Understanding the Trinity in Christian Faith

CLASS #3 TRINITY: 3 IN 1 FATHER, SON, HOLY SPIRIT 1. In our world, with our limited human experience, it s tough to understand THE TRINITY. For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Neither are your ways My ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts Isaiah 55:8-9 John Wesley said, Bring me a worm that can comprehend a man, and then I will show you a man that can comprehend the triune GOD. 2. TRINITY a term that is not found in the Bible but a word used to describe what is apparent about God in the Scriptures. The Bible clearly speaks of God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ), and God the Holy Spirit a) 1 John 5:7 (New King James Version) 7 For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one. b) Matthew 28:19 (New King James Version) 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, (This was Jesus last command before ascending into heaven) c) 1 Corinthians 12:4-6 (New King James Version) 4 There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. (HOLY SPIRIT) 5 There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. (JESUS CHRIST) 6 And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God all (GOD THE FATHER) who works all in all. d) 2 Corinthians 13:14 (New King James Version) 14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen. Page 1 of 7 TRINITY

CLASS #3 TRINITY: 3 IN 1 FATHER, SON, HOLY SPIRIT 3. The term: Tri meaning three, and Unity meaning one, Tri + Unity = Trinity It is a way of acknowledging what the Bible reveals to us about God, that God is yet three Persons who have the same essence of deity. God the Son (Jesus) is fully, completely God. God the Father is fully, completely God and God The Holy Spirit is fully, completely God. Yet there is only one God. Jesus speaking in John 10:30 stated I and My Father are one. 4. The concept of the Godhead (Trinity) is evident in scripture as early as the first chapter of the book of Genesis: 1In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The Hebrew word Elohim (translated God in Genesis 1:1) actually indicates more than one divine personality. This same plural form is used over 2,500 times in the Old Testament. a) 26Then God said, Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth. Notice the plural pronouns us and our in Genesis 1:26 : 5. The Father is a distinct personality apart from The Spirit: Matthew 3:16-17 Isaiah 48:16 5a The Spirit is a distinct personality apart from The Son: Matthew 12:31-32 Luke 12:10 John 16:7, 13-14 1 John 5:6-8 5b The Son is a distinct personality apart from the Father: Matthew 10:32; 11:25-27 Mark 13:32 Luke 17:5 John 5:19-20, 30; 6:37-39; 14:12,28,31; 16:5,16; 32:17 Ephesians 1:17, 20 1 Corinthians 3:23; 11:3 Colossians 3:1 Hebrews 1:1-3 Page 2 of 7 TRINITY

CLASS #3 TRINITY: 3 IN 1 FATHER, SON, HOLY SPIRIT 6. Even though there are three individual Persons in the Godhead, there is still only one God. Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 44:6; James 2:19: Deuteronomy 6:4 (New King James Version) 4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one! Isaiah 44:6 (New King James Version) 6 Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel, And his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: I am the First and I am the Last; Besides Me there is no God. James 2:19 (New King James Version) 19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe and tremble! 7. a) Bird's Egg: Besides the germ and yolk, the eggs of birds contain an albuminous mass, the white, which is an additional source of nourishment for the developing chick. The egg is enclosed in a tough double membrane, the membrana putaminis, which in turn is covered by a hard, three-layered shell chiefly composed of calcium carbonate. The shell protects the egg from the weight of the parents' bodies during incubation. All birds, with the exception of the mound birds, incubate their eggs by body heat. There is an analogy for the egg that shows the three in one view of the Trinity. You separate the shell, the white, and the yolk, and put each of them into three different bowls. How many eggs you got? One, but they are separated by three distinct parts, yet still one in essence and nature. This is just like the Trinity being one God yet three distinct persons, Father, Son, Holy Spirit. Some have tried to give human illustrations for the Trinity: b) Shamrock: Common name for any of several trifoliate clovers native to Ireland. The shamrock was originally chosen as the national emblem of Ireland because of the legend that Saint Patrick used the plant to illustrate the doctrine of the Trinity. Most shamrocks, particularly the small-leaved white clover, have been considered by the Irish as good-luck symbols since earliest times, and this superstition has persisted in modern times among people of many nationalities. Shamrocks or various representations of the plant are worn by celebrants on Saint Patrick's Day, March 17 of each year. The hop clover is widely accepted as the original shamrock picked by Saint Patrick. Page 3 of 7 TRINITY

CLASS #3 TRINITY: 3 IN 1 FATHER, SON, HOLY SPIRIT Fruit: Fruits vary widely in physical appearance, but their basic structure is the same. The ripened ovary wall that forms the fruit is composed of three layers, which can be thick or thin, dry or moist, fused or separate. The outermost layer is called the exocarp; the middle layer is the mesocarp; and the inner layer, the endocarp. These three regions together are called the pericarp. A peach that has been cut in half clearly reveals these layers: the soft, fuzzy skin is the exocarp, the juicy, meaty part of the peach is the mesocarp, and the pit, which encases the seed, is the endocarp. Water: Water is the only substance that occurs at ordinary temperatures in all three states of matter, that is, as a solid, a liquid, and a gas. As a solid, or ice, it is found as glaciers and ice caps, on water surfaces in winter, as snow, hail, and frost, and as clouds formed of ice crystals. It occurs in the liquid state as rain clouds formed of water droplets, and on vegetation as dew; in addition, it covers three-quarters of the surface of the earth in the form of swamps, lakes, rivers, and oceans. As gas, or water vapor, it occurs as fog, steam, and clouds. Atmospheric vapor is measured in terms of relative humidity, which is the ratio of the quantity of vapor actually present to the greatest amount possible at a given temperature. THE HOLY SPIRIT OMNIPOTENT (ALL-POWERFUL) Psalms 104:30 OMNIPRESENT (EVERYWHERE) Psalms 139:7-10 OMNISCIENT (ALL-KNOWING) Isaiah 40:13 John 14:26 1 Corinthians 2:10-11 IMMUTABLE (UNCHANGING) 1 Corinthians 12:4 ETERNAL (EVERLASTING) Hebrews 9:14 Page 4 of 7 TRINITY

CLASS #3 TRINITY: 3 IN 1 FATHER, SON, HOLY SPIRIT THE FATHER OMNIPOTENT (ALL-POWERFUL) Genesis 18:14 Isaiah 43:13 Jeremiah 32:17, 27 Matthew 19:26 OMNIPRESENT (EVERYWHERE) 1 Kings 8:27 Psalms 139:3, 7-10 Proverbs 15:3 Jeremiah 23:23-24 Isaiah 57:15 Acts 17:24, 27, 28 OMNISCIENT (ALL-KNOWING) 1 Chronicles 28:9 2 Chronicles 6:30 Job 34:21-22 Psalms 139: 1-6; 11-18; 147:5 Isaiah 48:5; 66:18 Acts 15:18 Romans 11:33-36 1 John 3:20 IMMUTABLE (UNCHANGING) Malachi 3:6 ETERNAL (EVERLASTING) Genesis 21:33 Exodus 3:14 Psalms 90:2; 102:27 Isaiah 41:4 Romans 1:23; 16:27 Timothy 1:17; 6:16 Revelation 4:8 Page 5 of 7 TRINITY

CLASS #3 TRINITY: 3 IN 1 FATHER, SON, HOLY SPIRIT THE SON OMNIPOTENT (ALL-POWERFUL) Daniel 7:13-14 Matthew 28:18 1 Peter 3:22 John 3:31, 35; 17-2 OMNIPRESENT (EVERYWHERE) Matthew 18:29; 28:19-20 Ephesians 1:23 OMNISCIENT (ALL-KNOWING) John 4:25-26, 29; 6:64; 13:11; 19:28; 21:17 He knew their thoughts: Matthew 9:4; 12:25; 22:18 Mark 2:8; 12:15 Luke 5:22; 6:8; 9:47; 11:17 John 2:24-25; 5:42; 6:6; 16:19,30 Acts 1:24 He knew the future: Matthew 16:21; 20:18-19 John 2:19,21-22; 12:23-24, 32-33 IMMUTABLE (UNCHANGING) Hebrews 13:8 ETERNAL (EVERLASTING) Isaiah 44:6; 48:12 1 Timothy 1:17; 6:16 Rev 1:4-5, 8, 11, 17; 2:8; 21:6; 22:13 Hebrews 7:25 Pre-existent to creation: Genesis 1:26; 3:22; 11:7 Proverbs 8:22-36 Isaiah 48:12, 16 Micah 5:2 John 1:1-3, 10; 3:13; 6:62; 8:35, 58; 17:5, 24 Romans 11:36, 1 Cor 8:6, Ephe 3:9, Phi 2:5, Coloss 1:15-19, Heb 1:2, Rev 3:14 Page 6 of 7 TRINITY

CLASS #3 TRINITY: 3 IN 1 FATHER, SON, HOLY SPIRIT POINTS TO REMEMBER A. The Father Prepared a Body for The Son Hebrews 10:5 B. Judgment given by The Father to The Son John 5:22 C. Jesus Prayed to The Father John 17:1-26, 11:41; Matthew 26:39 D. Jesus was with The Father before the world began John 1:1-3,14; 17:5,24 E. Jesus sent His disciples as the Father sent Him John 1:1-3,14; 17:5,24 F. The Son is on The Father s right hand Ephe 1:17-20 G. Jesus and The Father had independent Wills Matt 26:39 H. The Father and The Son make two Witnesses - John 8:13, 16-18, 29 I. Jesus and His Father are one as His disciples are one John 17:20-23 J. Plural Pronouns used for GOD at creation K. All Three were present at Jesus baptism L. The Father and Son sent The Holy Spirit M. All Three are listed in Ephesians 4:4-6 N. Baptism in the Nome of The Three - Matt 28:19 John 17:20-23 (New King James Version) Jesus Prays for All Believers 20 I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will[a] believe in Me through their word; 21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me. Page 7 of 7 TRINITY