The God We Worship (The Tri-Unity of the Godhead)

Introduction

The Christian God is unique from the gods worshipped by any other religion. God is best described as a Trinity, or Tri-Unity. God is a unity of three co-eternal persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

The Plurality and Oneness of God

We see several examples in both the Old and New Testaments of God being presented as a Being having both qualities of plurality and oneness. We struggle with this concept, because from our limited human perspective, the qualities of plurality and oneness are mutually exclusive. However, the Bible gives evidence that God can fit into both categories at the same time. There may be no sufficient way to explain how this can be. However, we can accept the Bible’s testimony to this fact.

Old Testament

The doctrine of the Trinity is never fully spelled out in the Old Testament. However, the Old Testament clearly teaches the oneness of God and gives several examples of there being at least two, and even three Divine Persons.

26 And 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 fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

Notice here that the writer refers to God in the singular, but God refers to Himself in the plural.

“God [singular] said, Let us [plural] make man in our [plural] image, after our [plural] likeness… So God [singular] created man in His [singular] own image.”

6 And the Lord said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.

7 Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.

8 So the Lord scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city.

Here we see the same pattern of the writer referring to “the Lord” as singular while the Lord refers to Himself as plural.

“The Lord [singular] said… ‘Let us [plural] go down’… So the Lord [singular] scattered them abroad.”

20 And the Lord said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous;

21 I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know.

22 And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the Lord.

Notice that the Lord came down to visit Abraham to notify him that he was going to judge the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah with fire and brimstone.

Notice that the Lord personally came down, because “Abraham stood yet before the Lord.”

24 Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven;

The text of Scripture says nothing about the Lord who visited Abraham returning to heaven.

So we have one LORD standing on the earth raining down fire and brimstone from another LORD in heaven.

This passage clearly reveals at least two Divine persons.

4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord:

Notice the usage of the word “one.”

It’s the same word as when Adam says that a married man and woman “shall be one flesh” ().

It’s the same word used to describe the builders of the tower of Babel: “the people is one” ().

It’s the same word as when Nehemiah records that 42,360 people () “gathered themselves together as one man” ().

God once told Ezekiel to take two sticks and join them together in his hand. God said “they shall become one in thine hand” ().

This word is often used to mean unity, not singularity. In the above examples we see unity in plurality, or multiple entities coming together to form one unit.

6 Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: The sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre.

7 Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: Therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee With the oil of gladness above thy fellows.

Here we have God anointing God with the oil of gladness.

So, again we see two Divine persons.

Also, if you understand the oil of gladness as a symbol for the Holy Spirit, you have three Divine persons in this text. This is not absolutely necessary, but it is worth taking note of.

8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.

Here we have God referring to Himself in both the singular and the plural.

“Whom shall I [singular] send, and who will go for us [plural].”

12 Hearken unto me, O Jacob and Israel, my called; I am he; I am the first, I also am the last.

13 Mine hand also hath laid the foundation of the earth, And my right hand hath spanned the heavens: When I call unto them, they stand up together.

14 All ye, assemble yourselves, and hear; Which among them hath declared these things? The Lord hath loved him: He will do his pleasure on Babylon, And his arm shall be on the Chaldeans.

15 I, even I, have spoken; yea, I have called him: I have brought him, and he shall make his way prosperous.

16 Come ye near unto me, hear ye this; I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; From the time that it was, there am I: And now the Lord God, and his Spirit, hath sent me.

Here it is undeniable that we see clearly three Divine persons.

The One who “laid the foundations of the earth” speaks of “the Lord” in the third person.

The One who “laid the foundations of the earth” says that he was sent by “the Lord God, and His Spirit.”

4 And the Lord said…

5 And it shall come to pass at that day, that I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel.

7 But I will have mercy upon the house of Judah, and will save them by the Lord their God, and will not save them by bow, nor by sword, nor by battle, by horses, nor by horsemen.

6 And she conceived again, and bare a daughter. And God said unto him, Call her name Lo-ruhamah: for I will no more have mercy upon the house of Israel; but I will utterly take them away.

7 … I will have mercy upon the house of Judah, and will save them by the Lord their God, and will not save them by bow, nor by sword, nor by battle, by horses, nor by horsemen.

Here we see the Lord saying that He will save His people by “the Lord their God.”

Another example of at least two Divine persons.

8 For thus saith the Lord of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: For he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye.

9 For, behold, I will shake mine hand upon them, And they shall be a spoil to their servants: And ye shall know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me.

Here we see the “Lord of Hosts” being sent by “the Lord of Hosts.”

Another example of at least two Divine persons in the Old Testament.

New Testament

16 And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:

17 And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

We see three divine persons present at the baptism of Jesus.

This is a significant moment in redemptive history. Jesus is beginning His public ministry for the salvation of mankind.

The Son was baptized, the Spirit descended upon Him, and the Father spoke from heaven.

19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

Notice that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit all share a singular name.

The Eternal Divinity of The Son of God

Throughout time, the idea has been taught that Jesus was created by the Father, or somehow had a beginning. Therefore, some people have believed Him to be a lesser God. But is this true?

The Word of God

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

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

2 The same was in the beginning with God.

3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

2 The same was in the beginning with God.

14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

The Word was in the beginning. It may be hard to pinpoint exactly what beginning this refers to, however it’s the same beginning that God existed in. John is saying that as long as God has existed, the Word (the Son of God) has existed. This is clearly the beginning before anything else existed, because “all things were mad by Him.”

The Word is equal with God in nature: “The Word was God.” This is not saying that the Word is the same person as God. God and the Word are clearly two different persons because the Word was with God. This text is saying that the Word shared the same Divine nature as God.

The Word is the active agent in creation and the revealer of the glory of the Father. The Word is pictured here as having the same attributes, abilities, and nature as God Himself.

Our God and Savior

13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;

The NKJV more accurately translates the nuances of the Greek grammar: “our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.”

This text teaches that Jesus is God and Savior.

1 Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:

This text employs the same grammatical construction as above.

The correct translation is “our God and Savior Jesus Christ.”

3 For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:

4 Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises;

5 Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.

Immanuel, God with Us

14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, And shall call his name Immanuel.

23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

Other Old Testament Prophecies

6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: And the government shall be upon his shoulder: And his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

We understand that this text is a prophecy of Jesus Christ.

This text speaks of His eternal existence: “The everlasting Father”

This text speaks of His divinity: “The mighty God”

2 But thou, Beth-lehem Ephratah, Though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; Whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

This prophecy of Jesus makes it clear that Jesus has existed from “everlasting.”

What did the disciples believe?

25 The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.

26 And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.

27 Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.

28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.

The Personality and Divinity of the Holy Spirit

Some people believe that the Holy Spirit, or Spirit of God, is just another term for God’s power. They see the Holy Spirit as a force or a symbol for the presence of God. Is the Holy Spirit a personal Being, distinct from the Father and the Son?

The Holy Spirit can be lied to.

3 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?

4 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.

Anania

The Holy Spirit can be blasphemed.

31 Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.

32 And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.

The Holy Spirit has a will.

11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.

The Holy Spirit testifies.

16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

The Holy Spirit Intercedes

26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

The Holy Spirit knows God.

10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.

Insight from Ellen G. White

The Holy Spirit has a personality, else He could not bear witness to our spirits and with our spirits that we are the children of God [alluding to ]. He must also be a divine person , else He could not search out the secrets which lie hidden in the mind of God [ quoted].

- Manuscript 20, 1906

The Holy Spirit teaches.

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.

The Holy Spirit convinces.

8 And when he is come, he will reprove [or convict/convince] the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:

The Acts of the Apostles

The Spirit speaks.

29 Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot.

2 As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.

The Spirit forbids.

6 Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia,

7 After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not.

The Spirit evaluates and approves.

28 For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things;

The Working Relationship of the Godhead

In Creation

The Father

1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

The Son

13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:

14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:

15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:

16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

The Holy Spirit

4 The Spirit of God hath made me, And the breath of the Almighty hath given me life.

30 Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created: And thou renewest the face of the earth.

In Redemption

1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,

2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.

1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:

2 Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

8 Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;

9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:

10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:

11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.

13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,

14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

The Father plans redemption.

The Son executes the plan of redemption.

The Spirit applies the benefits of redemption to the lives of individual believers.

Conclusion: God is Love

The Bible declares that God is love (). But, the Bible also teaches that love “seeketh not her own” (). So, in order for God to be the eternal manifestation of perfect, eternal love, there was never a time when He was a singular, unitary being. When we behold God, we behold perfect, eternal love. How great is our God!