The Trinity where there is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
Matthew 3:16-17; Genesis 1:16; Matthew 28:19-20; 2 Corinthians 13:14; John 14:16-17; John 10:28-30
The Trinity where there is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, our short study is set out easily for you to get more into the Bible.
The false analogy that goes about various sermons on the Trinity where pastors/teachers try to explain the trinity as “Water which is liquid, which can turn to steam when boiled or being frozen to turn to ice.”
Another weak and cringing analogy is football/soccer where they use the “Manager being God, the players being Jesus and the ball being the Holy Spirt”
So, to get a better understanding of the Trinity there are many scriptures, but not much in the Old Testament but the New Testament has abundant verses.
To get a proper understanding there are many scriptures, I'll try and give you a taste for you to further study on your own.
God in Three Persons: The Old Testament foreshadowing of the Trinity
When we read our Bible, we see three different names of the Trinity, with all of them are God.
I have done individual studies on God the Father, God the son and God the Holy Spirit. You can click the links below.
- God the Father ~ https://www.bornagainchristians.org/articles/study-on-god-the-father
- God the Son ~ https://www.bornagainchristians.org/articles/study-on-god-the-son
- God the Holy Spirit ~ https://www.bornagainchristians.org/articles/study-on-god-the-holy-spirit
1 The word Trinity
The word Trinity is not found in the Old Testament or in the New Testament, but it is a major doctrine at the heart of the Gospel where we find intimations or hints of it throughout the Old Testament scriptures.
2 The name of God ~ The plurality of God
The name of our God in the normal Hebrew scripture is Elohim which is a plural noun but is normally a singular verb.
Plural means three or more. Elohim is mentioned 500 times in Moses books, the Pentateuch which is the first five books of the Bible.
Creation of heavens and the earth.
In the creation of Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God Elohim created the heaven and the earth. It is interesting that God did not create God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, they co-existed from before creation began.
We read in the 2nd part of Genesis 1:2 And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the earth. Here we see the Holy Spirit taking part in the creation and if we read:
John 1:1-3 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
We see Jesus took part in the creation from the very start of the creation and we see the Trinity working in unity.
Creation of humans – ‘Let us make’ Genesis 1:26-27
In the creation of humans “Let us make man in our image” in Genesis 1:26-27 26 And God Elohim said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness... 27 So God Elohim created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
So, God in the unity of the trinity is working together creating us humans in Gods perfect image. You see the God using the words US and OUR but some false teacher/religions such are Anti-Trinitarians they explain the use of these words as ‘plural of majesty’ where they say God is speaking to Himself, about His majestic power in creation.
‘plural of majesty’ not found in Biblical Hebrew.
But the term ‘plural of majesty’ isn’t found in the Biblical Hebrew or in the scriptures.
Us and Our cannot be angels
They were not co-creators.
Bible plurality throughout OT scripture
Foreshadowing scriptures Psalm 110:1; Isaiah 63:7, 9-10; Proverbs 30:4.
Also in Fall Genesis 3:22 And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever: and the gulf suggested between God and humans
Similarly in Babel story Genesis 11:5-7 And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded. 6 And the LORD said, Behold, the people [is] one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. 7 Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech.
Also, in the call of Isaiah in Isaiah 6:8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.
3 Trinity in the Old Testament
Interesting looking at Genesis 2:4the first reference the LORD God, notice LORD is in capitals. This is the personal name of God, in Hebrew it is Yĕhovah and English it is Jehovah used 6,519 in KJV scriptures.
Look at Genesis 11:5-7 concentrate on verses 5 and 7, this passage is on the tower of Babel where the whole earth was one language and the people came to the land of Shinar and made bricks to make a tower that would reach into heaven.
In verse 5 the LORD Yĕhovah comes down to see the city and tower and sees nothing will be restrained from them, nothing is impossible for them to create.
Look at verse 7 Go to or come, let us go down, you see the word US this is Jesus, and the Holy Spirt that God is speaking to calling them to come down and confound or confuse the people’s language and scatter them abroad.
So we see.
Tri means Three
Unity means one
God is three in one.
4.Trinity in the New Testament
Some passages of scripture that have the trinity in the New Testament of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit together.
Matthew 1:18-23; 3:16-17; 4:1-4; 12:18; 12:28-32; 28:18-20
Mark 1:8-12
Luke 1:35; 3:21-22; 4:1-3; 12:10
John 1:32-34; 3:34-35; 4:23; 6:61-65; 14:16; 14:26; 15:26; 20:21-22
Acts 1:4-8; 2:17-21; 2:33; 2:38-39; 4:29-31; 5:3-9; 5:29-32; 7:55-60; 10:38; 10:44-48; 11:15-17; 15:7-11; 16:6-10; 20:21-24; 20:27-28
Romans 1:1-4; 8:2-3; 8:9-11; 8:14-17; 8:23-34; 14:17-18; 15:12-13; 15:15-17; 15:30
1 Corinthians 2:1-5; 2:8-16; 3:10-16; 6:10-11; 6:15-20; 12:4-6
2 Corinthians 1:21-22; 5:5-10; 23:14
Galatians 3:10-14; 4:4-6; 5:21-24
Ephesians 1:3-14; 1:17; 2:18-22; 3:5; 3:14-17; 4:4-6; 4:30-32; 5:18-20
Philippians 3:3
Colossians 1:3-8
1 Thessalonians 1:2-5; 5:18-19
2 Thessalonians 2:13-14
Titus 3:4-6
Hebrews 2:3-4; 6:4-6; 9:14; 10:29
1 Peter 1:2; 4:14
2 Peter 1:16-21
1 John 3:23-24; 4:2; 4:13-14
Jude 1:20-21
Revelation 1:4-5; 14:12-13; 19:10
Places in the New Testament when it mentions Father, Son, and Holy Spirit being distinct Persons.
Father as God in Philippians 1:2
Jesus as God in Titus 2:13
Holy Spirit as God in Acts 5:3-4
