Doctrine of the Catholic Church Trinity Refuted

 What Is the Catholic Church Doctrine of the Trinity? (Refuted)

Introduction:

This page is written to refute a Trinitarian webpage that is ranked #1 in Google search results for the words, “doctrine of the Trinity” (or similar search). The quotes provided from this website are accurate as of 12/30/2017. The author is Matt Perman. Most disagreements are not covered. Here is a link to this webpage: https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/what-is-the-doctrine-of-the-trinity ( See note ¹ scroll down )

Many sincere Christians operate under the false assurance that all popular church doctrines have been tried, verified, and are therefore set in concrete. Most Christians have not performed an objective examination of the Trinity under the sterile environment of “sola scriptura.” Godʼs Word alone is (or should be) the final authority for faith and practice (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

Just because we believe that something is true, doesn’t make it true. That is, unless we are never deceived. Have you ever been wrong? Some Christians have taken “about faces” on doctrinal positions they were formerly 100% committed to (I am one of these).

A wise man wrote: “17 The one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him” (Proverbs 18:17). If you cannot biblically refute the Biblical Unitarian belief of who Jesus is in relation to His Father, how do you know if the doctrine of the Trinity is true? Stated another way, if you are right about the trinity, and I am wrong, you should be able to read this page and refute it “line by line.” Please do, (if applicable) based on an exegetical interpretation of Scripture.

In Acts 16, the Christians from Berea were commended because they verified what they heard by “examining the Scriptures daily” (Acts 17:11).

The standard used by the Bereans to “fact check” church doctrine was not church tradition, denominational compliance, a doctrinal statement, faith in oneʼs pastor, etc., but was based solely on the Word of God. Run from anyone who validates church doctrine with church tradition. The Reformation occurred because of an unwavering commitment to the Bible over the Roman Catholic Church. The Reformation is still alive for those who believe the words of Jesus, “… If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31b-32).

Some quotes from Trinitarians to follow, shockingly admit that the doctrine of the Trinity is not found once in the Bible. For your information (FYI), most of these quotes were taken out of the excellent book, Divine Truth Or Human Tradition?  (Patric Novas, 2006). ( See note ² below)

“The trinity of God is defined by the church as the belief that in God are three persons who subsist in one nature [or, ‘being’]. The belief as so defined was only reached in the 4th and 5th centuries AD and hence is not explicitly and formally a biblical belief…The Trinitarian definitions arose as the result of long controversies..” (John L. McKenzie, S. J., Dictionary of the Bible (New York: Macmillan, 1995). Pp. 899-900).

“The doctrine of the Trinity (or triunity of God) refers to the one being of God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The concept as such is nowhere explicitly expressed in the scriptures, though such passages as Matthew 28:19 and II Corinthians 13:14 are suggestive. The doctrine itself was thus formulated in the Church, as the community sought to explicate the meaning of the revelation in Jesus Christ.” (A Handbook of Christian Theology, Definition Essay on Concepts and Movements of thought in Contemporary Protestantism (New York: World Publishing, 1958), p. 366).

“[The Trinity] presents what seems on the surface to be a self-contradictory doctrine. Furthermore, this doctrine is not overtly or explicitly stated in Scripture…Since the Trinity is not explicitly taught in Scripture, we will have to put together complementary themes, draw inferences from biblical teachings, and decide on a particular type of conceptual vehicle to express our understanding. It will be important to note the type of witness in the Scripture which led the church to formulate and propound this strange doctrine.” (Erickson, Christian Theology, Volume 1 (Grand Rapids: Baker 1983), pp. 321-322).

“The New Testament does not contain the developed doctrine of the Trinity. ‘The Bible lacks the express declaration that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are of equal essence and therefore in an equal sense God himself. The other express declarations are also lacking, that God is God thus and only thus, i.e., as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These two express declarations, which go beyond the witness of the Bible, are the twofold content of the Church Doctrine of the Trinity.’. [The Bible] also lacks such terms as trinity (Lat. trinitas which was coined by Tertullian, Against Praxeas, 3; 11; 12 etc.) and homoousios which featured in the Creed of Nicea (325) to denote that Christ was of the same substance as the Father.” (New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology, Vol 2, p. 84).

To save time, this critical examination will begin at the introduction, jump to the conclusion of the article, and end at Matthew 28:19.

 

“What Is the Doctrine of 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?”

No biblical evidence is provided. If “the doctrine of the Trinity is foundational to the Christian faith,” shouldn’t the Bible say so? One’s authority for faith and practice should be God’s Word. The belief in the doctrine of the trinity to include that those who don’t believe it are heretics is steeped deep in Roman Catholic church tradition. When Jesus walked among men 2000 years ago, man-made traditions had been incorporated into the Mosaic Law to the point that it was the law. Jesus didn’t have anything good to say about these traditions (Mark 7:6-9).

If God is “one and three,” the Bible must state this. A common trait within Trinitarian apologetics (such as this one) is the absence of exegetical proof texts and misuse of the Bible.

“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.”

The statement that it’s possible to “come to a solid grasp of what it means for God to be three in one” is misleading. This is because no Trinitarian has been able to logically understand the doctrine of the Trinity. This article wrongly indicates that “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.” No human being has been able to intellectually articulate how there is only one God, who exists simultaneously as three distinct persons who are each fully God; yet there is only one God.

While no believer can fully understand God in this life, the Trinitarian contradiction comes from believing a doctrine that is not found in the Bible. Therefore, no person is a Trinitarian from reading the Bible alone. Shouldn’t this raise a huge red flag?

 

“Summary and Application”

 

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

This Trinitarian affirmation that is taken back. Imagine you went to the Dr. for an ailment and the Dr. says you must take a pill to cure your illness, but then the Dr. tells you not to take this pill. As you walk out confused, the Dr. tells you again to take it and not to take it. This Dr. is engaged in contradictory “double talk.” This illustrates the Trinity.

The statement that “the Trinity is not belief in three gods” is both true and untrue. This author (respectfully) speaks from two opposing sides. Earlier he stated:

“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).”

This doctrine of the Trinity affirms belief in one God, while also affirming belief in three Gods (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). This belief is irreconcilable with God-given, self-evident, non-contradictory principles. God cannot be one and three. Three persons that differ (yet each is fully God) cannot be identical to one.

“2. This one God exists as three Persons.” Most false doctrine includes enough kernels of truth to pass as legitimate. There are many verses that state there is only one God (absolute sense).

If you are a Trinitarian, here is something shocking. All the “one God” passages in the Bible are attributed exclusively to the Father (Deuteronomy 4:35, 39; 6:4; 32:39; 2 Samuel 7:22; 2 Samuel 22:32;1 Kings 8:60; 19:15; 1 Chronicles 17:20; Nehemiah 9:6; Psalm 18:31; Isaiah 37:20; 43:10; 44:8; 45; 45:14; 45:18; 45:21; 46:9; Zechariah 14:9, etc.). In the New Testament, this truth is further affirmed by the lips of Jesus, and the writings of Paul and John, etc. (John 5:44; 17:3; Mark 10:18; 12:29; Romans 3:30; 1 Corinthians 8:4-6; Galatians 3:20).

The Bible never attributes “one God” to the Son, and/or the Holy Spirit. So Trinitarians are correct that there is one God, but incorrect by transferring this singularity to all three members.

Further, there are other beings in the Bible (both good and evil) who are called “god.” So if the doctrine of the Trinity was consistent, they would have to make judges, kings, angels, and other beings, equally God because they are called “god.” The doctrine of the Trinity doesn’t take into account the historical meaning of the word “god.”

In the Old Testament, the word “god” “elohim” can describe the one true God (Psalm 114:7, etc.) false gods (2 Kings 17:31, etc.), foreign gods (Daniel 11:39), angels (Psalm 8:5, etc.), Moses speaks as God (Exodus 4:16), a ghost (1 Samuel 28:13), etc.

In the New Testament, the word “god” (“theos“) can describe the one true God almighty (Matthew 3:9, etc.), Jesus Christ (John 20:28, etc.), a person thought to be god (Acts 28:6), the false prophet (2 Thessalonians 2:4), a false idol (Acts 7:40, 43), human beings (John 10:34), Satan (2 Corinthians 4:4), etc.

Just as there is a difference between the President of a country and a president of a local bank, the word “god” in the Bible needs be understood in light of the historical and cultural contexts when used because it applies to many persons/beings.

Within the Old and New Testaments, the Jewish understanding of the word “god” was very different than our understanding today. Most today identify the words “elohim” (Hebrew) or “theos” (Greek) in its highest form to describe the title for Jehovah or God almighty. But few people in our day recognize that these same words can describe many other persons, objects, etc.

Most Christians may be unaware that Moses acted as God before pharaoh. While Moses (of course) was not the one true God, he was appointed by God as His representative to deliver His message: “So the Lord said to Moses: “See, I have made you as God to Pharaoh, and Aaron your brother shall be your prophet” (Exodus 7:1; NKJV).

In Psalm 82:1, the plural use of Elohim describes a heavenly group of divine beings (gods) that God almighty presides over. The Faithlife Study Bible, (Lexham Press, 2016; see note for Psalms 82:1) expounds on this mysterious gathering: “in the midst of the gods The Hebrew preposition used here, qerev, requires the Hebrew word elohim to be translated as a plural here—as “gods.” The gods in the verse are the council members, the heavenly host (see Psa 82:6). A council of divine beings is also mentioned in 89:5–7, where they are depicted as in heaven or the skies.“

So how can passages that teach that there is only one God be reconciled with the many passages that identify a plurality of gods? There are no biblical contradictions. The verses that identity that there is only one God, all identify the Father (none include Jesus Christ or the Holy Spirit). These verses accentuate that God the Father (Yahweh) is so great, that all other gods cannot be compared. Yahweh is in a category of greatness that only includes Himself.

Image a car that is made so perfect that it became known as the “only car,” even while there were many inferior cars in existence. So is YAHWEH’s incomprehensible greatness. He is a GOD of one.  

Yahweh’s exclusiveness accentuates His absolute awesomeness and sovereignty as the only God (which Trinitarianism diminishes). This is why worshiping the Father as the only God is not polytheism (worshiping more than one God) but true Old Testament monotheism (worshiping one God among all others). While the Bible speaks of other gods (angels, judges, etc.), they should be understood within biblical parameters; their existence doesn’t retract from Yahweh’s uniqueness, but complements the Father’s greatness as the only God (absolute sense).

Jesus didn’t steal glory from the Father (as a Trinitarian equal), but repeatedly emphasized the Father’s superiority. Jesus said: “49 For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak” (John 12:49). If Jesus was equal to the Father, He would have spoken for Himself but never did. Jesus never spoke anything that the Father didn’t have Him speak. The submission of Jesus to the Father who is greater was evident in everything Jesus did.

“30 I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me” (John 5:30). Trinitarians dismiss the Fathers repeated superiority over the Son as functional but not actual. But there is no biblical support for this. The Bible presents the Father as superior because He was and continues to be.

“16 So Jesus answered them, “My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me” (John 7:16). Jesus didn’t volunteer to come to earth. He was sent. The Sender is greater than the one sent.

“42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but he sent me” (John 8:42). The words, “I came from God,” communicate that Jesus is not “God” in the absolute sense. He came from “the GOD.”

Yahweh exalted Jesus Christ to His current position (Philippians 2:9) and seated Him at the right hand of His central throne (Psalms 110:1; Mark 16:19; Matthew 26:64; Romans 8:34; Ephesians 1:20; Colossians 3:1). Jesus could not of been exalted to a position that He already possessed. Similarly, Jesus was made Lord by the “one God” (Acts 2:36; Philippians 2:11), because He previously was not Lord.

Jesus said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” (Matthew 28:18b). This means that every ounce of authority came from His Father. Speaking of “Father,” Jesus has a Father (Romans 15:6; 2 Corinthians 1:3, 11:31; Colossians 1:3; Ephesians 1:3; 1 Peter 1:3.) but God the Father has no Father. Jesus has a God (John 20:17; Romans 15:6; 2 Corinthians 1:3, 11:31; 1 Peter 1:3; Revelation 1:6, 3:12), but Yahweh has no God, for He is GOD (absolute sense). Jesus worshipped the Father (John 4:22; Mark 14:26; Hebrews 2:12.), the Father God almighty worships no one, He is the only God. Jesus said the Father is greater (John 10:29, 14:28), because there is no one greater than the Father.

The book, Divine Truth or Human Tradition (Patrick Nova, 2006), explains this topic well: “Although it is true that Jehovah declared that he is the only God, the most outstanding point to keep in mind is that it was Jehovah himself who designated the ancient rulers of Israel with the honorific title ‘gods.’ Yet this never represented a contradiction, nor did it somehow imply that these ‘gods’ must have been ‘of the same essence’ or ‘being’ as God; neither did the Bible writers intend for them to be thought of as ‘false gods.’ They were properly called gods because they had authority delegated to them by the Almighty God. That is why we benefit from remembering, as the Psalmist declared, ‘Jehovah is a great King over all other gods.’ 17 He is ‘the God of gods.’ 18 That is why the angels are commanded to worship Jehovah: ‘Worship him all ye gods…For thou, Jehovah art the Most High above all the earth; thou art exalted above all gods‘” (239).

Jesus also believed that the Father was the only God. “3 And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent” (John 17:3). Because of the Father’s incomprehensible greatness, Jesus calls Him, “the only true God.” This is consistent with other verses where Jesus identifies His Father as being the “one”, or “only God.” Here are other verses for your research: John 5:44, Mark 10:18, Mark 12:29-34.

So point #2 (“This one God exists as three Persons.”) is false. The number “one” in the Bible never, ever means the number “three.” God is not the architect of fuzzy numbers.

“3. The three Persons are not each part of God, but are each fully God and equally God.”

The Father is the only God (absolute sense). While Jesus is called called “God” in some passages, this usage is consistent with the range of meaning encapsulated within the word “god.” The most expensive car in the world and an economy car —while different, they are both cars. The word “god” needs to be understood within historical biblical parameters.

If Trinitarians were consistent (Jesus is called God, therefore equal to the Father), they would have to make all good and evil god’s equal to the Father. But they don’t because they recognize the range of meaning for the word “god,” but make an exception for Jesus and the Holy Spirit. In Biblical interpretation, we should be consistent with rules. Switching goal posts as necessary to preserve the man-made doctrine of the Trinity is hypocritical.

“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 person in the godhead.”

First, there is no godhead in the Bible. Secondly, while most of this summary is correct, the statement, “there have always been and always will be three distinct persons in the godhead,” contains error.

While the Father and Son are very distinct persons, the Holy Spirit should not be understood as a separate person apart from God.

While it’s more important who Jesus is in relation to His Father, some coverage of the identity of the Holy Spirit will be made. Because the Bible identities the Holy Spirit simply as God’s Spirit (not a separate being) in many passages, this is one of the elements of the Trinity that God used to cause me to doubt the doctrine of the Trinity.

We don’t have to go farther than the second verse of the Bible to find a problem with the Trinitarian view of the Holy Spirit. The Trinity teaches that the Holy Spirit is a separate person, apart from God (not God’s Spirit). But the Bible disagrees: “The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters” (Genesis 1:2). The phrase, “Spirit of God” denotes that the Spirit is God’s Spirit. Similarly, the “car of John” means that the car belongs to John.

Human beings are made in the image of God. Human beings also have a Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:11; Job 32:8, Ecclesiastes 12:7, Proverbs 20:27, Romans 8:16, etc.). Would not Jesus also have a Spirit? He does (Romans 8:9; 1 Peter 1:11).

Separately, he writes on the Holy Spirit, “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 biblical interpretation, we should guard against poisoning the pure Word of God with presuppositions. The quote above is designed to convince readers that the Holy Spirit is a separate person apart from God. But none of the verses provided establish this thesis. Just because the Spirit of God “reasons,” “thinks,” “understands,” “feels,” and “gives personal fellowship,” doesn’t rule out God’s own Spirit at work. None of these verses teach that the Holy Spirit is not God’s Spirit or is a separate person.

The statement that limit’s God’s Spirit to being unable to act as “an impersonal force (like gravity)“ demonstrates how the trinity limits God’s powerful Spirit. The identification of the Holy Spirit (within Trinitarianism) is defined by the Trinity (eisegesis). But the Bible should define who God and His Spirit are.

In fact, a verse they provide explicitly states that the Holy Spirit is God’s Spirit:

“10 these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. 11 For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God” (1 Corinthians 2:10-11).

Here is another passage they provide in their quote:

“11 All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills” (1 Corinthians 12:11). Yes, the Spirit is the one who “apportions to each one individually as he wills.” But this Spirit is God’s Spirit. A few verses earlier in the passage we have the source for this spirit: “4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone” (1 Corinthians 12:4-6).

This provided verse disproves the Trinitarian dogma that the Holy Spirit is a separate person apart from God: “30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption” (Ephesians 4:30).

Here is the last verse they provide: “14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all” (2 Corinthians 13:14). This verse lists the Holy Spirit separate. But this doesn’t prove that the Holy Spirit is a separate person apart from God. Each human being is born with a spirit. Each human spirit is not a separate person apart from who we are. God’s Spirit operates supernaturally within us. But God’s Spirit should not be divorced from God.

The fact that the Holy Spirit speaks, reasons, wills, etc. is not in itself proof that the Holy Spirit is a separate being apart from the Father. God is a Spirit and His presence is with every believer: “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

Here is another quote provided inside the book, Divine Truth or Human Tradition?: “The fact that the Spirit is sometimes depicted as ‘teaching, ‘speaking,’ ‘interceding,’ ‘guiding,’ and ‘helping’ in the Scriptures has influenced many theologians to conclude that the Spirit must be a distinct person like God the Father and Jesus Christ. But because the Spirit does not have a personal/proper name like the Father and Son, is never shown to be an object of worship or recipient of prayer, and never depicted or identified as a member of a ‘triune’ God in Scripture, other Bible students believe that these are simply a few out of many examples where Scripture uses the common linguistic device of personification—that is, the practice of ascribing personal attributes, qualities, or characteristics, to subjects that are not actually or literally persons. This method of communication appears all throughout the Scriptures. C. F. D. Moule observed: ‘When the Spirit is the mode of God’s presence in the hearts and minds of his people, then there is a good case for personal language. But this still does not force upon us a third eternal ‘Person’ (in the technical sense) within the Unity [of God].” (Moule, The Holy Spirit, 1997, p. 50); (Navas, 509-510).

“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.”

Just because something is stated to not be a contradiction doesn’t guarantee it isn’t. To get out of the contradiction that exists in the Trinity (God is three, while being one), Perman states that “God is one in essence, three in Person.” The problem is that he is not being forthcoming.

The Trinity teaches that all three are equal in essence, so when Perman omits “essence” for the three persons and only applies it to the triune God, he is not being transparent.

For example, Perman writes, “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’” (emphasis mine).

Again, Perman assigns equal essence to the three Trinitarian members: “the being of each Person is equal to the whole being of God.” So all share the same essence. So please don’t be deceived by those who state the Trinity is not contradictory. Thankfully, some Trinitarians are honest and admit that this doctrine is incomprehensible.

Before concluding, here is a quote on Matthew 28:19:

“If there is one passage which most clearly brings all of this together, it is Matthew 28:19: ‘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.”

When Trinitarians resort to this passage for proof of the Trinity, they engage in absolute eisegesis (reading theology into the Bible that is not stated). A quick run-down of some elements that compose the Trinity is revealing:

Matthew 28:19 and the Trinity

Element of the Trinity: Element Present?

All three members are equal in essence? Not stated

All three members make up the one Triune God? Not stated

Jesus eternally existed? Not stated

The Holy Spirit is a separate person apart from being God’s Spirit? Not stated

 

Perman continues: “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.”

Because this verse offers no proof of a Trinity, the author resorts to front loading presuppositions. When the Bible is interpreted through the eyes of assumptions that are held as established facts, the Bible confirms the presuppositions applied. I know well, I was blinded by Trinitarianism. Let’s analyze some theological loaded baggage that is not found in the text.

“In fact, would Jesus have us baptize in the name of a mere creature?” Apparently, because most Biblical Unitarians (BU) are Jehovah Witnesses (they don’t call themselves BU’s), the writer attacks JW’s with a twisted mischaracterization. Because JW’s believe that Jesus Christ formerly existed as an angel before he took on human flesh (He no longer is an angel and was exalted to Lord), many in sincerity attack JW’s by wrongly claiming (or implying) they teach that Jesus is a “mere creature.” I have never seen any JW literature online that makes this claim or found evidence of this on their website. While I am not a JW and strongly disagree with some of their doctrines, I have found that most charges levied against them are false or twisted (contains some truth). Because the statement, “would Jesus have us baptize in the name of a mere creature?” is speculation outside of exegetics, this review will move on.

“Therefore each of the Persons into whose name we are to be baptized must be deity.” This is speculation or can be truth depending on the definition of “deity.” If the definition of deity includes the range of meaning for the word based on dictionaries (any god, good or evil is deity), then each person (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) is property called “God” without implying they are equal. Two different cars are “cars,” even if one car is expensive car and the other is not.

If the word “deity” is understood based on the Trinitarian definition of deity (all three contain the same essence, the three are one God, etc.) it is not stated in this verse and is speculation.

“Third, notice that although the three divine Persons are distinct, we are baptized into their name (singular), not names (plural).” The word “name” here in Greek is singular (not “names”). So all three are baptized into the singular name. But please notice that while “name” is singular, they are baptized into the name of three nouns (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), which is plural.

Some Trinitarians substitute the word “name” for the word “God” to form a Trinity (one God = Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). The notable book, Divine Truth or Human Tradition? says, “This is one reason why one is able to see that the assertion that the ‘name’ in Matthew 28: 19 should be taken (and was intended to be taken by Jesus) as standing for ‘the name/ essence of God’ is really a clever and creative technique of argumentation put forward to support an already-established doctrinal concept without a basis in the actual text. Naturally, such crafty and such shrewd though clearly erroneous methods of argumentation could only contribute to further, justified skepticism with respect to the scriptural foundation of Trinitarian teaching” (page 50).

What does all this mean? In biblical interpretation, we are not looking for some deep, below the surface meaning that is not plain and obvious. Trinitarians import more into this verse than is plainly, explicitly stated. As believers in Jesus Christ, our commission is to carry out the Great Commission by making disciples. Within this process is the important NT ordinance of water baptism. Baptism should be performed in the singular name of Father, Son, & Holy Spirit.

In closing, please know that the sharp tone of disagreement with some statements made by the author of this article (Matt Perman), are not to question his sincerity, faith, commitment to Christ, etc. The disagreement is theological. While I have never met him, I expect he is a committed Christian who loves Jesus Christ. I believe there are many godly Christians who are Trinitarians. Every Christian will stand before Jesus Christ very soon to give an account, starting with myself.

May God bless you as you follow His Son with an exegetical interpretation of God’s Word.   

[Note ¹ : 

JANUARY 23, 2006

What Is the Doctrine of the Trinity?

Article by Matt Perman

Guest Contributor

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.

One God, Three Persons

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). John 1:1 affirms 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 (see also John 1:18). And in John 16:13–15, we see that although there is a close unity between the three persons, 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, “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 dialogue between the Father and the Son (Matthew 3:17; 17:5; John 5:19; 11:41–42; 17:1ff) that 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 doctrine of 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 each fully God. For example, Colossians 2:9 says of Christ, “in him all the fullness of deity dwells in bodily form.” We should not think of God as 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” (Grudem, Systematic Theology, 1994, page 255). 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” (Ibid., 252).

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 is Matthew 28:19: “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 non-contradiction. 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” (Grudem, 255; I believe that this is a helpful definition, but it should be recognized that Grudem himself is offering this as more of an explanation than definition of Person).

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” (Bavinck, The Doctrine of God [Banner of Truth Trust, 1991], page 303).

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. (253–254)

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 and Application

Let us quickly review what we have seen:

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

This one God exists as three Persons.

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.

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.

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.

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. ]

[ Note ² : DIVINE TRUTH OR HUMAN TRADITION?: A RECONSIDERATION OF THE ORTHODOX DOCTRINE OF THE TRINITY IN LIGHT OF THE HEBREW AND CHRISTIAN SCRIPTURES . 

DIVINE TRUTH OR HUMAN TRADITION

神圣真理或人类传统 Shénshèng zhēnlǐ huò rénlèi chuántǒng

A Reconsideration of the Orthodox Doctrine of the Trinity In Light of the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures by Patrick Navas (Author)  根据希伯来语和基督教圣经对正统三位一体教义的重新思考帕特里克·纳瓦斯（Patrick Navas)(作者).