02.B Knowing God: Triunity of God

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Knowing God
The Triunity of God

Key Passages: John 16:13-15; Matthew 28:18-20

Contents 1 Summary 2 Guided Reflection 3 Essential Truth of God’s Triunity 4 Core Issues 5 Common Errors 6 Connecting Points to the 5Cs 7 Connecting Points to the 4Ds

Summary

Jesus speaks of the mystery of the triune God (John 16). From eternity within the being of God is perfect fellowship and self-giving love between the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Jesus is calling us to nothing less than to live in union with the triune Godhead and participate in this great eternal celebration of love and fellowship.

The directive to baptize disciples in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit makes it clear that these three are coequal and coeternal personal manifestations of God. Water baptism signifies full immersion of one’s life into the whole being of God; and Jesus, as omnipresent God, promises to be with us until the end of the world.

Guided Reflection

The visible created world is natural and limited. The uncreated God is limitless and God is Spirit. God is one, but God is also triune. If this were easy to understand it would not be divine. Yet this revelation of the triune God is found throughout Scripture. Jesus told us to baptize new disciples “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”

Biblical truth can only be spiritually discerned (1 Cor. 2:13-14). Jesus is a perfect revelation of God, but still a vast mystery (1 Tim. 3:16). How then can we expect to comprehend God fully? But we can know God to the extent He discloses Himself to us.

Essential Truth of God’s Triunity

God’s triune nature can be defined by the statement, “God is one infinite Spirit who eternally manifests Himself as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.”

Core Issues

The Triunity of God is a description of God’s nature, His being, His essence. Just as the Living God is Spirit and infinite, yet personal, so He is self-existent and one, yet triune.

1. The Three in Divine Revelation

False religions abound with multiple emanations of God, various gods in different forms, as well as progressive unfolding of new forms of God, and even triads of divinity. None of these is an accurate representation of the truth. The views of false religions may be outright deception or in some cases they may be sincere but misguided efforts to express the truth. Sometimes what the religions of the world express are simply the tattered rags and flimsy ashes of recollection and memory of the ancient truth.

Within the Scriptures are found certain statements about God, descriptions of His acts and will that are incomprehensible apart from the mysterious truth of the triune nature of God. This mystery is communicated to humanity only through God’s own self-revelation.

The triune nature of the one God is not a concept derived from human imagination, nor is it a mere doctrine formulated by intelligence and reason. Neither is it the invention of any ancient church council. Rather it is reality. This reality satisfies the mind’s deepest ponderings about God; it is fully intelligent and reasonable; it is the Truth. This reality also quenches the soul’s deepest longings; it fills the “God-shaped hole” in our hearts. We begin to understand and grasp this truth of God’s triune being only through His revelation.

a) The Three in the New Testament Message

While the doctrine of the triune nature of God is not stated by definition in any single text within Scripture, the elements of the truth are stated repeatedly. As certainly as it is often declared that God is one, it is also affirmed that Jesus Christ is fully God and that the Holy Spirit is a distinct divine “Person.” The New Testament in sum describes how God the Father relates to us by sending Jesus Christ, the divine Son, and through pouring out the Holy Spirit, the divine Helper of the saints.

b) The Three Found in “Trinitarian Passages” (e.g. Matt. 28:19-20).

Trinitarian Passages are Bible texts which identify the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit together as eternal God: performing divine acts, the source of blessing, and worthy of worship (Acts 10:38;20:28; 1 Cor. 12:4-6; 2 Cor. 13:14; Eph. 2:18; 3:2-5, 14-19; 4:4-6; 5:18-20; 1 Thess. 1:2-5; 2 Thess. 2:13-17; 2 Tim. 1:2, 13-14; Tit. 3:4-8; Heb. 2:3-4; 6:4-6; 10:29-31; 1 Pet. 1:2; 4:13-19; 1 John 5:4-8; Jude :20-21; Rev. 1:4-6).

c) The Three Found in the Old Testament

Without elaboration, the OT anticipates the doctrine of the triune nature of God in passages speaking of collaboration within the being of God including the Son and the Spirit (Gen. 1:26; Is. 48:16; 61:1-2; 63:9-10).

The plural of majesty in the main Hebrew word for God, “Elohim” employs singular verbs and generally singular pronouns. This is a foreshadowing of the doctrine of the triune nature of God. Interestingly, in the creation account we see the use of plural pronouns right alongside singular pronouns: “Let US make (plural verb) man in OUR image, after OUR likeness. . . So God (plural noun) created (singular verb) man in HIS image, in the image of God (plural noun) HE created (singular verb) him; male and female HE created (singular verb) them” (Gen. 1:26 – Hebrew).

God sometimes appears in human form in the Old Testament (Gen. 16-19). In some accounts He is identified as the Lord, while He is speaking of the Lord in Heaven (Gen. 19:24). Theophany is the term used to refer to these appearances of God in human form. When God appears He is often identified as a “man” or an “angel.” However as each narrative unfolds it becomes clear that the Being is more than a man and more than an angel. The person experiencing the visitation soon recognizes that he has looked upon God, and the narrative itself declares that it was God who had appeared (Ex. 3; Judg. 2:1, 4; 5:23; 6:11-24; 13:3-23). In each case in the Old Testament, this was the pre-incarnate Son of God.

d) The Three in New Testament Church History

The early church recognized the triune nature of God. The issue rose to prominence as there was a clear recognition that Jesus was not a mere angel, not a man, not a mere “great man,” or the even “Greatest Man.” He is the eternal Son of God.

The clear teaching of all early church leaders put Jesus forward as the Creator of All Things, the Lord of Glory, the Beginning and the End (Col. 1:15-20; Heb. 1:1-4; Jam. 2:1; Jude 1, 24-25). Paul stated it in doctrinal summaries (Rom. 1:1-4; 1 Tim. 3:16), and, for John, sound teaching on the divinity of Christ was the basic test of true and false doctrine (1 John 2:22-24; 3:23-24; 4:1-3; 5:1, 12, 20; 2 John 7-10).

Over the centuries, among church bodies representing millions of believers, a consistent consensus has developed regarding the truth of the triune nature of God. Indeed, groups that are widely diverse in other areas of doctrine (church order, justification, end-time events) nonetheless share the same orthodox doctrine of the triune nature of God. In settled faith, the church has rested in the doctrine of the triune God who is one in being, but God in whose oneness there are three Persons, coequal and coeternal. Coeternal means that none precedes the other, but each has existed from eternity and coequal means that none is superior or more divine than the other, but each has equal divine standing.

The triune nature of God is a doctrinal truth of the highest authority and priority. In all of Scripture the doctrine of the triune nature of God is affirmed continually. Scripture asserts the true and complete divinity of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. There is repeated Scriptural testimony to the oneness of God in substance and essence. Yet Scripture also testifies to the triunity of God in the clear distinctions of coeternal and coequal personal entities: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

2. The Christian Experience of the Triune God

From eternity, God has existed in an unfathomable fellowship of self-giving love within the triune Godhead. God declared His purpose in creating man when He said, “Let Us make man in Our image, in Our likeness. . .” (Gen. 1:26). He created us in His image so we could enter into this great eternal love and fellowship of the Godhead (1 John 1:1-7).

The Bible is the story of redemption. It tells how humanity fell into sin and became alienated from God, losing this fellowship. From Genesis to Revelation, God’s work of redemption unfolds as He restores the relationship for which He created us.

Jesus’ death restores man to fellowship and we are invited to participate in the eternal fellowship of the Godhead! We can once again know Him, love Him, experience His love, and enjoy the eternal fellowship of divine nature. In the Great Commission, Jesus directs us to call others into this fellowship with the Godhead. Water Baptism represents being immersed in the nature of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Thus, Christianity is more than a new way of thinking and a new set of ideas, ethics or beliefs. Our Christian life is the experience of connection with the triune God. Union with Christ brings us into the fellowship that existed from eternity within the triune God.

In Christ we are joined to all the power and enabling of eternal Divinity to fulfill His plans and His purposes – that our lives both individually and corporately would be an expression of His life (1 John 4:9). We do not merely ask God to join our efforts; rather we connect with Him and with what He is doing. “For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever! Amen” (Rom. 11:36).

It is the eternal living God in Christ with whom we long to connect experientially. There is a deep within us crying out for this deep of God, and only this true water will satisfy us (Ps. 42:7). Saving faith in Jesus Christ unites us with the fullness of God (Col. 2:6-10). The living spiritual nature of the church and the entirety of the believer’s new life come out of inner union with the triune God in Christ (1 Cor. 12:4-6; 2 Cor. 13:14; 1 John 4:9). Therefore the knowledge of the truth of the triune God is vital to a full experience of the Christian life.

3. The Historically-Accepted Formulation of the Truth

God is Triune in Nature: God is one divine essence, eternally co-existing as three personal entities: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This is not an arbitrary invention of man, but is the only expression that fully corresponds with the Bible’s description of the being of God.

It is not enough to say that God can “manifest” Himself in various “forms.” Such language disregards personality and is too vague and indefinite. Scripture shows plainly from Genesis to Revelation that God is the Father. Yet equally the Son is eternal God, and so is the specific Holy Spirit, also called the Helper, Advocate, Comforter or Counselor (John 16:7). God is “tri-personal,” with no other manifestations of the one essence. There is no “God the Mother,” or “God the Daughter,” or “God the Salamander,” or “God the Darkness.”

In speaking of three Persons or three personal manifestations, it is crucial to understand this does not mean three gods or Gods. Also, the term “Person” does not mean person in any sense to imply that God is human. Person in reference to the being of God is more a legal term meaning a legal entity or individual. God is one divine essence in three particular and unconfused “Persons” or entities, distinct but not separate.

a) The Three Share Divine Nature.

God is by nature life, one, self-existent, spirit, and eternal. These elements of the divine nature apply only to Divinity are shared by the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. There is one specific nature of God shared by the Father, the Son, and the Spirit. As the Father, so also the Son and the Spirit are seen as the life (and life-giving), indivisible, self-existent (uncreated Creator), immutable, eternal, and one in essence (John 1:1-3; 6:63; Rom. 8:2, 10-11; Rev. 2:7; Col. 1:16, 17; Rev. 21:6; 22:13).

Other attributes such as the omni-attributes and the perfections of holiness, love, and truth are exclusive to God, but are seen as fundamental to the character of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. While God is light and truth and love, these are not additional manifestations of the One God, but rather they are attributes of God, shared fully and co-equally by the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (John 8:12; 9:5; Rom. 15:30; Deut. 32:4). Jesus is the Truth (John 14:6) and the Comforter is the Spirit of Truth (John 15:26). Jesus is the embodiment of love (John 15:13; 1 John 3:16), and we express love through the Spirit (Rom. 5:5; Col. 1:8). Jesus is Holy (Acts 4:27-30; Acts 2:27; Heb. 7:26; Rev. 3:7) and the Spirit is Holy (Eph. 4:30).

None of these attributes can be ascribed to anyone but God alone; yet with great ease the Scriptures are quite comfortable in identifying Jesus Christ and the Spirit as participating fully in the nature of God and possessing all of the divine attributes.

b) The Three Are Recognized As God.

i) The Father is God (John 6:27; 1 Pet 1:2).

ii) Jesus Christ, the Son, is God.

(1) The Son is directly declared to be God, the eternal Creator (John 1:1-14, 18; Heb. 1:5-8; Tit. 2:13; Rom. 9:5; 1 Tim. 3:16; 2 Cor. 13:14).

(2) Passages of the OT which clearly mention YAHWEH (the I AM name of God) are applied directly to Jesus in the NT (Is. 40:3/Matt. 3:3; Is. 45:22-23/ Phil. 2:10; Ps. 24:7, 10/1 Cor. 2:8; Jer. 23:5-6/1 Cor. 1:30; Prov. 16:4/ Col 1:16; Is. 44:6/Rev. 1:17).

(3) Scripture directly asserts the pre-existence of Christ (Mic. 5:2; John 1:1-2, 18; 8:58; Phil. 2:6; Col. 1:15-17). Christ pre-existed, not just as God, but as the Son of the Father. God has always been the Father and therefore the Son has always been the Son (John 17:5, 24).

iii) The Holy Spirit is God (Acts 5:3-4).

(1) There is seldom any question as to whether the Holy Spirit is divine (Heb. 9:14; Gen. 1:2; Ps. 33:6).

(2) The issue is whether the Spirit is personal rather than a force or power. The Holy Spirit is a “HE,” not “it” as incorrectly rendered in some English versions of Romans 8:16 and elsewhere. In numerous passages the Holy Spirit is described with characteristics of personality (Eph. 4:30; Acts 5:3-4), and personal pronouns are applied to Him (John 14:16-17, 26; 15:26-27; 16:7, 13-14).

(3) Another issue is whether the Holy Spirit is a distinct personal entity who communes with the Father and the Son. The Holy Spirit is not merely a general description of God but is one of three personalities who have enjoyed fellowship within the Godhead from eternity (Matt. 3:16; Luke 4:18; John 15:26; 16:7; Acts 5:32; Heb. 9:14).

c) The Three Are in Communion with One Another.

The New Testament recognizes one God, but without apology it presents the Son as the Creator God and the Spirit as coequal and coeternal with the Father. Theologians have described the mysterious relationship within the triune nature of God as the “I, You, and He.” For example, the Father (I) speaks to the Son (You) and the Holy Spirit (He) descends (Luke 3:21-22).

Communion between the “Persons” is clearly seen throughout Scripture.

• Three are simultaneously present in particular events (Luke 1:35; Matt. 1:18-23; Matt. 3:16-17; Mark 1:10-11; Luke 3:21-22; John 1:32-34).

• The Father and the Son are distinct from each other (John 1:14; 3:16; 5:32, 37; 10:36; Ps. 2:7; Gal. 4:4).

• The Father and the Son are distinct from the Holy Spirit (John 14:16-17, 26; 15:26; 1 Pet. 1:2).

d) The Three exist in order of authority and responsibility within the Godhead (1 Cor. 11:3; 15:28).

• As to order of authority and subjection, the Son obeys the Father and not vice-versa. The Father sends the Son (John 3:16; 8:29; 14:28) and responds to the Son (John 11:42; 2 Pet. 1:17). The Son submits to the Father (John 8:29; Luke 22:42; Heb. 10:7-9). The Father gives the Spirit (John 14:16-17), the Son sends or pours out the Spirit (John 7:37-39; 16:7), the Spirit reveals or testifies of the Son (John 15:26-27). The Father gives Himself fully to the Son (John 16:15), the Son reveals Himself fully to the Spirit (John 16:13-14), and the Spirit reveals the Son (who reveals the Father) to us (John 16:15; 1 Cor. 2:10-12). The Son manifests the fullness of the Godhead to us (Col. 2:9). The order within the Godhead is not at all suggestive of inferiority or superiority, but is simply a matter of relationships and roles (1 Cor. 3:23; 11:3; 15:25-28).

• As to responsibility and functions within the Godhead, the Father, the Son, and the Spirit have distinct roles. For example, the Father ordained the plan of salvation, the Son carried it out, and the Holy Spirit applies it (1 Pet. 1:2). In the Creation, the Father ordained it, the Son spoke the word of creation (Ps. 148:5; John 1:3; Col. 1:16; Heb. 11:3), and the Holy Spirit then moved and performed it (Gen. 1:2).

• The specific work of Christ and the particular ministry of the Holy Spirit are treated more extensively in the studies of the person of Christ and the Holy Spirit.

e) Three Realities of the Doctrine of the Triune Nature of God

• There is one God.

• The Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit are each the one God. They each contain the fullness of God.

• The Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit are each a distinct personal entity. They are distinct but not separate.

These three truths state the full essence of the doctrine of the triune nature of God. Any compromise of any of these points, in any form, results in error or heresy. If any of these realities is confused, abused, or misused, then the foundation of our faith is undermined or destroyed.

Errors often result from well-intended attempts to understand and explain the being of God. We may see someone endeavoring to preserve the unity of God by viewing the triune concept as three parts, each of which is less than God, or not wholly God. Others may overemphasize the triune nature and end up promoting, for all practical purposes, the idea of three gods.

The mystery of the triune Godhead is beyond natural understanding. If the truth were simple and easily explained it would not be of God and would not require revelation. Truth can be described to an extent with words but the full depths of the Being of God will never yield to our human desire to define and categorize (1 Tim. 3:16; Rom. 11:33-36; Eph. 3:14-21). Indeed correct doctrine about the triune God is more than an academic exercise in scholarship. The sublime wonder of the Being of God will inspire awe and wonder, stunned silence and jubilant praise, reverent worship and energized service.

Common Errors

1. Subordinate Emanations: This is the error that the Father created the Son, and the Son then created the Spirit, who then created the angels, after which numerous lesser spirits were created, putting a great distance in the spiritual realm between God and man, the last and least of the moral emanations of God.

a) John confronted this error of Gnosticism, crushing it in the theology of his Gospel and in his letters. Likewise, Paul vigorously refuted an earlier version of this error, particularly in the Epistle to the Colossians.

b) The error of successive emanations of God, each inferior to the preceding, leaves Jesus as less than almighty God. Indeed, some see mankind as a lower emanation of God. This is far from the truth. God is always totally other than what is created, including the best of men and angels. God is the Creator and uncreated, and Jesus is this One God.

c) In an effort to defend the oneness of God some early Christian teachers struggled to define Jesus as less than God – a prominent angel, or the first and greatest creation of God. In doing this, they fell into Gnostic heresy.

d) The Holy Spirit and the Son and the Father are of the same substance: uncreated Creator. Jesus is in no sense a creation. He is the Creator of all things (John 1:3; 1 Cor. 8:6; Col. 1:16; Heb. 1:2, 10). God is one essence, but existing from eternity as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in perfect communion.

2. Oneness Doctrine: This simplistic idea attempts to preserve the oneness of God by asserting that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are distinct as different modes in the revelation of the One God. The idea is successive modes of rulership. According to this doctrine, God was the Father in the Old Testament, then God became the Son in the incarnation, and then returned as the Holy Spirit in the church age.

a) This is contradicted by the frequent accounts in the Gospels of simultaneous operation and manifestation of two or even all three Persons of the triune God (Matt. 3:16-17; Luke 4:18; John 15:26; 16:7, 13-16; Acts 5:30-32).

b) As shown in the section above, on Communion within the Godhead, perfect fellowship and love has existed within triune God from eternity. It is clear that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are co-eternal, not successive (Matt. 28:19; Heb. 9:14).

3. Blatant Rejection of the Divinity of Christ: This is the heresy that Jesus is perhaps an angel, or just a man, even a great man or prophet, but not God. New Testament declarations are set aside as merely excessive reverence within the early Church that led to a misguided esteem for Christ as divinity.

a) This denial of Christ’s deity defies the claims of Jesus himself and the prophets of old (John 4:26; 8:58; 9:35-37; Is. 9:6; Mic. 5:2).

b) The worship offered to Jesus makes it clear that He is God. Christ is worshiped by spiritual beings such as angels and demons, as well as by people in the New Testament, including the writers (John 9:38; 20:28; Luke 24:52; Heb. 1:6). Such worship demonstrates the divinity of Jesus.

c) Paul recognized that the divinity of Christ was a difficult concept, but insisted upon it as a fundamental truth (1 Tim. 3:16). He further warned against allowing human reason to infringe upon divinely revealed truth of the identity of Christ (Col. 2:6-9).

d) The divinity of Christ is gives the necessary value to His sacrificial death. Angels, though sinless, are limited and not able to redeem the entire human race. Jesus, being infinite God, can fully pay the price for sin and provide eternal life.

Connecting Points to the 5Cs

1. (Christ) A leader will enjoy fellowship with the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit (John 14:16-20; 1 John 1:3). His Christian life is an expression of the life that comes from the Heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, and by the power of the Holy Spirit (1 John 4:9-13).

2. (Community) Perfect community and unity within the Godhead was the ideal condition before the creation of the world. God desires that a similar fellowship and unity be present among the saints as an extension of perfect love within the Godhead (John 17:11; 2 Cor. 13:14).

3. (Character) Within the Godhead there is an interchange of respect and giving of honor in love and humility that should be reflected among God’s people. This should be modeled by leaders in their attitude of humility and deference to one another.

4. (Calling) A leader is called to bring new disciples to full immersion into the entire Godhead, as represented by water baptism (Matt. 28:19-20). Rather than merely convincing people to “accept Jesus,” evangelism must involve introducing people to a living relationship with the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

5. (Competency) A leader must distinguish important biblical issues from minor ones (Matt. 23:23-24; Rom. 14; 1 Tim. 1:3-4; 4:6-7; 6:4; 2 Tim. 2:14, 23). Clearly, the triunity of God is of paramount importance.

6. (Competency) A leader must identify and defend against misguided attempts to explain the mystery of God (1 Tim. 3:16). Knowing the truth and familiarity with that which is genuine will equip the leader to recognize and dismantle error (2 Cor. 10:4-5).

Connecting Points to the 4Ds

1. (Spiritual) Pray daily for the Holy Spirit to move in your life in such a way that you experience a living relationship with the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. It doesn’t “just happen.” You must seek it (Jam. 4:8).

2. (Spiritual) Set aside time once each month to eliminate distractions and intentionally realign your focus to relationship with God.

3. (Spiritual) Meditate on Romans 8 considering the validity and implications of the following statements:
a) The indwelling Spirit guarantees our resurrection.
b) Our adoption as sons makes us co-heirs with Christ.
c) The Father’s love for us is so great that He did not withhold even His Son.
How does this prove verse 1, “There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”?

4. (Relational) Pray together with trusted associates that your relationships with one another and within your churches would reflect a full relationship with the triune Godhead.

5. (Experiential) Pay attention to the many ways the Holy Spirit moves in your daily life and leadership responsibilities. Notice His voice and consider how you hear Him best. Make more room for Him. Be alert to how He wants to move and direct your ministry.

6. (Instructional) Since this doctrine is such a significant and basic truth, pick out five key passages on God’s triunity and commit them to memory.

7. (Instructional) Everyone knows two plus two equals four. When you put together a two and a three you get five – if you add. But addition is not the only thing you can do with two numbers. Put 2 and 3 together mathematically to generate as many different results as you can think of. You should be able to come up with at least seven results. Under different natural principles two and three can operate to bring different results. If two simple numbers within the created order can yield such complexity, how much more then should we expect the triune God to be full of mystery and wonder?

Essential Truths (Conclusion)

1. It is clear that the triune nature of God is a core truth of the entire revelation of the Bible, a matter of the highest priority and authority (Matt. 23:23-24; Rom. 14; 1 Tim. 1:3-4; 4:6-7; 6:4; 2 Tim. 2:14, 23).

2. We accept the triune nature of God by faith, receiving the full revelation in a balanced manner, to avoid errors that result from misguided efforts to defend a particular aspect.

3. If we are to be immersed in God, then we will embrace the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit as the full expression of the being of God. Taking hold of the truth of the triune nature of God is essential to the experience of full fellowship with God.