Where is a direct and explicit explanation of the Trinity found within the Bible?

We have to know specifically which part you struggle with. How it may seem to contradict the OT? That it wasn’t settled until a later Council? How it’s even possible? If you think Jesus was just empowered like any other prophet like Samson or Moses? That the Jews envisioned the prophecy as just another king? What their relationship is all specifically?

I accept Jesus as divine. But as a Christian, I won’t deny I struggle with including the Spirit in it. The Spirit seems like just a gift or an actual manifestation of the Father -> It gets even more confusing when in the Gospels Jesus presents it as new when in the OT the Spirit seems to already be present. So maybe you struggle with the Sprit aspect of it, not the Son & Father?

I do accept the Trinity tho, b/c I accept the Spirit. I know the Spirit is true. I have to reconcile it by the Spirit is an extension of the Father just like the Son is.

If you’re looking for an explanation in the Bible: Jesus is presented as divine & to be worshipped; he’s always been presented as divine & worshipped. The Spirit is presented as an extension of the Father & Son. I think John 1 spells it out the best. It’s so hard to argue with, deniers of the Trinity have to fudge their own translations so much secular scholars also deny they are incorrect translations. I was researching ‘the origins of the Trinity doctrine’ not that long ago; believe me, I was looking for explanations to deny it; but no, I can’t find a way around John 1.

DragonFox91 said:

We have to know specifically which part you struggle with. How it may seem to contradict the OT? That it wasn’t settled until a later Council? How it’s even possible? If you think Jesus was just empowered like any other prophet like Samson or Moses? That the Jews envisioned the prophecy as just another king? What their relationship is all specifically?
I accept Jesus as divine. But as a Christian, I won’t deny I struggle with including the Spirit in it. The Spirit seems like just a gift or an actual manifestation of the Father -> It gets even more confusing when in the Gospels Jesus presents it as new when in the OT the Spirit seems to already be present. So maybe you struggle with the Spirit aspect of it, not the Son & Father?

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I do accept the Trinity tho, b/c I accept the Spirit. I know the Spirit is true. I have to reconcile it by the Spirit is an extension of the Father just like the Son is.
If you’re looking for an explanation in the Bible: Jesus is presented as divine & to be worshipped; he’s always been presented as divine & worshipped. The Spirit is presented as an extension of the Father & Son. I think John 1 spells it out the best.

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If I may interrupt here.

Neither Jesus nor the Holy Spirit are extensions of the Father. They are separate divine persons in the one being, God.

It’s so hard to argue with, deniers of the Trinity have to fudge their own translations so much secular scholars also deny they are incorrect translations. I was researching ‘the origins of the Trinity doctrine’ not that long ago; believe me, I was looking for explanations to deny it; but no, I can’t find a way around John 1.

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Perhaps this will help.

1) As Jesus claimed he "came forth out of" (exelthon, form of erchomai) God (Jn 8:42, 16:27, 28, 17:8),
he also stated that the Holy Spirit issued "out from within" the Father (ekporeuetai), like himself (Jn 15:26), the meaning of the verb being seen in Mk 7:19, Rev 9:17, 11:5.
Jesus is saying that the Holy Spirit comes from within the Father, like himself, that he is of the same nature as the Father, like himself,
that he is divine.
The NT likewise shows him being sinned against (Mt 12:31-32, Ac 5:3).

2) He said the Holy Spirit was "another" Comforter--another Comforter, "like himself" (Jn 14:16-17, 25-26, 15:26, 16:7), another "parakletos" (comforter, counselor, advocate, helper), denoting a person--of encouragement, support, assistance, care, shouldering the responsibility for another's welfare.
Jesus calls him "another Comforter" because Jesus was their original Comforter, and the coming Comforter would continue this part of Jesus' ministry. The Comforter would care for them in the way that Jesus did, in the way of love, care, patient instruction, provision for their well-being (Jn 17:12), would abide with them forever (Jn 14:16), would exercise the ministry of a Comforter in Christ's stead--all functions of a person.

3) The NT refers to the Holy Spirit with personal pronouns, personal titles, and personal functions. He has
intelligence (Lk 12:12, Jn 14:26, 15:26, 16:13, Ro 8:27, 1 Co 2:12-13, 1 Jn 2:20, 27),
a will (At 16:6-7, 1 Co 12:11),
affections (Eph 4:30),
all of which are attributes of a person.

4) Peter and Paul state that Jesus and the Spirit are one.
See Ac 16:7, Ro 8:9, Gal 4:6, 2 Co 3:13-17, Php 1:19, 1 Pe 1:11.
In 2 Co 3:16-18, the Spirit is so closely linked with Jesus that Paul can actually say, "the Lord (Jesus) is the Spirit," (v.17), and speak of the "Lord (Jesus) who is the Spirit" (v.18).
So what Jesus is, the Spirit is, and Jesus is a divine person as the Father is a divine person.

So the NT shows the Spirit of God to be the Spirit of Jesus, issuing from the Father just as Jesus does, and also issuing from the Son;
who is a person just as Jesus is, and
who is part of the Godhead, just as Jesus and the Father are.

Thanks Clare, that is very helpful. Extensions was simply best word I could think of. My understanding is no one can completely explain it without committing hersey (or at minimum it’s very very very challenging)

DragonFox91 said:

My understanding is no one can completely explain it without committing hersey (or at minimum it’s very very very challenging)

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myst33 said:

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Ha ha, that's great. I think I've seen that before. Thanks for sharing.

myst33 said:

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Concerning divine truth, and particularly concerning the person and work of God, it is usually easier to say what it is not, than to say what it is.

Runningman said:

Just looking for a comprehensive and explicit outline of the Trinity explained in the Bible. Thank you.

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In Colossians 1:15, the Son is the image of the invisible God, and in Hebrews 1:3, the Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact image of God's nature, so while no one has seen the Father, the Son is who we see when we look at the Father. In other words, we can't see God's nature, but we can see someone who is the embodiment of God's nature, so God's word is His instructions for how to act in accordance with His nature while the Son is God's word made flesh. Aspects of God's nature are also the fruits of the Spirit. The way to know and worship God is by acting in accordance with His nature and the problem with idolatry is that it misrepresents the nature of God, so if Jesus had been anything less than the exact image of God's nature, then worshiping him as God would have been idolatry.

Runningman said:

Just looking for a comprehensive and explicit outline of the Trinity explained in the Bible. Thank you.

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The scriptures tell us (specifically in the Old Testament) ... that God is One God.

The scriptures in the New Testament refer to the Father as God (1 Corinthians 8:6), the Son/Logos as God (John 1:1), and the Holy Spirit as God (Acts 20:28).

Thinking from my previous posts?

Jesus could have been recognized by all spirits, including God the Holy Spirit, as the One who preceeded all, especially in creation, etc, as the One who preceeded all, etc, with the exception of God the Highest Father obviously, etc, and it still could have been God the Holy Spirit mainly in the OT maybe? Because that would certainly keep everything else that is in the Bible, all the other essential core concepts or ideas, etc, including almost everything having to do with why Jesus had to die, etc, in line, etc.

Still working on it, etc.

God Bless.

DragonFox91 said:

Ha ha, that's great. I think I've seen that before. Thanks for sharing.

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I sometimes wonder how many views of Luther Satire's videos are due to CF posting them

PsaltiChrysostom said:

I sometimes wonder how many views of Luther Satire's videos are due to CF posting them

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A bunch probably, but I was shown it in Sunday School

Deuteronomy 6:4
1 John 5:7