I saw an interview with, what seemed to be,
an earnest couple who had recently become Christians. They were ostracized from
their church because they chose to believe the non-trinitarian views of another
individual who was put out of the church for these views. Prior to hearing this
interview, I saw a video of an elder calling out a pastor for believing and
teaching that God is three distinct beings. I also had an interesting
discussion with a very confident individual at church once, who did not believe
that God is three distinct beings. Therefore, I feel the need to address this
topic. However, before I begin, I must make a disclaimer: As finite, created,
human beings we will not now nor ever in the future be able to fully understand
the nature of God (if we get to that point then we become God); however, the
parts of Himself that God has deemed necessary for us to understand He has
revealed in His word and therefore, we are perfectly capable by His grace to
comprehend. Let’s begin.
To
find out what God has to say about Himself let’s begin “In the beginning”.
Genesis 1 opens: “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” From
this we learn that God is the Creator. As we continue reading, we learn that God,
by commandment, created all the things we interact with on a daily basis
including ourselves. Let’s take a closer look at the “ourselves” aspect of
this. In Genesis 1:26 after God created the land animals, He engages in a
discourse: “And God said, Let Us
make man in Our image, after Our likeness: and let them have
dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the
cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon
the earth.” This is a loaded verse, however, the first thing about God that we
need to point out is the plurality with which He refers to Himself. He said “Us”
and “Our” not ‘me’ or ‘my’. The second thing is that man was made in Their
image giving them (man) dominion over creation. Verse 27 says, “So God created
man in His own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female
created he them.” Man was created in the image of God – to reflect God – therefore
man is to share some of God’s characteristics. The ones listed in these two
verses are that man was to have dominion over the creatures of the earth, just
as God has dominion over all created things, and the plurality of man (male and
female created He them) reflects the plurality of God.
The argument of the non-trinitarians that I
have encountered centre on the scripture in Deuteronomy 6:4 in which God speaks
to Israel saying, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord”. This is also repeated
and affirmed by Jesus in the new testament (Mark 12:29). So, the question now arises,
‘Is the Bible contradicting itself when in the beginning God refers to Himself
as plural and then five books down, says that He is one?’ There is no contradiction
here to understand the oneness of God we need to look at the image of Himself
that He created. Genesis 2:23, 24 states, “And Adam said, This is now bone of
my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was
taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and
shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.” Adam was one
distinct individual and the Woman, later named Eve, was one distinct
individual, however, scripture tells us that in marriage the two become one.
This is a reflection of the Oneness of God in multiple distinct beings.
Now based on Genesis 1, we know that there
are more than one beings that is God, however, we have to probe further to find
out how many. Some may hold to two beings as man and woman reflecting God are
two. However, we know from practical experience that images are not exactly
like the original. Case in point, God is self-existent, all powerful, all
knowing and omnipresent we, His image, are not. So how many beings make up God?
In 1 John 5:7 we learn that “there are three that bear record in heaven, the
Father, The Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.” To bear record
is to be a witness and to be an good witness one has to have seen the whole of
an event. Form Scripture we know that there are other beings in heaven
worshiping God day and night (Revelation 4:8). However, these beings can’t bear
an adequate record because they were created and haven’t seen the whole story,
they can only give their perspective of events. There are only Three in heaven
that have this capacity.
So, Who are these three, “the Father, The
Word, and the Holy Ghost”. The Father is the One from Whom we are separated
because of sin. He is the One to Whom we address our prayers (Matthew 6:9-13).
He is the One Who sent Jesus to die for our sins (John 3:16). The Word is Jesus,
the Son (John 1:1-5, 9-14). He is the One that spoke in the beginning and created
all things on the earth. John 1:1 clearly points out the plurality of God
because “the Word was with God and the Word was God”. He is our redeemer and
our mediator; we pray to the Father in His name (John 3:16; 1 Timothy 2:5; John 15:16). Jesus led the Israelites through the
wilderness from Egypt to the Promised Land (1 Corinthians 10:1-4). He came to
earth in the form of a man, the image of God, to show us the Father, and stand at the head of the human family to reconcile all of mankind
with God (John 14:8, 9; 2 Corinthians 5:18, 19; Colossians 1:15). The Jews wanted to kill Jesus for
blasphemy because He claimed to be God (John 10:30-33). Jesus forgave sins and
thereby successfully brought healing because He is God (Matthew 9:2-7). Jesus submitted
Himself to the father to die in our behalf and did not feel diminished by this
position (Philippians 2:5-11). God is the only one that is worthy of worship. The
scripture actively encourages us to worship Jesus; all other messengers that
have come to earth emphatically instruct humanity not to worship them (Revelation
19:10; 22:9). The Father refers to Jesus, the Son as Lord and God (Hebrews 1:8-10).
He laid down His own life as a man and took it back up as God (John 10:17, this
is the mystery of Godliness – 1 Timothy 3:16). Jesus is God. The Holy Ghost.
The Holy Ghost is referenced throughout scripture as well. In Genesis 1:2 “The Spirit
of God moved upon the face of the waters” to enact creation. The Spirit of God dwelt
in Joseph giving him wisdom to interpret dreams and govern a nation (Genesis
41:38, 39). The Spirit of God caused Saul and others to prophesy (1 Samuel 10:10).
Isaiah prophesied that the Messiah (Jesus) would be filled with the Spirit of
God and by the Spirit He would preach, heal and free humanity (Isaiah 61:1). At
Jesus’ baptism witnesses saw the Holy Spirit descend on Him in the form of a
dove (Matthew 3:16). They also heard the voice of the Father declare, “This is
my beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). Jesus promised when He
left earth that the Father would send the Comforter, Who would teach all believers
about Jesus (John 14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7). With these scriptures (and there are
many more) we see that the Godhead (Acts 17:29; Romans 1:20; Colossians 2:9) is
composed of three distinct individuals with distinct job description, existing eternally
and that Jesus came to earth as Their representative to reconcile humanity with
God.
As it relates to terminology, I prefer to
be cautious about the words I use. I’m not perfect and therefore sometimes I
slip and use the wrong term. But as a general rule, in all things, it is best
to use scriptural definition for all things. The bible does not use the word trinity.
Many people that believe as I do try to explain away the term as meaning what
the Bible describes. Because the term trinity is loaded with many pagan connotations,
I choose to use the Biblical term Godhead. It is abundantly important, in the time
of earth’s history that we find ourselves living, that we be very solid on what
the scripture actually teaches in all things because “the devil, as a roaring
lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” and the deception in these
last days will be such that “if it were possible, they shall deceive the very
elect” (1 Peter 5:8; Matthew 24:24; Mark 13:22).
