Beliefs on The Trinity

Trinitarianism is a core doctrine that concerns the Godhead. The Godhead, in Trinitarianism, is the Son(Jesus), the Father, and the Spirit. These three are all God, but they are not one another. Jesus is God, the Father is God, and the Spirit is God; however, Jesus is not the Father, the Father is not the Spirit, and the Spirit is not the Son. All are equally God, not partially as Partialism teaches.

Jesus is The Son:

There are several verses where Jesus is called the son of God. One comes from the Gospel of Luke where he writes, "When he saw Jesus, he cried out, and fell down before him, and with a loud voice said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God most high? I beseech thee, torment me not," (Luke 8:28 KJV).

We see another from the Gospel of Matthew where he writes, "Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him(I.e. Jesus), saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God," (Matthew 14:33 KJV).

The Equality of The Three:

The three(the Father, the Son[Jesus], and the Spirit) are shown to be equals. One good verse that helps our case lies in the Gospel of Matthew, "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost," (Matthew 28:19 KJV). This verse places all three as equals and clearly shows some sort of connection.

Another verse that proves they are connected is in the book of John. "I and my Father are one," (John 10:30 KJV). In this verse Jesus is speaking, as the verse says, he is claiming that he and the Father are one. Clearly, there is a connection.

The Three Are God:

The Son:

Each member of the Trinity is also shown/called God. First, we'll go over Jesus(the son). "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God," (Philippians 2:5-6 KJV). This verse is rather clear, but let's look at a few more.

"For the Lord your God is God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty, and a terrible, which regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward," (Deuteronomy 10:17 KJV). God is the Lord of Lords according to Moses(the author of Deuteronomy). Who else is the Lord of Lords? "And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King Of Kings, And Lord Of Lords," (Revelations 19:13-16 KJV). Who is the word of God? The word is Jesus. "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," (John 1:14 KJV). Who is the only begotten of the Father? "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," (John 3:16 KJV). The son is the one who is the begotten, and Jesus is the son(Matthew 14:33, Luke 8:28). Thus, Jesus is the Word of God. Thus, Jesus is the Lord of Lords who we saw is God.

In the book of Psalm, we see, "O give thanks unto the Lord(God); for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. O give thanks unto the God of gods: for his mercy endureth for ever. O give thanks to the Lord of lords: for his mercy endureth for ever," (Psalm 136:1-3 KJV). Who is the Lord? The God of gods, Lord of Lords. "These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful," (Revelations 17:14 KJV). The Lord of lords and King of kings is who? The lamb, and "The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world," (John 1:29 KJV). God is the Lord of Lords. The Lord of lords is the lamb, and Jesus is the lamb. There are many more verses that call Jesus God, click here to go to that page.

The Father:

Now let's move on to the Father. "Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied," (1 Peter 1:2 KJV). A basic verse to say the least, but it gets the job done and that's all that really matters. Another verse that proves the same claim is, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ," (Ephesians 1:3 KJV).

The Spirit:

Finally, let's go over the spirit. "And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God..." (Ephesians 4:30 KJV).

We also read in Psalms that the spirit is omnipresent. "Whither(to what place or state) shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there," (Psalm 139:7-8 KJV).

More Verses That Prove the Trinity:

"And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory" (1 Timothy 3:16). God was manifested in the flesh(as man), this is a clear reference to Jesus.

"Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus *said to him, “Because you have seen Me, have you now believed?" (John 20:28-29). This verse is a pretty clear one. Thomas sees Jesus and calls him God, there is no rejection of the verses, if anything he jumps on it asking the man if he now believes him.

"Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.”' (John 8:58). In this verse, Jesus is claiming to be before Abraham. How could he do this if he merely was a man or a prophet? This only leads to two possibilities, he is God or he is an angel or some other divine being. There definitely is a debate it doesn't prove he is God, but it does prove he was no ordinary man.

"Awaiting our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ," (Titus 2:13). This verse simply proves Jesus is God, nothing to really say here. Paul calls Jesus a savior and God, clearly he believed Jesus was God.

"No man hath seen God at any time, the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him" (John 1:18). This verse claims the son is God, on several occasions Jesus is called the Son of God(Matthew 3:17, Matthew 17:5, Luke 8:28, Luke 3:22).

"And, “In the beginning, Lord, you founded the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands" (Hebrews 1:10). This verse is directed towards Jesus, very obviously the verse is calling Jesus God since God created the Earth.

"Then God said, “Let Us make mankind in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the livestock and over all the earth, and over every crawling thing that crawls on the earth" (Genesis 1:26). The terms used in this passage is plural("our, us")

"But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and one who is more than a prophet" (Matthew 11:9). In this verse Jesus is called more than a prophet. This doesn't necessarily mean he is God, but it does mean he is higher than your classic prophet.

"And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”' (Acts 4:12). This verse is directed towards Jesus, once again, this points towards our claim.

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (John 1:1). Jesus on a few occasions is mentioned as the word(John 1:14), in this verse it straight up calls the word God.

"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved" (Romans 10:9).

"I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty" (Revelation 1:8). There are many things to note about this specific verse; firstly, he claims to be the beginning and the ending. Who else made this claim? God did in Isaiah, "Thus saith the Lord the King of Israel, and his redeemer the Lord of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God," (Isaiah 44:6 KJV). One should also note the ending, Jesus claimed to be the almighty. How can something that is not God make such a claim yet be sinless as the Bible says?

Early Church Fathers Also Wrote About The Trinity:

Theophilus of Antioch

Theophilus of Antioch, born sometime in the mid-second century, said this about God. "It is the attribute of God, of the most high and almighty and of the living God, not only to be everywhere, but also to see and hear all; for he can in no way be contained in a place...The three days before the luminaries were created are types of the Trinity: God, his Word, and his Wisdom" (Autolycus 2:15). The Autolycus is a letter he wrote defending Christianity, he wrote this letter to his Pagan friend(he was once a pagan, but then became a Christian later in his life).

Justin Martyr

Justin Martyr, born in 100, said this in his first apology. "the Father of the universe has a Son; who also, being the first-begotten Word of God, is even God. And of old He appeared in the shape of fire and in the likeness of an angel to Moses and to the other prophets... become Man by a virgin, according to the counsel of the Father, for the salvation of those who believe on Him, He endured both to be set at nought and to suffer, that by dying and rising again He might conquer death. And that which was said out of the bush to Moses, “I am that I am, the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac...and are men belonging to Christ Himself" (Justin Martyr, First Apology, ch 63).

Athenagoras

Athenagoras, born in 133, wrote this, "we acknowledge one God, who is uncreated, eternal, invisible, impassible, incomprehensible, and without limit...For we acknowledge also a ‘Son of God.’ Nobody should think it ridiculous that God should have a son. Although the pagan poets, in their fictions, represent the gods as being no better than human beings, we do not think in the same way as they do concerning either God the Father or God the Son. For the Son of God is the Logos of the Father, both in thought and in reality...We affirm that the Holy Spirit, who was active in the prophets, is an effluence of God, who flows from him and returns to him, like a beam of the sun.”

Clement of Alexandria

Alexandria, born around 150 AD wrote this, "O mystic marvel! The universal Father is one, and one the universal Word; and the Holy Spirit is one and the same everywhere."

Gregory Thaumaturgus

(Gregory the Wonderworker)

Gregory Thaumaturgus, also called Gregory The Wonderworker wrote this in his deceleration of faith, "There is one God...There is a perfect Trinity, in glory and eternity and sovereignty, neither divided nor estranged. Wherefore there is nothing either created or in servitude in the Trinity... but without variation and without change, the same Trinity abides ever" (Declaration of Faith, n.d. Neocaesarea: Gregory Thaumaturgus (Gregory the Wonderworker).

Irenaeus

Irenaeus, born in 130, said this, "God the Father uncreated, who is uncontained, invisible, one God, creator of the universe; this is the first article of our faith and the second is: The Word of God, the Son of God, our Lord Jesus Christ, who appeared to the prophets according to their way of prophesying and according to the dispensation of the Father. Through him all things were created. Furthermore, in the fullness of time, in order to gather all things to himself, he became a human being amongst human beings, capable of being seen and touched, to destroy death, bring life, and restore fellowship between God and humanity. And the third article is: The Holy Spirit, through whom the prophets prophesied, and our forebears learned of God and the righteous were led in the paths of justice, and who, in the fullness of time, was poured out in a new way on our human nature in order to renew humanity throughout the entire world in the sight of God"

Cyprian

Cyprian, born in 200, wrote this, "...in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost...yea, and in opposition to the Church, so that it be only in the name of Jesus Christ, everywhere, and in whatever manner, can obtain remission of sin, when Christ Himself commands the heathen to be baptized in the full and united Trinity? Unless while one who denies Christ is denied by Christ, he who denies His Father whom Christ" (Epistle 72:18).

Tertullian

Tertullian was born around 155AD, he said this, "Thus the connection of the Father in the Son, and of the Son in the Paraclete, produces three coherent Persons, who are yet distinct One from Another. These three are one [thing], not one [Person], as it is said, 'I and my Father are One,' in respect of unity of substance not singularity of number" (Against Praxeas).

Early Church Fathers Believed Jesus Was God:

Aristides of Athens

In 140 AD, Aristides of Athens wrote this,

"...from Jesus the Messiah; and he is named the Son of God Most High. And it is said that God came down from heaven, and from a Hebrew virgin...This is taught in the gospel..." (The Apology of Aristides 2).

Tatian

Tatian, born in 120AD wrote this, "...nor do we talk nonsense, when we report that God was born in the form of a man” (Address to the Greek, 21).

Hippolytus

(228AD)Hippolytus wrote this in his Refutation of Heresies,

"For Christ is the God over all, who has arranged to wash away sin from mankind..."

Cyprian of Carthage

Cyprian wrote this, "One who denies that Christ is God cannot become his temple" (Letters 73:12 A.D. 253). He said this in reference to the spirit dwelling in people.

Polycarp

He was born in 69AD, he wrote this "Now may the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ...and may He grant unto you a lot and portion among His saints, and to us with you, and to all that are under heaven, who shall believe on our Lord and God Jesus Christ and on His Father that raised him from the dead" (Polycarp 12:2).

Origen

Born in 185AD, Origen said this, "And that you may understand that the omnipotence of Father and Son is one and the same, as God and the Lord are one and the same with the Father, listen to the manner in which John speaks in the Apocalypse[Revelations]: “Thus saith the Lord God, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.” For who else was “He which is to come” than Christ? And as no one ought to be offended, seeing God is the Father, that the Savior is also God; so also, since the Father is called omnipotent, no one ought to be offended that the Son of God is also called omnipotent" (Origen).

Debunking Debates Against The Trinity:

1+1+1=3, not 1! Is The Trinity Illogical?

Some people will laugh at the Trinity stating that logically it makes no sense, and to be fair, I would say we truly cannot comprehend this fact. Just like a fourth-dimensional cube, for example, we may not be able to comprehend God in his entirety, but this does not mean he is false. C.S Lewis writes, "You know that in space you can move in three ways-to left or right, backwards or forwards, up or down. Every direction is either one of these three or a compromise between them. They are called the three Dimensions. Now notice this. If you are using only one dimension, you could draw only a straight line. If you are using two, you could draw a figure: say, a square. And a square is made up of four straight lines. Now a step further. If you have three dimensions, you can then build what we call a solid body: say, a cube-a thing like a dice or a lump of sugar. And a cube is made up of six squares. Do you see the point? A world of one dimension would be a straight line. In a two-dimensional world, you still get straight lines, but many lines make one figure. In a three-dimensional world, you still get figures but many figures advance to more not leave behind you make one solid body. In other words, as you advance to more real and more complicated levels, you do the things you found on the simpler levels: you still have them, but combined in new ways-in ways you could not imagine if you knew only the simpler levels: you still have them, but combined in new ways. Now the Christian account of God involves just the same principle. The human level is a simple and rather empty level. On the human level one person is one being, and sons are two separate beings-just as, in two dimensions (say on a flat sheet of paper) one square is one figure, and any two squares are two separate figures. On the Divine level you still find personalities; but up there you find them combined in new ways which who do not live on that level, cannot we, imagine. In God's dimension, so to speak, you find a being who is three Persons while remaining one Being, just as a cube is six squares while remaining one cube. Of course we cannot fully conceive a Being like that: just as, if we were so made that we perceived only two dimensions in space we properly imagine a cube. But we can get a sort of faint notion could of it. And when we do, we are then, for the first time in our lives, getting some positive idea, however faint, of something super-personal-something more than a person. It is some thing we could never have guessed, and yet, once we been told, one almost feels one ought to have been able to guess it because it fits in so well with all the things already," (Lewis 161-162).

Clarifying Colossians 1:26-27:

Some people will use the passage Colossians 1:26-27 to prove their claim that Jesus and the spirit have no distinction, however, this simply isn't true. "that is, the mystery which had been hidden from the past ages and generations, but now has been revealed to His saints, to whom God willed to make known what the wealth of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles is, the mystery that is Christ in you, the hope of glory." (Colossians 1:26-27).

Many use Colossians 1:27 to claim that the holy spirit and Jesus are the same person by the fact that the holy spirit is in us, but this verse seems to point towards that Jesus also is in us. Therefore, these people claim they must be the same person. So let's quickly take a look at this verse, “to whom God will to make known that the wealth the glory that is mystery among the gentiles is the mystery that is Christ in you the hope of glory” this isn't saying that Christ is in us. It's not referencing that Jesus is in us it's referencing that the mystery is Christ in us. What is this mystery? Well, very simply it’s the gospel. So we read earlier in 26 this, "that this is a mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations." Hold up, so what is the past ages and generations? Well, very simply it is the Jews or the people before Christ. How do we know this, well we read later “but now has been revealed to his saints” so what is something that the Jews or the past generations didn't know, but now people do know? Let us jump to Ephesians, keep in mind that Paul wrote Colossians and Ephesians. “this if indeed you have heard of the administration of God's grace which has been given to me for you that by revelation there was known to mystery as I wrote before briefly by referring to this when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ which is other generations was not made known to mankind as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets in the Christ i'm sorry in the spirit to be specific that the gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body and fellow takers of the promised in Christ through Jesus through the gospel according to the gift of God's grace which has been given to me according to the working this power to me at the very least of all saints the grace was given to preach the gentiles” (Ephesians 3). So what is this mystery? Well, it's the gospel as mentioned in this passage. "of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel." So what is in us? The gospel. So remember way back then in the gospels when Jesus died on the cross for our sins, how we no longer have to really pay the burden of sin? We just have to believe in Jesus and we're fine. The Jews or the past generations didn't know this because why? Because Jesus hadn't died on the cross yet. That was something that happened after the saints and the apostles, now they know this because well, either it happened in their lifetime or it was before them.

Clarifying Matthew 1:18-20:

One debate against the Trinity lies in the book of Matthew. "Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be pregnant by the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, since he was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly. But when he had thought this over, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit" (Matthew 1:18-20). Now, this passage seems to point towards the fact the Trinity isn't true, however, you'd be mistaken to believe that. Very simply, the Holy Ghost(spirit) was part of the conception of Christ, but God the Father is the Father of Christ.

Did The Jews Believe God Could Become Human?

(Click to Read)

Does God Have a Literal Son?

When first learning of Trinitarianism, some roll their eyes claiming it makes no sense the Father can have a son yet have no wife; however, this is actually a strawman of the very position of Trinitarianism. Instead, it is much more of a distorted belief taught by heretical groups such as the Gnostics and Mormons(or L.D.S). Jesus certainly is the Son; however, he was not literally born from the Father; rather, it is believed the Son refers to the role Jesus plays in the Trinity. When Jesus was on Earth, he served the Father as a son should serve his father in a family(that is, obediently).

God is One Not Three!

In the Shema we read, “Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one!" (Deuteronomy 6:4 NASB1995). Some have used this to claim that Trinitarianism is unbiblical; however, this claim strawmans the nature of the Trinity for the Trinity is indeed one. One in three persons, a perfect unity. As "אֶחָֽד" or the word used for "one" can be used for a compound unity(a sum that is one) such as in Genesis 2:24, Genesis 11:6, Genesis 41:25, Numbers 13:23, Judges 20:1, Judges 20:8, & 2 Chronicles 30:12 the Trinity has no contention with the Shema.

How Could Jesus Have Died if He Was God?

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How is Jesus God if Mary Made Him?

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If Jesus is God, Why Did he Pray to God?

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Is Jesus a Prophet?

Luke 24:19 and Matthew 21:11 are common verses used to try to prove Jesus is not God. So let us debunk this.

"And He said to them, “What sort of things?” And they said to Him, “Those about Jesus the Nazarene, who proved to be a prophet mighty in deed and word in the sight of God and all the people," (Luke 24:19).

"And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee," (Matthew 21:11).

As seen in the verses, Jesus is called a prophet. Is this a problem for the Trinity? Well, not really. The Google definition of a prophet goes as followed, "a person regarded as an inspired teacher or proclaimer of the will of God." So, did Jesus proclaim the word of God? Geez, I don't know, if only we knew. Not like the Bible talks about him making a ministry on earth or anything... Oh wait- So yes he is a prophet, but this doesn't disprove him being God; even if this was an issue and the definition did not explain our conundrum, it is important too to note that just because a random person had said something, this does not make it true. This was random people who were not all-knowing, so this too is an appropriate answer.

Is The Word Trinity in The Bible?

The word Trinity was never used in the Bible, is this an issue? Well, no not in the slightest. Let me provide an example for you. I ate a fruit whose skin was red, while the interior was white. It came from a tree in my backyard. So, what was I describing? I was describing an apple! By reading my description one comes to the conclusion of an apple, and the same is indeed true with the Trinity. Sure, the word perhaps was never used, but we see a description of it in the Bible.

Are There Trinities in Other Religions?

Many will also claim the Trinity came from other religions. Is this true? Well, no not in the slightest. (Read Below)

Did The Egyptians Have A Trinity?

Some have strangely claimed that the ancient Egyptians had a Trinity of their own based on the three gods Osiris, Isis, and Horus(1,2); however, there are many issues with this idea. Firstly, the three were never described as a part of a Trinity or anything similar to this idea. They did have a sort of unity in showing life, death, and rebirth, but this is nothing like the Trinity. The Trinity doesn't state there are three gods and their unity does not deal with life and death. In the end, the only connection that is drawn is that there are three divine beings which is not a Trinity in any way.

Some will also mention composite gods, a god with the qualities of two, such as Atum and Ra making Atum-Ra. These however are still two gods who came together coming together over identity or purpose. This is not what the Trinity teaches.

Does Hinduism Have A Trinity?

A claim by some skeptics of the Trinity comes from Hinduism. Brahman=Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. So, is this true? Nope. It isn't even a Trinity. In the Hindu poem, The Birth of the War-god by Kalidasa, this is written,

'"Glory to Thee! before the world was made, One single form thy Majesty displayed. Next, Thou, to body forth the mystic Three, Didst fill three Persons: Glory, Lord, to Thee! Unborn and unbegotten! from thy hand," (The Birth of the War-god P.17). "Before thy triple form in awe they bow: Maker, preserver, and destroyer, Thou! Thou, when a longing urged thee to create, Thy single form in twain didst separate," (The Birth of the War-god P.18).

No, this isn't a trinity. Perhaps one could claim this is Modelism, a heresy that teaches that the three(Jesus, the father, and the spirit) are one God, but can change to the others at will. Christians also don't believe that two members of the Trinity one day just appeared(that would be similar to Arianism), we believe they were always there.

Works Cited:

(2) Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Osiris summary". Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 May. 2020, https://www.britannica.com/summary/Osiris-Egyptian-god. Accessed 17 January 2023.

Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Trinity". Encyclopedia Britannica, 6 Dec. 2022, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Trinity-Christianity. Accessed 18 January 2023.

Dr. Falk, David. Live Stream #28: Live Stream #28: The Popcorn Must FlowYouTube, YouTube, 12 Aug. 2023, https://www.youtube.com/live/09kSL_GX9Os?si=GwbIdcytMulhnLt-. 00:11:01 Accessed 12 Sep. 2023.

Lewis, C. S.. Mere Christianity. United States, HarperCollins, 2009 (P. 161-162).

(1) Tyldesley, Joyce. "Isis". Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Dec. 2022, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Isis-Egyptian-goddess. Accessed 17 January 2023.