by Rev. James McRobbie ©Pillar of Fire, International |
"Although
it is impossible for the mortal mind to fully grasp this sublime and great
mystery, yet the fact of [the Trinity] is clearly expressed in the Scriptures." |
Learn more about the power of the Holy Spirit for personal holiness
through Sanctification
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Living Word] [Back: Chapter 3] [Next:
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Chapter 4 Contents: |What Is the Trinity?|
|The Trinity and the Scriptures| |Various
Phases of Trinity| |Conclusion|
[What the Bible Teaches refers to numerous
passages from the Bible. Your study will be greatly enhanced by looking
up the verses as you go along. If you want to look up Bible verses online
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the Bible and this study. All quotations in What the Bible Teaches
are from the King James Version [KJV] unless otherwise specified.]
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Chapter 4: What the Bible Teaches ABOUT
THE HOLY TRINITY
"I bind unto myself today
The strong name of the
Trinity,
By invocation of the
same,
The Three in One, and
One in Three."
The doctrine of
the Holy Trinity is a fact definitely revealed in the Bible, although obviously
one of the sublime mysteries of God and beyond human comprehension. Although
denied by the ancient Socinians and Arians, as well as by modern Unitarians
and others, still apostolic teaching was very clear on this subject. There
is, for instance, the apostolic benediction giving equal reverence and
dignity to Father, Son, and Spirit [2 Corinthians 13:14], and likewise
the baptismal formula of Matthew 28:19.
St. Patrick,
patron saint of Ireland, would often, in the midst of a sermon, find it
convenient and elucidating to stoop down, pick up the three-bladed shamrock,
and from it expound and explain the mystery and doctrine of the Trinity.
What is the Trinity?
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The English
word "Trinity" is derived from the Latin word, trinitas, which is
a compound word, from tres, three, and unis, one, signifying
three in one. This word, "Trinity," is not found in the English Bible;
yet that is no warrant for denying our scriptural belief in this doctrine.
The Jews were
strict monotheists; they held tenaciously to the doctrine of one God, and
their basic scripture for this, of course, was Deuteronomy 6:4, "Hear,
O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord." Strangely enough, the Hebrew word
for God in this scripture is Elohim,
a plural noun, while the word for "one Lord" is echad, signifying
a compound unity, that is, several in one. Therefore, this verse, so prominent
in ancient Jewish teaching, literally reveals the Trinity.
As against the
monotheistic teaching of the Hebrews, the Gentile nations were fanatical
polytheists. At the beginning of the Christian era the Greeks and Romans
had virtually thousands of gods. When Paul visited Athens he found the
people so conscientious that they had erected an altar to the UNKNOWN GOD.
To hold to the
teaching of the Trinity is not to suppose that there are three Gods in
one God, or to understand that there are three persons in one person. That
there are three persons cannot be denied, for the personal pronouns, I,
Thou, and Me, are attributed equally to each. Jesus, when speaking of the
Spirit, said: "When he is come." God so loved the world that He gave "his
only begotten Son." These three Persons, being three distinct intelligent
Beings, are nevertheless one and the same Being and, although each is endowed
with separate intelligence, miraculous powers, and eternal existence, they
are nevertheless not three Gods but ONE GOD. This great fact, the unity
of the Godhead, constitutes the foundation upon which the whole structure
of the Christian church is built.
The battle regarding
the unity and divinity of the Holy Trinity raged in the early centuries
of the church. Athanasius (293-373) spoke out clearly in this respect when
he said: "The catholic [universal] faith is this: that we worship one God
in trinity, and trinity in unity; neither confounding the Persons nor dividing
the Substance. For there is one Person of the Father, another of the Son,
and another of the Holy Ghost. But the Godhead of the Father, and of the
Son, and of the Holy Ghost, is all one; the glory equal, the majesty co-eternal,
and in this Trinity, none is afore or after other; none is greater or less
than another; but the whole three Persons are co-eternal together and co-equal."
The Trinity and
the Scriptures
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The Trinity can be seen in the first
two verses of the Bible. "In the beginning God created" [Genesis 1:1].
The Hebrew word for God in this instance [as in Deuteronomy 6:4] is Elohim,
the plural noun for God, Eloah being the singular. Therefore God
the Creator in this opening verse has reference to the Father and the Son.
John distinctly reminds us that the Son was in the "beginning" with the
Father, and that all things were "made by him," that is, by the "Word,"
who is the Son. In Genesis 1:2 there is a direct reference to the third
Person of the Trinity: "And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the
waters." In this same chapter, verse 26, the personal pronoun is used three
times in the plural form: "And God said, Let us make man in our
image, after our likeness." Thus in the opening chapter of the bible
the doctrine of the Trinity is fully established.
The Trinity at work is seen in St.
John's Gospel, "Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will
guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever
he shall hear, that shall he speak and he will show you things to come.
He shall glorify me, for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto
you" [John 16:13-15]. Here is the Father, the possessor of all things;
the Son our Lord Jesus Christ, the speaker, and He says, "All things that
the Father hath are mine," showing equality; then the Holy Spirit, the
divine Paraclete, the Spirit
of truth, is seen as the believer's true guide. In this He is seen as performing
His wondrous part in the Trinity as executive, doing the office work of
the Father and the Son.
On the occasion of the baptism of
our Lord we again have the Trinity revealed [Matthew 3:16-17]. Immediately
as Jesus stepped "from the water" [R.V.], the Father's voice was heard:
"This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" -- the Father's divine
approval of the Son. Then the "Spirit of God" was seen descending upon
Christ in the form of a dove, "lighting upon him." Here then, at the initiation
of the sacred ministry of Christ, we see present and in wondrous unity:
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit -- all working together.
God the Father is seen in the Scriptures
to be supreme over all in the Godhead. He is the "Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ," and, "Our Father which art in heaven" -- the "Father of eternity"
[Isaiah 9:6, marg. R.V.]. He is "love," He is "Spirit." He is
-
"The God of patience" [Romans 15:5].
-
"The God of hope" [Romans 15:13].
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"The God of peace" [Romans 15:33].
-
"The God of grace" [1 Peter 5:10].
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"God so loved the world":
He is omnipresent: "In him we live, and move, and have our being" [Acts
17:28]. He is the great "I AM." God, the "high and lofty one. . .inhabiteth
eternity" [Isaiah 57:15].
David, being a prophet, was inspired
to announce the Trinity as his source of comfort, fortitude, and blessing
in the familiar words of Psalm 27:1:
-
The Lord is my "light" [God the Father].
-
The Lord is my "salvation" [God the Son].
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The Lord is the "strength of my life" [God the Spirit].
The book above all that propounds the
divinity and Sonship of Jesus Christ is the fourth Gospel, John. This is
summed up unequivocally in John 20:31: "These are written, that ye might
believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye
might have life through his name." He plainly said, "I and my Father are
one" [John 10:30; John 17:22]. To Philip He said, "He that hath seen me
hath seen the Father" [John 14:9]. He is the author of salvation [Hebrews
5:9].
That Jesus is God, equal with God
[Philippians 2:6], and one with God is proved by the three great works
that were delegated to Him.
-
(1) Jesus is the Creator [John 1:3]. "By him
were all things created, and, by him all things consist" [Colossians 1:16-17;
Hebrews 1:10].
-
(2) Jesus is the Savior [John 3:16]. He is
the Son of man [Isaiah 7:14]. He took the sinner's place; became "sin for
us, [He] who knew no sin" [2 Corinthians 5:21]. He was able to say, "Thy
sins be forgiven thee" [Matthew 9:2], the sole prerogative of God.
-
(3) Jesus is the appointed Judge of all [Acts
17:31], for the Father hath "committed all judgment unto the Son" [John
5:22]. Referring to the last judgment, the Word says: "I saw the dead,
small and great, stand before God" [Revelation 20:12]. If Jesus is the
Judge then He is said here to be God.
In the Scriptures, Father, Son, and Spirit
are seen to be equally eternal.
Eternal God [Deuteronomy 33:27].
Eternal Christ [Hebrews 13:8].
Eternal Spirit [Hebrews 9:14].
In the story of Ananias and Sapphira
it can be seen that Ananias is said to "lie to the Holy Ghost," while in
the next verse it says, "Thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God" [Acts
5:3-4]. This reveals the fact that God the Father and God the Spirit are
one and the same Being.
Various Phases of
Trinity
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(1) The Trinity of experience. The Christian
religion is not just being religious, or trying to be good, or reformation.
Christianity is not a creed or a system; it is a life, even the life of
Christ. It is seen in sanctification,
and thirdly, that which is future, our glorification.
-
(2) The Trinity of witness. This is found in
1 John 5:8: "For there are three who bear witness, the Spirit, and the
water, and the blood" [R.V.] The water of baptism does not save, but when
we are baptized it is to witness to the world that we have died [been,
as it were, drowned] to self and to the world, and that we have accepted
the Christ life. This is a witness to the world. The second is the blood
of Jesus Christ, signifying His death, a witness before God and accepted
of and well-pleasing to Him. Then there is the witness we have within us
when we become Christians. "The Spirit himself beareth witness with our
spirit, that we are children of God" [Romans 8:16, R.V.].
-
(3) The Trinity of evil. This is expressed
by John as "The lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride
of life" [1 John 2:16]. The world, controlled by Satan, caters to man's
fallen body in multitudinous attractions and in soul-destroying and God-dishonoring
habits. The world has a superabundance of sensuous and degrading scenes
for evil eyes to feast on. [Editor's note: how true this is of the Internet,
for example!] A day is coming also, when human eyes are to be startled
by the sight of miracles and wonders performed by a false prophet in order
to deceive. Then there is the "pride of life." The climax of this is revealed
in man's day, man's government, man's ability; it centers, naturally, in
the temporal: summed up, it is to eat, drink, and be merry -- without God:
indeed, in defiance of God.
-
(4) The Trinity of man. Man is the creation
of god, "fearfully and wonderfully made," and as defined by St. Paul, he
is "spirit and soul and body" [1 Thessalonians 5:23] -- a plurality in
unity. By the body, man has world-consciousness; by the soul, self-consciousness;
by the spirit, God-consciousness.
-
(5) The Trinity of counterfeit. A day is coming
when a strange and wicked counterfeit of the true divine Trinity is to
arise as seen in Revelation, chapter 13. Here you will see the Dragon,
Satan [counterfeit of the Father]. He is evidently in complete control
of the world. Then a "beast," virtually the Antichrist, is seen rising
out of the sea, [counterfeit of the Son], who is authorized and empowered
by Satan. Aiding and abetting the beast is a false prophet who appears
on the scene [and here we have the counterfeit of the Holy Spirit]. These
three will endeavor to establish a world-wide Utopia without and in defiance
of God. This is the deplorable condition that this poor world of ours is
rapidly hastening to. The Bible, of course, tells us how it will all end.
Thank God, Christ, the true world Ruler, will, in due time, step on the
scene, effectually deal with this wicked counterfeit and establish His
reign of peace and righteousness on the earth.
Conclusion
God then, in a trinity
of Persons, three in one, exists in the sublime unity of the Godhead from
all eternity and to all eternity. Although it is impossible for the mortal
mind to fully grasp this sublime and great mystery, yet the fact of it
is clearly expressed in the Scriptures. Nowhere is this truth more forcefully
set forth than in 1 John 5:7: "For there are three that bear
record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost," and
"THESE THREE ARE ONE."
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