The Triune Nature of God
TRINITARIAN HYMNS
I grew up in the Presbyterian Church (USA) singing about the Trinity in one of my favorite hymns, “Holy, Holy, Holy”.
“Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee;
Holy, holy, holy! merciful and mighty!
God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!”
We also sang doxologies at the end of service. A doxology is an expression of praise to God and is usually sung at the end of church service or a psalmody. Two of the 3 most common doxologies are:
“Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow”
”Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
Praise him, all creatures here below;
Praise him above, ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.”
and
“Glory Be to the Father”
”Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost,
As it was in the beginning,
Is now, and ever shall be,
World without end. Amen.”
The Trinity was also referenced when we recited the Apostle’s Creed during service. I didn’t really question this doctrine nor give it much thought even when I was younger and an unbeliever.
ANTI-TRINITARIANISM
There are a few non-Christian cults that argue against the Biblical doctrine of the Trinity such as: Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons (Latter-day Saints or LDS), Oneness Pentecostals, Christian Scientists, Unitarians, etc. They often deny the triune nature of God because they are reading verses out of context, the word Trinity is not present in the Scriptures, and because this doctrine is virtually impossible for our human minds to completely comprehend.
Though the second claims are true, the scriptures do affirm the triune nature of God. We must remember that it is absolutely ok to believe what God’s Word says without completely understanding it no matter how much we try. We are finite beings and will never have every answer or 100% understanding this side of Heaven. But we can trust the ONE who always has, does, and will.
The Trinity is a foundational and Biblical doctrine because it is essential to who God reveals Himself to be through His Word. To deny the Trinity is to deny God Himself.
(Though the concept of submission exists within the Trinity, it is not eternal and does not change the character of any person nor their deity.)
WHAT IS THE TRINITY?
“Though you won’t find the word Trinity in the Bible, the concept is biblical. This doctrine emerges when all of Scripture is surveyed and three essential elements come together. First, there’s only one God. Second, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinct persons. Third, each of these persons is fully God.”
The Doctrine of the Trinity (1)
The Bible teaches that:
-There is ONE God. (Deuteronomy 6:4; 1 Corinthians 8:4; Galatians 3:20; 1 Timothy 2:5)
-He exists in 3 distinct persons who are all God:
(Genesis 1:1, 26; 3:22; 11:7; Isaiah 6:8, 48:16, 61:1; Matthew 3:16-17, 28:19; Luke 3:22; 2 Corinthians 13:14; John 3:16-18; 6:27; Acts 5:3-4; Philippians 2:1-11)
“And God said ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.” Genesis 1:26
This is one of the very first verses that explicitly tells us that God exists in more than one person. He says “our” image. He is not referring to multiple gods. He is also not referring to Himself and the angels since angels are created beings and do not have creation power as God does. He is referring to Himself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Trinity created everything together for their glory.
-These 3 persons are:
God the Father (John 6:27; Romans 1:7; 1 Peter 1:2)
God the Son, Jesus (John 1:1, 14; Romans 9:5; Colossians 2:9; Hebrews 1:8; 1 John 5:20),
God the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:3-4; 1 Corinthians 3:16) .
-They are also:
Co-eternal: lasting forever or existing without end together/at the same time.
Co-existent: existing at the same time.
Co-equal: persons same in quantity, size, degree or value.
-Each person of the trinity has different roles, but they are not eternally subservient nor subordinate to each other. (There is a heresy called ESS, Eternal Subordination of the Son, floating around out there. Be aware and very careful of this! Here is a great post on this and why it’s a problem; https://www.reformation21.org/blogs/the-eternal-subordination-of-t.php
WHY DOES THE TRINITY MATTER?
Every other religion either claims to worship a non-trinitarian god, multiple gods, the universe, the Flying Spaghetti Monster, or even claims that they are or can become god. (um...how exactly does that work?)
Simply put, the Trinity is essential to God’s nature and to the Gospel. The Father chose the Son to save His people from their sins by dying for them in their place and redeeming them to Himself. Jesus satisfied the Father’s wrath against all sin for those who repent of their sins and believe on Him for salvation. After Jesus died, rose from the grave on the 3rd day, and ascended into Heaven, He left Holy Spirit to be an Advocate, Helper, Comforter, and Counselor. Holy Spirit is the one who opens our eyes to our need for Christ, makes us born again, and promises to dwell in the hearts of those who believe.
If…
...there isn’t a trinitarian God who exists, Christianity is no different from any other polytheistic faith.
...the Father isn’t God, who would have given His only begotten Son to atone for the sins of mankind?
...Jesus isn’t God, there’s no hope for humanity and our transgressions against the Father, and no one to show us how to live in a way that is pleasing to the Father?
...Holy Spirit isn’t God, who makes us born again, convicts us of sin, and guides us in righteousness?
...there’s no Trinity, there’s no hope for humanity.
The trinity uniquely distinguishes the true God from the other false ones.
In Psalm 45:6-7 and Hebrews 1:8-9, the Son is distinct from the Father.
“When Jesus speaks of the Father sending the Holy Spirit as a helper in John 14:16-17, this shows that He did not consider himself to be the Father nor the Holy Spirit and that all 3 are separate and have differing roles in salvation. There are various passages where the Son speaks and references the Father and the Holy Spirit. (Isaiah 4:16, 61: 1; Luke 4:14-19.) When Jesus is being baptized in Matthew 3:16-17, God the Holy Spirit descends on Jesus. God the Father then says that ‘Jesus is his beloved Son with whom he is well pleased.’ Even in John 3:16 we see evidence of the Father and the Son being completely separate from each other with God.” (1)
HOW DOES THE TRINITY AFFECT OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE GOSPEL?
If we don’t get the triune nature of God right, we won’t have the gospel right. And if we don’t get the gospel right, we will be in big trouble when it comes to trying to share the hope of salvation with humanity.
In the next 3 blog posts, I will thoroughly but briefly use Scripture to cover the triune nature of God and each person of the Trinity, as well as their importance as God, role in salvation, relationship to each other, and humanity.
“It is a doctrine that shapes the whole of the Christian faith and devotion. We Christians revel in the fact that God has saved us, and when we set out to explain what that means we cannot avoid speaking of God as Father, Son, and Spirit – that the Father in grace sent his Son on a mission of rescue, that the Son came and accomplished our redemption, and that the Spirit, being sent by the Father and the Son, has drawn us to Christ, uniting us to him so that we may enjoy, in him, all the benefits of his saving work. Indeed, by the Spirit the Triune God himself has come to indwell us, to make us his, and to secure us for himself in love forever.” (1)
REFLECT & APPLY
Did you grow up believing in the trinity? If not, how did you come to believe in the trinity now?
If you don’t believe in the trinity at the moment, what verses have you been taught to discredit this doctrine?
Have you ever had to defend the biblical doctrine of the trinity?
How has the belief in the trinity affected your walk with and understanding of God?
Sources:
“The Doctrine of the Trinity”. The Gospel Coalition. https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/course/the-doctrine-of-the-trinity/#course-introduction
“The Eternal Subordination of the Son”, Reformation 21. https://www.reformation21.org/blogs/the-eternal-subordination-of-t.php
