The Trinity

It is important to keep in mind when studying the doctrine of the Trinity that it should be done with the attributes of God. Therefore, when we are able to see or understand that God is eternal, omnipresent, omnipotent, we may have the tendency to think only of God the Father, and  Him alone  in  connection  with  the  attributes  of  which  we  have  so often considered. However, what the Bible teaches about the Trinity will reveal to us that all of God’s attributes are true of all three who make up the Godhead! Each of the three are fully God. Thus, God  the  Father,  Jesus  the  Christ,  and  the  Holy  Spirit   are  also  eternal,  omnipresent, omnipotent, infinitely wise, infinitely Holy, and infinitely loving! Therefore, the doctrine of the Trinity is one of the most  important subjects  for those who believe the  Bible to be  the final  and  inspired word of God.

Sometimes  people  think  the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity  is found only in the New Testament, and not in the Old Testament. If God has eternally existed as three persons, it would be surprising to find no indications of such a truth in the Old Testament. In fact, there are a large  number of passages  from the Old Testament  that bring  out the  fact  of  this doctrine. “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth” (Gen.1:1). The word “God” noted in verse one is the word “Elohim” and is plural which explains  the Godhead or Trinity. However, it is not to be viewed as the doctrine of “Polytheism” or more than one God or three Gods. Also, notice these words. “And God said, let us make man in our image, after our likeness” (Gen.1:26). What do the plural verb (“let us”) and the plural pronoun (“our”) mean? In the book of Isaiah we notice this same truth brought out. “. . . Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” (Isa.6:8). “. . . Let us go down, and there confound their language. . .” (Gen.11:7).

            We conclude therefore that God is three persons and not three Gods. This means that God the Father is not the Son; they are distinct persons. The Father is not the Holy Spirit. Again, they are distinct persons. These distinctions are seen in a huge number of passages in both Old and New Testaments. We will find God in three persons, and therefore  “The  Trinity”.

. . . . Fred  House