THEOLOGY
VII. God the Trinity - Before studying the Trinity, let us
consider various concepts of God. Theism is the belief in one or more gods.
Classical theism is the belief in one infinite God, which is distinguished from
the cosmos; and this God created, sustains and guides the cosmos. In classical
theism, God is both transcendent (removed from the universe) and immanent
(present in the universe). Classical theism includes Christianity, Judaism, and
Islam. Deism holds that God created the cosmos, but God does not continue to guide it. In deism, God is transcendent, but not immanent.
Pantheism is the idea that God is the universe. In pantheism, God is immanent,
but not transcendent. Polytheism is the belief in more than one god. Monotheism
is the belief in one god. Classical theism is monotheistic.
The Trinity is the Christian belief in one God, known in three
persons—God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. All three persons
of the Trinity were in existence prior to the creation of the universe. The
first verse of the Bible says that God created the heavens and the earth.The
Hebrew word “Elohim” is the name of God in this verse, and it is a plural noun
meaning “three or more,” suggesting the three persons of the Trinity. See
Genesis 1:1.Genesis 1:26 again presents God as a plural noun (Elohim), but
Genesis 1:27 presents God both as a plural noun (Elohim) and as a singular
pronoun (his/he). 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. 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God
he created him; male and female he created them” (Genesis 1:26,27 NIV).
The Bible clearly teaches that there is only one God.
Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one (Deut. 6:4 NIV).
When the word LORD is in all caps in Bibles written in English, it
refers to the name of God (transliterated from the Hebrew as YHWH—”Yahweh” or
JHVH—”Jehovah”).
In Deuteronomy 6:4, the word “God” is from the Hebrew word
“Elohim” (plural form of God), but Elohim is used in this verse to mean the one
supreme God. Notice that the definite article “the” precedes “LORD,” indicating
one God. Deuteronomy 6:4 proclaims that the one God is Jehovah.
The Bible teaches that the Heavenly Father is God. See Matthew
6:9. The Bible reveals that Jesus is God. See Colossians 2:9. And the Bible
shows that the Holy Spirit is God. See Acts 5:3,4. The Father is God, the Son
is God, and the Holy Spirit is God, but there is only one God. So the one God
is known in three persons.
To help in understanding the Trinity, consider some analogies.
Genesis 1:27 says “God created man in his own image.” So one analogy is that a
man has a body, soul (mind), and spirit—one man known in three ways. Just as
one God is known in three persons, one man is known in three ways. Another analogy
is that water, ice, and steam all are of the same substance (two parts hydrogen
and one part oxygen), but they are known in three ways—liquid, solid, and
vapor.
The Old Testament suggests the Trinity. See Isaiah 48:12,13,16.
Verses 12 and 13 present the Creator (Jesus) as the speaker; and verse 16
refers to the Sovereign Lord (Father) and the Spirit (Holy Spirit).The Trinity
is revealed more clearly in the New Testament. See Luke 1:35 (birth of Jesus);
see Matthew 3:16-17 (baptism of Jesus); and see Matthew 28:18-20 (Great
Commission). While the New Testament presents three persons as having the power
of God, it says that there is only one God.See Mark 12:29.The word “Trinity” is
not found in the Bible. But Scripture reveals the Trinity, and Christian statements
of faith from the second century forward present the Trinity. (For details and for free course visit
<www.missionstraining.org>)
