Trinity, The

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Aim & Thesis

Aim. Demonstrate from Scripture (with original-language analysis) that God is one in essence and eternally three in person—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—without logical contradiction.
Thesis. The Bible consistently teaches (1) monotheism; (2) full deity of Father, Son, and Spirit; (3) personal distinction among the three; and (4) inseparable operations in creation, redemption, and consummation. “Trinity” is a doctrinal label summarizing these data.

I. Exegesis

A) Biblical Monotheism (one God by nature/essence)

  • Deut 6:4 “YHWH is one” (YHWH ’eḥād): uniqueness/exclusivity, not a headcount of parts.

  • Isa 43:10–11; 44:6–8; 45:5–7: YHWH alone is God; no rivals.

  • 1 Cor 8:4–6: “There is no God but one.” Paul reframes the Shema christologically: “one God, the Father… and one Lord (kyrios), Jesus Christ,” applying the LXX title of YHWH to the Son.

Observation. Scripture fixes numerical oneness of the divine essence/being.

B) The Father is God

  • Assumed throughout (e.g., John 6:27; 17:1–3; Eph 1:3). No dispute.

C) The Son is fully God

1) Direct predicates/titles and YHWH-texts applied to the Son

  • John 1:1: kai theos ēn ho logos — anarthrous, pre-verbal predicate nominative; quality of nature: “the Word was God,” not “a god.” (Greek: theos [θεός]; see grammar note below.)

  • John 20:28: Thomas to Jesus, “My Lord and my God!” (ho theos mou).

  • Rom 9:5 (best reading): “Christ… who is God over all, blessed forever.”

  • Titus 2:13; 2 Pet 1:1: Granville Sharp construction—“our God and Savior Jesus Christ.”

  • Col 2:9: “In him the whole fullness of deity (theotēs) dwells bodily.”

  • Heb 1:8–12: To the Son, “Your throne, O God…” and Psalm 102 (a YHWH text) applied to the Son (Creator, immutable).

  • Phil 2:9–11: Isa 45:23 (YHWH) fulfilled in Jesus—every knee bows to Jesus as Lord (Kyrios = LXX for YHWH).

2) Divine works & prerogatives

  • Creation through the Son (John 1:3; Col 1:16; Heb 1:2).

  • Forgiveness/judgment/worship belong to him (Mark 2:5–12; John 5:22–23; Rev 5:11–14).

Grammar notes (key texts).

  • John 1:1c: the absence of the article with theos does not make it indefinite; it is qualitative (“what God is, the Word is”).

  • Titus 2:13; 2 Pet 1:1: article-substantive-kai-substantive (singular personal nouns) → the two nouns refer to one person (Jesus Christ), hence “our God and Savior, Jesus Christ.”

D) The Holy Spirit is fully God and personally distinct

1) Deity

  • Acts 5:3–4: lying to the Holy Spirit = lying to God.

  • 1 Cor 3:16; 6:19: believers are God’s temple because they are indwelt by the Spirit.

  • Ps 139:7 (omniscience/omnipresence ascribed in NT ministry: 1 Cor 2:10–11).

2) Personhood (not an impersonal force)

  • The Spirit speaks, wills, intercedes, can be grieved (Acts 13:2; 1 Cor 12:11; Rom 8:26–27; Eph 4:30).

  • Jesus uses personal language for the Paraclete (John 14–16); the Spirit testifies and guides.

E) Personal distinction (not modalism)

  • Jesus’ baptism (Matt 3:16–17): Son baptized; Spirit descends; Father speaks. Three simultaneous agents.

  • John 14–16: the Son prays to the Father to send another Paraclete; the Spirit proceeds from the Father and is sent by the Son (15:26; 16:7).

  • 1 John 2:1; Rom 8:34: the Son intercedes with the Father—interpersonal relation.

  • John 17: the Son addresses the Father; pre-incarnate glory shared (17:5).

F) Triadic/Trinitarian patterns

  • Matt 28:19: “baptizing them into the name (eis to onoma; singular) of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Singular name + three coordinated persons.

  • 2 Cor 13:14: “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”

  • Eph 4:4–6; 1 Pet 1:2; Jude 20–21: multiple triadic benedictions and summaries.

G) Old Testament trajectories (seed-forms)

  • God’s Word (dābār), Wisdom (Prov 8), and Spirit (rûaḥ) act personally; the Angel of YHWH speaks as God and is distinguished from God (e.g., Exod 3; Judg 13).

  • The OT is fiercely monotheistic yet plurality-sensitive in God’s self-manifestation, providing categories later clarified when the Son and Spirit are fully revealed (Heb 1:1–2).

H) Textual Variant of Note (significant for the topic)

  • 1 John 5:7–8 (Comma Johanneum) — the Trinitarian clause “the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one” in the KJV/TR is not original to John. It is absent from the earliest Greek manuscripts and is omitted in NA/UBS editions. The doctrine does not depend on this text; it rests on the passages above.

II. Theological Analysis

A) Coherence: Why “1 God in 3 Persons” is not a contradiction

A contradiction would assert A = ¬A in the same respect. Trinitarian doctrine distinguishes two respects:

  1. What God is (essence/being, Gk. ousia): one.

  2. Who God is (persons, Gk. hypostaseis): three—Father, Son, Spirit.

We are not saying “1 = 3,” but one essence and three persons. The “is” used of deity (“the Son is God”) is predication (shares the one divine nature), not identity (“the Son is the Father,” which Scripture denies).

B) Classical summary (doctrinal guardrails)

  • Consubstantiality (homoousios): the three are one in being (John 10:30; Heb 1).

  • Personal distinctions by relations of origin: the Father is unbegotten; the Son is eternally begotten of the Father (John 1:14, 18; 5:26); the Spirit proceeds from the Father (John 15:26; sent by the Son).

  • Inseparable operations: all external works of God are the work of the one God—from the Father, through the Son, by the Spirit (cf. Eph 1:3–14; Rom 11:36).

  • Economic roles vs ontological equality: the Son’s incarnate obedience (“the Father is greater than I,” John 14:28) expresses missional role, not inferior nature (Phil 2:5–11).

C) Arminian/Provisionist & classic Dispensational synthesis; Reformed contrast

  • Synthesis. The same Triune God who is one in being acts in ordered missions: the Father plans, the Son accomplishes, the Spirit applies redemption. Human response (faith/obedience) is real and responsible under the Spirit’s enabling.

  • Reformed contrast (brief). Substantial agreement on Nicene Trinitarianism; difference emerges chiefly in soteriological mechanics (e.g., effectual calling). Both affirm one simple God in three persons acting inseparably.

III. Historical Context (very brief map)

  • NT era: triadic patterns and explicit deity of Son/Spirit embedded in worship (baptism, benedictions, doxologies).

  • 2nd–3rd c.: Tertullian coins Trinitas; defenses against modalism (Sabellius) and subordinationism (Arius).

  • Nicaea (325) affirms the Son is homoousios with the Father; Constantinople (381) clarifies the Spirit’s full deity and personhood.

  • Cappadocians (Basil, Gregory of Nazianzus, Gregory of Nyssa) articulate “one ousia, three hypostases.”

  • Augustine (De Trinitate) consolidates Western articulation: equality of persons, unity of essence, inseparable operations.

(Patristic voices are historical witnesses; Scripture remains normative.)

IV. Objections & Replies (text-anchored)

  1. “The word ‘Trinity’ isn’t in the Bible.”
    Neither are “incarnation” or “omnipresence” as terms; the doctrines are biblically derived summaries. The NT data above force the triune conclusion.

  2. “1 = 3 is illogical.”
    The doctrine distinguishes essence (one) and person (three). No violation of non-contradiction because the claims are not in the same respect.

  3. “The Son is ‘firstborn of creation’ (Col 1:15), so created.”
    Prōtotokos (“firstborn”) in context denotes rank/primacy, not origin; verse 16 immediately says “by him all things were created,” excluding him from the creature class.

  4. “The Father is ‘greater’ (John 14:28).”
    In the economic sense (incarnate mission), the Son submits; ontologically he is equal (John 5:18; 10:30; Phil 2:6).

  5. “The Spirit is a force.”
    Scripture ascribes intellect, will, speech, grief to the Spirit (see above); he sends, speaks, wills, intercedes—personal acts.

  6. “Isn’t 1 John 5:7 (KJV) the main Trinitarian proof?”
    It is not original; but the doctrine rests securely on many uncontested texts (Matt 28:19; John 1:1; Acts 5:3–4; 2 Cor 13:14; Heb 1, etc.).

V. Practical Implications (brief)

  1. Worship: Christian worship is to the Father, through the Son, in the Spirit (Eph 2:18; Jude 20–21).

  2. Prayer & life: Pray to the Father, in Jesus’ name, by the Spirit’s help (Rom 8:26–27).

  3. Mission: Baptize into the one Name of the three (Matt 28:19); proclaim the Son in the Spirit’s power to the glory of the Father.

  4. Sanctification: Inseparable operations ground assurance—what the Father purposes, the Son secures, the Spirit applies (Eph 1).

Key Texts (grouped for study)

  • Monotheism: Deut 6:4; Isa 43–45; 1 Cor 8:4–6.

  • Son’s Deity: John 1:1; 20:28; Rom 9:5; Titus 2:13; 2 Pet 1:1; Col 2:9; Heb 1:8–12; Phil 2:9–11.

  • Spirit’s Deity/Personhood: Acts 5:3–4; 1 Cor 3:16; 12:11; Eph 4:30.

  • Triadic formulas: Matt 28:19; 2 Cor 13:14; Eph 4:4–6; 1 Pet 1:2; Jude 20–21.

  • Personal distinctions: Matt 3:16–17; John 14–17; Rom 8:34; 1 John 2:1.

  • Operations: Eph 1:3–14; Rom 11:36.

Select Conservative Resources (SBL style; for deeper work)

Grammars & Lexica

  • Wallace, Daniel B. Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996 (esp. Granville Sharp, qualitative theos in John 1:1).

  • Arndt, William, Frederick W. Danker, and Walter Bauer. A Greek–English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 3rd ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000 (BDAG).

Exegetical & Theological

  • Warfield, Benjamin B. “The Biblical Doctrine of the Trinity.” In Biblical and Theological Studies. Philadelphia: Presbyterian & Reformed, 1952.

  • Letham, Robert. The Holy Trinity: In Scripture, History, Theology, and Worship. 2nd ed. Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R, 2019.

  • Sanders, Fred. The Deep Things of God: How the Trinity Changes Everything. 2nd ed. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2017.

  • Fee, Gordon D. God’s Empowering Presence: The Holy Spirit in the Letters of Paul. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1994.

  • Morris, Leon. The Gospel According to John. Rev. ed. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1995 (on John 1:1; 20:28).

  • Bruce, F. F. The Epistle to the Hebrews. Rev. ed. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1990 (on Heb 1).

  • Picirilli, Robert E. Grace, Faith, Free Will. Nashville: Randall House, 2002 (Arminian/Provisionist soteriology with classical Trinitarianism).

Textual Criticism (on 1 John 5:7–8)

  • Metzger, Bruce M., and Bart D. Ehrman. The Text of the New Testament: Its Transmission, Corruption, and Restoration. 4th ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 2005 (on Comma Johanneum).

  • Metzger, Bruce M. A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament. 2nd ed. Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, 1994.

Patristic (historical witness, subordinate to Scripture)

  • Athanasius. Orations against the Arians. NPNF2 4.

  • Basil of Caesarea. On the Holy Spirit.

  • Gregory of Nazianzus. Theological Orations (Or. 27–31).

  • Augustine. De Trinitate.

Summary

Scripture binds us to one God and compels us to confess the full deity and personal distinction of Father, Son, and Spirit. The church’s term “Trinity” is a faithful shorthand for that data. Properly stated, it is not “1=3,” but one essence, three persons—the God who saves: from the Father, through the Son, by the Spirit.

Categories: Difficult Passages, Word & Topic Studies