Trinity, mission of the persons

The Son and the Holy Spirit do God’s work on earth

In the OT, the Lord alone is Saviour

Isaiah 43:11 ESV

I, I am the Lord, and besides me there is no savior.

See also Ps 19:14; Ps 78:35; Is 43:3; Is 49:26; Is 60:16; Je 14:8; Ho 13:4

In the NT, the Son is the Saviour

Matthew 1:21 ESV

She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

See also Lk 2:11; Jn 4:42; Ga 3:13; Ga 4:5; Tt 2:13; Tt 3:6

In the OT, the Lord lives among his people

Exodus 29:45 ESV

I will dwell among the people of Israel and will be their God.

See also Ps 135:21; Is 57:15; Eze 43:7; Joe 3:17; Zec 2:10–11

In the NT, the Spirit lives in the church

1 Corinthians 3:16 ESV

Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?

See also Jn 14:17; Ro 8:9; Ro 8:11; 2 Ti 1:14

Father and Son in the mission of Jesus Christ

The Father sends the Son

Galatians 4:4 ESV

But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law,

See also Mt 10:40; Mk 12:6; Jn 3:16–17; Jn 7:28; Jn 8:42; 1 Jn 4:9

The Son reveals the Father

John 8:38 ESV

I speak of what I have seen with my Father, and you do what you have heard from your father.”

See also Jn 1:18; Jn 15:15; Jn 17:6; Jn 17:26; Col 1:15; Heb 1:3

The Son does the Father’s work

John 5:19 ESV

So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.

See also Jn 4:34; Jn 5:17; Jn 9:3–4; Jn 10:37; Jn 14:10

The Son speaks the Father’s words

John 12:49–50 ESV

For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak. And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me.”

See also Jn 3:34; Jn 8:28; Jn 14:24; Jn 17:8

The Father testifies to the Son

Jn 5:37 This refers to God’s testimony to his Son in the OT Scriptures.

See also Jn 5:32; Jn 8:18; 1 Jn 5:9

The sending of the Holy Spirit

The Father gives the Spirit

Luke 11:13 ESV

If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

See also Ac 5:32; 2 Co 5:5; Ga 3:5; Eph 1:17; 1 Jn 4:13

The Son gives the Spirit

John 16:7 ESV

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.

See also Mt 3:11; Jn 1:33; Jn 20:22

The Father sends the Spirit through Jesus Christ

Jn 14:16–17 The varied terminology about who sends the Spirit reflects the close co-operation between and the shared activity of the three persons.

See also Jn 14:26; Jn 15:26; Ac 2:33

The three persons share the work of salvation

The incarnation

Luke 1:35 ESV

And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God.

Jesus Christ’s baptism

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.”

Jesus Christ’s ministry

Acts 10:38 ESV

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.

See also Lk 10:21; Jn 3:34

The work of redemption

1 Peter 1:2 ESV

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.

See also 2 Co 1:21–22; Ga 4:4–6; Eph 1:3–14; Eph 2:18; 2 Th 2:13–14; Tt 3:4–6

Commissioning the disciples

John 20:21–22 ESV

Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.

See also Ac 1:7–8

Jesus Christ’s exaltation

Acts 7:55 ESV

But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.

See also Ac 5:31–32

Proclaiming the gospel

Acts 2:38–39 ESV

And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.”

Building the church

Ephesians 2:22 ESV

In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

See also 1 Co 12:4–6