What is the doctrine of the Trinity, when did it become accepted and where is it found in scripture?

Answer 1

The most difficult thing about the Christian concept of the Trinity is that there is no way to adequately explain it. The Trinity is a concept that is impossible for any human being to fully understand, let alone explain. God is infinitely greater than we are, therefore we should not expect to be able to fully understand Him. The Bible teaches that the Father is God, that Jesus is God, and that the Holy Spirit is God. The Bible also teaches that there is only one God. Though we can understand some facts about the relationship of the different persons of the Trinity to one another, ultimately, it is incomprehensible to the human mind. However, this does not mean it is not true or not based on the teachings of the Bible.



Keep in mind when studying this subject that the word "Trinity" is not used in Scripture. This is a term that is used to attempt to describe the triune God, the fact that there are 3 coexistent, co-eternal persons that make up God. Understand that this is NOT in any way suggesting 3 Gods. The Trinity is 1 God made up of 3 persons. There is nothing wrong with using the term "Trinity" even though the word is not found in the Bible. It is shorter to say the word "Trinity" than to say "3 coexistent, co-eternal persons making up 1 God." If this presents a problem to you, consider this: the word grandfather is not used in the Bible either. Yet, we know there were grandfathers in the Bible. Abraham was the grandfather of Jacob. So don't get hung up on the term "Trinity" itself. What should be of real importance is that the concept that is REPRESENTED by the word "Trinity" does exist in Scripture. With the introduction out of the way, Bible verses will be given in discussion of the Trinity.



1) There is one God: Deuteronomy 6:4; 1 Corinthians 8:4; Galatians 3:20; 1 Timothy 2:5.



2) The Trinity consists of three Persons: Genesis 1:1; 1:26; 3:22; 11:7; Isaiah 6:8; 48:16; 61:1; Matthew 3:16-17; Matt 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14. In the passages in the Old Testament, a knowledge of Hebrew is helpful. In Genesis 1:1, the plural noun "Elohim" is used. In Genesis 1:26; 3:22; 11:7 and Isaiah 6:8, the plural pronoun for "us" is used. That "Elohim" and "us" refer to more than two is WITHOUT question. In English, you only have two forms, singular and plural. In Hebrew, you have three forms: singular, dual, and plural. Dual is for two ONLY. In Hebrew, the dual form is used for things that come in pairs like eyes, ears, and hands. The word "Elohim" and the pronoun "us" are plural forms - definitely more than two - and must be referring to three or more (Father, Son, Holy Spirit).



In Isaiah 48:16 and 61:1, the Son is speaking while making reference to the Father and the Holy Spirit. Compare Isaiah 61:1 to Luke 4:14-19 to see that it is the Son speaking. Matthew 3:16-17 describes the event of Jesus' baptism. Seen in this is God the Holy Spirit descending on God the Son while God the Father proclaims His pleasure in the Son. Matthew 28:19 and 2 Corinthians 13:14 are examples of 3 distinct persons in the Trinity.



3) The members of the Trinity are distinguished one from another in various passages: In the Old Testament, "LORD" is distinguished from "Lord" (Genesis 19:24; Hosea 1:4). The "LORD" has a "Son" (Psalm 2:7, 12; Proverbs 30:2-4). Spirit is distinguished from the "LORD" (Numbers 27:18) and from "God" (Psalm 51:10-12). God the Son is distinguished from God the Father (Psalm 45:6-7; Hebrews 1:8-9). In the New Testament, John 14:16-17 is where Jesus speaks to the Father about sending a Helper, the Holy Spirit. This shows that Jesus did not consider Himself to be the Father or the Holy Spirit. Consider also all of the other times in the Gospels where Jesus speaks to the Father. Was He speaking to Himself? No. He spoke to another person in the Trinity - the Father.



4) Each member of the Trinity is God: The Father is God: John 6:27; Romans 1:7; 1 Peter 1:2. The Son is God: John 1:1, 14; Romans 9:5; Colossians 2:9; Hebrews 1:8; 1 John 5:20. The Holy Spirit is God: Acts 5:3-4; 1 Corinthians 3:16 (The One who indwells is the Holy Spirit - Romans 8:9; John 14:16-17; Acts 2:1-4).



5) The subordination within the Trinity: Scripture shows that the Holy Spirit is subordinate to the Father and the Son, and the Son is subordinate to the Father. This is an internal relationship, and does not deny the deity of any person of the Trinity. This is simply an area which our finite minds cannot understand concerning the infinite God. Concerning the Son see: Luke 22:42; John 5:36; John 20:21; 1 John 4:14. Concerning the Holy Spirit see: John 14:16; 14:26; 15:26; 16:7 and especially John 16:13-14.



6) The tasks of the individual members of the Trinity: The Father is the ultimate source or cause of: 1) the universe (1 Corinthians 8:6; Revelation 4:11); 2) divine revelation (Revelation 1:1); 3) salvation (John 3:16-17); and 4) Jesus' human works (John 5:17; 14:10). The Father INITIATES all of these things.



The Son is the agent through whom the Father does the following works: 1) the creation and maintenance of the universe (1 Corinthians 8:6; John 1:3; Colossians 1:16-17); 2) divine revelation (John 1:1; Matthew 11:27; John 16:12-15; Revelation 1:1); and 3) salvation (2 Corinthians 5:19; Matthew 1:21; John 4:42). The Father does all these things through the Son, who functions as His agent.



The Holy Spirit is the means by whom the Father does the following works: 1) creation and maintenance of the universe (Genesis 1:2; Job 26:13; Psalm 104:30); 2) divine revelation (John 16:12-15; Ephesians 3:5; 2 Peter 1:21); 3) salvation (John 3:6; Titus 3:5; 1 Peter 1:2); and 4) Jesus' works (Isaiah 61:1; Acts 10:38). Thus the Father does all these things by the power of the Holy Spirit.



None of the popular illustrations are completely accurate descriptions of the Trinity. The egg (or apple) fails in that the shell, white, and yolk are parts of the egg, not the egg in themselves. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are not parts of God, each of them is God. The water illustration is somewhat better but still fails to adequately describe the Trinity. Liquid, vapor, and ice are forms of water. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are not forms of God, each of them is God. So, while these illustrations may give us a picture of the Trinity, the picture is not entirely accurate. An infinite God cannot be fully described by a finite illustration. Instead of focusing on the Trinity, try to focus on the fact of God's greatness and infinitely higher nature than our own. "Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?" (Romans 11:33-34)

Answer 2

The doctrine of the trinity is, The Father is God, The Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God all in one God. It wasn't fully assimilated or adopted into Catholic belief until sometime in the 4th Century, There are no Scriptures that use the word trinity and a deep study of the Bible Scriptures says there is no trinity. The Bible clearly states that Jehovah, Yahweh, is one God and there is no other, That Jesus existed in heaven before coming to earth and that he had a beginning or was created by God, God has no beginning, he always has been, The Holy Spirit is God's active force or power that he uses to accomplish his will.

Answer 3

The concept of the Trinity is the product of a man made doctrine established during the council of Nicaea around 325 A.D. .

The teaching that Jesus Christ is God was made by the philosophies of men of the Catholic and Orthodox in Council of Nicaea, years after the Lord Jesus Christ had ascended to heaven and after the death of the apostles.

These False Apostles and False Prophets began incorporating unbiblical beliefs almost immediately after the Apostles passed away.

Since the apostles lived in the first century, I consider the first century church leaders to be reliable witnesses. The Trinity doctrine did not develop until four centuries after Christ.

If the Trinity God doctrine were really taught by the Lord Jesus Christ and the apostles, it wouldnt have taken two councils and many years to formulate this doctrine.

Trinity doctrine had nothing to do with early christianity because Jesus Christ, The Apostles and Prophets didn't teach the persons of God.

Most scholars realize that the Trinity is a Doctrine of Tradition of men and that is why many who defend the Trinity Theory quote the teachings and philosophies of men like Plato, Ignatius, Polycarp, Iranaeus, Justin, Theophilus, Athenagoras, Clement, Tertullian, Cyprian and The Pope which has brought much controversy and confusion to the world.

Here's what the bible says, "The Apostles and Prophets and "they alone", were the chosen ambassadors of Christ through which we are reconciled to God." 2 Cor. 5:20

But what about the four centuries Trinity made doctrine by Tradition of men who are members of Council of Nicaea and Council of Constantinople?

These False Apostles and Deceitful Workers are "not" the chosen ambassadors who were selected to deliver God's message or "the faith" to mankind as mention in Eph. 3:3-4; Jude 3.

Keep in mind, There is only 12 true Apostles and Ignatius, Polycarp, Iranaeus, Justin, Theophilus, Melito, Athenagoras, Clement, Tertullian, Epiphanius, Novatian, Hippolytus, Gregory Thaumaturgus, Methodius, Cyril, Athanasius and Cyprian are False Apostles and Deceitful Workers tranforming "themselves" into the Apostles of Christ.

Answer 4

Some say the doctrine was accepted at the Council of Nicea, but it was always around. God always existed in the trinity before anyone took a vote.

The trinity is found all through scripture beginning with Genesis and the creation. Genesis 1:1 says "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth"..... and he said "Let us make man in our image." Who is the "our"? We weren't made in the image of angels, we were made in the image of God. The word for God is Elohim ... the "Elo" is for God. the "im" part makes it plural. Isaiah 44:6, 45:5, 46:9 all say that there is def only one God. So Elohim is a word for the triune God.

Answer 5

New Testament

The evidence from the Gospels culminates in the baptismal commission of Matthew 28:20. It is manifest from the narratives of the Evangelists that Christ only made the great truth known to the Twelve step by step. First He taught them to recognize in Himself the Eternal Son of God. When His ministry was drawing to a close, He promised that the Father would send another Divine Person, the Holy Spirit, in His place. Finally after His resurrection, He revealed the doctrine in explicit terms, bidding them "go and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost" (Matthew 28:18). The force of this passage is decisive. That "the Father" and "the Son" are distinct Persons follows from the terms themselves, which are mutually exclusive. The mention of the Holy Spirit in the same series, the names being connected one with the other by the conjunctions "and . . . and" is evidence that we have here a Third Person co-ordinate with the Father and the Son, and excludes altogether the supposition that the Apostles understood the Holy Spirit not as a distinct Person, but as God viewed in His action on creatures.

Answer 6

The doctrine of the trinity is that God is the Father Son and Holy Spirit and it can be found throughout scripture beginning in Genesis with the creation through Revelation.

Answer 7

NO ! one million. God is a spirit and the “Father” is God which makes him a spirit. 2. The “son” is flesh 3. The “Holy Ghost” is a Spirit 4. the father and the Holy Spirit are one interior the same spirit. the father is God. God is a spirit and he's holy which makes him the Holy Spirit. 5. The son of God is God made flesh, God show up interior the flesh. Jesus is the father come interior the form of a guy and he's termed “the son of God”. 6. Jesus being a twin of God is the only visable form of God. he's not become autonomous from God yet is the very substance of God. he's the Jehovah God of the previous testomony. 7. Jesus is the father, Jesus is the son and Jesus is the Holy Spirit. 8. Jesus isn't interior the Godhead however the Godhead is in Jesus. 9. There at the instant are not 3 persons of God. There at the instant are not 2 persons of God. Jesus is the only guy or woman of God. 10. there are a number of manifestations of God. A manifestation isn't inevitably a guy or woman. 11. Father, son and Holy Ghost are 3 manifestations of God and that they at the instant are not names. 12. God became into not a guy (guy or woman) until he got here in flesh and became into born of a woman. 13. Jesus is the call of the father, son and Holy Ghost. 14. God isn't a trinity. God is one in guy or woman, one in variety with many manifestations and titles. Jesus is his call. 15. God grew to grow to be the rock that accompanied the Israelites interior the wasteland. God grew to grow to be a burning bush for Moses. God grew to grow to be an angel that wrestled with Jacob. God grew to grow to be a guy to redeem us from sin by using laying off his blood, the blood of God, Acts 20:28.

Answer 8

By Trinity I assume you mean the orthodox Athanasean Trinity : GOd is one in essence but three in persons. IN other words one in one sense and three in another sense,

Chrstians generally do not support the Sybellian trinity where one GOd is one person who shows himelf three ways as if wearing three hats. This would not explian Jesus praying to the Father which demands two separate persons

the doctrine of the trinity is consistent with the scriptures
in several ways

1) you see a plurality and a signularity of things like the name of God, as name (singular) of the Father Son and SPirit The same could be said of the throne (singular) of God and the Lamb

2) you see the Father And Son and SPiritas different persons, yet both at times described as God in some sense

3) you see Father Son and SPirit listed in the New Testament in every possible order, mosrt more than once (SPirit SOn Father.... Father spirit Son.... Son Spirit Father.... etc...)

4) it allows for Jesus to be fully human and fully God, which makes it consistent with Jesus having titles that seem to be reserved for God like I AM, Begining and End etc...
same could be said for rolels such as creator, judge and savior

5) in addition to Suzanne's comments below, many would add the use of Ehad ( a word for one which allows a composite unity) for God Hear Oh Israel God is One (Ehad) same as in The two shall be One (Ehad) flesh. A husband and wife are a composit unity not an indivisible indistinguishable unity.
lots of doctrines are not spelled out, but consistent with the scripture

Answer 9

The word "Trinity" is merely a description of God's triune nature, composed of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Although God is One Being, He has three distinctly separate natures. I know, this sounds contradictory, but this is why the Church calls this a "mystery."

The Trinity can be found starting at the beginning of the Bible all the way to the end. However, the fact of God's Triune nature wasn't completely clear until Jesus Christ (God the Son) came to earth.

Here's some Scriptural support for the Trinity:

1) The word translated as "God" in our Bibles is the Hebrew word "Elohiym," which is a pleural word meaning "Gods."

2) God refers to Himself in the pleural; see Genesis 1:26a. There is no evidence this is the "royal we," as some try to argue.

3) There are instances in the Bible where God the Father speaks to God the Son (Jesus Christ, a.k.a. The Word). In Psalm 45:6-7, the writer states: "Your throne, O God, is for ever and ever: A scepter of equity is the scepter of your kingdom. You have loved righteousness, and hated wickedness: Therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your fellows." Notice that the word God is actually applied to two different Persons within these two verses. He is addressing God, and after addressing God, he says that another God had anointed the first God with the oil of gladness above "your" fellows. It should be noted that in this verse the first Elohim is being addressed. The second Elohim is the God of the first Elohim. Therefore, it is God’s God who has anointed Him with the oil of gladness. Another example may be found at Hosea 1:7.

4) Then there are Scriptural sources that reference ALL THREE Persons of the Trinity: Father, Son and Spirit:

Isaiah 42:1 "Behold, my [Father] servant [Son], whom I uphold; my chosen, in whom my soul delights: I have put my Spirit [Holy Spirit] upon him; he will bring forth justice to the Gentiles."

The first Person is the speaker, who is seen by the pronouns "my" and "I." The second Person is the speaker's "servant," the servant of Jehovah. And the third Person is the "Spirit" of God. Scripture repeatedly identifies Jesus Christ as God the Father's "Servant."

Isaiah 61:1 is a second example:

"The Spirit [person #1] of the Lord Jehovah [person # 2] is upon me [person # 3]; because Jehovah has anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;…" Again, there are three individuals: the Lord Jehovah; the Spirit of Jehovah; and the speaker ("me"). We know from Luke 4:18 that the person referring to Himself as "Me" is Jesus Christ.

There is MUCH more proof of the Trinity in the Bible. However, this is not the forum for such an extensive discussion. If you want more information, send me a message through YA and I'd be happy to send it to you.

Peace.

Answer 10

The Trinity was accepted by the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD.