The doctrine of the Trinity is one of the central Christian affirmations about God and is foundational to the Christian faith. It is crucial for properly understanding what God is like, how he relates to us, and how we should relate to him. While the word Trinity does not appear in the Bible, several episodes include the simultaneous appearance of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, such as the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist. (ref Matthew 3:16–17)
being ==> refers to the state of existence. Everything has “being”, even inanimate things
persons ==> refers to personhood.
Everything that exists has “being” but not everything in existence has personhood.
However when we use the term personhood we are not referring to a blood and flesh being, when talking of the Godhead. Our Lord said :
Both of these when combined, expresses the belief that God is one being made up of three distinct persons who exist in co-equal essence and co-eternal communion as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Though each Person of the Trinity is coequal and coeternal and are of the same essence and share the same nature, all of them voluntarily submit to each other. This voluntary submission shows us that our God is a God of order while also being the eternal perfection of humility.
The verse below, is the only instance in the creation account in which God uses the plural form to refer to Himself 👇
THE FATHER IS GOD
Even though God the Father is not superior in essence or being to the Son or the Spirit, He does serve as the functional head of the Trinity. God the Father is the one who directs the will of both God the Son and God the Spirit, both of whom voluntarily submit to Him on a functional level to accomplish the will of God.
- Creation finds it's source in Him (ref 1 Corinthians 8:6)
- He also gives revelation to mankind so that we will know Him and His will more fully (ref Revelation 1:1)
- He orchestrated the plan of our salvation (ref Ephesians 1:5)
- He is a Father to the fatherless and protector of widows (ref Ps. 68:5)
- He is the giver of every perfect gift (ref James 1:17)
These words are axiomatic to the biblical understanding of the nature of God. God the Father is the perfect example for all earthly fathers, for the earthly fatherhood should mirror the universal fatherhood of God. He is holy, just, and fair, but his most outstanding quality is love (ref 1 John 4:8). In his greatest act of love, God the Father sent his only Son to be the perfect sacrifice for the sin of All humanity -Jews and Gentiles alike- (ref John 3:17).
JESUS IS GOD
While all the other things said about the identity of Jesus is correct and crucial, the most important is the 3rd verse (underlined in red)
It is interesting for it is seemingly in contradiction to another verse in the Old Testament 👇
“ I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.” [Isaiah 42:8; KJV]
The overwhelming refulgence of who Jesus is—radiates from the Father in the Son. That the Son shares the glory of the Father can mean only one thing: He too is the Yahweh of whom Isaiah speaks, the only true and living God. For God Almighty cannot lie, as the prophet Balaam said (ref Numbers 23:19)
To put it in another way, the Son is the exact imprint of the nature of God the Father. He does not possess a “part of the deity”; but He possesses the “whole of the deity”.
HOLY SPIRIT IS GOD
He is a personal being rather than an impersonal force. He is the same in substance and equal in power and glory with God the Father and God the Son.
The Bible describes the Holy Spirit as a person who was integral to all of the things that God is described as doing in the Bible and has been present with the Father and the Son since before time began.
Peter thus reveals that the Holy Spirit is God and lying to the Holy Spirit is lying to God. The Lord Jesus Christ also revealed that the holy Spirit was different from Him and God the Father 👇
“But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:” [John 15:26; KJV]
- The Spirit of God was present at and involved in creation (ref Psalm 33:6)
- Jesus was clear that to be “born again,” one must be born “of the Spirit” (ref John 3:5)
- The bodies of those in Christ are described as temples of God because the Holy Spirit indwells then (ref 1 Corinthians 6:19)
- The Holy Spirit moved the prophets of God with the words of God (ref 2 Peter 1:21)
The Holy Spirit is the principal agent of biblical revelation and brings about the conviction, regeneration, and transformation of the hearts of sinners.
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