Calvary Chapel Equipping Study Series
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God – The Trinity
[Scriptures quoted from NKJV Bible, unless otherwise noted.]
Only through the Word of God, the Bible, we come to the knowledge of the True God and His will for humanity. But, the purpose of the Bible is not to fully define God in a scientific or philosophical way. God is infinite in nature; therefore, humans should not expect to be able to fully understand Him. The purpose of the revelations contained in the Bible involve the redemption of humanity. In that interest, God makes known His being and attributes to bring humanity to His saving knowledge.
The Word of God tells us there is only One living and true God.
Deuteronomy 6:4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one!
1 Corinthians 8:4 Therefore concerning the eating of things offered to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no other God but one.
James 2:19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe— and tremble!
The word Trinity is not found in the Bible, however, in the plan of salvation, we see the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit operating as three distinct, yet equal, persons and indivisibly One God.
Matthew 28:19-20“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
1 John 5:7 For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word [The Logos, Christ, the Divine Expression], and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one.
Some apologists use the illustration of a triangle to explain the Trinity. A triangle has three corners, each corner is not the same as the whole triangle, yet it is only one triangle. Another popular example is, God is like one to the third power, 1x1x1=1.
We see evidence of the Trinity during creation:
Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God [Elohim] created the heavens and the earth.
Genesis 1:26 Then God[Elohim]said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over gall the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
In the context of Genesis 1:1 and 1:26, the Hebrew plural noun "Elohim" and the pronoun “us” are plural forms, definitely referring to more than two.
We see the Trinity active when John baptized Jesus:
Matthew 3:16-17 When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
The Bible shows how each member of the Trinity is God:
John 6:27 Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.
Romans 9:3-5 For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh, who are Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises; of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God. Amen.
1 Corinthians 3:16 Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
Although the Father, Son, and Spirit are the same in substance, and equal in power and glory, according to the Scriptures, the Father is first, the Son second, and the Spirit third. The Father sends the Son, and the Father and Son send the Spirit.
John 3:16-17 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
Matthew 10:40 He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.
John 15:26 But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.
John 16:5-8 But now I go away to Him who sent Me, and none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’ But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. Nevertheless, I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment…
Hence according to the Bible: the Father loves the Son; the Son loves the Father; the Spirit testifies of the Son. The Father, Son, and Spirit are severally subject and object. They act and are acted upon, or are the objects of action. Nothing is added to these facts when it is said that the Father, Son, and Spirit are distinct persons; for a person is an intelligent subject who can say I, who can be addressed as Thou, and who can act and can be the object of action.
The opposite of these statements is never found in the Bible.
God – The Father
In the Bible, we see a relationship of love and submission from Christ, the Son, to the Father.
Luke 10:21-22 In that hour Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight. “All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.”
John 15:9 As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.
The Bible teaches how God, the Father, loves the world.
John 3:16-17 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
1 John 3:1 Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore, the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.
When John uses the expression, behold what manner of love, the implication involves astonishment and admiration for the great love the Father demonstrates.
The Father sent the Son so that we can have life in Him.
John 6:57 As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me.
God is eternally the Father of Jesus Christ, and through Jesus we are heirs of God.
Romans 8:14-17 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs— heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.
God gives the right to become children of God to all who in faith have received Christ as Lord and Savior.
John 1:12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name…
God – The Son – Jesus Christ
Some people argue that the Bible never records Jesus saying the precise words, “I am God.”
However, the Bible records Jesus proclaiming that He is God and reiterates the concept of Jesus’s Deity.
Matthew 3:16-17 When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
Mark 2:5-12 When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.” And some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, “Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this?Who can forgive sins but God alone?” But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, “Why do you reason about these things in your hearts? “Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise, take up your bed and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”— He said to the paralytic, “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”
John 1:1-4 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.
John 1:14And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 8:58Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.”
John 8:59Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.
John 10:30 I and My Father are One.
John 10:33The Jews answered Him, saying, “For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God.”
John 20:28-29 And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
Acts 20:28Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.
Titus 2:13looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ…
2 Peter 1:1Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ…
In Revelation, an angel instructed the apostle John to only worship God.
Revelation 19:10And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”
We see in Scripture how several times Jesus received worship and never rebuked people for worshiping Him.
If Jesus were not God, He would have told people to not worship Him, just as the angel in Revelation 19 did.
Matthew 2:11 And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
Matthew 14:33Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, “Truly You are the Son of God.”
Matthew 28:9 And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, “Rejoice!” So they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him.
Matthew 28:17 When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted.
Luke 24:52 And they worshiped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy…
John 9:35-38 Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when He had found him, He said to him, “Do you believe in the Son of God?” He answered and said, “Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?” And Jesus said to him, “You have both seen Him and it is He who is talking with you.” Then he said, “Lord, I believe!” And he worshiped Him.
“The most important reason that Jesus has to be God is that, if He is not God, His death would not have been sufficient to pay the penalty for the sins of the world.”
1 John 2:1-2 My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.
“A created being, which Jesus would be if He were not God, could not pay the infinite penalty required for sin against an infinite God. Only God could pay such an infinite penalty. Only God could take on the sins of the world, die, and be resurrected, proving His victory over sin and death.”
2 Corinthians 5:18-21Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
Jesus Christ, the Son, is God!