6 Comments

1. 

   philip on June 2, 2016 at 6:58 am

   Is Jesus God the father? If yes I need some biblical references, if no give me some biblical references.
   Thnx

2. 

   Grant on June 2, 2016 at 7:27 pm

   Philip, There is an heretical group called Oneness Pentecostalism. They deny the Trinity and teach that Jesus, the Father, and the Holy Spirit are one person. They sometimes quote Isaiah 9:6 in their attempt to prove their position. When Isaiah 9:6 says that Jesus’ name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, etc., this verse does not teach that Jesus is the eternal Father but that he has the characteristics of God. In other words, Jesus has all the attributes of God–including eternality.
   If Jesus’ name is “Eternal Father,” then why do we not call Jesus “Eternal Father”? For that matter, why do we not call His name “Wonderful Counselor,” or “Mighty God” or “Prince of Peace”? The text speaks of a name, yet has four things revealed in the name. Again, this shows us that it is the characteristics of the then-coming Messiah. The fact that the Messiah would be divine is verified in Heb. 1:3 when it says, “And He [Jesus] is the radiance of His [God] glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power . . . ” This also explains why Jesus said, ” . . . He who has seen Me has seen the Father,” (John 14:9). It was because Jesus so precisely represented God the Father as His prophesied name reveals.
   Most cults strip Jesus of his deity making the Son only a man, an angel or at best a secondary divine being created by the Father. They ignore the fact that the son is called God just as the Father is. If one says the Son or Spirit are not called God, then they would have to be consistent and say the Father is not either. The reason the Father is explicitly called God by Jesus is because he is honoring another instead of himself. Each person in the godhead does this. We need to note that there is a hierarchy in the trinity (1 Co 11:1ff), each carries a specific role.
   Jesus is called the Son over 200 times throughout the N.T. The Father is referred to as distinct from the Son over 200 times. Over 50 times Jesus the Son and the Father are mentioned in the same verse. Yet we find Paul’s greeting as grace and peace from both God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus identifies himself as the Son of God all throughout the Bible. He is always put on equal status with the Father being able to bestow grace to the believer. The only time he is not equal is by position, never in nature.
   John 20:31 …That Jesus is the Christ the Son of God.”
   Jn.16:3 “And these things they will do to you because they have not known the Father nor me.” Here he is distinguishing himself as another from the Father. Jesus separates himself from the Father in person but not in nature.
   Jn.10:30: ” I and my father are one” this is not a numerical one, Jesus is not saying he is the father. they are not one person but in nature they are a united one. It actually reads we are one in Greek the first person plural esmen . Examining his claim further “I and my Father are one.” The Jews pick up stones because they understood this as blasphemy in vs. 36 Jesus interprets what he meant by saying because I said, “I am the Son of God.” There is a very good reason for this because…. Contrary to those who claim the Son of God means less than God it actually affirmed his deity.
   In Jn.20:17 Jesus said “I am ascending to my Father and your Father to my God and your God.” Anti-Trinitarians claim since Jesus had a God over him he could not also be God. What we are not saying is that he is the Father or the Spirit. Coming in the servant role and as a man he was submissive to the Father as a Son. Notice he makes a distinction from “my Father and your Father” not saying our Father. The same is applied to ” my God and your God.” As a man he acknowledged the Father as “my God.” We are unable to say this in the same manner as he did. God is his Father from eternity past, he being the Son of eternal generation. Thomas bowed before Jesus saying, he is his God and his Lord, Jesus could not say the Father was his Lord in the way man does.
   Jn.11:41-43 Jesus lifts his eyes toward heaven and prays, ” I thank you that you heard me, and I know that you always hear me.” We see consistently he is praying toward heaven just like all the saints in the O.T. So why pray if your God. Because he is dependent on God in his lowered state and he is giving us the perfect example of our having a relationship with the Father. The Son was instructed by the Father as his God, since he decided not to use his position independently. Jesus never referred to his Father as “our Father” in prayer together with others. Father was a term for the Jews who were in covenant with God. Jesus who being God in nature was divine and equal in all respects to God could not call God his Father as we do, being adopted children. God was his Father in a different sense than ours, in that they were united together from eternity. So he makes a distinction of “my” and “our”. ” “When Christ prayed to the Father, you have the Son on earth the Father in heaven. this is not separation but divine disposition. now we know that God is within the depth’s and exists everywhere, but in might and power, the Son being, indivisible from the Father is everywhere with him, yet in the economy, the Father willed that the Son should be found on the Earth, himself (the Father ) in heaven.” (Tertullian.) What he is explaining is that the omni-presence of God is everywhere yet the location of his persons are in different areas. (Jn.11:41-42,12:28, 17:1-26)
   Mt. 26:39-42 In Gethsemane he prays three times to the Father in doing his will. Why does he ask for the Father to let this cup pass if he is God, Isn’t this like asking himself? Jesus’ (2nd person of God) was God communing with God the Father (1st person of God). Jesus is struggling over the soon and coming separation he will experience with the Father. He is asking if there be another way so he will not experience this. Otherwise he has his own human will that is not submitted to God and he is sinning. The concept the scriptures portray of the crucifixion is not that God died but that he was separated spiritually and died in the flesh. In Gethsemane it was the cup that Jesus asked to be removed. If he was praying that he would not have to experience physical death he would be rejecting the very reason he came. His obedience is shown as in Phil.2 says even to the death on the cross. He would not be praying for the very purpose of his coming to be removed.
   This is why the cults deny the deity of Christ because they recognize that these are two different persons. It is because of their preconceived ideas and training that God is strictly singular. In their attempt to uphold Monotheism they cannot receive the teaching of his nature being triune, they then lose the Son of God as a distinct person.
   Adapted from “Let Us Reason” website: http://www.letusreason.org/Trin6.htm

3. 

   Anthony Hicks on January 19, 2018 at 6:22 pm

   Philip read (Colossians 2:9). (John 14:6-11) GOD’S name is Jesus. He is God robed in flesh… Philip.. Grant does not know his bible for if he did he wouldnt take some teaching off a website. There is no trinity… God is a spirit and Jesus is all God, the SON, and the HOLY GHOST… Find a church that baptizes in Jesus name according to acts 2:38. The jews beleive in One God and that is what the Apostles preached. Catholicism has destroyed the word and people like grant help them!!!!!!! God was seen as Jesus Christ cs God is spirit and cannot be seen. Jesus prayed not because he had to it was done for our sakes and he even says so!!Not one place in the bible says jesus is the son only. Everything says he is God robed in flesh… Just google and read for yourself.. Dont take anyones word especially grant… Now the trinity started well after the Apostles were killed… One God and Jesus is his name. The old testament list his attributes. The new testament teaches his Human name.

4. 

   Grant on January 19, 2018 at 8:32 pm

   Anthony, as with all cults and your position, you constantly pretext Scripture taking them out of context.
   Note this argument for the Trinity from Norm Geisler:

   GOD’S TRIUNITY—THE TRINITY

   God is not only a unity, He is a triunity; that is, there is not only one God (monotheism), but there are three persons in that one God. This is the orthodox teaching of the Trinity.

   THE MEANING OF THE WORD TRINITY

   First of all, it is important to point out what is not meant by the Christian concept of a Trinity. It does not mean there are three gods (tritheism), and it does not mean God has three modes of one and the same being (modalism). Tritheism denies the absolute simplicity of God, and modalism denies the plurality of persons in God. The former claims there are three beings in the Godhead, and the latter affirms there are not three persons in God.
   What, then, does the word Trinity mean? It means that God is a triunity: He is a plurality within unity. God has a plurality of persons and a unity of essence; God is three persons in one nature. There is only one “What” (essence) in God, but there are three “Whos” (persons) in that one What. God has three “I’s” in His one “It”—there are three Subjects in one Object.

   THE BIBLICAL BASIS FOR THE TRINITY

   The doctrine of the Trinity is based on two basic biblical teachings:

   (1) There is one and only one God.
   (2) There are three distinct persons who are God: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

   There Is Only One God

   The biblical, theological, and historical evidence for God’s absolute oneness has already been given (see above). It need not be repeated here.

   Three Different Persons Are God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

   In addition to declaring God to be one in nature or essence, the Scriptures affirm that there are three distinct persons who are God. All are called God, and all have the essential characteristics of a person.
   Personhood is traditionally understood as one who has intellect, feelings, and will. All three of these characteristics are attributed to all three members of the Trinity in Scripture (see below). Essentially, personhood refers to an “I,” a “who,” or a subject. Each “I” in the Trinity possesses (by virtue of its one common nature) the power to think, feel, and choose. Personhood itself is its I-ness or who-ness.

   The Father Is God
   Numerous verses speak of God as being a Father. Here is a sampling.
   Jesus said, “Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval” (John 6:27). Paul added, “To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 1:7). And, “Paul, an apostle—sent not from men nor by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead” (Gal. 1:1).

   The Son Is God
   That Christ is God is affirmed in many passages and in many ways, both directly and indirectly. Several are summarized here.

   Jesus Claimed to Be Yahweh (Jehovah)

   Yahweh (YHWH) or Jehovah is the special name given by God for Himself in the Old Testament. It is the name revealed to Moses in Exodus 3:14, when God said, “I AM WHO I AM.” While other titles for God may be used of men (adonai [LORD] in Genesis 18:12) or false gods (elohim [gods] in Deuteronomy 6:14), Yahweh is only used to refer to the one true God. No other person or thing was to be worshiped or served (Ex. 20:5), and His name and glory were not to be given to another.2 Isaiah wrote, “Thus saith Jehovah … I am the first, and I am the last; and besides me there is no God” (Isa. 44:6 ASV), and, “I am Jehovah, that is my name; and my glory I will not give to another, neither my praise unto graven images” (42:8 ASV).
   Jesus prayed, “And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began” (John 17:5—this is an obvious claim for Christ’s deity, for Jehovah of the Old Testament said, “My glory will I not give to another” [Isa. 42:8 NKJV]). Jesus also declared, “I am the First and the Last” (Rev. 1:17)—precisely the words used by Jehovah in Isaiah 44:6. He said, “I am the good shepherd,” (John 10:11), and the Old Testament said, “Jehovah is my shepherd” (Ps. 23:1 ASV). Further, Jesus claimed to be the judge of all men (John 5:27ff.; Matt. 25:31ff.), and Joel quotes Jehovah as saying, “There I will sit to judge all the nations on every side” (Joel 3:12). Likewise, Jesus spoke of Himself as the “bridegroom” (Matt. 25:1f.) while the Old Testament identifies Jehovah in this way (Isa. 62:5; Hosea 2:16). While the psalmist declares, “Jehovah is my light” (Ps. 27:1 ASV), Jesus said, “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12).
   Perhaps the strongest claim Jesus made to be Jehovah is in John 8:58, where He says, “Before Abraham was born, I am!” This statement claims not only existence before Abraham, but equality with the “I AM” of Exodus 3:14. The Jews around Him clearly understood His meaning and picked up stones to kill Him for blaspheming (cf. John 10:31–33). The same claim is also made in Mark 14:62 and John 18:5–6.

   Jesus Claimed to Be Equal With God

   Jesus professed deity in other ways, one of which was by claiming for Himself the prerogatives of God. He said to a paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven” (Mark 2:5ff.). The scribes correctly responded, “Who can forgive sins but God alone?” So to prove that His claim was not an empty boast, He healed the man, offering direct proof that what He had said about forgiving sins was true also.
   Another prerogative that Jesus claimed, due only to God, was the power to raise and judge the dead: “I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live … and come out—those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned” (John 5:25, 29). He removed all doubt about His meaning when He added, “For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it” (John 5:21). The Old Testament clearly teaches that only God is the Giver of life (1 Sam. 2:6; Deut. 32:39) and the one to raise the dead (Ps. 2:7) and the only Judge (Joel 3:12; Deut. 32:36). Jesus boldly assumed for Himself powers that only God has.
   Jesus also claimed that He should be honored as God: He said that all men should “honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him” (John 5:23). The Jews listening knew that no one should claim to be equal with God in this way, and again they wanted to kill Him (John 5:18).

   Jesus Claimed to Be Messiah-God

   Even the Qur’an recognizes that Jesus was the Messiah (Sura 5:17, 75). The Old Testament teaches that the coming Messiah would be God Himself, so when Jesus claimed to be that Messiah, He was also claiming to be God. For example, the prophet Isaiah (in 9:6) calls the Messiah “Mighty God.” The psalmist wrote of the Messiah, “Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever” (Ps. 45:6; cf. Heb. 1:8). Psalm 110:1 records a conversation between the Father and the Son: “The LORD says to my Lord [adonai]: ‘Sit at my right hand.’ ” Jesus applied this passage to Himself in Matthew 22:43–44.
   In the great messianic prophecy of Daniel 7, the Son of Man is called the “Ancient of Days” (7:22), a term used twice in the same passage of God the Father (Dan 7:9, Dan 13). Jesus also said He was the Messiah at His trial before the high priest. When asked, “ ‘Are you the Christ [christos, Greek for “Messiah”], the Son of the Blessed One?’ ” Jesus said, “ ‘I am … And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.’ The high priest tore his clothes. ‘Why do we need any more witnesses? … You have heard the blasphemy’ ” (Mark 14:61–64). There was no doubt that in claiming to be Messiah (see also Luke 24:27; Matt. 26:56), Jesus also claimed to be God.

   Jesus Claimed to Be God by Accepting Worship

   The Old Testament forbids worshiping anyone other than God (Ex. 20:1–5; Deut. 5:6–9). The New Testament agrees, showing that men refused worship (Acts 14:13–15), as did angels (Rev. 22:8–9). But Jesus accepted worship on numerous occasions, revealing that He claimed to be God. A leper worshiped Him before he was healed (Matt. 8:2), and a ruler knelt before Him with a request (Matt. 9:18). After He stilled the storm, “Those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, ‘Truly you are the Son of God’ ” (Matt. 14:33). A Canaanite woman (Matt. 15:25), the mother of James and John (Matt. 20:20), and the Gerasene demoniac (Mark 5:6) all bowed before Jesus without one word of rebuke. A blind man said, “ ‘Lord, I believe,’ and he worshiped Him” (John 9:38). Thomas saw the risen Christ and cried out, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28). This could only be elicited by a person who considered Himself to be God.

   Jesus Claimed to Have Equal Authority With God

   Jesus also put His words on a par with God’s: “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago … But I tell you” (Matt. 5:21–22) is repeated over and over again. “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations” (Matt. 28:18–19). God had given the Ten Commandments to Moses, but Jesus said, “A new commandment I give you: Love one another” (John 13:34). Jesus promised, “Until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law” (Matt. 5:18), while later Jesus said of His words, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away” (Matt. 24:35). Speaking of those who reject Him, Jesus confirmed, “That very word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day” (John 12:48). There is no question that Jesus expected His words to have equal authority with God’s declarations in the Old Testament.

   Jesus Claimed to Be God by Requesting Prayer in His Name

   Jesus not only asked people to believe in Him and obey His commandments, but He also asked them to pray in His name: “And I will do whatever you ask in my name.… You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it” (John 14:13–14). “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you” (John 15:7). Jesus even insisted, “No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). In response to this, the disciples not only prayed in Jesus’ name (1 Cor. 5:4) but also prayed to Christ (Acts 7:59). Jesus certainly intended that His name be invoked both before God and as God in prayer.

   Jesus Claimed to Be God by His Use of Parables

   In his Cambridge doctoral dissertation on this topic, Philip B. Payne notes that

   out of Jesus’ fifty-two recorded narrative parables, twenty depict him in imagery which in the [Old Testament] typically refers to God. The frequency with which this occurs indicates that Jesus regularly depicted himself in images which were particularly appropriate for depicting God. (Payne, “JICDP” in TJ, 17)

   These images include Sower, Director of the Harvest, Rock, Shepherd, Bridegroom, Father, Giver of Forgiveness, Vineyard Owner, Lord, and many more. Thus, “Jesus depicts himself in these parables as the shepherd … and in so doing implicitly claims to be God” (ibid., 11).
   In view of these many clear ways in which Jesus claimed to be God, an unbiased observer should recognize, whether he accepts it or not, that Jesus of Nazareth did indeed claim to be God in the Gospels.3 That is, He claimed to be identical to the Jehovah (Yahweh) of the Old Testament.

   Jesus’ Disciples Acknowledged His Claim to Be God

   In addition to Jesus’ claims about Himself, His immediate disciples also acknowledged His claim to deity. This they manifested in many ways, several of which will be briefly outlined now.

   (1) The disciples attributed the titles of deity to Christ.
   In agreement with their Master, Jesus’ apostles called Him “the first and the last” (Rev. 1:17; 2:8; 22:13); “the true light” (John 1:9); their “rock” or “stone” (1 Cor. 10:4; 1 Peter 2:6–8; cf. Ps. 18:2; 95:1); the “bridegroom” (Eph. 5:22–33; Rev. 21:2); “the Chief Shepherd” (1 Peter 5:4); and “the great Shepherd” (Heb. 13:20). The Old Testament role of “Redeemer” (Hosea 13:14; Ps. 130:7) is given to Jesus in the New Testament (Tit. 2:13–14; Rev. 5:9 NKJV). He is seen as the forgiver of sins (Acts 5:31; Col. 3:13; cf. Jer. 31:34; Ps. 130:4) and “Savior of the world” (John 4:42; cf. Isa. 43:3). The apostles also said He is “Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead” (2 Tim. 4:1). All of these titles are unique to Jehovah (Yahweh) in the Old Testament but are given to Jesus in the New Testament.

   (2) The disciples considered Jesus the Messiah-God.
   The New Testament opens with a passage concluding that Jesus is Immanuel (“God with us”), which refers to the messianic prediction of Isaiah 7:14. The very title “Christ” carries the same meaning as the Hebrew appellation “Messiah” (“Anointed One”). In Zechariah 12:10, Jehovah says, “They will look on me, the one they have pierced.” The New Testament writers apply this passage to Jesus twice (John 19:37; Rev. 1:7) as referring to His crucifixion. Paul interprets Isaiah’s message, “For I am God, and there is no other.… Before me every knee will bow; by me every tongue will swear” (Isa. 45:22–23) as applying to his Lord, “at the name of Jesus every knee should bow … and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2:10–11). The implications of this are strong, because Paul says that all created beings will call Jesus both Messiah (Christ) and Jehovah (Lord).

   (3) The disciples attributed the powers of God to Jesus.
   There are some things only God can do, but these very things are attributed to Jesus by His disciples. He is said to be able to raise the dead (John 5:21; 11:38–44) and forgive sins (Acts 5:31; 13:38). Moreover, He is said to have been the primary agent in the creating of the universe (John 1:2–3; Col. 1:16) and in sustaining its existence (Col. 1:17). Surely only God can be said to be the Creator of all things, and the disciples claim this power for Jesus.

   (4) The disciples associated Jesus’ name with God’s.
   The apostles’ use of Jesus’ name as the agent and recipient of prayer has been noted (1 Cor. 5:4; Acts 7:59). Often in prayers or benedictions, Jesus’ name is used alongside God’s, as in “Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (Gal. 1:3; Eph. 1:2). The name of Jesus appears with equal status to God’s in the so-called trinitarian formulas: For example, the command to go and baptize “in the name [singular] of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matt. 28:19). Again this association is made at the end of 2 Corinthians: “May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all” (13:14). If there is only one God, then these three persons must by nature be equated.

   (5) The disciples called Jesus God.
   Thomas saw His wounds and cried, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28). Paul wrote, “Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of Christ, who is God over all, forever praised!” (Rom. 9:5). He calls Jesus the one in whom “all the fullness of Deity lives in bodily form” (Col. 2:9). In Titus, Jesus is “our great God and Savior” (2:13), and the writer to the Hebrews says of Him, “Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever” (Heb. 1:8). Paul says that before Christ existed in the “form of a servant,” which clearly refers to being really human, He existed in the “form of God” (Phil. 2:5–8 NKJV). The parallel phrases suggest that if Jesus was fully human, then He was also fully God. A similar term, “the image of the invisible God,” is used in Colossians 1:15 to mean the manifestation of God Himself. This description is strengthened in Hebrews, where it says, “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word” (Heb. 1:3). The prologue to John’s gospel also minces no words, stating, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word [Jesus] was God” (John 1:1, emphasis added).

   (6) The disciples considered Jesus superior to angels.
   The disciples did not simply believe that Christ was more than a man; they believed Him to be greater than any created being, including angels. Paul said Jesus is “far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come” (Eph. 1:21). The demons submitted to his command (Matt. 8:32), and even angels that refused to be worshiped are seen worshiping Him (Rev. 22:8–9). The author of the letter to the Hebrews presents a complete argument for Christ’s superiority over angels, saying, “For to which of the angels did God ever say, ‘You are my Son; today I have become your Father’? … And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says, ‘Let all God’s angels worship him’ ” (Heb. 1:5–6). There could be no clearer teaching that Christ was not an angel but rather the God whom the angels worshiped.

   In summary, there is manifold testimony from Jesus Himself and from those who knew Him best that Jesus claimed to be God and that His followers believed this to be the case. They claim of the carpenter of Nazareth these unique titles, powers, prerogatives, and activities that apply only to God. There is no reasonable doubt that this is what they believed and what Jesus thought of Himself according to the New Testament. C. S. Lewis insightfully observed, when confronted with the boldness of Christ’s claims, that we are faced with three distinct alternatives:

   I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish things that people often say about Him: “I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God.” That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic—on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg—or else he would be the Devil of Hell. (MC, 55–56)

   The third option is that Jesus was telling the truth: He is Lord.
   Having established earlier that the New Testament is historically reliable (see Volume 1, chapter 26), that the Bible is the Word of God (see Volume 1, chapter 14), that miracles are possible and confirm the claim of those performing them in the name of God (Volume 1, chapter 3), it follows that Jesus not only claimed to be but also supernaturally proved Himself to be God in human flesh.

   The Holy Spirit Is God
   The deity of the Holy Spirit is indicated by:

   (1) His possessing the names of God;
   (2) His having the attributes of God;
   (3) His performing the acts of God;
   (4) His association with God in benedictions and baptismal formulas.

   The Holy Spirit Is Given the Names of Deity

   The Holy Spirit is referred to as God or Lord. “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit.… You have not lied to men but to God” (Acts 5:3–4). “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?” (1 Cor. 3:16). “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?” (1 Cor. 6:19). “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men” (1 Cor. 12:4–6). “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (2 Cor. 3:17). “How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God …” (Heb. 9:14).

   The Holy Spirit Possesses the Attributes of Deity

   Attributes of God such as life (Rom. 8:2); truth (John 16:13); love (Rom. 15:30); holiness (Eph. 4:30); eternality (Heb. 9:14); omnipresence (Ps. 139:7); and omniscience (1 Cor. 2:11) are ascribed to the Spirit.

   The Holy Spirit Performs Acts of Deity

   Certain acts are associated only with God; both God the Father and the Son are said to perform these acts, and so is the Holy Spirit. These include the act of creation (Gen. 1:2; Job 33:4; Ps. 104:30); the acts of redemption (Isa. 63:10–11; Eph. 4:30; 1 Cor. 12:13); the performance of miracles by His own power (Gal. 3:2–5; Heb. 2:4); and the bestowal of supernatural gifts (Acts 2:4; 1 Cor. 12:4–11).

   The Holy Spirit Is Associated With God in Prayers and Benedictions

   Numerous times in the Bible the Holy Spirit is associated with one or both other members of the Trinity: “I will tell of the kindnesses of the LORD [the Father].… In all their distress he too was distressed, and the angel of his presence [the Son] saved them. In his love and mercy he redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old. Yet they rebelled and grieved his Holy Spirit” (Isa. 63:7–10). First Peter 1:2 speaks of “the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ.” Jude 1:20 exhorts readers to “build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit.” The benediction of 2 Corinthians 13:14 contains all three members of the Godhead: “May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God [the Father], and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” And the baptismal formula of Matthew 28:19 contains the Holy Spirit along with the other members of the Trinity all under one “name” [essence]: “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.”

   All Three Members of the Trinity Are Persons

   Each individual member of the Trinity is a person, since each is referred to as a person (I, Who). Each has all the basic elements or powers of personhood: mind, will, and feeling.

   The Father Is a Person
   In addition to being referred to as a person (“He”), the three elements of personhood all are attributed to God the Father. He has the power of intellect to know (Matt. 6:32): “Your heavenly Father knows that you need them”; the emotional faculty to feel (Gen. 6:6): “The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain”; and the power of will to choose (Matt. 6:9–10): “Our Father in heaven … your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” In addition, personal traits, such as the ability to communicate (Matt. 11:25) and teach (John 7:16–17), are also attributed to the Father.

   The Son Is a Person
   In addition to being referred to as a person (“He”), the Son can communicate and teach (John 7:17) as only persons can do. Further, He too has intellect (John 2:25): “He did not need man’s testimony about man, for he knew what was in a man”; feeling (John 11:35): “Jesus wept”; and will (John 6:38): “For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me.” The personal pronoun “He” is used consistently of the Son.

   The Holy Spirit Is a Person
   All the elements of personhood are attributed to the Holy Spirit in Scripture. He has a mind (John 14:26): “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you.” He has will (1 Cor. 12:11): “All these are the work of one and the same spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines”; and He has feeling (Eph. 4:30): “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.”
   Further, personal pronouns (“He” and “His”) are appropriately attributed to the Holy Spirit: “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come” (John 16:13, emphasis added).
   Finally, the activities of a person are ascribed to the Holy Spirit: He searches, knows, speaks, testifies, reveals, convinces, commands, strives, moves, helps, guides, creates, recreates, sanctifies, inspires, intercedes, orders the affairs of the church, and performs miracles (see Strong, ST, 325). There are numerous verses of Scripture to support these activities (see Gen. 6:3; Luke 12:12; John 3:8; 16:7–8; Acts 8:29; Rom. 8:26; 1 Cor. 2:11; Eph. 4:30; 2 Peter 1:21, etc.).

   Other Biblical Evidence of the Triunity in God

   Many times in Scripture one member of the Trinity is speaking to another. This indicates that they are not one and the same person.

   The Father Speaking to the Son
   Psalm 2:7 (cited in Heb. 1:5) declares, “I will proclaim the decree of the LORD: He said to me, ‘You are my Son; today I have become your Father.’ ” Also, “The LORD [Father] says to my Lord [Son]: ‘Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet’ ” (Ps. 110:1). Jesus used this very passage to show His deity (Matt. 22:41–46). Again, the Father says, “Your throne, O God [Son], will last for ever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom. You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God [the Father], your God, has set you above your companions” (Ps. 45:6–7). Likewise, the book of Hebrews applies this passage to Christ (Heb. 1:8–9). Indeed, three times in the New Testament the Father spoke from heaven approving of Christ, His Son (Matt. 3:17; 17:5; John 12:28).

   The Son Speaking to the Father
   “Then the angel of the LORD [the Son] said, ‘LORD Almighty [Father], how long will you withhold mercy from Jerusalem and from the towns of Judah?’ ” (Zech. 1:12). That the angel (messenger) of the LORD is God is clear from the fact that it is He who is called the LORD (Yahweh), a term reserved for God alone. He is also called the “I AM” in Exodus 3:14 (cf. vv. 13, 15), which clearly refers only to Deity (cf. John 8:58–59). There is also a reference in Proverbs 30:4 to both the Father and the Son: “Who has gone up to heaven and come down? Who has gathered up the wind in the hollow of his hands? Who has wrapped up the waters in his cloak? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and the name of his son? Tell me if you know!”
   “After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: ‘Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you’ ” (John 17:1). Again, Jesus [the Son] called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit” (Luke 23:46).

   All Three Persons Together at Once
   Several times all three persons are present and operating at the same time. Once in Isaiah it says, “I will tell of the kindnesses of the LORD, the deeds for which he is to be praised, according to all the LORD [Father] has done for us … and so he became their Savior. In all their distress he too was distressed, and the angel of his presence [Son] saved them. In his love and mercy he redeemed them.… Yet they rebelled and grieved his Holy Spirit” (Isa. 63:7–10).
   At the baptism of Jesus (Matt. 3:16–17), all three members of the Trinity were present together: “As soon as Jesus [Son] was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God [Spirit] descending like a dove and lighting on him. And a voice from heaven [Father] said, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.’ ”
   In the baptismal formula (Matt. 28:19) it places all three under one “name” (singular), saying: “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.”
   Likewise, in an apostolic benediction (e.g., 2 Cor. 13:14), all three names are present together. Paul prayed, “May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ [Son], and the love of God [Father], and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit [Spirit] be with you all.”
   All of these passages and many more indicate that there are three different and distinct persons who exist simultaneously and eternally and who share one and the same essence or nature. This is in stark contrast to modalism (sabellianism), which claims there is only one person in God who appears at different times in the form of different persons.

   The Trinity Is Implied in the Old Testament
   While the Trinity is not formally and explicitly set forth in the Old Testament, all the elements of trinitarianism are found there. There is only one God (Ex. 20:3; Deut. 6:4; Isa. 45:18), yet there are three persons who are considered God. Sometimes two are speaking to each other (Ps. 45:6–8; 110:1; Zech. 1:12). Indeed, in one text all three are mentioned together (Isa. 63:7–10).
   Even the Hebrew word of “one” (echad) God (Deut. 6:4) implies a plurality with unity, just as male and female are considered “one” (echad) flesh (Gen. 2:24). There is also a threefold praise to God by the angelic choir: “Holy, Holy, Holy is the LORD of hosts” (Isa. 6:3 NKJV).

   The Trinity Is Taught in the New Testament
   As the above discussion shows, the New Testament teaches clearly that there is only one God and that there are three distinct persons who are God: These two premises constitute the basic elements of trinitarianism. What brings the Trinity into focus in the New Testament is the presence of the second person of the Godhead (Jesus Christ) in bodily form, often conversing with His Father (cf. John 17). Indeed, as we have seen, at Christ’s baptism all three members of the Trinity are present at the same time: The Father speaks from heaven, and the Holy Spirit descends from heaven on the Son, who is in the water (Matt. 3:16–17).
   Later, again, all three names are mandated as the baptismal formula (Matt. 28:19) and used in apostolic benedictions (for instance, 2 Cor. 13:14).

   There Is a Functional Order in the Trinity

   All members of the Trinity are equal in essence, but they do not have the same roles. It is a heresy (called subordinationism) to affirm that there is an ontological subordination of one member of the Trinity to another, since they are identical in essence (examine the “ontological argument for God’s existence” in Volume 1, chapter 2); nonetheless, it is clear that there is a functional subordination; that is, not only does each member have a different function or role, but some functions are also subordinate to others.

   The Function of the Father
   By His very title of “Father” and His label of “the first person of the Trinity,” it is manifest that His function is superior to that of the Son and the Holy Spirit. The Father, for example, is presented as the Source, Sender, and Planner of salvation.

   The Function of the Son
   The Son, on the other hand, is the Means, Sent One, and Achiever of salvation. The Father sent, and the Son came to save us; the Father planned it, but the Son accomplished it on the cross. This is why it is a heresy (called patripassianism) to claim that the Father suffered on the cross—only the Son suffered and died.
   Further, the Son is eternally “begotten” or “generated” 4 from the Father, but the Father is never said to be “begotten” or “generated” from anyone.

   The Function of the Holy Spirit
   According to orthodox theology, both East and West, the Holy Spirit is said to “proceed” from the Father, but the Father never proceeds from the Holy Spirit (see Appendix 7)—that is, the Father sends the Spirit, but the Spirit never sends the Father. In addition, however, according to orthodox Western theology, the Holy Spirit proceeds both from the Father and the Son (see John 15:26). This is an issue over which the Eastern Orthodox and Western Roman Catholic churches eventually split (around A.D. 1054), namely, over the filioque (“and the Son”) clause that was added to the “procession from the Father” statement in Western creeds at the Council of Toledo (in A.D. 589), following Augustine’s view. Mediators have sought to find common ground in the fact that Jesus said, “When the Counselor comes, whom I will sent to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, He will testify about me” (John 15:26, emphasis added). Many Eastern Orthodox theologians are willing to say that the Holy Spirit is sent by the Father indirectly through the Son, but they deny that the Son has authority to send the Holy Spirit on His own. Be that as it may, all agree that there is a functional subordination of the Holy Spirit to the Father.

   In brief, the Father is the Planner, the Son is the Accomplisher, and the Holy Spirit is the Applier of salvation to believers. The Father is the Source, the Son is the Means, and the Holy Spirit is the Effector of salvation—it is He who convicts, convinces, and converts (see Appendix 7).
   One final word about the nature and duration of this functional subordination in the Godhead. It is not just temporal and economical; it is essential and eternal. For example, the Son is an eternal Son (see Prov. 30:4; Heb. 1:3). He did not become God’s Son; He always was related to God the Father as a Son and always will be. His submission to the Father was not just for time but will be for all eternity. Paul wrote:

   Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom of God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power … When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all, (1 Cor. 15:24, 28)

   THE THEOLOGICAL BASIS FOR THE TRINITY

   From a theological vantage point, two things are necessary to defend the doctrine of the Trinity: first, to demonstrate that God has one and only one essence (nature); second, to show that it is not contradictory to have three persons in one essence.

   God Can Have Only One Essence

   By “essence” or “nature” is meant what something is, and essence is a set of characteristics—properties necessary to the thing being described. For example, it is necessary to the essence of a triangle that it has the following characteristics:

   (1) It must have three sides.
   (2) It must have three corners or angles.
   (3) The sum of the three angles must be 180 degrees.

   An essence is differentiated from other characteristics by the fact that its characteristics are essential to it, while the other characteristics (called accidents) are not. For instance, it is essential to the essence of a human being that he or she possess rationality, while his or her skin color (red, yellow, black, brown, or white) is accidental. That God can have only one essence has already been demonstrated under His simplicity (see chapter 2). So the essential characteristics or properties of God must refer to one and the same essence.

   It Is Possible to Have More Than One Person in One Essence
   In order to complete what is understood by the Trinity, it remains only to show that there is no contradiction in having three persons in one essence. This is demonstrated by pointing out that the law of noncontradiction mandates that for two propositions to be contradictory, they must both affirm and deny something of

   (1) the same thing;
   (2) at the same time; and
   (3) in the same sense (in the same relationship).

   Clearly this is not the case in affirming,

   (1) God is one and only one in relation to His essence;
   (2) God is more than one (viz., three) in relation to His persons. These are two different senses or relations. Therefore, the Trinity is not contradictory.

   Of course, this response depends on the words person and essence being defined in different ways. By person is meant who it is, and by nature is meant what it is. A person is a subject, while a nature is an object. Person is an I, and an essence is an it. So a person is a subjective center of intentionality and volitionality, and a nature is an objective center of essential properties.
   No orthodox theologian denies that this is a mystery, but it is not a contradiction. While the Trinity may go beyond reason, it does not go against reason. It is beyond finite ability to comprehend how there can be three persons in one nature, but it is not beyond finite ability to apprehend the truthful (and noncontradictory) nature of both premises.

   Illustrations of the Trinity

   Many illustrations of the Trinity have been offered down through the centuries. Some are good and some are not. The bad ones usually imply some heresy such as modalism or tritheism.

   Poor Illustrations of the Trinity

   • Three States of Water
   One often-used bad illustration is that the Trinity is like water, which has three states (solid, liquid, and gas). The problem with this is that no given drop of water is in all three states at the same time. 5 Yet God is both three and one at the same time. So despite the good intentions, this illustration implies the heresy of modalism (that God has one essence but is not three distinct persons).
   • Three Links in a Chain
   Another poor example offered of the Trinity is a three-link chain. The problem here is that the links are three different things. So in spite of whatever good motivations there may be behind it, what is being illustrated is tritheism, not trinitarianism. God is only one thing (substance), not three different ones joined together in some way.
   • Human Body, Soul, and Spirit
   Yet another faulty illustration of the Trinity is that God is like man, who has body, soul, and spirit and yet is one. Even apart from the implied trichotomy (see part 2), one problem with this is that the human soul and body separate at death. The members of the Godhead are inseparable. Further, God has no body—He is pure Spirit (John 4:24).
   • One Actor Playing Three Roles
   Most of us have seen a play where one person plays two or more roles. However, this is actually an illustration of the Sabellian heresy, not of the orthodox Trinity. In the latter, there are three different persons who exist and perform at the same time, yet share only one divine essence.

   Better Illustrations of the Trinity
   No illustration of the Trinity is perfect, but some are more helpful than others. Those that are better involve things where three different elements exist in an undivided oneness at the same time.

   • A Triangle
   God is like a triangle, which is one figure yet has three different sides at the same time—there is a simultaneous threeness in the oneness. Of course, no analogy is perfect, since in every analogy there is a similarity and a difference. The difference here is that “corners” are not persons. Nonetheless, they do illustrate how there can be a “threeness” and a oneness at the same time.
   • One to the Third Power
   Another helpful illustration is that God is like one to the third power (1×1×1=1). God is three ones in One; He is not 1+1+1=3. That is the heresy of tritheism, which holds three different gods, not just one God.
   • Love Is Trifold
   “God is Love” (1 John 4:16), and love involves three elements: A lover, a beloved, and a spirit of love. These three are one. One advantage of this example is that it has a personal dimension, in that love is something only a person does.
   • Mind, Ideas, and Words
   Further, God is like the relation between my mind, my ideas, and my words. They are all distinct, yet they are united, for one’s words cannot be separated from his ideas, and his mind behind them.
   • Allah and the Qur’an
   For Muslims (who deny the Trinity), a good illustration is the relationship between the Qur’an (which they believe is the eternal Word of God) and God (Allah), who expressed that Word. They believe there is only one God and that His Word is distinct from Him. Yet they also hold that there is a unity between them, since there is a unity between God and His Word. So they are admitting a plurality and yet unity between God and His eternal Word. The Qur’an is not identical to Allah, and yet it is one with God, who supposedly expressed Himself in the words of the Qur’an (see Geisler and Saleeb, AI, chapter 12).

   Geisler, N. L. (2003). Systematic theology, volume two: God, creation (pp. 278–294). Minneapolis, MN: Bethany House Publishers.

5. 

   Grant on January 19, 2018 at 8:34 pm

   Anthony, here is the historical basis for the Trinity:

   THE HISTORICAL BASIS FOR GOD’S TRIUNITY

   Not all doctrine is revealed immediately and completely by God; most teachings are revealed progressively. This is true of the Trinity.

   The Early Church Fathers on the Trinity

   The earliest Fathers of the church spoke of the Trinity by doctrine and even by name. This begins with a disciple of one of Jesus’ apostles.

   Polycarp (c. 70–155)
   Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna, was taught by the apostle John. He wrote, “May the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ Himself, who is the Son of God, and our everlasting High Priest, build you up in faith and truth” (EPE, chapter 12).

   Ignatius
   “Our Physician is the only true God, the unbegotten and unapproachable, the Lord of all, the Father and Begetter of the only-begotten Son. We have also as a Physician the Lord our God, Jesus the Christ, the only-begotten Son and Word, before time began; but who afterward became also man, of Mary the virgin” (ibid., chapter 7).

   Justin Martyr
   Justin, an early Christian apologist right after the apostles, affirmed the Trinity: “The most true God is the Father of righteousness.… We worship and adore Him, the Son (who came forth from Him and taught us these things, along with the host of the other good angels who follow and are made like Him), and the prophetic Spirit” (in Bercot, DECB, 652).

   Irenaeus
   Irenaeus learned under Polycarp, the disciple of John, and later became bishop of Lyons. He asserted the doctrine of the Trinity in these words:

   The church, though dispersed throughout the whole world, even to the ends of the earth, has received from the apostles and their disciples this faith in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are in them; and in one Christ Jesus, the Son of God, who became incarnate for our salvation; and in the Holy Spirit. (AH in Roberts and Donaldson, ANF, X, 1)
   One God the Father is declared, who is above all, through all, and in all. The Father is indeed above all, and He is the Head of Christ. But the Word is through all things and is Himself the Head of the church. While the Spirit is in us all, and He is the living water, (in Bercot, DECB, 652)

   Clement of Alexandria
   Clement affirmed that “the universal Father is one. The universal Word is one. And the Holy Spirit is one” (ibid., 652).

   Tertullian
   Tertullian, an African apologist and theologian, was the first to use the term “Trinity,” though the truth of the Trinity was taught in the New Testament and by church Fathers before him. He declared,

   We define that there are two, the Father and the Son, and three with the Holy Spirit, and this number is made by the pattern of salvation … [which] brings about unity in Trinity, interrelating the three, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. They are three, not in dignity, but in degree, not in substance but in form, not in power but in kind. They are of one substance and power, because there is one God from whom these degrees, forms and kinds devolve in the name of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. (PAH, 23)

   He added, “I testify that the Father, the Son, and the Spirit are inseparable from each other.… My assertion is that the Father is one, the Son is one, and the Spirit is one—and that they are all distinct from each other” (in Bercot, DECB, 653).

   Origen
   Origen was an Alexandrian defender of Christianity. He too defended the Trinity, writing,

   If anyone would say that the Word of God [Christ] or the Wisdom of God had a beginning, let him beware lest he direct his impiety rather against the unbegotten Father, since he denies that he was always Father.… There can be no more ancient title of almighty God than that of Father, and it is through the son that he is Father. (DP in Roberts and Donaldson, ANF, 1.2)

   Further, “the Holy Spirit would never have been reckoned in the unity of the trinity, i.e., along with the unchangeable Father and His Son, unless He had always been the Holy Spirit” (ibid., 1:111:4).
   Origin spoke of the fact that

   the person of the Holy Spirit was of such authority and dignity, that saving baptism was not complete except by the authority of the most excellent Trinity of them all, i.e., by the naming of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and by joining them to the unbegotten God the Father, and to His only-begotten Son, the name also of the Holy Spirit, (ibid., 1.2)

   Athenagoras

   Though the poets, in their fictions, represent the gods as no better than men, our mode of thinking is not the same as theirs, concerning either God the Father or the Son. But the Son of God is the Logos of the Father, in idea and in operation; for after the pattern of Him and by Him were all things made, the Father and the Son being one. And, the Son being in the Father and the Father in the Son, in oneness and power of spirit, the understanding and reason. (WA, 10 in Roberts and Donaldson, ANF, II)
   Who, then, would not be astonished to hear men called atheists who speak of God the Father, and of God the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and who declare both their power in union and their distinction in order?
   We acknowledge a God, and a Son (His Logos [“Word”]), and a Holy Spirit. These are united in essence—the Father, the Son, and the Spirit. Now, the Son is the Intelligence, Reason, and Wisdom of the Father. And the Spirit is an emanation, as light from fire, (in Bercot, DECB, 652)
   That we are not atheists, therefore, seeing that we acknowledge one God, uncreated, eternal, invisible, impassible, incomprehensible, illimitable, who is apprehended by the understanding only and the reason, who is encompassed by light, and beauty, and spirit, and power ineffable, by whom the universe has been created through His Logos, and set in order, and is kept in being—I have sufficiently demonstrated. (I say “His Logos,” for we acknowledge also a Son of God. Nor let any one think it ridiculous that God should have a Son … ). But the Son of God is the Logos of the Father, in idea and in operation; for after the pattern of Him and by Him were all things made, the Father and the Son being one. And, the Son being in the Father and the Father in the Son, in oneness and power of spirit, the understanding and reason of the Father is the Son of God.… I will state briefly that He is the first product of the Father, not as having been brought into existence (for from the beginning, God, who is the eternal mind, had the Logos in Himself, being from eternity instinct with Logos … ). The Holy Spirit Himself also, which operates in the prophets, we assert to be an effluence of God, flowing from Him, and returning back again like a beam of the sun. Who, then, would not be astonished to hear men who speak of God the Father, and of God the Son, and of the Holy Spirit and who declare both their power in union and their distinction in order, called atheists? (op. cit.)

   Hippolytus

   Therefore, a man … is compelled to acknowledge God the Father Almighty, and Christ Jesus the Son of God—who, being God, became man, to whom also the Father made all things subject (Himself excepted)—and the Holy Spirit; and that these are three [Persons]. However, if he desires to know how it is shown that there is still one God, let him know that His power is one. As far as regards the power, therefore, God is one. But as far as regards the Economy, there is a threefold manifestation, (in Bercot, DECB, 655)

   Novatian of Rome

   Novatian, a bishop in Rome, wrote a work titled De Trinitate De Reula Fidei, defending the deity of Christ and the Trinity. He declared,

   The rule of truth demands that, first of all, we believe in God the Father and Almighty Lord.… The same rule of truth teaches us to believe, after the Father, also in the Son of God, Christ Jesus, our Lord God, but the Son of God.… Moreover, the order of reason and the authority of faith … admonishes us, after this, to believe also in the Holy Ghost, (in Roberts and Donaldson, ANF, 21)

   Gregory Thaumaturgus
   Gregory was the pupil of Origen and bishop of Neo-Caesaria who played a prominent part in the Synod of Antioch (A.D. 269). He confessed,

   There is one God, the Father of the living Word.… There is one Lord, one of one (only of only), God of God, the true Son of the true Father, Invisible of Invisible, and Immortal of Immortal, and Everlasting of Everlasting. And there is one Holy Ghost … a perfect Trinity, not divided nor differing in glory and eternity and sovereignty. (DF, 7 in ibid., 25)

   The Early Creeds and Councils on the Trinity

   As was shown above, the Fathers of the first two centuries after Christ followed the teachings of the New Testament in affirming the Trinity. In the next two centuries the universal church affirmed that the doctrine of the Trinity was normative for all believers.

   The Apostles’ Creed
   The Trinity is implied in the Apostles’ Creed, which, in its old Roman form, declares: “I believe in God the Father Almighty. And in Jesus Christ his only begotten Son our Lord.… And in the Holy Ghost” (in Schaff, CC, 47–48). The Trinity was made explicit by later church councils when the proponents of Arianism denied what was taught from the time of the apostles.

   The Council of Constantinople (A.D. 381)
   This great ecumenical council declared as a norm for orthodoxy:

   I believe in one God the Father Almighty: maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all Worlds, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father.… And [I believe] in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of Life, (ibid., 58–59)

   The Council of Chalcedon (A.D. 451)
   By the time of this second great ecumenical council, deviant doctrines called for an even more explicit statement on the Trinity. It declared,

   We, then, following the holy Fathers, all with one consent, teach men to confess one and the same Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, the same perfect in Godhead and also perfect in manhood; truly God and truly man, of a reasonable rational soul and body; consubstantial with the Father according to the Godhead, and consubstantial with us according to the Manhood … one and the same Christ, Son, Lord, Only-begotten, to be acknowledged in two natures, inconfusedly, unchangeably, in-divisibly, inseparably; the distinction of natures being by no means taken away by the union, but rather the property of each nature being preserved, and concurring in one Person and one Subsistence, not parted or divided into two persons, but one and the same Son, and only begotten, God the Word, the Lord Jesus Christ. (ibid., 62)

   Geisler, N. L. (2003). Systematic theology, volume two: God, creation (pp. 298–303). Minneapolis, MN: Bethany House Publishers.

6. 

   NICKY FOSIKO on June 19, 2023 at 4:35 pm

   Powerful