THE DOCTRINE OF THE TRINITY

I John 5:7 declares: “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.” (Memorize for test). There are four things that are clearly taught in this verse: (1) The Father is God. (2) The Word (Jesus Christ) is God when compared to John 1:1. (3) The Holy Ghost or Spirit is God when compared with Acts 5:3-4. (4) That the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are essentially one God, a trinity in unity. The Trinity is a revealed doctrine of the Word of God which can be clearly proven from the Scriptures. Yet at the same time the doctrine of the Trinity is a definite mystery which is hard to comprehend with our finite mind. It is said that on one occasion Daniel Webster and a friend listened to a sermon upon the Trinity. As they walked home from church the friend said: “Mr. Webster is not that doctrine a mathematical impossibility?” Mr. Webster replied: “According to the mathematics of earth it seems to be; but I’m not thoroughly acquainted with the mathematics of Heaven.” The Trinity, like every other doctrine of the Word of God, must be received by faith. J.M. Pendleton wrote: “In contemplating the doctrine of the Trinity as an unspeakable mystery we must ever guard against looking on it as a profitless speculation, without practical influence. The very fact that the subject is so far above our comprehension should inspire us with reverential modesty and humility. The highest flights of reason cannot reach it, yet the doctrine is among ‘the true sayings of God.’ Alas, how little we know! God is infinite, we are finite, and can know but little of Him and the mode of His existence. Where we cannot understand, let us wonder and adore.”


I. THE TRINITY DEFINED


A. A.H. Strong wrote: “In the nature of the one God there are three eternal distinctions which are represented to us under the figure of persons, and these three are equal.”
B. The first real defender of the Trinity was Athanasius who fought against the Arian heresy of his day. Athanasius defined the Trinity thusly: “We worship one God in trinity and trinity in unity, neither confounding the persons nor dividing the substance. We worship one God. We are monotheists and that one God in three persons.
C. Thomas Watson the Puritan wrote the following in his Body of Divinity: “God is but one, yet are there three distinct persons subsisting in one Godhead. This is a sacred mystery, which the light within man could never have discovered. As the two natures in Christ, yet but one person, is a wonder; so three persons, yet but one Godhead. Here is a great deep. The Father God, the Son God, the Holy Spirit god,; yet not three gods, but one God. The three persons in the blessed Trinity are distinguished, but not divided; three substances, but one essence. Our narrow thoughts can no more comprehend the Trinity in unity, than a nutshell will hold all the water in the sea.”
D. Abstract principles of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary formulated in 1858 states in Article Three concerning the Trinity: “God is revealed to us as Father, Son, and holy Spirit each with distinct personal attributes, but without division of nature, essence, or being.” (Know definitions A and D for test).

1. THE TRINITY CONSISTS OF THREE DISTINSCTIONS.
The doctrine of the Trinity does not mean that God merely manifests Himself in three different ways. There are three actual distinctions in the Godhead.

2. THESE THREE DISTINCTIONS ARE ETERNAL.
Because God is immutable the distinctions in the Godhead must be of an eternal nature. God has never changed so we must conclude that the distinctions in the Godhead are eternal. The Scriptures speak of the eternity of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit (John 1:1-2; Rev. 22:13-14; Heb. 9:14).

3. THESE THREE DISTINCTIONS ARE REPRESENTED TO US UNDER THE FIGURE OF PERSONS, BUT THERE IS NO DIVISION OF NATURE, ESSENCE OR BEING.
The Trinity does not mean tritheism or three gods. There are not three persons in Godhead in the same sense that three human beings are persons. In the case of three human beings there is division of nature, essence, and being; but it is not so with God. The unity of God forbids such an idea.

4. THE THREE MEMBERS OF THE TRINITY ARE EQUAL IN ATTRIBUTES AND ESSENCE.
a) Each member of the Trinity is expressly referred to as God in the Scriptures.
b) Each member of the Trinity is described as having Divine attributes that are attributable to God alone.



II. SCRIPTURAL PROOFS OF THE DOCTRINE OF THE TRINITY

A. THE FATHER, SON, AND HOLY SPIRIT ARE ALL RECOGNIZED AS GOD.

1. The Father is recognized as God. The passages in Scripture are numerous so we only cite two: John 6:27 and I Peter 1:1-2.

2. The Son is recognized as God.

a) He is expressly called God in John 1:1, Romans 9:5; I Timothy 3:15; and I John 5:20
b) Old Testament passages referring to God are applied in the New Testament to the Son. Matt. 3:3 alluding to isa. 40:3; John 12:41 alluding to Isa 6:1. Also compare Isa. 42:8 with John 17:2 and Isa. 9:6-7 with Rev. 1:8.
c) The Son possesses the attributes of God.
Eternity: John 1:1; Omnipresence: Matt. 28:20 and Eph. 1:23; Omniscience: Matt. 9:4; John 2:24-25; 16:30; I Cor. 4:5; and Col. 2:3; Omnipotence: Matt. 28:18; Rev. 1:8; Self existence: John 5:26; Immutability: Heb. 13:8; Truth: John 14:6; Love: I John 3:16; Holiness: Luke 1:35; John 6:39; Heb. 7:26
d) The works of God are ascribed to the Son.
Creation: John 1:3; I Cor. 8:6; Col. 1:16; Heb. 1:10.
e) Jesus Christ receives honor and worship that is due to god alone.
1) The Father and Son are to receive equal honor (John 5:23).
2) The Son is Worshipped and exalted as God (John 20:28 where Thomas recognizes Christ as God; and Heb. 1:6-8 where the Father exalts the Son as God).
3) Glory is ascribed to Christ as God (I Cor. 11:24-25; II pet. 3:18).
f) Jesus is declared to be the express image of God (John 14:7; II Cor. 4:4&6; Col. 2:9; Heb. 1:3).
g) Those who deny the essential deity of Christ are to be marked as having the spirit of antichrist (I John 2:22; II John 7-9).

3. The Holy Spirit is recognized as God.
a) The attributes of God are ascribed to the Spirit: Eternity: Heb. 9:14; Omniscience: I Cor. 2:10; Omnipresence: Psa. 139:7; Holiness: all passages that apply the term holy to the Spirit; Truth: John 16:3; Love: Rom. 15:30.
b) The works of God are attributed to the Holy Spirit in Creation (Gen. 1:2).

B. THE FATHER, SON, AND HOLY SPIRIT ARE ASSOCIATED TOGETHER ON AN EQUAL FOOTING.
1) In the baptismal formula of Matt. 28:19.
2) In the apostolic benediction of II Cor. 13:14

C. THE FATHER, SON AND HOLY SPIRIT ARE DISTINGUISHED FROM ONE ANOTHER
1) The Father and Son are distinguished from each another as the sender and the sent. The distinction was made at the baptism of Christ (Matt. 3:17). Christ distinguished Himself from the Father when He prayed to the Father. Christ intercedes to the Father for His people (Heb. 4:30; I John 2:1), and acts as Mediator between God and man (I Tim 2:5)
2) The Spirit is distinguished from the Father when He is said to proceed from and to be sent by the Father (John 14:26, 15:26; Gal. 4:6).
3) The Son is distinguished from the Spirit when Jesus referred to the Spirit as “another Comforter” (john 14:16). Jesus speaks of Himself as sending the Spirit (John 15:26).

D. THE FATHER, SON, AND HOLY SPIRIT ARE ONE GOD.
Trinity means tri-unity. There are three distinct persons in the Godhead, yet they are essentially one.
1) Passages teaching the unity of God: Deut. 6:4; Psa. 86:10; Isa. 43:10-11; 44:6; I Cor. 8:4-6; I John 5:7.
2) All the three persons of the Godhead are recognized as God in the Scriptures.
3) They are equal. Absolute equality is impossible without identity of essence, nature and being.

E. THE WORKS OF GOD ARE ASCRIBED TO ALL THREE PERSONS OF THE GODHEAD WORKING TOGETHER IN PERFECT HARMONY.
1) Salvation: Eph. 1:4-11; II Thess. 2:13-14; Titus 3:4-7
2) Justification: Father-Rom. 3:30; Son-Rom 5:9; Spirit-I Cor. 6:11.
3) Adoption: Father- I John 3:1; Son- Eph. 1:5; Spirit-Rom. 8:15
4) Regeneration: Father-I Pet. 1:3; Son-John 5:21; Spirit-John 3:8.
5) Incarnation of Christ: Father-Heb. 10:5; Son-John 1:14; Spirit-Matt. 1:20; Luke 1:31 & 35.
6) The sufferings and redemption of Christ were accomplished through the workings of the Trinity. The ransom price was paid to the Father-Rev. 5:9; The value of Christ’s blood was the dignity of His person-Heb. 9:14.
7) Resurrection: Father-I Pet. 1:21; Son-John 2:19; Spirit-Rom. 1:4.
8) Inspiration: II Sam. 23:2-3.

III. REASONS WHY THE DOCTRINE OF THE TRINITY IS VITAL AND IMPORTANT

1. To deny the Trinity is to deny the Scriptures.
2. To deny the Trinity and yet to say that Jesus is a god is to be an idolater or a polytheist. Jesus did not rebuke Thomas for recognizing Him as God in John 20:28.
3. If Jesus is not God then there is no eternal life and His blood has no value because it would not be of infinite value (I John 5:20).
4. Because the Holy Spirit of Truth is said to dwell with and in the people of God forever (John 14:16) which would be an impossibility if He were not the eternal God. T. P. Simmons observed: “…The doctrine of the Trinity is not self-contradictory. God is not three in the same sense that He is one. He is one in essence, nature, and being; but in this one essence, nature, and being there are three eternal distinctions that are represented to us in such a way that we call them persons. Who can say that such distinctions are impossible in the nature of God? To do that one would have to have perfect understanding of God’s nature. So we do well to accept what the Scripture teaches, and leave the mystery for solution when we have further light, if such light as will enable us to understand it is ever given to us. The mystery comes because of our inability to understand full the nature of God.”