God in Three Persons

If it is not in the bible, then how is this used as a theological term? Trinity comes from from the Latin “trinitas” which means three. It is used theologically as a description of “tri-unity” or “three-in-oneness” of God.

Up to this point, we have discussed the attributes of God. If we do not have a good understanding of God, then we cannot fully understand that God, in his being, has always existed in more than one person. God doesn’t just exist as three “manifestations” (Modalism), but is present in three separate, distinct, coexisting persons in divine nature. God exists as three persons, yet is one God.

It is also important to remember that each of the persons of the Trinity possess the same attributes as eternal, omnipresent, omnipotent, wise, holy, omniscient, etc. Each is fully God, having all of God’s traits, qualities, attributes.

How could we define the doctrine of the Trinity?

God eternally exists as three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and each person is fully God, and there is one God.

Doctrine in Scripture - Old Testament

If God existed in eternity as three persons, should we not find a picture of the Trinity in the Old Testament?

Genesis 1:26 (ESV)

26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

What do the plural verb (“let us”) and the plural pronoun (“our”) mean?

Like a King possibly using plural pronouns? No. No other place in OT where this occurs.

God and angels (plural)? No. Angels were not participants in creation of man.

We are not told how many persons, and we have nothing approaching a complete doctrine of the Trinity, but it is implied that more than one person is involved.

More to suggest plurality of God:

Genesis 3:22 (ESV)

22 Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—”

Genesis 11:7 (ESV)

7 Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another’s speech.”

Isaiah 6:8 (ESV)

8 And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.”

We see indications of separate beings throughout the Old Testament also:

Psalm 110:1 (ESV)

1 The Lord says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.”

Who would sit at the right hand of God? Jesus.

Jesus even confirms this as He speaks to the Pharisees.

Matthew 22:41–46 ESV

41 Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question, 42 saying, “What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?” They said to him, “The son of David.” 43 He said to them, “How is it then that David, in the Spirit, calls him Lord, saying, 44 “ ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet” ’? 45 If then David calls him Lord, how is he his son?” 46 And no one was able to answer him a word, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions.

So, here we see a picture of both God and Jesus in Psalm 110:1 and confirmation by Jesus.

We also see confirmation of the Holy Spirit:

Isaiah 63:10 (ESV)

10 But they rebelled and grieved his Holy Spirit; therefore he turned to be their enemy, and himself fought against them.

The Holy Spirit then is not a manifestation, is not an apparition, is not just “spirit”, but is a person as He can be grieved.

We also see identification of the “angel of the Lord” in OT. Angel is also translated “messenger” here, so the messenger of the Lord speaks of this angel of the Lord as being “God” or “the Lord”.

Exodus 3:2–6 (ESV)

2 And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed.

3 And Moses said, “I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.”

4 When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.”

5 Then he said, “Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.”

6 And he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.

God simply states, I am Him.

Doctrine in Scripture - New Testament

John 1:1 ESV

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Who was the Word?

He was with God and He was God. Jesus, a second person of the Trinity.

When Jesus is baptised, who do we get a representation of?

So, do we see the picture of one God or multiple persons as God?

Matthew 3:16–17 (ESV)

16 And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him;

17 and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

Jesus commands, in the Great Commission, that disciples should:

Matthew 28:19 (ESV)

19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

Again, picture of three distinct persons who are God.

The very names “Father” and “Son,” drawn as they are from the family, the most familiar of human institutions, indicate very strongly the distinct personhood of both the Father and the Son. When the “Holy Spirit” is put in the same expression and on the same level as the other two persons, it is hard to avoid the conclusion that the Holy Spirit is also viewed as a person and of equal standing with the Father and the Son.

When we realize that the New Testament authors generally use the name “God” (Gk. theos) to refer to God the Father and the name “Lord” (Gk. kyrios) to refer to God the Son, then it is clear that there is another Trinitarian expression in 1 Corinthians 12:4–6:

1 Corinthians 12:4–6 (ESV)

4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit;

5 and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord;

6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone.

All three persons of the Trinity are mentioned together in the opening sentence of 1 Peter

1 Peter 1:2 (ESV)

2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you.

In one sense the doctrine of the Trinity is a mystery that we will never be able to understand fully. However, we can understand something of its truth by summarizing the teaching of Scripture in three statements:

1. God is three persons.

2. Each person is fully God.

3. There is one God.

God is Three Persons

How do we know that there are three persons, and not just “manifestations” of God?

The fact that God is three persons means that the Father is not the Son; they are distinct persons. It also means that the Father is not the Holy Spirit, but that they are distinct persons. And it means that the Son is not the Holy Spirit.

John 1:1–2 (ESV)

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

2 He was in the beginning with God.

The fact that the Word (who is seen to be Christ in vv. 9–18) is “with” God shows distinction from God the Father.

We again see separateness in

John 17:24 (ESV)

24 Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.

which shows distinction of persons, sharing of glory, and a relationship of love between the Father and the Son before the world was created.

Jesus is distinct as He is our Advocate.

1 John 2:1 (ESV)

1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.

In order to intercede for us before God the Father, it is necessary that Christ be a person distinct from the Father.

Moreover, the Father is not the Holy Spirit, and the Son is not the Holy Spirit. They are distinguished in several verses.

John 14:26 (ESV)

26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

The Holy Spirit also prays or “intercedes” for us (Rom. 8:27), indicating a distinction between the Holy Spirit and God the Father to whom the intercession is made.

Romans 8:27 (ESV)

27 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

Finally, the fact that the Son is not the Holy Spirit is also indicated in the several Trinitarian passages mentioned earlier, such as the Great Commission (Matt. 28:19), and in passages that indicate that Christ went back to heaven and then sent the Holy Spirit to the church.

John 16:7 (ESV)

7 Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.

Some have questioned whether the Holy Spirit is indeed a distinct person rather than just the “power” or “force” of God at work in the world. But the New Testament evidence is quite clear and strong.

2 Corinthians 13:14 (ESV)

14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

Ephesians 4:4–6 (ESV)

4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call—

5 one Lord (Jesus), one faith, one baptism,

6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

Since the Father and Son are both persons, these expressions strongly proves that the Holy Spirit is a person also.

Other personal activities are ascribed to the Holy Spirit, such as teaching (John 14:26), bearing witness (John 15:26; Rom. 8:16), interceding or praying on behalf of others (Rom. 8:26–27), searching the depths of God (1 Cor. 2:10), knowing the thoughts of God (1 Cor. 2:11), willing to distribute some gifts to some and other gifts to others (1 Cor. 12:11), forbidding or not allowing certain activities (Acts 16:6–7), speaking (Acts 8:29; 13:2; and many times in both Old and New Testaments), evaluating and approving a wise course of action (Acts 15:28), and being grieved by sin in the lives of Christians (Eph. 4:30).

Finally, if the Holy Spirit is understood simply to be the power of God rather than a distinct person, then a number of passages would simply not make sense, because in them the Holy Spirit and his power or the power of God are both mentioned. For example:

Luke 4:14 (ESV)

14 And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and a report about him went out through all the surrounding country.

Acts 10:38 (ESV)

38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.

This verse would mean, “God anointed Jesus with the power of God and with power”.

Grudem, Wayne. Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine. Second Edition. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Academic, 2020. Print.

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