Where is the "Holy Trinity" first defined in Christianity?

Question

I'm at odds with my friends and family (all devout Christians) about the credibility of the "Holy Trinity." I believe in God, but believe Christ is a messenger (like Muhammad is a messenger of Islam). Where, in the Bible, is it said that Christ, the Holy Ghost and God all are one?

Answer 1

It seems that you take a Unitarian view, while your family are Trinitarians. Mormons have the "Godhead" - three separate beings. And there's something called "Modalism" out there too.

The key, in my opinion, is that you are allowed to have a difference of opinion on this. It's not a sin to misunderstand the scriptures. So, if there is a God he may be "one" (unitarian) or "tripartite" (trinitarian). If the trinitarians are wrong, however, they aren't necessarily going to be damned. They can still be saved like everyone else.


A few verses directly reference the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit:

* Matthew 28:19: "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" (see Trinitarian formula).
* 2 Corinthians 13:13: "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with all of you."
* 1 John 5:7: "For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one." (This is the controversial Comma Johanneum, which did not appear in Greek texts before the sixteenth century.)
* Luke 1:35: "The angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God."

Answer 2

The Holy Trinity is implied in many stories of the Bible, even prior to the New Testament. It was clearly pronounced for the first time in the Pauline letters in the New Testament and also at the end of the Baptismal directions in the Gospel of Matthew which stated Baptize them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
The Great Church as it was known in the beginning had to dispute some heresies mainly Donatism and Arianism and had the Councils of Nicea and Constantinople, these were called to define the belief of the Christians and write the first doctrines of faith.
When the first seperations of the Church started to occur, they were never about the Trinity, all Christians believe in this aspect, it was more about political and economical strife with the churches corrupt past. The Nicene Creed was first established in the late 4th century defining this matter.
Believe in what you may, there is one thing that is clear, the Trinity is real.
Why must we continue to question the mysteries of God? Why dont we look at the salvation and love promised?
We cannot ever understand the fullness of God's being and that is where faith steps in.
God bless you always.

Answer 3

While there are no actual references to the Holy Trinity found in the bible, there are verses that support the theory...
The foremost verse would be 1 John 5:7, which states that "there are 3 in heaven"... Another one would be Mathew 28:19, which also makes reference to "The Father, the Son and The Holy Ghost"

Answer 4

Well you can see part of the trinity in Genesis. God said let US make man in OUR image. But the verse you want is in 1 John 5:7. There is many scriptures in the Old That show the trinity as well.
EDIT: Here is some scriptures from Old Testement that show the Holy Spirit.
Psalms 51:11.Isiah 63:10-11
Also to show you that Jesus was there in the beginning here is another verse.
Colossians 1:15-19.
I hope all this helps you.

Answer 5

The doctrine of the Trinity is the result of continuous exploration by the church of the biblical data, thrashed out in debate and treatises, eventually formulated at the First Council of Nicaea in 325 AD in a way they believe is consistent with the biblical witness, and further refined in later councils and writings.

The Britannica Encyclopedia's Trinity article states: "Neither the word Trinity nor the explicit doctrine appears in the New Testament, nor did Jesus and his followers intend to contradict the Shema in the Old Testament: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord” (Deuteronomy 6:4)."

It is an invention of early Christian church fathers, such as Tertullian.

The scriptural support for the doctrine is implicit at best.

The scripture contradicts the doctrine, such as when Jesus states that the Father is greater than he is.

It is paradoxical and therefore not in line with reason.

It reflects the influence of pagan religions, some of which have divine triads of their own.

It does not follow the strict monotheism found in Judaism and the Old Testament, of which Jesus claimed to have fulfilled.

The doctrine relies almost entirely on non-Biblical terminology.

Answer 6

First of all, let me say that many of the answers here, so far, lack scholarship. They are based on speculative thinking that has been long refuted by recognized biblical scholars.

The earliest church documents clearly show that a belief in the Trinity was present and acknowledged. Scripture also clearly presents the Trinity. Do the research yourself and you will find this to be so.

Here are just a couple early CHristian documents that mention teachings about the Trinity.

The Didache

"After the foregoing instructions, baptize in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, in living [running] water. . . . If you have neither, pour water three times on the head, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit" (Didache 7:1 [A.D. 70]).

Ignatius of Antioch
"[T]o the Church at Ephesus in Asia . . . chosen through true suffering by the will of the Father in Jesus Christ our God" (Letter to the Ephesians 1 [A.D. 110]).

Justin the Martyr
"We will prove that we worship him reasonably; for we have learned that he is the Son of the true God himself, that he holds a second place, and the Spirit of prophecy a third. For this they accuse us of madness, saying that we attribute to a crucified man a place second to the unchangeable and eternal God, the Creator of all things; but they are ignorant of the mystery which lies therein" (First Apology 13:5–6 [A.D. 151]).


In John 14:26, “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.” Here Jesus speaks of the Holy Spirit and God the Father as two separate persons, but both God.

“I and the Father are one” John 10:30 Here Jesus states that he is one with God, affirming his deity, while speaking of God the Father as separate.

But Jesus answered them, 'My Father is working still, and I am still working.' This was why the Jews sought all the more to kill him, because he not only broke the Sabbath, but also called God his own Father, making himself equal with God. (Jesus quoted by John 5:16-18)

Matthew 3:16-17 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased."

This is a very brief answer to a big question. Continue reading and searching for yourself.

Answer 7

Early Christians read gospel and epistolary texts and tried to define God with them. Some of them, who later became the Orthodox Christians decided that God rested in three entities in the Bible. The Spirit of God, Jesus Christ and a Third independent entity, (from phrases that read "and I will pour out my spirit" in books such as Joel). Around the year 600 A.D. or so, a Christian Council sat down and decided to define in a very narrow way, just what it is that Christians believe. This is the same council that gave us the Nicene Creed, and which defined just exactly which books belonged in the Bible. In he course of this council, they laid out the basis for the Orthodox and Catholic Faiths, and in the course of this council, they defined the Triune God.

Answer 8

So you dont think that Jesus is the Son of God? Jesus said in John 15:9-11

"Philip, dont you even yet know who I am, even after all the time I have been with you? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father! So why are you asking to see him? Don't you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words I speak are not my own, but my Father who does his work through me. Just believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me. Or at least believe because of what you have seen me do.

God the Father is unbegotten while God the Son(Jesus) is begotten of the Father.

Answer 9

It doesn't!!!

Some wlil say that 1 John 5:7 gives such proof:
(New King James Version)
"For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one."

However, this is an ADDITION to the Bible that does not appear in any other Bible prior to the 10th century. This excerpt is called the Comma Johanneum.

The trinity doctrine is false, God is ONE. Kudos to you for figuring that one out on your own!!! Usually, Christians believe in a trinity because that's what they're taught from the cradle. Rare is it that you find a Christian who GETS IT. Good for you!

Answer 10

Jesus is not a messenger. Two things are certain
God the Father has authority over Jesus {the Son}
The Son is supreme over ever thing else in the universe.

Please read Hebrews Chapter 1