CHAPTER II

THE ONE TRUE GOD

Doctrinal Statement
The one true God has revealed Himself as the eternally self-existent "I AM," the Creator of heaven and earth
and the Redeemer of mankind. He has further revealed Himself as embodying the principles of relationship and
association as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

God is the Sovereign Being of the universe, existing supremely above all else. God is spirit (John 4:24),
existing in a different realm from that of humans, who are flesh. Our understanding and perception of God, therefore,
are based on God’s revelation to us through His written Word, the Bible.

WORLDVIEWS ABOUT GOD

1. Atheism/Naturalism: Rejection of God’s Existence, Only the Physical World Exists.

The term “atheist” is taken from the Greek term “a” meaning “no” and “Theos” meaning “God.” Placed
together, the term means “no God.” The atheist, therefore, is one who does not believe in the existence of God.
Atheists are often termed “naturalists” as they only accept the existence of the natural/physical world, thereby
rejecting the existence of things like God, spirits, the human soul, angels, and demons. Richard Dawkins and
Lawrence Krauss are good examples of atheism. This worldview entails the absence of meaning, purpose, and
destiny.
Christian Response - God clearly declares His existence through all creation (Psalm 19:1)). It is against
the laws of Science (Law of Biogenesis) and Nature (2 nd Law of Thermodynamics) to simply assume there is no
God.

2. Agnosticism: God’s Existence is Unknowable.

Agnosticism comes from two terms: “a” the Greek term meaning “no” and “gnosis” the Greek term
meaning “knowledge.” This is contrary to what the Bible says, for God clearly reveals Himself in Creation, in
the Human conscience (Morality) and ultimately through His Son Jesus Christ.

3. Pantheism: The Force is Within You.

Pantheism comes from two Greek terms: “pan” meaning “all” and “Theos” meaning “God.” Pantheism
may look quite a bit like panentheism and even theistic agnosticism. However, generally speaking, pantheism is
the belief that God is an impersonal force. The God of the Bible, however, is directly different. The God of the
Bible is Personal.
Everything is god and God is in every created thing, including trees, flowers and living creatures.
>Everything material is an illusion (Your pain is only an Illusion – Buddhism).
>Humans are gods – Self-deifying trend.
>Knowledge is getting in touch with the cosmic consciousness.
One of the favorite terms you’ll hear from pantheists is “enlightenment.” History is cyclical and men are
reincarnated until they realize their own divinity. This world view is the basis for Hinduism, Buddhism, Christian
Science, and New Age teaching.
 Christian Response - God is not a created being; He is above the things He created (Is. 40:22-26) Rom. 1:25-
Paul indicated that worshiping created things instead of the Creator is amounted to exchanging “the truth of God for
a lie”

4. Panentheism: Everything is God.

Panentheism comes from three Greek terms: “pan” meaning “all,” “en” meaning “in,” and “Theos”
meaning “God.” Therefore, panentheism is literally defined as “all in God.” Panentheists hold that God
penetrates everything. While the Christian may initially be inclined to agree, one must understand that
panentheists believe that everything is God. Thus, the panentheist would agree that Jesus of Nazareth is God.
But, the panentheist would also agree that you are God, he is God, everyone is God, and even your kitchen sink
is God. The panentheist does not distinguish between the personal God and the physical creation. Hinduism is
the greatest example of panentheism.

Panentheism, however, holds issues as it pertains to the world. If the world is God, then why is there so
much evil? God is certainly good. So, if everyone is God, then wouldn’t everything be perfect? To accept such a
claim, one must have a flawed idea of God’s nature.

5. Polytheism: Several Gods Exist.

The term “polytheism” comes from two Greek terms: “polu” meaning “many” and “Theos” as we have
already defined as the term for God. In the polytheistic worldview, it is held that many gods and/or goddesses
exist.
Christian Response - The bible clearly teaches that there is only one God (Deut. 4:35; 6:4 1Cor.8:4)

6. Dualism: God and the Physical World are irreparably separated.

Dualism is the belief that the spiritual and physical realms are irreconcilably separated. Dualists will
claim that the spiritual dimension is good and the physical dimension is bad. Thus, resurrection is not accepted
nor is recreation of the new heaven and new earth presented in Revelation 21. Ancient Gnosticism, Platonism,
and New Age philosophies often fit within the dualist paradigm.
The trouble with dualism is twofold. On one hand, not all spiritual beings are good. Angels are
considered spiritual beings. However, Satan and his demonic cohort are certainly not good. Rather, they are the
epitome of evil. So, dualism fails to account for the fact that not all spiritual entities are good. On the other hand,
dualism fails to account for the historicity of Jesus’ literal bodily resurrection. God, who is Spirit (John 4:24),
created the physical world. The grand theme of Scripture is God’s restoration of the world and humanity. This
includes the physical world.

7. Deism: God as a Deadbeat Dad.

Deism is unique in that it takes its name from a Latin word rather than Greek. The Latin term “deus” is
the word for “God.” Deism holds much in common with theism. Deists generally accept the existence of a
transcendent God who is worthy of worship. The deist also accepts that this God is worthy of praise. The key
distinction comes in God’s current involvement with creation. Deists reject the idea that God is immanent. They
hold that God created everything at the outset but does not interject or intervene in creation since that time.
Deism fails if one miraculous claim can be proven. If one miracle can be demonstrated, then deism fails
because the miracle serves as evidence of God’s involvement in creation.
Christian Response - We know that deism is a false view because the Bible give us a very different view
of God, Ps. 46:1 He is an ever-present Help in trouble, He hears our prayers and love us Ps. 34:15-22.
 8. Pluralism
Pluralism is very similar to Naturalism, but it’s sort of a cafeteria style world view. People mix and
match various aspects of the other world views. It is extremely inconsistent, but that doesn’t seem to matter in a
postmodern world.

Christian Response
God commands that we worship and serve Him and Him only. It will be against Biblical belief and
against the law of non-contradiction to mix and match clearly differing views about the world and God.

9. Monotheism/Theism: God is Omnipotent, Transcendent, and Personal.

Finally, we come to the final worldview. The last worldview is monotheism or theism. Theists hold that
one God exists. God is both transcendent (separate from creation) and immanent (works within creation). Thus,
God is omnipotent (all-powerful) and omniscient (all-knowing). But God is also omnibenevolent (all-loving) and
omnipresent (in all places). God is beyond the scope of the universe and is not constrained by the laws of nature.
Yet, God is also personal and reveals himself to humanity. The three classic religions of Christianity, Judaism,
and Islam are considered theistic in scope. Theism triumphs in many ways. Theism best explains the necessity of
God’s being, the creation of the universe, the miraculous, personal revelation, and the substance dualism of
humanity.

THE ATTRIBUTES OF GOD

The attributes of God can be seen from two different sides. The communicable attributes, and the
incommunicable attributes. In order to have an accurate understanding of what being Christ-like/ godly means, we
need to have a clear understanding on the distinction of the communicable and incommunicable attributes of God.

A. COMMUNICABLE ATTRIBUTES OF GOD

1. PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES OF GOD

a. GOD IS A PERSON not a force—He has a form. We are created in His likeness. By grace, man
is capable of communication with God. God is a Person and can be grieved. God shows anger when He has
been seriously hurt or grieved. His Spirit can be vexed (frustrated) Isa. 63:10. When we are hurt, He is
hurting with us (Isa. 63:9, Zech. 2:8). Not only does God weep, but He can also laugh (Psa. 2:4).

b. GOD HAS EMOTIONS—He has feelings … love, joy, humor, grief, anger, jealousy.
John 3:16 describe the Father as Loving, Luke 6:35 He is kind, Gen. 6:6, Eph. 4:3 God has a tender
heart and sensitive to grief. Neh. 8:10 The Joy of the Lord, Lu.15:10 The Lord rejoices over the repentance
of one sinner.
Zeph. 3:17 says he joys over us with singing. Psa.149:4 God delights in his people. He takes pleasure
in His people, especially when they walk in righteousness. Psa. 7:11 God has capacity for anger. “God is
angry with the wicked every day”. But to balance this, the Lord is “slow to anger” and longsuffering (Jonah
4:2). Sometimes the Lord is angry with a believer. In Numbers 12:9, He was angry with Miriam because of
her spirit of criticism. God hates a tongue that sows discord and division among brethren (Prov. 6:16-19).

c. GOD HAS A SOCIAL NATURE—God is a seeking God, who seeks for fellowship. From the
beginning of the human race, God has sought to dwell and walk with man. Above all things, God wants what
every man wants—a bride who loves and understands Him, one to whom He can open His heart.
 God took the initiative to seek for us. We did not seek him. He sought us and we responded to a
loving, seeking God. We love him only because He first loved us (1 Jn. 4:19, Rom. 3:10-12). Exodus 25:8
“Let them make me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them.” God has longed to dwell among man and be
in man. “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (Jn.1:14). In 2 Corinthians 6:16 - God dwells (lives)
in his people. In Revelation 19:7-8 The Lord longs for a mature bride and wants to be understood (Jer. 9:24).

d. GOD HAS SENSES—Faculties of communication: Seeing, hearing, touch, taste, smell, speech.
1. Hearing - Psalm 94:9a, Num.12:1-5, 1 Pet. 3:12).
2. Seeing - Psalm 94:9b, Prov. 5:21, 15:3, 2 Chron.16:9, Heb. 4:13, Psa.11:4, Ex. 3:7).
3. Smelling - Genesis 8:21, Revelation 5:8, Amos 5:21-23, Isaiah 65:3-5
4. Touching - Jeremiah 1:9, 1 Kings 19:5-7, Revelation 5:1-7.
5. Tasting - Exodus 24:9-11, Jn. 21:5,12,15, Acts 10:40-41, 1 Pet. 2:3, Psa. 34:8.
6. Speech - Hebrews 1:1-2, Jn. 5:25 The expressions, “God said” or, “Thus saith the Lord” or their
equivalents, are found over 3,800 times in Scripture.

e. GOD HAS LIKES AND DISLIKES—Observe in the Scriptures what God loves and hates. It is
imperative to know what pleases God in order to have His favor and presence.
We can see clearly that God has likes and dislikes. He loves righteousness but hates iniquity, as it is
stated in Psalm 45:7. He hates a froward mouth (Prov. 8:13); delights in justice, mercy, and uprightness
(Prov.11:1, 11:20, 12:22); delights in the prayers of the righteous (Prov.15:8); but He hates pride and resists
the proud because the proud resist Him (Jas. 4:6). Jealousy is also an integral part of God's nature (Ex. 34:14,
20:5). When He loves someone, He is very jealous for their full affections. The Spirit of the Lord in Paul was
jealous for the Corinthian believers (cf. 2 Cor.11:2).

f. GOD HAS A WILL—Man too has a will because he is made like Him. God deliberates, reasons,
and makes decisions. We also have choices and decisions to make all of our lives. Because we are made in
His image and likeness, we too have a will. Life is filled with choices and decisions. Anyone who goes to
hell has chosen of his own free will to go there (Acts 13:46). People judge themselves to be unworthy of
everlasting life. God is not willing that any should perish. If anyone perishes, it is not God's will, but man's.
May the Lord help us to make the right decisions in life. However, it even requires God’s grace [divine
enablement] to help us make the right decisions.

g. GOD CAN BE REASONED WITH - God repents (means changes his mind). Moses changed
God’s mind on several occasions Exodus chapter 32. God “repents” [or changes his mind]. The Lord had
determined to destroy Nineveh, but when Nineveh repented, God repented too. He changed His mind and did
not destroy Nineveh in forty days as He had said He would.

2). MORAL ATTRIBUTES OF GOD

a. GOD HAS CHARACTER- Some of His moral attributes include righteousness, holiness, mercy,
faithfulness, truth, graciousness, perfection, and all the nine fruits of the Spirit. He is righteous, holy,
merciful, longsuffering, forgiving, abundant in goodness and truth, and faithful. These are some of His moral
attributes.
In order to become like Him, man must understand His nature and character. (1 John 3:2) “When he
shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.” The more we see Him, the more we will be
like Him. We cannot hope to model ourselves after Him until we first understand what He is like. Thus, we
need a continuous revelation of His nature and character.

1. God is Righteous—He loves equity and justice. He is impartial to all. He hates oppression
and injustice. Every action of the Lord God is completely just. He is the Judge of the whole earth (see
Gen.18:25, Ezra 9:15, Psa.116:5, Dan. 9:7, Rev.15:3, 19:2).

2. God is Holy—“There is none holy as the Lord ” (1 Sam. 2:2, Rev.15:4). He is absolutely
pure in word, thought and deed. His motives and thoughts are immaculate.
 3. God is Merciful—He shows pity and compassion to man (Psalm 103:8-11). Everything
God does is in His mercy. Mercy is the highest revelation and attribute of God. His mercy is even
above His law. However, it is His sole prerogative to show mercy (Ex. 33:19). There are reasons He
does not choose to show mercy to some.

4. God is Faithful—In Revelation 3:14, He is entitled, “Faithful and true.” God does what He
says He will do. He even puts His Word above His name (Psa.138:2). He is ever loyal to us. “Lo, I
am with you always” (Mt. 28:20). He is worthy to be trusted. He is girded with faithfulness
(Isa.11:5).

5. God is Truth—He is totally genuine. He is Light. Light is truth. There is no darkness in

Him.

6. God is Gracious—God extends goodness, even to the undeserving (Ex. 34:6, Eph. 2:8, Lk.
6:35).

7. God is Perfect—God is absolutely perfect! Absolute perfection belongs only to God.

“Who is like unto thee O Lord.” Nothing can be added to God. Romans 11:34 says, “Who has been
his counsellor?” We are called to be perfect in the sense of maturity, wholeness, and becoming all
that God has ordained for us (Mt. 5:48), but absolute perfection belongs to God alone.

b. THE NINE FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT ARE ATTRIBUTES OF GOD

All the nine fruits of the Spirit mentioned in Galatians 5:22-23 are attributes of God. He is the very
essence of these. God is love, He is peace, He is meek, longsuffering, self-controlled, gentle, and good. The
object of the Holy Spirit is to produce all of these fruits in our lives. When this is accomplished, we will be
very much like our Lord. Let us consider these nine attributes of God.

1. Love - “God is love” (1 Jn. 4:7, 21). Love is more than a feeling. Love is character; love is
sacrificial and totally unselfish. Love is a commitment to another. God loved us when we were
unlovable (Rom. 5:8). God loved us so much that He gave his only Son to be a ransom for our
endangered and imprisoned souls. Love is the strength to put others before ourselves. God is totally
unselfish. If marriages were built upon this kind of love, they would never fail.
2. Joy - “The joy of the Lord is our strength” (Neh. 8:10). Joy is an attribute of God. He is the
very essence of joy. God is not gloomy or depressed, and He is not nervous. He is full of light. He
beams with glory and joy. Joy is a strength. It is not possible for the heart to have hurts, grudges,
sorrow, or bitterness when it is filled with God's joy. Joy cleanses the heart of all these maladies.
3. Peace - He is the “God of peace” and the “Prince of peace” (Rom.16:20, Isa. 9:6). God is
peace. His presence brings calmness and strength. Christ was sleeping and totally relaxed during a
ferocious storm. When the disciples were terrified and awakened Him, the Master simply
commanded, “Peace, be still.” Instantly there was silence and serenity. Peace is strength. Nothing can
shake us when we are under the canopy of God's peace.
4. Longsuffering - “The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in
goodness and truth” (Ex. 34:6b). Longsuffering is rendered “patience.” It means to be even-tempered
and forbearing. God often bears with people for a long time. This is strength of character.
5. Gentleness - David said, “Thy gentleness hath made me great” (2 Sam. 22:36b).
Gentleness means to be easy and mild with others. It is the opposite of a strict, legalistic, demanding
nature. God's gentleness affords Him the ability to show clemency to others. We should do likewise.
6. Goodness - “Taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psa. 34:8, Ex. 34:6). Goodness is a
strength and firmness to do what is best for others. Every thought and action of the Lord is directed
only to the highest eternal good of another. He is thoroughly good. Every part of Him is good.
7. Faith - “Have the faith of God” [or God's faith] (Mk.11:22). This is the literal meaning of
this verse. Faith is totally divine. Faith brings understanding (Heb.11:3). It sees beyond
 circumstances. It sees into the unseen. God not only has faith; He is the very essence and substance
of faith.
8. Meekness - “I am meek and lowly in heart” (Mt.11:29). God is meek. Meekness was
demonstrated in the life of Christ who is the perfect image of the Father. Meekness is a holy
acceptance of circumstances with joyfulness. It takes no vengeance in thought or deed. Meekness is
an important key to good mental and emotional health. It keeps our heart free of bitterness.
9. Temperance (self-control) - “I have long time holden my peace; I have been still, and
refrained myself” (Isa. 42:14). Self-control is a mark of great spiritual strength. God has power and
authority but He uses it sparingly (cf. Mt. 26:53). Self-control is the ability to control passions and
appetites.

B. INCOMMUNICABLE ATTRIBUTES OF GOD - Attributes Belonging Only to God

a. GOD IS OMNISCIENT (all-knowing).

God knows all things, past, present and future. His understanding is infinite (or limitless). See Psalm
147:5. His eyes are everywhere, beholding the evil and the good (Heb. 4:13).

There are, however, certain things He chooses to put out of his mind and forget. For example,
Hebrews 8:12 says: “Their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.” Isaiah 65:17 says: “Behold I create
new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.” God will create
a new heaven and earth after this present creation is dissolved, and He will not think about this one anymore.
Also, the unredeemed who are in the lake of fire will be forgotten.

God's omniscience is seen in Isaiah 46:10, Psalm 147:5, Ephesians 1:4, Revelation 13:8, only to
mention a few. God knew before the creation of the world which people would choose Him and which ones
would reject Him. God knows the hearts of all men. God could say of the city of Corinth where the Gospel
had not yet been preached, “I have much people in this city” (Acts 18:10). He knows which fields are
fruitful, and which fields are barren.

 There is nothing covered that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known
(Mt.10:26).
 Everything in darkness shall be brought to the light (Lk.12:3).
 Everything hid shall be manifested. Anything kept secret shall be known abroad (Mk. 4:22).
 Nothing is forgotten by God (except for what He chooses to forget) (Isa. 65:17).
 Not one sparrow falls to the ground without the Father's notice (Mt.10:29, Lu.12:6).
 Even the hairs on our head are numbered (Mt.10:30). Every idle word is recorded (Mt.12:36).
 God understands everything about us, long before our birth (Psa.139:1-18).
 His eyes see everything (Heb. 4:13). He sees every heart (2 Chron.16:9, 1 Chron. 28:9).
 The smallest deed done for Christ shall be remembered (Mt.10:42) such as a cup of cold
water.
 He knows the future and can foretell exactly what is going to happen (Isa. 46:10).
 All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are in Him (Col. 2:3).

b. GOD IS OMNIPRESENT

He can be present everywhere at the same time. He fills heaven and earth. There is nothing too hard
for Him (Jer. 32:27). Yet, He can “localize” His presence too.

He declared through the prophet Jeremiah - “Do not I fill heaven and earth, saith the Lord,” and
again, “Is there anything too hard for Me?” (Jer. 23:23-24, 32:27). We cannot hide from Him anywhere
(Psa.139:7-12). “Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst” (Mt.18:20).
Jesus Himself can be everywhere at the same time, and when He comes again, “every eye shall see him”
(Rev.1:7). At the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, He will cause Himself to be seen everywhere in
the earth at one time. Men everywhere will be pleading for the mountains to cover them and to hide them
from His face (Rev. 6:14-17). Do not be natural minded about the second coming of Christ. Christ is
omnipresent as well as the Father. He can make Himself visible everywhere at once. Although God can be
everywhere at once, still He can localize his presence (1 Sam. 3:10).

c. GOD IS OMNIPOTENT (all-powerful)

The Father gave the Son all power in heaven and in earth. The Father had it to give, thus, He is the
Most High (Matt. 28:18).
Matthew 28:18 “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.” “With God nothing shall be
impossible” (Lu.1:37, Isa. 40:13-18, Jer. 32:17). God has the final word on everything. He is sovereign and
has the power to overrule every decision made by man or spirit. He determines all governments and leaders
(Psa. 75:6,7). Nothing can happen without his consent (Dan. 4:35, 2:20-22). People cannot even die unless
God permits it
(Rev. 9:6). God even determines how a person will die (Ezek. 5:12). Satan can only go as far as God
says, and not an inch further. This is clearly seen in Job 1:12, 2:6.

d. GOD HAD NO BEGINNING He always existed and is self-existing (Jn. 5:26).

He inhabits eternity (Isa. 57:15). Man has a beginning, but has no end. Man was made to live forever
and will be resurrected at the end of time. From everlasting to everlasting, He is God.

He inhabits eternity (Isa. 57:15). He is the beginning and ending, the Alpha and Omega. God is the
same, yesterday, today and forever. He has not changed from the Old Testament to the New Testament. God
did not become more loving and merciful in the New Testament. He is ever the same—The I AM (I always
was, I always will be). He is Yahweh (Jehovah)—The Self-Existent One. God was not created or assisted in
any way.

“His understanding is infinite” (Psa.145:7). Infinite means limitless. Man is finite (limited). God is
eternal and infinite. Man had a beginning and cannot comprehend eternity. Mathematically, the older we
grow, the faster time goes. To a five-year-old child going to kindergarten, one year is 20% of his life. To a
fifty-year-old man, one year is only 2% of his life. To the Ancient of Days who had no beginning, a thousand
years is like one day (2 Pet. 3:8). It is like a “watch of the night” (Psa. 90:4) which is only part of a night.
The Jews divided their night into three watches (cf. Jud. 7:19).

Eternity has no end. This is why it is so serious to miss eternal life. When a lost soul has been in the
lake of fire for a million years, he has only started his length of stay there. It will never have an end!

Oh, the awesomeness of eternal judgment. This should make us forget about our timidities when we
witness to the lost. We possess the only thing that can save them. We have the words of eternal life. “Behold
the goodness and severity of God” (Rom.11:22). We cannot fathom the love of God but neither can we
fathom His wrath. One is just as extreme as the other. When we understand the character of God, our
doctrines and beliefs become very clear.

e. GOD IS IMMUTABLE / UNCHANGING

God does not change. He is the same from everlasting to everlasting (Psa. 90:2). With Him there is
no variableness or shadow of turning (Jas.1:17, Mal. 3:6, Heb.13:8). He has nothing to improve upon or any
lessons to learn. His foresight is just as perfect as His hindsight.
 THE GODHEAD

There is only One God

Both the New and Old Testament declare there is only one God. Not just one God for this universe or many
gods united in one purpose, but one God. Both Judaism and Christianity are clearly monotheistic.
When we speak of the ‘Oneness’ of God, there are two words in the Hebrew that we need to consider. Note
that the Hebrew language has a much richer vocabulary than our English. Just as there are four words for Love in
the Greek, there are two words for One in the Hebrew.
The most important verse Jews memorized in the Bible was Deut.
6:4: "Hear, O Israel! Yahweh is our God, Yahweh is one
[Echad]!" There are a few words in Hebrew that the Holy Spirit
could have used in this verse. The word ‘the’ has one exclusive
meaning: the numeric, solitary oneness of God ("yachid" or
"bad").

Instead, the Holy Spirit chose to use the Hebrew

word, "echad" which is used most often as a unified
one, (compound one) and sometimes as numeric
oneness. For example, when God said in Genesis
2:24 "the two shall become one [echad] flesh" it is
the same word for "one" that was used in Deut. 6:4.

This is most troubling for Jews and Anti-Trinitarians since the word yachid, the main Hebrew
word for solitary oneness, is never used in reference to God.

Views of the Godhead.

a. Sabellian- The Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost are all one and the same, just different
names or different aspects or different ways of seeing God, but really the Father IS the Son and
the Father IS the Holy Ghost and the Holy Ghost IS the Son. And all these three are names of the
One God. There is only one God in one person who appears and operates in three ways.

b. Arian- The Father is God. The Son and the Holy Ghost are not God, but creatures, albeit very
good and holy creatures made by the Father, in very privileged positions, agreeing in all things
with the Father. In a sense this is the nearest view to Islam of all of them. There is only one
Person who is God and Christ was his first CREATION.

c. Tritheism/Polytheist - The Father is God. The Son is God. The Holy Ghost is God. There are
 at least three different Gods. There are three independent gods.

d. Positive Atheist- There is no Father, no Son, no Holy Ghost and no God.

e. Trinitarian - The Father is God. The Son is God. The Holy Ghost is God.
The Father is not the Son. The Father is not the Holy Ghost. The Son is not the Holy Ghost. But
there is precisely one perfect and indivisible God, not three "Gods". It is the doctrine that there is
only one God, not three, and that the one God exists in three persons: Father, the Son, and the
Holy Spirit.

THE TRINITY

1. Where did the doctrine of the Trinity come from?

First, at the baptism of Jesus, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit were present. As soon as Jesus came
up out of the water, "he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. And a voice from heaven
said, ‘This is my Son, whom I love and with him I am well pleased’" (Matt. 3:16-17). The Father’s voice sounded
from above and affirmed the Sonship of Jesus, and the Holy Spirit descended on him and empowered him.

Second, at the end of the same Gospel, Jesus is resurrected, and he commissions the disciples to go into the
entire world and preach the gospel. These two verses are part of the Great Commission, which Evangelicals take
seriously. "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all
nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit" ... (Matt 28:18-19).

This passage affirms that Jesus was granted all authority in heaven and on earth. This passage also
demonstrates Jesus’ early declaration of the Trinity.

Third, Christians believe that the entire New Testament is inspired. The Apostle Paul also affirms the
doctrine of the Trinity. In his second letter to the Corinthians, he bids farewell to them: "May the grace of the Lord
Jesus, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all" (2 Corinthians 13:14). Thus, Jesus
and the Holy Spirit exist with the Father, and from their heavenly vantage point they are able to communicate grace,
love, and fellowship to the believers (cf. Ephesians 4:4-6).

Fourth, Peter the Apostle, the humble fisherman from Galilee, stood in Jesus’ presence when he spoke the
Great Commission. Peter may not have fully understood Christ’s words then, but now he begins his epistle, under
the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, restating the Trinitarian formula in his own words. He says that the people of God
"have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for
obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood" (1 Peter 1:2). It is clear from this verse that each person of the
Trinity has a function or role in the world. The Father chooses, the Spirit sanctifies, and Jesus redeems people with
his blood that he shed on the cross.

Lastly, it is clearly documented in the first book of John, the 5 th Chapter, verses 7 to 8 which says; For there
are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost, and these three are one. And there
are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.

There are many that contest this verse and say that this may not be an actual part of the Bible because it
wasn’t seen included in the earlier texts namely the Codex Vaticanus texts found in around 400-600AD. However, a
scholar by the name of Dean Burgeon, who studied texts and quotes of early Church fathers found that 1John5:7 was
already being quoted even as early as 100-200AD! Therefore, proving that although it wasn’t included in the newer
texts, there was no doubt that this was indeed part of John’s letter. An explanation as to why the Greek Textus
Receptus is found later than the Codex Vaticanus is because it was stored in more wet places. Thus, explaining the
more frequent rewriting procedure. Another reason to believe in this verse’s legitimacy is without it, the 8 th verse in
the said passage would be incomplete. These two verses (V7-8) present a parallelism. Without the first statement, the
second would go uncompleted and wrong in grammar. Again, in proving the Trinity, there is no verse more direct
than this one. No wonder it has faced a lot of attacks from both the unbelievers and the believers of the Trinity.

To sum up, the doctrine of the Trinity was first stated in the Gospel of Matthew, both at the baptism of Jesus
and in his Great Commission, in his own words. It is only natural, therefore, that the apostles would repeat his
doctrine.

2. Doesn’t this doctrine really come from later Church fathers?

This doctrine is developed by great theologians like Athanasius (c. AD 296-373) and Augustine (AD 354-
430), but it was not invented by them. The New Testament was written to clarify pressing doctrinal and pastoral
problems and issues that arose in the church. Here are four examples: what did Jesus teach or do about sickness or
dietary laws or the Sabbath? What was his resurrection like (cf. the four Gospels)? How are people saved (or get into
heaven) and are sanctified by the Holy Spirit (Epistle to the Romans)? Why should Christians not subject themselves
to an old-new law (Epistle to the Galatians)? And how should Christians live in the church and withstand persecution
(Peter’s Epistle)?

Therefore, the New Testament authors, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, were not initially directed to
develop the doctrine of the Trinity. Instead, they seemed to have assumed it, and only began to develop how to teach
it in order that other believers who questioned would come to a reasonable understanding of the fact. They affirmed
the full deity of Christ and the full deity and personhood of the Holy Spirit. To repeat, Church fathers developed the
doctrine of the Trinity from their reading of the New Testament, but they did not invent the doctrine out of thin air.

3. Is the word "Trinity" found in the Bible?

It is not found in the Bible, probably for the reason stated in no. 2. The New Testament authors were engaged
in other issues, and they assumed the reality of the Trinity, which is far greater than a label. However, that doesn’t
mean it wasn’t taught in the Bible. The Trinity is clearly and repeatedly implied throughout the scriptures, just as
mentioned in the first point. Just because a word isn’t found in the Bible doesn’t mean it isn’t implied there. Even the
word ‘Bible’ is not found in the Bible! Does that mean we shouldn’t believe in It?

4. What does this doctrine teach?

This doctrine teaches that God exists in three persons who

share the same essence or being. What this means is that God
exists in the distinct and co-equal persons of the Father, the Son,
and the Holy Spirit, but they share a fully divine essence or being,
such as ‘uncreatedness’, eternality, simplicity (non-composite or
indivisible), immutability (unchangeableness), omniscience (all
wise and knowing), omnipotence (all powerful), goodness, mercy,
holiness, will and freedom, and so on.

Thus, in God, the attributes of his essence are fully shared

by three persons, making each person fully God.
 Yet, the three persons are distinct. The Father is neither the Son nor the Holy Spirit; the Son is neither the
Father nor the Holy Spirit; and the Holy Spirit is neither the Father nor the Son. However, to repeat, the three
persons share the same essence. That is, the Father and Son and Holy Spirit duplicate the same attributes. The
Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are equally wise and merciful and holy; one is not more wise or merciful or holy
than the other.

5. How are the three persons distinct?

They are distinct in their relationship with each other and in their function or role in creation and in the plan
of redemption and salvation.

In the work of creation, the three persons of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit had different functions.
God the Father spoke the world into existence (Genesis 1-3), but God the Son carried out the divine decree. The
Gospel of John says of Jesus: "All things were made through him [Jesus], and without him was not anything made
that was made" (John 1:3). God the Holy Spirit was active in manifesting the command in creation, "brooding over
the face of the waters" (Genesis 1:2; see also Psalm 33:6 and 139:7).

In the work of redemption and salvation, the three persons have different roles or functions. God the Father
planned the redemption and sent God the Son into the world to carry out the plan of redemption. God the Son obeyed
the Father and died on the cross for our sins. Neither the Father nor the God the Holy Spirit carried out this part of
redemption. The Holy Spirit was sent by the Father and the Son (John 14:26 and 16:7) to apply the plan of
redemption to the heart of each person who receives it. The Holy Spirit also purifies and sanctifies us or makes us
holy in our daily lives.

In relation to each other, we see that in the creation and redemption, the Father sends and directs the Son
(Ephesians 3:14-15), who obeys and goes where he is directed, revealing the full nature of God the Father to us
(John 1:1-5, 14, 18; 17:4; Philippians 2:5-11). These roles fit perfectly with Fatherhood and Sonship. Both the Father
and the Son send the Holy Spirit, so the Spirit obeys both the first and second persons of the Trinity. Thus, while the
three persons of the Trinity have and share the same attributes (holiness, mercy, omniscience, and so on), they have
distinct roles or functions as they relate to each other, to creation, and in the plan of redemption and salvation. They
are equal to each other in their divine attributes, but the Son and the Spirit are subordinate in their roles.

6. If there are three persons, why are there not three Gods?

The co-equal and distinct persons of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are not three Gods because they
share the same essence in complete unity. When we say essence, we mean; the intrinsic nature or indispensable
quality of something/ someone that determines its character.

For example, the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are three distinct persons and beings. They do not
share the same essence or being or divine attributes. However, Abraham in himself has a spirit, soul, and body (I
Thes. 5:23). They are distinct, yet one being that these three is one ‘Abraham’.

To clarify further why there are three persons, but not three Gods, God’s essence is not divided equally into
three parts; it is not one-third, plus one-third, plus one-third. Also, the three persons are not added on to God’s
essence or being, as if they are tacked on to the outside of God. Rather, all three persons share the same essence,
fully God in one being, in total and perfect unity. In simpler words, three who’s and one what.

Thus, basic Christian doctrine teaches that one God exists in three persons: The Father, the Son, and the Holy
Spirit, not in three Gods, which is called tritheism. Christians reject this doctrine.

7. However, doesn’t 1 + 1 + 1 = 3? So, isn’t belief in the Trinity irrational?

 All natural analogies fail, and so do mathematical ones. However, let’s use some nonetheless, to clarify the
simplistic addition model.

First, multiplication works better with integers:

 1 x 1 x 1 = 1.
Second, the exponent comes out the same:
 1^3 = 1
Third, how about an infinite number of sets of things? This works better:
 Infinity + infinity + infinity = infinity.

8. Doesn’t the doctrine of the Trinity ultimately come from pagan myths?

The doctrine of the Trinity, if properly understood, is found nowhere in mythology—not even close. Zeus,
Poseidon, and Apollo and any other trio of gods from around the world do not share all of the same attributes in
perfect unity as one God. In fact, Greek myths go out of their way to keep these gods distinct as three gods and
beings with their own special attributes. The Trinity has nothing to do with a family or pantheon of squabbling gods
or separate divine beings. This is polytheism, and Christians reject it.

9. Is the doctrine of the Trinity really that important?

For Christians, the doctrine is indispensable for many reasons, but we focus on two. First, the doctrine of the
Trinity cannot be given up without irreparable damage to Christ’s atonement; and second salvation or how we get
into heaven becomes unclear, which is life’s ultimate question.

First, the doctrine of the atonement is jeopardized. This doctrine says that Christ died on the cross for our
sins and propitiated divine wrath that was directed at us because our sins. The inspired Apostle Paul says in Romans
8:18-21 that creation itself waits for ultimate redemption. If Christ were a mere creature like us and part of this
creation as we are, then he could not have redeemed all of creation. A creature cannot redeem all of creation, of
which he is a part. He himself would need redemption. Hence, the eternal Son of God must not be a created being.

Second, justification by grace through faith in Christ is jeopardized, and our salvation goes down the drain.
If Christ is not fully God, then how can we trust him to save us in his redemptive act on the cross? We may as well
do all kinds of good work, hoping against hope that we may get invited into heaven when we die, but not knowing
for sure that God will let us in. Rather, since Jesus Christ was fully divine in human flesh, his salvation is divinely
secure for us. (More of this in Chapter 3)

Lastly, one can fully trust another if this person has enough knowledge of the person he/she directs his/her
trust to. In order to fully and totally trust God, we must at least have enough awareness of His being. In this way, we
have complete assurance, and we also avoid misrepresenting Him.