[7]

[7] God: Trinity

26. Where can we find the doctrine of Trinity in the Bible? What is the meaning of Trinity?

The word "Trinity" is never used in the Bible and the doctrine is never explicitly taught. The doctrine is developed from putting together biblical themes and Bible verses and then adding logic and reasoning.

a. Definitions:

Trinity: triune (tri=3, une=1) God, one God with three persons
Essense or substance of God: whatever it is to be God
Person: an entity with self-consciousness and self-determination

b. Essential elements of Trinity:

God is One.
Each of the persons within the Godhead is Deity: Father is God; Son is God; Holy Spirit is God.
The oneness of God and the threeness of God are not contradictory.
The Trinity (Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit) is eternal (co-eternal).
Each of the persons of God is of the same essence (consubstantial) and is not inferior or superior to the others (co-equal).
The Trinity is a mystery that is beyond full comprehension by humans.

c. God is one (Dt 6:4; Ex 3:13-15; 20:2-3; 1Co 8:4-6; 1Ti 1:17; 2:5-6; Jas 2:19) d. Three distinct persons as Deity: (at the same time Mt 3:16-17)
(1) Father is God (Jn 1:17; Ro 1:7; 1Co 8:6; Php 2:11; 1Pe 1:2)

(2) Son is God (Isa 9:6; Jn 1:1; Heb 1:1-13)

(3) Holy Spirit is God (Gen 1:1-2; Ex 31:3; Isa 11:2; Ac 5:3-4; 2Co 3:17)

(4) Appearance of the three simultaneously at the baptism of Jesus (Mt 3:16-17)

(5) All three in the apostolic benediction (2Co 13:14) – "May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all."

e. The oneness of God and threeness of God can exist simultaneously and yet not contradictory:

Gen 1:26 – God (singular) said, "Let us (plural) make man...."
Gen 11:7 – The Lord (singular) said, "… Come, let us (plural) go down…."
Isa 6:8 – Then I heard the voice of the Lord (singular) saying, "Whom shall I (singular) send? And whom will go for us (plural)?"
Mt 28:19 – "baptizing them in the name (singular) of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (plural)" [the baptismal formula]

f. All three persons are the same essence and with the same attributes:

Attribute	Father	Son	Holy Spirit
Eternality	Ps 90:2	Jn 1:2; Rev 1:8,17	Heb 9:14
Power	1Pe 1:5	2Co 12:9	Ro 15:19
Omniscience	Jer 17:10	Rev 2:23	1Co 2:11
Omnipresence	Jer 23:24	Mt 18:20	Ps 139:7
Holiness	Rev 15:4	Ac 3:14	Ac 1:8
Truth	Jn 7:28	Rev 3:7	1Jn 5:6
Benevolence	Ro 2:4	Eph 5:25	Neh 9:20

g. The three persons are equal with different roles in activities

Activity	Father	Son	Holy Spirit
Creation of the world	Ps 102:25	Col 1:16	Gen 1:2
Creation of man	Gen 2:7	Col 1:16	Job 33:4
Baptism of Christ	Mt 3:17	Mt 3:16	Mt 3:16
Death of Christ	Heb 9:14	Heb 9:14	Heb 9:14

h. Analogies of Trinity:

Many people tried to use analogies to help Christians understand the meaning of Trinity, including:

(1) sun: body, heat, light

(2) water: solid, liquid, gas

(3) man: spirit (spiritual realm), soul (mental realm), body (physical realm)

(4) man (Freud): id (pleasure principle), ego (reality principle), superego (conscience)

(5) human pyschology: Thinking involves judgment, memory, and imagination. They are separate yet belong to the same person. They can have dialogue with each other (such as Christ’s prayer to the Father, Mt 26:39,42) but they work as a unity.

The first four analogies have serious problems. The last analogy is the best analogy of all available ones, though still not completely accurate.

i. Main heresies related to the doctrine of Trinity

(1) Arianism: led by Arius

held that the Son was a created being, the first and highest of all creatures, a demigod; the Son has similar essence as the Father (Latin homoiousios) but not the same essence (homoousios) which is the orthodox belief
the Son is called God as an honorific title only and is not truly Deity
Arianism was formally condemned at the Council of Nicaea in AD 325.
A similar heresy called Macedonianism denied the Deity of the Holy Spirit. It was formally condemned at the Council of Constantinople in AD 381.

(2) Sabellianism: led by Sabellius

held that God is a unity and He revealed Himself in three different modes or playing three roles: as Father in OT, Son in NT, Holy Spirit in the present
Sabellianism was influential in early 3rd century; it was rejected but never formally condemned.

27. What is the purpose of creation? a. Purpose of creation:

The creation manifests the glory of God (Isa 43:7; 60:21; Ps 19:1).
God determined to communicate the divine glory and to share goodness with His creatures (meaning the created) out of His love and benevolence so that mankind would express their gratitude, love and adoration (Ro 11:36; Eph 1:12,14).

b. The universe was created "out of nothing" (Gr. ex nihilo), not from previously existing materials but simply by the command of God. This term (ex nihilo) is not found in the Bible but in an Apocrypha book II Maccabees 7:28, but the concept is clearly taught in Ps 33:9; 148:5; Heb 11:3. c. Divine providence: God has not stopped His work after creation. Presently, He continues to preserve and uphold all His creation.

General providence: God is active in all that happens in the world (Ps 145:15; Neh 9:6; Ac 17:28). He controls history (Da 2:21) and He directs all things to their appointed end (Col 1:17).
Special providence: God cares for the life and activity of His children (Ps 37:23; Php 1:28). "In all things God works for the good of those who love Him." (Ro 8:28)