THE TRINITY
“UNDERSTANDING THE GODHEAD”
INTRODUCTION
Some may ask, “Why would anyone ever study or write about the Trinity. Isn’t it just some dry doctrine that doesn’t deserve any of my precious time?” While many may take this stance on studying doctrinal subjects, we must come to realize that our comprehension of the Trinity of God is absolutely, incontrovertibly essential. In fact, the only people that should not study this doctrine (teaching) are those who do not share the gospel of the Lord, Jesus Christ with others. In witnessing the Christian faith to a Muslim, Jehovah’s Witness, or Mormon, this subject will eventually arise. How this sensitive topic is presented to them can be the determining factor for their willingness to place their trust in Jesus Christ. Anyone who has a genuinely compassionate concern for a lost and dying humanity should be determined to survey every necessary ingredient in being more effective for God’s kingdom.
As I began to research and study the topic of the Trinity of God, I quickly came to realize that anything I could write would simply not do God any justice. After all, John the beloved disciple, in his gospel, stated that all the books in the world could not contain the works that Jesus did on this earth (John 21:25). How could I even begin to write about not just the Son, but also the entirety of the eternal Godhead? Nevertheless, after much prayer and contemplation, I am attempting to declare, through this writing, an infinite God - a God that exists in three Persons - with finite terms.
Several cults have been established from their misunderstanding of this very concept. It is necessary that Christians make a concerted effort to compile the scriptures that reference the Godhead and build their doctrine and belief system based on what God has revealed about Himself in the Bible. It has been stated that most Christians are unaware of what they truly believe when it comes to the Trinity of God. Many just simply believe it because that is what has been passed down to them from a pastor, parent or teacher. They believe that God exists as a Trinity without truly examining what it entails. Others have taken a different approach; instead of simply believing the doctrine by faith, they say that it is so complex that it probably is not true. Therefore, they have constructed dangerous cult like positions against the concept. I have always thought that if every aspect of God were understandable by men that He wouldn’t be much of a God!
It is absolutely vital that attention be given to this doctrine as it has been revealed in the Word of God if we want to be the most effective witnesses for Christ.
BASICS OF THE TRINITY
While it is true that the word Trinity is not found in the Bible, another word has been used to describe the three-in-oneness of God. It is the word Godhead. The Bible declares that the eternal Godhead exists as one God in three Persons. The three Persons have been revealed to us as the Father, Son and Holy Spirit (Matt. 28:19; 3:16-17; I John 5:7-8). Many cults will use the reasoning that because the word Trinity is not found in the Bible that the doctrine must be false. This reasoning is absurd; the word Bible is not even in the Bible-nor is the word theology (our study of God), incarnation (the Son taking on flesh) and several other one word theological concepts that are taught. Kevin J. Conner, in his book, The Foundations of Christian Doctrine best describes the concept of the Godhead (or Trinity) when he states:
The eternal Godhead has revealed Himself as one God existing in three persons, even the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit; distinguishable, but indivisible in essence, co-eternal, co-equal and co-existent in attributes, power, nature and glory…God is one undivided and indivisible essence, but in the one true God there are three eternal distinctions, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. [2]
When any study of the Trinity of God is initiated, it is of the utmost importance to take into consideration that many religious groups have developed an unhealthy understanding of the Godhead by overemphasizing one or all of the Persons of God. In Unitarianism, their heresy is stressing that God is numerically defined as one without embracing the three Persons. Here is a brief explanation of the two belief systems within Unitarianism:
2. Sabellianism-(named after Sabellius c.200 A.D.), taught that God was one, but was manifested in three modes or offices. The reasoning that is used to teach this heresy even today is that a father can also be a son and a husband at the same time. The Bible clearly proves that this teaching is heretical; it shows that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are one but are distinct and individual. It shows them operating at the same time to fulfill each dispensational dealing with mankind. We will disprove this heresy in another segment of this article.[3]
The other extreme understanding of the Godhead is Tritheism. Tritheism teaches that God is three Persons but denies that they are united in essence as one.[4] It maintains that each Person of the Godhead is a separate god. After a brief review on these heretical teachings, it is easy to see that any potential study of this doctrine should be limited to God’s Word, while trying to alleviate man’s ideas on the subject. Ultimately, there must be an equal balance of understanding within the Godhead.
In my youth, I can remember attending a Trinitarian (belief in the Trinity) church and never hearing any messages about one of the Persons of the Trinity, namely the Holy Spirit. They consistently preached about two of the Persons of the Godhead, but neglected the third. I have also attended Trinitarian churches that overemphasized the Holy Spirit and neglected the Father and the Son. With that said, as we uphold the Trinity of God in our faith, it is imperative that we teach a balanced knowledge of each Person. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are all equally significant and uniformly involved in our lives.
TRINITY IN NATURE
The book of Romans makes it evidentially clear that nature itself reveals that there is a God. In fact, this approach has been used in modern evangelism techniques to prove the existence of a Creator. One such example is viewing a painting; if a painting can be seen then there must be a painter. Correspondingly, if creation is seen then obviously there is a Creator. The Bible says that because nature reveals God, people are without excuse (Rom. 1:20). God will hold them accountable for stifling even this conscious notion. The writer of Romans (supposedly Paul) states that nature goes even a step further by conveying the awe-inspiring exquisiteness of the Godhead. It is worth noting that the word Godhead is used only three times in the entirety of the Bible (Acts 17:29; Rom. 1:20; Col. 2:9); could this be a coincidence?
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For since the creation of the world His (God’s) invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and GODHEAD, so that they are without excuse. Romans 1:20 NJKV (emphasis mine)
These are examples of the three-in-oneness in nature that reveal the Godhead:
I. The Egg- There are three distinct parts to an egg: the shell, the white and the yolk. Each part is separate from the others in its composition, but it takes each part to make it an egg. Some theologians have insisted that using the egg does not adequately describe the Trinity and that it borders on the edge of Modalism. Modalism is a teaching that sprouted in second century A.D. under the name of Sabellianism (defined earlier in this article.) Even though Sabellius understood God as the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, he taught that God was one being manifested in three modes or offices. This eliminated the personal elements within each Member of the Godhead. The egg illustration, like all the other examples from nature, will not adequately describe the Trinity to its fullest definition. They can, however, point to the beginning stages of comprehension of the Trinity.[5]
II. Water- Water can exist in three forms: Liquid (water), Solid (ice), and Gas (vapor). Regardless of what state it is in, it is still water.
III. Light- Light has three primary colors: yellow, blue and crimson red. Interestingly, these three respective colors are supported in the Bible as being symbolic of the glory of God, heaven and the atonement.
Light also manifests itself in three different ways; light is only one substance, but its composition has different properties. This can be a way of understanding the Trinity:
Actinic- The actinic property is radiant energy that is used in photochemical processes. This light cannot be seen or felt. We can think of this as God the Father.
Luminferous- This light is manifested through heat. It can be seen and felt. This could be paralleled to God the Son.
Calorific- This is light that is changed into heat. It can be felt, but it cannot be seen. This is similar to the Holy Spirit.
I John 1:5 says, God is light…
IV. Electricity- Electricity can be identified in three capacities: volts, ohms and amps. These are similarly related to light. Volts can’t be seen or felt (God the Father). Ohms are visible (God the Son). Amps are electricity in motion (Holy Spirit).
Another analogy to the Trinity is using electricity to describe the way electric power is converted to a usable energy for home use. Any electricity must originate in a generating station where the power is regulated and dispersed (God the Father). From the station it is sent across the wires to a pole with a transformer right outside the home. The electricity is then transformed into a usable power. The transformer is placed on a pole for the consumer’s benefit (Obviously, God the Son was hung on a rugged pole for all humanity). Finally, as the electricity is transformed it comes into the home as heat, light and comfort (God the Holy Spirit).
V. Space- There is three different aspects of space: length, depth and breadth.
VI. Time- Time has three expressions: past, present and future. Each is a specific part of time, distinct and yet the same.
VII. Stellar Realm- The sun, moon and stars are all different and yet a part of a huge solar system.
VIII. The Apple- The apple, like several other fruits, has three parts: the skin, the juicy inside (meat) and the core. All three are necessary for it to be an apple.
IX. Man- This is quite possibly the greatest correlation to the Godhead from nature. After all, man was created in God’s image-in His very likeness (Gen. 1:26-28). Man has a tripartite being: a body, soul and spirit. The body is evident from the five senses and the others are not. However, the body actually reveals the soul and the spirit. Man uses his spirit to understand and know God. He uses his soul to understand and know his inner man, and he uses his body to understand and know the material realm. This is actually a great mystery to most believers, yet it is a reality (I Thess. 5:23).[6]
Creator.
BIBLICAL SYMBOLS AND TYPES OF THE TRINITY
Within the Bible there are several symbolic and typological references to the Trinity. These are characters, events, or things that actually took place (or existed) in biblical times that were strategically placed within the text to point the reader to a partial revelation of the Trinity. These types often appear as though they are hidden in the story, or in the object itself. One such story is Abraham’s faith in offering Isaac as a sacrifice to God (Gen. 22). Within this true story we see several theological types in reference to Jesus and His work on the cross, and a clear parallel to the Trinity.
Abraham is a type of God the Father and Isaac is a type of God the Son. Here we have two Persons represented from the Godhead, which many casual Bible readers may overlook. These are just a few of the similarities between this Old Testament narrative and the Godhead:
· Both had sons that were beloved (Matt. 3:17).
· Both had sons born of a miraculous birth (Luke 1:35).
· Both had sons who submitted to the will of their father as an offering upon an altar (John 10:18).
· Both offered up their sons as a sacrifice (John 3:16).
· Both sons were offered up as a sacrifice in the same general vicinity.
· Two men went with Abraham and Isaac for the sacrifice. Two men hung on the cross next to Christ (John 19:18).
· Abraham prophesied that Isaac would come back with him alive. Prophecies were given that Christ would come back to life (Jonah 2).
· Isaac had wood laid upon him. Jesus carried His own wooden cross (John 19:17).
· Isaac was bound to the wood. Jesus was bound to the cross.
As the biblical storyline continues, we see Abraham making elaborate wedding plans for his son. This is found in Genesis 24 as Abraham sends out a ruler (who is equal to Abraham v.2) to seek a bride for his son, Isaac. God the Father sent out His ruler-the Holy Spirit-to establish a suitable bride for His Son (Matt. 22:1,2; John 16:7, 8, 13).
Several more pages could be used to convey the typology from this one biblical account. However, the primary intention is to draw a parallel between some of the Old Testament characters and how they reveal the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It is clear from examining this Old Testament example from Genesis that God must exist as one with three Persons. Many groups like to teach that God is one with three different titles, but this would not come close to explaining these types from the Old Testament. As was mentioned earlier, some will teach that because a man can be a husband, son and father at the same time that God operates in this same way.[1] This is not even logical thinking. If God exists in this way, then was Jesus praying to His title in heaven and not the actual Father (Matt. 26:39)? Did Jesus actually commit His spirit into the hands of His title (Luke 23:46)? When a theory is developed devoid of logical thinking the result is that it appears to be a comical story when placed next to the truth, as is the case with this absurdity. A brief study of these types from the Old Testament and the life of Christ on earth will reveal a clear distinction of each Person in the Godhead acting simultaneously, corporately and orderly towards one desired goal.
Here are some other biblical types that paint a clear picture of the Trinity:
I. God’s ark as built by Noah (Gen. 6:14-22)- This wooden ark was to save Noah
and his household. This is symbolic of Christians looking to a piece of wood (the
cross) for their salvation. God Himself gave the pattern and design of the ark to
Noah. It contained three different levels. The first level, or the foundation is
symbolic of God the Father. The second level contained the door of the ark;
Jesus even said that He is the door (John 10:9). All who sought salvation from
God had to enter the designated way. In regards to the ark, the only way to get in
was through the door on the second level. In regards to New Testament salvation,
it is Jesus who is the door. Jesus said, “I am the way…no one comes to the
Father except through Me (John 14:6 NKJV). The third and final level
contained the window of the ark. This is the only way that light could manifest
within the ark. This is symbolic of the Holy Spirit who is our illumination (John
14:26).
II. Ark of the Covenant (Hebrews 9:4)- Within the Ark of the Covenant there were
three different articles: the tablets of the law, the pot of manna (bread) and the
rod that budded. These three represent the Trinity-or triunity of God. The
Father gave Moses the law on Mt. Sinai (tablets; Ex. 34:29). The Son said that
He is the Bread of life (Mark 6:44), and this fulfills the type of manna in the
wilderness and the stock that was placed in the Ark of the Covenant. The rod
that budded is symbolic of the Holy Spirit as He is the one who gives us the fruit
(Gal. 5:22).
III. The tabernacle of God- The tabernacle had three compartments: the outer court,
inner court and the holy of holies. The outer court represents the Son who came
to the earth and died for all; only the outer court was visible to the general
populace and it was also the only area that all people were allowed to enter. The
inner court represents the Holy Spirit who enables pure communion with God.
The Holy of Holies represents God the Father, as this is the area that contained
the mercy seat (God the Father extended His mercy to all people by sending His
Son).
There are countless other examples that are given throughout scripture that reveal the Trinity of God; for lack of space, they will be reserved for another critique.
THE PRINCIPLE OF THREE
The numeral three is of immense significance in the Bible and to the Jewish people. It represents a perfect and complete witness or testimony (Matt. 18:16, 19; I Cor. 13:1). It reveals who God is, how He operates and His nature. In fact, the number three was so important to the Jewish people that they built every aspect of their lives around this principle. God, through Moses, had instructed the people of Israel in the law (Exodus 19). He instructed and implemented the number two and three within their religious, political, judicial and social system in order to achieve truth.
In Ancient Israel, no one could take someone to court over a dispute unless there were at least two witnesses. The judge would dismiss the allegations for a lack of evidence because two witnesses were necessary to reveal the truth. If two witnesses came forward then the trial would proceed. If three witnesses came forward the matter was closed and the perpetrator would be punished accordingly (Deut. 17:6). The admittance of a third witness would erase any doubts as to the verdict of the case.
This will be the third time I (Paul) am coming to you. By the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall be established. I Cor. 13:1 NKJV
Jesus said,”…by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.” Matt. 18:16
When it came time for Jesus to send out His disciples as a witness for Himself, He sent them out by twos (Mark 6:7). Why would He have done this? Western Civilization and its thinking would immediately observe that more territory could be covered in less time if every person in the party would split up and go different directions. In the Jewish culture, however, this would not have been profitable to their cause. The Jewish people would not receive the witness of just one person. They would only accept a testimony from a minimum of two witnesses. Again, a third witness meant that it was a sealed matter. One person going around preaching about Jesus would have deemed a lunatic. Two people were necessary to establish credibility.
If people living today could understand this concept there would be no questions as to what is authentic and what is counterfeit. If this custom were employed today, the vast falsities concerning the deity of Christ that have been propelled into society would fall apart in a matter of days. Dan Brown’s Da Vinci Code would have been deemed a flat out lie because it is the sole effort of one man. Furthermore, his testimony is based on monetary gain, another determining factor for illegitimacy.
Even when this principle is applied today it helps us to determine validity when more than one person verifies a testimony. This is pure logical thinking at its best, and quite possibly the beginning stages of the mind of God. Evangelistic outreaches have discovered that their efforts are far more effective when they send out laborers in twos and threes. This is because God has written His laws on our heart to receive truth based on His principles (Eccl. 3:11). Even biblical hermeneutics (proper textual interpretation) employs this method. One Scripture is never acceptable in establishing a doctrine; it must be supported with other Scriptures as line upon line, and precept upon precept (Isa. 28:10).
Interestingly, the main reason Jesus was in the tomb for three days is connected to this very principle. The Jews wouldn’t even accept a person’s death until the third day bore them witness. They believed that the person’s soul hovered around the grave until the end of the third day. It was a custom that people should come to the tomb to mourn and pay their respects while the person’s soul was still near their body.[2] This is why the women came to Jesus’ tomb as mentioned in the gospel accounts (Luke 24:1; Matt. 28:1).
When Jesus delayed His coming to Lazarus, He was enacting upon this very principle. If He had left when the sickness was first reported to Him, He would have merely healed Lazarus. Jesus had to wait until the fourth day to show that He was the master over death.
Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, “Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.” John 11:39 NKJV (emphasis mine)
(Actually, if we think about this event, Jesus could not have raised Lazarus on the third day, otherwise he would have fulfilled prophecies reserved for Himself.)
The number three is a representation of God as a Trinity. He exists as one God, yet with three distinct Persons. Hence, the numeral three is symbolic of a perfect witness because God is complete in His union of three. This can be seen from reviewing the opening scenes from the Bible. Genesis chapter one, the creation chapter, opens with, “In the beginning God…”(God the Father). Next it reads that the, “Spirit of God hovered…”(God the Holy Spirit). Finally, it says that, “God said…”(God the Son; Jesus is the Word John 1:1, 14). This is a clear example of the Trinity from the first page of the Bible. All three Persons were active in the creation of the universe. This is why the numeral three holds so much significance; it enacts upon the very nature and essence of God. It is not that the number three is a magical number, but that it is a principle that God has established from the beginning of time to be indicative of Himself. He did not create the number, for He exists as this number. From the creation of Man, God said that it was not good that he be alone (Gen.2:18). One person on earth was not suitable to God- another was necessary. In Ecclesiastes 4:9 it states, “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor…though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” In Matthew 18:20, it says that, “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” It is easy to see that this principle has been entwined throughout the fabric of the Bible, and that it has been placed there for the believers benefit. This can, and should be, an awesome revelation of God. Even as believers unite in prayer in groups of three, they are in essence and individuality, the closest resemblance to God on this side of heaven (Matt. 18:19, 20).
The Pharisees therefore said to Him, You bear witness of yourself; Your witness is not true. John 8:13
In other words, they are saying, “You came at us using the law of two or three witnesses, but where is Your second witness? You have none, therefore Your witness is also not true.” These slanderous Pharisees didn’t hang around too long because Jesus goes right back to the law and states why His witness is indeed true:
It is also written in your law that the testimony of two men is true. I am One who bears witness of Myself, and the Father who sent Me bears witness of Me. John 8:17,18
This entire story can only be understood in light of the law and the principle of establishing truth through two or three witnesses. The fact that Jesus is enacting upon the law, and references Himself and the Father as verifiable witnesses, builds a concrete case for the Trinity. If God were one with three different titles this would only be one witness. If a person were to testify in court they couldn’t say that they were a multiple witness just because they were a father, son and husband; the judge would probably lock them away in an asylum. Obviously, Jesus would not have been able to make His audacious claim if He were not one of the three Persons of the Trinity. Remember, Jesus came to fulfill the law, not to supersede it (Matt. 5:17,18).
In other words, they are saying, “You came at us using the law of two or three witnesses, but where is Your second witness? You have none, therefore Your witness is also not true.” These slanderous Pharisees didn’t hang around too long because Jesus goes right back to the law and states why His witness is indeed true:
It is also written in your law that the testimony of two men is true. I am One who bears witness of Myself, and the Father who sent Me bears witness of Me. John 8:17,18
This entire story can only be understood in light of the law and the principle of establishing truth through two or three witnesses. The fact that Jesus is enacting upon the law, and references Himself and the Father as verifiable witnesses, builds a concrete case for the Trinity. If God were one with three different titles this would only be one witness. If a person were to testify in court they couldn’t say that they were a multiple witness just because they were a father, son and husband; the judge would probably lock them away in an asylum. Obviously, Jesus would not have been able to make His audacious claim if He were not one of the three Persons of the Trinity. Remember, Jesus came to fulfill the law, not to supersede it (Matt. 5:17,18).
TRINITY AND SUBORDINATION
The Trinity, as it was covered in the introduction, is an orthodox Christian doctrine. It is the belief that God is one, existing in three Persons: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit (Deut. 6:4; I John 5:7). The doctrine essentially teaches that each Person of God is distinct and different from the others, but absolutely identical and equal in essence. The word essence simply means the totality of a thing that makes it what it is, and the word person in this instance emphasizes the characteristics and traits that make up an individual’s personality.[4] It could be thought of this way: Although there are many children in a classroom they are each individual persons and they all relate to each other differently. They have different characteristics, but they are still children. God can be compared to this overly simple analogy. Although God is three Persons, each having different characteristics and traits, they are all in essence still God. They each possess the completeness of God. Together they are God and individually they are God. Again, all analogies will ultimately fail. This is because no one, and nothing, is in the same classification as God. This Old Testament verse reveals the totality of the Godhead:
Come near to Me, hear this: I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; From the time that it was, I (Jesus/Word) was there. And now the Lord God (Father) and His Spirit (Holy Spirit) have sent Me. Isaiah 48:16 NKJV
It should be understood that within the Trinity there is subordination in regards to the individual Persons. It is not subordination in respect to their essence or the substance of the Persons being God. It is one of revealed order. Zondervan’s Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible says this concerning the Trinity and subordination:
Evangelical theology affirms that the living, speaking, and acting God is a personal divine Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit in the eternal unity of God Himself and in His work. The one God, the subject of all divine revelation, is self-disclosed as the Bible authoritatively teaches-as the indivisible Father (from whom all revelation proceeds), the Son (who mediates and objectively incarnates that revelation in a historical manifestation) and the Holy Spirit (who is divinely outpoured and subjectively applies that revelation to men.[5]
From reviewing the Bible through God’s dispensational dealings with mankind, we understand that there is a revealed order of subordination within the Trinity. The Father was not incarnated as the Son was (John 1:14; John 3:16). The person of the Holy Spirit proceeds from God the Father (John 5:26). God the Father sent God the Son (I John 4:10). Both the Father and Son send the Holy Spirit (John 14:26; 15:26). The work of each person of the Trinity has the same goal and they never exclude one another for an individualized will. Their will is collective and carried out by all in their proper function and subordination. The Father is the Creator (Gen. 1; Isa. 44:24), the Son is the Redeemer (Gal. 3:13) and the Holy Spirit is the sanctifier (Rom 15:16). Each has a unified goal and is completely God in their essence even though their work is varied.
Many cults and religious groups try to discredit the Trinity by citing the Subordination. They claim that if all Persons in the Trinity were indeed God that there would be no need for subordination. This is simply not logical thinking. My wife has the same essence and equality as me, yet she still aligns herself under me in our relationship to fulfill the order of the home. Does this mean that she is less than human? Absolutely not! When there is a dedicated and consecrated leader in the home, and the wife aligns herself under the man, and the children honor and respect their parents, then there is complete order within the home. Without this subordination of order, chaos would ensue.
A household divided (having no leader or having multiple leaders with different wills) will fall (Luke 11:17). This is the same principle within the Godhead. The fact that one aligns Himself under another in Personhood does not negate His essence or equality. It does not make Him any less God.
UNDERSTANDING THE TRINITY
As expressed earlier, many people have come up with some great ways to help elucidate the Trinity. Augustine, in the early stages of Christianity, developed his own analogy to the Trinity. Since the Bible states that God is love (I John 4:16), Augustine reasoned that love must have a lover, a person who is loved and the spirit of love between the two. This illustration pointed to God the Father as the lover, the Son as the loved and the Holy Spirit as the spirit of love. Although this analogy does reveal personal traits related to the Father and the Son, it neglects the personal attributes of the Holy Spirit.
Even St. Patrick (A.D. 432) used natural objects to illustrate the Trinity. He would ask his non-Trinitarian friends and theologians if the shamrock were one leaf or three. If they answered that it was one leaf, then he would fire right back and ask them to explain the three lobes. If they answered that it was three leaves, then he would question their reasoning since it has only one stem. When they ended up more confused then when they started he would ask them how they could ever begin to understand the Godhead when they couldn’t determine the simplistic nature of the shamrock.[6]
Let me say that my goal in this article is not to make anyone more confused then they already are concerning this delicate subject. It is my desire that the body of Christ come to a full realization-as much as humanly possible-of the Trinity of God.
I know that what I am about to share will probably have its own limitations in regards to fully comprehending the Trinity. After all, we can really only use finite and temporal things to describe something that is truly infinitely indescribable. Nevertheless, I have found that this illustration, which I believe was given to me by the Holy Spirit, has helped me to understand the Trinity like never before.
One afternoon I was skimming over an old college textbook on basic American government and something hit me. I drew an immediate contrast between the American system of government and the Trinity-or you could say, God’s government. This is a brief outline of the American system of government:
I. There is one government, but it exists in three different branches:
A. Legislative-they make the laws (Congress/House)
B. Judicial-they interpret the law (Supreme Court/lower courts)
C. Executive-they carry out the law (Military/F.B.I./police)
Collectively, all three branches are the government, and to remove one branch would nullify the entire operation. These branches all relate to each other personally because it takes “persons” to operate them effectively. It takes people to make the law, to interpret the law and to carry out the law. The Trinity of God operates much like the American system of government:
I. God the Father-He made the law and gave them to Moses on Mt. Sinai (Exo. 19). This can be correlated to the legislative branch.
II. God the Son-He became God incarnate (in the flesh) to interpret the Father’s intentions of the law (Matt. 5:38). He was constantly trying to correct the religious leaders understanding of the law. This correlates to the judicial branch.
III. God the Holy Spirit-He carries out the laws (Gen.1:2). This correlates to the executive branch.
It is apparent from this simple illustration that the American government exists similarly to the Trinity of God. Just as the American government is one unit with three different and distinct branches, so it is true of God. He exists as one complete unity comprised of three Persons whom each have different functions within the government, yet they all operate equally and with the same authority. It could be stated this way: If the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation-Executive branch) came to the door and told us to open it, we wouldn’t fail to do so simply because they didn’t bring the judge or the lawmaker with them. We would open the door because they operate under the full authority of the government. Jesus operated this way even on earth in His mission to eradicate our sins once and for all. He operated in the authority of the Father (John 5:26,27) and was anointed by the Holy Spirit (Matt.3:16,17). He operated in the completeness of the Godhead.
Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles or the world, and not according to Christ. For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. Colossians 3:8,9 NKJV (emphasis mine)
CONCLUSION
While it is true that the Trinity is a great mystery to the human mind, and even more so for the unregenerate individual, it is nonetheless a doctrine of extreme importance. After all, if we claim to want to know a person, we will try to discover every detail about them until we are satisfied. And love is never satisfied. If we were to find ourselves in love with a person from another nation, we would want to find out about their culture, their differences, their past, their family, how they conduct business, and so on. How much more should we want to know every aspect of God? If we claim to love Him, how much more should we try to discover even the unimaginable and seemingly unfeasible aspects of God? Or do we really love Him? Lust, or a temporary pursuit, does not want to get into deep waters of understanding with the individual for fear of commitment. It lies in bed for a moment of pleasure and moves on the next choice “fling”.
[1] This is a typical belief for “Oneness” Pentecostals.
[2] Freeman, James M. Manners and Customs of the Bible (New Kensington, PA. Ó1996). p. 431
[3] Strong, James. Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (Nashville, TN. Ó1996). p. 48 #2724
[4] Enns, Paul. Moody Handbook of Theology. (Chicago, IL. Moody Press Ó1989). p.199
[5] Tenney, Merrill C. Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible (Grand Rapids, Mi. Zondervan
Publishers Ó1975,76) Vol. 5 p.822
[6] Bowman, Robert. The Trinity. ( Torrance, CA. Rose Publishing Ó1999,2005).p. 4
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