TOPICAL STUDIES

TRINITY EXPLAINED (to view scriptures hover over italicized verse addresses)

Fact #1:
God is three distinct persons.

Three distinct persons Mt 3:16,17 (1) Jesus (2) Spirit of God (dove) (3) Voice from heaven–this is my Son = Father

Distinct (in their roles)

Creation: Father plans Gen 1:26, Jesus creates Col 1:16 and Holy Spirit brings life into the world Job 33:4.

Salvation: Father elects, Jesus is the sacrifice and Holy Spirit sanctifies 1 Pe 1:2.

 

Fact #2:
Each person is fully (infinite and eternal) God, equal in essence (ontological equality = what God is) but willingly accepts (relational role subordination = what God does).

Each person is God God the Father Jn 6:27 God the Son Jn 1:1,14 compare Jn 8:58 with Ex 3:14 Holy Spirit Ac 5:3,4

Each person is infinite and eternal (fully God)
Father Jer 23:24 fills the heavens and the earth (infinite)
Ps 90:2 from everlasting to everlasting you are God (eternal) Son Mt 28:20 I am with you always, to the very end of the age. (infinite) Jn 8:58 before Abraham was born, I am! (eternal) Holy Spirit Ps 139:7-9 Where can I flee from your presence? (infinite) Heb 9:14 through the eternal Spirit (eternal)

Each person is in relational role subordination
Father 1 Co 15:24 when he (Jesus) hands over the kingdom to God the Father Son 1 Co 15:28 then the Son himself will be made subject to him Spirit: Jn 16:13,14 He will speak only what he hears and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to me.

Fact #3:
There is only one united God.
One united God
Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Dt 6:4
singular plural
(in Hebrew) Jehovah Elohim echad

The word “yachid” is an absolute numeric one, whereas the word “echad”, is an unified one, illustrating that God is a trinitarian God.

God used the word “echad” in describing human marriage:
For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one (echad) flesh. Gen 2:24
Husband and wife are still two distinct individuals but become a united one in the physical sense,
he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? 1 Co 6:16
like-minded in the psychological realm
by being like-minded, having the same love Php 2:2
and one in spirit (purpose) with the Lord in the spiritual realm.
he who unites with the Lord is one with him in spirit 1 Co 6:17
A cord of three strands (God, husband, wife) is not quickly broken. Ecc 4:12

Plural pronouns are used to describe the one united God.
God said, “Let us make man in our image” (plural). So God created man in his own image (singular). Gen 1:26, 27
This could not be referring to angels as only God has the power to create. Col 1:16

(name is singular not plural) Mt 28:19
in the name of the (Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit).

TRINITY ILLUSTRATION

Three distinct light colors: blue, red, green shone at the same spot will appear as white light. The three distinct persons of the Godhead: Father, Son and Holy Spirit are all fully God, not just a part of God like a 3 leaf clover (1/3 + 1/3 + 1/3 = 1). If one of the three light colors was turned off, it would no longer produce white light (for example, if the blue colored light was turned off, the color yellow would be seen, not white). This illustrates the truth of the Trinity, that all three persons are necessary to be the biblical God. For example, if Jesus is not God, then the Trinity would not be biblical 1 Jn 2:23,24. This also illustrates that the persons of the Godhead are distinct, yet not separate.

trinity colors rgb

Blue light illustrates God the Father since blue can represent the heavens (sky).
“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name”. Mt 6:9

Red light illustrates God the Son since His shed blood provided the forgiveness of our sins.
the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. 1 Pe 1:18,19

Green light illustrates God the Holy Spirit since green represents new life and growth.
the Spirit gives life. 2 Co 3:6

nature colors trinity

The trinity in nature.

The Father in heaven is the source, the planner, the architect of all things.
according to his eternal purpose Eph 3:10,11
God is the builder of everything. Heb 3:4 (in the sense of architect, planner).

The Son is God’s agent, his executor, the actual builder of all things.
Christ is faithful as a son over God’s house. Heb 3:6
I was the craftsman at his side. Pr 8:30
all things were created by him and for him Col 1:16

The Holy Spirit is God’s maintainer of all things.
the Spirit of truth, will guide you into all truth and he will tell you what is yet to come. Jn 16:13
the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. 2 Th 2:7,8

Trinity cube

So that God may be all in all. 1 Co 15:28

Since God is infinite, the space He occupies would be calculated by the formula Volume = l x w x h
V = x x
V = ∞
This shows that the Father is fully God, not just a part of God, and the same would apply for both the Son and the Holy Spirit.
This also demonstrates that all three persons are necessary to be the biblical God for two directions can only form a plane and one direction a line. Three dimensions are necessary in order to experience volume. Jer 23:24 The old saying “you can’t put God in a box” is actually true, since He is infinite and therefore cannot be limited to a box shape.

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