TRINITY -- MORE EXPLANATION... Some people argue that the term “Trinity” is not found in the Bible, therefore it is not biblical. But we cannot discard it simply because it isn’t found in the Bible. The issue is not the word, but the concept or the idea. We don’t believe in the Trinity because of the word, but because of what the Bible teaches. Nevertheless, we see the term “Godhead” (theiotes) is used three times in the bible (Acts 17:29, Romans 1:20, Col. 2:9). The word “Trinity” which is the theological term used to refer to the Godhead. The Bible teaches that the one God eternally exists in three Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; and that these three are one God, co-equal and co-eternal, having precisely the same nature and attributes, distinct yet acting in unity. Simply we can concluded that God is “One in Essence and Three in Person” Christians do not believe in three Gods. That’s a heresy called Tritheism. Also we don’t believe that the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit are three “forms” of God—like, steam, water and ice. That’s the heresy called Modalism. At this point I think we should acknowledge the chief objection to the doctrine of the Trinity, which is that it is absurd. Sometimes the Jehovah’s Witnesses (who pointedly deny the Trinity) ridicule it with this little equation: 1 + 1 + 1 = 3. In their minds Christians worship three Gods, not one. The answer is quite simple. The doctrine of the Trinity is not absurd if that’s what the Bible teaches. Furthermore, there is more than one way to play with equations. You could also say it this way: 1 x 1 x 1 = 1! THE OLD TESTAMENT AND TRINITY The Old Testament begins by teaching that God is one in three persons. The first book of OT we read that “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. And the earth was waste and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep: and the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters” (Genesis 1:1-2). Here the Hebrew name for God is “Elohim” and it occurs only in Hebrew and no other Semitic language. This is a plural noun form of the word ‘El’, but the verb is singular which is not a normal use of the grammar. “Elohim” is used more than two thousand times in the plural form in the Bible (Renald E. Showers, Israel My Glory, God is Triune, Friends of Israel, Jan/Feb 2002, p.37). Normally a plural noun would have a plural verb. But, if you wanted to teach that God is one and also a plurality, using the unique grammatical construction of using of a plural noun with a singular verb would be used. Therefore, this passage teaches that there is one God who exists in plurality. Later in the same chapter we have one of the most striking statements of diversity- in-unity: Then God said, ‘‘Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them (Genesis 1:26-27). Notice the shift in pronouns. “Let us … in our image … So God created man in his own image. … he created him.” From us and our to he. Why the shift? Commentators speak of a literary form called the plural of majesty or the “editorial we.” This much is certainly true. If Genesis 1 does not explicitly teach diversity-in-unity within the Godhead, it certainly leaves room for it to be developed later in the Bible. In Deuteronomy 6:4 we read that “Hear, o Israel: the Lord our God is One Lord” (known as the Shema). The gospel of Mark also has quoted this verse (12:29). Literally, this verse says, Hear O Israel: Jehovah our Elohim is a ‘united Jehovah.’ The Hebrew word used here for ‘one’ is Echad and “stresses the unitywhile recognizing diversity with that oneness.” (R. Laird Harris; Gleasen L. Archer; Bruce K. Waltke; Theological wordbook of the Old Testament,Chicago: Moody Press, 1980, p. 30).This same is used in Gen. 2:24, “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall leave unto his wife: and they shall be one (Echad) flesh.” Therefore, God says that two individuals, Adam and Eve, were one flesh. Exodus 24:3 states that “And Moses came and told the people all the words of Jehovah, and all the ordinances: and all the people answered with one (Echad) voice, and said, All the words which Jehovah hath spoken will we do”. Note that all the people, which where a great multitude replied with one voice. There are many other instances where this word is used to show the oneness of many individual In other words, the Hebrew word Echad allow for plurality within oneness, allowing God who is emphatically described as one God, to be three persons who are One God. There is another Hebrew word that means ‘one’ which is “Yahad.”this word is always singular and can only mean one and so its use allow no plurality. God could have use used this word in Deuteronomy 6:4, but chose Echad instead of Yahad , which allows the concept of God being One God who is in essence is three individual persons. When we come to Isaiah 48:16 seems to explicitly refer to all three Persons of the Trinity (with my additions in parentheses): “And now the Sovereign LORD (the Father) has sent me (the Son), with his Spirit (the Holy Spirit).” I’m not suggesting that Isaiah fully understood the Trinity or that the Jewish readers would have understood what it meant, but I do think that in the light of the New Testament, we can say that this seems to be a clear statement of the Trinity in the Old Testament. THE NEW TESTAMENT AND TRINITY When we come to NT the Trinitarian concept is more clearly explained. Jesus, Paul, Peter, Jonh etc. are mentioned about the Three Persons together on an equal basis in numerous passages: In Matthew 3:13-17— at Jesus’ baptism— (voice of the Father, Son baptized, Spirit descending like a dove). In Matthew 28:19— in Christian Baptism— (baptized in one name, yet three Persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). In 1Peter 1:2 – in Salvation—(chosen by the Father, sanctified by the Spirit, sprinkled with the blood of Jesus). In 2 Corinthians 13:14— in benediction— (grace of the Lord Jesus, love of God, fellowship of the Holy Spirit). In Ephesians 3:14-21— in Prayer— (strengthened by his Spirit, know the love of Christ, filled with the fullness of God). In 2 Thessalonians 2:13— in Christian Growth— (chosen by God, loved by the Lord, sanctified by the Spirit). In 1 John 5:7— in Witnessing— ("For there are three that bear records in heaven, the Father, the Word, the Holy Spirit: and these three are one"). [NB. Some bible critics have stated that this passage is not authentic, because it is not found in some older manuscripts. But this verse is found in mss, 61, 88mg, 629, 634mg,636mg,omega 110,429mg, 221 and 2318; along with two lectionaries(60, 173).] This list of passages might be extended. It simply shows how easily the writers of Scripture passed from one Person of the Trinity to another, doing so in a way that assumes their equality of nature while preserving their distinct personhood. If the doctrine of the Trinity is not true, it would seem to be blasphemy to speak so freely of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit in one and the same breath.
Posted on: Sat, 27 Jul 2013 05:47:52 +0000
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