The Doctrine of the Trinity

There is one God eternally existing in three co-equal persons, the Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. (Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 44:6; Matthew 28:18-19; 2 Corinthians 13:14)

The doctrine of the Trinity reveals that God has eternally existed as a loving relationship within Himself. Salvation is nothing short of being brought into this relationship—Jesus sharing with us what has always been his, through the Holy Spirit.

“God didn’t start to become loving when we showed up…. He has always existed as loving within himself.” - Sam Allberry
“It’s only when you grasp what it means for God to be a Trinity that you really sense the beauty, the overflowing kindness, the heart-grabbing loveliness of God.” - Michael Reeves

Click here to listen to the sermon on this doctrine or to catch up on the series.

1. The Bible Reveals One God

Deuteronomy 6:4: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.”
Isaiah 44:6:

This is what the Lord says—
Israel’s King and Redeemer, the Lord Almighty:
I am the first and I am the last;
apart from me there is no God.

Ephesians 4:6- “…one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”

2. Jesus is God

John 1:1-4: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.”
John 14:9 “If You have seen me you have seen the Father”
John 10:30: “I and the Father are one.”
Hebrews 1:1-3a: “In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.”

3. The Holy Spirit is God

The Holy Spirit does things that only God can do. The Spirit creates new life. The Spirit heals. The Spirit knows the mind of God (1 Corinthians 2:10). The Spirit can be lied to or grieved, just as God can. The Spirit makes us holy. The Spirit dwells in the temple of God’s people.

4. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are spoken of together

Matthew 28:18-19: “Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…”
2 Corinthians 13:14: “May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”

5. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are united in identity but have distinct roles

Only the Father begets the Son. Only the Son is sent to be incarnate and die on the cross. Only the Spirit fills God’s people.

What Would be lost if we denied the trinity?

The uniqueness of God - the Trinitarian God is unlike any other, and unlike any human projections of God. God is not a generic “higher power.”
The meaning of the cross - 2 Corinthians 5:18-19; Hebrews 9:13-14
Prayer - we pray to the Father, through the Son, by the Holy Spirit
Relational values - love, justice, righteousness. The Trinity shows that these have always been at the heart of reality.

Further Resources

Check out this article called “The Trinity: Explain It to Me Like I’m a 2-Year-Old” (video from the article is below)
Check out this wonderful, short, highly readable book called Delighting in the Trinity by Michael Reeves

Questions for reflection and discussion:

How does the Trinity reveal that God exists as a loving relationship within himself?
Why does the doctrine of the Trinity matter?
Why do we use the word “Trinity” when this word isn’t in the Bible?
What would be lost if the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit were simply three forms God takes at different times? (Hint: Think about Christmas and Easter!)
How has your understanding of the Trinity changed how you relate to God?