All three persons appear separately at Jesus baptism (Matt 3:16-17). Gods plural personality is alluded to here, for He could not be talking to angels in these instances, because angels could not and did not help God create. Thus, Ignatius, the great bishop of Antioch and a person who personally knew the apostles of Jesus Christ, speaks of the apostles being subject to Christ, and to the Father, and to the Spirit. (Epistle to the Magnesians, Chap. Jesus asks the Father to send the Spirit, another comforter (John 14:16). The Trinity - God and authority in Christianity - GCSE Religious - BBC I trust that you will come to find Jesus as your Savior and Lord, as the One sent from the Father to die for our sins and create a way for us to have forgiveness of sins and a way back to our holy God. For there is one Person of the Father; another of the Son; and another of the Holy Ghost. Top subscription boxes right to your door, 1996-2023, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates, Learn more how customers reviews work on Amazon. Finally, the influential Athanasian Creed set down in writing the accepted Christian belief about the Trinity, and this statement of faith has stood the test of time. For example, in Pauls earliest letter1 Thess 1:2-6he opens with a reference to the work of the Father (choosing), the Son (offering hope and providing an example) and the Spirit (working with the Word and producing joy) without any need to explain who these three persons are. A key belief of most Christians is the belief in the Trinity - Father, Son and Holy Spirit, who were all present at the Creation of the world and who all take on different roles. A. The Trinity: What Is the Trinity, and What Do Christians Believe Can We Pray for Illumination in Our Lives? This is most obvious at the moment of Jesus baptism, as recorded in Matthew 3:16-17 (NIV) which reports, As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. His words are the foundation for living (Matt 7:24-27). This is true also of the Muslim faith. But that truth leads us back to the Trinity. What Do Christians Believe About the Trinity? Return Or, who can understand the miracle of life itself? Let us make man in our image (Genesis 1:26, KJV). All Christians believe in the doctrine of the Trinity. Scriptures that show that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are all God support the one, indivisible essence of the Trinity. 1 Corinthians 8:4 adds that "there is no God but one." Thank you for pointing out Tims error. > What is the Trinity doctrine or belief? With that in mind, what should Christians know about the Trinity? This moment at Jesus baptism is the only place in the New Testament where all three members of the Trinity are present at the same time: Father speaking from heaven, Son dripping wet after being baptized, and Holy Spirit descending like a dove. Many who teach against the Trinity misunderstand this formula. God is categorically separate from all other subjects. How Can Christians Know if They're Trapped in Culture Wars? If one does not believe in the Trinitythat is, if a person has come to a settled conclusion that the doctrine of the Trinity is not truedoes it make him a heretic? We would know very little about God if He did not reveal Himself to us. They worshipped God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Accordingly, not only do Christians not accept the Koran as part of their sacred texts, but Christians also do not accept the Book of Mormon followed by the Church of Jesus Christ of the Later Day Saints (Mormons) or any other more recent text. Or hes like a three-leaf clover and each leaf is part-God. You may believe and still not be a Christian, but if you deny this doctrine in your heart, you are not a Christian at all. The New Testament affirms the Old Testament view, and also clarifies with names the three plurals of God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 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." Part of. Christians do not believe that God is one and God is three in the same way. How Can Christians Know if They're Trapped in Culture Wars? The 60 Scriptures used to support the belief that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all God, not three names for the same Person. With that in mind, then, I want to leave you with some helpful insight about the Trinity and our faith which I gained from the wise Episcopal priest, Justin Holcomb (Know the Creeds, p. 67): To speak about God, to speak about the Trinity, is different from speaking about any other thing. . Americans' beliefs about the nature of God | Pew Research Center Return The Spirit is coeternal and coequal with the Father and the Son (Mt 28:19; Heb 9:14). Holy Spirit in Christianity. Islam teaches that Jesus was one of the most important prophets of God, but not the Son of God, not divine, and not part of the Trinity. You ask for an explanation of why people believe in the Trinity. Return, A Refutation of Open TheismThe God Who Doesnt KnowPart 2, Covenant and Law (including New Covenant Theology), Sovereign Grace (the Doctrines of Grace, Calvinism, the TULIP), Biblical Typology (Types and Shadows in the Bible), Issues (religious, political, and societal controversies), Spanking Children in Light of the New Covenant, You Are My Disciples, If You Have Love for One Another, The Personality of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament.. 15 Bible Verses Every Christian Should Know By Heart HERE, Christianity.com: Why should we try to understand the Trinity? What can I say? 13:14, Heb. Is It Rational? Paul tells us that every knee shall bow to Jesus and every tongue shall confess that He is Lord (Philippians 2:10-11). The Lord is our God, the Lord is one! (Deuteronomy 6:4, NASB). Copyright 2020 - All Right Reserved - Detroit Baptist Theological Seminary | FCC compliance statement: As an Amazon Associate DBTS earns from qualifying purchases. . 27 Jun 2023 14:52:48 Article Images Copyright 2023 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. Then you will know that the LORD of hosts has sent Me. What Should Christians Know about the Trinity? . Any of the great ecumenical creeds would serve us well in this regard. This product is a clear and concise way to understand the Trinity. 2001-2002 Josh McDowell MinistryJosh McDowell Ministry, 2001 West Plano Parkway, Suite 2400, Plano, TX 75075, USATel: +1 972 907 1000 www.josh.org. Though many Muslims teach that Jews, Christians, and Muslims all believe in the same God, it is certainly true that Jews, Muslims, and Christians have different views of that God, and those differences are based on the sacred writings that each accept. ", Reviewed in the United States on March 6, 2015. It also teaches us that God is never "lonely." Isaiah contrasts the one true God, the only Savior, with the false gods of the surrounding peoples (Is 45:21-22; see also Is 40:21-26; 46:9-10). So the Bible says the Holy Spirit is God. What happened? For water can exist as solid, liquid, or steam. Although early Christian theologians speculated in many ways on the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, no one clearly and fully asserted the doctrine of the Trinity as explained at the top of the main entry until around the end of the so-called Arian Controversy. His hobbies include biking, surfing the Internet, and anything related to the Civil War. In their minds, Christians worship three Gods, not one. They eventually reduced their belief in the Trinity to two short statements. Thanks again for writing. And if so, is it rational? This was something the early church fathers wrestled with over centuries. We worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity For there is one Person of the Father; another of the Son; and another of the Holy Ghost. You are in fact a heretic. Jesus was also calling God His own Father, making himself equal with God (John 5:18, NASB). In John 6:27, Jesus calls the Father, God the Father. In John 17, Jesus is praying to the Father, whom He describes as the only true God (verse 3). We are therefore led to the conclusion that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are one God the Trinity. In his book, The Christian Faith, theologian Michael Horton sheds light on what happened next (pp. But the Trinity teaches us that before the world's foundation, God had fellowship within his own being. When we were lost in sin, our God acted in every Person of his being to save us. If he is God, our prayers may be directed to him. (7) The Holy Spirit is not the Father. It's important to remember that all illustrations fail eventually. A Trinity doctrine is commonly expressed as the statement that the one God exists as or in three equally divine "Persons", the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Further, we have accounts in Scripture where all three members of the Triune God appear at the same time. But what about Jesus Christ? At the very beginning of the sacred texts, in Genesis 1:1, the Hebrew word for God is plural and the verb is singular. The Trinity sets the limits on human speculation about the nature of God.There is so much we would like to know about God, but our finite minds cannot comprehend it. Although this is difficult to comprehend, it is nevertheless what the Bible tells us, and it is the closest the finite mind can come to explaining the infinite mystery of the infinite God when considering the biblical statements about Gods being. What is meant by the word substance (sometimes it is referred to as essence) in the Trinity formula is Gods Godness. Article Images Copyright 2023 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. For the majority of Holy Ghost, is believed to be the third person of the [1] a Triune God manifested as God the Holy Spirit, each person itself being [2] [3] [4] Christians, who reject the doctrine of the Trinity, differ significantly from mainstream Christianity in their beliefs about the Holy Spirit is the study . Tim's Answer. For behold I am coming and I will dwell in your midst, says the LORD . They knew that God was Triune, so their teaching was built on that reality. 1. Let me suggest five important ramifications of this truth. Judaism and Islamism are classical monotheistic religions. C. The Trinity teaches us that God is beyond all human comprehension.After all, if we could explain God, he wouldn't be God. Amen. Notice that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all three mentioned in the baptismal formula, yet all three have one name. Most Relevant is selected, so some comments may have been filtered out. When we look through the Old Testament, the doctrine of the Trinity is implied through the use of plural pronouns in reference to God (Gen 1:26; Gen 3:22; Gen 11:7; Is 6:8), references to two persons both described as God (Ps 45:6-7; Ps 110:1; Is 48:16; Is 63:10), and accounts of the angel of the Lord (Gen 16:7-11; 22:11-15; Num 22:16-35). Kiss the Son, lest He be angry and you perish in the way when His wrath is kindled but a little. That would imply that Jesus is 1/3rd God, the Father is 1/3rd God, and the Holy Spirit is 1/3rd God. Theophilus, sixth bishop of Antioch, Syria, is the first person known to have used the word "Trinity" in his work, Reviewed in the United States on December 31, 2020. Please explain. There is a mystery in God that is presented to us in the sacred text. Do I have to understand the details of how that works in eternity and within divinity? You are in fact a heretic. Yet, you acknowledge that many people believe in the Trinity. Instead, this article is going to prove that the Bible definitely teaches that God is a Trinity. . How did it become church doctrine? We believe in one living and true God who is the Creator of heaven and earth; who is eternal, almighty, unchangeable, infinitely powerful, wise, just, and holy. Third, we don't believe that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are "parts" or "pieces" or God. Long before the Koran was published, God had spoken to people about Himself in sacred writings. But again, one cannot hold to this view and accept the words of Scripture. Theologians sometimes speak of the Tri-Unity of God. Chart comparing the power and attributes of the 3 Persons of the Trinity, Chart Comparing the Unique Traits of God and Jesus, What Christians believe about the Trinity: The Father is God, Jesus Is God, The Holy Spirit is God, How early Christians dealt with misunderstandings about the Trinity, The Trinity in the early Church and the Creeds, Important Trinitarian Bible verses and references. In 12-panels of rich, well-research information, the pamphlet addresses topics such as, Church History and the Doctrine of the Trinity, 6 Misunderstandings and Misinterpretations about the Trinity (I realize that Muslims hold to the belief that the sacrifice actually involved Ishmael, but the sacred texts Christians and Jews accept record the son as being Isaac.). Find this product and thousands more on ebooks.faithlife.com. It was recorded for history in what we know as The Nicene Creed. He calls people to forsake their family for him (Lk 14:26; Matt 10:37). The Trinitarian nature of God is revealed implicitly in the Old Testament and explicitly in the New Testament. For instance, the Bible contains numerous clear statements regarding the unity of God: Deuteronomy 6:4 tells us that "the Lord is one." Genesis 1:1 (NIV) states, In the beginning God created The Trinitarian would interpret that as an explicit reference to God the Father. Instead, they are distinct persons. Another Trinity chart shows seven Divine attributes shared by Father, Son and Holy Spirit with Scripture references for each. Many good people have triedand made some serious errors attempting to come up with an understandable allegory to explain the Trinity. What Should Christians Know about the Trinity? Those words may sound harsh, but they represent the judgment of the Christian church across the centuries. A. (3) The Son is God. As Maxwell Staniforth and Andrew Louth point out in their book, Early Christian Writings, its typically assumed to have been written before 100 ADperhaps even while some of Jesus apostles were still living. I personally do not use the word trinity; but I find that what I know to be true is that God is three entities we cant possibly understand! The Doctrine of the Trinity: No Christianity Without It Even this short article presents ample evidence to answer, Because the Bible teaches that God is a Trinity of three Personsthe Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and these three are one God, the same in substance, equal in power and glory. Site Policy & Cookies Contact us, https://www.bethinking.org/god/q-what-is-the-trinity-do-christians-worship-three-gods, View all resources by Josh McDowell Ministry. The tendency to reject the Trinity flows from a desire to have a god we can fully comprehend. Thus, we believe what Scripture describes: God is one Person and God is three Personsall at once. What Scriptural evidence is there for the Trinity? Muslims believe in a certain view of God because that is what the Koran teaches. The Trinity pamphlet addresses six of the most common Trinity misunderstandings: Misunderstanding 1: "The word Trinity does not appear in the Bible; it is a belief made up by 4th century Christians.". Visit Mikes Bible-Smart blog atBible-Smart.com. There is a mystery about the Trinity. The Holy Trinity. A key belief of almost all Christians is the belief in the Trinity - Father, Son and Holy Spirit, who were all present at the creation of the world and who each take on different roles. And while our English translations dont always accommodate the plural aspect of the Hebrew term Elohim (the name used for God in Genesis 1:1), according to BibleHub.coms Englishmans Concordance (https://biblehub.com/hebrew/elohim_430.htm) that plural reference to God is used over 600 times in Old Testament Scripture. "I do not pretend fully to understand the arithmetic of heaven now," he replied. How Does the Bible Teach Us to Handle Anxiety? First, it is important to see that the Trinity is not inherently illogical. As He was destroying, the LORD looked and relented of the disaster, and said to the Angel who was destroying, It is enough; now restrain your hand. And the Angel of the LORD stood by the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. An Arab-American, Mike is proud to be a person of color (BIPOC) active in Christian publishing. Previous Post. So when we discuss the Trinity, we are peering into what theologians call the aseity [self-existence] of God God presents himself fully only to himself. So, there seems to be some connection between the Angel (the messenger of God) and God Himself, a connection that seems intriguing. It is purely of man. Where would the life changing force come from if we didnt perceive power, majesty, and eternal glory from our creator! 15 Apr 2019 Why Do Christians Believe in the Trinity? Perhaps we should ca. Moses tells us that we are to worship no other god (Exodus 34:14). Delve deeper into some of the religious and spiritual aspects behind the Star Wars series. The Third Person of the Trinity is not an "influence" or some vague power. b) Partialism:This view takes the opposite approach to modalism, but is equally as dangerous. The Father, Son, and Spirit are equated in the baptism formula given to us by Jesus (Matthew 28:19). But in Hebrews 1:8, God says to the Son, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever. In Isaiah 7:14 and Matthew 1:23, Jesus is called Emmanuel (or Immanuel), which the Bible itself interprets as meaning God with us. In Colossians 2:89, Paul says that in Christ dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily., The Bible also calls the Holy Spirit God. The more we understand about him, the more we'll understand about ourselves and the world in which we live. Take away any one of those three and the universe would cease to exist. The Lord's Prayer). This belief is called the doctrine of the Trinity: God the Father -. Heres how that creed explains it, as quoted by Justin Holcomb in his book, Know the Creeds (pp. Sunday Worship June 25, 2023 | Stream CCLI #21810036 - Facebook 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. Subscribe to our mailing list to receive our newsletter. The Holy Spirit is God's presence in . The Bible teaches that there is one God and only one God: Hear, O Israel! Commentators speak of a literary form called the plural of majesty or the "editorial we." Its tempting to reach for new allegories, new ways to say, The Trinity is like But the best advice I can give is to just admit we dont have a fully consistent explanation for who God isand he didnt feel it was necessary to formulate one for us. How To Explain the Trinity: The Trinity Defined Part of. Starting at 8 a.m. The answer is quite simple. He is not merely the Son of God but also God the Son. E. The Trinity helps us understand what really happened at the Cross.At the climax of Jesus' suffering, he cried out, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Thus the whole universe witnesses to the character of the God who made it (cf. I believe your article makes an excellent case for the trinity being a false teaching. The answer is, both are true. The eternal Son cries out to the Father at the moment when the penalty of sin has been laid upon him. Now, we may try and go to ice and steam and water. He was the promised Messiah but was not a deity. Why Christians Believe in the Trinity - Word of His Grace A. Passages where one Person of the Trinity is spoken of or to by another Person of the Trinity show the distinctness of the three Persons. Why Do Love and Forgiveness Have to Go Hand-in-Hand? He has angels (Matt 13:41; 16:27; 24:31). I have learned what I know about God from the Bible and the Holy Spirit that lives within me. Peter equates the Holy Spirit with God (Acts 5:3-4). Faith is built on a solid foundation of the personal knowledge and relationship with our Father. He determines who will know the Father (Matt 11:27). Besides the Scriptures cited above, there are many other Scriptures where the nature of God is given to the Son and the Spirit. The Trinity - The nature of God - GCSE Religious Studies Revision - BBC We know about the Trinity only because God lovingly reveals aspects of his being and character to us. The pamphlet is well constructed and will wear well. The facts of the biblical teaching are these: There is one God. For example, The Didache (pronounced DID-uh-kay) is one of the oldest known Christian writings outside of the New Testament. The Trinity pamphlet helps believers know what they believe and why they believe this critical Christian doctrine. Ibid., 37. Matthew 3:16, 17; Matthew 28:19, 20; Mark 12:29; John 1:14; Acts 5:3, 4; II Corinthians 13:14. But if they share in God's essence, they are God alongside the Father. I come now to the end of my sermon. It is God speaking to God. Christians believe in the Trinity - one God, all-loving and all-powerful, in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The Holy Trinity. The Trinity is. From us and our to he. B. From heaven and hell to communion and baptism, we want to provide easy-to-read and understand articles that answer your questions about theological terms and their meaning. Only an infinite God could bear the sins of the world! Is Christs Receipt of Life-in-Himself (John 5:26) Proof of Eternal Generation? Why Do Christians Believe in the Trinity? Is It Rational? Notice singular use of Name in conjunction with the three Persons of Father, Son, and Holy Spiritindicating that even then, God was understood from a triune perspective. 10 Things You Should Know about the Trinity | Crossway Articles Accordingly, it is because we take seriously the sacred texts that have been given to us by God that Christians accept the concept of the Trinity. You actually worship three. (2) The Father is God. There are Christians who don't believe in the trinity, but for the divine nature I don't know whether there are others like that. From the earliest days of the church, and we have church writings beginning in the late first century, at the same time that the apostle John was still writing, the church used a trinitarian formulation. May the Spirit of God guide you in your search for truth. For someone to talk like he did and not be God would be lunacy. Yet, you acknowledge that many people believe in the Trinity. The Trinity: What Is the Trinity, and What Do Christians Believe? For instance, in the very first verse of the Bible we are told that "In the beginning God." 9: . The reality of his Gethsemane experience is explained so much, the distinction between who he is as the son, and, then, the father looking down upon his son. We are therefore led to the conclusion that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are one God the Trinity. But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, is all one. The Father eternal; the Son eternal; and the Holy Ghost eternal.
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