Apologetics

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Since all of my articles are in the free reprint section. I guess I should post one here also.

THE TRINITY

Historically the nature of God has been referred to as the Trinity. This means that the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are 3 separate persons which constitute only one God. The word "Trinity" is not in the Bible. This simply is the name of a doctrine or idea that is taught in the Bible. Usually people that do not believe the doctrine of the Trinity define it incorrectly. Then they set out to prove that the false definition is un-biblical, which of course it is because they incorrectly defined it. Let me try to explain it as clear as I can. God the Father is called God, but this does not mean that he is Jesus, nor does it mean that he is the Holy Spirit. The Father is called God in Rom 1:7 "to all who are beloved of God in Rome, called as saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ". Jesus the Son is called God, but this does not mean that he is the Father nor does it mean he is the Holy Spirit. Jesus is called God in John 1:1&14
(1) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
(14) And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. (Notice this states that God became flesh. In the context this is Jesus. See also Phil.2:5-8)

John 20:27-29 Then He said to Thomas, "Reach here your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand, and put it into My side; and be not unbelieving, but believing." Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus said to him, "Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed." (Notice Jesus did not rebuke Peter when he called him Lord and God. The conclusion is Jesus is God the Son.)

The Holy Spirit is called God but this does not mean that he is the Father nor does it mean that he is Jesus. The Holy Spirit is called God In Acts 5:3-4 But Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit, and to keep back some of the price of the land? "While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not under your control? Why is it that you have conceived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men, but to God."
(Notice Peter stated they lied to the Holy Spirit. Then in the next breath he states that this was God they lied to.)

Heb 3:7-11 Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says, "Today if you hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts as when they provoked Me, as in the day of trial in the wilderness, Where your fathers tried me by testing me, and saw My works for forty years. "Therefore I was angry with this generation, and said, 'They always go astray in their heart; and they did not know My ways'; As I swore in My wrath, 'they shall not enter My rest.'"
(Notice we are told that the Holy Spirit is the one that says he was provoked and swore in his wrath "they shall not enter my rest".)

Ps 95:6-11 Come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD our maker. For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand. Today, if you would hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah, as in the day of Massah in the wilderness; "When your fathers tested me, they tried me, though they had seen My work. "For forty years I loathed that generation, and said they are a people who err in their heart, and they do not know My ways. "Therefore I swore in My anger, truly they shall not enter into My rest."

Here we are told that our Lord our maker is God. It is he that was provoked and swore in his wrath "they shall not enter into my rest".
The conclusion is God the Holy Spirit said this. (See also Num 14:22-23) For a similar reference where we have God speaking in the Old Testament and in the New Testament it refers to the Holy Spirit as the speaker, compare Isaiah 6:8-10 with Acts 28:25-27.

We have just seen that the Father, Jesus the Son and the Holy spirit are all called God. These 3 are all called God yet they are also 3 separate persons. They are not all the same person. One passage that clearly shows this is John 14:16-17. (Jesus is the one speaking here) "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, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not behold Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you, and will be in you". This passage clearly shows they are 3 separate persons Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

All 3 the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit are called God and they are 3 separate persons. Yet the Bible does not teach that there are 3 Gods. There is only one God. These 3 Persons constitute only one God.

THERE IS ONLY ONE GOD.
Isa 44:6-8 "Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: 'I am the first and I am the last, and there is no God besides me. 'And who is like me? Let him proclaim and declare it; yes, let him recount it to me in order, from the time that I established the ancient nation. And let them declare to them the things that are coming and the events that are going to take place. 'Do not tremble and do not be afraid; have I not long since announced it to you and declared it? And you are My witnesses. Is there any God besides me, or is there any other Rock? I know of none.'"

Did you notice King of Israel and his Redeemer seem to be speaking of more than one? Then he says "I am the first and I am the last and there is no God besides Me" this is singular. Then he ask if there are any other Gods besides him and states that he (God) does not know of any! How can there be other Gods that even God himself knows nothing about?

Isa 43:10 "You are My witnesses," declares the LORD, "And My servant whom I have chosen, in order that you may know and believe me, and understand that I am He. Before me there was no God formed, and there will be none after me.
(This even states there will be no other Gods in the future.)

So what we have so far is the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are 3 separate persons. All 3 persons are called God and there is only one God. We find this in creation also. All 3 are called the creator and there is only one creator.

THE FATHER IS CREATOR
Isa 45:18 For thus says the LORD, who created the heavens (He is the God who formed the earth and made it, He established it and did not create it a waste place, But formed it to be inhabited), "I am the LORD, and there is none else.
(see also Isa 42:5 & 1 Cor.8:6)

JESUS IS CREATOR
Col 1:13-16 For He delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. And He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation. For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities-- all things have been created by Him and for Him.
(See also John 1:3, Hebrews 1:2, 1 Cor. 8:6)

THE SPIRIT IS CREATOR
Job 26:13 By his spirit he hath garnished the heavens; his hand hath formed the crooked serpent.
Gen 1:2 And the earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep; and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters.
(see also Ps.104:30)

GOD CREATED BY HIMSELF
Isa 44:24 Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, and the one who formed you from the womb, "I, the LORD, am the maker of all things, stretching out the heavens by myself, and spreading out the earth all alone,

He could not say he created "by myself" and "all alone" if the Father, Son & Holy Spirit were 3 separate Gods. To some people these verses would seem to be in conflict with each other. They are not however in conflict at all. The answer is these 3 persons constitute only one God.

Deut 6:4 "Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one!

We find further plurality in the one God in the Old Testament. For example:
Gen 1:26-27 Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." And God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

Notice "Us" & "Our" are plural. Notice also that "His" & "He" are singular. My point again is there is plurality in the one God. There is not 3 Gods, but rather 3 persons in the 1 God.


THE WHOLE TRINITY IN ONE PASSAGE IN THE OLD TESTAMENT
Isa 48:12-16
12 "Listen to me, O Jacob, even Israel whom I called; I am He, I am the first, I am also the last.
13 "Surely My hand founded the earth, and My right hand spread out the heavens; when I call to them, they stand together.
14 "Assemble, all of you, and listen! Who among them has declared these things? The LORD loves him; he shall carry out His good pleasure on Babylon, and His arm shall be against the Chaldeans.
15 "I, even I, have spoken; indeed I have called him, I have brought him, and He will make his ways successful.
16 "Come near to me, listen to this: from the first I have not spoken in secret, from the time it took place, I was there. And now the Lord GOD has sent me, and His Spirit."

Notice verse 12 God is the speaker. The one who has called Israel. He states " I am He, I am the first, I am also the last" Notice "I" & "He" are singular.

Follow the context down and you will see that the speaker who is God and identifies himself as " I am He, I am the first, I am also the last" is also the same one speaking in verse 16. The context does not change speakers. Then this single person (God) speaking says "And now the Lord GOD has sent me, and His Spirit." In this text God is speaking then he says the Lord God has sent me. Not only has he sent him but he also says "and His Spirit" What we have here is 3 separate persons in a singular God.

We find unity in the New Testament in the Trinity as well.
Matt 3:16-17 And after being baptized, Jesus went up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, {and} coming upon Him, and behold, a voice out of the heavens, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased."

Matt 28:19"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,

In these passages we can see all 3, Father, Son & Holy Spirit are separate and also in unity. We can see the Trinity in the birth of Christ as well.

Matt 1:20 But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for that which has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.

Matt 16:16-17 And Simon Peter answered and said, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God." And Jesus answered and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.

Mark 1:1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

Notice that which was conceived in Mary was of the Holy Spirit. Jesus is not called the Son of the Holy Spirit. Jesus is called the Son of God. So here again we have all three. Jesus refers to God the Father as his father yet that which was conceived in Mary was of the Holy Spirit.

Some people say the Trinity is hard to understand, so they cannot believe it. Whether it is hard to understand is not the point. The point is, does the Bible teach it? The fact is, the Bible does teach it. Should it surprise us that God is somewhat complex? I do not fully understand the law of gravity. But I know if I step off a cliff I will fall even if I do not understand or believe this law of gravity. The Bible teaches that there are 3 separate persons that constitute only one God therefore I believe it. I believe it because the Bible is the word of God.

The following are other comparisons, which would cause some to believe scripture conflicts until they recognize that there are 3 persons within the one God.

First, we will see that both the Father and Jesus are called the first and the last. How many, first and last, Alpha and Omega, beginning and the ends are there? The answer is there is only one. There is only one God Is.44:8.

GOD THE FATHER
Isa 41:4 "Who has performed and accomplished it, calling forth the generations from the beginning? 'I, the LORD, am the first, and with the last. I am He.'"

Isa 44:6 "Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: 'I am the first and I am the last, and there is no God besides me.

Isa 48:12 "Listen to me, O Jacob, even Israel whom I called; I am He, I am the first, I am also the last.

JESUS
Rev 1:7-8 Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. Even so. Amen.
"I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty."
(Jesus is the one coming with the clouds, Mt.24:30, 26:64, Mk.13:26, 14:62, 1 Th.4:17)

Rev 1:17-18 And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as a dead man. And He laid His right hand upon me, saying, "Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.

Rev 22:13-16 "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end." Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the immoral persons and the murderers and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying. "I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things for the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, the bright morning star."

Next we will see that your body is a temple of God, your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit and it is Christ that dwells in you. How can this be? ANSWER: These 3 persons make only one God.

YOUR BODY IS A TEMPLE OF GOD
2 Cor 6:16 Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, "I will dwell in them and walk among them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.

1 Cor 3:16 Do you not know that you are a temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?

YOUR BODY IS A TEMPLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
1 Cor 6:19-20 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body. (Jesus\God paid the price Acts 20:28)

CHRIST DWELLS IN YOU
Gal 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me.

Next we will see that God will not give his glory to another. Yet Jesus shared this glory with him. How can this be? ANSWER: They are one God.
Isa 42:8 "I am the LORD, that is My name; I will not give My glory to another, nor My praise to graven images

John 17:5 "And now, glorify Thou Me together with Thyself, Father, with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was.

Who raised Jesus from the dead? The answer is God the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit all raised Jesus from the dead.

1 Cor 6:14 Now God has not only raised the Lord, but will also raise us up through His power. (see also Acts 2:24, Acts 13:30, Romans 6:4)

John 2:19-21 Jesus answered and said to them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days
I will raise it up." The Jews therefore said, "It took forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?" But He was speaking of the temple of His body.
(see also John 10:17-18)

Rom 8:11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who indwells you. (see also 1 Peter 3:18)

What about accusations that the Trinity is a doctrine derived from the 3rd or 4th century?

One well known organization that teaches this misconception is the Watchtower Organization commonly referred to as the Jehovah Witnesses. It is easy to show that the doctrine know as the Trinity was not derived from the 3rd or 4th century. To do this we will simply quote someone who lived before that time period.

Tertullian was a Christian theologian who lived 155-220 A.D. The following quote by him can be found in Roberts, Alexander and Donaldson, James, Ante-Nicene Fathers: Volume III, Tertullian Against Praxeas CH.25.

"What follows Philip’s question, and the Lord’s whole treatment of it, to the end of John’s Gospel, continues to furnish us with statements of the same kind, distinguishing the Father and the Son, with the properties of each. Then there is the Paraclete or Comforter, also, which He promises to pray for to the Father, and to send from heaven after He had ascended to the Father. He is called “another Comforter,” indeed; but in what way He is another we have already shown, “He shall receive of mine,” says Christ, just as Christ Himself received of the Father’s. Thus the connection of the Father in the Son, and of the Son in the Paraclete, produces three coherent Persons, who are yet distinct One from Another. These Three are, one essence, not one Person, as it is said, “I and my Father are One,” in respect of unity of substance not singularity of number."

The following definition of "Paraclete" is by Webster's Collegiate Dictionary 10th edition. Par.a.clete n [ME Paraclyte, fr. LL Paracletus, Paraclitus, fr. Gk Parakletos, lit., advocate, intercessor, fr. parakalein to invoke, fr. para- + kalein to call--more at low] (15c): holy spirit

Tertullian here is referring to John 14: 9-16 where Jesus said he would ask of the Father and he would send the Holy Spirit also referred to as another Comforter in the King James Version of the Bible. We see in this text that Tertullian referred to the Paraclete as the Holy Spirit. Notice he stated that the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit were three persons that were distinct from one another. He further stated that these three persons were one in essence. Tertullian just defined the Trinity remember he lived 155-220 A.D.

Compare what Tertullian said to the following from Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary.
TRINITY The coexistence of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit in the unity of the Godhead (divine nature or essence). The doctrine of the trinity means that within the being and activity of the one God there are three distinct persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

We can go back even earlier than this. Ignatius was a disciple of the Apostle John who wrote the gospel of John, 1,2& 3rd John and the book of Revelation in the New Testament. Now Ignatius had the distinct advantage that he could actually ask John questions by what he meant in his writings We find that Ignatius also taught the Trinity and the Apostle John personally taught him.

Roberts, Alexander and Donaldson, James, Ante-Nicene Fathers: Volume I
The Epistle of Ignatius to the Philippians.
Chapter I.—Reason for Writing the Epistle.

BEING mindful of your love and of your zeal in Christ, which ye have manifested towards us, we thought it fitting to write to you, who display such a godly and spiritual love to the brethren, to put you in remembrance of your Christian course, “that ye all speak the same thing, being of one mind, thinking the same thing, and walking by the same rule of faith,” as Paul admonished you. For if there is one God of the universe, the Father of Christ, “of whom are all things; ” and one Lord Jesus Christ, our [Lord], “by whom are all things; ” and also one Holy Spirit, who wrought in Moses, and in the prophets and apostles; and also one baptism, which is administered that we should have fellowship with the death of the Lord; and also one elect Church; there ought likewise to be but one faith in respect to Christ. For “there is one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is through all, and in all.”

Chapter II.—Unity of the Three Divine Persons.
There is then one God and Father, and not two or three; One who is; and there is no other besides Him, the only true [God]. For “the Lord thy God,” saith [the Scripture], “is one Lord.” And again, “Hath not one God created us? Have we not all one Father? And there is also one Son, God the Word. For “the only-begotten Son,” saith [the Scripture], “who is in the bosom of the Father.” And again, “One Lord Jesus Christ.” And in another place, “What is His name, or what His Son’s name, that we may know? ” And there is also one Paraclete. For “there is also,” saith [the Scripture], “one Spirit,” since “we have been called in one hope of our calling.” And again, “We have drunk of one Spirit,” with what follows. And it is manifest that all these gifts [possessed by believers] “worketh one and the self-same Spirit.” There are not then either three Fathers, or three Sons, or three Paracletes, but one Father, and one Son, and one Paraclete.
Wherefore also the Lord, when He sent forth the apostles to make disciples of all nations, commanded them to “baptize in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost,” not unto one [person] having three names, nor into three [persons] who became incarnate, but into three possessed of equal honour

Some cults such as the Mormons will take verses out of context to try and show there is more than one God. Jehovah Witnesses and others will also try desperately try to argue against the Trinity. Not only is the Trinity a biblical doctrine it is the historic teaching of the church. If you are having trouble with any passages that cults take out of context to argue against the Trinity please contact me through ReasonableAnswers.org
I would be glad to be of help.

Deut 6:4 "Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one!

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