What does the Bible teach about the Trinity?

[MarcR]

The word trinity means a unity of 3 parts. The Trinity River in Texas gets its name from the fact that it is formed from 3 distinct sources.

Jn 1:1-14
JOHN 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 The same was in the beginning with God.
3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
7 The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.
8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
KJV

Here we clearly see two distinct members of the Godhead.


Jn 16:7-15
7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.
8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
9 Of sin, because they believe not on me;
10 Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more;
11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.
12 I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.
13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
15 All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
KJV


Here we see that the Holy Spirit has all the attributes of personhood.


Ge 1:1-2
GENESIS 1 In the beginning God created the Heaven and the earth.
2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
KJV


Here we see that the Holy Spirit is of God A person of God is a member of the Godhead by definition.

This is my basis for belief in a Trinity.

 

[Elected]

The argument goes loke this: You have God the Father (plus) God the Son (plus) God the Holy Spirit (equals) 3 Gods.
1 + 1 +1 = 3 God's. WRONG MATH!

RIGHT MATH: 1 x 1 x 1 = 1 God!

 

[AngelFrog]

On this question, please start at the bare basics. What is the Trinity because this so blasting confusing to me.

What is the Trinity?
What does the Bible teach about the trinity?

Catherine

The word, "Trinity" never appears in the Bible.

Scriptures tell us God is a spirit. Scripture tells us via Jesus own teachings that when "you" have seen "me" (Jesus) you have seen the father.
And/ "I and my /the Father are one.

Then there is Deuteronomy 6:4 which puts it all into perspective: Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.

 

[valiant]

While there are Scriptures that can link Yahweh and Yahshua being as one, three are no Scriptures that say there are 3 in 1 (trinity)

1

'Baptising them in THE NAME (YHWH) of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.' Matt 28.19. Seems pretty obvious to me

 

[valiant]

'Baptising them in THE NAME (YHWH) of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.' Matt 28.19. Seems pretty obvious to me

It is better to speak of the Triune God rather than of the Trinity. This makes clear that God is ONE and yet three.

This was revealed in the Old Testament in terms of YHWH, the Angel of YHWH (Gen 16.16-17;Judges 6.21-24; 13.15-21; Zech 1.11-12) and the Spirit of YHWH (often). Three descriptions, and yet while they blended into each other demonstrating the oneness of God, they also indicated interpersonal distinction. Thus in Zechariah 1.12 the Angel of YHWH communicates with YHWH.

We speak of 'one God but three persons'. However, this definition is not quite satisfactory for to us a 'person' is an individual separate from all other individuals. But God is not three individuals. It is better to speak of three inter-personal relationships within God. Father, Son and Holy Spirit all act together even when One is prominent. (See Rom 8.9-11 where we have the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Christ and the Spirit of the Father). In John 14 Jesus says that He will send the Holy Spirit to dwell in His disciples. But then He immediately points out that HE will come to them, and that HE and HIS FATHER will come to dwell within them.

So while on earth Jesus could say, 'My Father works up to now, and I work' (John 5.17). But He constantly emphasises that the Spirit works through Him (Matt 12.28).

In some activities the Father is prominent, in some activities the Son is prominent and in some activities the Holy Spirit is prominent. Nevertheless all are at work together. Luke emphasises the Holy Spirit as empowering the disciples for the task ahead, but in Matthew Jesus says, 'Lo I am with you always. At Pentecost it is the fire of God that descends on the Apostles, causing the Spirit to speak through them.

So we must think of God at work in tripartite unity.

Earthly illustration can sometimes help (e.g. spirit, soul and body as one person), but there is nothing on earth which can really illustrate the Godhead Which is beyond our comprehension.

 

[AngelFrog]

The argument goes like this: You have God the Father (plus) God the Son (plus) God the Holy Spirit (equals) 3 Gods.
1 + 1 +1 = 3 God's. WRONG MATH!

RIGHT MATH: 1 x 1 x 1 = 1 God!

Actually the scriptures go like this. Our God is one. God is a Spirit. (John 4:24)
When God breathed into the nostrils of the Adam the man became a living soul. Pertinent to the birth of Christ in that he was begotten on Mary by the angel sent by the Lord God. And when he was born and took his first breath he became the living Holy Spirit alive inside the baby Jesus. (John 14:6-12)

 

[Chrysolite]

The Godhead for me is beyond comprehension. The Bible reveals that the Father is God, Jesus is God, and the Holy Spirit is God and yet they are ONE. The Holy Spirit is God who spoke to the Israelite in the wilderness. Jesus says he is the "I AM" who spoke to Moses. The Father reveals He is the Creator. The Son reveals He is the Creator. The Holy Spirit reveals He is the Creator. And, yet, they are ONE and reveals that there's no other God besides God. To some people it will lead to so much confusion and misunderstanding.

Job 11:7 - "Can you fathom the mysteries of God? Can you probe the limits of the Almighty?"

I believe that if we attempt to understand God in this physical world, we would not comprehend it. God is spirit, we must therefore see God in his world and not our world. It is tempting to put a numerical value to God like "3", because we perceive 3. However, we also perceive 1. There is an obvious paradox. Therefore, we must put this by faith alone and some day when we meet God face to face, the mysteries of Him will be revealed as we are going to see God as He is.

 

[yehoissalvation]

First of all...The Bible says that Jesus is not God, because Jesus said, "My Father is greater than I."

 

[yehoissalvation]

To just say accept the Scriptures without deeply probing them is really only verbally accepting them at face value, because a lot of religions will use them the way they want.

 

[MarcR]

Let’s define our terms first…


דשְׁמַע, יִשְׂרָאֵל: יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ, יְהוָהאֶחָד.

Shama’ Yisra’el Yahweh Elohim Yahweh Echad

Deu 6:4 Hear,[SUP]8085[/SUP] O Israel:[SUP]3478[/SUP] Yahweh[SUP]3068[/SUP] our God[SUP]430[/SUP] Yahweh[SUP]3068[/SUP] (is)one[SUP]259[/SUP]



יְהוָה= “Yahweh”

“Yahweh” definition:

H3068 Singular noun. The Tetragrammaton YHWH, the Lord, or Yahweh, the personal name of God and His most frequent designation in scripture, occurring 5321x. The word refers to the proper name of the God of Israel, particularly the name by which He revealed Himself to Moses (Ex: 6.2-3). It comes from the root “hawa” H1961, which means either existence, or development; “to be”. “The existing one”.

H1961 “hawa” A primitive root (compare H1933); to exist, that is, be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary): - beacon, X altogether, be (-come, accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), continue, do, faint, fall, + follow, happen, X have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, X use.

H1933 “havah” A primitive root supposed to mean properly to breathe; to be (in the sense of existence): - be, X have.


References:
Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (TDNT), Gerhard Kittel, Gerhard Friedrich, & Geoffrey W. Bromiley, volume three, pp. 1067 - 1081
Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (TWOT) #484a, Harris, Archer, Waltke, volume 1, pp. 210 – 212
The Complete Wordstudy Dictionary of the Old Testament, Warren Baker, Eugene Carpenter, p. 426








דשְׁמַע, יִשְׂרָאֵל: יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ, יְהוָהאֶחָד.


אֱלֹהֵינוּ= “Elohim”

“Elohim” definition:

H430 A masculine plural noun. God, gods, judges, angels. This is not a “Plural of Majesty”. A better reason can be seen in scripture itself where, in the very first chapter of Genesis, the necessity of a term conveying both the unity of the one God and yet allowing for a plurality of persons is found (Gen 1.2, 26). This is further borne out by the fact that the form “Elohim” occurs only in Hebrew and in no other Semitic language, not even in Biblical Aramaic. Plural of H433; gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative: - angels, X exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), X (very) great, judges, X mighty.

H433 “eloah” Masculine singular noun. God or god. From H410; a deity or the deity: - God, god. See H430.


References:
Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (TWOT) #93c, Harris, Archer, Waltke, volume 1, pp. 41 - 45
The Complete Wordstudy Dictionary of the Old Testament, Warren Baker, Eugene Carpenter, p. 54
The New Strong’s Expanded Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible Red-letter Edition, James Strong, LL.D., S.T.D., Hebrew and Aramaic dictionary, p. 17












דשְׁמַע, יִשְׂרָאֵל: יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ, יְהוָהאֶחָד.



אֶחָד= “echad”

“echad” definition:

H259 Adjective. One, same, single, first, each, once. It is closely identified with
“yahad”, to be united and with “ro’sh”, first, head. It stresses unity while recognizing diversity within that oneness. A numerical adjective meaning one, first, once, the same. A numeral from H258; properly united, that is, one; or (as an ordinal) first: - a, alike, alone, altogether, and, any (-thing), apiece, a certain [dai-] ly, each (one), + eleven, every, few, first, + highway, a man, once, one, only, other, some, together. One (number), each, every, a certain, an (indefinite article), only, once, once for all, one...another, the one...the other, one after another, one by one, first, eleven (in combination), eleventh (ordinal).

H258 “achad” Verb. Perhaps a primitive root; to unify, that is, (figuratively) collect
(one’s thoughts): - go one way or other; be sharp, keen.


References:
Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (TWOT) #61, #605, Harris, Archer, Waltke, volume 1, p. 30, 263
The Complete Wordstudy Dictionary of the Old Testament, Warren Baker, Eugene Carpenter, p. 33
The New Strong’s Expanded Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible Red-letter Edition, James Strong, LL.D., S.T.D., Hebrew and Aramaic dictionary, p. 10

In both Dt 6:4, and Nu 13:23-24 אֶחָד= “echad” signifies a composite unity (a unity of parts). In Nu 13:23-24, אֶחָד= “echad speaks of 1 cluster with many grapes. In Dt 6:4, אֶחָד= “echad speaks of one God with 3 distinct persons. Hebrew has a word to express absolute oneness; though it can express 1 from many. This word יָֽחַד yachad is used in Ps 133:1

 

[TheTrueKing]

On this question, please start at the bare basics. What is the Trinity because this so blasting confusing to me.

What is the Trinity?
What does the Bible teach about the trinity?

Catherine

The bible doesn't say anything about a trinity,

Only says that we all are 1

 

[oldhermit]

To just say accept the Scriptures without deeply probing them is really only verbally accepting them at face value, because a lot of religions will use them the way they want.

How would you probe the syntax of such passages as Heb 1:8, Phil 2, Rev 1, and John 1? All of these passages unequivically establish the deity of Jesus.

 

[Yonah]

Php 2:6
Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
Php 2:7
But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
Php 2:8
And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Php 2:9
Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: