A Study on the Trinity

In order to gain a deeper knowledge of the Trinity, it is necessary to know who God is. Therefore, we will begin with the definition of who God is.
There is but one only living and true God, who is infinite in being and perfection, a most pure Spirit, invisible, without body, parts, or passions, immutable, immense, eternal, incomprehensible, almighty, most wise, most holy, most free, most absolute, working all things according to the counsel of His own immutable and most righteous will, for his own glory; most loving, gracious, merciful, long-suffering, abundant in goodness and truth, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin; the rewarder of them that diligently seek Him; and withal most just and terrible in his judgments; hating all sin, and who will by no means clear the guilty.
There is only one God, but in the unity of the Godhead there are three eternal and coequal Persons. The same in substance, but distinct in subsistence. A “Person” is described in the Oxford Dictionary as a ‘being’ with a will, intelligence and sensibility. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit each possess these three (will, intelligence, sensibility), but are one in essence.
Understanding the Trinity can only come by revelation of God. First Corinthians 2:14 says, “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolish unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” Different examples have been given to symbolize the Trinity, such as the three forms of water. Water can be in the form of ice, liquid and steam; but in essence is H2O. Another example is the sun. The sun gives off heat, light and energy, but there is only “one” sun. Likewise, there is only one God, but existing in three coequal Persons.
Scripture says 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.” The “Father” in Greek is Patar, which means “Father, it is spoken of God, essentially denotes the divine essence, or Jehovah.” The “Word” in Greek translates Logos, meaning “to speak, intelligence, a word as the expression of that intelligence.” And the “Holy Ghost” is pnuma which is “the spirit which, like the wind, is invisible, immaterial, and powerful.” The Holy Spirit.
There are scores of Old Testament passages regarding the Trinity:
a. Elohim, the first name used for God, is plural in form but is joined to a singular
verb
b. The creation of man in Genesis 1:16
c. The expulsion from
Eden (Genesis 3:22)
d. The confession at
Babel (Genesis 11:7)
e. The usage of the same word, echad, in Genesis 2:24, and in Deuteronomy 6:4. Echad is Hebrew for “one.” These passages teach that God is one, as a husband and wife are one.
f. The teachings of King Agur (Proverbs 30:4).
g. The plural forms used in Ecclesiastes 12:1 and Isaiah 54:5
1. Remember now the creator in the days of thy youth [In the original this is literally “thy creators”]
2. “For thy Maker is thine husband…” (Is. 54:5) [Here, “Maker” should be translated “Makers.”
h. The triune conversations in Isaiah 6:8, 48:16, and 63:9, 10.
i. The conversations between the Father and the Son in Psalms 2:1-7, 4:5,6-8, and 110:1-5
The New Testament has many passages that reference and speak of the Trinity:
● The baptism of Christ (Matt. 3:16, 17)
● The temptation of Christ (Matt. 4:1)
● The teachings of Jesus (John 14:16). “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever.” The Greek word here “another” is translated “allos” meaning “another of the same kind.”
● The baptismal formula (Matt. 28:19-20).
● The apostolic benediction (2 Cor. 13:14).
There are certain groups that have a mis-belief that the Father is Jesus and Jesus is the Father. This pretense is arranged on two verses. John 10:30 that says “I and my Father are one,” and John 14:9 that says “…he that hath seen me hath seen the Father.” This appears to be in line when we read the rest of the Bible, but the typical heretic makes the whole Bible adjust itself to one or two verses.
Another false teaching that is widely spread comes out of the Great Commission on Matthew 28:19, which reads in part, “…baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” It is taught that Jesus is the Father, Jesus is the Son, and Jesus is the Holy Spirit (also called Holy Ghost.)
The name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost is Lord. God the Father, is Lord. God the Son, is Lord. God, the Holy Ghost, is Lord. The name “Jesus” is not the name of the Holy Spirit. The name Jesus is not the name of the Father. The name “Jehovah” is not the name of the Son.
This confusion in the Godhead affords the two branches of cults, or heretical sects, a reason to operate. One operates under the false assumption that since the members of the Godhead are not the same that, therefore, there are two different gods, one inferior to the other. This is called Arianism. The other heretical cult, which operates in certain groups, teaches that since Jesus said, “He that hath seen me hath seen the Father,” that the Father’s name is “Jesus,” which of course, is nonsense. Jesus Christ is the name of a man who got tired and slept and bled and died. He may speak metaphorically, or anthropologically, back in the Old Testament – speaking of things in a language man can understand – God is a spirit.
There are certain titles that are reserved for God the Father, that are never given to the Son; and when they are given to the Son they are only given to the Son as a member of the Trinity, and not as a man of the flesh. The Lord Jesus Christ, although He was God manifest in the flesh, and deserves titles that belonged to the Father, never claimed one of these titles while on earth except on two occasions. He said that “I AM,” referring to the fact that He was Jehovah manifest in the flesh. His name was not “Jehovah” so he did not use the name. To the contrary, He called Himself the “Son of Man,” and that title which Jesus Christ used for Himself He used more than ten times as much as any other title found in either Testament. It was not “Jehovah,” nor was it the “Father.” It was the “Son of
Man.” This then was one of the executive titles which belonged to Jesus Christ that did not belong to the Father nor to the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is never referred to in the Bible as “Son of Man,” even though the “Son of Man” was God manifest in the flesh.
The truth of the matter is that there are certain titles reserved for God the Father that are never applied to Jesus Christ. By the same token, the Holy Spirit has certain names and titles that apply to Him and apply to no other person of the Godhead. For example, the Holy Spirit is simply called “the Holy Spirit,” (Luke 11:13). He is called “the Spirit” (John 3:6). He is called the “spirit of the Lord” (Isa. 11:2). He is called “the Spirit of the Lord God” (Isa. 61:1). He is called “the Spirit of the Living God” (2 Cor. 3:3). He is called the “Spirit of Christ” (Romans 8:9). He is called “the Spirit of his Son” (Gal. 4:6).
Now, this is only about half the titles given to the Holy Spirit, but the faithful student of scripture and the serious student of the word of God, should quickly grasp the very important fact that Jesus Christ is never referred to as the Spirit of Christ. Jesus Christ is never referred to as the Spirit of his Son. Therefore, to make all these members of the Trinity equal, and talk about “Jesus only” is radical blasphemous nonsense.
The Holy Spirit, in the Book that He wrote, plainly shows that God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit compose the Godhead of one God; manifest in three Persons. Each one a distinct Person that has titles that belong exclusively to Him. God the Father, is never referred to anywhere in the Bible as the “Comforter.” These are titles that apply strictly to the Third Person of the Trinity and NOT to the first or second Person.
Notice the Holy Spirit is called “the Spirit of his Son” in Galatians 4:6. The Holy Spirit is called “the Spirit of Jesus” in Isaiah 4:4, “the spirit of holiness” in Romans 1:4, “that Holy Spirit of promise” in Ephesians 1:13, and the “Spirit of truth” in John 14:17, 15:26; and 16:13. This shows you that the Holy Spirit, regardless of His deity (and He is certainly deity) and regardless of the fact that He is God (and He is God), is subordinate to the Father and Son with special offices, works, names, and titles which are exclusively His own, and do not belong to the Father or to the Son.
The Lord Jesus Christ is never called the Holy Spirit. He is never called the “Spirit.” He is never called the “Spirit of Jehovah.” He is never called “Spirit of the living God.” He is never called the “Spirit of Christ.” He is never called the “Spirit of his Son.” He is never called the “Spirit of Jesus.” He is never called the “spirit of burning.” He is never called the “Spirit of holiness,” and He is never called the Holy Spirit of promise.”
I hope this study on the Trinity has enabled you to understand the Doctrine of the Trinity; to see God in His essence, as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Remember to always “study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15