I. Intro.
A. Intro, definition and purpose for studying the Trinity.
1. The doctrine of the Trinity is one of the most important doctrines of our faith. This is because the doctrine of the Trinity gives us insight into what God is like in Himself.
2. Knowing what God is like will help us to relate to Him more personally. And that is the whole point of any study of the bible… to know God in a deeper way.
3. The doctrine of the Trinity as revealed in the Bible is simply this: God eternally exists as three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Each person is fully God and there is one God.
4. Scripture reveals that in the last days there will be an increase in false prophets, false teachers and false doctrine. We must carefully study the Word and know the essential doctrines of the faith because Jesus expects us to combat the lies of the enemy with the truth of His Word.
B. But even though we study, we must leave room for mystery.
1. We have to resist the tendency to study God scientifically and instead know Him spiritually. This can be hard for us to do because the scientific method has been ingrained in us.
2. Quote from Uchimura Kanzo about American Christianity.
a. Bio: Japanese Christian who came to the US in 1884, studied at Harvard Theological Seminary for one semester before quitting and returning to Japan.
b. Quote:
“Americans themselves know all too well that their genius is not in religion…. Americans are great people; there is no doubt about that. They are great in building cities and railroads…. Americans have a wonderful genius for improving the breeds of horses, cattle, sheep and swine…. Americans too are great inventors. They are great in democracy…. Needless to say, they are great in money….”
“Americans are great in all these things and much else; but not in Religion…. Americans must count religion in order to see or show its value…. Statistics is their way of showing success or failure in their religion as in their commerce and politics. Numbers, numbers, oh, how they value numbers!”
“Mankind goes down to America to learn how to live the earthly life; but to live the heavenly life, they go to some other people.”
3. So if we are going to study God in order to know Him, we will have to learn a new way to study. We need to learn to be logical without being scientific. That’s the only way to use our natural minds to understand the supernatural nature of God.
C. Did you know that believers study and understand in a different way than nonbelievers?
1. We understand the things of God by faith and by revelation from the Holy Spirit. Our logical mind has to be subordinate to the operation of faith and the revelation of the Spirit.
a. Heb 11:3
By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.
b. 1 Cor 1:12;14
12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.
14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
2. These two factors will help us use the logical mind that God has given us without demanding the proof that the scientific method requires.
a. Faith
b. Revelation
3. Both of these will require us to leave room for mystery. Whilst we await revelation by faith, we accept that there is much of God that is still a mystery to us.
4. Mystery is good, because it means that His ways and thoughts truly are higher than our ways and thoughts. Mystery reminds us that the righteous live by faith.
II. God is Three Persons.
A. The Trinity is progressively revealed in scripture.
1. Throughout the bible, we see God gradually unfolding His will, nature and plans over time, rather than all at once. What we see in seed form in the OT is fully in bloom in the NT.
2. We call this ‘progressive revelation’. But even though God revealed Himself progressively through the ages, salvation by faith in Jesus Christ has been true in every age.
a. In every age, salvation is in Christ (OT sacrifices looked forward to Him)
b. The requirement for salvation was faith (That God would accept the sacrifice)
c. The focus of that faith was God (That God is Lord over all)
3. What does progressive revelation have to do with the Trinity? Just like other doctrines, we find the concept of the Trinity in the OT but more fully revealed in the NT.
4. The word “Trinity” is not used in the bible, but the concept is taught in the scriptures. It simply means “Tri-unity” or “Three-in-oneness”.
B. In the OT, the Trinity is seen in the plurality of the persons of God.
1. Gen :26&27
26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
a. God, speaking of Himself, refers to Himself in plurality.
b. Some people argue that God was speaking to angels when He said ‘us’ but angels did not take part in creation.
3. And in Vs 27 we read “So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”
a. We also have a three part nature, spirit, soul and body. (1 Thess 5:23)
b. Three distinct parts, but all equally one.
4. We also see God speaking this way in other passages.
a. Gen 3:22 “The man has become like one of us…”
b. Gen 11:7 “Come let us go down and confuse their language…”
c. Isa 6:8 “Whom shall I send and who will go for us?”
5. We also have passages in the OT where one person is called ‘God’ or ‘the Lord’ and is distinguished from another person Who is also revealed as God.
a. Ps 45:6&7 “Your throne, O God, will last forever… therefore God, Your God…”
b. Heb 1:8 quotes this passage and applies it to Jesus.
c. Ps 110:1 “The Lord said to my Lord, sit at my right hand…”
d. From the NT we know this means “God the Father said to God the Son…”
6. The Trinity revealed in Isaiah 61.
a. Isa 48:16 “From the time that it was, I was there. And now the Lord God and His
Spirit have sent Me.” (Adonai, Ruach and Salah (shaw-lock) the person being sent)
b. Isa 61:1 ““The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me… the Lord has anointed Me…”
(The Spirit- Ruach; The Lord God- Adonai; Me: ‘Et (ayth) definite direct object, used to demonstrate the self, the person speaking, etc.)
C. The Trinity in the NT.
1. Matt 3:16&17 Jesus’ baptism.
“16 When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. 17 And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
a. In this occurrence we see Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
2. Matt 28:18&19 Jesus gives the Great Commission.
18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…
a. This establishes the Doctrine of the Trinity and the co-equality of the Godhead
3. 2 Cor 13:14
“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.”
4. See also 1 Peter 1:2 and Jude 20&21.
D. God is three persons.
1. So God exists eternally as three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. All three have all the attributes of God and are omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient and immutable.
III. Each person of the Trinity is fully God, and there is only One God.
A. Father God.
1. Most people can easily grasp that God the Father is fully God. He is the Sovereign Lord
over all, maker of heaven and earth.
a. Adonai, Jehovah, Yahweh
2. Jesus revealed God as “Abba Father” in Mark 14:16, Paul repeats it Rom 8:15.
B. The Son is fully God.
1. Jesus, the Son, is fully God.
a. John 1:1-4
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.
2. JW’s argue that this says “…the Word was a god…” but there is no article ‘a’ in the text.
3. Another argument they make is from passages that refer to Jesus as ‘the only begotten Son of God” (Jn 1:14; 3:16) and ‘…the firstborn over all creation…’ (Col 1:15)
a. Gr. prototokos “first in rank”. Jesus has inherited all things from the Father and has the right of authority and leadership in God’s house. (Not physically born.)
b. Firstborn over all creation means that Jesus has all the rights and privileges of the First born Son according to Biblical usage of the Hebrew custom & tradition.
c. As far as ‘only begotten’ the original Gr word is monogenes and the “The only type” “the only kind” “the only One like this”
d. I like how this is translated in French… “Fils unique de Dieu trés haut.” which means “The unique Son of God”.
3. Nicene Creed 325 AD “…begotten… not made…”
4. Other verses that establish that Jesus is fully God.
a. Jn 20:28 Thomas said “My Lord and my God!” Jesus didn’t correct Him.
b. Titus 2:13 “…our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.”
c. 2 Peter 1:1 “… our God and Savior Jesus Christ.”
d. Rom 9:5 “…of Christ, Who is God over all…”
e. Isaiah 9:6 “…Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God.”
C. The Spirit is fully God.
1. The obvious evidence is that if the Spirit is mentioned in the same capacity as the Father and the Son He must also be God. (Jesus in Matt 28:19; Isa 48:16; 61:1) These reveal the Spirit to be of equal standing and authority as the Father and the Son.
2. Acts 5:3&4 “Why has satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit? You have not lied to men, but to God.”
3. Also, ‘born of God’ and ‘born of the Spirit’. Giving new life to a person when they become born again is something only God can do. To be born again is to be born of the Spirit, therefore the Spirit is fully God.
D. God is three persons, but there is only one God.
1. When God speaks He makes it clear that He is the only true God and there are not ‘gods’.
a. Isa 45:5 “I Am the Lord and there is no other, aside Me there is no God.”
2. Eph 4:4-6
4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
E. Analogy: The High Priest.
1. In scripture we find what are called types and shadows that reveal insight into the mysteries of God. It’s very important to remember that they are imperfect and only offer glimpses of understanding into the mysteries of God.
a. Paul in Colossians, the shadow vs the substance
2. The High Priest in the OT is a type and shadow of the Godhead. [PIC]
a. Pocket behind the breastplate contained the Urim & Thummim (Lev 8:8)
b. Stones that would light up, closest translations: light and perfection, revelation and truth, flame and fulfilled words
c. They would consult the stones to inquire of God (Ex 28:30; Num 27:21; 1 Sam 14:41&42; 23:6-12)
d. This represents Jesus, the Son, and the Holy Spirit being one with the Father.
3. Biblical revelation on this:
a. Ez 28:14 “You were the anointed cherub who covers; I established you; You were on the holy mountain of God; You walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones.”
b. John 1:18 “No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.”
4. This visual helps us to understand the Trinity as One God in Three Persons.
5. Here we see the word ‘begotten’ again, meaning proceeding forth from or came forth from. Jesus, the eternal Son of God, always was, always existed and came forth from the bosom of the Father. At Pentecost, the Spirit was sent by the Father.
IV. Summary and Application.
A. Why is this such an important doctrine?
1. The doctrine of the Trinity has been attacked since the earliest days of the church. The Council of Nicaea was convened in AD 325 primarily to deal with the teachings of Arius, who taught that Jesus was not co-eternal or the same substance as God.
2. This is why we have the Nicene Creed that we still affirm today.
“We believe in one God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.
“And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, Very God of Very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father by whom all things were made; who for us men, and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary, and was made man, and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate. He suffered and was buried, and the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures, and ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of the Father. And he shall come again with glory to judge both the quick and the dead, whose kingdom shall have no end.
“And we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of Life, who proceedeth from the Father, who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified, who spoke by the prophets. And we believe in one holy catholic (worldwide church, universal) and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins. And we look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.”
3. It is essential to study and affirm this because the divinity of Jesus is attacked by the evil one through false religions. (Mormons, JW’s, Judaism, Islam, etc.) (Cults like The Way Int’l)
4. Another reason is that false doctrine is increasing more and more, and this is according to biblical teaching. (Jesus in Matt 24; 1 Tim 4:1&2; 2 Tim 4:3&4)
5. Why? Because if Jesus is not God, then the atonement is in question. And if the Spirit is not God, then regeneration is in question.
B. Application of this doctrine.
1. So how do we apply this knowledge? What is the takeaway for us?
a. Our study of scripture should be more than information, it should be motivation.
b. More than education, it must bring transformation.
2. #1: Study the way a believer studies: The Trinity is the Divine Truth that God has revealed in His Word and it is understood by faith as revealed by the Spirit. Leave room for mystery as you await revelation, that will increase you faith.
a. Ask the Spirit to reveal God’s Word
b. Accept it in faith
3. #2: See the Trinity as an opportunity to know God in a deeper, more personal and intimate way.
a. God did not have to reveal Himself this way, but He chose to.
b. We have to remember that this is God’s revelation of Himself to us.
c. All throughout history, He has revealed Himself to us for the sole purpose of bringing us into relationship with Him.
4. #3: Engage with all three Persons of the Godhead. They all have the same attributes, & nature but we relate to them differently.
a. Father God: relate to Him as your Father, as Judge, as Healer
b. Jesus: Lord, Saviour, Friend, Mentor
c. Spirit: Guide, Revealer, Comforter, Presence
C. Closing and Action Step.
1. Repent for any rejection of the truth of God’s Word, for rejecting the Trinity, for believing any false doctrine, etc.
2. Ask Holy Spirit to teach to study like a believer so that you can know God in a more personal way.