There is only one God (Deut. 6:4; 9:3; 20:4; Josh. 22:22; Judg. 5:5; Ps. 50:1; 71:22; 113:5; Mk. 12:29, 32; Rom. 3:30; 1 Cor. 8:4, 6; Gal. 3:20; Eph. 4:6; 1 Tim. 2:5; Jas. 2:19).
The Trinity is one God existing in three persons. He is not three gods! In Gen. 1:1, the Hebrew plural noun "Elohim" is used. In Gen. 1:26, 3:22, 11:7 and Is. 6:8, the pronoun “us” is used. The word "Elohim" and the pronoun “us” in the Hebrew are plural forms, not duals, so they definitely refer to more than two. They denote an aspect of plurality in God.
Each Person of the Trinity is God:
|
Deity |
References |
|
The Father is God |
Jn. 6:27, 8:54, 20:17 |
|
The Son is God |
Mt. 1:23 (quoting Is. 7:14); 4:7; Lk. 4:12; Jn. 1:1,14, 8:58, 20:28; Acts 20:28; Col. 2:9; 1 Tim. 3:16; Tit. 2:13; Heb. 1:8 |
|
The Holy Spirit is God |
Acts 5:3-4; 1 Cor. 3:16 and 6:19; 2 Pet. 1:21 |
None of the Persons of the Trinity is the same as the others:
|
Non-equality |
References |
|
The Son is not the Father |
Ps. 2:7, 80:17, Jn. 1:14, 8:42, 17:24; Heb. 1:8-9 (quoting Ps. 45:6-7) |
|
The Holy Spirit is not the Father |
Is. 48:16, Jn. 15:26, Gal. 4:6 |
|
The Holy Spirit is not the Son |
Is. 42:1; Mt. 12:32, Lk. 12:10, Acts 10:38; Rom. 1:4 |
Nevertheless, certain passages show that the three Persons of the Trinity are, in a certain sense, One:
|
Unity |
References |
|
The Father and the Son |
Is. 9:6; Jn. 10:30; 14:9; 17:11,22 |
|
The Father and the Spirit |
Mt. 1:20; Lk. 1:35 |
|
The Son and the Spirit |
Gal. 4:6; Heb. 10:15-17 |
You can’t have unity unless there is someone to be united with!
Passages which mention all the three Persons of the Trinity:
|
Context |
References |
|
The Son makes reference to the Father and the Spirit |
Mt. 10:20, Lk. 4:14-19 (quoting Isaiah 61:1-2), Lk. 11:13; 24:49; Jn. 14:26; 15:26; 16:15 |
|
The Spirit descends on the Son while the Father proclaims His pleasure in the Son |
Mt. 3:16-17 |
|
Jesus speaks to the Father about sending the Holy Spirit |
Jn. 14:16-17 |
|
Other passages |
Is. 48:16; Mt. 28:19; Lk. 10:21; Acts 2:32-33; Rom. 8:15; 2 Cor. 13:14; Gal. 4:6; Eph. 1:17; 2:18; 3:14-17; 4:4-6; 5:18-20; 1 Pet. 1:2 |
The members of the Trinity are distinguished from one another in various passages:
|
The LORD God |
References |
|
“LORD” (God) is distinguished from “Lord” (Jesus) |
Ps. 110:1 (quoted in Mt. 22:46, Mk. 12:36, Lk. 20:42, Acts 2:34) |
|
The LORD has a Son |
Ps. 2:7 |
|
The Son is called “Lord” |
Mt. 4:7; 17:4, 20:30; Mk. 5:19; Lk. 5:8,12; 6:5; Acts 2:36, 10:36, Rom. 1:4, 5:21 |
|
The Spirit is distinguished from the LORD |
Num. 27:18 |
|
The Spirit is distinguished from God |
Ps. 51:10-11 |
Relationship passages:
|
Jesus spoke: |
References |
|
about His Father |
Mt. 7:21; 10:32-33; 12:50; 15:13; 16:17; 18:10,19,35; 20:23; 24:36; 25:34; 26:53; Mk. 13:32; Lk. 2:49; 9:26; 22:29; Jn. 3:35; 5:17-23,26; 5:36-37,45; 6:27,32,37,42,44-46,57,65; 8:16,18-19,27-28,38,49,54; 10:15,17-18,29-30,32,36-38; 12:49-50; 14:6-13,16,20-24,26,28,31; 15:1,9,15-16,23-24; 16:3,10,15,17,23,25-28,32; 18:11; 20:17,21; Acts 1:4,7 |
|
to His Father |
Mt. 11:25-27; 26:39,42; Mk. 1:35; 14:36; Lk. 3:31; 5:16; 6:12; 9:18,28; 10:21-22; 11:1; 22:42; 23:34,46, Jn. 11:41; 12:27-28; 17:1,5,11,21,24-25 |
The three Persons of the Trinity speak about each other in Psalm 2 (note the chiastic structure):
|
Verses |
Speaker |
Speaking about: |
|
1-5 |
The Holy Spirit |
Mankind, the Father and the Son |
|
6 |
The Father |
The Son |
|
7 |
The Son |
The Father |
|
8-9 |
The Father |
The Son |
|
10-12 |
The Holy Spirit |
Mankind, the Father and the Son |
Each member of the Trinity is God:
|
Divinity |
References |
|
The Father is God |
Jn. 6:27; Rom. 1:7; 1 Pet. 1:2 |
|
The Son is God |
Jn. 1:1; Rom. 9:5; Col. 2:9; Heb. 1:8 (quoting Ps. 45:6); 1 Jn. 5:20 [“He” is literally “this (last-mentioned)”] |
|
The Holy Spirit is God |
Acts 5:3-4; 1 Cor. 3:16 |
There is a hierarchy within the Trinity:
|
Subordination |
References |
|
The Son is subordinate to the Father |
Lk. 22:42, Jn. 5:36,43; 6:38;10:29, 14:10,28, 20:21; 1 Cor. 11:13, 15:28; 1 Jn. 4:14 |
|
The Holy Spirit is subordinate to both the Father and the Son |
Jn. 14:16, 14:26, 15:26, 16:7,13-14 |
The individual members of the Trinity have different tasks. The Father is the ultimate source, initiator or cause of the universe. He does everything through His Son, who functions as His agent, and He does all these things by the power of His Holy Spirit:
|
Aspect |
Father |
Son |
Holy Spirit |
|
Role |
The ultimate source of everything |
The agent through whom the Father works |
The means by which the Father works |
|
Creation of the universe |
Ps. 102:25; 1 Cor. 8:6; Rev. 4:11 |
1 Cor. 8:6; Jn. 1:1-3; Col. 1:16-17 |
Gen. 1:2; Job 26:13; Ps. 104:30 |
|
Creation of mankind |
Gen. 2:7; Eccl. 12:1; Rev. 4:11 |
Is. 54:5; Col. 1:16 |
Job 33:4 |
|
Divine revelation |
2 Tim. 3:16; Rev. 1:1 |
Jn. 1:1, 16:12-15; Mt. 11:27; 1 Pet. 1:10-11; Rev. 1:1 |
Jn. 16:12-15; Eph. 3:5; 2 Pet. 1:21 |
|
Jesus’s incarnation |
Lk. 1:32, 2:49; Heb. 10:5 |
Lk. 1:32,35; Phil. 2:7 |
Mt. 1:18,20; Lk. 1:35 |
|
Jesus’s human works |
Jn. 5:17; 14:10 |
Mt. 5:17; 10:34-35; Mk. 1:38; Lk. 12:49; Jn. 9:39; 10:10; 12:46; 1 Jn. 3:8 |
Is. 61:1; Acts 10:38 |
|
Jesus’s death on the cross |
Ps. 22:15; Jn. 3:16; Rom. 8:32 |
Jn. 10:18; Gal. 2:20 |
Heb. 9:14 |
|
Jesus’s resurrection |
Acts 2:24; Rom. 6:4 |
Jn. 2:19; 10:17-18 |
Rom. 8:11 |
|
Atonement |
Is. 53:6, 10 |
Eph. 5:2 |
Heb. 9:14 |
|
Salvation |
Jn. 3:16-17 |
2 Cor. 5:19; Mt. 1:21; Jn. 4:42 |
Jn. 3:6; Tit. 3:5; 1 Pet. 1:2 |
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