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IN
SUMMARY: THE
USE
OF THE WORD
“TRINITY”
has developed
historically.
That
is, the expression is not used in the Scriptures. A
human use of a word requires its human definition. This
is not the same as Genesis 1:1’s use of the word “God” which is
a word used by Heaven and requires Heaven’s definition.
HISTORICAL
ORIGIN. TERTULLIAN,
a
“Church Father”, (160–230 A.D.) was the first to use the term
“Trinity.”
Obviously
then, the word is not in the Bible which
writing
was
concluded at the end of the first century.
The
pattern for
the “Trinity” idea,
however,
is
revealed in Scripture.
THE
TRI-UNITY (meaning
three
in one).
Merriam-Webster
Dictionary
(online):
“trinity”= ‘1. if capitalized, means
“the
unity of Father,
Son, and Holy Spirit as three persons*
in
one
Godhead according to Christian dogma.” 2. if
not
capitalized:
“a
group of three closely related persons*
or things.”’
*
THREE
PERSONS.
The
Greek word for “person”
(PROSOPONG4383)
is only
used
to describe Jesus in 2
Corinthians
4:6,
but is translated there
as “face.”ii
If
the Son
is a person, then what does that make God, the Father, and God, the
Holy Spirit?
GODHEAD.
The
Scripture’s
term for the trinity would
be “godhead”
(Colossians 2:9) or deity
theote¯s
G2029,
its
Greek word being derived from
o’ theos
(G2316,
the God).
BIBLICALLY
EACH PERSON OF THE TRINITY (GODHEAD) IS REFERRED TO AS “GOD.”
Examples:
1
Peter 1:2, “Elect
according to the foreknowledge of
God the Father, through
sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the
blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.”
Hebrews
1:8, “But
unto the
Son
he saith, Thy throne, O
God,
is for ever and ever: a sceptre of
righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. Psa 45:6 Thy throne,
O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right
sceptre.”
Acts
5:3, 4,
“But
Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the
Holy
Ghost, and to keep back part of
the price of the land? Whiles
it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not
in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine
heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but
unto God.”
Hence, (1)
FATHER
(1 Peter
1:2), (2)
SON
(Hebrews 1:8), (3)
HOLY
SPIRIT (Acts
5:3–4) are a
tri-unity deity.
THREE
DISTINCT PERSONS
IN THE TRINITY
The
Hebrew language
version of Genesis has
“God” in
its plural,
i.e.,
“Gods”,
creating the world
followed by a specific
action by God’s
Spirit. But apparently
the Jews want
to withhold
this
knowledge of the plurality of the
Creators to
themselves except for
the section of the
creation of the
plurality of man (Genesis
1). The plurality of
man and woman is said
to imitate
the
plurality of their Creators. “Let
us make man
in
our image.”
The resulted
image is revealed as
two persons whose
purpose is to be united
as husband and wife. Genesis
1:27: “So
God created man in his own image,
in the image of God [Elohim,
plural]
created
He
him; male
and female created he them.”
Like
their creator’s image, man would be a plural
of one
(2:24,
Hebrew
'echad
H259)
but
in the flesh.
This should remind the marrieds of the seriousness of
being united
before
God
(Matthew 19:4; 19:5; Ephesians 5:28). Humans
have an excellent pattern to imitate: the unity of our Creators.
THERE
ARE
“THREE designated
GODS”
IN
THE NEW TESTAMENT BUT THEY
WORK TOGETHER
AS
ONE
(Greek
heisG1520)
WHILE
EXISTING
SEPARATELY.
Colossians
2:9,
“For
in him [Jesus]
dwelleth
all the fulness of the Godhead
bodily.”
“Godhead” by definition
includes “the very essence of God.”
iii
“The
fulness of the God-head” was in Jesus
before His
incarnation
(John
1:1,
John
1:18;
Philippians
2:6)
and
during His
incarnation
(John
1:14,
John
1:18;
1 John
1:1-3). He
was
the Son of God who came in “the
likeness of men”
(Philippians
2:7).
ALL
THREE ARE
REVEALED AS
EXCLUSIVELY DIVINE.
The
three distinct persons are all called God,
therefore
the three persons must be a
one unified
DEITY.
In
Genesis 1, God is plural but creates SINGULARLY
or “together”
and
therefore have the singular verb in the Hebrew.
The Spirit appears
to
move separately.
ALL
THREE ARE SEPARATE
GODS; NOWHERE DOES IT
SAY THAT THERE IS ONLY ONE “NUMERICAL” GOD
(rather,
they are mentioned
as being unified
as
“one,” e.g.,
John
17:22).
JESUS’
AUTHORITY REPRESENTS THE AUTHORITY OF THE GODHEAD (TRINITY).
When
one uses the “in the name” of, or “by the authority” of
Jesus, such a one is using the authority of all three. “Go
ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of
(authority
of) the
FATHER and of the SON, and of the HOLY SPIRIT.”
(Matthew
28:19)
The
“name” (onoma) can be used as “authority” according to
Strong’s
Greek Dictionary.
This
passage incidentally
has
been accepted, by
the way,
as being in
the
original
manuscript.
Its
disputed
so
called “short version” (without
this authority phrase
given)
has been determined not
to
be
the original.iv
ALL
THREE PERSONS ARE SEEN
AND HEARD TOGETHER at
the beginning of Jesus’ ministry.
When
Jesus was baptized of John: “And
the HOLY SPIRIT descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon HIM
[JESUS],
and a VOICE came from heaven, which said, Thou art MY SON; in THEE I
am well pleased” (Luke 3:22).
THE
WITNESS
OF THE THREE DEITIES
ARE
MENTIONED
AT THE SAME TIME
to
the Baptizer John (John
1:33).
ALL
THREE ARE REFERRED TO BY JESUS as
working together.
Jesus mentions three
authorities to the apostles: “But when the COMFORTER is
come, whom I will send unto you from
the FATHER, even the
SPIRIT OF TRUTH, which proceeds from the FATHER,
HE shall testify of ME.”
(John 15:26). The three are (1) “Comforter”, the Spirit of
truth; (2) speaker: I, me, Jesus Himself, and (3) the Father, and
source of authorities.
THE
SPIRIT OF TRUTH,
“Howbeit
when He, the
SPIRIT OF TRUTH,
is come He will guide you into all truth; for HE shall speak not of
HIMSELF: but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He
will show you things to come.”
THE SPIRIT
IS A SEPARATE
ENTITY “He”. HE
GUIDES; HE SPEAKS FOR ANOTHER; HE HEARS; HE SPEAKS; HE PROPHESIES.
“He
shall glorify ME: for He shall receive of MINE and show it
unto you.”
THEIR
PROPERTY is
CONNECTED TO BOTH FATHER and
SON.
“All
things that the FATHER hath are mine: therefore said I, that HE shall
take of MINE, and shall show it unto you”
(John 16:13–15).
BIBLE
BENEDICTIONS speak of all
three in the Godhead. “The grace of the LORD JESUS
CHRIST, and the love of GOD, and the communion of the HOLY SPIRIT, be
with you all. Amen” (2 Corinthians 13:14). “Now HE which
stablisheth us with you in CHRIST, and hath
anointed us, is GOD; Who hath also sealed us,
and given the earnest of the SPIRIT in our
hearts.” (1 Cor. 1:21–22)
THE
TRINITY (GODHEAD) is revealed IN THE
GOSPEL OF JOHN:
At
least 30 verses suggesting unity of the Trinity (probably the
strongest case in the Bible)
The
FATHER and the WORD (SON) are together in fellowship from eternity.
(John 1:1)
The
FATHER and the WORD (SON) both distinct persons, but both divine.
(John 1:1)
The
FATHER created the World through the SON. (1:3)
The
FATHER sends the SON into the world (1:14:24)
The
SON becomes incarnate (1:14)
The
SON is equal to the FATHER (5:18)
The
SON is the great I AM. (8:58)
SON
AND FATHER ARE ONE: “I
and my Father are one.” (John
10:30).
The
SON shares glory with the FATHER. (17:5) “before the world was”
The
SON is the Way [TO THE FATHER] and the Truth and the
Life.(14:6) John
14:6 “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life:
no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
Knowing
the SON is knowing the FATHER. (14:7)
Seeing
the SON is seeing the FATHER. (14:9)
The
SON is in the FATHER and the
FATHER in in the SON. (14:10)
The
SON’S words are the FATHERS words. (14:10)
To
hate the SON is to hate the FATHER. (15:23)
He
who loves the SON is loved by the FATHER.(14:21)
The
SON brings glory to the FATHER.(14:13)
The
SON prays to the FATHER for the coming of the SPIRIT. (14:16,
17)
The
SPIRIT is another COUNSELOR like the SON.
The
SON goes away in order to send the SPIRIT. (16:7)
The
SON returns to the FATHER. (16:28)
The
SON will send the SPIRIT from the FATHER. (15:26)
The
FATHER sends the SPIRIT. (14:16)
The
FATHER sends the SPIRIT in the SON’S name. (14:26)
The
SPIRIT of TRUTH guides us into all truth. (16:13)
The
SPIRIT’S ministry is a continuation of that of the SON.
(16:13–14)
The
SPIRIT brings glory to the SON. (16:14)
The
SPIRIT bears witness to the SON. (15:26)
All
that belongs to the FATHER is the SON’S. (16:15)
The
FATHER and The
SON are ONE.
(10:30)
The
FATHER’s
power. John
10:29 “My Father, which gave them me,
is greater than all
[men,
v.28]; and no man is able to
pluck them out of my Father's hand. “
THE
LINKING OF THE TRINITY (GODHEAD) IN THE REDEMPTIVE WORK OF MANKIND
1
PETER 1:1,2:: “Peter, an apostle of JESUS CHRIST, Elect
according to the foreknowledge GOD
the FATHER, through
the sanctification of the SPIRIT, unto obedience
and sprinkling of the blood of JESUS
CHRIST.”
ROMANS
15:16,30::
16
“That
I should be the minister of Jesus
Christ to
the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of
God,
that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being
sanctified
by the Holy Ghost.”
30
“Now I
beseech you, brethren, for the
Lord
Jesus Christ's
sake,
and for the love
of the
Spirit,
that ye strive together with me in your prayers
to
God
for me;”
1
CORINTHIANS
12:4-6:
“Now
there are diversities of gifts, but
the
same Spirit.”
“And there are differences of administrations*,
but the
same Lord.”
[diadonos,
services, ministrations.]
“And
there are diversities of operations, but it is
the
same God
which
worketh all in all.” Here
the Spirit is referred to as “God.”
2
CORINTHIANS
1:21–22:
“Now
he which stablisheth us with you in
Christ,
and hath anointed us, is
God;
Who
hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the
Spirit
in our hearts.”
2
CORINTHIANS
3:3: “Forasmuch
as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ
ministered by us*,
written not with ink, but with
the
Spirit of the
living God;
not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.”
*prophets
GALATIANS
4:6: “But when the
fulness of the time was come,
God sent
forth his
Son, made
of a woman, made under the law,”
EPHESIANS
2:8: “For
by grace are ye saved
through
(Greek,
THE)
faith;
and that not of yourselves: it
is
the gift of God:”
EPHESIANS
4:4-6:
“There
is one body, and
one Spirit,
even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One
Lord,
one faith, one baptism, One
God and Father of all,
who is above all, and through all, and in you all.”
(clearly
numerical)
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THE
ONE
(heisG1520)
RELATIONSHIP
OF THE MEMBERS
heis,
also
mia and hen:
“can
be numeral one,
[important] a
union,
first,
agree, other, some, certain, every, man, another, any, never, only,
particularly, several, thing, whether”
(KJC)
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WHEN
THE OBVIOUS
MEANING IS
THE
NUMBERAL
“ONE”
& IDENTIFYING THE MEMBERS OF THE GODHEAD.
Sometimes
the “one” in both the Greek and the English refer to the
individual members of the deity. This especially indicates each
member’s relationship to the Godhead.
1
CORINTHIANS 8:4-6,
“As
concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in
sacrifice unto idols, we
know that an idol is
nothing in the world,
and that there
is
none other God but one.
For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in
earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,) But to us there
is but
one
God, the Father,
of whom are
all things, and we in him; and one
Lord
Jesus Christ,
by whom are
all things, and we by him.” (Notice that by the Lord Jesus "are all things").
1
TIMOTHY 2:5, “For there is
one
God, and one
mediator between God and men, the man
Christ
Jesus;”
JAMES
2:19, “Thou believest that there is one
God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and
tremble.”
EPHESIANS
4:4-6,
“There is
one
body,
and
one
Spirit,
even as ye are called in one (mia)
hope of
your calling; one
Lord,
one (mia) faith, one baptism, one
God and Father
of all, who is above all and through all and in you all.”
Why does the Ephesians 4 text use all three, "mia" and "heis" and hen in the same context?
1. “Mia” :
“mia” is the feminine form of “one” and must be used to modify a feminine noun (in this text, hope, faith, baptism).
2. The neuter form of “one” is “hen” ('en), which looks eerily similar to the preposition “en,” meaning “in,” “on,” or “at.” It modifies neuter singular nouns (in this text, "body" and "Spirit"). Note: in English, we use some words as neuter such as a thing which require an "it." The language defines what is neuter.
3. “Heis”:
The Form “heis” is the masculine form of “one.” It pops up in Ephesians 4:5, and modifies the masculine words "Lord, God and Father": e.g, “one Lord.”
"It’s like the Greek version of saying, “Hey, folks, just to be crystal clear, we’re talking about the same ‘one’ here!”
So, why the mix? Well, according to one commentary, Paul, the writer of Ephesians, was a master of nuance. After all, the Spirit of God knew the language of the people, too.
GOD, JESUS, AND THE HOLY SPIRIT are referred to as our unified Godhead.
2
THESSALONIANS 2:13–14, “But
we are bound to give thanks alway to
God for
you, brethren beloved
of the Lord,
because
God
hath
from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification
of the
Spirit
and
belief of the truth: Whereunto
He
called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our
Lord Jesus Christ.“
REVELATION
1:4–6. “John
to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be
unto you, and peace,
from
HIM
which
is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven
Spirits
which are before his throne; And from
Jesus
Christ,
who
is
the
faithful witness, and
the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the
earth. Unto Him
that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, And
hath made us kings and priests unto
God and his Father;
to him be
glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.”
ACTS
2:33,38,
“Therefore
[JESUS]
being
by the
right hand of
God exalted,
and having received of the
Father
the promise of the
Holy Ghost,
He
hath
shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. Then Peter said unto
them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of
Jesus Christ
for the remission of sins, and ye shall
receive
the gift of the Holy
Ghost”
JUDE
20–21, “But
ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying
in the Holy
Ghost,
Keep yourselves in
the love of God,
looking for the mercy
of our Lord Jesus Christ unto
eternal life.”
--GAYLON WEST edited by Janie Ward and Mary West
ii
KJV
“Person”,
G4383,
only translated 5
times
as “person”: Matthew
22:16
(2), Mark
12:14,
Luke
20:21,
2 Corinthians
2:10,
Galatians
2:6
iii
Robertson’s Word Pictures. Colossians 2:9.
iv
https://hermeneutics.stackexchange.com/questions/12794/was-the-text-of-matthew-2819-changed
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