01.11. The Trinity
11. The Trinity
Origin of Term [1]
"Smeaton states, ’Theophilus of Antioch about 175 A.D., speaks of a Triad in the Godhead.’ To Tertullian (160-220) we are indebted for the first use of the word Trinity to describe the Godhead." [2]The Trinity in the Old Testament
A.Plural references to God 1.The name Elohim employs a plural ending (cf. seraphim, cherubim). [3] 2.“Us.” Genesis 1:26; Genesis 3:22; Genesis 11:7; Isaiah 6:8
3.The shema - use of the compound one (echad).
"The famous shema (Deuteronomy 6:4), the most fundamental saying about God for a Jew, declares, ’Hear, O Israel: Jehovah our Elohim is one Jehovah.’ Far from declaring that the God of the Bible is a singular being, the Hebrew word translated ’one’ is echad, which means a unity of several becoming one, as when God said the man and woman became ’one [echad] flesh’ (Genesis 2:24); when many soldiers became ’one [echad] troop’ (2S. 2:25) or when two sticks became ’one [echad] stick’ (Ezekiel 37:17)." [4] B.The Father and Son 1.Conversation between the Father and Son. Psalms 2:3,
2. The Father, the Angel of His presence (face, countenance), and the Holy Spirit. Isaiah 63:9-10
The Trinity in the New Testament
A. Father, Son, and Spirit.
1.Baptism of Jesus. Matthew 3:16 2.Trinitarian formula. Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Revelation 1:4-5 3.The annunciation. Luke 1:31-35 4.The promised Helper. John 14:16 5.Three that bear witness. 1 John 5:7 [5] B.Father and Son 1.Mystery of God includes both Father and Son, Colossians 2:2
Actions by the Trinity
A. The atonement of Christ. Isaiah 53:6; Isaiah 53:10; Ephesians 5:2; Hebrews 9:14
B.Creation. Genesis 1:1-2; Job 26:13; Job 33:4; Psalms 104:30; Isaiah 42:5; John 1:3; Colossians 1:16; Hebrews 1:3 C.The incarnation. Luke 1:35; Php 2:7; Hebrews 10:5
D.The resurrection. [6] John 2:19; John 10:17; Acts 4:10; Romans 4:24; Romans 6:4; Romans 8:11; 1 Peter 3:18 E.Regeneration of the Spiritually dead. John 5:21; Titus 3:5; James 1:17-18
Roles within the Godhead
A.Jesus petitions the Father to send the Spirit Who then testifies of Jesus. John 14:16; John 15:26; John 16:7; John 16:13 B.Father sends the Spirit in the name of Jesus. John 14:26
C.Jesus does the will of the Father : Matthew 4:3; Matthew 6:10; Matthew 26:39; Luke 4:3; Luke 11:2; Luke 22:42; John 4:34; John 5:19; John 5:30; John 6:38; John 8:28; John 10:18; John 12:49-50; Hebrews 10:7-9 D.All things under Jesus’ feet Who then is subject to the Father. 1 Corinthians 15:28 E.As in marriage, the persons of the Trinity are equal, but differ in role.
Deity of Christ and the Holy Spirit
Those who are unwilling to accept the doctrine of the Trinity must ignore the following passages which overwhelmingly establish both Jesus and the Holy Spirit as God.
A. Jesus called Jehovah : Psalms 68:18 (cf. Ephesians 4:8-10); Psalms 102:12 (cf. Hebrews 1:10-12); Psalms 102:25-27 (cf. Hebrews 1:10-12); Isaiah 6:5 (cf. John 12:41); Jeremiah 23:5-6 (cf. 1 Corinthians 1:30); Zechariah 12:10 (cf. Revelation 1:7); John 12:41 (cf. Isaiah 6:5); 1 Corinthians 1:30 (cf. Jeremiah 23:5-6); Ephesians 4:8-10 (cf. Psalms 68:18); Hebrews 1:10-12 (cf. Psalms 102:12, Psalms 102:25-27)
B. Jesus creator : John 1:3; John 1:10; Acts 3:15; Colossians 1:16; Ephesians 3:9; Hebrews 1:2; Revelation 3:14
C. Jesus does divine works : Matthew 9:2; Matthew 24:34 (sends prophets); Matthew 23:37 (wooed Jerusalem); Mark 2:5; Mark 2:10; Luke 5:20-21; Luke 7:48; John 2:19 (cf. Acts 3:15); Hebrews 1:2; 2 Timothy 1:10; Acts 3:15 (cf. John 2:19)
D. Jesus equal with God : Numbers 21:6 (cf. 1 Corinthians 10:9); Isaiah 49:10 (cf. Revelation 7:17); Luke 1:76; Luke 22:69; John 1:1; John 5:18; John 5:23; John 8:58; John 10:30; John 10:33; John 10:38; John 12:45; John 14:1; John 14:9; John 19:7; Romans 9:5; 1 Corinthians 10:9 (cf. Numbers 21:6); Php 1:19; Php 2:6; Colossians 2:2; Revelation 7:17 (cf. Isaiah 49:10)
E.Jesus eternal : Psalms 110:1; Isaiah 9:6; Isaiah 48:16; Daniel 3:25; Micah 5:2; Matthew 22:44; John 1:1; John 1:15; John 1:30; John 3:13; John 8:58; John 17:5; John 17:24; Colossians 1:17; Hebrews 1:8-10; Hebrews 7:25; Hebrews 13:8; Revelation 1:8; Revelation 1:18; Revelation 2:8; Revelation 19:15; Revelation 22:13 F.Jesus fullness of God : Colossians 1:19; Colossians 2:9-19; Hebrews 1:3; 1 Timothy 6:16 G.Jesus omnipresent [7] : John 1:48; John 3:13; John 14:18; John 14:20; John 14:23
H. Jesus omniscient : John 1:48; John 4:17; John 6:64; John 11:14; John 13:11; John 18:4; Revelation 2:23
I. Jesus worshiped : Exodus 3:5; Joshua 5:15; Matthew 2:2; Matthew 8:2; Matthew 9:18; Matthew 14:33; Matthew 15:25; Matthew 28:9. Matthew 28:17; Mark 5:6; Luke 24:52; John 5:18; John 5:23; John 9:38; John 20:28; Acts 7:59 (compare Psalms 31:5); Php 2:9; Hebrews 1:6; Revelation 5:13; Revelation 7:10
J. Jesus’ titles as God : Psalms 16:10; Psalms 45:6; Isaiah 7:14; Isaiah 9:6; Jeremiah 23:6 (Yehovah Tzidkenu); Matthew 1:23; Mark 1:24; John 8:24; John 15:26; Acts 20:28; Romans 8:9; Romans 9:5; Titus 1:3-4; Titus 2:13; Hebrews 1:8; 1 Peter 1:11; Revelation 1:8; Revelation 1:17; Revelation 3:7 (cf. Isaiah 43:3-14); Revelation 22:13
K. Jesus has authority to forgive sin [8] : Exodus 23:21 (Father); Matthew 9:2-5 Jesus; Mark 2:5-9 Jesus; Luke 5:20-23 Jesus; Luke 7:48 Jesus
L. Holy Spirit - deity : Genesis 1:2; Psalms 139:7; Job 26:13; Matthew 12:32 (rejection unforgivable); Luke 11:13 (holy); John 16:13; Romans 1:4; Acts 5:3-4; Acts 28:25 (cf. Isaiah 6:1-13); 1 Corinthians 2:10-11 (omniscient); 1 Corinthians 3:16 (cf. 1 Corinthians 6:19); 1 Corinthians 6:19 (cf. 1 Corinthians 3:16); 1 Corinthians 3:16 (cf. 1 Corinthians 6:19); 1 Corinthians 6:19 (cf. 1 Corinthians 3:16); 2 Corinthians 3:17; Hebrews 1:1 (cf. 2 Peter 1:21); Hebrews 9:14 (eternal); Hebrews 10:15-17 (cf. Jeremiah 31:34); 1 Peter 4:14; 1 John 2:20
M. Holy Spirit - a person : Holy Spirit - person : Psalms 51:11; Isaiah 63:8-10; Ezekiel 11:5; Ezekiel 43:6; John 6:63; John 14:16; John 15:26; John 16:7-14; Acts 5:3; Acts 8:29; Acts 10:19-20; Acts 13:2; Acts 16:6; Acts 21:10; Romans 8:26; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Ephesians 4:30; Hebrews 10:15; Hebrews 10:29
ENDNOTES
[1]Class notes are available from
[3] The plural ending is usually described as a plural of majesty and not intended as a true plural when used of God. This is seen in the fact that the noun <eáloµhéÆm is consistently used with singular verb forms and with adjectives and pronouns in the singular. Albright has suggested that the use of this majestic plural comes from the tendency in the ancient near east toward a universalism: “We find in Canaanite an increasing tendency to employ the plural sûtoroÆt >startes<, and natoÆt >naths<, in the clear sense of totality of manifestations of a deity’ ” (William F. Albright, From the Stone Age to Christianity, 2d ed., p. 213). But a better reason can be seen in Scripture itself where, in the very first chapter of Gen, the necessity of a term conveying both the unity of the one God and yet allowing for a plurality of persons is found (Genesis 1:2, Genesis 1:26). This is further borne out by the fact that the form <eáloµhéÆm occurs only in Hebrew and in no other Semitic language, not even in Biblical Aramaic (Gustav F. Oehler, Theology of the Old Testament, p. 88). R. Laird Harris, Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (Chicago: Moody Press, 1999, c1980). "It is sometimes said that this one word [Elohim] had to be used in both [singular and plural] contexts since there is no alternative in Hebrew. This is not true however; the singular form of Elohim is Eloah and is used in passages such as Deuteronomy 32:15-17 and Habakkuk 3:3." Fruchtenbaum, Arnold, Messianic Christology, p. 103.
[4] Hunt, Dave, and T.A. McMahon, The Berean Call
[5] Regarding the authenticity of this verse, see : Holland, Thomas. Crowned With Glory
[6] The resurrection is attributed to the members of the Trinity as follows; Jesus: John 2:19; John 10:17 The Father: Acts 4:10; Acts 10:41; Romans 4:24; Romans 6:4; Romans 8:11 The Holy Spirit: 1 Peter 3:18
[7] "With the exception of Lutheran theologians, most interpreters regard Christ as omnipresent in His deity and local in His humanity." Walvoord, John F. Jesus Christ Our Lord. Chicago, IL: Moody Bible Institute, 1969, p. 28
[8] "We can all understand how a man forgives offences against himself. You tread on my toe and I forgive you, you steal my money and I forgive you. But what should we make of a man, himself unrobbed and untrodden on, who announced that he forgave you for treading on other men’s toes and stealing other men’s money? Asinine fatuity is the kindest description we should give of his conduct. Yet this is what Jesus did.... He unhesitatingly behaved as if He was the party chiefly concerned, the person chiefly offended in all offences. This makes sense only if He really was the God whose laws are broken and whose love is wounded in every sin." C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, 55-56.