This is Part One of a four-part series on the Christian doctrine of the Trinity, one God in three persons. This article introduces the concept, and the subsequent articles will take a closer look at each person of the Trinity, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
One of the unique aspects of the Christian faith is the concept of the Trinity. How can three persons be considered One God? It’s a concept that is difficult to grasp, but clearly evident in Scripture.
Understanding the Trinity helps us understand the nature of God. This in turn helps us understand ourselves because we are made in the image of God. However, it also helps us position ourselves in the cosmos when we embrace the mystery of God himself.
The Bible reveals the nature of God as spirit, unity, and trinity.
- He is a spirit, a personal, infinite being (John 4:24).
- He is one, one in substance or nature and incapable of being divided into separate parts (Deut. 6:4).
- He is three, eternally existing in three coequal Persons (Matt. 28:19).
While great mystery surrounds God’s nature, it is reassuring to know our God is more complex than us. After all, if God were someone easily understood by mortals, he would cease to be God. Through Scripture, we know that his attributes are love, holiness, constancy, justice, truth, eternalness, omniscience (all-knowledge), omnipresence (all-presence), and omnipotence (all-powerfulness). The fact that we can grasp and understand even this much about God is evidence of God’s desire that all peoples may know Him. He has chosen to reveal himself so that we can have access to the God of the universe.
Unity of the Trinity (Genesis 1:26)
At times, Christians have been accused of worshiping three Gods: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Early and medieval Judaism, for example, could not conceive of any theological explanation that vindicated Christianity of this charge of polytheism.
However, Christians have always affirmed the great monotheistic statements of the Old Testament, like “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one!” (Deut. 6:4 NKJV) and “The Lord is one, and His name one” (Zech. 14:9 NKJV). They see the concept of the Trinity in Genesis when God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness” (Gen. 1:26 NKJV).
At the same time, theologians have wrestled with how to express the unity of God’s Being while recognizing distinctions among the three Persons interacting and fellowshipping within Him. Some have used the analogy of an egg with three parts — the shell, the yolk, and the whites. Others have compared it to water in three forms — fog, rain, and ice. But at some point, each analogy falls short of explaining how three distinct persons interact with one another as a singular being.
The early church fathers spoke of one divine essence or substance that could not be divided.
Within that one essence are three personal distinctions: the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. No one has improved on that description.
The New Testament, which teaches the deity of Father (John 6:27), Son (John 1:1; 20:28), and Holy Spirit (Acts 5:3–4), also stresses the unity of God (Mark 12:29–32; John 17:3; 1 Cor. 8:4–6; 1 Tim. 2:5). One person is not “more God” than the others, and all the parts work together with a unified purpose and desire.
The mystery of the Trinity should remind us that when we contemplate God’s nature, we reach the limits of finite human understanding. At the same time, the complexity of human personality, which somehow reflects the divine personality, should cause us not to be surprised by how multifaceted He is. We struggle to understand ourselves and why we do what we do. How much more beyond comprehension is God — Creator of all things!
Persons of the Trinity (2 Corinthians 13:14)
The one, indivisible divine essence has eternally existed in three Persons: The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matt. 3:16–17; 28:19; 1 Cor. 12:4–6; 1 Pet. 1:2; 3:18). These three Persons, however, are not a cosmic committee that meets to rule over heaven and earth. Rather, the three Persons exist within one God. They comprise one divine Being.
Each Person of the Trinity has the full divine nature. The Father is not merely “part of God,” nor is the Son or Spirit. When you look at either the Father, the Son, or the Spirit, you are looking at God — not just a piece of Him (John 14:9; 1 Cor. 2:10–16; Heb. 1:3).
Nor does the one God take on three different roles or parts. Our one God does not act as the Father at times, the Son at other times, and the Spirit at still other times. Each Person is fully divine at the same time. Even the Old Testament, with its strict monotheism (Deut. 6:4; Zech. 14:9), hints at a plurality of Persons within the Godhead. There are glimpses of God deliberating with Himself as a plural Being at creation (Gen. 1:26), at the tower of Babel (Gen. 11:7), and when they asked Isaiah “Who will go for Us?” (Is. 6:8 NKJV).
A reoccurring Old Testament figure called the Angel of the Lord is also identified as God. He appeared to Jacob in a dream (Gen. 31:11, 13), and at the burning bush with Moses (Ex. 3:2–5). Even the “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts” from the mouth of the seraphim (Is. 6:3 NKJV) is consistent with three Persons in God’s Being.
Interaction Within the Trinity (Ephesians 1:4, 7, 13)
Early in Scripture, we can see glimpses of interaction within the Trinity at creation (Gen. 1:1–2, 26) and the confusion of languages at Babel (Gen. 11:7). However, a clearer picture of the way the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit relate to one another emerges in the New Testament, namely in the redemption of people.
The Father decrees the plans to be carried out on humanity’s behalf (Eph. 1:4). The word “Father” is variously applied in the Bible. When God is spoken of as the Father of all humankind, it is as Creator. When he is called the Father of Israel, it indicates a bond established by covenant. Being the Father of Jesus expresses an eternal, unique relationship. He is also the Father of believers, which denotes a relationship established by grace. However “Father” is used, it is a deliberately chosen word to communicate one of the primary ways God wants us to conceive of Him.
The Son serves humankind to implement the Father’s plans (Eph. 1:7). The title “Son of God” is one that Jesus never directly applied to Himself. But when others applied it to Him, Jesus willingly accepted it as a claim to His own deity (John 10:24–38). Jesus often referred to Himself as “the Son,” which was certainly an abbreviation for “the Son of God.” Because Jesus was the Son of God, we have confidence that He spoke with the authoritative words of God.
The Son of God also accepted the role of Lamb of God in order to die in the place of sinners and provide forgiveness of sins for all who believe. It can be said that our relationship with the Son of God determines whether we will become Christians, and our relationship with the Spirit of God determines what kind of believers we will be. The Holy Spirit applies the work of the Son to the daily experience of those who believe in Christ (Eph. 1:13–14).
A similar pattern appears at Jesus’ baptism (Matt. 3:16–17). The Father announced what Jesus — His Son — was doing pleased Him. Jesus identified with sinful Israel by asking John the Baptist to baptize him. John’s baptism was one of repentance, and even though Jesus had not sinned, he wanted to show Israel what they ought to do. The Holy Spirit descended like a dove as a sign for those who would believe.
In 1 Corinthians 12:4–6, we see a picture of the Persons of the Trinity interacting to direct the ministry of the church. The Holy Spirit gives gifts to each Christian for use in ministry. The Son establishes the pattern of ministry achieved by the gifted believers. The Father empowers what will be accomplished in a congregation as part of the universal church.
Conclusion: Let the Mystery of the Trinity Lead You to Worship
The Trinity is clearly seen throughout Scripture in both the Old and New Testaments. But just because the evidence is clear, it doesn’t mean that it’s an easy concept to grasp. When you start studying the Trinity, you will often walk away with more questions than answers. But let this mystery lead you to worship the unfathomable attributes of the one true God. Just as the parts of the Trinity submit themselves to each other, you can submit your life to God for the glory of God.
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