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The Trinity
II Cor. 13:14
Introduction
What is unique,
what is distinctive, about the Christian's understanding of God? How does
our view of God differ from that of the Muslim's, for instance? We can
mention that our God, though almighty and transcendent, is also personal
and wants a personal relationship with each and every one of us. We can
also mention that our God — unlike the god of most, if not all
other religions — is a loving God…one that does not leave us
to fate, but who provides us with a Redemeer.
However,
what is most distinct about our understanding of God is that He is
triune. No other faith, no other religion, believes in a triune God.
I. The Trinity in Revelation
Did you know, the Bible never uses
the word Trinity. Nor do we find in the Bible anything remotely similar
to what the Belgic Confession says:
...
we believe in one God,
who is one single essence,
in whom there are three persons,
really, truly, and eternally distinct ...
Before we investigate the facts of Scripture, I want
to begin by pointing out that this is a doctrine beyond the scope of
man’s finite mind. It lies outside the realm of natural reason or
human logic. The late Dr. Walter Martin points out:
No
man can fully explain the Trinity, though in every age scholars have
propounded theories and advanced hypotheses to explore this mysterious
Biblical teaching. But despite the worthy efforts of these scholars, the
Trinity is still largely incomprehensible to the mind of man.
Perhaps
the chief reason for this is that the Trinity is a-logical, or beyond
logic. It, therefore, cannot be made subject to human reason or logic.
Because of this, opponents of the doctrine argue that the idea of the
Trinity must be rejected as untenable. Such thinking, however, makes
man’s corrupted human reason the sole criterion for determining the
truth of divine revelation.2
So
what’s the issue that faces us? The ultimate issue as always is,
does the biblical evidence support the doctrine of the Trinity or
tri-personality of God? If biblical evidence supports it, we can know it
is true. Comprehending it is another matter. John Wesley said,
“Bring me a worm that can comprehend a man, and then I will show
you a man that can comprehend the triune God.”3
The
earlies language that helps us frame the
biblical doctrine of the trinity comes from the history of the church;
more specifically, it comes from the Council of Nicea
in A.D. 325 and the Council of Constantinople in A.D. 381. It took the church almost 400 years of
debate, of trial and error, before she settled on this sort of wording.
The early church fathers were forced to do this because of widely
divergent and contradictory views about the relationship of the Father,
Son, and Holy Spirit towards each other. In a context of multiple
heresies, the church was forced to stake out where she stood and what she
believed.
Does
this mean that the doctrine of the Trinity is a creation, a fabrication,
of the early church? Not at all. The early church merely stated in
technical terms what the Bible's authors state
in nontechnical language. Listen to what the
confessions says in the opening lines of articles 8 & 9:
In
keeping with this truth and Word of God
we believe in one God,
who is one single essence,
in whom there are three persons ...
All
these things we know
from the testimonies of Holy Scripture ...
This is very significant. The doctrine and mystery of the
three-in-oneness is firmly rooted in Scripture. This is not something
that man made up. Nor is it a teaching that man can discern on his own.
Rather, it comes to us as a revelation from God.
It
is true that evidence for the three-in-oneness of God seems
"somewhat obscure" in the Old Testament, yet the doctrine is
not absent from its pages.
(1)
The name Elohim, translated God, is the plural form of El. While this is what is called a
plural of plenitude pointing to the power and majesty of God, it
certainly allows for the New Testament revelation of the Triunity of God.
(2)
There are many instances where God uses the plural pronoun to describe
Himself (see Gen. 1:26; 3:22; 11:7; Isa. 6:8). In Genesis 1, for
instance, God says such things as, "let us," "our
image," "our likeness," "one of us." At the same
time, the unity of God's person is indicated when we are told "God
created."
(3)
In the creation account, both God the Father and God the Holy Spirit are
seen in the work of creation. It is stated that God created heaven and
earth (Gen. 1:1), but that it was the Holy Spirit who moved over the
earth to infuse it with life in the sense of protecting and participating
in the work of creation (Gen. 1:2).
(4)
Writing about the Messiah, Isaiah reveals Him to be equal with God,
calling Him the “Mighty God” and “Eternal Father”
(Isa. 9:6).
(5)
Several passages reveal a distinction of Persons within the Godhead.
·
In Psalm 110:1, David demonstrates there is a distinction of
Persons between “LORD,” the one speaking, and the one
addressed called by David, “my Lord.” David was indicating
the Messiah was no ordinary king, but his own Lord, Adoni (my Lord), one who was God Himself. So God the first Person
addresses God the second Person. This is precisely Peter’s point
when He quotes this Psalm to show the resurrection of the Messiah was
anticipated in the Old Testament.
·
The Redeemer (who must be divine, Isa.
7:14; 9:6) is distinguished from the Lord (Isa. 59:20).
·
The Lord is distinguished from the Lord in Hosea 1:6-7. The one
speaking here is Yahweh, the
Lord, yet, note the statement in verse 7, “I will have compassion
… and deliver them by the Lord their God.”
·
The Spirit is distinguished from the Lord in a number of
passages (Isa. 48:16; 59:21; 63:9-10).
(6)
In the Messianic prophecy of Isaiah 7:14, God made it clear that the One
who would be born of the virgin would also be Immanuel, God with us.
(7)
Two other passages which imply the Trinity are Isaiah 48:16 and 61:1. In
Isaiah 48:16 all three Persons are mentioned and yet seen as distinct
from each other. See also Gen. 22:15-16.
There
is also a clear allusion to the Trinity when we compare the first 2
verses of Genesis with the first two verses of John's Gospel:
(Gen
1:1-2) In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. (2) Now
the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the
deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
(Jn
1:1-2) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the
Word was God. (2) He was with God in the beginning.
Notice, "in the beginning" was God, the
Spirit of God, and the Word (Whom we know as Jesus). (Yet the doctrine is not fully and openly declared in
the Old Testament. This reveals the wise and patient dealings of God with
His people. Living among nations who recognized and worshiped many gods,
having been surrounded and immersed by the polytheism of Egypt, the
children of Israel needed to hear over and over again that God was and is
one (cf Deut 6:4). Only after this was firmly
implanted in their hearts and minds, were the people ready for
instruction in the Trinity.)
Numerous
and far clearer indications of the Trinity are found in the New
Testament.
The case for the Triunity of God is even stronger in
the New Testament. Here it can be unequivocally demonstrated the Father
is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God. Furthermore, the New
Testament teaches us that these three names are not synonymous, but speak
of three distinct and equal Persons.
(1)
The Father is called God (John
6:27; 20:17; 1 Cor. 8:6; Gal. 1:1; Eph. 4:6; Phil. 2:11; 1 Pet. 1:2).
(2)
Jesus Christ, the Son is declared
to be God. His deity is
proven by the divine names given to Him, by His works that only God could
do (upholding all things, Col. 1:17; creation, Col. 1:16, John 1:3; and
future judgment, John 5:27), by His divine attributes (eternality, John
17:5; omnipresence, Matt. 28:20; omnipotence, Heb. 1:3; omniscience,
Matt. 9:4), and by explicit statements declaring His deity (John 1:1;
20:28; Titus 2:13; Heb. 1:8).
(3)
The Holy Spirit is recognized as
God. By comparing Peter’s comments in Acts 5:3 and 4, we see
that in lying to the Holy Spirit (vs. 3), Ananias was lying to God (vs.
4). He has the attributes which only God can possess like omniscience (1
Cor. 2:10) and omnipresence (1 Cor. 6:19), and He regenerates people to
new life (John 3:5-6, 8; Tit. 3:5), which must of necessity be a work of
God for only God has the power of life. Finally, His deity is evident by
the divine names used for the Spirit as “the Spirit of our
God,” (1 Cor. 6:11), which should be understood as “the
Spirit, who is our God.”
Ryrie
writes: “Matthew 28:19 best states both the oneness and threeness
by associating equally the three Persons and uniting them in one singular name. Other passages
like Matthew 3:16-17 and 2 Corinthians 13:14 associate equally the three
Persons but do not contain the strong emphasis on unity as does Matthew
28:19.”18
The
New Bible Dictionary, adds to
this the following evidence:
The
evidence of the NT writings, apart from the Gospels, is sufficient to
show that Christ had instructed his disciples on this doctrine to a
greater extent than is recorded by any of the four Evangelists. They
whole-heartedly proclaim the doctrine of the Trinity as the threefold
source of redemption. The outpouring of the Spirit at Pentecost brought
the personality of the Spirit into greater prominence and at the same
time shed light anew from the Spirit upon the Son. Peter, in explaining
the phenomenon of Pentecost, represents it as the activity of the
Trinity: ‘This Jesus … being … exalted at the right
hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy
Spirit, he has poured out this which you see and hear’ (Acts
2:32-33). So the church of Pentecost was founded on the doctrine of the
Trinity.
In
1 Cor. there is mention of the gifts of the Spirit, the varieties of
service for the same Lord and the inspiration of the same God for the
work (1 Cor. 12:4-6).
Peter
traces salvation to the same triunal source: ‘destined by God the
Father and sanctified by the Spirit for obedience to Jesus Christ’
(1 Pet. 1:2). The apostolic benediction: ‘The grace of the Lord
Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be
with you all’ (2 Cor. 13:14), not only sums up the apostolic
teaching, but interprets the deeper meaning of the Trinity in Christian
experience, the saving grace of the Son giving access to the love of the
Father and to the communion of the Spirit.
What
is amazing, however, is that this confession of God as One in Three took
place without struggle and without controversy by a people indoctrinated
for centuries in the faith of the one God, and that in entering the
Christian church they were not conscious of any break with their ancient
faith.19
The
Confession also directs our attention first to the baptism of Jesus by
John the Baptist in which all three persons of the triune God are clearly
present. The baptismal formula announced by Jesus and used by the church
clearly teaches the Trinity. Also, the angel's advent message to Mary
reveals the triune God. The apostolic blessing of Paul is also clearly trinitarian.
In listening to God's
revelation the church discovers that God is "one God ... in whom
there are three persons, really, truly, and eternally distinct.
However
we formulate the doctrine of the Trinity, we must at one and the same
time fully affirm both sides of the Biblical revelation. There can be no
doubt that God is one God. Yet, this one God exists in 3 eternally
distinct persons.
II. The Trinity in Ourselves
In speaking of the Trinity, Article 9 adds something surprising. We know
of God's three-in-oneness not only from the Scriptures but
as
well as from the effects of the persons,
especially from those we feel within ourselves.
We
feel in ourselves the operations of the Holy Trinity.
What
does the Confession mean by this? In Article 9, It says,
we
must note the particular works and activities
of these three persons in relation to us.
The Father is called our Creator,
by reason of his power.
The Son is our Savior and Redeemer,
by his blood.
The Holy Spirit is our Sanctifier,
by his living in our hearts.
First, believers feel and experience the power of the Creator. Open your
eyes. Look at the beauty of Creation. Marvel at the completeness and
intricacy of a new baby. Enjoy the incredible variety and color of what
God has made. See the many blessings that God, in His providence, has
sent your way: food, clothing, health, strength, jobs, income, housing,
transportation, and so on. When we worry about what we shall eat or what
we shall drink or what we shall wear, when we worry about the future, the
Father assures us of His sovereign care. In all this and more, you
experience in yourself the creation power of the first person of the
Trinity, even the Father.
Second,
believers also feel and experience the blood of the Savior and Redeemer.
When the load of our sins weigh us down, when we become weary and
burdened, we remember that the Son loved us and gave Himself up for us.
When we get down on our knees to confess our sin and feel ourselves being
lifted up, when we find ourselves being plucked from the power of some
dreadful sin, then we experience in ourselves the blood of the second
person of the Trinity, even the Son.
Third,
believers also feel and experience the indwelling presence of the
sanctifying Spirit. Out there is a world, congregation, that wants us to
pursue the lusts of the flesh, the materialism of our neighbors, the secularism of the ungodly. There is a whole world
out there attacking us and trying to make us abandon morality and faith.
In spite of that, we find ourselves growing in the grace and knowledge
and holiness of Christ. In a life of Christian progress we see and feel
the sanctifying presence of the third person of the Holy Trinity, even
the Spirit.
III. The Trinity in Worship
In recent years, scholars have come to realize that the doctrine of the Trinity
has come to be shaped because of worship. In Jesus Christ, believers saw
Someone Who was and Who deserved to be called "Lord" and
"Son of God." They saw in Jesus Someone Who, besides the
Father, ought to be worshiped and glorified. For instance, think of the
women who met Jesus by the resurrection grave; the Bible tells us they "clasped
his feet and worshiped him" (Mt 28:9). Or, remember how the doubting
Thomas fell to his knees and said, "My Lord and my God!" (Jn
20:28)? Don't forget, Thomas and the women were Jews. Every day they
recited the Shema, "The Lord our God, the
Lord is one." But when they were confronted with the resurrected
Christ, they worshiped Him; in doing so, they confessed that He too was
God and worthy of honor, praise, and glory.
In
this light we note that many of the clearest trinitarian
passages in the New Testament have a worship context. I've mentioned some
of them already: our Lord's baptism; Jesus' command to go and baptize in
the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; the benediction of
Paul to the worshiping community at Corinth.
The
Trinity was worshiped, celebrated in baptism, experienced in hearts and
lives, and even sung about long before it was theologically analyzed and
dogmatically described.
This
should tell us something. In talking about the Trinity today, in
discussing the Trinity in this mornings worship service,
we are missing the mark if we do not bring the triune God praise. All
talk about the triune God, all sermons on the triune God, and all books
about the triune God miss the point unless they help us to praise Him.
Without
doubt, the greatest moments in our lives are those in which we
spontaneously sing,
Alleluia,
alleluia!
Glory be to God on high;
alleluia! to the Savior,
who has won the victory;
alleluia! to the Spirit,
fount of love and sanctity:
alleluia, alleluia!
to the triune Majesty.
In
such moments we begin to understand we were created, saved, sanctified
for the triune God's praise. Your greatest hour is when you
can say with heart and soul and mind and strength,
Holy,
holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
All thy works shall praise thy name, in earth and sky and sea;
holy, holy, holy! merciful and mighty,
God in three persons, blessed Trinity!
If you can do that, then you are fulfilling the purpose of life, then you
are doing what you should with your knowledge and understanding of the
triune God.
You
don't have to understand everything about God and the Trinity in order to
do what the Bible commands. People don't have to become theologians or
artists in order to praise.
What
it comes down to is this: God is triune and to this triune God we are to
bring glory today and tomorrow, next week and next year, and forevermore.
To
thee, great One in Three,
eternal praises be
hence evermore!
Thy sovereign majesty
may we in glory see,
and to eternity
love and adore.
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