What does it mean that the Trinity is God in three Persons?
The doctrine of the Trinity is one of the most fascinating and complex teachings in the Bible. At its core, the Trinity refers to the belief that there is one God who exists eternally in three distinct persons – God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ), and God the Holy Spirit.
This belief can seem paradoxical or confusing at first glance. How can God be three yet also be one? But when we look closely at what the Bible teaches, we see good reasons to accept the doctrine of the Trinity. Let’s walk through some key biblical passages that reveal why Christians believe God is triune.
There is One God
The Bible is clear that there is only one true God. For example:
“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one” (Deuteronomy 6:4).
“For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5).
Throughout Scripture, it is affirmed repeatedly that there is no other God but the Lord. So one foundation of the Trinity is monotheism – the belief in one God.
The Father is God
While the Bible proclaims the existence of only one God, it is also clear that the Father is God. For instance, the apostle Paul refers to “the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” in 2 Corinthians 1:3. Jesus frequently prays and refers to the Father as God in the Gospels (Matthew 11:25, John 17:1).
The Father possesses the qualities and performs the works that only God could do, like creating the universe (1 Corinthians 8:6) and knowing the hearts of all people (1 Kings 8:39). Scripture leaves no doubt that the Father is fully divine.
Jesus Christ is God
At the same time, the New Testament teaches that Jesus is God incarnate. Jesus referred to Himself with the divine name “I AM” of God that was revealed to Moses (John 8:58). The apostle Thomas called Jesus “my Lord and my God” after the resurrection (John 20:28).
Jesus received worship on several occasions, but He said only God should be worshiped (Matthew 14:33; Luke 24:52). He possesses immortality, eternality, and omnipotence – abilities unique to a divine being (John 5:21, 26; Revelation 1:8). There are many persuasive reasons to believe Jesus is God.
The Holy Spirit is God
The Holy Spirit is also portrayed as fully divine. His work in the beginning of creation parallels God’s (Genesis 1:2). Lying to the Holy Spirit is described as lying to God (Acts 5:3-4). He possesses the fundamental attributes of personhood, like mind, emotions, and will (Romans 8:27; 15:30).
The Holy Spirit does things only God could do – indwelling believers (1 Corinthians 6:19), inspiring Scripture (2 Peter 1:21), and granting spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12:7-11). There is strong evidence that the Spirit is God just as the Father and Son are.
The Three Persons Relate as Different Persons
If the Father, Son, and Spirit are all equally God, yet there is only one God, how are we to think about their relationship? The biblical authors indicate the three persons interact with one another in ways that show they are distinct.
At Jesus’ baptism, the Father speaks from heaven, the Spirit descends on Jesus, and Jesus is baptized (Matthew 3:16-17). Each acts and relates to the others in personal ways. In John 14-16, Jesus speaks of sending the Spirit from the Father. This implies they are separate persons in communion with each other.
1 Corinthians 12:4-6 mentions God (the Father), Lord (the Son) and Spirit in a way that distinguishes them while still indicating unity. The three persons work in harmony while carrying out unique roles.
The Trinity in the Old Testament
While the doctrine is more fully revealed in the New Testament, there are indications of the Trinity in the Old Testament as well. At creation, God speaks in plural form, “Let us make man in our image” (Genesis 1:26). The angel of the Lord seems to be a Christophany, or pre-incarnate appearance of Christ (Judges 6:11-24).
The Spirit of God is active at creation (Genesis 1:2), in empowering leaders and prophets, and inspiring Scripture. While hints and foreshadowings exist, the Old Testament focuses on identifying the one true God rather than expounding the internal nature of God’s being.
Objections and Responses
Throughout history, various groups have objected to the doctrine of the Trinity as irrational, unbiblical, or pagan. For example, some say Jesus is not God but only a prophet or moral example. Others say the Trinity originated from pagan religions with triads of deities. How might we respond to objections like these?
First, we should grant that the Trinity is challenging to understand fully. But we can rationally uphold mysteries that go beyond reason but do not contradict it. With philosophical concepts like the mind-body connection, we see that reality can have interconnecting layers we cannot fully comprehend. The Trinity is mysterious but not illogical.
Second, we have seen good biblical reasons to think Jesus and the Spirit are God while the Father is God. This sets the doctrine of the Trinity apart from pagan ideas of three separate gods. The Bible has a unique understanding of one God in three coequal, coeternal persons who relate together.
While we may not be able to grasp the Trinity completely, we need not reject it. When we let Scripture inform our understanding, we find good grounds for accepting that God is triune even if it surpasses our ability to fully explain.
Implications of the Trinity
What difference does this challenging doctrine make for our spiritual lives? Here are some key implications:
- God has eternally lived in loving community and relationship within Himself. So when God created people in His image, He made us to reflect His relational nature (Genesis 1:27).
- Each person of the Trinity serves the others in beautiful humility. The Son submits to the Father, the Spirit glorifies the Son. Their relationships model Mutuality, honor, and self-giving for us (John 16:14; Philippians 2:5-11).
- God understands relationship, empathy, dialogue, and community because He has existed in this way eternally as the Trinity. He made us for intimate communion with Him.
- We worship God in trinitarian ways. We pray to the Father, in the Spirit, through Christ. We experience fellowship with the Trinity in our salvation and spirituality.
- The incarnation shows God’s humility. Jesus gave up His divine privileges to become human and die for us. This shows God’s profound love and sacrifice (Philippians 2:6-8).
Due to Christ’s atonement, we can have reconciliation and access to the Father through the Spirit as adopted children (Ephesians 1:4-6). Getting to know the triune God deepens our awe, faith, and intimacy with Him.
Conclusion
At first glance, the Trinity may seem confusing or even contradictory – one God in three Persons. But looking closely at Scripture helps us see good reasons for accepting this paradigm-shifting doctrine. The Father, Son, and Spirit each relate to one another and act in ways that depict distinct personhood, yet their divine attributes set them forth as the one true God.
The Trinity has profound implications for our relationship with God, modeling intimacy, humility, empathy and community. While it remains mysterious, we need not reject this historic Christian teaching when we find strong biblical foundations upholding it as the best model of who God has revealed Himself to be. Though we cannot fully grasp the Trinity, we can admire, worship and serve the triune God.
