God is 3 in 1.
Father, Son, Holy Spirit. but 1 God.
That's all I know with certainty
But I have an experimental theory which I do not yet hold with utmost confidence
That it is like Body, Soul, and Spirit.
Just like humans have a Body, Soul, and Spirit.
Which may be referring to being made in the image of God.
The most difficult thing about the Christian concept of the Trinity is that there is no way to perfectly and completely understand it. The Trinity is a concept that is impossible for any human being to fully understand, let alone explain. God is infinitely greater than we are; therefore, we should not expect to be able to fully understand Him. The Bible teaches that the Father is God, that Jesus is God, and that the Holy Spirit is God. The Bible also teaches that there is only one God. Though we can understand some facts about the relationship of the different Persons of the Trinity to one another, ultimately, it is incomprehensible to the human mind. However, this does not mean the Trinity is not true or that it is not based on the teachings of the Bible.
The Trinity is one God existing in three Persons. Understand that this is not in any way suggesting three Gods. Keep in mind when studying this subject that the word “Trinity” is not found in Scripture. This is a term that is used to attempt to describe the triune God—three coexistent, co-eternal Persons who are God. Of real importance is that the concept represented by the word “Trinity” does exist in Scripture. The following is what God’s Word says about the Trinity:
1) There is one God (
Deuteronomy 6:4;
1 Corinthians 8:4;
Galatians 3:20;
1 Timothy 2:5).
2) The Trinity consists of three Persons (
Genesis 1:1,
26;
3:22;
11:7;
Isaiah 6:8,
48:16,
61:1;
Matthew 3:16-17,
28:19;
2 Corinthians 13:14). In
Genesis 1:1, the Hebrew plural noun "Elohim" is used. In
Genesis 1:26,
3:22,
11:7 and
Isaiah 6:8, the plural pronoun for “us” is used. The word "Elohim" and the pronoun “us” are plural forms, definitely referring in the Hebrew language to more than two. While this is not an explicit argument for the Trinity, it does denote the aspect of plurality in God. The Hebrew word for "God," "Elohim," definitely allows for the Trinity.
In
Isaiah 48:16 and
61:1, the Son is speaking while making reference to the Father and the Holy Spirit. Compare
Isaiah 61:1 to
Luke 4:14-19 to see that it is the Son speaking.
Matthew 3:16-17 describes the event of Jesus' baptism. Seen in this passage is God the Holy Spirit descending on God the Son while God the Father proclaims His pleasure in the Son.
Matthew 28:19 and
2 Corinthians 13:14 are examples of three distinct Persons in the Trinity.
3) The members of the Trinity are distinguished one from another in various passages. In the Old Testament, “LORD” is distinguished from “Lord” (
Genesis 19:24;
Hosea 1:4). The LORD has a Son (
Psalm 2:7,
12;
Proverbs 30:2-4). The Spirit is distinguished from the “LORD” (
Numbers 27:18) and from “God” (
Psalm 51:10-12). God the Son is distinguished from God the Father (
Psalm 45:6-7;
Hebrews 1:8-9). In the New Testament, Jesus speaks to the Father about sending a Helper, the Holy Spirit (
John 14:16-17). This shows that Jesus did not consider Himself to be the Father or the Holy Spirit. Consider also all the other times in the Gospels where Jesus speaks to the Father. Was He speaking to Himself? No. He spoke to another Person in the Trinity—the Father.
4) Each member of the Trinity is God. The Father is God (
John 6:27;
Romans 1:7;
1 Peter 1:2). The Son is God (
John 1:1,
14;
Romans 9:5;
Colossians 2:9;
Hebrews 1:8;
1 John 5:20).
The Holy Spirit is God (
Acts 5:3-4;
1 Corinthians 3:16).
5) There is subordination within the Trinity. Scripture shows that the Holy Spirit is subordinate to the Father and the Son, and the Son is subordinate to the Father. This is an internal relationship and does not deny the deity of any Person of the Trinity. This is simply an area which our finite minds cannot understand concerning the infinite God. Concerning the Son see
Luke 22:42,
John 5:36,
John 20:21, and
1 John 4:14. Concerning the Holy Spirit see
John 14:16,
14:26,
15:26,
16:7, and especially
John 16:13-14.
6) The individual members of the Trinity have different tasks. The Father is the ultimate source or cause of the universe (
1 Corinthians 8:6;
Revelation 4:11); divine revelation (
Revelation 1:1); salvation (
John 3:16-17); and Jesus' human works (
John 5:17;
14:10). The Father initiates all of these things.
The Son is the agent through whom the Father does the following works: the creation and maintenance of the universe (
1 Corinthians 8:6;
John 1:3;
Colossians 1:16-17); divine revelation (
John 1:1,
16:12-15;
Matthew 11:27;
Revelation 1:1); and salvation (
2 Corinthians 5:19;
Matthew 1:21;
John 4:42). The Father does all these things through the Son, who functions as His agent.
The Holy Spirit is the means by whom the Father does the following works: creation and maintenance of the universe (
Genesis 1:2;
Job 26:13;
Psalm 104:30); divine revelation (
John 16:12-15;
Ephesians 3:5;
2 Peter 1:21); salvation (
John 3:6;
Titus 3:5;
1 Peter 1:2); and Jesus' works (
Isaiah 61:1;
Acts 10:38). Thus, the Father does all these things by the power of the Holy Spirit.
The following chart will help show how the doctrine of the Trinity is systematically derived from Scripture.
