THE HOLY TRINITY

DEFINITION OF THE TRINITY

WHAT IS THE TRINITY? IF SOMEONE WERE TO ASK YOU THAT QUESTION, WHAT WOULD
YOU SAY?

A. THE HOLY TRINITY IS THE PERSON OF GOD, SEEN IN THE MANIFESTATIONS OF
THE FATHER, THE SON, AND THE HOLY SPIRIT.

B. THE HOLY TRINITY IS THE TERM USED TO DESCRIBE GOD AS HE HAS REVEALED
HIMSELF-3 PERSONS,(GOD THE FATHER, GOD THE SON, AND GOD THE HOLY
SPIRIT) BUT ONE GOD.

C. THE TRINITY IS THE 1 GOD, REVEALED UNTO MAN THROUGH THE PERSON OF
JESUS CHRIST.

D. THE HOLY TRINITY IS GOD THE FATHER GOD THE SON, AND GOD THE HOLY
SPIRIT.

IT'S EASY TO SEE FROM THESE HAIR-SPLITTING EXAMPLES HOW IT CAN BE VERY
EASY TO GO ASTRAY ON THE ISSUE. OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE TRINITY CAME
FROM GOD HIMSELF.

THE BIBLICAL EXPLANATION OF GOD IS THAT WITHIN THE GOD-HEAD THERE ARE 3
DISTINCT AND SEPARATE PERSONS, FUNCTIONING IN COMPLETE AND TOTAL
HARMONIOUS UNITY.

"GOD DOES NOT CONSIST OF PARTS NOR CAN HE BE DIVIDED INTO PARTS. HIS
BEING IS SIMPLE, NUMERICALLY ONE, FREE FROM COMPOSITION."

THE OLD TESTAMENT

THE OLD TESTAMENT DOES NOT PLAINLY AND DIRECTLY TEACH THE TRINITY, AND
THE REASON IS EVIDENT. IN A WORLD WHERE THE WORSHIP OF MANY GODS WERE
COMMON, IT WAS NECESSARY TO IMPRESS UPON ISRAEL THE TRUTH THAT GOD WAS
ONE, AND THAT THERE WAS NONE BESIDE HIM. (IS.43:10)

HOWEVER, EACH MEMBER OF THE TRINITY IS MENTIONED IN THE OLD TESTAMENT:

1. THE FATHER: IS. 63:16; MAL. 2:10
2. THE SON(MESSIAH):JER. 23:5,6; IS. 9:6
3. THE HOLY SPIRIT:GEN. 1:2; IS. 11:2; IS. 61:1, 63:10

FORESHADOWING OF THE TRINTY HAVE BEEN SEEN IN THE TRIPLE BENEDICTION OF
NUMBERS 6:24-26 AND THE TRIPLE DOXOLOGY OF IS. 6:3. (SEE ALSO
GEN 1:26 AND 11:7)

THE NEW TESTAMENT

ONE OF THE CLEAREST PICTURES OF THE TRINITY COMES FROM MATT.3:16,17. THE
NEW TESTAMENT PROVIDES A WEALTH OF INFORMATION REGARDING THE TRINITY.

1. GENERAL STATEMENTS: JESUS PRAYED THAT THE FATHER WOULD SEND ANOTHER
COMFORTER (JOHN 14:16). THE DISCIPLES WERE TOLD TO BAPTIZE IN THE NAME OF
THE FATHER, THE SON, AND THE HOLY SPIRIT. (MATT. 28:19). THE THREE
PERSONS OF THE TRINITY ARE ASSOCIATED TOGETHER IN THEIR WORK:I COR.12:4-6;
I PETER 1:2, 3:18; II COR. 13:14.

2. THE FATHER IS RECOGNIZED AS GOD:JOHN 6:27; GAL.1:1 (AND NUMEROUS
OTHERS)

3. THE SON IS RECOGNIZED AS GOD:THE DOCTRINE OF THE DEITY OF
CHRIST IS CRUCIAL TO THE CHRISTIAN FAITH. IT CAN BE DEMONSTRATED THAT
HE IS GOD IN SEVERAL WAYS.

A. HE IS ETERNAL - JOHN 8:58
B. HE IS OMNIPRESENT - MATT.18:20, 28:20
C. HE IS OMNISCENT - JOHN 16:29-30; 21:17.

NOTE: NOW IT IS TRUE THERE ARE CERTAIN STATEMENTS WHICH SEEM TO
INDICATE SOMETHING LESS THAN OMNISCIENCE. JESUS WAS IGNORANT OF
THE DATE OF HIS RETURN(MARK 13:32), MARVELED AT THE PEOPLE'S UNBELIEF
(MARK 6:6) AND WENT TO THE FIG TREE EXPECTING PERHAPS TO FIND FIGS (MARK
11:13). HOWEVER, IT MUST BE RECOGNIZED THAT IN THE DAYS OF HIS EARTHLY
MINISTRY, JESUS SURRENDERED THE INDEPENDENT EXERCISE OF DIVINE ATTRIBUTES
WITHOUT A DOUBT, JESUS NOW KNOWS THE TIME OF HIS SECOND COMING.

D. HE IS OMNIPOTENT - MATT.28:18
E. HE IS IMMUTABLE - HEB. 1:12, 13:8

4. THE HOLY SPIRIT IS RECOGNIZED AS GOD: BEFORE IT CAN BE DEMONSTRATED
THAT THE HOLY SPIRIT IS GOD IT MUST FIRST BE ESTABLISHED THAT HE
IS A PERSON, NOT A MERE INFLUENCE OR POWER.

A. JESUS IN JOHN 14:26 AND 16:13 USED THE MASCULINE DEMONSTRATIVE
PRONOUN "HE" OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
B. HE IS CALLED HELPER (COMFORTER). THIS DESIGNATION IS APPLIED TO
BOTH THE HOLY SPIRIT AND JESUS. (JOHN 14:16, 26). SINCE THE
TITLE IMPLIES PERSONALITY WHEN APPLIED TO JESUS, IT MUST ALSO
DO, WHEN APPLIED TO THE HOLY SPIRIT.
C. PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS ARE ASCRIBED TO HIM. INTELLECT-
I COR. 2:11; SENSIBILITIES- ROM. 8:27, 15:30; AND WILL-
I COR. 12:11
D. PERSONAL ACTS ARE PERFORMED BY HIM. HE REGENERATES- JOHN 3:5,
TEACHES-JOHN 14:26, BEARS WITNESS- JOHN 15:26, CONVICTS- JOHN
16:8-11, GUIDES INTO TRUTH- JOHN 16:13, GLORIFIES CHRIST- JOHN 16:
14, CALLS MAN INTO SERVICE- ACTS 13:2, SPEAKS- REV.2:7, INTERCEDES
ROM.8:26, SEARCHES OUT- I COR. 2:10.
E. HE IS SUSCEPTABLE OF PERSONAL TREATMENT. HE CAN BE TEMPTED-
ACTS 5:9, LIED TO- ACTS 5:3, GRIEVED- EPH.4:30, RESISTED- ACTS
7:51, INSULTED- HEB.10:29, AND BLASPHEMED- MATT.12:13
F. NOW THAT WE'VE ESTABLISHED THE FACT THAT THE HOLY SPIRIT IS A
PERSON, WE MUST GO ON TO ASSERT THAT HE IS A DIVINE PERSON.
1. HE IS ETERNAL (HEB.9:14)
2. HE IS OMNISCIENT (I COR.2:10, JOHN 14:26)
3. HE IS OMNIPOTENT (LUKE 1:35)
4. HE IS OMNIPRESENT (PS.139:7-10)
WORKS OF THE DEITY ARE ASCRIBED TO HIM:
1. CREATION (GEN 1:2)
2. REGENERATION (JOHN 3:5)
3. INSPIRIATION OF SCRIPTURES
(II PETER 1:21)
4. RAISING THE DEAD (ROM 8:11)
FINALLY, HE IS EXPRESSLY CALLED GOD
IN ACTS 5:3, II COR. 3:17.

"THE DOCTRINE OF THE TRINITY, AS I HAVE SAID BEFORE, IS TRUTH FOR THE
HEART. THE FACT THAT IT CANNOT BE SATISFACTORILY EXPLAINED, INSTEAD OF
BEING AGAINST IT IS IN ITS FAVOR. SUCH A TRUTH HAD TO BE REVEALED; NO
ONE COULD HAVE IMAGINED IT."

HERESIES

SOME PERSONS WHO REJECT ALL THEY CANNOT EXPLAIN HAVE DENIED THAT GOD
IS A TRINITY. THEY CONCLUDE THAT IT IS IMPOSSIBLE THAT HE COULD BOTH ONE
AND THREE. GOD IS NOT TRIPLEX (1+1+1)- HE IS TRIUNE (1X1X1).

FALSE VIEWS OF GOD'S NATURE INCLUDE:

1. THERE ARE 3 GODS: FATHER, SON AND HOLY SPIRIT OR TRI-THEISM.
2. GOD THE FATHER IS GOD; JESUS CHRIST AND THE HOLY SPIRIT ARE
LESSER GODS.
3. THE ONE GOD IS MANIFESTED AS THE FATHER, SON AND HOLY SPIRIT.
4. THE FATHER'S NAME IS JESUS, THE SON'S NAME IS JESUS, THE SPIRIT'S
NAME IS JESUS. (IN THAT OPINION, THE FATHER AND THE SPIRIT ARE MAN-
IFESTATIONS OF JESUS.
5. GOD THE FATHER EXISTS; HIS SPIRIT IS HIS LIFE FORCE (NOT A SEPARATE
PERSON) AND JESUS WAS A MERE PROPHET- NOT GOD.

OTHER AREAS OF IMPROPER THINKING:

"WE EVANGELICAL PROTESTANTS ARE SOMETIMES PRONE TO RELEGATE THE FATHER &
THE HOLY SPIRIT TO LESSER IMPORTANT. IT IS TO BE EXPECTED THAT WE WOULD
FEEL CLOSE TO THE ONE WHO "PITCHED HIS TENT" AMONG US, WHO DIED FOR US,
WEPT FOR US, IS COMING TO TRANSLATE US. STRESSING THE DEITY OF CHRIST AS
WE NEED TO DO, WE MIGHT TEND TO MAKE THE BEGOTTEN ONE THE 1ST INSTEAD OF
THE 2ND PERSON OF THE TRINITY."

THE TRUTH IS, THE THREE ARE OF EQUAL DIGNITY, MAJESTY, GLORY, POWER, AND
ETERNITY.

I HOPE THIS STUDY ON THE TRINITY HELPS YOU TO UNDERSTAND THIS
IMPORTANT PART OF CHRISTIANITY.

GOD BLESS!
JAMES



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