Triune God (Part I)

Lesson Content

God is one, but in three Persons — God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. They are three distinct Persons, yet co -equal and co -eternal. Faith in the triune God is the backbone of the Church.

1. The term ‘Elohim’ used in the original Hebrew tongue to denote God is a name in its plural number that signifies more than two. This shows that God is triune. This is evident from the phrases used such as — 'Our image’, ‘is become as one of us’, ‘let us go down’ (Gen.1:26;3:22;11:7).

2. The Eternal God was triune even before the foundation of the world (John 17:24; Heb.7:3).

3. What are the reasons for God being triune? It is the purpose of God Who is perfect in love that man should be holy and blameless in love. (Eph.1:4). To fulfil this purpose, God revealed His love by being triune. Father — Before creating man He made all that he needed. He is the fountain of all goodness (Jam.1:17). Son — Though equal with the Father, He was pleased to reveal His love for the sake of man and became the firstborn of every creature (Col.1:15); He surrendered Himself and obeyed. Holy Spirit — Because of His love for us, He abides as a priest and transforms us into a sacrifice acceptable to God (Rom.15:16).

4. Trinity in Creation: “In the beginning was the Word... The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him” (Jn.1:1-3). “And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters” (Gen.1:2). Here we see the three Persons —God the Father, the Son Who is the Word and the Holy Spirit, together.

5. Man — an example of the Trinity: The Bible clearly reveals man in three pa rts, namely, spirit, soul and body. (I Thess.5:23). The three parts in man cannot separate one from the other and work each on its own. However, to bring man, a triune being to His perfection, the triune God, — the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit — are able to work separately on their own.

6. Trinity in the Old Testament: "I have not spoken in secret from the beginning from the time that it was, there am I: and now the Lord God, and his spirit, hath sent me" (Isa.48:16). In this verse we see the three Persons in the triune God.

7. Trinity in the New Testament:

(i) When Jesus was baptized and came up out of the water, the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven, which said “Thou art my beloved Son” (Lk. 3:21,22). (ii) The Lord Jesus commanded His disciples to baptize in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (Matt.28:19). (iii) “For through him [the Son] we both have access by one Spirit [Holy Spirit] unto the Father” (Eph.2:18). (iv) “There are three that bear record in heaven, The Father, the Word and the Holy Ghost” (I Jn. 5:7).

(v) “Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God [Father] through the Spirit [Holy Spirit]”. (Eph.2:20-22). (vi) “The Spirit itself beareth witness... that we are the children of God... heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ”. (Rom. 8:16, 17). (vii) “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all” (II Cor. 13:14). (viii) “Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ” (I Pet.1:2). (ix) “But ye... praying in the Holy Ghost, Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ...” (Jude 20,21).