The word trinity is not found in the Bible but it is the name given to the concept that although there is only one God He has revealed Himself to us using three distinct views of Himself. To us He is, our creator and father - Yehovah, our saviour and brother - Jesus, our comforter and helper - the Holy Spirit.
Some mock the concept due to its apparent illogical complexity but mankind may be the most intelligent being on the earth but compared to God our intelligence is pitiful. This Almighty God is so amazingly big He can think and care about each one of us all the time. How can we understand fully Him who created space, matter, time and all the incredible complexity and beauty in the universe?
Man arrogantly and foolishly presumes that if God exists He must be able to be simple to understand. For us to communicate with say a dog or a horse we have to compensate for the animals intellectual limitations. Likewise God to overcome the limitations of our intellectual capabilities has revealed His nature too us by giving us three views of Himself.
Through the scriptures we see God progressively revealing more and more of His nature to us. Through Moses God said:
Unto thee it was showed, that thou might know that Yehovah he is God; there is none else beside him … Know therefore this day, and consider it in thine heart, that Yehovah he is God in heaven above, and upon the earth beneath: there is none else. [Deu 4:35&39]
Later through Isaiah the prophet the uniqueness of God is confirmed again.
You are my witnesses, says Yehovah, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. I, even I, am Yehovah; and beside me there is no saviour.
[Isa 43:10&11]
I am Yehovah, and there is none else, there is no God beside me. [Isa 45:5]
In the Old Testament the coming of Jesus and who He was, was clearly foretold.
… Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel (Literally: God with us). [Isa 7:14]
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. [Isa 9:6]
Several times in the New Testament Jesus is referred to as, the Son of God. In the Old Testament the phrase, son of man, is used to refer to a man. Likewise, the Son of the one and only true God is the one and only true God. The phrase Son of God does not make complete logical sense in the English language this is because it is a poetic figure of speech in the original Hebrew culture. The Jewish leaders, at the time of Christ, understood the phrase Son of God to mean God.
Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him because He … said that God was His Father making Himself equal with God. [Joh 5:18]
It was not long after this before the Jews sought to stone him for this blasphemy again:
Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. Then took they up stones to cast at him. [Joh 8:58-59]
And again:
I and my Father are one. Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him. Jesus answered them, Many good works have I showed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me? The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, make thyself God. [Joh 10:30-33]
Jesus also claimed He deserved the same honour as the Father:
… all should honour the Son just as they honour the Father. [Joh 5:23]
The name Yehovah is related to the name I AM [Exo 3:14] God said that was His name when Moses asked God what His name was. When describing himself Jesus was claiming to be “I am”:
Most assuredly I say to you before Abraham was I AM [Joh 8:58]
I AM the bread of life. [Joh 6:35]
I AM the light of the world. [Joh 8:12]
I AM the door of the sheep. [Joh 10:7]
I AM the good Shepherd. [Joh 10:11]
I AM the resurrection and the life. [Joh 11:25]
I AM the way, the truth and the life. [Joh 14:6]
I AM the true vine … [Joh 15:1]
For if you do not believe that I AM you will die in your sins. [Joh 8:24]
In Genesis we are told Yehovah God is the creator of the world
Yehovah God made the earth and the heavens.
[Gen 2:4]
In the New Testament Jesus is referred to several times as the creator of the world
He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. [Joh 1:10]
For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, [Col 1:16]
God, who created all things by Jesus Christ [Eph 3:9]
The discipe Thomas thought Jesus was God.
And Thomas answered and said to Him “My Lord and my God”. [Joh 20:28]
And so did many other writers of the New Testament here are a few quotes:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. … And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us … the only begotten of the Father. [Joh 1:1&14]
… according to the flesh Christ came who is over all the eternally blessed God. Amen [Rom 9:5]
… looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ ... [Tit 2:13]
For in Him (Christ) dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power. [Col 2:9&10]
To those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Saviour Jesus Christ. [2Pe 1:1]
Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which He has purchased with his own blood. [Act 20:28]
Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. [1Jn 3:16]
The New Testament sometimes quotes the Old Testament applying it to Jesus where the original clearly spoke of Yehovah.
Heb 1:8-9 quotes Psa 45:6-7
Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. [Heb 1:8-9]
Heb 1:10-12 quotes Psa 102:25-27
Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands: They shall perish; but thou remain; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail. [Heb 1:10-12]
Rom 10:13 quotes Joel 2:32
For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. [Rom 10:13]
John 1:23 quotes Isa 40:3
Make straight the way of the Lord
Acts 2:34-35 quotes Psa 110:1
Yehovah (The LORD) said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, Until I make thy foes thy footstool.
The verse below from Philippians is also clearly referring to the verse underneath it from Isaiah.
Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
[Phi 2:9-11]
I am God, and there is none else. I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.
[Isa 45:22-23]
Here are a few of the many verses that give the same titles to Yehovah as to Jesus
| Title | Yehovah | Jesus |
|---|---|---|
| The First and the Last | Isa 44:6 | Rev 1:17 & 22:13 |
| King of Kings & Lord of Lords | 1Ti 6:15 | Rev 17:14 & 19:16 |
| Saviour | Isa 43:11 & 45:21 | Luk 2:11 |
| Shepherd | Psa 23:1 & Isa 40:11 | Joh 10:11 & Heb 13:20 |
| Rock | Isa 44:8 | 1 Cor 10:4 |
| Righteous Judge | Psa 7:11 | 2Ti 4:8 |
| Creator | Psa 102:25 | Heb 1:10 |
| Source of Living Water | Jer 17:13 | Joh 4:10 & 7:37 |
| Husband | Isa 54:5 & 62:5 | 2Co 11:2 |
| Almighty | Gen 17:1 | Mat 28:18 |
| Forgiver of sins | Isa 43:25 | Act 5:31 |
It is well documented that Rabbi’s at the time of Christ taught that the Messiah would do three healings that they could not. The Messiah would heal Jewish lepers, cast out dumb spirits and heal those born blind.
It is recorded that Jesus healed a Jewish leper in Luke 5:12-16. By sending the man to declare his healing to the priests Jesus was indicating He was the Messiah to them.
When the crowd heard Jesus had healed a dumb man as recorded in Matthew 12:22-23 they asked if Jesus was “The Son of David” one of many titles of the coming Messiah.
Jesus healed a man born blind as recorded in John 9:1-12. This was a sign that Jesus was Messiah (Christ) so the man was brought before the Pharisees but everyone was careful they did not call Jesus the Christ because they feared what the Pharisees would do to them if they did. John 9:22.
Though these three specific healings Jesus challenged the religious leaders using their own teachings that he was the Messiah.
So having seen that Yehovah and Jesus are one how does the Holy Spirit fit in. In the Old Testament God says:
A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes ... [Eze 36:26&27]
God puts His Spirit within us by the Holy Spirit. John the Baptist said about Jesus:
I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: [Mat 3:11]
Jesus said:
If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?
[Luk 11:13]
Jesus also promises that He and the Father would be within them.
If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. [Joh 14:23]
Peter ended the first Gospel message by saying that the Holy Spirit was the promise so long waited for.
Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off ...[Act 2:38&39]
Receiving the Holy Spirit is the most often used scriptural phrase given to the experience of allowing God to come to live in us. There are a number of verses particularly in John chapters 14 to 16 where the Holy Spirit is spoken of as a person.
But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things … the Spirit of truth … [Joh 14:26&15:26]
Peter equates lying to the Holy Spirit to lying to God:
But Peter said “Ananias why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit … Thou hast not lied unto men but unto God.” [Act 5:3&4]
Paul said that the Lord Jesus was the Holy Spirit
Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. [2Co 3:17]
So God has revealed Himself to us using three faces Yehovah, Jesus and the Holy Spirit, these are all the one and only true God. To a man’s finite mind this causes some logical problems, but God is infinitely bigger than our logic. This one is three and three is one concept came out of the church needing to defend truth as heresy arose. A mountain that has three faces is still only one mountain. A musical chord has three notes but it has a unique sound. There are those who over-simplistically represent the trinity as:
1 + 1 + 1 = 1
and mock it as absurd. But God being infinite (∞) the trinity is more accurately represented as:
∞ + ∞ + ∞ = ∞
which is logical correct.
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