One God…..three persons.
Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
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:
20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
What does the Bible teach about the trinity?
Is there a trinity?
Is there only one God?
Are the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, one God or three Gods?
Is God only one of many gods?
The Bible does not use the word trinity but as we study the Word of God, we will realize that there is:
1. Only one true God.
2. And that there is a trinity of personalities.
There is only one God, and He is displayed in three persons.
One God = three persons:
God the Father is God.
Jesus Christ is God.
And the Holy Spirit is God.
Isaiah 55:8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Romans 11:33 ¶ O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
34 For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?
35 Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?
36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.
God cannot be put into a box. His ways are so much higher than our ways.
Trinity: The union of three persons in one Godhead or the threefold personality of the one Divine Being.
Triune: Three in one; constituting a trinity in unity, as the Godhead.
The Triune God
Mark 12:29 b Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:
Isaiah 45:22 Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.
How many Gods are there?
There is only One God.
The unity of the Godhead is a truth that should never be doubted.
The theory of a plurality of gods belongs to the realms of idolatry.
Matthew 4:10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
How does One God display Himself in three persons?
God manifests Himself in many different ways in the context of three distinct persons….The Father, Son, Holy Spirit.
One example is found in Matthew 3
13 ¶ Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.
14 But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?
15 And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.
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.
The fact of a Triune God is brought out in Jesus’ own words in John 14:26 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.
It is important that we recognize:
God the Father as God.
Jesus Christ as God.
And the Holy Spirit as God.
There are those who believe that only the Father is God, Jesus Christ is His son but is not the very God Himself, and that the Holy Spirit is but a mere influence that draws the minds of men towards God. This belief is contradictory to the word of God and Jesus’ very own words when He was here in the flesh.
The Bible teaches us that each of the three persons named–Father, Son, and Holy Spirit–is recognized as God.
Peter recognizes Him in 1Peter 1:3 ¶ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
Paul recognizes Him in 2Corinthians 1:3 ¶ Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;
Hebrews 1:8 But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.
John 20:28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.
Romans 9:5 Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.
Titus 2:13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
John 1:1 ¶ 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.
John 1:14 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.
Matthew 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name
of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Jesus puts equal emphasis on each person of the God Head.
Acts 5:1 ¶ But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession,
2 And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
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? {to lie to: or, to deceive}
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.
5 And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things.
6 And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him.
7 And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in.
8 And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much.
9 Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out.
There is only one God.
Revelation 1:8 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.
17 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:
18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.
Revelation 22:13 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.
God is not governed by the same laws as men are. What is totally impossible for man, is completely possible for God. God is not confined to human reasoning. The fact that man may not understand a triune God, is no evidence that it is not true. If His ways are past finding out, than it is evident that His being is likewise so. The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead was totally impossible by the power of man, but was done with perfect ease by the power of God.