5.

THE TRINITY
Christian Cathedral School of Apologetics
 QUESTION#2

“DOES THE BIBLE TEACH THE

DOCTRINE OF THE TRINITY?”
 ANSWER
• All Scripture comes from God (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
• God doesn’t lie (Numbers 23:19; 1 Samuel 15:29; John
17:17)
• We are to worship God “in spirit and truth” (John 4:24)
• Jesus prayed that we would “know the only true God”
(John 17:3)
• We would expect to find the concept of the Trinity
within the pages of the Bible.
 QUESTION#2

WHAT IS THE CORRECT

DEFINITION OF THE TRINITY?
 ANSWER
Within the one Being that is God,
there exists eternally three
coequal and coeternal persons,
namely, the Father, the Son, and
the Holy Spirit.
 QUESTION#3

IS THE TRINITY PAGAN

CONCEPT?
 ANSWER
“All we ask you to understand is that Trinitarian
theology was not derived from pagan sources. It was
derived from biblical passages where honest, godly
men said, ‘Hey, 2 Peter says there is a Person called the
Father, and he’s God. And Acts chapter 5 says there is a
Person called the Spirit, and he’s God. And John 1 says
there’s a Person called the Word and he’s God.’ You’ve
got Three Persons, and Deuteronomy 6 says, ‘There is
only one God.’ Logical conclusion: the Three Persons,
somehow, are the One God. That’s how Trinitarian
theology started. Not with the pagans.”
- Dr. Walter Martin
 QUESTION#4

WHAT ARE THE THREE

FOUNDATIONS OF THE
TRINITY?
 ANSWER

1. There is only one God

2. There are three divine Persons
3. The three Persons are Coequal
& Coeternal
IGNORING EACH FOUNDATION WILL LEAD TO HERESY
 QUESTION#5

HOW DID THE ATHANASIAN

CREED DEFINE THE TRINITY?
 ATHANASIAN CREED
“Whosoever will be saved, before all things it
is necessary that he hold the catholic faith.
Which faith unless every one do keep whole
and undefiled, without doubt he shall perish
everlastingly. And the catholic faith is this:
that we worship one God in Trinity, and
Trinity in Unity; neither confounding the
Persons, nor dividing the Essence. For there is
one Person of the Father; another of the Son;
and another of the Holy Ghost.
 ATHANASIAN CREED
“But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and
of the Holy Ghost, is all one; the Glory equal, the
Majesty coeternal. Such as the Father is; such is
the Son; and such is the Holy Ghost. The Father
uncreated; the Son uncreated; and the Holy
Ghost uncreated. The Father unlimited; the Son
unlimited; and the Holy Ghost unlimited. The
Father eternal; the Son eternal; and the Holy
Ghost eternal. And yet they are not three
eternals; but one eternal.”
 ATHANASIAN CREED
“As also there are not three uncreated; nor
three infinites, but one uncreated; and one
infinite. So likewise the Father is Almighty;
the Son Almighty; and the Holy Ghost
Almighty. And yet they are not three
Almighties; but one Almighty. So the Father
is God; the Son is God; and the Holy Ghost is
God. And yet they are not three Gods; but
one God.
 ATHANASIAN CREED
“So likewise the Father is Lord; the Son Lord;
and the Holy Ghost Lord. And yet not three
Lords; but one Lord. For like as we are
compelled by the Christian verity; to
acknowledge every Person by himself to be
God and Lord; So are we forbidden by the
catholic religion; to say, There are three Gods,
or three Lords.”
 ATHANASIAN CREED
“The Father is made of none; neither created,
nor begotten. The Son is of the Father alone;
not made, nor created; but begotten. The
Holy Ghost is of the Father and of the Son;
neither made, nor created, nor begotten; but
proceeding. So there is one Father, not three
Fathers; one Son, not three Sons; one Holy
Ghost, not three Holy Ghosts.”
 ATHANASIAN CREED
“And in this Trinity none is before, or after
another; none is greater, or less than another.
But the whole three Persons are coeternal,
and coequal. So that in all things, as
aforesaid; the Unity in Trinity, and the Trinity
in Unity, is to be worshipped. He therefore
that will be saved, let him thus think of the
Trinity.”
 QUESTION#6

WHAT IS THE ‘SHIELD OF THE

TRINITY’?
THE SHIELD OF THE TRINITY
THE INCARNATION/HYPOSTATIC UNION
 QUESTION#6

WHAT SOME OF THE CULTS AND

SOME MAJOR WORLD RELIGIONS
TEACH ABOUT THE TRINITY?
 ANSWER
Jehovah’s Witnesses:
“Sincere persons who want to know the true
God and serve Him find it a bit difficult to
love and worship a complicated, freakish
looking, three-headed God.”
Let God Be True, p. 102
WHAT SOME OF THE CULTS AND SOME MAJOR
WORLD RELIGIONS TEACH ABOUT THE TRINITY?

Jehovah’s Witnesses:
“Sincere persons who want to know the true
God and serve Him find it a bit difficult to
love and worship a complicated, freakish
looking, three-headed God.”
Let God Be True, p. 102
Mormons’ “Trinity” (actually, Tritheism)
 SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST

“Most of the founders of Seventh-day Adventism

would not be able to join the church today if they
had to subscribe to the denomination’s
Fundamental Beliefs. More specifically, most
would not be able to agree to belief number 2,
which deals with the doctrine of the Trinity.”
Ministry, October 1993, p. 10
 SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST
”In the name of whom were you baptized? You went
down into the water in the name of the three great
Worthies in heaven–the Father, the Son, and the Holy
Ghost. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of
the Holy Ghost you were buried with Christ in baptism;
…You are born unto God, and you stand under the
sanction and the power of the three holiest Beings in
heaven, who are able to keep you from falling.”
Ellen White, Sermons and Talks, vol. 1, p. 367
 ISLAM

“Say not ‘Trinity’: desist: it will be

better for you: for God is one God:
Glory be to Him: (far exalted is He)
above having a son.”
(Sura 4:171)
 QUESTION#7

WHAT IS THE FUNCTIONAL

ORDER OF THE TRINITY?
FUNCTIONAL ORDER OF THE TRINITY

•All members of the Trinity are equal in

essence or nature, that is, all members are
God.
•The Father is 100% God, the Son is 100%
God and the Holy Spirit is 100%God.
 FUNCTIONAL ORDER OF THE TRINITY

THE FUNCTION OF THE FATHER:

• The Father is the “Source, Sender, and Planner of
salvation.”
• He is the Creator, the Source of all things (Genesis 1:1)
• He sent His only-begotten, His unique Son (John 3:16)
• He is the Planner of salvation (Ephesians 2:8,9; Matthew
10:32)
 FUNCTIONAL ORDER OF THE TRINITY

THE FUNCTION OF THE SON:

• The Son is the one that was sent to die and achieve
salvation for those who are His.
• He was sent by the Father (John 20:21)
• He seeks those who are lost (Luke 19:9,10)
• His purpose was to die for you and me (John 12:27)
 FUNCTIONAL ORDER OF THE TRINITY
THE FUNCTION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT:
• The Holy Spirit is the executor of the plans of God. In other words,
He is the one who carries out Gods purposes and plans.
• He guides to truth (John 16:13)
• He reveals Jesus to us (John 16:14)
• He comforts (John 14:16)
• He gives us wisdom (Ephesians 1:17)
• He prays for believers (Romans 8:27)
• He gives believers power (Acts 1:8)
• Helps us in our weaknesses (Romans 8:26)
• Gives believers spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12:11)
• Gives us spiritual fruit (Galatians 5:22-23)
FUNCTIONAL ORDER OF THE TRINITY

IT IS IMPORTANT TO
REMEMBER THAT “DIFFERENCE
IN FUNCTION DOES NOT
INDICATE INFERIORITY IN
NATURE.”
WE CAN APPREHEND THE CONCEPT OF THE TRINITY EVEN THOUGH
WE MAY NOT FULLY COMPREHEND THE CONCEPT OF THE TRINITY.

• Job 11:7 - “Can you discover the depths of God? Can you
discover the limits of the Almighty?”
• Psalm 139:6 - “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is
too high, I cannot attain to it.”
• Isaiah 55:8-9 - “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither
are your ways My ways,’ declares the LORD. ‘As the heavens
are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your
ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.”
• Romans 11:33 - “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and
knowledge of God! How unsearchable His judgments, and His
paths beyond tracing out!”
 QUESTION#8

WHAT THE TRINITY IS NOT?

 WHAT THE TRINITY IS NOT…
• The Father is not 1/3 of God, the Son 1/3 of God and the Spirit
1/3 of God. Each is fully God, coequal and coeternal with the
others.
• The Trinity is not Polytheistic (many Gods) as is common in
Mormonism.
• The Trinity is not Modalistic (one God in different modes) also
known as “Jesus Only” and “Oneness Pentecostalism.”
• The Trinity is not Pantheistic (God is all and all is God) as is
common in Hinduism.
• The Trinity is not three Gods (1+1+1=3) but one God (1x1x1=1).
 QUESTION#8

DOES THE OLD TESTAMENT

TEACH THE TRINITY?
THE TRINITY IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

Deuteronomy 6:4 (NIV)

“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the
LORD is one (Heb. Echad).”
 “ECHAD” AS USED IN
THE OLD TESTAMENT:
1. Gen. 1:5: The ( ‫ אהד יןם‬first day) is a combination of two things
– the evening and the morning.
2. Gen. 2:24: Adam and Eve became ( ‫ לכשד אהד‬one flesh). They
were one, but two and two, but one.
3. Gen. 3:22: Adam and Eve became (‫ אהד‬one) with God. But
they did not lose their personhood when they became “one”
with God.
4. Gen. 11:6: The people were (‫ אהד‬one). They were, thus, “one”
and “many” at the same time.
 THE PLURAL PRONOUNS

Plural pronouns are words such as “Us”,

“We”, and “Our.” When we look in the Old
Testament, we would expect a Trinitarian
God to speak of Himself in such a manner.
 THE PLURAL PRONOUNS
Genesis 1:26-27
“Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in
Our image, according to Our
likeness…So God created man in His
own image; in the image of God He
created him; male and female He
created them.”
 THE PLURAL PRONOUNS

Genesis 3:22
“Then God said, ‘Behold, the man
has become like one of Us…”
 THE PLURAL PRONOUNS

Genesis 11:7-9
“Come, let Us go down and there
confuse their language, that they
may not understand one another’s
speech.”
 THE PLURAL PRONOUNS

Isaiah 6:8 (NIV)

“Then I heard the voice of the Lord
saying, “Whom shall I send? And who
will go for us? ”And I said, “Here am I.
Send me!”
 THE PLURAL PRONOUNS

• Much has been said that when God uses plural

pronouns, that it’s nothing more than “plural of majesty”
language, much like Victoria, the Queen of England,
reportedly stating “We are not amused.”
• This can be no further from the truth since this is a
recent grammatical invention that cannot be read back
into ancient documents.
 THE PLURAL PERSONS
• Genesis 19:24 -“Then the LORD [Yahweh] rained down
brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from the
LORD [Yahweh] out of the heavens.”

• Psalm 45:6, 7 - “Your throne, O God, is forever and

ever; a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your
kingdom…Therefore God, Your God, has anointed
You…”
 THE PLURAL PERSONS
Isaiah 48:16 (NIV)
“Come near me and listen to this: “From
the first announcement I have not
spoken in secret; at the time it happens,
I am there.” And now the Sovereign
LORD has sent me, endowed with his
Spirit.”
 THE THEOPHANIES

Theophany comes from the two Greek

words theo (God) and phainein (to show
forth) and it means “the appearance of God
to man in human form.”
 THE THEOPHANIES

• Theophany comes from the two Greek words theo

(God) and phainein (to show forth) and it means
“the appearance of God to man in human form.”
• Theophanies are further proof that God is Triune
in nature since this is the only way to explain the
following verse in the New Testament.
 THE THEOPHANIES

John 1:18
“No one has seen God at any time. The
only begotten Son, who is in the bosom
of the Father, He has declared Him.”
 THE THEOPHANIES

In all the instances, appeared [Hebrew:

ra’ah] means “a literal manifestation or
appearance that was seen with the
physical eye.
 THE THEOPHANIES

Genesis 12:7
“Then the LORD [Yahweh] appeared to
Abram and said, ‘To your descendents I
will give this land.’ And there he built
an alter to the LORD, who had appeared
to him.”
 THE THEOPHANIES

Genesis 18:1
“Then the LORD [Yahweh] appeared to
him by the terebinth trees of Mamre.”
 THE THEOPHANIES

Genesis 26:2
“Then the LORD [Yahweh] appeared to
him and said, ‘Do not go down to Egypt;
live in the land which I shall tell you.’”
 THE THEOPHANIES

Genesis 26:24
“And the LORD [Yahweh] appeared to
him the same night…”
 THE THEOPHANIES

Genesis 35:1
“Then God said to Jacob, ‘Arise, go up
to Bethel and dwell there; and make an
altar there to God, who appeared to
you…”
 THE THEOPHANIES

Judges 13:21-22 (NASB)

“Now the angel of the LORD did not
appear to Manoah or his wife again.
Then Manoah knew that he was the
angel of the LORD. So Manoah said to
his wife, “We will surely die, for we
have seen God.”
 QUESTION#9

DOES THE NEW TESTAMENT

TEACH THE TRINITY?
 Matthew 28:19-20 (NIV)
“Therefore go and make disciples of all
nations, baptizing them in the name of
the Father and of the Son and of the
Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey
everything I have commanded you. And
surely I am with you always, to the very
end of the age.”
 Matthew 3:16-17 (NIV)
“As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up
out of the water. At that moment heaven
was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God
descending like a dove and alighting on
him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is
my Son, whom I love; with him I am well
pleased.”
 2 Corinthians 13:14 (NIV)
“May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,
and the love of God, and the fellowship
of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”
 Ephesians 4:4-6 (NIV)
“There is one body and one Spirit, just as
you were called to one hope when you were
called ; one Lord, one faith, one baptism;
one God and Father of all, who is over all
and through all and in all.”
 WHO CREATED ALL THINGS?
◦ The Father – Psalm 100:3 says, “Know that the LORD, He
is God; It is He who has made us.”

◦ The Son – Colossians 1:16 says, “For by Him [Jesus] all

things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth…”

◦ The Holy Spirit – Psalm 104:30 says, “You sent forth

Your Spirit, they are created; and You renew the face of the
earth.”
 WHO IS OMNISCIENT (KNOWS ALL THINGS)?

◦ The Father – 1 John 3:20 says, “God is greater that our

hearts, and knows all things.”

◦ The Son - John 21:17 says, “And he said to Him, ‘Lord,

You know all things; You know that I love You.’”

◦ The Holy Spirit – 1 Corinthians 2:11 says, “Even so no

one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God.”
 WHO IS OMNIPRESENT (EVERYWHERE AT ONCE)?

◦ The Father – Jeremiah 23:24 says, “‘Can anyone hide

himself in secret places, so I shall not see him?’ says the
LORD; ‘Do I not fill heaven and earth?’ says the LORD”

◦ The Son – Matthew 18:20 says, “For where two or three are
gathered in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”

◦ The Holy Spirit – Psalm 139:7 says, “Where can I go from

Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence
 WHO IS OMNIPOTENT (ALL POWERFUL)?

◦ The Father – Jeremiah 32:17 says, “Ah, LORD God! Behold,

You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great
power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for
You.”

◦ The Son – Colossians 2:10 says, “and you have been given
fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and
authority.”

◦ The Holy Spirit – Romans 15:19 says, “in mighty signs and
wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God…’”
THE END