The word Trinity is not found in the Bible, but is the concept there? How can God be both three and one?
God’s Oneness
The central prayer of Jewish prayer life is the Shema Yisrael (??? ?????) after its first words in Hebrew, “Hear, O Israel.”
“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.” (Deuteronomy 6:4-9 NIV)
Are two one flesh in marriage?
“Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” (Genesis 2:24 ESV)
Three in One
Do Father, Son and Holy Spirit have one name?
“Go [having gone] therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the [singular] name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19 NASB)
Were Father, Son and Holy Spirit present at Jesus’ baptism?
“After He was baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and settling on Him, and behold, a voice from the heavens said, ‘This is My beloved Son, with whom I [the Father] am well pleased.’ ” (Matthew 3:16-17 NASB)
“And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him [Jesus], and a voice came from heaven which said, ‘You are My beloved Son; in You I [the Father] am well pleased.’ ” (Luke 3:22 NKJV)
Does this help us begin to understand other passages?
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1-2 KJV)
Are Father, Son and Holy Spirit involved in teaching and reminding us of Jesus’ teachings?
“But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I [Jesus] have told you.” (John 14:26 NLT)
Are Father, Son and Holy Spirit involved in testifying about Jesus?
“When the Counselor has come, whom I [Jesus] will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will testify about me.” (John 15:26 WEB)
Were Father, Son and Holy Spirit involved in the promise of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost?
“While he was still with them, he said: Don't leave Jerusalem yet. Wait here for the Father to give you the Holy Spirit, just as I [Jesus] told you he has promised to do.” (Acts 1:4 CEV)
“Now he [Jesus] is exalted to the place of highest honor in heaven, at God’s right hand. And the Father, as he had promised, gave him the Holy Spirit to pour out upon us, just as you see and hear today.” (Acts 2:33 NLT)
Were Father, Son and Holy Spirit involved in Jesus’ earthly ministry?
“You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God [the Father] anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.” (Acts 10:38 NASB)
Were Father, Son and Holy Spirit involved in the Resurrection of Jesus?
“who was declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 1:4 WEB)
Are Father, Son and Holy Spirit involved in the lives of those in the Spirit?
“You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God [the Father] dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.” (Romans 8:9 ESV)
Are Father, Son and Holy Spirit involved in cleansing us and making us right with God?
“Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God [the Father] by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” (1 Corinthians 6:11 NLT)
Are Father, Son and Holy Spirit involved in one of the great benedictions?
“May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God [the Father], and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” (2 Corinthians 13:14 NIV)
Are Father, Son and Holy Spirit involved in us calling God by the endearing term Abba?
“And because you are sons, God [the Father] has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’ ” (Galatians 4:6 ESV)
Are Father, Son and Holy Spirit involved in making us wise to know God?
“I ask the glorious Father and God of our Lord Jesus Christ to give you his Spirit. The Spirit will make you wise and let you understand what it means to know God.” (Ephesians 1:17 CEV)
Are Father, Son and Holy Spirit involved in us coming to the Father?
“Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us.” (Ephesians 2:18 NLT)
Are Father, Son and Holy Spirit involved in God living in us?
“Christ is building you into a place where God [the Father] lives through the Spirit.” (Ephesians 2:22 CEB)
Is there one Father, one Son and one Holy Spirit?
“There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.” (Ephesians 4:4–6 NKJV)
Were Father, Son and Holy Spirit involved in pouring out the Holy Spirit on us?
“He [God the Father] poured out this Spirit on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior” (Titus 3:6 HCSB)
Were Father, Son and Holy Spirit involved in Jesus’ sacrifice?
“how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God [the Father], purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.” (Hebrews 9:14 ESV)
Were Father, Son and Holy Spirit involved in choosing us?
“God the Father chose you because of what he knew beforehand. He chose you through the Holy Spirit’s work of making you holy and because of the faithful obedience and sacrifice of Jesus Christ. May God’s grace and peace be multiplied to you.” (1 Peter 1:2 CEB)
Are Father, Son and Holy Spirit involved in building us up?
“But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit, and await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will bring you eternal life. In this way, you will keep yourselves safe in God’s love.” (Jude 1:20–21 NLT)
Heresies
The scriptures do not support modalism, God as one person in three modes. Jesus prayed to the Father, not Himself. Nor do the scriptures support three gods, tritheism. God is one. Both are heresies and bad logic. The mystery of the Trinity is that God is one ousia (essence) in three hypostases (realities). Do you believe this mystery? You decide!
