The Trinity

The Trinity
Print the PDF

The Trinity refers to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Although the word trinity is not found in Scripture, the concept is. We must have an accurate understanding of Who God is, so we are not deceived and “tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine by the trickery of men and by craftiness in deceitful scheming…” (Ephesian 4:14-15)

The Apostle Paul told his son in the faith, Timothy, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15) “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine but will want their ears to be tickled, and they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance with their own desires. They will turn away their ears from the truth…” (2 Timothy 4:3-4a)

Most cults are formed around a wrong teaching of the Godhead. They emphasize one Person over the other two, dismantling the mystery and beauty of God. Let’s be workmen who handle His word accurately, so we can discern error and walk in truth. Now, more than ever, we need to know Whom we believe!

The Oneness of the Three
The following verses speak of the oneness of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit:

• “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.” (John 1:1) An analysis of the original manuscript of this verse shows that the article before God is the not a. He is the One and Only God… not a god. Many cults have formed over a wrong translation of this verse and have thus erred in their teaching of this precious relationship.
  
  
• The Apostle John called Yeshua the Only Begotten of the Father meaning one substance with the Father. The mystery of the incarnation is that God came to earth in Yeshua to reach us, teach us, heal us, and take upon Himself the penalty for our waywardness and sin – past, present, and future. Yeshua is the Sacrificial Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world! He offers redemption that transforms our hearts to love Him by the power of the Spirit when we receive Him. (John 1:12-13)
  
  
• Yeshua is called God’s Son to represent the closeness of the relationship. He was in the beginning with God (John 1:2), and He was God Himself in the flesh (John 1:14). This is not a contradiction simply because our finite minds cannot grasp it. We bow before His majesty in awe and understand that His ways and thoughts soar so high above our own! (Isaiah 55:8-9)
  
  
• Genesis 1:1 reads, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” The Hebrew word for God in this verse is Elohim, the plural form of El; Elohim does not mean many gods since it is accompanied by a singular verb and a singular adjective. Rather, Elohim’s plurality conveys one God Who is Three – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Genesis 1:26 reads, “Let Us make man in our image…”

Analogies used to describe the Trinity fall short. The Lord cannot be compartmentalized or compared. He cries out, “ ‘To whom then will you liken Me? Or who is My equal?’ says the Holy One.” (Isaiah 40:25)

The Trinity is the clear message from Genesis to Revelation. Each Person in the Trinity glorifies the other two:

• The Father points to the Son and the Holy Spirit.
• The Son points to the Father and the Holy Spirit.
• The Holy Spirit points to the Father and the Son.

Let’s look at Scripture:

• The Father points to the Son.
  Colossians 1:15-20 (TLV):

¹⁵ He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.
¹⁶ For by Him all things were created – in heaven and on earth, the seen and the unseen, whether thrones or angelic powers or rulers or authorities. All was created through Him and for Him.
¹⁷ He exists before everything, and in Him all holds together.
¹⁸ He is the head of the body, His community. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead—
    so that He might come to have first place in all things.
¹⁹ For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him
²⁰ and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, making peace through the blood of His cross– whether things on earth or things in heaven!

Also see John 17:1-5; Matthew 28:18-20; and Isaiah 9:6-7

• The Father points to the Holy Spirit.
  Jesus said, “And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper that He may be with you forever, that is the Spirit of truth…” (John 14:16-17a)

Through the prophet Joel, “It will come about after this that I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; and your sons and daughters will prophesy…" (Joel 2:28a)

• The Son points to the Father.
  Jesus said, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and I do nothing on My own initiative, but I speak these things as the Father taught Me. And He who sent Me is with Me; He has not left Me alone for I always do the things that are pleasing to Him.” (John 8:28-29)
• The Son points to the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit points to the Father and the Son.

Jesus said, “But when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on His own; but whatever He hears, He will tell you. And He will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify Me, because He will take from what is Mine and declare it to you. Everything that the Father has is Mine. For this reason, I said the Spirit will take from what is Mine and declare it to you.” (John 16:13-15)

Praying in Him
With this understanding, I pray:

• To the Father (as Yeshua taught in Matthew 6:9 and Luke 11:2)
• In Jesus Name (based on His payment for my sin on the cross)
• By the Holy Spirit Who came to dwell within me when I received Yeshua and His sacrifice for me.

If I don’t know what to pray, I whisper His beautiful Names – Father, Abba (Daddy), Adonai (Sovereign Lord), Lover of my soul, Yeshua, Ruach HaKodesh (Breath or Spirit of Holiness)… pray through me.

Father, thank You for these friends who read these writings. Together we thank you for the gift of Yeshua, Your Only Begotten Son Who paid our debt and delivered us from the domain of darkness. Thank you for the gift of the Holy Spirit Who guides, comforts, convicts, and fills us with Your love and presence! You are Immanuel, God with us! We are in awe of You! We worship You!

Shale Fragments™ - devotionals by Beth Ann Phifer is a division of Flower Girl Greetings, LLC. ©2020, All Rights Reserved.
Blessings and love in Him,
Beth Ann