In the MOST basic terms, the Holy trinity describes the Godhead of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It is 3 Persons/Distinctions and not 1+1+1+ = 3, but rather a better and the correct formula of 1x1x1=3. It is simple enough that a kid can grasp it, a child knows it is not its own parent. The Holy trinity and these distinctions are also essential for the gospel of Christ.
In more simpler terms. The trinity remind us that while each of the persons in the Godhead is God (fully divine), the persons are distinct. In other words:
- The Father is not the Son.
- The Son is not the Father.
- The Father is not the Holy Spirit.
- The Holy Spirit is not the Father.
- The Son is not the Holy Spirit.
- The Holy Spirit is not the Son.
After all, the Father is never “sent” in Scripture. Nor is he incarnated or poured out at Pentecost. The Spirit does not die on the cross for our sins. The Father begets the Son, not vice-versa. The Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son. –The Gospel Coalition
Do You Believe More in the Trinity? (Not Oneness)
A lot of the references to God in the Old Testament are in the plural form of Elohiym. As you examine the story of creation, you can see the trinity in operation. Let’s look at Genesis 1:1-3, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. 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. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.”
The presence of both God and the Spirit of God in these verses is obvious. However, Jesus is represented in the spoken Word of God indicated by “God said…” How do we know that the voice of God refers to Jesus? First we know this because the Bible indicates that the voice of God is a person. After the fall of man Scripture states in Genesis 2:8, “And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.” Here the Bible says that God’s voice was walking and that it had a presence. Also, in John 1:1-3 we are told that Jesus is the Word of God, that He was with God from the beginning, and that nothing was made without Him.
We can see further evidence of the trinity in God’s discourse on the creation of mankind. “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.” (Genesis 1:26a) In this Scripture, God refers to Himself in the plural. He says “Let US make man in OUR image, after OUR likeness.” In agreement with His Word, God created man as a triune being – a reflection of God’s image. Mankind is a spirit, housed in a body, that has a soul. “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1st Thessalonians 5:23)
We also see the concept of the trinity of God carried over to the New Testament. A physical manifestation of the trinity is seen in Matthew 3:16-17, “And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Here we have three distinct yet simultaneous presentations: God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Jesus is being baptized, the Holy Spirit descends on Him in the form of a dove, and God the Father is speaking from Heaven at the same time.
The trinity is defined explicitly in 1st John 5:7, “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.” God cannot be more clear than in this Scripture. There are THREE bearing record in Heaven and these three are ONE. The three being one means that there are three in unity or tri-unity resulting in the word trinity. It does not say that there is ONE who manifests as THREE.
The problem that many seem to have is in knowing exactly HOW the three are one. The concept of the trinity is not some mystery that we cannot understand. In fact, as Christians, we know that we are the Church of God, we belong to the Body of Christ, and we are being prepared as the Bride of Christ. Although Church, Body, and Bride are singular expressions, we have no problem understanding that these terms actually represent a multitude of believers. It is clear that although we are many, there is something that unifies us into one body. This “something” is the one mind under which we all operate (the mind of Christ) which brings us into obedience to God. The trinity is the same way. God the Father, Jesus the Son , and the Holy Ghost are not one because they are one vessel. They are one because they are three eternal beings that are always in agreement with each other; they are united in will and therefore always operate in unison.
An excellent presentation of how the trinity functions, according to Scripture, is the earthly family. In His divine wisdom, God has set-up the family unit in such a way as to reveal the authority and order of God to us. The roles God has designed for the family unit is a direct reflection of the roles of each member of the Godhead. God is the Father, Jesus is the Son, and the Holy Spirit as the Comforter is the equivalent to the role of a mother. Remember, we are not talking about genders here. We are talking about “roles” and how those roles relate to each other.
Although comprised of more than one person (father, mother, and children), a family functions as one entity because all of the members of the family are to be in subjection to the head of the family – namely the father. Scripture tells us that it is the same way with God. Jesus’ “role” in relationship to the Father was in obedience and subjection to His will as His Son. He takes commands from His Father and subjects His will to that of the Father (John 5:30-37, John 6:38-39, John 6:57, John 10:18, John 12:49, John 14:31, John 15:10, Luke 2:49, Luke 11:2, Matthew 26:42). This is consistent with the “role” given children in earthly families (Ephesians 6:1, Colossians 3:20).
The “role” of the Holy Spirit is to perform God’s Word as the life-giving power of God. The Holy Spirit also operates in obedience to the Father (John 16:13-15). As a life-giver, comforter, and nurturer of God’s people, the spirit’s “role” is like that of the woman (John 6:63, John 14:16, Romans 8:11, 1st Peter 3:18). The woman also produces life in the earthly family and is a comforter and nurturer. Also, we know from Scriptures that the woman is the glory of the man (1st Corinthians 11:7). Likewise, the Holy Spirit reveals the Glory of God (2nd Corinthians 3:18, 1st Peter 4:14).
1st Corinthians 11:3 states, “But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.” God tells us two important things about the structure of a family and the order of God. The head of the woman is the man just like the head of Christ is God. In each instance, we see that the final authority rests with the father (both in the earthly family and in the family of God).
Further Ephesians tells us specifically that the order of the earthly family is also a direct reflection of Christ’s relationship with the Church. “Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.” (Ephesians 5:22-33)
So, how are the three members of the Godhead one? Because God is like a family. An earthly family is one because the wife and children are in subjection to the head of the family – the father. God the Father, Jesus the Son , and the Holy Ghost are one because the Son and the Spirit subject their wills to the Father’s allowing them to always be in agreement with Him. The church is one body because the Spirit of God allows us to be in agreement with and in submission to Christ and therefore in obedience to the Father. In all cases (earthly and spiritual), it is obedience to the Father that brings about unity or oneness. -Robert Smith
A few of you, Oneness people, don’t believe in the Trinity because it is written there is one God. Deu 6:4 KJV “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:” I will show you how one God has three distinct, separate persons. Take a triangle as an example. When you look at a triangle 🔺 you see one triangle with THREE sides. There are three sides, or persons, of God. Let us reason ourselves through this using Scripture, not opinions.
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. (Genesis 1:1) In the 26th Verse, God speaks to another member of the Trinity, His Son. That makes God plural to this point and I’ll show you why I know it was Father God speaking to Jesus. The plural pronouns used start to show us.
Gen 1:26 KJV “And God said, Let US make man in OUR image, after OUR likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.”
Now THIS is how I know it was to Jesus that Father God was speaking. It’s because Jesus did the work of Creation and He’s the person of the Trinity that became flesh and came to Earth. John 1:1-3 KJV 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.” John 1:14 KJV “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.”
It is clear God’s Son was in the beginning. He was the Word that was God who became flesh. In the 3rd Chapter of John we see that Father sent His Son into the world to save us. The One who gives the order is the One in authority. He sent Jesus, so it shows who is greater. John 3:16-17 KJV16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”
In the next Verse we clearly see the distinction between Father God and God, the Son. 2John 1:3 KJV “Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, AND from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.” Jesus used the term, My Father which is in heaven well over 20 times in the New Testament. It shows Father in Heaven, separate from Jesus. ( Father was with Him in Spirit, however, that’s a different subject.) Here are some of them. Matthew 5:16, 5:45, 5:48, 6:01, 6:09, 6:26, 6:32, 7:11, 7:21, 10:32-33, 11:25, 12:50, 16:17, 18:10, 18:14, 18:19, 23:09, Mark 11:25, 11:26, 13:32, Luke 10:21, 11:02, 11:13
Jesus calls His Father the Lord of heaven and earth.
- Luke 10:21 KJV “In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight.”
- Luke 10:22 KJV “All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him.”
John 6:29 KJV “Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.” - John 12:49 KJV “For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.”
- In the next Verse we see Jesus refer to HIS God. Rev 3:12 KJV “Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of MY GOD, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of MY GOD, and the name of the city of MY GOD, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from MY GOD: and I will write upon him my new name.”
Oneness people believe the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit are all Jesus instead of believing that God is the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. To me the most compelling proof that Jesus wasn’t His own Father the words Jesus cried out from the cross. Jesus called His Father God and He clearly felt alone and abandoned by His Father. Mat 27:46 KJV “And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”
The trinity is shown together at Jesus’s baptism. When He was baptized the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove lit on Him. Then His Father spoke from Heaven. That is key to understanding the Trinity. All three were present and revealed to the onlookers. Luke 3:21-22 KJV 21 “Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened, 22 And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.”
Jesus gives glory to His Father. Here He is in the Garden of Gethsemane still giving glory to God Father who sent Him to be crucified. John 12:28 KJV “Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.”
Over and over we see Jesus praying to the Father. Again, whoever you pray to is your God. Jesus prayed to His Father when Lazarus died. John 11:41-43 KJV 41 “Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. 42 And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me. 43 And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.”
More examples of Jesus giving glory to God the Father. Whoever you glorify is your God. Mat 5:16 KJV “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” Mat 16:27 KJV “For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.”
Jesus is the Lion of Judah. Rev 5:5 KJV “And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.”
He takes the book out of the hand of the One ON THE THRONE. Father God is the only One that could be. Father God on the throne, Jesus standing next to Him. While on Earth Jesus said His Father was greater than He.
Rev 5:7 KJV “And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.”
In John, Chapter 14, Jesus told His disciples they soon wouldn’t see Him anymore and that the Holy Spirit would come. Then He told them in that day they would not ask anything of Him (Jesus). Instead, we are to ask Father God directly in Jesus’s name and it will be given to us. John 16:23-28 KJV 23 “And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. 24 Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full. 25 These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs: but the time cometh, when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall shew you plainly of the Father. 26 At that day ye shall ask in my name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you: 27 For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God. 28 I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father.” John 14:28 KJV “Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for MY FATHER IS GREATER THAN I.”
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If we don’t believe there is One greater than Jesus or His Father, we are calling Holy Word or Jesus Christ a liar.
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Notice the wording in the next passage. After Jesus took the book He was worshipped but they gave the most glory to God for the Lamb that was slain because they were redeemed to God by His Son’s blood. Rev 5:8-9 KJV 8“And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints. 9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;”
Jesus was the Lamb that was slain. Lambs have to have a Shepherd to lead them. Jesus’s Father sent Him. He sent the Lamb to be slain. John 3:16. John 6:39-40 KJV 39 “And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. 40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.”
Who gave Jesus His power and His Kingdom? Whoever gave it to Him must have had the authority to do it. He had to be greater. Rev 5:12 KJV “Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.”
Someone with more authority than Jesus gave Jesus rule and power. Mat 28:18 KJV “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.” Jesus knew all things came from His Father and that He came FROM His Father. He couldn’t be His own Father. He knew He would return to His Father.
John 13:3 KJV “Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God;” 1Cor 15:28 KJV “And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the SON ALSO HIMSELF BE SUBJECT UNTO HIM that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.”
In the end Jesus gives His Kingdom to His Father. That alone shows that Jesus defers Himself to His Father.
1Cor 15:24-25 KJV 24 “Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. 25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.”
Notice how the Father and Son are separate persons of the Trinity again here in Revelation. Honour, power and glory to the One who sits on the throne AND to the Lamb. Rev 5:13 KJV “And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.”
Jesus taught us to pray to His Father and that prayers are answered by His Father. Mat 6:6 KJV “But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.” Mat 18:19 KJV “Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.”
Father is Jesus’s God. Eph 1:17-18 KJV 17 “That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: 18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,” Clearly I have shown you the Father is the greatest and He is the only One able to give power to Jesus. Now let’s see where the third part of the Trinity comes into play.
Just before Jesus ascended to heaven, He told the large crowd gathered there that when He went to His Father, He would send the Comforter, known as the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost FROM His FATHER. Note how Jesus called the Comforter a “he” giving him status and Jesus said what “he” would do.
John 15:26 KJV “But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:” Jesus says the Comforter will not come until He goes to His Father. John 16:7-11 KJV 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.”
When did the Holy Spirit come? When you were born again by repentance and we’re baptized in water you received the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:38 KJV Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
A lot of Oneness people say that you must speak in tongues to be filled with the Holy Spirit but I just showed you that isn’t true. When you are born again you suddenly realize you aren’t alone and that someone else is inside you. That is the very Spirit of God inside you. We are temples to house His Spirit. 1Cor 6:19-20 KJV 19 “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”
Jesus paid a dear price for us. He was tortured to death for us. We owe Him our allegiance, glory, praise and honor. My body is not my property. It belongs to God so I am required to take care of it and to present myself holy to Him. Jude 1:24-25 KJV 24 “Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you FAULTLESS before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, 25 To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.”
There is nothing wrong about speaking in tongues but it isn’t the most important gift of the Spirit. 1Cor 14:1-4 KJV
1 “Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy. 2 For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries. 3 But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort. 4 He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church. I would that ye all spake with tongues, but RATHER THAT YE PROPHESIED: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying.”
We cannot deny the Father or the Son. THE Father is not Jesus and Jesus is not the Father as you can see in the next passage. 1John 2:22-24 KJV 22 “Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is ANTICHRIST, that denieth the Father AND the Son. 23 Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also. 24 Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, AND in the Father.” 2John 1:3 KJV “Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, AND from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.”
I’ll leave you with this. Some will say this wasn’t in the original Scripture but it really was. It was written in the column of empty space next to this passage and later it was added in the place we find it. 1John 5:7-8 KJV
7 “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. 8 And there are three that bear witness in earth, the spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.”
These three are One. That’s the Trinity. (COPIED)
