[Faith-talk] Explaining the Trinity
qubit
lauraeaves at yahoo.com
Mon Mar 10 07:28:10 UTC 2014
Hi Pappa Bear --
Thank you for the interesting article which has some good references and
analysis -- although the author couldn't resist taking a pot shot at the
Mormons, whose doctrine he misunderstands. That kind of stands out in
contrast to the rest of the article which is thorough and well thought out.
I noticed he includes the reference to the plural word Elohim in the book of
Genesis. It always intrigued me also that in Gen 3:22, after Adam and Eve
had eaten the forbidden fruit, "And the Lord God said, Behold the man is
become as one of us to know good and evil..."
Here again, the reference to God is pluralized. Whom is he speaking to?
Well, as you say, no one can possibly understand everything, but it is fun
to ponder over the mysteries.
Have a nice week all.
--le
----- Original Message -----
From: "Poppa Bear" <heavens4real at gmail.com>
To: "Faith-talk,for the discussion of faith and religion"
<faith-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Sunday, March 09, 2014 12:38 PM
Subject: Re: [Faith-talk] Explaining the Trinity
Here is an article that goes over the doctrine of the trinity in a thorough
and Biblical way. I hope that if some read it this that even if they don't
agree with it they can be informed about the doctrine and have a clear
understanding in order to make more accurate statements about what it is,
where it came from and why they disagree with it. If a person continues to
discredit it with out making an analytical study of both sides of the
argument and only gathers information to support his or her preconceived
ideas about it then the question may be asked, "is that intellectual
dishonesty"? If a person does not want to take an analytical look at the
evidence of the things they are creating arguments against then perhaps they
should not speak on it. There is a simple old saying that says, "Know that
what you know is so." Very cut and dry, if you don't know it, don't speak on
it as if you do.
"Why The Trinity?
By Cooper P. Abrams, III
All Rights Reserved
Gadgets powered by Google
INTRODUCTION: From the Second Century to our present age, many people have
found the biblical doctrine of the Trinity hard to understand. The doctrine
of the Trinity recognizes that God is one God, co-existing in three distinct
Persons of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. In our material existence, the
concept that God is One God, yet exists as three distinct persons, is
foreign to us. However, the doctrine of the Godhead (Trinity) is without
questions revealed in God's word.
The biblical term "Godhead" (theiotes) is used three times in
Scripture, Acts 17:29; Romans 1:20; Colossians 2:9. The word "Trinity,"
which is the theological word Christians use to refer to the Godhead, is not
found in Scripture.
· "Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to
think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art
and man's device" (Acts 17:29).
· "For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world
are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his
eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse" (Romans 1:20)
· "For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily."
(Colossians 2:9)
The doctrine states that the Godhead, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
consists of three distinct Persons, yet these three are one God. There are
many arguments espoused by those that deny the Trinity, but the most
prevalent is: How can God be One God and at the same time be three Persons?
The problem with that question is that it is based in ignorance of what God
has said about Himself. The Bible, the Word of God, plainly states the
plurality of God and that God is One God. To accept His Word means to
believe what God has revealed. The truth of the Trinity is a revealed truth
that is established in the credibility of God Himself.
In Matthew 28:19-20, Jesus gave His disciples the Great Commission, stating
that they were to teach and baptize in the names of the Godhead, "Go ye
therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 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."
Further 1 John 5:7 states "For there are three that bear record in heaven,
the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one."[1] The
fact God did not inspire the writers of Scripture to use the modern word
"Trinity" does imply that it is not a biblical truth. However, there are
many words and phrases that Christians use to express biblical doctrines
that are not found in the Bible. One is the word "rapture." This word also
is not found in Scripture, but the phrase "shall be caught up"
(harpagesometha) is used in 1 Thessalonians 4:17 and means to "catch away"
or in Latin "rapiemur"meaning to be snatched away. In fact, the word
"Bible" is also not found in the Scriptures. Would we dismiss the existence
of the Bible because the word is not found in Scripture?[2]
Those that deny the Trinity are denying the Godhead. They argue that it is
physically impossible for three distinct persons to be only one. This
article will show that they are both right and wrong. They are right in the
sense that it is impossible for us to explain how this can be a reality in
our physical/material world. But they are wrong in denying that God is a
Triune God. The approach of this paper will be first to authenticate the
biblical doctrine by presenting biblical statements attesting to this truth.
One reason those who deny the Trinity do so is the Bible clearly teaches
monotheism, meaning that God is One God. (Deut. 4:35-36, 6:4)
· "Unto thee it was shewed, that thou mightest know that the LORD he
is God; there is none else beside him. Out of heaven he made thee to hear
his voice, that he might instruct thee: and upon earth he shewed thee his
great fire; and thou heardest his words out of the midst of the fire."
(Deuteronomy 4:35-36)
· "And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and
with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command
thee this day, shall be in thine heart:" (Deuteronomy 6:5-6)
· "Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD
of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God."
(Isaiah 44:6)
· "I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour."
(Isaiah 43:11)
The Scriptures unmistakably refer to the plurality of God in the He as
exists in Three Persons. Secondly, this paper will present a practical
explanation of the doctrine in human terms.
Overwhelmingly, the Bible teaches the Trinitarian concept of one God
existing as three persons. The Bible does not teach polytheism, which says
that there are three separate Gods called the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Nor does the Bible say God is one person who took three forms or that the
God the Father became the Son, who then became the Holy Spirit, as is taught
by some false churches. The Bible does not teach that God is only one person
or that Jesus is not God, but only God's procreated son.[3] The word of
God does not teach that Jesus was created.
The Bible specifically states that God is Spirit and was never a man.
· "God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man,
that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he
spoken, and shall he not make it good?" (Numbers 23:19)
· "And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for he
is not a man, that he should repent." (1 Samuel 15:29)
The Bible further plainly states that Jesus Christ, being God, is eternal,
as is the Father. The Apostle John states clearly that Jesus, the Word,
was with God in the beginning of the Universe. "In the beginning was the
Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the
beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any
thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of
men." (John 1:1-4) This passage will be explained in detail later in the
article.
Jesus Himself plainly refers to eternity.
· "Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before
Abraham was, I am." (John 8:58)
Alfa and Omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. In the
following verse the term Alpha and Omega are defined by God Himself by the
phrase "the beginning and the end" (verse 8) and "the first and the last"
(verse 11).
· "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. . . .
Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest,
write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto
Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto
Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea." (Revelation 1:8, 11)
· "And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the
beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain
of the water of life freely." (Revelation 21:6)
· "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and
the last." (Revelation 22:13)
How Does the Bible Teach the Doctrine of the Trinity?
The following chart shows some of the many passages in the Bible from which
the doctrine of the Trinity is derived. Note that God the Father, Son and
Holy Spirit are all called God and all have the same attributes, which are
attributes that only God has.
THE TRIUNE GODHEAD PRESENTED IN SCRIPTURE
FATHER
SON
HOLY SPIRIT
Called God
Phil. 1:2
John 1:1,14; Col. 2:9
Acts 5:3-4
Creator
Isa. 64:8; 44:24
John 1:3
Gen. 1:2
Resurrects
1 Thess. 1:10
John 2:19, 10:17
Rom. 8:11
Indwells
2 Cor. 6:16
Col. 1:27
John 14:17
Everywhere
1 Kings 8:27
Matt. 28:20
Psa. 139:7-10
All knowing
1 John 3:20
John 16:30; 21:17
1 Cor. 2:10-11
Sanctifies
1 Thess. 5:23
Heb. 2:11
1 Pet. 1:2
Life giver
Gen. 2:7: John 5;21
John 1:3; 5:21
2 Cor. 3:6,8
Fellowship
1 John 1:3
1 Cor. 1:9
2 Cor. 13:14; Phil. 2:1
Eternal
Psa. 90:2
Micah 5:1-2
Rom. 8:11; Heb. 9:14
A Will
Luke 22:42
Luke 22:42
1 Cor. 12:11
Speaks
Matt. 3:17; Luke 3:22
Luke 5:20; 7:48
Acts 8:29; 11:12; 13:2
Love
John 3:16
Eph. 5: 25
Rom. 15:30
Searches the heart
Jer. 17:10
Rev. 2:23
1 Cor. 2:10
We belong to
John 17:9
John 17:6
Savior
1 Tim. 1:1; 2:3; 4:10
2 Tim. 1:10; Tit. 1:4; 3:6
We serve
Matt. 4:10
Col. 3:24
Believe in
John 14:1
John 14:1
Gives joy
John 15:9-11
Luke 1:14, John 15:11, 17:13
Judges
John 8:50
John 5:22, 30
Passages in the Old Testament that Teach Plurality in the Oneness of God.
________________
Deuteronomy 6:4
"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD"
The Bible, in this verse, emphatically states there is only one God.[4]
"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD" (Deuteronomy 6:4, Mark
12:29). Literally, the verse says, "Hear, O Israel: Jehovah our Elohim is a
united Jehovah." The Bible is the inerrant inspired Word of God and this
statement can only be understood in that God is telling us He is One God.
(See 2 Timothy 3:16-17, 2 Peter 1:21). Yet, this does not mean that within
the Godhead there is not a plurality. Scripturally, plurality means, that
God is One God existing in three distinct Persons.
The Hebrew word for one is Echad and "stresses unity while recognizing
diversity with that oneness."[5] This same word is used in Genesis 2:24,
"Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave
unto his wife: and they shall be one (Echad) flesh." Therefore, God says
that two individuals, Adam and Eve, were one flesh. Exodus 24:3 states " .
. . All the people answered with one (Echad) voice, and said, All the words
which the LORD hath said will we do." Note that all the people, which were a
great multitude, replied with one voice. There are many other instances
where the word is used to show the oneness of many individuals. In other
words, the Hebrew word Echad allows for plurality within oneness, allowing
God, who is emphatically described as one God, to be three Persons who are
One God.
There is another Hebrew word that means "one" which is "Yahad." This word is
always singular and can only mean one and so its use allows no plurality.
God could have used this word in Deuteronomy 6:4, but chose Echad instead,
which allows the concept of God being One God who is in essence is three
individual Persons. Thiessen says, "A unity is, however, not inconsistent
with the conception of the trinity; for a unity is not the same as a
unit."[6]
This concept can be further seen in the descriptions of the Person of God in
the Old Testament:
· The Person of God no one is allowed to see. "Thou canst not see my
face: for there shall no man see me, and live" (Ex. 33:20).
· The Person of God we can see. "And the LORD appeared unto him in
the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day"
(Genesis 18:1, See 2-33). (This is a preincarnate appearance of the Lord
Jesus Christ)
· The Person of God that cannot be seen. "And the earth was without
form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit
of God moved upon the face of the waters." (Gen. 1:2). (The Holy Spirit is
in essence a spirit and cannot be seen by physical beings)
_______________
Genesis 1:1-2
"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was
without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the
Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters."
The Old Testament begins by teaching that God is One in three Persons. In
Genesis 1:1, the Hebrew name for God is "Elohim" which is used more than two
thousand times in the plural form in the Bible.[7] Further, the name
"Elohim" occurs only in Hebrew and in no other Semitic language.[8] This is
a plural noun, but the verb is singular which is not a normal use of
grammar. Normally a plural noun would have a plural verb. But, if you
wanted to teach that God is one and also a plurality, using the unique
grammatical construction of using of a plural noun with a singular verb
would be used. Therefore, this passage teaches that there is one God who
exists in a plurality.
_______________
Genesis 1:26
"And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness . . . "
Again in Genesis 1:26, God is spoken of as plural. "And God said, Let us
make man in our image . . . " The word "man" is the word "Adam" and refers
to a human being both man and female. The same word for "one" (Echad) is
used in Genesis 2:24, speaking of the oneness of a husband and wife. God
sees a husband and wife spiritually as being one. This is another verse
that helps to establish that two or more can spiritually be one.
_______________
Genesis 11:7-8
"Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not
understand one another's speech. So the LORD scattered them abroad from
thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city."
Genesis 11:7-8 says the LORD scattered the antediluvians abroad from thence
upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city. God is
spoken of in the plural (let "us" go down) and in the singular (Jehovah =
"the existing One") at the same time. This passage summarizes the Bible's
teaching that God is one, but exists in a plurality of three Persons.
_______________
Psalm 45:6-7
"Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a
right sceptre. Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore
God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy
fellows."
According to Hebrews 1:8-9, God the Father is speaking in Psalm 45, and He
is referring to the Son as God. "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. Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God,
even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows
"(Heb. 1:8-9).
The question is: If the Son Himself was God, why did He address the Father
as God? The Son addressed the Father as God for the same reason that the
Father addressed the Son as God: because they are both God!
_______________
Isaiah 48:16-17
"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. Thus saith the LORD, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of
Israel; I am the LORD thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth
thee by the way that thou shouldest go."
God the Father states He is the "Lord GOD; I am the Lord thy God." He then
unmistakably further says He is thy "Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel."
Isaiah 44:24 proclaims the Redeemer made Israel and the heavens, "Thus saith
the LORD, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the LORD
that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that
spreadeth abroad the earth by myself." Both verses refer to the promised
Messiah who is both Jesus and God. Jesus is the Redeemer. The LORD
(Jehovah) states that He is the Creator. Therefore, the Bible is saying that
it is God (Jehovah) the Father who is the Creator. At the same time, the
Bible is stating that Jesus Christ is the Creator. (See John 1:3-4, Eph.
3:9, Col. 1: 16)
_______________
Jeremiah 23:5-6
"Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a
righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute
judgment and justice in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and
Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called,
THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS."
The verse identifies the person speaking as being "the Lord" (Jehovah) and
Jehovah is talking about another person who, in the future, will come to
earth. David's descendent, a King who will reign, prosper and will judge the
earth. Jehovah then gives His name as "JEHOVAH OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS." This is a
reference to the promised Messiah, who will be a man and a descendant of
David. God the Father identifies Himself in the Old Testament as "Jehovah"
and here He says the Messiah's name is also called "Jehovah" (insert comma)
which is the sacred name of God. It would be blasphemy to call any man
"Jehovah" yet this is plainly the name by which the Messiah would be called.
There can be no mistake that God the Father is saying the Messiah Jesus is
God.
_______________
Isaiah 9:6
"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,
Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."
This is another prophecy foretelling the birth of the Messiah. Note that the
Messiah is called "The mighty God, The everlasting Father." There can be no
doubt that this passage is saying a human child would be born who is
identified as God and the Father. Why would God the Father state that the
Messiah, a man, is God and the Father if He was not? Proverbs 30:4-5 states
God's word are pure, "Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? who
hath gathered the wind in his fists? who hath bound the waters in a garment?
who hath established all the ends of the earth? what is his name, and what
is his son's name, if thou canst tell? Every word of God is pure: he is a
shield unto them that put their trust in him." God is saying His words are
pure and that He is the Creator and He has a Son. Clearly this passage is
saying that Jesus Christ (Christ = Messiah) is God incarnate in man.
NEW TESTAMENT PASSAGES THAT TEACH THE TRINITY
The New Testament clearly states that Jesus is God (John 1:1, 14); the
Father is God (Phil. 1:2); and the Holy Spirit is God (Acts 5:3-4). Since
the Son speaks to the Father, they are separate persons (John 17). Since the
Holy Spirit speaks also (Acts 13:2), He, too, is a separate person. There
can be no question that the New Testament proclaims there is only One God
and that He exists in three distinct persons.
_______________
John 1:1, 14-15
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was
God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him;
and without him was not any thing made that was made. . . .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. John bare witness
of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after
me is preferred before me: for he was before me."
The verse emphatically states that the "Word" (Logos) was God. John 1:14-15
unmistakably proclaims that the "Word" was made flesh and this establishes
the incarnation of God. God came to earth as a man. The passage
unquestionably identifies Jesus Christ as the Word, who was God, stating
that John the Baptist bare witness of Him.
John 1:3 teaches that it was Jesus Christ, the Word (Logos) who created all
things. "All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made
that was made" (John 1:3) However, Genesis 1:1 states "In the beginning God
(Elohim) created the heavens and the earth." This passage without a doubt
establishes the deity of Jesus Christ, affirming that He is God and that He
created all things. Speaking of Christ Colossians 1:16 states, "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." Further, Colossians
1:17 adds "And he is before all things, and by him all things consist." (See
Heb. 1:3, 10)
God plainly states in Exodus 34:14 that man is not to worship any other God.
"For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous,
is a jealous God." Colossians 1:18 states that Jesus is to have the
preeminence in all things. "And he is the head of the body, the church: who
is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might
have the preeminence" (Col. 1:18). Further, Jesus was worshiped many times
while on earth. (See Matt. 2:11, 15:25, 28:17; Mark 3:11, 5:6, 33, 14:33
15:19; Luke 5:8; 8:28, 41, 17:16, 24:52; John 9:38; Rev. 5:14) Jesus
accepted the worship of men because He is God.
Obviously, there is a pattern presented by these Scriptures. God the Father
is emphatically said to have created the heavens and the earth and at the
same time Jesus is proclaimed to be the Creator. In Genesis 1:2, the Holy
Spirit is shown as having "moved" upon the face of the waters." (Also see
Psalms 104:30) The only way these are true because is if God the Father,
Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit are one God.
________________
John 8:58
"Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I
am."
In John 8:58 Jesus ended a confrontational discourse with the religious Jews
and proclaimed that He was "I am," a name that only applies to God the
Father. The Jews then rioted and took up stones to kill Jesus, but He eluded
them and passed through the midst of them unharmed. What caused them to
riot was that Jesus said plainly that He was Jehovah God, the "Self-Existent
One." (Exodus 3:14) Using the name "I am," He identified Himself as the One
who sent Moses to the children of Israel when they were in captivity in
Egypt. The Jews fully understood what He had said and were so angry with Him
making the statement that they rushed to kill Him. There can be no mistake
that Jesus stated He was Jehovah God, which certainly confirms the biblical
doctrine of the Trinity.
________________
John 10:30
"I and my Father are one."
In John 10:30, Jesus said that "I and my Father are one." The word "One" is
in the neuter gender. This statement rules out the meaning that they are
only one in purpose as some misinterpret this verse to say. It affirms that
Jesus and God are separate persons, but one God, with the Holy Spirit. The
verse says they are in perfect unity in their natures and actions. Jesus
emphatically stated on this occasion that He was God. The Jews who heard Him
saw a man standing before them and they fully understood what He had just
stated. They were so offended at His statement that they took up stones to
put Him to death, "because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God" (John
20:33b) These Jews fully understood that God presents Himself in the Old
Testament as monotheistic, which in their minds precluded that Jesus could
be God also.[9] Here again the Bible unmistakably tells us from Christ's
own words that God the Father and Jesus Christ are One.
_______________
Matthew 1:23
"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."
The angel announced to Joseph that Mary was with child and the Son she would
give birth to would be called "Emmanuel," meaning God with us. Matthew
clearly claimed not only that Christ was born of a virgin, but that this was
anticipated by the prophecy of Isaiah as being the method by which God would
become a man.[10]
_______________
1 Timothy 3:16
"And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest
in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the
Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory."
This passage begins with "without controversy" as if anticipating those who
would deny the Trinity. It then soundly affirms the doctrine. The phrase
"without controversy" means simply "obviously" or "beyond all question." The
next statement "The mystery of Godliness is great" denotes the importance
and magnitude of this now revealed mystery or truth that was not revealed in
the Old Testament. A mystery in the Bible is simply a previously unrevealed
truth. In other words, in the Old Testament this truth was not stated.
The mystery is that "God was manifest in the flesh!" This is as
straightforward a statement as can be made on the matter. This verse says
that God is manifested in the flesh or God is incarnate in flesh. The Greek
word is "phneroo" meaning, "to make visible." (See John 1:1-14, 14:7, Col.
1:15, 1 Tim. 1:17) Jesus was "justified in the Spirit" proclaiming that it
was not the flesh that justified, but the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ was thus
vindicated in the Spirit at His resurrection. Some believe this means Jesus
was "seen of angels" but the word is "angelos" which means a messenger.
Contextually, it is referring to the Apostles who saw the Lord in the flesh
and preached the Gospel to the Gentiles. That Jesus was "preached among the
Gentiles" refers to the scope of His ministry that He came to save all
nations, not just the Jews. He was more than the Jewish Messiah, but was the
Savior of the world. Jesus was "believed on in the world" being proven to be
the Redeemer and is believed on and accepted as Savior by those who seek
after God. He was then "received up into glory when His work was finished.
Today Christ is at the right hand of God, making intercession for those who
by faith are trusting in Him.
There can be no mistake that this verse reveals that Jesus Christ is God and
attests to the fact that Jesus and God are One.
SUMMARY
The verses presented and many others clearly teach that God is One God.
These passages state that Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit are also God.
Thus the Bible affirms one of the most important doctrines in Scripture that
God is one God existing in a unity of God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
The full importance of understanding and accepting this truth is found in
the Epistle of 1 John:
"Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of
God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye
the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in
the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ
is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist,
whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the
world." (1 John 4:1-3).
It must be noted that the phrase "Jesus Christ is come in the flesh" is a
direct reference to His deity and that GOD came to the earth in flesh. All
men are "born in the flesh," therefore this verse has no significance unless
it is referring to God coming in the flesh. John says those that deny this
revealed truth of the Trinity are not of God and the denial of this doctrine
comes from the spirit of the antichrist who is directed by Satan.
The biblical doctrine of the Trinity was not invented by man or any church.
Its origin is in the plain and unmistaken statements made throughout the
Bible. It is revealed truth and a part of salvation. When a person comes to
God he must accept who He is and what is His revealed nature.
"But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God
must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently
seek him. " (Hebrews 11:6)
How Can We Understand that God is One God Existing in Three Distinct
Persons?
How can we understand that God can be One God, yet be three distinct
persons? The answer is really quite simple and easy to understand if we
accept that the Bible is the very word of God and what we are reading is
God's revelation to man about Himself. Thiessen states, "His (God) being is
simple; man's is compound, having both a material and an immaterial part.
But God is spirit and is not susceptible of such division."[11]
Is it reasonable for us to demand that we understand perfectly everything
about our Magnificent and Almighty God? Do we understand fully everything we
believe and know to be true? Do we fully understand our own selves or most
of the things in the world in which we live? How can we expect fully to
understand the eternal, wholly spiritual, Almighty God?
The answer is "No." Man knows very little about the world in which he
exists. 2 Timothy 2:23 rightly warns us to avoid foolish and unlearned
questions.[12] A foolish question is one that is used to attempt to
overthrow a plain Bible teaching, such as questions about the Trinity, or
the resurrection, or the incarnation of Christ, or the condition of man
after death.
The false teacher asks foolish questions, which causes people to doubt the
Word of God. The true teacher encourages people to believe the Word of God
despite whether its teachings seem perfectly reasonable to human
understanding or not.[13] The problem is not with what the Bible reveals,
but with man's unwillingness to accept and understand what God has stated as
fact.
The following illustration is not a perfect example, but helps illustrate a
point. We all believe in gravity but we cannot explain it. Our inability to
explain or even understand what gravity is does not mean there is no
gravity. It exists and we can see what it does. We cannot see it or touch
it or in any way explain what it is. Gravity is the most important force in
the universe and affects everything in it. The physicist tells us even the
smallest particle of subatomic matter is held in place by the force of
gravity, yet no one knows what gravity is or what makes it work.
Wouldn't it be reasonable and logical to accept, that although we do not
understand with human reasoning how it is possible, that God is three
Persons and One God? If we deny the possibility of the Trinity then we
must also declare that we are omniscient, which means our knowledge is
infinite and absolute. Do we know everything there is to know about
everything? Do we even know everything about our physical world? How then
can we honestly proclaim we know everything in the realm of the spiritual
world where God exists? We are in essence a spiritual being, but physical.
When we consider, as this paper shows, that the Bible, that is God's own
word on the matter, plainly establishes Trinity, how can we set ourselves up
as judges of God's word and declare that God is not a Trinity with your
limited knowledge of the universe? How can any man set himself up as an
authority on something he cannot explain? Is it logical to say because I
cannot explain or understand the Trinity in physical terms that it does not
exists? The answer is obvious.
Do we deny the existence of gravity, atoms, electrons, protons, and the
atomic particles of the Universe because we do not know how they exist or
can explain them? We accept it by faith because scientists, who we trust,
tell us they exist and we accept their statements. They reveal to us the
existence of atomic and subatomic particles that we cannot see. Do we call
the scientists, who have knowledge of these things, liars because we cannot
understand or see what they reveal to us? In a similar way we accept the
truth of the Trinity, although not being able to fully understand it or
explain it, because God, who certainly knows who He is, has revealed it to
us in His written word.
It is a fact that those who deny the Trinity also deny the clear teachings
of God's word. The cults and false religions deny the deity of Jesus
Christ, and the cardinal doctrines of Bible. The basic flaw in their
theology is although they proclaim to have God's truth, the in fact deny
God's
statements about Himself and truth. Can such as these have any credibility
in having any knowledge of God? If they did not get their knowledge from
God's word, where could it come from except faulty human reasoning?
Why then is it so hard for some men to accept the biblical truth
of the Trinity? The key to this misunderstanding lays in man's microfying
our infinite Creator. In other words, making Him finite like us? This
act demeans and debases our omnipotent and glorious God and brings Him down
to the level of man. God is not man and the immensity of His being is so
far beyond our finite understanding that we cannot even begin comprehend who
He truly is. However, He has revealed to us through His word the Bible;
all we need to know about Him and thereby to fully believe and trust in
Him.[14]
John 3:19 says, "And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the
world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were
evil." The verse says that "light," referring to God's revealed truth of
Jesus Christ the Savior, has been given to us by God, but because of his sin
man refuses to accept it.
We must understand that man lives in a material universe and is subject to
physical limitations of this world and to time and space. However, God
exists in a spiritual world outside our universe that is not material nor
subject to time and space. God says He is Spirit (John 4:24), which is
simply revealed truth from God about Himself. God does not explain what a
Spirit is because we cannot understand it. There is nothing in our material
world to compare with the spiritual realm of God. But we do know that it is
different from the material universe that we live in, and that God's essence
as spirit is different ours.
In our physical world we can only describe something by using words, terms
or things that are familiar to us. If I try to tell someone what a house is,
I have the advantage of that person having seen other houses. Therefore,
even though there are many different kinds of houses, it is understand what
the word "house" is generally referring to. Yet, when we try to describe
God as a Spirit or the Trinity, we have no such advantage. There is nothing
in our material world with which we can compare a Spirit or the spiritual
realm wherein God exists.
God exists outside the universe and in a spiritual dimension beyond our
human ability to perceive. The physical laws of our universe do not apply.
Our world is material, not spiritual, and therefore the concept is foreign
to us. This is why God does not attempt to explain the Trinity to us in His
word. We cannot understand it because we are material beings and only know
material things. Yet, the doctrine is true because God has revealed it to us
as fact in His word. The Bible teaches that God is one God existing in three
distinct persons; God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Those who
believe and trust God believe this doctrine because it is revealed truth
from God, who cannot lie.
The Bible also reveals that God is eternal, yet some of the same people who
deny the Trinity, will accept that God is eternal and infinite. Yet, the
idea that God is an eternal God is just as foreign to our understanding as
the Trinity. In our world nothing is eternal and everything has a beginning
and will have an end, but not so with God, who is not subject to time and
exists in a realm in which there is no time. Psalm 90:2, states, "Before
the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and
the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God." The term
"everlasting to everlasting" means that God is infinite in time, having no
beginning or end. This is another revealed truth that we cannot comprehend.
Man, is as a material being, is limited by time and space. Being limited by
time, we cannot conceive of an infinite God that exists outside time. This
universe, including you and me, had a physical beginning and we will have a
physical end. Yet, says He is eternal, having no beginning or ending.
God reveals Himself in His word saying "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning
and the end, the first and the last" (Rev. 22:13).
Many who deny the doctrine of the Trinity also deny other clear teachings of
the Bible such as the deity of Jesus Christ, salvation by grace apart from
works, the miracles, the prophecies, and a host of other cardinal doctrines
God has revealed to us. These truths are the supernatural works of God. Man
is not able mentally to perceive of God's unity, spirituality, independence,
immutability, eternity and immensity. Drawing from man's limited material
existence and prejudice, those that deny these carnal doctrines conclude
that these things are impossible in a material world and therefore
illogically proclaim they do not exist. Humanly speaking, the supernatural
acts of God are impossible for mortals in a material universe to understand.
What so many fail to understand is that God is a supernatural Being. He is
not limited to the restrictions of a material universe. God is Spirit and
thus a supernatural Being that exists outside the universe. He, from the
realm of His spiritual dimension called Heaven, drawing from His infinite
power, created our material universe "exhilo," which means out of nothing.
Being supernatural, which means being beyond material limitations, God,
simply spoke the universe into being. That, too, is a reality we cannot
comprehend. In our material world it is impossible to create something out
of absolutely nothing. Yet, with God all things are possible.[15]
No one can mistake that the Bible is a supernatural Book which reveals the
supernatural works of God in creating and working with man through the ages.
The Bible presents mankind with God's ultimate and supernatural plan; that
man, by simple faith in Jesus Christ the Savior, can have forgiveness for
sins from his Creator, receive eternal life, and receive the spiritual
nature of God. Those who believe and receive Jesus Christ as their Savior
become a part of Heaven.
True Christians should not be frustrated because the world does not
understand the clear teachings of the Bible. It is the ministry of God, the
Holy Spirit, to reveal truth, but one cannot understand spiritual things
until they are spiritually reborn. The beginning of wisdom is the fear of
God. (See Prov. 9:10) That means accepting that He is who He is and humbling
oneself to before Him as one's maker.
The unbeliever, by his unbelief, rejects God and does not submit himself to
God. He cannot understand the things of God because he does not have the
capacity to do so. He has not truly accepted God and he is bound to his
earthly and carnal understanding because he has not received the new nature
of God and thereby has not become a "new man" in Christ Jesus. (See Eph.
4:24, Col. 3:10)
God explains this in 1 Corinthians 2:14, "But the natural man receiveth not
the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither
can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned."
_________________
Conclusion
The carnal man has a false idea of God because he tries to liken God to
being like himself and his material world. This limits one from
understanding the reality of who God is. Further, man, instead of believing
in our infinite Creator, invents degraded gods that are like himself.
"For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly
seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power
and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew
God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain
in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing
themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the
uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds,
and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things." (Romans 1:20-23)
The mark of cults or false religions is that they all have gods who are made
in man's image and are limited in power and existence to material
limitations. (Also see Isa. 44:9-18)
That is what Romans 1:21-23 says: "Because that, when they knew God, they
glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their
imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to
be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God
into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted
beasts, and creeping things." (Underline added)
The false gods that men invent are always patterned after man himself or
things he sees in nature. Some false religions go as far as to teach that
God was a man or that men can become gods. In other words, they deify man.
Deify means to make something a god and worship it. God says He created man
. . . and it is foolishness to suggest that man created God. Yet, this is
plainly what is done when Almighty God is said to be a man or that a finite
man could become God. The perfect example of this absurd idea in found in
Mormonism. How could a man, born into the universe that existed before he
did, be the creator of himself and the universe? God, as Genesis 1 and 2
states, created all things. Man was created on the sixth day of the
Creation week and was very last act of creation. It was God who created
man.
Most of mankind has no real idea of who God really is. The gods of
unbelieving men are small and do not take into account the immensity of
Almighty God as He is presented in the Bible. J.B. Phillips wrote a book
in 1952 called, "Your God Is Too Small." He exposed the misconceptions
that many have about God, in that their understanding of God superimposed
upon Him human characteristics.[16] In His greatness and power the Bible
says He spoke the universe into existence. God affirms this truth saying,
"Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God,
so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. "
(Hebrews 11:3)
Believing that God is a man or any material being shows one does not
comprehend the true omnipotent (all powerful), omnipresent (present
everywhere), omniscient (knows all things) nature of our sovereign God and
Creator, nor does he bow in humility to his Creator. Like Satan, the lost
man seeks to elevate himself to God's level and above. A man in denying
the truth of the Trinity sets himself as God's judge and foolishly declares
God cannot be what He says He is.
Therefore, many men miss the truth and reality of God's essence because they
ignorantly try to perceive Him as being as a physical being, as are they.
God has revealed Himself to all men in His word, the Bible, and it would
behoove all men to believe what their Creator has said about Himself. Paul
stated God's mandate when addressing the unbelieving Athenians as recorded
in Acts 17:30 "And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now
commandeth all men every where to repent."
The Psalmist declared the unlimited greatest of God "By the word of the LORD
were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.
He gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heap: he layeth up the
depth in storehouses." (Psalms 33:6-7)
A person must understand the immensity of God and His power. Seeking to
comprehend God one must take into account that he is not trying to
understand that which is physical or material, but supernatural and beyond
man's ability to comprehend. Not being able to comprehend God we must
simply take Him at His word as to who He is.
John said, "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether
they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus
Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not
that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that
spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even
now already is it in the world" (1 John 4:1-3 ).
The Bible without question affirms the plurality of God and the only way to
understand God's plurality is to accept that God the Father, Son, and Holy
Spirit are One God which establishes the Trinity. John's statement makes it
absolutely vital that a person fully believe in the Trinity, which means to
accept who and what God really truly is. To believe anything else is to
believe in a false god that does not exist.
Because all men are lost in sin, only our supernatural Creator can save this
lost and dying world. Only by fully believing in our Creator and God's
promise of salvation can one be saved and receive forgiveness of sins and
eternal life. The truth of the Trinity is unconditionally tied to accepting
Him as He is.
(December 2001, September 2005, February, 2012, August 2013, January 2014)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[1] 1 John 5:7 says, "For there are three that bear record in heaven, the
Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one." Some Bible
critics have stated that this passage is not authentic because it is not
found in some older manuscripts. This verse is found in mss, 61, 88mg, 629,
634mg, 636mg, omega 110, 429mg, 221, and 2318) along with two lectionaries
(60, 173) and four fathers, Tertullian, Cyprian, Augustine, and Jerome
mention it. However, the biblical doctrine of the Trinity does not rest on
one verse of Scripture, but is found throughout the Old and New Testaments.
This verse accurately states the doctrine of the Trinity that God is One God
in three Persons.
[2] The word "scripture" graphe is found fifty-three times in the Bible.
[3] Arianism is the heretical teaching of Arius ( AD 250-336), a Christian
presbyter from Alexandria, Egypt, that Jesus did not always exist, but was
created by God the Father.
[4] This is the teaching of "monotheism" which means "one God."
[5] R. Laird Harris; Gleason L. Archer; Jr; Bruce K Waltke, Theological
Wordbook of the Old Testament, Chicago:Moody Press, 1980, p30.
[6] Henry Clarence Thiessen, Introductory Lectures in Systematic Theology,
Eerdmans:Grand Rapids, 1949, p134.
[7] Renald E. Showers, Israel My Glory, God is Triune, Friends of Israel,
January/February 2002, p37.
[8] The name "Elohim" the Bible calls God occurs only in Hebrew and in no
other Semitic language.
[9] "Thou shalt have no other gods before me(insert period)" (Exodus 20:3)
[10] . John F. Walvoord, Matthew Thy Kingdom Come, Chicago:Moody Press,
1974, p20
[11] Thiessen, p134.
[12] "But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender
strifes." (2 Timothy 2:23)
[13] David Cloud, Way of Life Encyclopedia of the Bible and Christianity,
Computer Version 4.0, 2000. "Trinity."
[14] For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher
than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:9)
[15] "But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is
impossible; but with God all things are possible." (Matthew 19:26)
----- Original Message -----
From: "Mostafa" <mostafa.almahdy at gmail.com>
To: <Undisclosed-Recipient:;>
Sent: Sunday, March 09, 2014 1:51 AM
Subject: [Faith-talk] Can you explain the Trinity?
>
> Dear all, peace be with you.
>
>
> When Christian Apologists attempt to explain the Trinitarian mystery, they
> ordinarily endup confessing ancient heresies.
>
>
> God has constantly been likened to apples and eggs.
>
>
> Christian Apologists tend to equate its mystery to physical objects.
>
>
> They aim to somehow clarify its vagueness.
>
>
> Does the Trinity make any sense?
>
>
> Does it stand up for scrutiny, or it conveniently crumbles under critical
> examinations.
>
>
> Well at its inception, let us be really fair in defining what the Trinity
> is.
>
>
> It is not three Gods as some people like to describe it in their unjust
> strives to criticize the Christian faith.
>
>
> So what is it then?
>
>
> The Trinity is the belief in the Union of the Father, the Son, and the
> Holy Spirit in a one godhead.
>
>
> Although the term technically refers to the Judeo-Christian God, but we
> will find that Orthodox Jews are explicitly declining the Trinitarian
> conception.
>
>
> In spite of their political controversy, but we will find that Muslims
> and Jews have mutually apportioned their incredulity to the Trinity.
>
> Is the Trinity mentioned in the Old Testament?
>
> Is the word Trinity found in the New Testament?
>
> Had Abraham been ever informed about the Trinity?
>
> Had Moses been commanded to adhere the Trinity?
>
> Did he even auspicate for its forth coming?
>
> Christian Apologists have numerous methods to illustrate and justify the
> Trinitarian doctronal tennet from their perspective but, I doubt they will
> ever be adequate to convey its concept to others.
>
> It will everlastingly remain undecipherable, and Christians are utterly
> accountable for their crucial insistence to verbalize this blasphemy.
>
> Every Sunday, Christians gather in congregations worldwide to deliberately
> desecrate the divine being.
>
> I thank Allah for the grace of Islam, and enough of it as a bounty and
> amplitude.
>
> All redemptions and atonements are merely belong to Allah glory be to
> Him.
>
> I have Christian friends who ask me to pray for them, but I am afraid, I
> never asked a Trinitarian for prayers.
>
> I am really sorry, but I cannot flatter on that regard.
>
> It is approximately the time to pray the noon prayer here in Cairo.
>
> I have to prepare myself.
>
> With all deference to the difference.
>
> Peace be with you.
>
> _______________________________________________
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> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
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