Part I
There exist three distinct self-conscious Persons (or self-aware subjects cognizant of their own existence) the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. All three distinct Persons share the nature of the one God, being coequal, co-eternal and co-existent. All three Persons are called (Greek) ‘theos’ (Strong’s NT:2316), and ‘kurios’ (Strong’s NT:2962), in a religious context, sharing in the works of God and possessing the very attributes of God. We find the truth of the Trinity contained in nearly every page of Scripture. The clear differentiation of all three Persons of the Trinity is well exampled in the New Testament.
Theologians have long noted three important aspects of the Trinity, ontological, economic and soteriological. Scripture clearly distinguishes these three aspects. The ontological Trinity focuses on the essence or nature of the three Persons. Thus, all three Persons are in nature God, being ontologically co-equal. The economic Trinity, however, focuses on the mutual operations or functionality of the three Persons. Now the soteriological Trinity focuses on the specific functions or specified role each Person of the Trinity has in the redemptive and salvific work of God’s elect
The Scriptural Proofs of the Trinity
Jesus and the Holy Spirit are both looked upon as having absolute Yahweh divinity, they are both looked upon as “God” as well as the Father. However, some false teachers brush to one side the mass of evidence for the absolute deity of Christ and the Holy Spirit, and say that the Bible teaches that there is only one God and that He is the Father. The following Scriptures do teach the fact that God is one. Deut 4v35, 6v4, 32v39, 2Sam 7v22, 1Chron 17v20, Psalm 83v18, 86v10, Isaiah 43v10, 45v18, Mark 12v29,32, 1Cor 8v4, Gal 3v20, James 2v19. However, “one” in the Scriptures does not always mean a mathematical one, it can be a compound unity and oneness, as is seen in the following Scriptures. Gen 2v24, 11v6, 41v1,5,25, 1Kings 22v13, 2Chron 5v13, John 17v22, Acts 4v32, 1Cor 3v8, Eph 2v14, 1John 5v7. In these Scriptures there is a oneness, but there is also a plurality.
NB The unity in the Godhead is a compound unity. "Echad." (Strong’s OT:259)
In Deut 6v4, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord:” the word “one,” which here, and elsewhere, is used to speak of the unity of God, is, “echad,” it can speak of a compound unity of distinguishable entities, for the same Hebrew word, “echad,” that is used to speak of the unity of God in Deut 6v4, is used in Gen 2v24 to speak of the oneness of Adam and Eve.
“Yachid,” (Strong’s OT:3173), is used to speak of a mathematical unity, it means, sole, unique, and one of a kind; it is never used of the unity of God. “Yachid is translated, as “darling,” Psalm 22v20, 35v17; as “desolate,” Psalm 25v16; as “only,” Gen 22v2,16, Prov 4v3, Amos 8v10, Zech 12v10; as “only child,” Judges 11v34; as “only son,” Jer 6v26; and as “solitary,” Psalm 68v6. Ruth Rachel Spencer, in her book, “The Bud and Flower of Judaism,” writes: “Yachid” is used forcefully in the Bible as an absolute unity and is found twelve times in the Old Testament, but not once is it used of the unity of God.” End of quote.
The compound unity of the Godhead is also proved by the fact that the word for “God” in Deut 6v4, is the plural “Elohim;” which is used over 2,700 times in the Old Testament, at least ten times more than the singular “El.” The objection that “Elohim” is used just as “a plural of magnitude,” is completely invalidated by the fact that in the Bible, “Elohim” is never used to describe the majesty of a king, nor is this kind of practice used with reference to kings in the Scriptures. In the Old Testament the Israelites always addressed their kings in the singular. It must be noted that “Elohim”, though plural, when speaking of God, is nearly always constructed with verbs and pronouns in the singular. Sometimes, however, “Elohim” is sometimes significantly used with plural pronouns. e.g. Gen 1v26, “And God ('Elohim') said, Let us make man in our image.” And Gen 3v22, “And the Lord God said, Behold man is become as one of us.” In some cases the singular “Yahweh” is united with plural verbs. e.g. Gen 11v6,7, Isaiah 6v3,8. The singular “Yahweh” is also linked with the plural “Elohim” many times in the Scriptures. e.g. Deut 6v3,4,5, Exodus 20v2,5, Isaiah 42v5. etc. God gave a sure indication of the compound unity of the Godhead by the use of these plural and singular words being linked together.
The compound unity of the Godhead is seen in the way that Father, Son and Spirit are linked together in statements of authority and truth, confessions of faith, benedictions and baptismal formula. To link a creature, or an impersonal spiritual power, with God in this way would be out of the question, it would forever destroy the infinite distinction between God and the creature. Only absolute deity can be linked with the Father in the way that the Son and Spirit are. Isaiah 45v5,6,18,21,22, 46v9, 61v1-3, Isaiah 11v1,2 with Jer 23v5,6, Matt 3v16,17, 28v19, Luke 1v35, 3v21,22, John 3v34, 14v16,26, 15v26, 16v7-15, Acts 20v28, Rom 1v1-4, 15v30, 1Cor 2v7-10, 12v4-6, 2Cor 13v14, Gal 4v6, Eph 2v18, 4v4-6, Heb 2v3,4, 9v14, 1Pet 1v2, 3v18, 1John 3v21-24, 5v7. (Though the Codex Montifortii and Vulgate contain 1John 5v7, it is not found in the early Greek manuscripts; however, Cyprian, Bishop of Carthage, 200 to 258 AD, quotes this as being written by the apostle John, Vol.5.418, 423, Ante-Nicene Fathers.)
There are also numerous salutations, which the name of the Father and the Son are linked together. Rom 1v7, 1Cor 1v3, 2Cor 1v2, Gal 1v3, Eph 1v2, Phil 1v2, Col 1v2, 1Thess 1v1, 2Thess 1v2, 1Tim 1v2, 2Tim 1v2, Titus 1v4, Philemon v3, James 1v1, 2Pet 1v2, 3John v3. In 1Pet 1v2 the Holy Spirit is mentioned with the Father and the Son. In the Scriptures, “God,” can sometimes refer to the entire Trinity, or it can at other times refer to separate members of the Godhead. “God” can mean either plural or singular in the same way that “sheep” or even “man” can. There is a perfect oneness of purpose, mind, love and fellowship in the Godhead; however, this oneness and unity goes beyond this, for we read in John 10v38 and 17v21, that the Father is not only in the Son, but the Son is also in the Father. In the Trinity there is an interfusion and sharing of personality and nature and glory. It is no good false teachers saying that this is not so, the Bible says it is so, it clearly says that all are called God. Let God be true and every man a liar who contradicts the truth of God's word.
Part II
Yahweh Shalom.
There exist three distinct self-conscious Persons (or self-aware subjects cognizant of their own existence) the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. All three distinct Persons share the nature of the one God, being coequal, co-eternal and co-existent. All three Persons are called (Greek) ‘theos’ (Strong’s NT:2316), and ‘kurios’ (Strong’s NT:2962), in a religious context, sharing in the works of God and possessing the very attributes of God. We find the truth of the Trinity contained in nearly every page of Scripture. The clear differentiation of all three Persons of the Trinity is well exampled in the New Testament.
Theologians have long noted three important aspects of the Trinity, ontological, economic and soteriological. Scripture clearly distinguishes these three aspects. The ontological Trinity focuses on the essence or nature of the three Persons. Thus, all three Persons are in nature God, being ontologically co-equal. The economic Trinity, however, focuses on the mutual operations or functionality of the three Persons. Now the soteriological Trinity focuses on the specific functions or specified role each Person of the Trinity has in the redemptive and salvific work of God’s elect
The Scriptural Proofs of the Trinity
Jesus and the Holy Spirit are both looked upon as having absolute Yahweh divinity, they are both looked upon as “God” as well as the Father. However, some false teachers brush to one side the mass of evidence for the absolute deity of Christ and the Holy Spirit, and say that the Bible teaches that there is only one God and that He is the Father. The following Scriptures do teach the fact that God is one. Deut 4v35, 6v4, 32v39, 2Sam 7v22, 1Chron 17v20, Psalm 83v18, 86v10, Isaiah 43v10, 45v18, Mark 12v29,32, 1Cor 8v4, Gal 3v20, James 2v19. However, “one” in the Scriptures does not always mean a mathematical one, it can be a compound unity and oneness, as is seen in the following Scriptures. Gen 2v24, 11v6, 41v1,5,25, 1Kings 22v13, 2Chron 5v13, John 17v22, Acts 4v32, 1Cor 3v8, Eph 2v14, 1John 5v7. In these Scriptures there is a oneness, but there is also a plurality.
NB The unity in the Godhead is a compound unity. "Echad." (Strong’s OT:259)
In Deut 6v4, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord:” the word “one,” which here, and elsewhere, is used to speak of the unity of God, is, “echad,” it can speak of a compound unity of distinguishable entities, for the same Hebrew word, “echad,” that is used to speak of the unity of God in Deut 6v4, is used in Gen 2v24 to speak of the oneness of Adam and Eve.
“Yachid,” (Strong’s OT:3173), is used to speak of a mathematical unity, it means, sole, unique, and one of a kind; it is never used of the unity of God. “Yachid is translated, as “darling,” Psalm 22v20, 35v17; as “desolate,” Psalm 25v16; as “only,” Gen 22v2,16, Prov 4v3, Amos 8v10, Zech 12v10; as “only child,” Judges 11v34; as “only son,” Jer 6v26; and as “solitary,” Psalm 68v6. Ruth Rachel Spencer, in her book, “The Bud and Flower of Judaism,” writes: “Yachid” is used forcefully in the Bible as an absolute unity and is found twelve times in the Old Testament, but not once is it used of the unity of God.” End of quote.
The compound unity of the Godhead is also proved by the fact that the word for “God” in Deut 6v4, is the plural “Elohim;” which is used over 2,700 times in the Old Testament, at least ten times more than the singular “El.” The objection that “Elohim” is used just as “a plural of magnitude,” is completely invalidated by the fact that in the Bible, “Elohim” is never used to describe the majesty of a king, nor is this kind of practice used with reference to kings in the Scriptures. In the Old Testament the Israelites always addressed their kings in the singular. It must be noted that “Elohim”, though plural, when speaking of God, is nearly always constructed with verbs and pronouns in the singular. Sometimes, however, “Elohim” is sometimes significantly used with plural pronouns. e.g. Gen 1v26, “And God ('Elohim') said, Let us make man in our image.” And Gen 3v22, “And the Lord God said, Behold man is become as one of us.” In some cases the singular “Yahweh” is united with plural verbs. e.g. Gen 11v6,7, Isaiah 6v3,8. The singular “Yahweh” is also linked with the plural “Elohim” many times in the Scriptures. e.g. Deut 6v3,4,5, Exodus 20v2,5, Isaiah 42v5. etc. God gave a sure indication of the compound unity of the Godhead by the use of these plural and singular words being linked together.
The compound unity of the Godhead is seen in the way that Father, Son and Spirit are linked together in statements of authority and truth, confessions of faith, benedictions and baptismal formula. To link a creature, or an impersonal spiritual power, with God in this way would be out of the question, it would forever destroy the infinite distinction between God and the creature. Only absolute deity can be linked with the Father in the way that the Son and Spirit are. Isaiah 45v5,6,18,21,22, 46v9, 61v1-3, Isaiah 11v1,2 with Jer 23v5,6, Matt 3v16,17, 28v19, Luke 1v35, 3v21,22, John 3v34, 14v16,26, 15v26, 16v7-15, Acts 20v28, Rom 1v1-4, 15v30, 1Cor 2v7-10, 12v4-6, 2Cor 13v14, Gal 4v6, Eph 2v18, 4v4-6, Heb 2v3,4, 9v14, 1Pet 1v2, 3v18, 1John 3v21-24, 5v7. (Though the Codex Montifortii and Vulgate contain 1John 5v7, it is not found in the early Greek manuscripts; however, Cyprian, Bishop of Carthage, 200 to 258 AD, quotes this as being written by the apostle John, Vol.5.418, 423, Ante-Nicene Fathers.)
There are also numerous salutations, which the name of the Father and the Son are linked together. Rom 1v7, 1Cor 1v3, 2Cor 1v2, Gal 1v3, Eph 1v2, Phil 1v2, Col 1v2, 1Thess 1v1, 2Thess 1v2, 1Tim 1v2, 2Tim 1v2, Titus 1v4, Philemon v3, James 1v1, 2Pet 1v2, 3John v3. In 1Pet 1v2 the Holy Spirit is mentioned with the Father and the Son. In the Scriptures, “God,” can sometimes refer to the entire Trinity, or it can at other times refer to separate members of the Godhead. “God” can mean either plural or singular in the same way that “sheep” or even “man” can. There is a perfect oneness of purpose, mind, love and fellowship in the Godhead; however, this oneness and unity goes beyond this, for we read in John 10v38 and 17v21, that the Father is not only in the Son, but the Son is also in the Father. In the Trinity there is an interfusion and sharing of personality and nature and glory. It is no good false teachers saying that this is not so, the Bible says it is so, it clearly says that all are called God. Let God be true and every man a liar who contradicts the truth of God's word.
Part II
Yahweh Shalom.