ARTICLE 2. In one God eternally existing in three persons; namely, the Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
Crucial, to the biblical doctrine of God is his Trinitarian nature. Trinity is a term that is not found in the Bible but a word used to describe what is apparent about God in the Scriptures. The Christian doctrine of the Trinity affirms that while God is one, He exists as three persons: The Bible clearly speaks of God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ), and God the Holy Spirit...and also clearly presents that there is only one God. I John 5:7 “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.” John 10:30 “I and my Father are one.” Other scripture references are Isaiah 48:16, Job 33:4, and Isaiah 6:3 were “the threefold utterance of the seraphim, “Holy,holy,holy” may be taken as pointing to the three persons of the Godhead.” Although each of these three distinct persons has their own identity; they all work together in one accord as one God to accomplish the divine plan of salvation .Belief in God as Three-in-One is as old as Christianity itself.
The word Trinity doesn’t appear as a theological term till near the end of the second century.
“It was first used as ‘Trias’ by Theophilus, the Bishop of Antioch in AD. 180 and later by Tertullian asTrinitas to signify that God exists in three persons.” “The Trinitarian view was affirmed as an article of
faith by the Nicene (325 A.D.) and Constantinpole (381 A. D.)” which attempted to standardize belief
in the face of disagreements on the subject. The word or term Trinity is a way of acknowledging what
the Bible reveals to us about God, that God is yet three persons “who have the same essence
distinguished in three persons.” Some have tried to give human illustrations for the Trinity, “water, ice
and steam all different forms, but all are H2O, and root, trunk, and branch yet there is one tree. These
analogies have a flaw. Neither reflects the dynamic movement by which the three persons of the
Godhead constitute one another and thereby constitute the one God.” John Wesley said “ Tell me how
it is that in this room there are three candles and one light, and I will explain to you the mode of the
triune God.” “Although each of the three persons of the Holy Community has his own distinct idenity,
all work together harmoniously as one God to accomplish salvation.”
Therefore, the doctrine of the Trinity flows from the self revelation of God in biblical salvation history. As God reveals himself through the salvation process in Jesus and the Holy Spirit, each is recognized and witnesses of God in a personal manifestion to the believer. In the Trinity, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are co-equal and co-eternal, one in essence, nature, power, action, and will. This unified equality and yet distinctness is seen in the Christian baptism in the name of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. Futhermore, all “three persons of the Trinity are joined in the Pauline benediction in a different order suggesting the total equality of them. ( 2 Cor: 13:14; cf, Eph. 4:4-6; I Peter 2:2).” Therefore, all of the acts of the triune God in the world are indivisible. The doctrine of the Trinity wants to say to the believer that God is supreme in power, and that God’s love for the world is un inhibited, and is a costly love that liberates the bound and creates new life in those that believe. Furthermore, it wants to say that God loves in “freedom, lives in communion, and wills creatures to live in a new community of mutual love and service. God is self-sharing, other regarding, community –forming love.” The doctrine of the Trinity is a crucial ingredient of our faith. Each of the three, Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit, is to be worshiped as the triune God. And when we worship we should keep in mind their distinct work. Furthermore, it is appropriate to direct prayers of thanksgiving and praise to each of them individually and collectively. Therefore, through their unity and perfect love within the Godhead we see the oneness and love that should be an example unto the body of Christ.
In closing the scriptures teach everywhere the unity of God plainly and definitely. There can be
no doubt that they reveal a God that is totally one. But their other statements, assure us that they
also teach that there are three divine persons. It is this peculiar twofold teaching, which is expressed by
the word trinity. “The surprise to us, is not that of three Gods; nor of mere manifestation of one person
in three forms, which is opposed to the revealed individuality simply of three-ness, but of three-oneness?
That this word is not found in Scripture is no objection to it, when the doctrine, expressed by it, is so
clearly set forth. “It appears Tertullian was right in affirming that the doctrine of the Trinity must be
divinely revealed, not humanity constructed. It is so ridiculous from a human standpoint that no one
would have invented it.” Therefore, we do not believe the doctrine of the Trinity because it is obvious
or commonsense. We believe it because God has revealed that this is what he is like. A. W. Tozer said
“The doctrine of the Trinity is truth for the heart.”
Critics of the Trinitarian Doctrine, Past and Present
Despite its widespread acceptance among Christians, the doctrine of the Trinity has been a stumbling block to many non-Christians throughout its history. The fiercely monotheistic Jews rejected the idea of the Trinity since it first arose, it has been similarly rejected by Islam since that religion was founded, and many other men and women of all backgrounds have found the concept difficult to understand or accept.
This section provides a brief summary of groups and individuals who have rejected the Trinity, presented in roughly chronological order.
Judaism
In the New Testament, Jews are described as rejecting Jesus’ claims apparent claims to divinity, accusing him of blasphemy. In the Gospel of Mark, for instance, Jesus forgives a man’s sins and some Jewish teachers thought to themselves: "Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?" 5 In the Gospel of John, some Jews began to stone Jesus, explaining that they did so "for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God." 6
The great Jewish philosopher Maimonides also rejected the Trinitarian beliefs of Christians.
In his aversion to what he considered to be Christian dilutions of pure monotheism, especially in its doctrine of the Trinity, much of Maimonides’ philosophical critique of Christian theology is similar to Islamic arguments against it. In his earlier work, Maimonides translated his theoretical disdain of Christianity into practice. He deemed Christians to be idolators and bemoaned the fact that political necessity forced many European Jews to live in Christian societies. 7
Today, Jewish counter-missionary movements like "Jews for Judaism" seek to educate Jews about why belief in the Trinity is incompatible with Judaism.
Arianism
Arianism is the name given to an anti-Trinitarian belief system taught by Arius, an elder in the Alexandrian church, in the early fourth century AD. Arius affirmed the uniqueness of God and denied the complete divinity of the Son (Christ). He taught instead that Christ was a created and changeable being, who, while superior to humans, is not of the same order as the one God.
Arius and Arianism were condemned at the famous Council of Nicea in 325 AD, which proclaimed that the Son was of "the same substance" as the Father. After Constantine’s death, however, Arianism flourished again for some decades and almost overcame the Nicene party. Arianism was finally condemned at the Council of Constantinople in 381 AD.
Islam
The sacred text of Islam, the Qur’an (or Koran), explicitly denies the doctrine of the Trinity. It appears to understand the Christian Trinity as being the Father, Son and Mary:
And (remember) when Allah will say (on the Day of Resurrection): ’O ’Iesa (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary) ! Did you say unto men: Worship me and my mother as two gods besides Allah?’ He will say: ’Glory be to you! It was not for me to say that which I had no right (to say). 8
Jehovah’s Witnesses
The Jehovah’s Witnesses, a Christian group founded in the United States, rejects the doctrine of the Trinity. Instead, it teaches a doctrine similar to that of Arius in the fourth century - Christ is the Son of God, a special being, created by God before the beginning of time, but not equal with God. Witnesses regard Arius as a forerunner of Charles Taze Russell, their movement’s founder. 9
A Jehovah’s Witness brochure entitled "Beliefs and Customs that God Hates" includes the Trinity, saying:
Is Jehovah a Trinity-three persons in one God? No! Jehovah, the Father, is "the only true God." (John 17:3; Mark 12:29) Jesus is His firstborn Son, and he is subject to God. (1 Corinthians 11:3) The Father is greater than the Son. (John 14:28) The holy spirit is not a person; it is God’s active force.-Genesis 1:2; Acts 2:18.
In addition to the Bible verses cited above, Witnesses point out that it was the secular Emperor who proposed the doctrine of Christ as "same substance" with God, not the bishops present, and that the doctrine of the Trinity (i.e., including the divinity of the Holy Spirit) was not actually brought forth at Nicea at all. Jehovah’s Witnesses also argue that the Athanasian Creed, which sets forth the doctrine more clearly, was not only probably not written by Athanasius himself, but may not have been composed until the fifth century. Finally, they note the presence of Trinitarian-type beliefs in pagan religion, and argue that paganism is the source of the Christian doctrine of the Trinity as well. 10
Mormonism (LDS)
Mormons believe that the Godhead is made up of three distinct beings who are "one in purpose" but not in being. Jesus is affirmed as Son of God, but not God himself. He is a created spirit.
Unitarianism
"Unitarianism" is the doctrine of the oneness of God, with the resultant denial of the Trinity. Today, the doctrine of unitarianism is expressed by the Unitarian Universalist Association and similar groups, which have their historical roots in sixteenth-century eastern Europe. Historically, Unitarian Universalists are defined by their rejection of the Trinity and their belief in the ultimate salvation of all humanity.
Today, however, Unitarians draw from a variety of religious traditions and do not focus on doctrine and creeds as much as love and justice between human beings. Because of this de-emphasis on doctrine, modern Unitarian Universalist arguments against the Trinity are scarce. However, the official Web site of the Unitarian Univeralist Association describes the early history of their beliefs this way:
During the first three centuries of the Christian church, believers could choose from a variety of tenets about Jesus. Among these was a belief that Jesus was an entity sent by God on a divine mission. Thus the word "Unitarian" developed, meaning the oneness of God. Another religious choice in the first three centuries of the Common Era (CE) was universal salvation. This was the belief that no person would be condemned by God to eternal damnation in a fiery pit. Thus a Universalist believed that all people will be saved. Christianity lost its element of choice in 325 CE when the Nicene Creed established the Trinity as dogma. For centuries thereafter, people who professed Unitarian or Universalist beliefs were persecuted. 11
"Trinity" is a term that is not found in the Bible but a word used to describe what is apparent about God in the Scriptures. The Bible clearly speaks of God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ), and God the Holy Spirit...and also clearly presents that there is only one God.
If we were to use math, it would not be, 1+1+1=3. It would be 1x1x1=1. God is a triune God.
Thus the term: "Tri" meaning three, and "Unity" meaning one, Tri+Unity = Trinity.
It is a way of acknowledging what the Bible reveals to us about God, that God is yet three "Persons" who have the same essence of deity. Some have tried to give human illustrations for the Trinity, such as H2O being water, ice and steam (all different forms, but all are H2O). Another illustration is an egg having a shell, egg yolk and egg white, but this egg illustration shows that there would be "parts" to God, which isn’t the case.
God the Son (Jesus) is fully, completely God. God the Father is fully, completely God. And God the Holy Spirit is fully, completely God. Yet there is only one God. In our world, with our limited human experience, it’s tough to understand the Trinity. But from the beginning we see God this way in Scripture. Notice the plural pronouns "us" and "our" in Genesis 1:26 -- Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground."
Though not a complete list, here is some other Scripture that shows God is one, in Trinity:
• "Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one!" (Deut. 6:4)
• "I am the LORD, and there is no other; Besides Me there is no God." (Isa. 45:5)
• There is no God but one. (1Cor. 8:4)
• And after being baptized, Jesus went up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming upon Him, and behold, a voice out of the heavens, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased." (Matt. 3:16-17)
• "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit." (Matt. 28:19)
• Jesus said: "I and the Father are one." (John 10:30)
• "He who has seen Me has seen the Father." (John 14:9)
• "He who beholds Me beholds the One who sent Me." (John 12:45)
• If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. (Rom. 8:9)
• "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for that which has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit." (Matt. 1:20)
• And the angel answered and said to her [Mary], "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy offspring shall be called the Son of God." (Luke 1:35)
• [Jesus speaking to His disciples] "And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not behold Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you, and will be in you." ... "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him, and make Our abode with him." (John 14:16-17, 23)
The Trinity by Pastor Glen Key
Genesis 1:26-1:26
Last week, Ron Richter sent me an email that talks about what God is like.
It goes like this: "God is little like General Electric. He brings good
things to life." God is a little like a Visa Card. He’s everywhere you want
to be. God is like Scotch Tape. You can’t see Him, but you know He’s there.
God is like Alka Seltzer. Oh, what a relief He is. God is like Tide. He gets
the stains out that others leave behind. God is like Bounty. He’s the
Quicker Picker Upper. God is like Pepsi. He’s the choice of a new
generation."
These are nice ways to describe what God is like. But because our human
brains are limited, it’s hard to understand everything there is to know
about God. And the proof of this is the doctrine of the Holy Trinity. A
couple of months back, we were studying the Statement of Faith. And since the
doctrine of the Trinity is number two on the list, it came up right away. And
I tried my best to explain it. And I might have actually helped him. I don’t know. But at the
time, as I listened to myself talk, it sounded more like "duh duh duh duh
duh duh. I don’t know what I’m talking about." After that farce, I really felt like God was telling me, "Glen, you really need to get a grip on this. The Trinity is one of the distinctive doctrines of Christianity.
Just because it’s hard for the brain to understand it doesn’t mean we should
pretend it’s not there. Matthew 22:37 says to "Love the Lord your God with
all your heart and with all your soul and with all your MIND. There’s an
intellectual side to Christianity. We’re expected to think through the
teachings of Scripture for ourselves. Do you remember the Bereans in Acts
17:11? It says that they received the message with great eagerness and
examined the scriptures daily to see if what Paul said was true. Few things
would please me more than to hear someone say about our church, "You guys
remind me of the Bereans. You’re always in the Word. Always trying to get to
the bottom of things."
And that’s what we want to do with the Trinity. Yet there have been times
when I’ve wondered to myself, "How can I believe something that I’m not even
sure I understand? How can God be one and God be three at the same time? And
even if I did understand it, how in the world do I explain it without making
everyone out there confused?
As we look to the Scriptures, I see 4 things that are true about the
Trinity. Number one: I see the unity of the Trinity. Especially in the
creation the world. In Genesis 1:26, it says, "Let US make man in OUR
image." It doesn’t say, "Let ME make man." It says, "Let us!" God is
involving the other members of the Trinity in the creation of mankind. How
do I know he’s not referring to the angels? Because in Genesis 1:1, you have
God creating the heavens and the earth. And in verse 2, you have the Spirit
of God hovering over the face of the waters. And in Colossians 1:16, we’re
told that Christ made the heavens and the earth!
The Trinity working together in unity is a beautiful picture of how things
could be in the church. Back in the 80’s, they was a seminar at the Urbana Student
Missions conference. And there were over 20,000 students in attendance. From
hundreds of different denominations and countries. And on the last night of the conference.
All 20,000 people took communion at the same time. Totally united around the purpose of loving God and sharing it with others in the world. It was one of the most beautiful Christian
experiences to have ever been seen. "This is the way things
are supposed to be. Baptists, Lutherans, Evangelicals, Pentecostals,
Catholics, Reformed, all united around the solitary goal of winning the
world for Jesus Christ. Christian unity should be a reflection of the unity
that already exists within the Trinity.
The second thing I see is the diversity of the Trinity. The members of the
Trinity work together, but they don’t always do the same things. Look at
salvation. God the Father governs the world. God the Son redeems the world
(on the cross). And the Holy Spirit gives us the power and grace to change
the world. Three very different roles. But all for the one purpose of
manifesting God’s glory in the world.
I’m beginning to learn how much God loves diversity. For a long time, I was
discouraged that I couldn’t do some of the things that other people could.
There have been times when I wished that I could be as handy as Elroy. Or
cook like Gundula. Or work on cars like Hermie. Or play guitar as well as
Troy. I’ve played for over 20 years. He’s played for only 3 years and he’s
already way better than I am.
But you know what? Even though I can’t do some of the things that others can
do, that’s exactly the way God wants it! Because he deliberately made us
different so that each one of us can contribute something unique to society.
It works the same way with the Trinity. Each member of the Trinity
contributes something special and unique to our lives. Romans 8:28 says that
God works for our good. Verse 35 says that Jesus prays for our good. And
verse 27 says that the Holy Spirit helps US pray for our good. This shows
the diversity of the Trinity in our lives.
The third thing I see is the intimacy within the Trinity. In John 3:35, it
says that the Father loves the Son and has given Him all things. And in John
14:31, Jesus says that "I love the Father! I do exactly what my Father has
commanded me." This tells me that our God is personal. He’s intimate. He’s a
God who exists in relationship.
And the beautiful thing is that God wants to have the same intimacy with you
that he has within himself. Have you seen the movie "When Harry met Sally?"
At the end, Harry and Sally are separated. But Harry runs all the way across
town on New Year’s Eve and crashes a party to see Sally. And Sally says,
"What are you doing here?" And he said, "I’m here to say that I love you."
And Sally says, "You expect to barge in here on New Year’s Eve, say "I love
you," and expect to make everything ok? And Harry said, "Yes!"
And Sally said, "Harry, how do you know that you love me?" And Harry said,
"I love how your nose wrinkles up everytime you ask questions like that. I
love how you can’t make up your mind what to order in a restaurant. I love
how you’re the first person I want to talk to when I get up in the morning.
And you’re the person I want to be with all the time..in every part of our day.
That’s how our loving, Triune God feels about you. Just as Harry traveled
across town to pursue a relationship with Sally, God traveled through heaven
and time and space to pursue a relationship with you. And all you have to do
is say, "Lord Jesus, it’s impossible for me to hate you. I love you. Come
into my life."
We’ve seen the unity of the Trinity. The diversity of the Trinity. The
intimacy within the Trinity. And number 4, we see the divinity of the
Trinity. Now the Bible is crystal clear that there is only one God. One
divine being. Deuteronomy 32:39 says that "There is no God besides me."
Isaiah 43:10 says "before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after
me." James 2:19 says "You believe that there is one God? Good!"
But the same Bible that says that there is only one God also says that the
Father is God. The Son is God. And the Holy Spirit is God. So these persons
must be the one true God.
If you look at Paul’s letters, he starts almost every one by saying,
"Greetings in the name of God the Father." So we know that the Father is
God. But there are also a bunch of verses that teach that Jesus Christ is
God. (Is 9:6) You remember the story of doubting Thomas? In John 20? Do you
remember what he said when he saw and touched the risen Christ for the first
time? He said to him "My Lord and My God!" And Jesus basically said, "Good
answer! You got it right!"
And there are also a few verses that teach that the Holy Spirit is God. You
remember in Acts 5 when Ananias and Sapphira lied to the Holy Spirit about
how much money they gave to the church? Remember what Peter told them? He
said, "You have not lied to men, but to God!" So lying to the Holy Spirit is
the same thing as lying to God!"
So the Bible is very clear that there is one God, eternally existing as
three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Now how do we explain this to
people? Let me caution you by saying that there is no way that feeble human
beings can know all that there is to know about God. You can go to my
office. And read every single one of my books. (and you guys know I have a
lot of books) And you would still barely scratch the surface of what God is
all about. Romans 11:34 says "Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has
been his counselor?" And 1 Corinthians 13:9 says that ’we know in part and
we prophesy in part." In other words, we only have part of the story now.
And we’re not going to get the rest of the story until we get to heaven. The
bottom line is that it is very hard for a small human being to totally
comprehend as huge as the Trinity. It’s too big for us.
Having said that, let me give it a shot. It’s like our federal government.
How many governments run this country? Just one. We have one national
government. Now how many branches are in the government? Three. The
Legislative Branch (Congress). The Executive Branch (The President). And the
Judicial Branch (the court system). These three branches make up our one
government. It’s a little confusing at times. I don’t always understand how
the government works. But I accept the fact that we have one government in 3
branches.
It’s the same thing with the Trinity. I don’t always understand how it
works. But I accept it. Not because I can completely understand it. But
because I can see that it is taught in the word of God. The word of God
doesn’t stop being true just because there’s something in it we don’t
understand. The word of God is true whether we understand it or not. And I
don’t have a problem with this anymore. I’m perfectly alright with the fact
that there mysteries and puzzles in the Bible. Things that I won’t
understand until I’m dead. I’m ok with that. I’ve got enough on my plate
with things that I DO understand! I’m more concerned about doing what God
says than I am in figuring out all that he is.
So you have to accept the Trinity.
And number two: You have to experience the Trinity.
What good is it to believe in the Trinity if you’ve never felt the power of the Trinity?
Or experienced the love of the Trinity?
I read about a 12 year old boy who became a Christian at a revival service.
The next week, his friends questioned him about the experience. One friend
asked him, "Did you see a vision?" The boy said, "No." Another friend asked,
"Did you hear God speak?" The boy said, "No." So they said, "Well, then how
do you know you were saved?"
The boy searched for an answer. Finally, he said, "It’s like when you catch
a fish. You can’t see the fish. Or hear the fish. You just feel him tugging
on your line. I just felt God tugging on the line of my heart. And the
message was a message of love just for me."
Here’s a boy who experienced the saving work of the Triune God in his life.
Maybe the Lord is tugging on your heart. Maybe he’s saying, "I want to have
an intimate relationship with you. Like the one I have with the boy. Like
the one I have with myself. Like the one I have with millions of people
around the world. If you receive Christ as your Lord and Savior, the Triune
God will make his home inside of you. Let’s pray.
Notice to Sermon Central Users:
My name is Glen Key, and I pastor at Lone Oak Church of God. I have been a long-time user of Sermon Central and truly appreciate its content and contributors. Some of the best sermons I’ve ever preached have been reworked material from this website. As you use the material from my sermon bank, understand that it is work that has been done from not just myself, but from hundreds of other pastors as well. If you see part of your message, or a bunch of your message with my name on it and this upsets you, please email me and I will quickly respond and cite you as the main source. My intent is not to claim someone’s work as my own. I am disclaiming up front that I use the resources from Sermon Central and appreciate the tool. I simply want all those who use my work to know that these messages were inspired by the Holy Spirit as I viewed and gleaned from other sermons from other pastors. Because I do use the messages of other pastors I waive all claims of originality or origin of creativity for the messages posted under my messages. I pray God blesses your preaching ministry for the glory of His Kingdom.
Respectfully,
Pastor Glen Key
