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The Holy Trinity — A Bible Doctrine

“There are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.” (1 John 5:7)

We worship one God in the Trinity, or Tri-Unity of his sacred Persons (Father, Son, and Holy Ghost), and adore each as the God of all grace by whom we are saved. It must be acknowledged that it is an utter impossibility for sinful mortals to understand, much less explain, the mystery of the holy Trinity. No mortal can comprehend the being of the infinite God. The doctrine of the holy trinity is, indeed, an unfathomable mystery.

The Bible clearly and unmistakably teaches the doctrine of the Trinity. This is not a matter of guesswork. It is not a point of theological speculation or conjecture. 1 John 5:7 specifically and clearly states the doctrine of the Trinity; and throughout the Scriptures God reveals himself as a triune Being, one in three and three in one. All are equal in all things and co-eternal.

One in Three

When we say we believe in the Trinity of the divine persons, we do not mean that there are three equal, but separate Gods. We do not mean that there is one God manifest in three personalities. We mean that we worship one God in three divine persons: Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. The Divine Trinity is the union of these three Persons in one Godhead, so that all three are one God as to substance, but three Persons as to individuality. — Is this or is it not the doctrine of the Bible? That is the only thing that matters. Search the Scriptures, and see for yourself that the Word of God clearly teaches the doctrine.

Old Testament

The Trinity is a doctrine found in the Old Testament Scriptures as well as the New. In the self-disclosure, or self-revelation of God in the Old Testament, the Lord our God is always represented as one God, but always as one God with plural Persons within the Godhead (Deuteronomy 6:4; Genesis 1:1-2, 26). The Old Testament Scriptures constantly point us to the three Persons of the Godhead. We are often confronted with God the Father, the Spirit of the Lord, and the many pre-incarnate appearances of Christ as the Angel of the Lord.

Elohim

One of the most common Hebrew words used for God is the word El. You find it in a thousand combinations in the Old Testament. The plural form of the word El is Elohim. This is the word used in Genesis one, where Elohim is used thirty-two times. In the books of Moses, Elohim is used more than five hundred times. In the Old Testament Scriptures, Elohim is used more than five thousand times. In all thirty-two times in the first chapter of Genesis, in all the more than five hundred times in the writings of Moses, and in all the more than five thousand times in the Old Testament, without exception, Elohim is used with a singular verb. Elohim, plural, referring to the majesty and abounding marvel and mystery of God, appears with a singular verb!

The implication of that fact is obvious. The Lord our God, the Triune God, is one God; and this Triune God is the one true and living God. There is no other God.

New Testament

The New Testament clearly and emphatically declares the doctrine of the Trinity. No effort is made in the Word of God to prove the doctrine. It is simply stated as a matter of fact, a fact commonly received and believed by all who were numbered among the saints. It is presented, almost casually…

· In Connection with the Incarnation (Matthew 1:20-23).

· In Connection with our Lord’s Baptism (Matthew 3:15-17).

· In Connection with the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20).

· In Connection with the Savior’s Promise to send the Holy Spirit another Comforter exactly like Himself (John 14:16)

· In Connection with the Apostolic Benedictions (2 Corinthians 13:14).

The New Testament declares that God the Father is God (Romans 1:7), God the Son is God (Hebrews 1:8), and God the Holy Spirit is God (Acts 5:3-4). Yet, “The LORD our God is one LORD.” The doctrine of the Trinity runs through all the New Testament (Luke 1:35; John 14:26; 15:26; Galatians 4:6; Ephesians 1:17; 2:18; 3:14-16; 4:4-7; 5:18-20; 6:17-23; 1 Peter 1:2; Jude 20-21; Revelation 1:4-6). Without question, the doctrine of the Trinity is a Bible doctrine.

God the Father is all the fulness of the Godhead invisible (John 1:18). God the Son is all the fulness of the Godhead manifested (John 1:14-18). God the Spirit is all the fulness of God acting immediately upon the creature (1 Corinthians 2:9-10).”

Don Fortner

Pastor Fortner’s