Written by Dr. Marcus J. Serven
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” Matthew 28:19-20a
Introduction:
Over the years I have had numerous encounters with the “doorstep debaters” who deny the doctrine of the Trinity. Usually they are from the Jehovah’s Witnesses, or they are young men serving as Mormon missionaries. Most of these people have only heard one view concerning the Trinity. Here is an example of a conversation I had one day with a Jehovah’s Witness:
- JW: “I don’t believe in the Trinity because it doesn’t make any sense to me.”
- Me: “And so are you saying that just because you don’t understand it, therefore it can’t possibly be true?”
- JW: “Yes, it is not logical.”
- Me: “Do you know everything?”
- JW: “Ah…of course not!”
- Me: “Since you admit that you don’t know everything, then is it not possible that there are many truths that are outside of your own personal knowledge?”
- JW: “Silence…”
- Me: “Since God has revealed Himself in the pages of Holy Scripture, then is it not logical that as human beings—mere creatures that we are—we need to humble ourselves to God’s teachings in the Bible and not stand in judgment over them?”
- JW: “Silence…”
- Me: “Well then, let me show you some of the passages in the Bible that clearly teach the doctrine of the Trinity. I believe you will find them to be a logical and sensible conclusion of what the Bible actually says.”
The reality is that the doctrine of the Trinity is a conclusion based on a multiplicity of biblical texts. The word “Trinity” is not found in the Bible, however, the pages of the Bible are overflowing with the concept of the Trinity. What exactly is this concept? Essentially, it is that the divinity of God the Father is abundantly proved from the pages of Holy Scripture; the divinity of God the Son is clearly demonstrated by the evidences that are recorded in the Bible; and the divinity of God the Holy Spirit is also forthrightly taught by numerous passages in God’s revelation. In addition, both the Old and the New Testaments give many clear proofs for the doctrine of the Trinity. Consider these following passages:
Biblical Texts that support the Doctrine of the Trinity:
There are numerous texts in the Bible that make it clear that the Father is God (Gen. 1:1; Ps. 24:1-2; Isa. 45:5-7; 1 Tim. 1:17). In addition, the Bible speaks of how the Son [Jesus Christ] is God and worthy of all adoration, praise, and worship (Ps. 2:7-12; Isa. 9:6-7; Lk. 1:30-33; Jn. 1:1-5, 1:14-18; Jn. 8:56-59; Col. 1:15-20, 2:9; Heb. 1:2-4; Rev. 1:4-8). Lastly, the Bible makes it evident that the Holy Spirit is God and possesses a divine essence that is equal with the Father and the Son (Gen. 1:2; Matt. 3:16; Jn. 14:26; Jn. 15:26; Jn. 16:7-13; Acts 5:3). Therefore it is logical that God is known as a Trinity—God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Beyond that, there are several texts in the Bible where the Trinitarian nature of God is clearly on display. These texts are as follows:
— Genesis 1:26a “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.’” (Note the use of the first-person plural personal pronoun “us” and the repeated use of he first-person plural possessive pronoun “our.” Each word refers to the plurality of the Godhead. This is not three separate Gods, but one God who has revealed himself in three persons. In other words, God is known in the Bible as a Trinity.)
— Genesis 3:22 “The the LORD God said, ‘Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil.’” (Note the first-person plural personal pronoun “us” referring to the plurality of the Godhead)
— Genesis 11:7 “Come, let us go down there and confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another’s speech.” (Note the first-person plural personal pronoun “us” referring to the plurality of the Godhead)
— Matthew 3:16-17 “And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.’” (Note the presence of the Holy Spirit, the Son, and [by implication] the Father in this text)
— Matthew 28:19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” (Note the use of the singular noun “name,” rather than the plural noun “names.” This makes it clear that God is one, and that baptisms are blessed in that one name—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.”)
— John 10:30 “I and the Father are one.” (Jesus claims to have the same essential nature as God the Father in this verse. Immediately after Jesus makes this bold claim, the Jews pick up stones in order to stone him to death, “because you, being a man, make yourself God.” vs. 33)
— John 14:16-17 “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.” (Note how Jesus calls upon his heavenly Father to send forth the Helper [Gk. paracletos = lit. “helper,” “intercessor,” (i.e.) the Holy Spirit] to minister to his disciples. The Son, Father, and Holy Spirit are all evident in this text.)
— 2 Corinthians 13:14 “The Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” (Note the reference to the triune God in this benediction: “the Lord Jesus Christ…God [the Father]…and the Holy Spirit.”)
— Ephesians 2:18 “For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.” (In the immediate context the main focus is on how Jesus Christ has brought together the Jews and the Gentiles. These two groups were formerly separated by a “wall of hostility” (vs. 12), but in Christ they are now “members of the household of God” (vs. 19). The word “him” refers to Jesus Christ. The “Spirit” and the “Father”are obvious references to the two other members of the Godhead.)
Confessional Reconnaissance:
— The Apostles’ Creed (c.140 AD in its initial form)
“I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth; And in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead; I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic church, the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen”
— The Heidelberg Catechism (1563)
Q. 24: How are these articles divided? [i.e. Speaking of the three articles in the Apostles’ Creed]
A.: Into three parts; the first is of God the Father and our creation (#1); the second, of God the Son and our redemption (#2); the third, of God the Holy Ghost and our sanctification (#3).
(#1) Gen. 1; (#2) 1 Pet. 1:18-19; (#3) 1 Pet. 1:21-22
Q. 25: Since there is but one only divine essence (#1), why speakest thou of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost?
A.: Because God hath so revealed Himself in His Word (#2), that these three distinct persons are the one only true and eternal God.
(#1) Deut. 6:4; (#2) Gen. 1:26; Isa. 61:1; John 14:16-17; 1 John 5:7; John 1:13; Matt. 28:19; 2 Cor. 13:14
— Westminster Confession of Faith (1647)
Chapter 2, Article 3. In the unity of the Godhead there be three persons, of one substance, power, and eternity: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost (#1): the Father is of none, neither begotten, nor proceeding; the Son is eternally begotten of the Father (#2); the Holy Ghost eternally proceeding from the Father and the Son (#3).
(#1) Matt. 3:16-17; Matt. 28:19; 2 Cor. 13:14; See Eph. 2:18; (#2) John 1:14, 18; See Heb. 1:1-2; Col. 1:15; (#3) John 15:26; Gal 4:6
— The Westminster Larger Catechism (1648)
Q. 8: Are there more Gods than one?
A.: There is but one only, the living and true God (#1).
(#1) Jer. 10:10; John 17:3; 1 Thess. 1:9; 1 John 5:20
Q. 9: How many persons are there in the Godhead?
A.: There be three persons in the Godhead: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost (#1); and these three are one true, eternal God, the same in substance, equal in power and glory; although distinguished by their personal properties (#2).
(#1) Matt. 3:16-17; Matt. 28:19; 2 Cor. 13:14; (#2) John 1:1; See also Gen. 1:1-3; John 17:5; John 10:30; Ps. 45:6; See also Heb. 1:8-9; Acts 5:3-4; Rom. 9:5; Col. 2:9
An Economic View of the Trinity:
Some Christian scholars have taught an “economic” (Gk. oikonomos = household administrator) view of the Trinity. Basically, this is the idea that each member of the Godhead has specific duties that they fulfill (Lat. opera ad extra). For example, God the Father is the creator and sustainer of the universe; God the Son is the redeemer of God’s people through his sacrificial death upon the cross; and God the Holy Spirit is the one who sanctifies the believer and assists them through the difficulties and trials of the Christian life. There is some validity to this way of thinking, however, it can be quickly demonstrated that it is superficial. If we examine the statement that God the Father is the creator, then it must be acknowledged that the Son of God was also present at the creation of the universe and that by him all things hold together (Col. 1:16-17). Moreover, it must be admitted that the Holy Spirit was also present at the creation given that the Spirit “was hovering over the face of the waters” (Gen. 1:2), and that the Spirit gave Adam the “breath of life” (Gen. 2:7). Thus, a simplistic explanation of the economic view of the Trinity seems to fall short of reality. Louis Berkhof explains the economic view of the Trinity in the following manner:
“These are never works of one person exclusively, but always works of the Divine Being as a whole. At the same time it is true that in the economical order of God’s works some of the opera ad extra are ascribed more particularly to one person, and some more especially to another. Though they are all works of the three persons jointly, creation is ascribed primarily to the Father, redemption to the Son, and sanctification to the Holy Spirit. This order in the divine operation points back to the essential order in God and forms the basis for what is generally known as the economic Trinity.”
— Louis Berkhof, Systematic Theology, 89
Thus, our understanding of the Trinity must acknowledge that creation, redemption, and sanctification “are all works of the three persons jointly.” With this understanding the essential nature of each person is shown to be the same—all are divine and worthy of worship. Yet, there can also be a recognition of the distinction made between the three persons of the Godhead—in that they are uniquely Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And so, as Christians we affirm the truth that there is one God who makes himself manifest in three persons.
Key Quotes:
— John Calvin (1509-1564)
“Again, Scripture sets forth a distinction of the Father from the Word, and of the Word from the Spirit. Yet the greatness of the mystery warns us how much reverence and sobriety we ought to use in investigating this. And that passage in Gregory of Nazianzus vastly delights me: ‘I can not think on the one without quickly being encircled by the splendor of the three; nor can I discern the three without being straightway carried back to the one.’ Let us not, then, be led to imagine a trinity of persons that keeps our thoughts distracted and does not at once lead them back to the unity. Indeed, the words “Father,” “Son,” and “Spirit” imply a real distinction—let no one think that these titles, whereby God is variously designated from his works, are empty—but a distinction, not a division.” (Calvin, Institutes 1:13:17)
— Prof. Louis Berkhof (1873-1957)
“The western conception of the Trinity reached its final statement in the great work of Augustine, De Trinitate. He too stresses the unity of essence and the Trinity of Persons. Each one of the three Persons possesses the entire essence, and is in so far identical with the essence and with each one of the other Persons. They are not like three human persons, each one of which possesses only a part of generic human nature. Moreover, the one is never and can never be without the other; the relation of dependence between them is a mutual one. The divine essence belongs to each of them under a different point of view, as generating, generated, or existing through inspiration. Between the three hypostases there is a relation of mutual interpenetration and inter-dwelling.” (Berkhof, The History of Christian Doctrines, 92)
— Dr. R. C. Sproul (1939-2017)
“The historic formulation of the Trinity is that God is one in essence and three in person. Though the formula is mysterious and even paradoxical, it is in no way contradictory. The unity of the Godhead is affirmed in terms of essence of being, while the diversity of the Godhead is expressed in terms of person…the Bible clearly affirms the full deity of the three persons of the Godhead: the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The church has rejected the heresies of modalism and tritheism. Modalism denies the distinction of persons within the Godhead, claiming that Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are just ways in which God expresses Himself. Tritheism, on the other hand, falsely declares that there are three beings who together make up God. The term person does not mean a distinction in essence but a different subsistence in the Godhead. A subsistence in the Godhead is a real difference in being. Each person subsists or exists “under” the pure essence of deity. Subsistence is a difference within the scope of being, not a separate being or essence. All persons in the Godhead have all the attributes of deity…The doctrine of the Trinity does not fully explain the mysterious character of God. Rather, it sets the boundaries outside of which we must not step. It defines the limits of our finite reflection. It demands that we be faithful to the biblical revelation that in one sense God is one and in a different sense He is three.” (Sproul, Essential Truths of the Christian Faith, 35-36)
“The word Trinity does not appear in Scripture. Nor do the terms homoousios or persona as such appear. That language has entered the vocabulary of the church, indeed the touchstone of orthodoxy itself, is decried by many as an intrusion into biblical faith of speculative philosophy in general and of Greek modes of thinking in particular. However, the concepts these words convey are found in Scripture, and they have been usefully employed in the church. Like it or not, the English language is tied inseparably to concepts of early Greek discrimination…It is important to remember that it did not offend the Holy Ghost to use the Greek language as a vehicle for revelation. What, then, do we mean when we express our faith in the Trinity by the formula: God is one in essence, and three in person? In addition to the numerical differences, the key distinctive concepts are essence and person. Essence, we know, refers to the being, substance, or stuff of any entity. Essence is what something ultimately is. In the formula of the Trinity it is the concept of person that is most troublesome. The term person comes from the Latin persona. It corresponds to the Greek word for face. In the ancient theater one actor could perform more than one role in a play. To assume the role of a different character the actor donned a persona or mask to dramatize the different character. This human analogy breaks down, however, when applied to God…The three persons are equal to each other in deity, dignity, power, and glory. They are distinguished in name, in the order of their being, in the mode of their action, and in their effects.” (Sproul, Right Now Counts Forever, Vol. 2, 97-98)
“This technical discussion of the Trinity can be confusing, but here is what we should come away with: the Westminster divines, following the historic formulas of the church, are being extremely careful to affirm the full deity of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and at the same time to steer clear of tritheism or polytheism. In simple terms, the Westminster divines are saying that in an absolute, ultimate sense, God is one—one being—yet within the Godhead are three distinct persons or subsistences that must be recognized if we want to be faithful to Scripture. The subsistences, or persons, are more than offices, more than modes, more than activities, more than masks, and more than ways of appearing. The church historically has said that we do not understand how God is three in one. But we do understand that He is not three gods, and that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are all divine.” (Sproul, Truths We Confess, 65-66)
Conclusion:
It is important to remember that the doctrine of the Trinity is a theological conclusion that is based upon Holy Scripture. The Bible is clear that the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God. There are not three Gods, but only one. Therefore, we recognize that there is one God who has made himself known in three persons. These are not three divine “modes” with each “mode” fitting into a differing period of time (e.g. God the Father in the Old Testament; God the Son in the New Testament; and God the Holy Spirit in the Church age). This view represents a heresy called “modalism.” No, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit—the three members of the Godhead—co-exist in eternity, they are not to be confused, nor are they to be divided. They co-operate with one another in all activities related to this world and in eternity. Thus, we worship one God who has made Himself known in three persons—a Holy Trinity.
Resources for Further Study:
Bavinck, Herman. The Doctrine of God. William Henricksen, trans. Edinburgh, Scotland: The Banner of Truth Trust, Reprint, 1978.
Berkhof, Louis. Systematic Theology. Fourth Edition. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1939.
Berkhof, Louis. The History of Christian Doctrines. Edinburgh, Scotland: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1949.
Elwell, Walter A. ed. Evangelical Dictionary of Theology. Second Edition. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2001.
- “Christology” by Ronald S. Wallace
- “God, Doctrine of” by Robert L. Saucy.
- “Holy Spirit” by Thomas S. Caulley
- “Jesus Christ” by Robert H. Stein
- “Only Begotten” by Everett F. Harrison
- “Son of God” by Gary T. Burke
- “Trinity” by Geoffrey W. Bromiley
McGrath, Alister E. Understanding the Trinity. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1988.
Packer, James I. Knowing God. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1973.
Reymond, Robert L. A New Systematic Theology of the Christian Faith. Second Edition. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1998.
Sproul, R. C. Essential Truths of the Christian Faith. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale Publishers, Inc., 1992.
Sproul, R. C. Truths We Confess: A Systematic Exposition of the Westminster Confession of Faith. Revised Edition. Orlando, FL: Reformation Trust Publishing, 2019.
The Confession of Faith and Catechisms. American Edition (1788). Jointly published by Great Commission Publications (PCA) in Atlanta, GA, and the Committee on Christian Education (OPC) in Willow Grove, PA, 2005.
Vos, Johannes G. The Westminster Larger Catechism: A Commentary. G. I. Williamson, ed. Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 2002.
Williamson, G. I. The Westminster Confession of Faith: for Study Classes. Second Edition. Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 2004.
Dr. Marcus J. Serven, ThM and DMin
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