the biblical basis of the doctrine of the trinity

8142019 The Biblical Basis of the Doctrine of the Trinity

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The Biblical Basis of the Doctrine of theTrinity

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I THERE IS ONE GOD

A One God explicit statements

1 OT Deut 435 39 3239 2 Sam 2232 Isa 3720 4310 446-8 455

14 21-22 469

2 NT John 544 Rom 330 1627 1 Cor 84-6 Gal 320 Eph 46 1 Tim

117 25 James 219 Jude 25

B None like God (in His essence)

1 Explicit statements Ex 810 914 1511 2 Sam 722 1 Chr 1720 Psa

868 1 Kgs 823 Isa 4018 25 447 465 9 Jer 106-7 Micah 718

2 Being like God a Satanic lie Gen 35 Isa 1414 John 844

3 Fallen man became like God only in that he took upon himself to know good

and evil not that he acquired godhood Gen 322

C Only one true God 2 Chr 153 Jer 1010 John 173 1 Thess 19 1 John 520-21

D All other gods are therefore false gods (idols) not gods at all Deut 3221 1 Sam

1221 Psa 965 Isa 3719 4123-24 29 Jer 211 57 1620 1 Cor 84 1019-

E Demons not gods are the powers behind false worship Deut 3217 Psa 10637 1

Cor 1020 Gal 48

F How men are meant to be like God

1 The image of God indicates that man is to represent God and share His moral

character not that man can be metaphysically like God Gen 126-27 51 1

Cor 117 Eph 424 Col 310

2 The goal of being like Christ has the following aspects only

a Sharing His moral character 1 John 32 Rom 829

b Being raised with glorified immortal bodies like His Phil 321 1 Cor

3 Becoming partakers of the divine nature refers again to moral nature (having

escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust) not metaphysical nature

2 Pet 14 see also Heb 1210 on the meaning of partakers see 1 Cor

1018 20 2 Cor 117 1 Pet 51

G Are mighty or exalted men gods

1 No Scripture says explicitly that men are gods

2 Powerful mighty men are explicitly said not to be gods Ezek 282 9 Isa

313 2 Thess 24

3 Men and God are opposite exclusive categories Num 2319 Isa 313 Ezek

282 9 Hosea 119 Matt 1926 John 1033 Acts 1222 1 Cor 142

4 Moses was as God not really a god Ex 416 71

5 Ezek 3221 speaks of warriors or soldiers as mighty gods but in context

they are so regarded by their pagan nations not by God or Israel cf Ezek

6 The elohim before whom accused stood in Exodus was God Himself not judges

as many translations incorrectly render Ex 228-9 28 compare Deut 1917

7 The use of elohim in Psalm 82 probably in reference to wicked judges as cited

by Jesus in John 1034-36 does not mean that men really can be gods

a It is Asaph not the Lord who calls the judges elohim in Psa 821 6

This is important even though we agree that Psa 82 is inspired

b Asaphs meaning is not Although you are gods you will die like men

(which is how Jehovahs Witnesses Mormons etc read it) but rather

I called you gods but in fact you will all die like the men that you

really are

c The Psalmist was no more saying that wicked judges were truly gods

than he was saying that they were truly sons of the Most High (v

d Thus Psa 821 calls the judges elohim in irony They had quite likely

taken their role in judgment (cf point 5 above) to mean they were

elohim or gods and Asaphs message is that these so-called gods

were mere men who would die under the judgment of the true elohim

(vss 1-2 7-8)

e Christs use of this passage in John 1034-36 does not negate the

above interpretation of Psalm 82

f The words the Scripture cannot be broken means the Scripture

cannot go without having some ultimate fulfillment (cf John 723

Matt 517) Thus Jesus is saying that what the OT judges were called

in irony He is in reality He does what they could not do and is what

they could never be (see the Adam-Christ contrasts in Rom 512-21

and 1 Cor 1521-22 45 for a similar use of OT Scripture)

g The clause those against whom the word of God came (John 1035)

shows that this word was a word of judgment against the so-called

gods which shows that they were false gods not really gods at all

h Finally these wicked men were certainly not godlike or divine by

nature so that in any case the use of elohim to refer to them must be

seen as figurative not literal

8 Even if men were gods (which they are not) this would be irrelevant to Jesus

since He was God (or a god as the Jehovahs Witnesses translate) as a

preexistent spirit before creation John 11

H Are angels gods

1 No Scripture explicitly states that angels are gods

2 Demonic spirits are not gods 1 Cor 1020 Gal 48 thus being mighty

spirits does not make angels gods

3 Satan is therefore also a false god 2 Cor 44

4 Psalm 85 does not teach that angels are gods

a Psa 85 is paraphrased in Heb 27 not quoted literally (cf Psa 6818

with Eph 48) In Psa 85 elohim certainly means God not angels

since Psa 83-8 parallels Gen 11 8 16 26-28 Note that the

Psalmist is speaking the mans exalted place in creation whereas

Hebrews is speaking of the lower place taken by Christ in becoming a

man Thus Heb 27 may not mean to equate angels with gods at all

b Even if Heb 27 does imply that angels are gods in the context of

Hebrews 1-2 these angels would be those falsely exalted above Christ

Note Heb 16 (which quotes Psa 977 which definitely speaks of

gods in the sense of false gods) and cf Col 216 on the problem of

the worship of angels

5 Elsewhere in the Psalms angels if spoken of as gods are considered false

gods Psa 291 868-10 896 953 964-5 977-9 1355 1362 1381

cf Ex 1511 1811 Deut 1017 1 Chr 1625 2 Chr 25

6 Even if angels were gods (which the above shows they are not) that would be

irrelevant to Jesus since He is not an angelic being but the Son who is

worshipped by the angels as their Creator Lord and God Heb 11-13

I Conclusion If there is only one God one true God all other gods being false gods

neither men nor angels being gods and none even like God by nature -- all of which the

Bible says repeatedly and explicitly -- then we must conclude that there is indeed only

one God

II THIS ONE GOD IS KNOWN IN THE OT AS JEHOVAHYAHWEH (THE LORD)

A Texts where Jehovah is said to be elohim or el Deut 435 39 Psa 1003 etc

B Texts where the compound Jehovah God (Yahweh Elohim) is used Gen 2-3 926

24 Ex 315-18 45 2 Sam 722 25 etc

C Conclusion Jehovah is the only God the only elelohim

III GOD IS A UNIQUE INCOMPREHENSIBLE BEING

A Only one God thus unique see IA

B None even like God see IB

C God cannot be fully comprehended 1 Cor 82-3

D God can only be known insofar as the Son reveals Him Matt 1125-27 John 118

E Analogical language needed to describe God Ezek 126-28 Rev 113-16

F God is transcendent entirely distinct from and different than the universe as the

carpenter is distinct from the bench

1 Separate from the world Isa 4022 Acts 1724

2 Contrasted with the world Psa 10225-27 1 John 215-17

3 Created the world Gen 11 Psa 336 10225 Isa 425 4424 John 13

Rom 1136 Heb 12 113

IV THE FATHER OF JESUS CHRIST IS GOD

A Explicit statements John 173 1 Cor 86 etc

B The expression the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ 2 Cor 13 Eph 13 1

Pet 13

V JESUS CHRIST IS GOD

A Explicit statements

1 Isa 96 note 1021 Trans which render mighty hero etc are inconsistent

in their rendering of 1021 Also note that Ezek 3221 is (a) not in the same

context as is Isa 1021 and (b) speaking of false gods cf IG5 above

2 John 11 Even if Jesus here is called a god (NWT) since there is only one

God Jesus is that God However the NWT rendering is a mistranslation Other

passages using the Greek word for God (theos) in the same construction are

always rendered God Mark 1227 Luke 2038 John 854 Phil 213 Heb

1116 Passages in which a shift occurs from ho theos (the God) to theos

(God) never imply a shift in meaning Mark 1227 Luke 2037-38 John

32 133 Rom 121 1 Thess 19 Heb 914 1 Pet 410-11

3 John 118 The best manuscripts have the unique God (monogenes

frequently rendered only-begotten actually means one of a kind unique

though in the NT always in context of a son or daughter) Even if one

translates only-begotten the idea is not of a begotten god as opposed to an

unbegotten god

4 John 2028 Compare Rev 411 where the same construction is used in the

plural (our) instead of the singular (my) See also Psa 3523 Note that

Christs response indicates that Thomass acclamation was not wrong Also

note that John 2017 does show that the Father was Jesus God (due to Jesus

becoming a man) but the words my God as spoken by Thomas later in the

C Jesus has the titles of God

1 Titles belonging only to God

a The first and the last Rev 117 2213 cf Isa 446

b King of kings and Lord of lords 1 Tim 615 Rev 1714 1916

2 Titles belonging in the ultimate sense only to God

a Savior Luke 211 John 442 1 John 414 Tit 213 cf v 10 etc

cf Isa 4311 4521-22 1 Tim 410 on Jesus becoming the source

of salvation Heb 59 cf Ex 152 Psa 11814 21

b Shepherd John 1011 Heb 1320 cf Psa 231 Isa 4011

c Rock 1 Cor 104 cf Isa 448

D Jesus receives the honors due to God alone

1 Honor John 523

2 Love Matt 1037

3 Prayer John 1414 (text debated but in any case it is Jesus who answers the

prayer) Acts 759-60 (cf Luke 2334 46) Rom 1012-13 1 Cor 12 etc

4 Worship ( proskuneo) Matt 2817 Heb 16 (cf Psa 977) cf Matt 410

5 Religious or sacred service (latreuo) Rev 2213

6 Faith John 316 141 etc

E Jesus does the works of God

1 Creation John 13 1 Cor 86 Col 116-17 Heb 12 Rev 314 (cf 216 on

beginning) on through and in cf Rom 1136 Heb 210 Acts 1728 cf

also Isa 4424

2 Sustains the universe Col 117 Heb 13

3 Salvation See C2a above

4 All of them John 517-29

F Jesus has all of the incommunicable attributes of God

1 All of them John 11 Col 115 29 Heb 13

2 Self-existent John 526

3 Unchangeable Heb 110-12 138

4 Eternal John 11 858 175 Col 117 Heb 12

5 Omnipresent Matt 1820 2820 John 313 Eph 123 410 Col 311

6 Omniscient John 1630

7 Incomprehensible Matt 1125-27

G Jesus is the Son of God

1 Son in Scripture can mean simply one possessing the nature of something

whether literal or figurative (eg Son of man sons of thunder sons of

disobedience cf Mark 317 Eph 21)

2 Whenever son of is used in relation to a person (son of man son of Abraham

son of David etc) the son possesses the nature of his father

3 Jesus is clearly not the literal Son of God ie He was not physically procreated

by God

4 On the other hand Jesus is clearly the Son of God in a unique sense (cf only-

begotten Son John 114 316 18 1 John 49) and in a preeminent sense

(ie the term is more fitting for Him than for anyone else)

5 Scripture is explicit that the Son possesses Gods essence or nature (cf F

above)

6 Jesus repeated claim to be the Son of God was consistently understood by the

Jewish leaders as a blasphemous claim to equality with God an understanding

Jesus never denied John 517-23 858-59 1030-39 197 Matt 2663-65

7 Jesus is therefore Gods Son not Gods creation Gods servant Gods agent

etc Jesus is Gods Son who became a servant for our sake and for the Fathers

glory (John 1313-15 174 Phil 26-11 Heb 14-13 31-6 58 etc)

H Objections

1 Prov 822 This text is not a literal description of Christ but a poetic

personification of wisdom (cf all of Prov 1-9 esp 812-21 91-6) poetically

saying that God got His wisdom before He did anything -- ie that God has

always had wisdom

2 Col 115 Does not mean that Christ is the first creature since He is here

presented as the Son and principal heir of the Father (cf vv 12-14) thus

firstborn here means heir (cf Gen 4333 4814-20 Ex 422 1 Chron

51-3 Psa 8927 Jer 319) note that v 16 speaks of the Son as Creator not

creature (cf E1 above)

3 Rev 314 Beginning (arche) in Rev as a title means source or one who

begins ie Creator (cf Rev 18 216 2213) elsewhere Christ is called the

arche in the sense of ruler Col 118 cf plural archai rulers in Col 116

210 15 also Luke 1211 Rom 838 Eph 310 612 Tit 31 cf Luke

2020 Jude 6 1 Cor 1524 Eph 121

4 1 Cor 113 1528 Jesus is still subordinate to God but as the Son to the

Father ie they are equal in nature but the Son is subordinate relationally to

the Father

5 John 2017 Rom 156 1 Cor 1524 2 Cor 13 Rev 16 312 Jesus calls

the Father My God because He is still man as well as God note the distinction

between My God and your God in John 2017 (ie Jesus never speaks of

our God including Himself with the disciples)

6 Mark 1332 Jesus statement that He did not know the time of His return is to

be explained by His voluntary acceptance of the humble form and likeness of a

man (Phil 27) in fact as God Jesus did know all things (John 1630) and

after His resurrection He does not include Himself as not knowing (Acts 16-7)

7 Mark 1017-18 Jesus does not deny being God but simply tells the man that

he has no business calling anyone good in an unqualified sense except God

8 Heb 514 Jesus was tempted cf James 113 but note that Jesus could not

sin John 519

9 John 118 No one has seen God but men have seen Jesus eg 1 John 11-

2 but note that no man can see the glorified Jesus either 1 Tim 616 and

that to see Jesus is to see the Father John 149

10 1 Tim 117 God cannot die but Jesus did eg Phil 28 but note that no

one could take Jesus life from Him He could not remain dead and He raised

Himself John 1018 Acts 224 John 219-22

11 1 Cor 86 Father called God Jesus called Lord but here God and Lord

are synonymous (cf v 5) moreover this text no more denies that Jesus is God

than it does that the Father is Lord (Matt 1125) cf Jude 4 where Jesus is the

only Lord

12 1 Tim 25 Jesus here supposedly distinct from God but Jesus is also distinct

from (fallen) men yet is Himself a man likewise Jesus is distinct from God (the

Father) but is also God

13 Deut 412 15-25 God did not appear in a human form to Israel lest they fall

into idolatry but this does not rule out His appearing in human form later after

they had learned to abhor idolatry

VI THE HOLY SPIRIT IS GOD

A Equated with God Acts 53-4 2 Cor 317-18

B Has the incommunicable attributes of God

1 Eternal Heb 914

2 Omnipresent Psa 1397

3 Omniscient 1 Cor 210-11

C Involved in all of the works of God

1 Creation Gen 12 Psa 10430

2 Incarnation Matt 118 20 Luke 135

3 Resurrection Rom 14 811

4 Salvation Rom 81-27

D Is a person

1 Neither passage specifies that certain words are to be spoken during baptism

nor does the Bible ever record someone saying I baptize you in the name

2 Those said to be baptized in the name of Jesus (whether or not the formula in

the name of Jesus was used) were people already familiar with the God of the

a Jews Acts 25 38 2216

b Samaritans Acts 85 12 16

c God-fearing Gentiles Acts 101-2 2248

d Disciples of John the Baptist Acts 191-5

e The first Christians in Corinth were Jews and God-fearing Gentiles

Acts 181-8 1 Cor 113

3 Trinitarian formula for baptism (if that is what Matt 2819 is) was given in

context of commissioning apostles to take the gospel to all the nations

including people who did not know of the biblical God

C Father and Son are two persons

1 The saluations Rom 17 1 Cor 13 2 Cor 12 Gal 13 Eph 12 623

Phil 12 1 Thess 11 2 Thess 11 2 1 Tim 11 2 2 Tim 12 Tit 14

Phm 3 James 11 2 Peter 12 2 John 3

2 Two witnesses John 531-32 816-18 compare Num 3530 Deut 176

3 The Father sent the Son John 317 Gal 44 1 John 410 etc compare John

16 1718 2021

4 The Father and the Son love each other John 335 1431 1723-26

5 The Father speaks to the Son and the Son speaks to the Father John 1141-

42 1228 171-26 etc

D Jesus is not God the Father

1 Isa 96 Father of eternity means eternal compare other names formed

with word father

a Abialbon father of strength = strong (2 Sam 2331)

b Abiasaph father of gathering = gatherer (Ex 624)

2 John 1030

a Jesus did not say I am the Father nor did He say the Son and the

Father are one person

b The first person plural esmen (are) implies we thus two persons

c The neuter word for one (hen) is used implying essential unity but

not personal unity (compare John 1721-23)

3 John 543

a Oneness interpretation Jesus coming in His Fathers name means He

was the Father because He had the Fathers name

b Actual meaning Others come in their own name (or their own

authority) but Jesus does not Jesus comes in His Fatherrsquos name (on

His Fathers authority)

4 John 146-11

a Jesus and the Father are one being not one person

b Jesus said I am in the Father not I am the Father

c The statement the Father is in Me does not mean Jesus is the

Father compare John 1420 1721-23

5 Colossians 29

a Oneness argument The Godhead which is the entire being of God is

in Jesus Jesus is not the Godhead

b Trinitarian interpretation Godhead means Deity the state of being

God the nature of God thus Jesus is fully God but not the only

person who is God Since Onesess makes the Godhead = the Father

they cannot say that Jesus is not in the Godhead since Jesus is in

the Father (John 1038 1410 111721)

E The Son existed before His incarnation even before creation

1 Prov 304 This is not a predictive prophecy prophecy in 301 translates

massa which is rendered elsewhere as burden

2 The Son created all things see VE1

3 Jesus was with ( pros or para) God the Father before creation John 11

175 pros in John 11 does not mean pertaining to although it does in

Hebrews 217 51

4 These statements cannot be dismissed as true in Gods foreknowledge

a We are all in Gods mind before creation yet such passages as John

11 and John 175 clearly mean to say something unusual about

Christ

b To say that all things were created through Christ means He must

have existed at creation

c No one else in Scripture is ever said to have been with God before

creation

F Jesus is not the Holy Spirit

1 1 The Holy Spirit is another Conforter (John 1416 compare 1 John 21)

2 Jesus sent the Holy Spirit (John 1526 167)

3 The Holy Spirit exhibits humility (John 1613) and seek to glorify Jesus (John

4 The Son and the Holy Spirit are distinguished as two persons in Matt 2819

5 The Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus (Luke 322)

6 Texts commonly used to prove that Jesus is the Holy Spirit

a 2 Cor 317 -- the Spirit is here called Lord in the sense of being

Yahweh or God not Jesus note Acts 2825-27 cf Isa68-10

b 1 Cor 1545 -- Jesus is a life-giving Spirit not in the sense that He is

the Holy Spirit whom He sent at Pentecost but in the sense that He is

the glorified God-man and as God He is Spirit by nature All three

persons of the Trinity are Spirit though there are not three divine

Spirits and only one person is designated the Holy Spirit

c Rom 82734 -- the fact that two persons intercede for us is consistent

with the fact that we have two Advocates (John 1416 1 John 21)

d John 1418 -- Jesus here refers to His appearances to the disciples

after the resurrection (compare 1419) not to the coming of the

Spirit

G The Father is not the Holy Spirit

1 The Father sent the Holy Spirit (John 1415 1526)

2 The Holy Spirit intercedes with the Father for us (Rom 826-27)

3 The Father and the Holy Spirit are distinguished as two persons in Matt

4 Arguments commonly used to prove that the Father is the Holy Spirit

a Matt 118 Luke 135 -- it is argued that the Holy Spirit is the Father

of the incarnate Son of God this argument ignores the fact that the

conception is not a product of physical union between a man and a

b The Father and the Holy Spirit are both said to be active in various

activities the resurrection of Jesus (Gal 11 Rom 811) comforting

Christians (2 Cor 13-4 John 1426) sanctifying Christians (Jude 1 1

Peter 1L2) etc The most these facts prove is that the two work

together they do not prove the two are one person

VIII Conclusion The Bible teaches the Trinity

A All the elements of the doctrine are taught in Scripture

1 One God

2 The Father is God

3 The Son is God

4 The Holy Spirit is God

5 The Father Son and Holy Spirit are three persons

B The Bible does not forbid using extrabiblical language to define and describe biblical

truth The Bible teaches that the faith (which would include the nature of the object of

faith namely God) was delivered once for all to the saints (Jude 3) Therefore any

religious movement that claims to have restored the true doctrine of God through any

kind of revelation is unbiblical

This is Christian Research Institutes STATEMENT DT160 Contact CRI at PO Box 7000Rancho Santa Margarita CA

92688 Phone (949) 858-6100 and Fax (949) 858-6111