The Trinity and the Deity of Christ

Each of the Persons of the Trinity were present at Christ’s baptism as recorded in all four gospel accounts

Two topics I haven’t touched on much before, although we’ve discussed them at great length on the forum, are the Trinity and the deity of Christ. In this article I will address these fundamental theological truths.

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What Is the Doctrine of the Trinity?

This is the belief, as revealed in Scripture, that there is a single, immutable, eternal God (monotheism), who eternally subsists as the mutual indwelling of three Persons (the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit). When properly defining this doctrine, it can be helpful to understand what this doctrine is not:

1. It is not polytheism. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinct Persons/Personalities, but share precisely the same eternal, divine essence (being).

2. The Trinity is not composed of “parts” like a three-leaf clover. God cannot be divided or reduced. A more apt representation would actually be space, which consists of height, width, and depth. Without height, there can be no width or depth; without width, there can be no height or depth; and so forth. Likewise, God’s nature cannot be represented by 1+1+1=3, because God is One and not three. 13=1 might be a better comparison.

3. The Trinity is not “modes.” In other words, God is not three “manifestations” or “forms.” He is one being with one form and that form is Spirit. Modalism as is found in Oneness Pentecostalism is kind of a hybrid doctrine between traditional Christianity and classic Unitarianism. It teaches that God is a bit like water, which can take the form of a solid, liquid, or gas. This is not an accurate reflection of what the Bible teaches about the nature of God. The Father and the Son are distinct Persons. The Father can’t “become” the Son and vise versa. Furthermore, the Son lacks nothing that the Father has, and the Spirit lacks nothing that the Son has. The Three possess the same being, powers, and attributes.

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Where Does the Word “Trinity” Come From?

The word “Trinity” is not found in the Bible, but it was a term coined to describe God’s nature as revealed in the Bible with a single word. It is the English transliteration of Latin Trinitas. The earliest reference actually belongs to Theophilus, the Patriarch of Antioch, and not Tertullian, as some have suggested. The corresponding Greek word Theophilus used was Τριάδος, mentioned by Theophilus in the 2nd century in reference to Theos (God - the Father), the Logos (the Word - the Son), and Sophia (Wisdom - the Holy Spirit).

It should come as no surprise that the word Trinity is not found in our Bibles, as it isn’t a name or title for God, but purely a systematized description of what the Bible reveals. “Substitutionary atonement” is also not found in our Bibles, yet is the very basis of our faith. Theologians “systematize” a doctrine to find a coherent description of what the Bible teaches on a particular subject. For example, the doctrine of faith alone (sola fide) was not systematized until the 16th century, but that doesn’t mean the Bible doesn’t teach the doctrine. It simply means that it wasn’t a major focus of intense study until that time. In fact, there are dozens of references to the doctrine of sola fide in the early Church even though it wasn’t systematized until much later. Regarding the Trinity, the reason it became a major subject of focus in the 2nd through 4th centuries was because it was during that time that numerous sects came on the scene either denying that Christ was God (Arianism) or denying that the Father, Son, and Spirit were distinct Persons (Sabellianism).

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What Does Scripture Say About the Doctrine of the Trinity?

This is a little video I made about a decade ago on the subject and it covers many of the relevant Scriptures:

At one point I had rejected the explicitly Trinitarian Johannine Comma of 1 John 5:7–8 as a later interpolation, but my view has changed.  I now regard this as authentic to the original text and dispute the arguments presented by the CT crowd (“Critical Text”).  A small study into this passage can be found here.

...because [there] are three who are testifying [[in Heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit, and these three are one; and [there] are three who are testifying in the earth]]: the Spirit, and the water, and the blood, and the three are into the one. (1 Jn. 5:7–8, LSV)

Matthew 28:19 is also explicit, bolstered by Granville Sharp’s rule regarding copulative kai (source).

...having gone, then, disciple all the nations, immersing them into the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit... (LSV)

There are a multitude of other Scriptures discussed in the video above that list all of the Persons of the Godhead or show them all working together.

• All three Persons were present at creation: God the Father (Gen. 1:1), God the Holy Spirit (Gen. 1:2), and God the Son (Gen. 1:3; cf. Jn. 1:1–3).
• All three Persons were involved in the incarnation of Christ as foretold at the Annunciation (Lk. 1:35).
• All three Persons were involved at the baptism of Christ (Mt. 3:13–17; Mk. 1:9–11; Lk. 3:21–22; Jn. 1:29–34).
• All three Persons were involved in raising Christ from the dead (Rm. 6:4; Gal. 1:1; Jn. 2:18–19; 10:18; Rm. 8:11; 1 Pt. 3:18).
• All three Persons were involved in founding the Church (Acts 1:4–8).
• All three Persons dwell in us who believe (Jn. 14:23; Rm. 8:9–11; 1 Cor. 3:16; Eph. 3:17; 4:6; Col. 1:27; 2 Tim. 1:14; Rev. 3:19–20; cf. Jn. 14:10–11).

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Nature Reflects the Trinity—the Principle of Three-In-One Is Everywhere!

This is Chapter 2 from my book Some Things You Should Know:

The early Church continually searched the Scriptures in an effort to reconcile how their Divine Savior Jesus and the Holy Spirit fit in with the Godhead. For thousands of years it had been absolutely foundational to the Jewish religion that there was only One True God. All the other foreign gods and goddesses were nothing but wood and stone. And if anything more than that—only demons masquerading as deities. So when Jesus came on the scene claiming to be YHWH in bodily form, and the Son of God, it obviously ruffled some feathers. The Apostles and martyrs trusted Jesus’ claims all the way to their death and so the early Christians were certainly not going to abandon the Faith for an easy way out. They knew they just had to dig a little deeper to find the truth, which is God’s reality.

Jewish converts to Christianity knew that God was One, but they also knew that Jesus and the Holy Spirit were God, as well. When Mary was first visited by an angel, she was told that her child would be called the “Son of God” and that the “Holy Spirit” would conceive the child within her—and all of this would be accomplished by the power of the “Most High” (Luke 1:35). This was the first New Testament glimpse of three Divine Persons working together.

Later, at Jesus’ baptism, which is recorded similarly in Matthew, Mark, and Luke, the three Divine Persons are seen together again: Jesus was baptized, the Holy Spirit descended, and God the Father spoke, saying that Jesus was His Son.

And lastly, after Jesus rose from the dead, He commissioned His disciples with the command, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…” (Matthew 28:19).

The writers of the books of the New Testament built further on the concept that Jesus revealed. Peter, James, Paul, and John all furthered this unveiling of the concept that God is One Being subsisting in three Divine Persons. Even the history of God’s revelation to mankind demonstrates this truth: God was first revealed as the Creator of the universe and the Father of His people. Then Jesus came and revealed God as a Son and the Divine, eternal “Word.” He came to reveal the personality and character of God and to demonstrate God’s infinite love by dying in place of sinners. After Jesus rose from the dead and ascended into Heaven, the third Divine Person was revealed to be the Holy Spirit, who came upon the Church at Pentecost. In the Holy Spirit, God was revealed to be personal, omnipresent, and above all, holy—very holy.

A long time ago King David wrote:


“The heavens declare the glory of God;
   the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech;
   night after night they reveal knowledge.
They have no speech, they use no words;
   no sound is heard from them.
Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,
   their words to the ends of the world.”


This psalm reveals that God has put the evidence of Himself all around us and all we have to do is open our eyes and see it. Considering this, it makes one wonder if it would be possible to find the concept of three-in-one in our physical universe. Well... it certainly is possible and the evidence is compelling.

The fundamental universe consists of space, time, and matter, and each of these things is precisely three-in-one:

Space, which gives the universe structure, consists of height, width, and depth. Each dimension is necessary or space would not exist. If there was no height then there would be neither width nor depth. And if there was no depth there would be neither height nor width. Each dimension gives the other two dimensions substance. A single, unitary space, consists of exactly three dimensions.

Time, which produces history and change, consists of past, present, and future. Just like space, each aspect is necessary for the others. If there was never a past, then there could not be a present or future. And if there is not a future, then we would be frozen in a three-dimensional picture, like a static hologram. Time consists of a single continuum of exactly three parts: past, present, and future.

Matter, which is the tangible structure of the universe, the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the flesh and bones of our bodies, takes the form of a solid, liquid, or gas. Each of the three is distinct, but each remains matter regardless of its form. H2O’s forms of water, ice, and steam are a perfect demonstration of this.

Oddly enough, the fundamental parts of the universe are three in number as well—one universe consisting of space, time, and matter.

The Bible describes a human being as consisting of three aspects: the body, soul, and spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:23, Hebrews 4:12). Three aspects, yet one individual human.

And then there is the water cycle, which goes through three phases: evaporation, condensation, and precipitation. The water goes up, it forms a cloud, and then it comes down again. And then the water goes up again and the cycle continues.

The fundamental structure of our planet has three parts too: the crust, the mantle, and the inner core. Many other celestial bodies share this type of structure.

Remember how matter can be found in one of three types? Well the fundamental building-block of matter, the atom, is three-in-one as well. A single, elemental atom has three types of subatomic particles within it: protons, neutrons, and electrons. And just as amazing, elements are either metal, non-metal, or metalloid—three different types that constitute the entirety of the Periodic Table.

Many other examples exist—here are just a few:

1. There are three types of rock: igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic. Igneous rocks are crystalline structures that are created when magma cools. Sedimentary rocks form when debris settles and is compacted over a long period of time. Metamorphic rocks result when one of the other types of rock undergo an environment change and the rock experiences a transformation.

2. And that is not the end of the line for rocks... there is another example: sedimentary rocks are either clastic, chemical, or organic. Want an explanation? I think you will just have to look that one up!

3. There are three kinds of muscle: cardiac, skeletal, and smooth.

4. Three types of soil: clayey, sandy, and loamy.

5. Three types of stem cells: totipotent, pluripotent, and multipotent.

6. Three types of galaxies: spiral, elliptical, and irregular.

7. Three largescale parts in a galaxy: stars, dust, and free-floating gas.

8. Three spheroids in a solar system: stars, planets, and moons.

9. Three fundamental types of government: monarchy, oligarchy, and democracy.

10. Three parts of government: executive, legislative, and judicial.

11. Three kinds of organism relationships: mutualism, commensalism, and parasitism.

12. Three kinds of love: erotic love, brotherly love, and sacrificial love.

13. Three types of energy: chemical energy, nuclear energy, and electromagnetic energy.

14. Wait a second, I almost forgot! There is another way to define energy: kinetic energy, potential energy, and mechanical energy.

15. Three general kinds of clouds: cumulus, cirrus, and stratus.

16. Three kinds of organisms with cell walls: plants, fungi, and bacteria.

17. Three types of plants: mosses, grasses, and flowering plants.

18. Three levels of a rainforest: the canopy, understory, and forest floor.

19. Three types of neurons: sensory neurons, interneurons, and motor neurons.

20. Three kinds of symmetry: rotation, translation, and reflection.

21. Three kinds of fatty acids: saturated fats, monounsaturated fats, and polyunsaturated.

22. Three sons of Noah: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

23. Three eras of man: Before Christ, Anno Domini, and the new creation of Revelation 21.

I could list hundreds, but I will leave it up to you to discover more. The truth is that the principle of three-in-one is everywhere and in everything. God has left His mark for everyone to see. A particularly interesting argument that Muslims have used to supposedly disprove the Trinity is the mathematical equation 1+1+1=3. Muslim apologists argue that if you add up three parts you end up with, well, three parts, rather than one single part. They make a good point, but miss a glaring problem: God is not parts, He is Persons. You cannot divide God into parts or modes. A more accurate mathematical test of God’s being would be 1x1x1. And guess what that equals? One. 13=1.

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Scriptures That Explicitly or Implicitly Proclaim the Deity of Christ

1. Jesus is called God: Isa. 9:6; Jn. 1:1, 18; 20:28–29; Acts 20:28; Rm. 9:5; Tit. 2:13; 2 Pt. 1:1; Heb. 1:8.

2. Jesus is compared to YHWH: Mt. 11:10 (cf. Mal. 3:1); Mk. 1:1–3 (cf. Isa. 40:3); Lk. 4:16–21 (cf. Isa. 61); Jn. 12:36–41 (cf. Isa. 6:1–10); Rm. 10:9–13 (cf. Jl. 2:32); 1 Cor. 10:9 (cf. Num. 21:5–6); Eph. 4:7–8 (cf. Ps. 68:18); 1 Pt. 2:4–8 (cf. Isa. 8:13–14); Rev. 1:7 (cf. Zech. 12:1, 10).

3. Jesus calls Himself YHWH: Jn. 8:24, 28, 58–59; 13:19; 18:5–6; see also Mk. 14:62; Lk. 22:70; Jn. 6:20, 35; 8:12; 9:5; 10:7, 9, 11, 14; 11:25; 14:6; 15:1; 18:5–8. Compare these to Exodus 3:15–16.

4. God alone is the First and the Last (Isa. 44:6; Rev. 1:8), yet Christ has the same title: Rev. 1:17–18; 2:8; 22:12–13.

5. God alone is King of kings and Lord of lords (Deut. 10:17; Ps. 136:1–3; 1 Tim. 6:13–15), yet Christ has the same title: Rev. 17:14; 19:11–16.

6. God is the only Savior (Isa. 43:11; 49:26; Hos. 13:4), yet Christ is also called Savior: Lk. 2:11; Jn. 4:42; Acts 5:31; Eph. 5:23; 2 Tim. 1:10; Tit. 1:4; 2:13; 3:5–6; 2 Pt. 1:1, 11; 2:20; 3:18; 1 Jn. 4:14.

7. Only God is to be worshiped (Ex. 34:14; Mt. 4:10; Acts 10:25–26; Rev. 19:10; 22:8–9), yet Jesus is worshiped: Ps. 2:11–12; Dan. 7:13–14; Mt. 2:2, 11; 14:31–33; 28:9, 16–17; Jn. 9:35–38; Heb. 1:6; Rev. 5:11–14; 22:1–3.

Jesus also has all the attributes and prerogatives of deity and is prayed to, served, and believed upon for salvation (source). Without hesitation, I will proudly worship at the feet of my Savior and God, the Lord Jesus Christ. If you do not know Him, I implore you: now is the moment to believe.

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