see John 14:26; 16:7-15; Acts 8:16). The fact that the Holy Spirit is a Person, not an impersonal force (like gravity), is also shown by the fact that He speaks (Hebrews 3:7), reasons (Acts 15:28), thinks and understands (1 Corinthians 2:10-11), wills (1 Corinthians 12:11), feels (Ephesians 4:30), and gives personal fellowship (2 Corinthians 13:14). These are all qualities of personhood. In addition to these texts, the others we mentioned above make clear that the Personhood of the Holy Spirit is distinct from the Personhood of the Son and the Father. They are three real persons, not three roles God plays.

Another serious error people have made is to think that the Father became the Son, who then became the Holy Spirit. Contrary to this, the passages we have seen imply that God always was and always will be three Persons. There was never a time when one of the Persons of the Godhead did not exist. They are all eternal.

While the three members of the Trinity are distinct, this does not mean that any is inferior to the other. Instead, they are all identical in attributes. They are equal in power, love, mercy, justice, holiness, knowledge, and all other qualities.

Each Person is fully God. If God is three Persons, does this mean that each Person is "one-third" of God? Does the Trinity mean that God is divided into three parts?

The Trinity does not divide God into three parts. The Bible is clear that all three Persons are each one hundred percent God. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all fully God. For example, it says of Christ that "in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form" (Colossians 2:9). We should not think of God as like a "pie" cut into three pieces, each piece representing a Person. This would make each Person less than fully God and thus not God at all. Rather, "the being of each Person is equal to the whole being of God."[1] The divine essence is not something that is divided between the three persons, but is fully in all three persons without being divided into "parts."

Thus, the Son is not one-third of the being of God, He is all of the being of God. The Father is not one-third of the being of God, He is all of the being of God. And likewise with the Holy Spirit. Thus, as Wayne Grudem writes, "When we speak of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit together we are not speaking of any greater being than when we speak of the Father alone, the Son alone, or the Holy Spirit alone."[2]

There is only one God. If each Person of the Trinity is distinct and yet fully God, then should we conclude that there is more than one God? Obviously we cannot, for Scripture is clear that there is only one God: "There is no other God besides me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is none besides me. Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other" (Isaiah 45:21-22; see also 44:6-8; Exodus 15:11; Deuteronomy 4:35; 6:4-5; 32:39; 1 Samuel 2:2; 1 Kings 8:60).

Having seen that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are distinct Persons, that they are each fully God, and that there is nonetheless only one God, we must conclude that all three Persons are the same God. In other words, there is one God who exists as three distinct Persons.

If there is one passage which most clearly brings all of this together, it is Matthew 28:19: "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit." First, notice that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinguished as distinct Persons. We baptize into the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Second, notice that each Person must be deity because they are all placed on the same level. In fact, would Jesus have us baptize in the name of a mere creature? Surely not. Therefore each of the Persons into whose name we are to be baptized must be deity. Third, notice that although the three divine Persons are distinct, we are baptized into their name (singular), not names (plural). The three Persons are distinct, yet only constitute one name. This can only be if they share one essence.

Is the Trinity Contradictory?
This leads us to investigate more closely a very helpful definition of the Trinity which I mentioned earlier: God is one in essence, but three in Person. This formulation can show us why there are not three Gods, and why the Trinity is not a contradiction.

In order for something to be contradictory, it must violate the law of noncontradiction. This law states that A cannot be both A (what it is) and non-A (what it is not) at the same time and in the same relationship. In other words, you have contradicted yourself if you affirm and deny the same statement. For example, if I say that the moon is made entirely of cheese but then also say that the moon is not made entirely of cheese, I have contradicted myself.

Other statements may at first seem contradictory but are really not. Theologian R.C. Sproul cites as an example Dickens' famous line, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." Obviously this is a contradiction if Dickens means that it was the best of times in the same way that it was the worst of times. But he avoids contradiction with this statement because he means that in one sense it was the best of times, but in another sense it was the worst of times.

Carrying this concept over to the Trinity, it is not a contradiction for God to be both three and one because He is not three and one in the same way. He is three in a different way than He is one. Thus, we are not speaking with a forked tongue-we are not saying that God is one and then denying that He is one by saying that He is three. This is very important: God is one and three at the same time, but not in the same way.

How is God one? He is one in essence. How is God three? He is three in Person. Essence and person are not the same thing. God is one in a certain way (essence) and three in a different way (person). Since God is one in a different way than He is three, the Trinity is not a contradiction. There would only be a contradiction if we said that God is three in the same way that He is one.

So a closer look at the fact that God is one in essence but three in person has helped to show why the Trinity is not a contradiction. But how does it show us why there is only one God instead of three? It is very simple: All three Persons are one God because, as we saw above, they are all the same essence. Essence means the same thing as "being." Thus, since God is only one essence, He is only one being-not three. This should make it clear why it is so important to understand that all three Persons are the same essence. For if we deny this, we have denied God's unity and affirmed that there is more than one being of God (i.e., that there is more than one God).

What we have seen so far provides a good basic understanding of the Trinity. But it is possible to go deeper. If we can understand more precisely what is meant by essence and person, how these two terms differ, and how they relate, we will then have a more complete understanding of the Trinity.

Essence and Person
Essence. What does essence mean? As I said earlier, it means the same thing as being. God's essence is His being. To be even more precise, essence is what you are. At the risk of sounding too physical, essence can be understood as the "stuff" that you "consist of." Of course we are speaking by analogy here, for we cannot understand this in a physical way about God. "God is spirit" (John 4:24). Further, we clearly should not think of God as "consisting of" anything other than divinity. The "substance" of God is God, not a bunch of "ingredients" that taken together yield deity.

Person. In regards to the Trinity, we use the term "Person" differently than we generally use it in everyday life. Therefore it is often difficult to have a concrete definition of Person as we use it in regards to the Trinity. What we do not mean by Person is an "independent individual" in the sense that both I and another human are separate, independent individuals who can exist apart from one another.

What we do mean by Person is something that regards himself as "I" and others as "You." So the Father, for example, is a different Person from the Son because He regards the Son as a "You," even though He regards Himself as "I." Thus, in regards to the Trinity, we can say that "Person" means a distinct subject which regards Himself as an "I" and the other two as a "You." These distinct subjects are not a division within the being of God, but "a form of personal existence other than a difference in being."[3]

How do they relate? The relationship between essence and Person, then, is as follows. Within God's one, undivided being is an "unfolding" into three personal distinctions. These personal distinctions are modes of existence within the divine being, but are not divisions of the divine being. They are personal forms of existence other than a difference in being. The late theologian Herman Bavinck has stated something very helpful at this point: "The persons are modes of existence within the being; accordingly, the Persons differ among themselves as the one mode of existence differs from the other, and-using a common illustration-as the open palm differs from a closed fist."[4]

Because each of these "forms of existence" are relational (and thus are Persons), they are each a distinct center of consciousness, with each center of consciousness regarding Himself as "I" and the others as "You." Nonetheless, these three Persons all "consist of" the same "stuff" (that is, the same "what," or essence). As theologian and apologist Norman Geisler has explained it, while essence is what you are, person is who you are. So God is one "what" but three "whos."

The divine essence is thus not something that exists "above" or "separate from" the three Persons, but the divine essence is the being of the three Persons. Neither should we think of the Persons as being defined by attributes added on to the being of God. Wayne Grudem explains:

But if each person is fully God and has all of God's being, then we also should not think that the personal distinctions are any kind of additional attributes added on to the being of God . . . Rather, each person of the Trinity has all of the attributes of God, and no one Person has any attributes that are not possessed by the others. On the other hand, we must say that the Persons are real, that they are not just different ways of looking at the one being of God...the only way it seems possible to do this is to say that the distinction between the persons is not a difference of `being' but a difference of `relationships.' This is something far removed from our human experience, where every different human `person' is a different being as well. Somehow God's being is so much greater than ours that within his one undivided being there can be an unfolding into interpersonal relationships, so that there can be three distinct persons.[5]

Trinitarian Illustrations?
There are many illustrations which have been offered to help us understand the Trinity. While there are some illustrations which are helpful, we should recognize that no illustration is perfect. Unfortunately, there are many illustrations which are not simply imperfect, but in error. One illustration to beware of is the one which says "I am one person, but I am a student, son, and brother. This explains how God can be both one and three." The problem with this is that it reflects a heresy called modalism. God is not one person who plays three different roles, as this illustration suggests. He is one Being in three Persons (centers of consciousness), not merely three roles. This analogy ignores the personal distinctions within God and mitigates them to mere roles.

Summary
Let us quickly review what we have seen.

1. The Trinity is not belief in three gods. There is only one God, and we must never stray from this.

2. This one God exists as three Persons.

3. The three Persons are not each part of God, but are each fully God and equally God. Within God's one undivided being there is an unfolding into three interpersonal relationships such that there are three Persons. The distinctions within the Godhead are not distinctions of His essence and neither are they something added on to His essence, but they are the unfolding of God's one, undivided being into three interpersonal relationships such that there are three real Persons.

4. God is not one person who took three consecutive roles. That is the heresy of modalism. The Father did not become the Son and then the Holy Spirit. Instead, there have always been and always will be three distinct persons in the Godhead.

5. The Trinity is not a contradiction because God is not three in the same way that He is one. God is one in essence, three in Person.

Application
The Trinity is first of all important because God is important. To understand more fully what God is like is a way of honoring God. Further, we should allow the fact that God is triune to deepen our worship. We exist to worship God. And God seeks people to worship Him in "spirit and truth" (John 4:24). Therefore we must always endeavor to deepen our worship of God-in truth as well as in our hearts.

The Trinity has a very significant application to prayer. The general pattern of prayer in the Bible is to pray to the Father through the Son and in the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 2:18). Our fellowship with God should be enhanced by consciously knowing that we are relating to a tri-personal God!

Awareness of the distinct role that each Person of the Trinity has in our salvation can especially serve to give us greater comfort and appreciation for God in our prayers, as well as helping us to be specific in directing our prayers. Nonetheless, while recognizing the distinct roles that each Person has, we should never think of their roles as so separate that the other Persons are not involved. Rather, everything that one Person is involved in, the other two are also involved in, one way or another.

Notes

1.Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine, (InterVarsity Press and Zondervan Publishing House, 1994), p. 255, emphasis added.
2. Ibid, 252.
3. Ibid, p. 255. While I believe that this is a helpful definition, it should be recognized that Grudem himself is offering this as more of an explanation than definition of Person.
4. Herman Bavinck, The Doctrine of God, (Great Britain: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1991 edition), p. 303.
5. Grudem, pp. 253-254.

Further Resources

Augustine, On the Trinity
Herman Bavinck, The Doctrine of God, pp. 255-334
Edward Bickersteth, The Trinity.
Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology, chapter 14
Donald Macleod, Shared Life: The Trinity and the Fellowship of God's People
R.C. Sproul, The Mystery of the Holy Spirit
R.C. Sproul, Essential Truths of the Christian Faith, pp. 35-36
J.I. Packer, Knowing God, pp. 57-63.
John Piper, The Pleasures of God, chapter 1
James White, The Forgotten Trinity
Hmm.. Lets talk about whether Yahshua was created or not. What are your thoughts??
Word, in the Greek used in John 1:1 is Logos. Logos takes on the meaning of word, wisdom, the embodiedment of the divine idea, conception, or plan, reason.
Most certainly. It can truly be used to describe Yahshua. But, its not only a word, but all that I described there. Now, this word did not have flesh before it came to earth. The logos was sent to earth to dwell among us;having the very substance of God himself(Hebrews 1). This living word is truly our Lord Jesus Christ.
I read this mans paper. I dont like the terms GODHEAD. But he points out some valid points using scripture. Just somthing I thought you all might like to read.








By: Nick Norelli



Excerpted from:

The Defense of an Essential: A Believer’s Handbook for Defending the Trinity

Copyright © 2006

Nick Norelli



All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise—without the prior written permission of the copyright owner.

The Trinity in Scripture


By: Nick Norelli



So often the claim is made that the Trinity is simply a man-made dogma. It is believed by many people in general and certainly every opponent of the doctrine specifically, that there is no scriptural support for the teaching of a Triune Godhead. Of course we have already seen this claim to be at best nonsensical, but we will now examine the proofs for the Trinity in scripture.



This section is meant as a reference tool for believers to defend the doctrine of the Trinity with quick and easily accessible scriptures. It is vital when debating anything that we have all of our ducks in a row. In other words, we should be ready, not with cookie cutter answers that are programmed into our memories, but with the scriptural verification for the doctrine we are teaching. There is nothing worse than having to fumble around for five minutes looking for a scripture to support something you know to be true. This section is a tool to alleviate that problem.



It would be great if everyone reading this section could memorize every verse listed, but if not, memorizing the references will do you a great service when debating or discussing the Trinity. And I would encourage everyone to personalize their explanations. It is quite possible and very probable that you will find things in these passages that I have not found or been able to cover in this book. But it is always important that when you are engaged in a conversation, that it is you who are speaking. If all we did was quote the work of others, then we could simply refer people to the works we were quoting. And please, by all means, refer people to this [site] and feel free to quote as much as you like, but let it be known that this is a doctrine that you believe because you have studied the evidence for yourself and know it to be true.



The following references will be divided into these three categories.


1. Verses showing plurality within the Godhead



These will be verses that show God as speaking with plural pronouns. We will also discuss these passages [elsewhere on the site] in more detail under the section heading, “We, Us, & Our—Who are They?”



2. Verses showing distinction between the members of the Godhead



These verses will disprove modalism beyond any shadow of a doubt and show that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are indeed distinct persons as opposed to various manifestations of the same person.



3. Verses showing equality



These will be verses that mention all three members of the Godhead on an equal level. Often these verses are used to show the unity of the Trinity whereas they show the equality of its members more clearly than the unity. Make no mistake about it, they do not lend any doubt as to the unity and oneness of the Godhead, but they absolutely show that the apostles recognized each member on an equal level.



Verses showing plurality (Gen. 1:26; 3:22; 11:7; Is. 6:8; Jo. 3:11)


And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. (Gen. 1:26)



And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever: (Gen. 3:22)



Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech. (Gen. 11:7)



Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me. (Is. 6:8)



Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. (Jo. 3:11)



The arguments against Trinitarianism in these passages will be addressed later on the book, but notice that in all five examples above, the Lord speaks using the plural pronouns, “we,” “us,” and “our.” There is little room for private interpretation in these passages yet for centuries men have wrested the plain sense of God’s words. If we accept the Trinity as taught throughout the Hebrew and Greek scriptures, then these passages are perfectly coherent and require no great philosophical shifts or logical leaps. On the other hand, if we reject the Trinity in favor of some monistic or polytheistic view, then we must be willing to force things into the scriptures that were never there to begin with.



If we once again look to the words of King Solomon in Proverbs 25:2 then we will read that, “It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter.”



The implication is that we are to draw from the Word of God rather than insert into it. As stated earlier, the Hebrew word translated as “thing” and “matter” is “davar” and can also be translated as “word.” So it is God’s glory to conceal a word and our honor to search it out. I say that it is our honor because we as believers are described as kings in scripture.



“And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen… And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.” (Rev. 1:6, 5:10)



If the truth cannot be derived from the text itself, then there is no reason to put it in there. On a side note, in Hebrew translations of the New Testament, Jesus is called the “davar” in John 1:1, 14; 1John 1:1; Revelation 19:13. So we can say that it was God’s glory to conceal Him and it is our honor to search Him out! These verses in particular will be dealt with in detail later in the book.



Verses showing distinction (Is. 48:16; Mat. 3:16-17; 28:19; Jo. 14:16-17, 26; 15:26; Acts 7:55; Eph. 2:18; Heb. 9:14)


Come ye near unto me, hear ye this; I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; from the time that it was, there am I: and now the Lord GOD, and his Spirit, hath sent me. (Is. 48:16)



Here we see the Messiah whom we know to be Jesus (Jo. 1:41, 4:25-26) saying that Yahweh and His Spirit hath sent Him. This shows a clear distinction between Yahweh, the Messiah, and the Spirit. Now one might look at this and argue that the Messiah was never said to be God, and Jews have never believed in a Divine Messiah. The Trinitarian could easily counter such an argument by pointing out that Psalm 90:2 which speaks of God says that He is “from everlasting” while Micah 5:2 which is universally understood as a Messianic reference speaks of the Messiah as being “from everlasting.” If the Messiah were not God, then there would be much difficulty in understanding this scripture. Another method of logical reasoning would be to show that Jesus is both the Messiah and God. If it can be shown that Jesus is in fact the Messiah and that Jesus is in fact God, then it logically follows that the Messiah is God.



And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened 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. (Mat. 3:16-17)



Notice that all three members of the Godhead are present at the same time. This destroys all oneness (modalistic) theology. They assert that since God is omnipresent then all three offices could be present at the same time. It is often said that Jesus’ deity (the Father) spoke to Jesus’ humanity (Jesus) while his Spirit (the Holy Ghost) descended upon his humanity (Jesus). Confused? Well you should be… Such talk is confusing!



This argument is refuted by a proper understanding of the person of Jesus. The fact is that Jesus is one person with two natures. The one person (Jesus) was baptized not one of His two natures. Natures do not get baptized, persons do. Natures do not speak, persons do. Natures do not descend, persons do. This is an error that Trinitarians often fall into as well. In attempting to explain how or why Jesus did certain things, they often say something along the lines of, “Jesus did this in his humanity” or “Jesus in his divine nature did that.” The truth is that whatever Jesus did, Jesus did! His natures did not do anything although He as a person functioned according to his two natures.



The Trinitarian must always remember that just like there is no separation between the Persons of the Trinity, there is also no separation between the Natures of Christ. Neither are the two natures so blended together that one is not distinguishable from the other. He is fully God and fully Human, He never stopped being God simply so he could become Human, what He did do, was add a human nature and body to His already divine being (this is known as the Hypostatic Union).



Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: (Mat. 28:19)



The thing to notice here is the use of the word “name” (onoma) in its singular form. If there were three gods then the plural form, “names” (onomata) would have been used. We must also notice the use of the definite article “the” (tou) before each member is named implying individuality. The definite article distinguishes each one from the next, while maintaining their true oneness in the fact that they share one name. Had the passage lacked the definite articles and said, “in the name of The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit” then oneness theology would have some credence, but God made sure this was not the case when inspiring these words.



Also note that this is the proper baptismal formula. Some teach that baptism in Jesus’ name is the correct formula citing the examples in the book of Acts (2:38, 8:12, 16, 10:48, 19:5) where believers were baptized in Jesus’ name as proof that Jesus is the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This is patently false! To baptize in Jesus’ name was to baptize in his authority. He had already given the formula with which the apostles were to baptize believers in Matthew 28:19. Unless we are to accept that the apostles deviated from the prescribed formula which Jesus gave, then we must reason that they followed His method.



And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. (Jo. 14:16-17)



Jesus clearly draws a distinction between Himself, the Father and the Holy Spirit by stating that He will pray (ask) the Father (not himself) and the Father will give another comforter, the Spirit of Truth. The word “another” is the Greek “allos” and means another of the same kind as opposed to “heteros” which means another of a different kind. They are of the same substance but they are not the same person.



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. (Jo. 14:26)



Here we see the same distinction as above. The Holy Ghost is sent by the Father in Jesus’ name, and Jesus does not say that He will bring all things to our remembrance; He said that the Holy Spirit would.



But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me: (Jo. 15:26)



This is nearly identical to the last reference, the difference being that in this verse Jesus says that He will send the Holy Spirit from the Father, once again drawing a definite and irrefutable distinction. This verse appears contradictory when compared to the previous one, but in reality it is complimentary. John 14:26 does not say that the Father alone would send the Holy Spirit; it merely says that He would send him in Jesus’ name. This verse explains further that Jesus in cooperation with the Father sends the Holy Spirit. But once again, Jesus speaks of the Holy Spirit proceeding from the Father and testifying of Him. There is absolutely no allowance for the same person to be spoken of in these verses.



But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, (Acts 7:55)



Here is another example of the distinction made between the persons of the Trinity. We can’t conclude one person from this, as it is impossible to stand beside oneself. Another thing to note is that Stephen saw the glory of God, not the Father himself. And the reference to Jesus standing at the right hand of the Father is speaking of seeing Jesus in his position of authority in heaven, once again he did not see the Father (as Spirit is invisible, thus impossible to see with one’s eyes).



For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. (Eph. 2:18)



This passage could not be clearer in defining a distinction between the three Persons of God. It is through the Son Jesus whom we have access by the Holy Spirit to God the Father. There can be no co-mingling of personality in such a straightforward statement.



How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? (Heb. 9:14)



The distinction made in this passage is irrefutable. We see all three persons listed and distinguished between. Notice also the interrelationship between the three in the act of redemption. It is the blood of the incarnate Son/Christ which is offered to the Father through the Spirit that purges out conscience. It is this very act of cooperation that enables us to serve the true and living triune God of scripture.



Verses showing equality (1Cor. 12:4-6; Eph. 4:4-6; 2Thes. 3:5; 1Pet. 1:2; 2Cor. 13:14; Jude 20-21)


Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. (1Cor. 12:4-6)



Here we have the (Holy) Spirit, the Lord (Jesus), and God (the Father) all mentioned in the same passage and all are mentioned in equality. An opponent might say that I am reading into the passage that the Holy Spirit or Jesus is mentioned and that every reference is to the Father alone. It can easily be proven that the Spirit mentioned is the Holy Spirit because the context of the chapter reveals that the “gifts” are attributed to the Holy Spirit. 1Corinthians 12:13 tells us that this Spirit is the “one Spirit” by which all believers are baptized into the body of Christ. This is in perfect harmony with Titus 3:5 which names this Spirit as the Holy Ghost. The “administrations” (Gk. diakoniōn) are attributed to the Lord and Ephesians 4:11-12 says that Jesus gave some apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers for the work of the “ministry” (Gk. diakonias). The reference to God working “all in all” (Gk. panta en pasin) is comparable to 1Corinthians 15:28 which says that the Son will subject himself to the Father that God may be “all in all” (Gk. panta en pasin). All we have to do is compare scripture with scripture and we will always obtain a clear and accurate understanding of the Word.



There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. (Eph. 4:4-6)



This passage speaks of the unity in God. Just a verse earlier we read that Paul was, “Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” He continues by saying that there is One body, which we, as believers are the members (1Cor. 12:27), and One Holy Spirit that calls us in the one hope of our calling, One Lord Jesus that saves us and heads the One body (Eph. 5:23). One faith common to all believers, which is in the Lord Jesus (Gal. 2:16), One Baptism in which all believers have been baptized into this One body (1Cor. 12:13), and one God and Father of us all (1Cor. 8:6), who is above all, through all, and in us all (2Cor. 6:16). Please do not let the reference to God the Father being above all in any way make you think that he is above the Son or the Holy Spirit concerning his nature or substance. The Father is superior as to his function, not as to the nature that they all share.



And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ. (2Thes. 3:5)



Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied. (1Pet. 1:2)



The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen. (2Cor. 13:14)



But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. (Jude 20-21)



These Trinitarian greetings and farewells show that the apostles viewed each member of the Godhead with enough equality to include them each in their salutations and benedictions. It’s strange, but those who oppose the Trinity often attempt use these proof texts to disprove the teaching. They will often ask questions like: (1) The Bible mentions Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob all in the same verse, does this make them one person?—or (2) the Bible often refers to Peter, James, and John in the same breath, are they one apostle?



The answer is of course not. These verses in which all three persons of the Godhead are mentioned together are not to show their unity per se (there are other verses that show that), but rather they are to show their equality as well as the distinction of personalities. So if the question was asked if Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob or Peter, James, and John being mentioned together show their equality or distinction, the answer would be YES! No one was any greater than the other was substantially. The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit being put together in the same verse demonstrates that they are all on equal footing.



One might then ask, “Well, what about all of the verses that exclude the Holy Spirit and mention the Father and Son only?” To this I would reply, “what about them?” Every verse in the Bible does not need to say the same exact thing to establish a matter, remember, all we need are two or three witnesses with none contradicting their testimony. The Holy Spirit does not need to be mentioned in every breath as the Father and the Son for the same reason that the son did not need to be mentioned in every passage with the Father and Holy Spirit. There are times when certain members of the Trinity are in view and others are not, but this in no way serves to invalidate the doctrine

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