{"id":8745,"date":"2026-04-23T06:49:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-23T10:49:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/learn\/?p=8745"},"modified":"2026-04-20T16:22:55","modified_gmt":"2026-04-20T20:22:55","slug":"is-trinity-biblical","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/learn\/topics-themes\/character-of-god\/is-trinity-biblical\/","title":{"rendered":"The Word \u2018Trinity\u2019 Isn\u2019t in the Bible \u2026 So Is It Really Biblical?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Some years ago, I noticed how Father, Son, and Holy Spirit \u2014 the three persons of the Trinity \u2014 kept turning up together in the New Testament, sometimes in the same breath. As when, for instance, Jesus told his followers to \u201cgo and make disciples of all nations,\u00a0baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit\u201d (Matthew 28:19<\/a> NIV).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet the word Trinity <\/em>itself never shows up in Scripture. Anywhere<\/em>. So I\u2019ve also long wondered: For a belief that sits at the center of the Christian faith<\/a>, what should we make of this big, important word missing from the Bible\u2019s vocabulary? Is the Trinity in the Bible?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the actual word cannot be found, I have concluded again and again, the Trinity\u2019s truth stretches across the Bible\u2019s many pages. It interweaves so much of what we see of God in God\u2019s character and work. And the Trinity, as the early church found, provides the best explanation for how the three persons belong together, work together, operate together for our life and salvation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I find it helpful to categorize such pointers to God\u2019s triune reality in four ways: hints, examples, teachings, and hopes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Hints of the Trinity, Early On<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

You could argue that the Trinity first makes a subtle appearance in the very first chapter of the Bible. I mean the use in Genesis of the first-person plural \u2014 us \u2014 when God fashions and speaks humankind into existence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To be clear: What we find in Genesis is more a hint than any proof. Still, many Christians through the ages have seen foreshadowing here. There is <\/em>something intriguing when the one God in Genesis 1 says at Creation, \u201cLet us make humans in our image, according to our likeness\u201d\u00a0(Gen. 1:26<\/a> NRSV). Why \u201cLet us <\/em>make\u201d? Why \u201cour <\/em>image\u201d? Does that not suggest a picturing of God richer than that of some aloof being shut up in lonely solitariness?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Trusted<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Of course, Bible scholars, including those well before there was a New Testament, have found varied explanations for the plural forms: God perhaps simply spoke out loud to no one in particular (as suggested the medieval rabbi and commentator Rashi). This would be a creative and affable God, almost talking to himself, you could say, as he came to the supreme culmination of all his creating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Or maybe, another line of reasoning runs, God is speaking to the angelic host, a heavenly court of celestial beings of astonishing glory. (See, for instance, Isa. 6:8; Job 38:7<\/a>, for tantalizing scenes of the heavenly realms.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But Christians have long thought more than that was going on here. God would not say to his cherubim and seraphim<\/a>,<\/em> \u201cLet us make,\u201d would he? And look at how Genesis names clearly the \u201cspirit\u201d of God hovering over the dark, soon-to-be fashioned waters. The word spirit <\/em>in Genesis 1 (capitalized in some versions) can mean wind or force. But also, in an image much more personal, it conjures the imagery and feeling of breath.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Was not the Spirit here hovering over the inky waters? As a Creed would later proclaim of the third person of the Trinity<\/a>, here was \u201cthe Lord, the giver of life.\u201d Might we be witnessing here a divine collaboration, a delighted, relational engagement as God makes the universe and bequeathes life?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Again, while the word Trinity <\/em>is not in the Bible itself, later Christians would have a field day with the rich possibilities found in such interplay of the Three. With the benefit of the early church\u2019s clarifying of the persons of the Trinity, fourth-century church preacher and archbishop John Chrysostom would go so far to say this: \u201c\u2018Let us make\u2019 suggests deliberation, collaboration, and conference with another person.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To extend the ancient preacher\u2019s thought, I think of what John\u2019s Gospel also says about the world coming into being through Jesus, the Word. \u201cThrough him,\u201d <\/em>John declares, \u201call things were made\u201d (Jn. 1:3a<\/a> NIV, emphasis mine). So I\u2019m thinking collaboration and conversation with not just \u201canother person,\u201d as Chrysostom suggested, but persons. <\/em>Even in the Bible\u2019s opening scenes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No proof here, but, I would argue, a clue. But there\u2019s more \u2014 far more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Examples of the Trinity, as the Bible\u2019s Story Unfolds<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In addition to an occasional hint, God gives some moving glimpses. The Bible unveils not only the oneness, but also the triune, even conversational nature of God. I\u2019m thinking particularly of examples of the communion enjoyed in the Gospels between Jesus the Son and his Father. I see their tenderness in a scene in the Gospel of Mark: John baptizes Jesus, and a voice, the Father\u2019s, \u201ccame from heaven, \u2018You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased\u2019\u201d (Mk. 1:11<\/a> ESV).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This isn\u2019t even the first glimpse in Mark of the Father and Son in conversation and communion \u2014 that is found in Mark\u2019s opening to his Gospel, in his very first line in Mk. 1:1<\/a> (ESV), \u201cThe beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.\u201d We learn how being \u201cSon\u201d rests at the heart of Jesus\u2019 identity. And then, when you grant that, how do you have a son who does not share in the very nature of his father? For good reason, Jesus\u2019s earliest witnesses realized he was God made flesh, God made human, the Son of God (see especially John 1:14<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And in the baptism story, while you could miss it, the Spirit also shows up, completing the whole trinitarian scheme of things, for in Mark, after his baptism by John the Baptist, Jesus comes out of the Jordan\u2019s waters and \u201csaw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit<\/em> descending like a dove upon him\u201d (Mk. 1:10<\/a> NIV, emphasis my own).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here we see the Trinity in action. Theologians would later call this idea of the operations of the Trinity the economic <\/em>Trinity; that technical theological term refers to the \u201ceconomy\u201d or the \u201cassembling\u201d of the persons of the Trinity. This kind of vocabulary highlights the Fellowship of the Three\u2019s unbreakable unity, and yet their distinctive, active roles in time and history: their deep work in creating, redeeming, and sanctifying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Teachings on the Triune, Relational God<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

So much of the Bible\u2019s imagery (inadequate as it must be in referring to an infinite God) has a relational feel. The Bible stresses all kinds of things about God through word pictures<\/a>: a stone wall\u2019s strength, a tree, cooling water, an eagle\u2019s wings, but its profoundest word pictures also portray love in action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even the most concrete, most poetic images have relational aspects. For instance, God may be called a Rock in the Old Testament, but we see how he also lives as a Rock of refuge \u2014 <\/em>for his people. <\/em>We hear of the tenderness of God carrying his people on \u201ceagle\u2019s wings\u201d \u2014 upon which God says, \u201cI bore you.\u201d As though all along he bears us, all along carries his people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While we can take comfort from such reassuring imagery, the Trinity breaks the picture of a kind God wide open.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Perhaps nowhere is there a more triadic, triune-like bringing together of the Three Persons than on the lips of Jesus himself. As noted above, Matthew 28:16-20<\/a> presents a clear interlinking of the three. To return to our question, \u201cis the Trinity in the Bible?\u201d \u2014 it certainly seems so here, for in Matthew, as we\u2019ve seen in Mark, we watch all three persons present and involved in Jesus\u2019 baptism (Mt. 3:16-17<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But something exceptional happens in Matthew\u2019s chapter 28, as the resurrected Jesus is commissioning his followers, instructing them on how to baptize new believers. Scholar R.T. France even calls 28:19, with its talk of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, a trinitarian \u201cformula.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c[N]othing like it occurs elsewhere in the New Testament,\u201d he writes, \u201cthough the close association of the Son with the Father has been seen [elsewhere in Matthew\u2019s Gospel] in 11:27; 24:36<\/a>.\u201d For, France continues, \u201cIt is one thing for Jesus to speak about his relationship with God as Son with Father \u2026 and to draw attention to the close links between himself and the Holy Spirit \u2026\u201d but for the Son to assume a place amid the Father and the Holy Spirit, to make all three a focus of \u201cthe disciple\u2019s allegiance is extraordinary.\u201d Why baptize the new child of God into the three if they were not all vitally important in the new birth and life made possible in God?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And later, another place where we gain more than a hint \u2014 what qualifies as a teaching \u2014 is 2 Corinthians 13:14<\/a>: \u201cMay the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,\u201d Paul the apostle wrote,\u00a0\u201cand the love of God,\u00a0and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit\u00a0be with you all\u201d (NIV). (\u201cGod\u201d in Paul\u2019s formulation refers to the Father.) Here is Paul\u2019s concluding benediction for the church at Corinth, a conclusion to an intense letter in which he had to confront them and brook some worrying challenges. And he knows that only a reference to all three persons will be adequate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paul envisions not just Christ\u2019s grace, then \u2014 the central Gospel news of our unmerited grace and favor through redeeming love. No, we are also pointed to the love of a Father-like God<\/a>, a love fathomless in depth and infinite in height. We are told of a communion made possible by the vivid, visceral presence of the Spirit, the intimate contact point of God<\/a> with believers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, one can veer off into problematic ways in exploring the Trinity: so accenting the oneness that the richness of the three gets lost in a kind of vast, unrelatable God; or so emphasizing the threeness that we see God as composed in parts, with wills and \u201cpersonalities\u201d operating separately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No, three <\/em>in movements and person, but one<\/em> in divine will and essence and being. And the one then points us back again to the three.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lest we think all this merely comes as a philosophical add-on in later centuries, it strikes me how the three link in oneness and rich relational reality even in the early church\u2019s first proclamation. Peter, on the day of Pentecost, declares to the crowd not only the redeeming atonement of Jesus on the cross, he also pulls in the divine three: \u201cExalted to the right hand of God, [Jesus] has received from the Father <\/em>the promised Holy Spirit<\/em> and has poured out what you now see and hear. \u2026 Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit\u201d<\/em> (Acts 2:33, 38<\/a>, NIV, emphasis mine).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Hopes for What the Trinity Can Mean<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Such is the mystery of the Trinity: not a mystery that baffles or confounds as much as one that calls forth reverent awe and growing expectancy that we, even in life\u2019s hard or little moments, can share in that loving, wonder-filled communion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we think about our desires to pray and draw closer to God, we picture a way of talking about God and speaking to God that resembles a family\u2019s moments of intimacy. Such imagery, rooted in Scripture itself, gives us a grammar for the expansive, extravagant love of God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Trinity, gently articulated in the New Testament, warms our view of God rather than complicates it. We feel the mountain sunshine air of a warmly personal God in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit \u2014 calling us, welcoming us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n
\n
\"Cover<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Discover the life-changing answer to your soul’s deepest question: Am I loved?<\/em> <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In\u00a0Fully Beloved: Meeting God in Our Heartaches and Our Hopes<\/a>,\u00a0<\/em>author and pastor Timothy Jones leads you on a spiritually nourishing exploration of how God’s triune nature of love\u00a0really<\/em>\u00a0impacts your life, bringing deep healing, richer connection with others, and renewed passion for life.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The word “Trinity” doesn’t show up anywhere in the Bible. Yet the truth of God in three persons stretches across the entirety of Scripture.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":8747,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[459],"tags":[519,73,342,536,103,343],"yoast_head":"\nThe Word \u2018Trinity\u2019 Isn\u2019t in the Bible \u2026 So Is It Really Biblical? | Bible Gateway News & Knowledge<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The word "Trinity" doesn't show up anywhere in the Bible. Yet the truth of God in three persons stretches across the entirety of Scripture.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/learn\/topics-themes\/character-of-god\/is-trinity-biblical\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Word \u2018Trinity\u2019 Isn\u2019t in the Bible \u2026 So Is It Really Biblical?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The word "Trinity" doesn't show up anywhere in the Bible. Yet the truth of God in three persons stretches across the entirety of Scripture.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/learn\/topics-themes\/character-of-god\/is-trinity-biblical\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Bible Gateway News & Knowledge\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/BibleGateway\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-04-23T10:49:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/staticblog.bgcdn.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/20162136\/god-trinity.jpg?fit=1600%2C900&ssl=1\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1600\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"900\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Jacob Edson\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@biblegateway\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@biblegateway\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Timothy Jones\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"10 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/learn\/topics-themes\/character-of-god\/is-trinity-biblical\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/learn\/topics-themes\/character-of-god\/is-trinity-biblical\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Jacob Edson\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/learn\/#\/schema\/person\/3ae0098f86082fb2d8e603c9456546ec\"},\"headline\":\"The Word \u2018Trinity\u2019 Isn\u2019t in the Bible \u2026 So Is It Really Biblical?\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-04-23T10:49:00+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/learn\/topics-themes\/character-of-god\/is-trinity-biblical\/\"},\"wordCount\":2000,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/learn\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/learn\/topics-themes\/character-of-god\/is-trinity-biblical\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/staticblog.bgcdn.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/20162136\/god-trinity.jpg?fit=1600%2C900&ssl=1\",\"keywords\":[\"Father\",\"God's love\",\"Holy Spirit\",\"Son\",\"theology\",\"Trinity\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Character of God\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"copyrightYear\":\"2026\",\"copyrightHolder\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/learn\/#organization\"}},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/learn\/topics-themes\/character-of-god\/is-trinity-biblical\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/learn\/topics-themes\/character-of-god\/is-trinity-biblical\/\",\"name\":\"The Word \u2018Trinity\u2019 Isn\u2019t in the Bible \u2026 So Is It Really Biblical? | Bible Gateway News & Knowledge\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/learn\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/learn\/topics-themes\/character-of-god\/is-trinity-biblical\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/learn\/topics-themes\/character-of-god\/is-trinity-biblical\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/staticblog.bgcdn.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/20162136\/god-trinity.jpg?fit=1600%2C900&ssl=1\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-04-23T10:49:00+00:00\",\"description\":\"The word \\\"Trinity\\\" doesn't show up anywhere in the Bible. Yet the truth of God in three persons stretches across the entirety of Scripture.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/learn\/topics-themes\/character-of-god\/is-trinity-biblical\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/learn\/topics-themes\/character-of-god\/is-trinity-biblical\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/learn\/topics-themes\/character-of-god\/is-trinity-biblical\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/staticblog.bgcdn.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/20162136\/god-trinity.jpg?fit=1600%2C900&ssl=1\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/staticblog.bgcdn.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/20162136\/god-trinity.jpg?fit=1600%2C900&ssl=1\",\"width\":1600,\"height\":900,\"caption\":\"Stained glass depicting God the Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/learn\/topics-themes\/character-of-god\/is-trinity-biblical\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/learn\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"The Word \u2018Trinity\u2019 Isn\u2019t in the Bible \u2026 So Is It Really Biblical?\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/learn\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/learn\/\",\"name\":\"Bible Gateway News & Knowledge\",\"description\":\"Your Guide to the Bible\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/learn\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/learn\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/learn\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Bible Gateway\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/learn\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/learn\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/staticblog.bgcdn.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/07150859\/cropped-BibleGateway-Logo-white_blog-2-e1718050789326.png?fit=894%2C217&ssl=1\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/staticblog.bgcdn.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/07150859\/cropped-BibleGateway-Logo-white_blog-2-e1718050789326.png?fit=894%2C217&ssl=1\",\"width\":894,\"height\":217,\"caption\":\"Bible Gateway\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/learn\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/BibleGateway\/\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/biblegateway\",\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/BibleGateway\/\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/learn\/#\/schema\/person\/3ae0098f86082fb2d8e603c9456546ec\",\"name\":\"Jacob Edson\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/learn\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/staticblog.bgcdn.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/16165603\/jacob-edson-scaled-e1723842136227.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/staticblog.bgcdn.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/16165603\/jacob-edson-scaled-e1723842136227.jpg\",\"caption\":\"Jacob Edson\"},\"description\":\"Jacob Edson is Editorial Director of Bible Gateway. He holds a Master of Theological Studies in Early Christian Thought from Harvard Divinity School, and a Bachelor of Arts in Religious History from Memorial University of Newfoundland, though with most of his coursework from the University of Hawai'i at Manoa. His work has previously appeared in Ekstasis and Geez Magazine. He lives with his wife and children in New England.\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/learn\/author\/timothy-jones\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"The Word \u2018Trinity\u2019 Isn\u2019t in the Bible \u2026 So Is It Really Biblical? | Bible Gateway News & Knowledge","description":"The word \"Trinity\" doesn't show up anywhere in the Bible. Yet the truth of God in three persons stretches across the entirety of Scripture.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/learn\/topics-themes\/character-of-god\/is-trinity-biblical\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"The Word \u2018Trinity\u2019 Isn\u2019t in the Bible \u2026 So Is It Really Biblical?","og_description":"The word \"Trinity\" doesn't show up anywhere in the Bible. Yet the truth of God in three persons stretches across the entirety of Scripture.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/learn\/topics-themes\/character-of-god\/is-trinity-biblical\/","og_site_name":"Bible Gateway News & Knowledge","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/BibleGateway\/","article_published_time":"2026-04-23T10:49:00+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1600,"height":900,"url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/staticblog.bgcdn.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/20162136\/god-trinity.jpg?fit=1600%2C900&ssl=1","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Jacob Edson","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@biblegateway","twitter_site":"@biblegateway","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Timothy Jones","Est. reading time":"10 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/learn\/topics-themes\/character-of-god\/is-trinity-biblical\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/learn\/topics-themes\/character-of-god\/is-trinity-biblical\/"},"author":{"name":"Jacob Edson","@id":"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/learn\/#\/schema\/person\/3ae0098f86082fb2d8e603c9456546ec"},"headline":"The Word \u2018Trinity\u2019 Isn\u2019t in the Bible \u2026 So Is It Really Biblical?","datePublished":"2026-04-23T10:49:00+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/learn\/topics-themes\/character-of-god\/is-trinity-biblical\/"},"wordCount":2000,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/learn\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/learn\/topics-themes\/character-of-god\/is-trinity-biblical\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/staticblog.bgcdn.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/20162136\/god-trinity.jpg?fit=1600%2C900&ssl=1","keywords":["Father","God's love","Holy Spirit","Son","theology","Trinity"],"articleSection":["Character of God"],"inLanguage":"en-US","copyrightYear":"2026","copyrightHolder":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/learn\/#organization"}},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/learn\/topics-themes\/character-of-god\/is-trinity-biblical\/","url":"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/learn\/topics-themes\/character-of-god\/is-trinity-biblical\/","name":"The Word \u2018Trinity\u2019 Isn\u2019t in the Bible \u2026 So Is It Really Biblical? | Bible Gateway News & Knowledge","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/learn\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/learn\/topics-themes\/character-of-god\/is-trinity-biblical\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/learn\/topics-themes\/character-of-god\/is-trinity-biblical\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/staticblog.bgcdn.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/20162136\/god-trinity.jpg?fit=1600%2C900&ssl=1","datePublished":"2026-04-23T10:49:00+00:00","description":"The word \"Trinity\" doesn't show up anywhere in the Bible. Yet the truth of God in three persons stretches across the entirety of Scripture.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/learn\/topics-themes\/character-of-god\/is-trinity-biblical\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/learn\/topics-themes\/character-of-god\/is-trinity-biblical\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/learn\/topics-themes\/character-of-god\/is-trinity-biblical\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/staticblog.bgcdn.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/20162136\/god-trinity.jpg?fit=1600%2C900&ssl=1","contentUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/staticblog.bgcdn.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/20162136\/god-trinity.jpg?fit=1600%2C900&ssl=1","width":1600,"height":900,"caption":"Stained glass depicting God the Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/learn\/topics-themes\/character-of-god\/is-trinity-biblical\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/learn\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"The Word \u2018Trinity\u2019 Isn\u2019t in the Bible \u2026 So Is It Really Biblical?"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/learn\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/learn\/","name":"Bible Gateway News & Knowledge","description":"Your Guide to the Bible","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/learn\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/learn\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/learn\/#organization","name":"Bible Gateway","url":"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/learn\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/learn\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/staticblog.bgcdn.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/07150859\/cropped-BibleGateway-Logo-white_blog-2-e1718050789326.png?fit=894%2C217&ssl=1","contentUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/staticblog.bgcdn.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/07150859\/cropped-BibleGateway-Logo-white_blog-2-e1718050789326.png?fit=894%2C217&ssl=1","width":894,"height":217,"caption":"Bible Gateway"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/learn\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/BibleGateway\/","https:\/\/x.com\/biblegateway","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/BibleGateway\/"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/learn\/#\/schema\/person\/3ae0098f86082fb2d8e603c9456546ec","name":"Jacob Edson","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/learn\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/staticblog.bgcdn.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/16165603\/jacob-edson-scaled-e1723842136227.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/staticblog.bgcdn.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/16165603\/jacob-edson-scaled-e1723842136227.jpg","caption":"Jacob Edson"},"description":"Jacob Edson is Editorial Director of Bible Gateway. He holds a Master of Theological Studies in Early Christian Thought from Harvard Divinity School, and a Bachelor of Arts in Religious History from Memorial University of Newfoundland, though with most of his coursework from the University of Hawai'i at Manoa. His work has previously appeared in Ekstasis and Geez Magazine. He lives with his wife and children in New England.","url":"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/learn\/author\/timothy-jones\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8745"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8745"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8745\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8748,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8745\/revisions\/8748"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8747"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8745"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8745"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8745"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}