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One
God or Three?
A good
number of Christians fail to explain the biblical doctrine of the Trinity of
God. It is a concept universally rejected by Jews as a contradiction to the
monotheistic teachings found in the Old Testament. We know that the word
Trinity is not found in the Bible. Other words like theocracy and second coming
are also not found in the Bible. But we hold fast these doctrines without any
questions. Some people find that the Trinity is too mysterious and against human
reasoning. One important consideration should be brought to our attention in
this connection. Because we do not comprehend all sides of divinely stated truth
we must not therefore reject it as unacceptable. Those who believe in God are
found with many statements concerning His attributes which are not fully
understood. As finite human beings, we have no capacity to experience these
attributes personally. Nevertheless, we accept them as true because we place our
faith in what the Scripture says.
Most of us readily acknowledge our limitations in this area. In fact, we see it
as quite consistent with the nature of God as supreme and of humanity as mortal.
If it were possible, to fully understand God we would have succeeded in reducing
Him to no more than a human being; or we would have elevated humanity to the
position of Deity. Of course, neither of these suggestions is acceptable.
With these preliminary considerations in mind let us focus attention on the
central theme; God is One but at the same time consists of three Persons without
negating the unity of Jehovah. The same truth is given in an orthodox formula
“One in three and three in one.” God is one but at the same time consists of
three persons. Acceptance of this concept does not imply belief in a God who
occupies three distinct bodies.
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A.
The compound unity
of God
The unity of God is taught throughout the Old Testament. Many passages in the
law and the prophets provide irrefutable evidence of plurality within the unity
of God.
1.
Plurality in Shema
Jewish people often object to the trinity of God because of what they believe is
taught in the Shema. For most Jewish people the Shema is the very center of
Judaism. It is that foundational passage which is found in the book of
Deuteronomy “Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God is one Lord” (Deut. 6: 4).
The word Shema is the first Hebrew word in this passage and means “hear.”
Jewish people view this as saying that God is indivisible one. However a careful
examination of Deuteronomy 6:4 actually establishes the plurality of God. The
last word of the Shema is echad, which is translated into English as the word
one. This is a compound unity noun-that is to say a noun which demonstrated
oneness or unity but at the same contains several entities. The Hebrew word
means not one in isolation but one in unity. Several examples may be cited.
In Gen. 1: 5 Moses used this word when he describes the first day of creation
“And God called the light day and the darkness He called night. And the
evening and the morning were the first day.” This one day or first day is the
Hebrew word echad. The one day is a compound unity consisted of both light and
darkness.
In Gen. 2: 24 God revealed what was necessary for a happy marriage. He
instructed the husband and wife to become one flesh indicating that those two
persons should be joined in perfect harmony as a unit. Here again the word one
is echad and it is used to indicate a compound unity.
In Numbers 13 Moses recorded the account of the twelve Hebrew spies sent to view
the land of Canaan. As they returned from the mission according to verse 23 they
passed at Eshcol to cut down a branch with one cluster of grapes. The word one
cluster is again our word echad. Obviously this single cluster of grapes
consisted of more than one grape. Likewise in Ezra 2: 64 and in Jer. 32 same
Hebrew word echad is used to indicate a compound unity. None of these passages
gives a meaning of isolate one. All these portions of Scriptures give us the
idea of a compound unity.
Interestingly however there is another Hebrew word, which signifies an absolute
oneness. That word is yachid. In Gen. 22: 2 Abraham is told “Take now
thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest.” The term only is yachid. It
is again used in verse 12 and 16 of the same chapter. There is just one son of
promise; there is none other. In this sense yachid sets forth absolute
singularity. In Psalm 22: 20 David wrote “Deliver my soul from the sword; my
only one from the power of the dog.” cf. Jud. 11: 34; Amos 8: 10; Zech. 12:
10.
2.
Plurality in the name of God
In our English Bibles the translators capitalized “g” in God when
transmitting the Hebrew words for God-El and Elohim. In the Hebrew language
these words mean the “all powerful almighty one.’
Both of these nouns are actually the same word. El is the singular form while
the other Elohim is plural. Of particular importance is the fact that of the
2750 times these words are used in the Old Testament. Elohim, the plural form is
used in 2500 cases.
a. A point
from Genesis. Plurality
in personal pronouns when used in reference to our Lord is additional Proof to
verify the tri unity of God. Three passages demonstrate the point.
“And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness ... So God
created man in his own image; in the image of God created He them” (Gen. 1:
26,27). At the outset one may observe the selection of Elohim as the noun form
used in the verses; Elohim is going to create man. In concert with this choice
the plural personal pronouns ‘us’ and ‘our’ are inserted. Dr. David
Cooper makes a valid point observing that the Hebrew nouns ‘image’ and
‘likeness’ are in the singular person; thus in dictating that the speaker
and the person spoken to are one and the same. Illuminating plurality (us and
our) is used with singular terms (image and likeness) there by displaying
what we might call a unity in plurality.
“Behold man is become as one of us, ... therefore the Lord God sent him forth
from the garden of Eden” (Gen. 3:22, 23). Adam and Eve had transgressed
against Jehovah. The divine response was expulsion from the garden of Eden. God
observes that since man has become as one of us (The personal plural pronoun) he
must be ejected.
The third point of emphasis is encountered in the scattering of humanity from
before the Tower of Babel. “Let us go down there and confound their language
... So the Lord scattered them abroad (Gen. 11: 7,8 ). Once more the plural
pronoun “us” is used followed by a reference to God.
b.
A point from Isaiah.
In Isaiah 6: 8 Isaiah heard the voice “whom shall I send, and who will
go for us?” This is the same language of plurality “us” representing the
Trinity of the Godhead. In the same vision we read about thrice repeated
“holy.” This is a plain teaching of the Trinity. Especially should we notice
the term in verse 3 “the Lord of hosts.” This will certainly include God the
Father. But in John 12: 41 we are told it included Christ: “These things said
Esaias when he saw his (Christ) glory and spake of him.” Now in Acts 28: 25,26
we have evidence that there was also the presence of the Holy Spirit: “well
spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias the prophet unto your fathers, saying, Go unto
this people, and say Hearing ye shall hear and shall not understand.” When
Isaiah speaks about the Lord of hosts he is referring to the Trinity. These are
also three distinct persons set forth in other places in the Old Testament.
II Samuel 23: 2,3 “The spirit of the Lord spake by me, and his word was
in my tongue. The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me, He that
ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God.” All three persons
are seen here.
I am sure there is one fact upon where we are all agreed that the Old Testament
does teach the truth of the trinity. Now we may not wish to believe in the
Trinity because of it being beyond human reasoning but we must agree that the
Bible teaches it. Our next study will show the plain teaching of the New
Testament where we see it in all its fullness.
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B.
The Trinity in the New Testament
In
approaching the theme of the Trinity the believers may be prepared to confront a
deep mystery, which is not explained to finite minds.
The
work each one in the Godhead does reveals that there are three distinct persons.
The Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world (1 John 4:14). The Father
who sent and the Son who came are separate persons. “If I depart I will send
him (the Spirit) unto you (John 16:7). The Son who sent and the Spirit who came
are different persons. The Father sent the Son to die. The Son went to the cross
and died. The Spirit reveals Him to our hearts (John 16:14). The Father loved
(John 3:16), the Son died (Rom. 6:5), and the Spirit convicts and teaches
(John 16:8-13).
The
New Testament gives ample teaching on the reality of the Trinity. We have the
Trinity set forth in Matt. 28:19: “Go ye therefore and teach all nations
baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy
Ghost.” It is most significant that the first public appearance of Christ was
that of baptism and the three persons of the Godhead were present and
identified. The Holy Spirit was significant that the first public appearance of
Christ was that of baptism and the three persons of the God head were present
and identified. The Holy Spirit was seen to descend upon Christ in the form of a
dove and Father openly identified the Son saying, “this is my beloved Son”
(Matt. 3:17). When baptism is administered it is to be done in the name of (not
names) of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit as the verse teaches.
The word ‘name’ in singular reveals the divine unity, which exists in the
Father, Son and Spirit. The name is threefold.
Christ
refers to the Trinity in John 14:16, 17: “I will pray the Father and He shall
give you another Comforter, even the Spirit of truth.”
Paul
speaks of the Trinity in 1 Corinthians 12:4-6: “Now there are diversities of
gifts but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations but the
same Lord. And there are diversities of operations but it is the same God which
worketh all in all.” There are distinctions in office, differences in
administrations and diversities of operations with the Trinity.
The
benediction of 2 Corinthians 13:14 clearly presents the Trinity. “The Grace of
our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit
be with you all. Amen.”
In
Ephesians we have at least two references to the Trinity. “For through Him
(Christ) we both have access by one spirit unto the father (Eph. 2:18). There is
one Spirit and one Lord and one God and father of all (Eph. 4:46).
In
1 Peter 1:2 we have the clear distinction given of the work of each person of
the Trinity. “Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the father through
sanctification of the Spirit into obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus
Christ.”
We
also read in 1 John 5:7: “For there are three that bear record in heaven the
Father, the Word and the Holy Spirit and these three are one.”
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C.
Additional Support for Trinity from the Life of Christ
Now
it is most interesting to observe the three persons of the Godhead present in
the important aspects of Christ’s life.
1.
When Christ was born or at the incarnation of Christ we see the three persons.
Christ
was born of a Virgin but was conceived by the Holy Spirit (Matt. 1:20-25). God
was also present (Luke 2:13,14).
2.
In the death of Christ we see the three persons present. God so loved the world
that He gave His only begotten Son (John 3:16). It was also written of the
father that He spared not His own Son but delivered Him up for us all (Rom.
8:32). But we also hear the Son speaking of Himself: “no man taketh it (my
life) from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down” (John
10:18). But the Holy Spirit also had his part as set forth in Hebrews 9:14:
“Christ through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God.”
3.
The Trinity was also present in the resurrection. The Father raised up the Son
from the dead as testified in Acts 2:42: “Whom God raised up.” We also hear
Christ say, “I have power to take it again” (John 10:18). Christ also said
in John 2:19, “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.”
The Holy Spirit is also involved here. “Christ (was) put to death in the flesh
but quickened by the Spirit (1 Peter 3:18). We see all three persons at work in
relation to serving God.
The
Father is mentioned in 2 Cor. 3:5,6: “Our sufficiency is of God; who also hath
made us able ministers of the New Testament.” The Son is mentioned in I Tim.
1:12: “He counted me faithful putting me into the ministry.” The Spirit is
mentioned in Acts 20:28: “Take heed therefore unto yourselves and to all the
flock over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers to feed the Church
of God which he hath purchased with his own blood.”
As
believers we know the reality of Trinity in our own lives. First the Father:
“One God and Father of all who is above all and through all and in you all
(Eph. 4:16). Then the Son: “Christ in you the hope of Glory (Col. 1:27). And
also the Holy Spirit: “know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy
Ghost which is in you (1 Cor. 6:19).
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D.
The Eternal Trinity
Once
a dear rabbi said to an evangelist “Why do you believe in three? Why not
seven? The evangelist answered “God is revealed as existing in three persons
not in seven.” Of course by using the word person we do not mean a human
being. Rather we are referring to one has knowledge feeling and will. The fact
of the Trinity is clearly found in the Bible as we have in out studies.
We
see a wonderful illustration in Science. There are three basic things in the
universe no more, no less. They are space, matter and true. This is a space
universe. What is space? It is three dimensions no more, no less. length,
breadth and height. Any thing built in space must have these three dimensions.
Space is three in one length, breadth and height are not three things which
space does but which is. So with the trinity. Father, Son and the Holy Spirit
are not three things which God does but is. Each is referred to as God and while
three, They are yet one.
Now
each person of the God head is presented in the scriptures as being deity with
attributes and titles of deity.
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1.
The Lord Jesus Christ
a. Clear References for the Deity of Christ.
God
calls Jesus “God” (Heb. 1:8). “But unto the Son He saith, ‘Thy throne O
God is forever and ever’”
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He
is our Great God and Saviour (Titus 2:13).
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He
is the Lord from heaven (1 Cor. 15:47).
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He
is God blessed forever (Rom. 9:5).
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He
is the mighty God (Is. 9:6).
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He
is the true God (1 John 5:20).
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He
is one with God “I and my Father are one” (John 10:30,38).
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He
is the brightness of His (God’s) glory (Heb. 1:3).
b.
He has the divine attributes.
(1).
Eternal. “Before
Abraham was I am” (John 8:56-58).
(2).
Omnipresent. “For
where two or three are gathered in my name there I am in the midst of them”
(Matt. 18:20).
(3).
Omnipotent. “All
power is given unto me in heaven and in earth” (Matt. 28:18).
(4).
Omniscient.
“In whom are hid
all treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Col. 2: 3).
(5).
Christ is associated with creation.
“All things were
made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made” (John 1:3).
(6).
He forgave sins. “The
son of man hath power upon earth to forgave sin” (Luke 5:20-25).
(7).
He is the source of life. “In
him life and the life was the light of men” (John 1:4,5)
(8).
He is the Judge of all. “The
father hath committed all Judgment unto the son” (John 5:22).
(9).
He raised the dead. “The
hour is coming and now is when the dead shall hear the voice of Son of God”
(John 5:21,25).
(10).
He is worshipped as God.
“Let all the angels of God worship him” (Heb. 1:6).
(11).
He is God manifested in the flesh
(1 Tim. 3:16; John
1:14).
(12).
In Him dwells the fullness of God.
“If pleased the father that in him should all fullness dwell” (Col. 1:19).
Now
you may not believe the Bible’s testimony concerning the deity of Christ but
you must surely see that the Bible teaches the deity of Christ who has the
attributes of God.
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2.
The Holy Spirit
The
same can be said of the Holy Spirit also.
a. He has the divine attributes.
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He is eternal
(Heb. 9:14).
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He is omnipresent. “Wither
shall I go from thy Spirit” (Ps. 139:7-10).
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He is omnipotent. “The
Holy Ghost shall come upon and the power of the highest” (Luke
1:35).
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He is omniscient. “For
the Spirit searcheth all things yea the deep things of God” (1 Cor.
2:10,11).
b.
He does the works of deity.
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Creation. “the
spirit of God had made me” (Job 33:4).
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Imparts life. “It
is the spirit that quickeneth” (John 3:63).
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Inspires prophecies. “Holy
men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost” (2 Peter 1:12).
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His name is joined with God’s.
“now there are
diversities of gifts but the same spirit and there are differences of
administrations but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations
but it is the same God which worketh all in all (1 Cor. 12:4-6).
c.
He is called God.
“Why
hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost; thou hast not lied unto
men but into God” (Acts 5:3,4). Thus we see from the Bible that all three
persons of the Godhead are equal in glory, in power, and in characteristics .
All three persons have the unique attributes of God.
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Conclusion
Of
course our finite minds cannot conceive of the glorious mystery of the Trinity.
Wesley once said “Bring me a worm that can comprehend a man and I will show
you a man that can comprehend God.”
One
simple fact we must surely all agree upon this. That while there are
difficulties in mentally understanding the Trinity, the evidence of the Trinity
of the Godhead are so striking and numerous that one cannot hold to the
scriptures and decay them.
The
wonderful reality of it all is that God loves you and He loves me and He loves
everybody. God hates sin and God must deal with. But God loves sinner and His
love is poured out upon a guilty world by the blood of Jesus Christ that was
shed on Calvary. His cross work is sufficient for the world but is efficient
only to those who personally receive him as Saviour.
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