Introduction to the Trinity

This year, we’re going to examine some of the essential doctrines of the Christian faith—things that are core and foundational beliefs of our faith. These doctrines are not just the inventions of men so that they can hold people “in check.”

Doctrine is an articulation of what God has revealed about Himself.

One of the core/most foundational doctrines of the Christian faith is the doctrine of the Trinity. It is true that the word “trinity” never appears in the bible but, again, the revelation of God as “triune” is there—the early church fathers articulated God’s divine nature as “trinitas.”

“The Christian faith is unique in making the claim that God is one and yet there are three who are God.” — Millard Erickson

God exists—without beginning and without end—in a Triune relationship of three Persons all equally sharing the nature (essence) and purpose of God.

Why is the doctrine of the Trinity so important? Is it really essential to hold to the belief that the Son of God and the Holy Spirit are fully God? YES!

Wayne Grudem, in his Systematic Theology, gives six reasons why the trinity is essential to Christianity:

Six Reasons why the Trinity is Essential

1. The atonement is at stake.

2. Justification by faith alone is threatened.

3. If Jesus is not infinitely and eternally God, we should not pray to or worship him.

4. If Jesus is a created being then we wrongly attribute credit for salvation to a creature and not to God himself.

5. The independence and personal nature of God is at stake.

Is God dependent on something outside of himself for existence? The interpersonal nature/relationship of the Trinity overflows into interpersonal relationship with his creation.

6. The unity of the universe is at stake.

If there is no perfect plurality and perfect unity in God himself, then we have no basis for thinking there can be any ultimate unity among the diverse elements of the universe, either.

You’ve probably heard someone try and describe the Triune God…“Well, God is like water—solid, liquid, and gas” —three different forms.

Most—probably ALL—analogies fall short.

In week 5, we will examine biblical evidence for the Trinity but I think it’s important to see, here at the beginning, that there is most definitely a biblical basis for seeing that God has revealed Himself as triune.

Elohim—generally, though not always, plural (Erickson, pg. 99).

Genesis 1:1–2 (ESV)

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

Genesis 1:26 (ESV)

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.”

Genesis 3:22 (ESV)

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)

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

Isaiah 6:8 (ESV)

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.”

Matthew 3:16–17 (ESV)

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

Matthew 28:19 (ESV)

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,

2 Corinthians 13:14 (ESV)

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

Jude 20–21 (ESV)

But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.

Now, these are just a few examples from both the Old and New Testaments—there are a ton more, again, that we will look at in a few weeks—but the Trinitarian formula runs throughout the entire Bible.

God is three persons.

Not three Gods. Not three forms of the same God.

Modalism—one “being” that has three different “personalities” or …

The fact that God is three persons means that the Father is not the Son or the Spirit; the Son is not the Father or the Spirit; the Spirit is not the Father or the Son—three DISTINCT persons.

Distinction example:

John 1:1–2 (ESV)

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.

John 17:24 (ESV)

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.

SHOW TRINITY GRAPHIC

Each person is fully God.

Everything that it means to be God is true of each member of the Trinity.

They all share in the divine attributes—only these characteristics can be possessed by “God” … and they each possess these attributes.

A) The Father is fully God.

B) The Son is fully God.

John 1:1–4 (ESV)

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men.

God the Son has, for eternity, been fully God.

John 20:28 (ESV)

Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!”

John 10:30 (ESV)

“I and the Father are one.”

Hebrews 1:3 (ESV)

He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

“nature”—hypostasis—God the Son exactly duplicates the being or nature of God the Father in every way.

C) The Holy Spirit is fully God

The Holy Spirit is not an “it.” The Holy Spirit is not a “force” or a “power” or an inanimate being. The Holy Spirit is equally and fully God.

Acts 5:3–4 (ESV)

But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land? While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to man but to God.”

1 Corinthians 2:10–11 (ESV)

these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.

Council of Nicea—Arius denied the eternal pre-existence of the Son of God.

We believe in one God,       the Father almighty,       maker of heaven and earth,       of all things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ,       the only Son of God,       begotten from the Father before all ages,            God from God,            Light from Light,            true God from true God,       begotten, not made;

      of the same essence as the Father.       Through him all things were made.       For us and for our salvation            he came down from heaven;            he became incarnate by the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary,            and was made human.

           He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate;            he suffered and was buried.            The third day he rose again, according to the Scriptures.

           He ascended to heaven            and is seated at the right hand of the Father.            He will come again with glory            to judge the living and the dead.            His kingdom will never end.

And we believe in the Holy Spirit,       the Lord, the giver of life.       He proceeds from the Father and the Son,       and with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified.

      He spoke through the prophets.       We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic church.       We affirm one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.       We look forward to the resurrection of the dead,       and to life in the world to come. Amen.

There is one God.

Scripture is abundantly clear that there is one and only one God. The three different persons of the Trinity are one not only in purpose and in agreement on what they think, but they are one in essence, one in their essential nature. In other words, God is only one being. There are not three gods. There is only ONE God.

Deuteronomy 6:4 (ESV)

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.

So, what practical implications does this have on our lives? If this is true, this leaves us with no room for idolatry.

Isaiah 45:21–22 (ESV)

And there is no other god besides me,

a righteous God and a Savior;

there is none besides me.

“Turn to me and be saved,

all the ends of the earth!

For I am God, and there is no other.