What is the doctrine of the Trinity?

[Ezra]

1 hour ago, HAZARD said:

A God who could not make Himself clear, or had to be interpreted and be declared a mystery is no God at all.

Hazard,

I am in full agreement with you except that the term "the Mystery of God" appears in Scripture several times because ultimately the triune Godhead is a mystery to the human mind. We can still believe what is revealed.

[other one]

I just don't see the mystery...

[TrevorL]

On ‎2‎/‎06‎/‎2016 at 3:45 PM, Ezra said:

The one we are discussing is the one of whom it is said "In the beginning Elohim (God) created the heaven and the earth" and "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with Theos (God), and the Word was Theos (God).

Just because a word can be applied is different ways does not give us the license to misapply it.

 

Greetings again Ezra,

 

I would like to make a further comment on your statement. The usage of Elohim to describe angels and judges should not be ignored or separated from this subject. This usage was designed to help introduce the subject of individuals representing God, and given the title “God” or Elohim, without being God themselves. Without a reasonable understanding of this, then the language of the NT can be confusing and wrong conclusions can be drawn.

 

A key passage that shows the link between the role and status of Jesus and this OT usage is the following. Remarkably v30 is a favourite verse used by Trinitarians, who then totally ignore the answer of Jesus who shows the connection with the OT usage of Elohim:

John 10:30-36 (KJV): ³⁰ I and my Father are one. ³¹ Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him. ³² Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me? ³³ The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God. ³⁴ Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods? ³⁵ If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken; ³⁶ Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God?

 

There is one God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ is the Son of God. 

 

Kind regards

Trevor

 

[enoob57]

6 hours ago, TrevorL said:

 

Greetings again Ezra,

 

I would like to make a further comment on your statement. The usage of Elohim to describe angels and judges should not be ignored or separated from this subject. This usage was designed to help introduce the subject of individuals representing God, and given the title “God” or Elohim, without being God themselves. Without a reasonable understanding of this, then the language of the NT can be confusing and wrong conclusions can be drawn.

 

A key passage that shows the link between the role and status of Jesus and this OT usage is the following. Remarkably v30 is a favourite verse used by Trinitarians, who then totally ignore the answer of Jesus who shows the connection with the OT usage of Elohim:

John 10:30-36 (KJV): ³⁰ I and my Father are one. ³¹ Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him. ³² Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me? ³³ The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God. ³⁴ Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods? ³⁵ If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken; ³⁶ Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God?

 

There is one God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ is the Son of God. 

 

Kind regards

Trevor

 

God is teaching us that authority here is a authority - gods BUT all creation is pointing to an indicator-being- that God 'IS' The Ultimate Authority that
all answer to for their eternal keeping...  Love, Steven 

[HAZARD]

On ‎3‎/‎06‎/‎2016 at 10:10 AM, Ezra said:

Hazard,

I am in full agreement with you except that the term "the Mystery of God" appears several times Scripture several times because ultimately the triune Godhead is a mystery to the human mind. We can still believe what is revealed.

 

Hi Ezra.

No, truly, its no mystery, The words mystery of God, appear only twice in Scripture and that is once in Col. 2:2,  "That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ; "

This refers to the mysteries of the gospel that are now revealed by God and Christ (Col.1:26-27, 4:3; Matt. 13:11; Romans 16:25-; 1 Cor. 2:7; 4;1; Eph. 1:9-; 3:1-9; 5:32; 6:19; 1 Tim. 3:9, 16).

Other places the words are not "mystery of God" but, (Mark 4:11,"mystery of the kingdom of God,");

(1 Cor. 2:7, "we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery,");

( Eph. 3:9, And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God,");

(Col 1:27, "To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in6 you, the hope of glory:");

(Col 4:3, "Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds:");

(1Tim. 3:16, "And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness:");

And the second time, "mystery of God, appears" is in Rev. 10:7.

(Rev 10:7,"But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, mystery of God, appear should be finished, as He hath declared to His servants the prophets."

This refers to the final casting out of Satan.

1, It is to be finished during the days of the seventh trumpet, (V. 7).

2. It has long been delayed (V. 6-7).

3. It will no longer be delayed (V. 7).

4. The casting out of Satan has been predicted since Adams day (V. 7; 12:7-12; Gen.3:15; Isa.24:21; 25:7; 27:1).

5. It is one of the three woes announced by the angel in (V. 8:13; 12:12).

6. The casting out of Satan is the only event of the seventh trumpet that is necessary before the kingdoms of this world can become those of God and Christ, as announced in (V. 11:15).

I hope this helps.

 

[TrevorL]

Many Trinitarians use John 10:30 in support of their beliefs. There is a need to look carefully at what Jesus actually says in v30, and also his explanation and response to the Jews.
John 10:30-36 (KJV): 30 I and my Father are one. 31 Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him. 32 Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me? 33 The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God. 34 Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods? 35 If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken; 36 Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God?

The first thing to notice is that the same language that is used for the unity between the Father and Jesus is used for the unity between Jesus and the disciples:
John 17:17-23 (KJV): 17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. 18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. 19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. 20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; 21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. 22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: 23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.
This shows that the unity in John 10:30 is not speaking of the Trinity, but that God the Father and Jesus have a unity of purpose and character, and the disciples will share in this unity.

Jesus also draws attention to this unity by the works that he had done:
John 10:32 (KJV):Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me?
Jesus does not claim to work these miracles from his own initiative or power, but by means of the power from his Father. So again Jesus is not claiming to be God.

Jesus also answers the Jews by speaking concerning the OT usage of the word “God”, “gods”, that is the Hebrew word “Elohim”. Jesus speaks concerning the fact that in the OT the judges were called God or gods. It is interesting to note that the translators had difficulty with the relevant verses where the Judges acted in the role of God (Hebrew Elohim):
Exodus 21:6 (KJV): 6 Then his master shall bring him unto the judges; he shall also bring him to the door, or unto the door post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an aul; and he shall serve him for ever.
Exodus 21:6 (ASV): then his master shall bring him unto God, and shall bring him to the door, or unto the door-post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an awl; and he shall serve him for ever.

Exodus 22:8-9 (KJV): 8 If the thief be not found, then the master of the house shall be brought unto the judges, to see whether he have put his hand unto his neighbour’s goods. 9 For all manner of trespass, whether it be for ox, for donkey, for sheep, for raiment, or for any manner of lost thing, which another challengeth to be his, the cause of both parties shall come before the judges; and whom the judges shall condemn, he shall pay double unto his neighbour.
Exodus 22:8-9 (ASV): 8 If the thief be not found, then the master of the house shall come near unto God, to see whether he have not put his hand unto his neighbor’s goods. 9 For every matter of trespass, whether it be for ox, for donkey, for sheep, for raiment, or for any manner of lost thing, whereof one saith, This is it, the cause of both parties shall come before God; he whom God shall condemn shall pay double unto his neighbor.

The role and responsibility of the judges is indicated in the following:
Deuteronomy 1:17 (KJV): Ye shall not respect persons in judgment; but ye shall hear the small as well as the great; ye shall not be afraid of the face of man; for the judgment is God’s: and the cause that is too hard for you, bring it unto me, and I will hear it.
2 Chronicles 19:6 (KJV): And said to the judges, Take heed what ye do: for ye judge not for man, but for the LORD, who is with you in the judgment.
So the judges were called God or gods because they were united in administering the work or judgements of God. Jesus was claiming a similar though superior role as The Son of God, by calling and claiming God as His Father.

 

A careful consideration of verses 30 and 36 show that Jesus is not claiming to be God, but the Son of God.
John 10:30-36 (KJV): 30 I and my Father are one. 36 Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God?
He was united with His Father in character and works.

Kind regards
Trevor

 

[Ezra]

2 hours ago, HAZARD said:

the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ;

Since you have quoted this, it perfectly reflects what I said. That the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are ONE God is indeed a Divine mystery.

[other one]

1 hour ago, Ezra said:

Since you have quoted this, it perfectly reflects what I said. That the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are ONE God is indeed a Divine mystery.

what is so mysterious about it....

[Omegaman 3.0]

On ‎6‎/‎2‎/‎2016 at 5:10 PM, Ezra said:

am in full agreement with you except that the term "the Mystery of God" appears in Scripture several times because ultimately the triune Godhead is a mystery to the human mind. We can still believe what is revealed.

This is not to Ezra, as I suspect he already knows this, and perhaps is even saying as much, but to all who find themselves reading this thread.

I would offer the observation, that the word "mystery", as used in the Bible and especially as used in the New Testament, is a bit different that what in means typically to us in modern English.

In modern English, we tend to think of things that are unsknown or unsolved, but in the Bible that is usually not true, if it is ever true.

In the Bible, the word "mystery" tends to refer to things formerly unknown, but now revealed. You can verify that easily enough, by just using a concordance and looking at the word in it's context, or using a lexicon for the definition.

As it applies in this  thread, that still works. Part of the mystery of God was that God is Triune in nature, something now revealed in scripture, to those that God has given His Spirit and the dicernment to see.

As I said in a previous post, it does not need to be understood, to be accepted, it does not need to conform to human logic. It it there to accept, for those who have the faith, to just believe God. Not everyone has that faith, and so to them, they are not able to see what God has said.

[CaringBrit]

On 5/19/2016 at 2:24 PM, angels4u said:

LATELY WE HAVE SO MANY PEOPLE IN THE FORUM WHO HAVE A DIFFERENT OPINION OF THE TRINITY AND DO NOT BELIELIEVE IN THE TRINITY, THIS ARTICLE EXPLAINS VERY GOOD WHAT THE TRINITY IS .

http://www.desiringgod.org/articles/what-is-the-doctrine-of-the-trinity

What is the doctrine of the Trinity?

---

• Article by Matt Perman
•  
• Topic: The Trinity

The doctrine of the Trinity is foundational to the Christian faith. It is crucial for properly understanding what God is like, how He relates to us, and how we should relate to Him. But it also raises many difficult questions. How can God be both one and three? Is the Trinity a contradiction? If Jesus is God, why do the Gospels record instances where He prayed to God?

While we cannot fully understand everything about the Trinity (or anything else), it is possible to answer questions like these and come to a solid grasp of what it means for God to be three in one.

What Does it Mean That God is a Trinity?
The doctrine of the Trinity means that there is one God who eternally exists as three distinct Persons — the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Stated differently, God is one in essence and three in person. These definitions express three crucial truths: (1) The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinct Persons, (2) each Person is fully God, (3) there is only one God.

The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinct Persons. The Bible speaks of the Father as God (Philippians 1:2), Jesus as God (Titus 2:13), and the Holy Spirit as God (Acts 5:3–4). Are these just three different ways of looking at God, or simply ways of referring to three different roles that God plays?

The answer must be no, because the Bible also indicates that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinct Persons. For example, since the Father sent the Son into the world (John 3:16), He cannot be the same person as the Son. Likewise, after the Son returned to the Father (John 16:10), the Father and the Son sent the Holy Spirit into the world (John 14:26; Acts 2:33). Therefore, the Holy Spirit must be distinct from the Father and the Son.

In the baptism of Jesus, we see the Father speaking from heaven and the Spirit descending from heaven in the form of a dove as Jesus comes out of the water (Mark 1:10–11). In John 1:1 it is affirmed that Jesus is God and, at the same time, that He was “with God,” thereby indicating that Jesus is a distinct Person from God the Father (cf. also 1:18). And in John 16:13–15 we see that although there is a close unity between them all, the Holy Spirit is also distinct from the Father and the Son.

The fact that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinct Persons means, in other words, that the Father is not the Son, the Son is not the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit is not the Father. Jesus is God, but He is not the Father or the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is God, but He is not the Son or the Father. They are different Persons, not three different ways of looking at God.

The personhood of each member of the Trinity means that each Person has a distinct center of consciousness. Thus, they relate to each other personally — the Father regards Himself as “I” while He regards the Son and Holy Spirit as “You.” Likewise the Son regards Himself as “I,” but the Father and the Holy Spirit as “You.”

Often it is objected that “;If Jesus is God, then he must have prayed to himself while he was on earth.” But the answer to this objection lies in simply applying what we have already seen. While Jesus and the Father are both God, they are different Persons. Thus, Jesus prayed to God the Father without praying to Himself. In fact, it is precisely the continuing dialog between the Father and the Son (Matthew 3:17; 17:5; John 5:19; 11:41–42; 17:1ff) which furnishes the best evidence that they are distinct Persons with distinct centers of consciousness.

Sometimes the Personhood of the Father and Son is appreciated, but the Personhood of the Holy Spirit is neglected. Sometimes the Spirit is treated more like a “force” than a Person. But the Holy Spirit is not an it, but a He (see John 14:26; 16:7–15; Acts 8:16). The fact that the Holy Spirit is a Person, not an impersonal force (like gravity), is also shown by the fact that He speaks (Hebrews 3:7), reasons (Acts 15:28), thinks and understands (1 Corinthians 2:10–11), wills (1 Corinthians 12:11), feels (Ephesians 4:30), and gives personal fellowship (2 Corinthians 13:14). These are all qualities of personhood. In addition to these texts, the others we mentioned above make clear that the Personhood of the Holy Spirit is distinct from the Personhood of the Son and the Father. They are three real persons, not three roles God plays.

Another serious error people have made is to think that the Father became the Son, who then became the Holy Spirit. Contrary to this, the passages we have seen imply that God always was and always will be three Persons. There was never a time when one of the Persons of the Godhead did not exist. They are all eternal.

While the three members of the Trinity are distinct, this does not mean that any is inferior to the other. Instead, they are all identical in attributes. They are equal in power, love, mercy, justice, holiness, knowledge, and all other qualities.

Each Person is fully God. If God is three Persons, does this mean that each Person is “one-third” of God? Does the Trinity mean that God is divided into three parts?

The Trinity does not divide God into three parts. The Bible is clear that all three Persons are each one hundred percent God. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all fully God. For example, it says of Christ that “in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form” (Colossians 2:9). We should not think of God as like a “pie” cut into three pieces, each piece representing a Person. This would make each Person less than fully God and thus not God at all. Rather, “the being of each Person is equal to the whole being of God.”[1] The divine essence is not something that is divided between the three persons, but is fully in all three persons without being divided into “parts.”

Thus, the Son is not one-third of the being of God, He is all of the being of God. The Father is not one-third of the being of God, He is all of the being of God. And likewise with the Holy Spirit. Thus, as Wayne Grudem writes, “When we speak of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit together we are not speaking of any greater being than when we speak of the Father alone, the Son alone, or the Holy Spirit alone.”[2]

There is only one God. If each Person of the Trinity is distinct and yet fully God, then should we conclude that there is more than one God? Obviously we cannot, for Scripture is clear that there is only one God: “There is no other God besides me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is none besides me. Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other” (Isaiah 45:21–22; see also Isaiah 44:6–8; Exodus 15:11;Deuteronomy 4:35; 6:4–5; 32:39; 1 Samuel 2:2; 1 Kings 8:60).

Having seen that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are distinct Persons, that they are each fully God, and that there is nonetheless only one God, we must conclude that all three Persons are the same God. In other words, there is one God who exists as three distinct Persons.

If there is one passage which most clearly brings all of this together, it isMatthew 28:19: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” First, notice that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinguished as distinct Persons. We baptize into the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Second, notice that each Person must be deity because they are all placed on the same level. In fact, would Jesus have us baptize in the name of a mere creature? Surely not. Therefore each of the Persons into whose name we are to be baptized must be deity. Third, notice that although the three divine Persons are distinct, we are baptized into their name (singular), not names (plural). The three Persons are distinct, yet only constitute one name. This can only be if they share one essence.

Is the Trinity Contradictory?
This leads us to investigate more closely a very helpful definition of the Trinity which I mentioned earlier: God is one in essence, but three in Person. This formulation can show us why there are not three Gods, and why the Trinity is not a contradiction.

In order for something to be contradictory, it must violate the law of noncontradiction. This law states that A cannot be both A (what it is) and non-A (what it is not) at the same time and in the same relationship. In other words, you have contradicted yourself if you affirm and deny the same statement. For example, if I say that the moon is made entirely of cheese but then also say that the moon is not made entirely of cheese, I have contradicted myself.

Other statements may at first seem contradictory but are really not. Theologian R.C. Sproul cites as an example Dickens’s famous line, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” Obviously this is a contradiction if Dickens means that it was the best of times in the same way that it was the worst of times. But he avoids contradiction with this statement because he means that in one sense it was the best of times, but in another sense it was the worst of times.

Carrying this concept over to the Trinity, it is not a contradiction for God to be both three and one because He is not three and one in the same way. He is three in a different way than He is one. Thus, we are not speaking with a forked tongue — we are not saying that God is one and then denying that He is one by saying that He is three. This is very important: God is one and three at the same time, but not in the same way.

How is God one? He is one in essence. How is God three? He is three in Person. Essence and person are not the same thing. God is one in a certain way (essence) and three in a different way (person). Since God is one in a different way than He is three, the Trinity is not a contradiction. There would only be a contradiction if we said that God is three in the same way that He is one.

So a closer look at the fact that God is one in essence but three in person has helped to show why the Trinity is not a contradiction. But how does it show us why there is only one God instead of three? It is very simple: All three Persons are one God because, as we saw above, they are all the same essence. Essence means the same thing as “being.” Thus, since God is only one essence, He is only one being, not three. This should make it clear why it is so important to understand that all three Persons are the same essence. For if we deny this, we have denied God’s unity and affirmed that there is more than one being of God (i.e., that there is more than one God).

What we have seen so far provides a good basic understanding of the Trinity. But it is possible to go deeper. If we can understand more precisely what is meant by essence and person, how these two terms differ, and how they relate, we will then have a more complete understanding of the Trinity.

Essence and Person
Essence. What does essence mean? As I said earlier, it means the same thing as being. God’s essence is His being. To be even more precise, essence is what you are. At the risk of sounding too physical, essence can be understood as the “stuff” that you “consist of.” Of course we are speaking by analogy here, for we cannot understand this in a physical way about God. “God is spirit” (John 4:24). Further, we clearly should not think of God as “consisting of” anything other than divinity. The “substance” of God is God, not a bunch of “ingredients” that taken together yield deity.

Person. In regards to the Trinity, we use the term “Person” differently than we generally use it in everyday life. Therefore it is often difficult to have a concrete definition of Person as we use it in regards to the Trinity. What we do not mean by Person is an “independent individual” in the sense that both I and another human are separate, independent individuals who can exist apart from one another.

What we do mean by Person is something that regards himself as “I” and others as –You.” So the Father, for example, is a different Person from the Son because He regards the Son as a “You,” even though He regards Himself as “I.” Thus, in regards to the Trinity, we can say that “Person” means a distinct subject which regards Himself as an “I” and the other two as a “You.” These distinct subjects are not a division within the being of God, but “a form of personal existence other than a difference in being.”[3]

How do they relate? The relationship between essence and Person, then, is as follows. Within God’s one, undivided being is an “unfolding” into three personal distinctions. These personal distinctions are modes of existence within the divine being, but are not divisions of the divine being. They are personal forms of existence other than a difference in being. The late theologian Herman Bavinck has stated something very helpful at this point: “The persons are modes of existence within the being; accordingly, the Persons differ among themselves as the one mode of existence differs from the other, and — using a common illustration — as the open palm differs from a closed fist.”[4]

Because each of these “forms of existence” are relational (and thus are Persons), they are each a distinct center of consciousness, with each center of consciousness regarding Himself as “I” and the others as “You.” Nonetheless, these three Persons all “consist of” the same “stuff” (that is, the same “what,” or essence). As theologian and apologist Norman Geisler has explained it, while essence is what you are, person is who you are. So God is one “what” but three “who’s.”

The divine essence is thus not something that exists “above” or “separate from” the three Persons, but the divine essence is the being of the three Persons. Neither should we think of the Persons as being defined by attributes added on to the being of God. Wayne Grudem explains:

But if each person is fully God and has all of God’s being, then we also should not think that the personal distinctions are any kind of additional attributes added on to the being of God. . . . Rather, each person of the Trinity has all of the attributes of God, and no one Person has any attributes that are not possessed by the others. On the other hand, we must say that the Persons are real, that they are not just different ways of looking at the one being of God . . . the only way it seems possible to do this is to say that the distinction between the persons is not a difference of ‘being’ but a difference of ‘relationships.’ This is something far removed from our human experience, where every different human ‘person’ is a different being as well. Somehow God’s being is so much greater than ours that within his one undivided being there can be an unfolding into interpersonal relationships, so that there can be three distinct persons.[5]

Trinitarian Illustrations?
There are many illustrations which have been offered to help us understand the Trinity. While there are some illustrations which are helpful, we should recognize that no illustration is perfect. Unfortunately, there are many illustrations which are not simply imperfect, but in error. One illustration to beware of is the one which says, “I am one person, but I am a student, son, and brother. This explains how God can be both one and three.” The problem with this is that it reflects a heresy called modalism. God is not one person who plays three different roles, as this illustration suggests. He is one Being in three Persons (centers of consciousness), not merely three roles. This analogy ignores the personal distinctions within God and mitigates them to mere roles.

Summary
Let us quickly review what we have seen.

1. The Trinity is not belief in three gods. There is only one God, and we must never stray from this.

2. This one God exists as three Persons.

3. The three Persons are not each part of God, but are each fully God and equally God. Within God’s one undivided being there is an unfolding into three interpersonal relationships such that there are three Persons. The distinctions within the Godhead are not distinctions of His essence and neither are they something added onto His essence, but they are the unfolding of God’s one, undivided being into three interpersonal relationships such that there are three real Persons.

4. God is not one person who took three consecutive roles. That is the heresy of modalism. The Father did not become the Son and then the Holy Spirit. Instead, there have always been and always will be three distinct persons in the Godhead.

5. The Trinity is not a contradiction because God is not three in the same way that He is one. God is one in essence, three in Person.

Application
The Trinity is first of all important because God is important. To understand more fully what God is like is a way of honoring God. Further, we should allow the fact that God is triune to deepen our worship. We exist to worship God. And God seeks people to worship Him “in spirit and truth” (John 4:24). Therefore we must always endeavor to deepen our worship of God — in truth as well as in our hearts.

The Trinity has a very significant application to prayer. The general pattern of prayer in the Bible is to pray to the Father through the Son and in the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 2:18). Our fellowship with God should be enhanced by consciously knowing that we are relating to a tri-personal God!

Awareness of the distinct role that each Person of the Trinity has in our salvation can especially serve to give us greater comfort and appreciation for God in our prayers, as well as helping us to be specific in directing our prayers. Nonetheless, while recognizing the distinct roles that each Person has, we should never think of their roles as so separate that the other Persons are not involved. Rather, everything that one Person is involved in, the other two are also involved in, one way or another.

Notes

1.Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine, (InterVarsity Press and Zondervan Publishing House, 1994), p. 255, emphasis added.
2. Ibid, p. 252.
3. Ibid, p. 255. While I believe that this is a helpful definition, it should be recognized that Grudem himself is offering this as more of an explanation than definition of Person.
4. Herman Bavinck, The Doctrine of God, (Great Britain: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1991 edition), p. 303.
5. Grudem, pp. 253–254.

Further Resources

Augustine, On the Trinity
Herman Bavinck, The Doctrine of God, pp. 255–334
Edward Bickersteth, The Trinity
Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology, chapter 14
Donald Macleod, Shared Life: The Trinity and the Fellowship of God’s People
R.C. Sproul, The Mystery of the Holy Spirit
R.C. Sproul, Essential Truths of the Christian Faith, pp. 35–36
J.I. Packer, Knowing God, pp. 57–63
John Piper, The Pleasures of God, chapter 1
James White, The Forgotten Trinity

© Desiring God Foundation. Distribution Guidelines

thankyou for posting this , i myself have never got confused with the trinity this is however very informative 

On 5/19/2016 at 3:01 PM, kwikphilly said:

Blessings Sister,dear Sister

     You do like those looooong articles,,,,,,,Personally I prefer short & sweet,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Amen,,,,,,hard to comprehend,sure,,,,,,,,,hard to BELIEVE,of course NOT,,,,,,,we walk by FAITH & not by sight,,,,,,,,,if GOD says it is so then it is so,faith comes by hearing,hearing the Word of God & the Wisdom & Understanding of Gods Timeless Truth comes from Revelation Received by the Power of the Holy Spirit,,,,,,,

Indeed,you have shared an excellent OP for the Study Forum,,,,,,,,,God Bless everyone who joins in,,,,,,,,,,I thank God & God Alone that I have never had any problem Understanding that Jesus is God,our Father is God & the Holy Spirit is God,,,,,,,,,,,there is no other to give Praise Glory,Honor & Thanksgiving for that Understanding & for the Faith by which I live,,,,,,,,,,Faith that my Lord,my Savior Humbled Himself to Servitude in the Flesh,took my place on that Cross & died with open arms Embracing me in His Resurrection,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,I was Humbled,brought to my knees with a repentant heart,,,,,,,crying,"Jesus Jesus Jesus" & there He was & my Redeemer Lives!!!!!!                                                   Oh but for the GRACE of GOD!!!!                        With love-in Christ,Kwik

i agree it is by faith that we believe

On 5/19/2016 at 6:53 PM, angels4u said:

Thank you Ezra for adding this:

People need to be filled  first with the Holy Spirit  before the can grasp this truth and  that start by first accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior,after that you have the Holy Spirit living inside of you, when somebody doesn't believe Jesus is God , He cannot understand those things.

 

Romans 10:17:

Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.

1John 4:15;

If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God.

Roman 10:9

If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Acts3:19

Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord,
 

1 Eph.1:13

And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,

John 14:26

But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

Acts 2:38

Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

 

 

that is true we need all 3 

On 5/20/2016 at 9:49 PM, bopeep1909 said:

God the Father,God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. One God three persons.

thankyou for posting the pic

On 5/31/2016 at 7:32 PM, kwikphilly said:

By the WAY,,,,,I really like your prop s,,,the "peanut " example is fantastic!!! We've awll heard the egg,the apple etc,,,etc,,, but they are not quite right(imo)  I'm nuts about the peanut experiment!!!!                       Good stuff Mega!

i loved the peanut theory too thanks omega