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: 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)

Recommended Resources: Making Sense of the Trinity: Three Crucial Questions by Millard Erickson.

2007-05-12 17:43:59 · answer #1 · answered by Freedom 7 · 0 0

The Trinity is not biblical as some have here stated. Jesus is one person. He was baptized. The Father bore record of His Son when He was baptized,"This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased." Then the Holy Ghost descended upon Him in the form of a dove. It is very easy to see that they are not one magical being , but three separate and distinct beings with one heart, and one purpose.

The several Christian councils convened to try to come to some consensus as to what and who God is and what the doctrine of the Church should be concerning the nature and character of God. No consensus could be reached, so a compromise was made. That is where the concept that most churches hold of the Trinity comes from, NOT the Bible.

The Trinity seems absolutely ludicrous to me. I won't pretend that it makes sense because it doesn't. No one is large enough to fill the immensity of space and yet so tiny as to fit into my heart. Anyone who thinks that makes sense should think about it and visualize it. No one is everywhere at once yet nowhere at all.???????????????

I know that I am like the kid who announces that the Emporer is buck nekkid when everyone else says what fine clothes he has on when I say how silly the doctrine of the Trinity is. Hello!! It was a compromise in the Council of Nicea that introduced this silly idea. No one at that council believed it, why does anyone believe it today? I don't know.

2007-05-12 11:50:53 · answer #2 · answered by Alvin York 5 · 0 0

The idea of the trinity came out of a debate between theologians, scholars, etc... who couldn't decide what or who God was. A lot of what you read in the creeds (Nicean, Athenasian, etc...), which set out to describe the "trinity" was primarily developed from greek philosophy and mixed in with some Christian doctrine.
I prefer to call the "trinity" the God head. They are three separate and distinct beings who are "one" in mind, heart and purpose.
God the Father is a glorified being who is the literal father of our spiritual being. God the Son, Jesus the Christ, is the Savior of all mankind, the creator, under the direction of the Father, of the Earth and all things therein and Judge of every creature both great and small. Both have bodies of flesh and bone, glorified and perfected. God the Holy Ghost/ Spirit is a personage of spirit only whose purpose is to testify to our hearts the truth of all things, most especially the divinity of Jesus the Christ and his mission as our savior.
Read Matthew chapter 3 of the king james version of the Bible and you will know that God the Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost are three separate and distinct beings.
Translations and understanding of how to read scripture, especially in the Bible has always thrown people off. When you do read anything having to do with God being "one" replace the word "one" with the word agreed and it will make far better sense.

2007-05-12 11:50:07 · answer #3 · answered by duhanlorian 3 · 1 0

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).

2007-05-12 11:24:32 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1 0

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 isn't true or not based on the teachings of the bible

as far as how it is "justified" in scripture, briefly - The Father is God: John 6:27; Romans 1:7...The Son is God: John 1:1, 14; Romans 9:5,Hebrews 1:8; 1 John 5:20...The Holy Spirit is God: Acts 5:3-4; 1 Corinthians 3:16

2007-05-12 11:23:21 · answer #5 · answered by Silver 5 · 3 1

The most precise description of the Trinity is found in the Athanasian Creed:

http://www.ccel.org/creeds/athanasian.creed.html

The New Testament is full of refences to the three divine Persons of the Trinity, sometimes individually, sometimes acting in unison, as at the baptism of Jesus. God the Son standing in the water, God the Father speaking from heaven, God the Holy Spirit descending in visible form.

2007-05-12 11:52:59 · answer #6 · answered by PaulCyp 7 · 0 0

The Trinity is not called by that "Title" in the bible. God revealed Himself to man in His time and His way, three Persons, yet One. Crack wasn't specifically mentioned, but nobody is arguing that it does exist. "Pharmaecaia" which I probably spelled wrong covers all mind altering substances. The Gospel of Matthew clearly speaks of the Three. When Jesus was being baptised, He was God. God the Father spoke from Heaven. The Holy Spirit decended. Either God was being an illusionist, a ventriliquist, or He was Triune.

2007-05-12 11:36:50 · answer #7 · answered by One Wing Eagle Woman 6 · 1 0

The Trinity is a doctrine held by Christians since the time of Christ and the Apostles and states that there is only one God and He is three separate persons (Father, Son, Holy Ghost) that all share the same essence.

So there are three persons in one. This verse is a major proof text for Christians - 1 John 5:7-8 "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."

But there are too many others to list that show the divinity of Christ and the personhood of the Father and the Spirit, so I will direct you to a website below.

I am a Catholic so there is also amply evidence from the early Church fathers for the dogma of the Trinity. We do not rely on the bible alone for truth. That is a Protestant heresy.

2007-05-12 11:26:06 · answer #8 · answered by Veritas 7 · 1 3

The Father is referred to By Jesus as the Lord of Heaven and earth.
Matthew 11:25:
Jesus called the Father: "...O Father, Lord of heaven and earth..."
Jesus called Himself The I AM. The same God that spoke to Moses from the burning
John 8:58
Jesus said unto them, Verily,verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.
The Apostles said the Holy Spirit is God
Acts 5:3-4
But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?
Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.

Three Gods? No the Scripture is CLEAR
Deuteronomy 6:4
Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:


It all has to be true or none of it is trustworthy. If is isn't then we have no hope we are all lost.

So the doctrine of the trinity make the sense. The universe is made up of space, height, width, and breadth. Height is infinite and by that definition contains all space. But width and breadth are also infinite and therefore each dimension must contain all space. Even though these three infinite dimensions are individually complete and each by the definition of being infinite contains all points in space they combine into the unity of space. God is like that. The Father is an infinite being therefore He is all the God there is. The Son and the Holy Spirit are also infinite and because of that each is all the God there can be. These three person are the manifestations of the One true God.. It's wonderful of our Lord to reveal Himself to us in nature the way He does... Jim

2007-05-12 12:34:55 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0 0

The Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

What do you mean by "justified?" All three are referred to several times in scripture.

2007-05-12 11:24:25 · answer #10 · answered by AutumnLilly 6 · 1 0

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