Can You Defend the Trinity?

The word apologetics is derived from a Greek word which means, “speaking in defense”. It is used typically to defend religious truths through systematic argumentations. In a sense, we are all apologists. If you speak to other people about your faith, you are an apologist. Dr. R.C. Sproul once noted that everyone is a theologian. Some are better theologians than others. In the same way, we are all apologists. Some are just better at apologetics than others.

Some of the most important, yet difficult areas of the Bible and Christianity to defend is often the Doctrine of the Trinity. The Doctrine of the Trinity states that God eternally exists as three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and each person is fully God, and there is only one God.

The word, “trinity”, is never found in the Bible, but it is taught throughout Scripture. Trinity means, “tri-unity” or “three-in-oneness”.

 

The Trinity in the Old Testament

The Trinity is not exclusive to the New Testament. Several passage in the Old Testament suggest that God exists in more than one person.

“Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” (Genesis 1:26)

Notice here that God appears to be speaking in plural when he says, “Let US make man in OUR image, after OUR likeness.” Some may say that God is speaking to angels, but angels did not participate in the creation of man, and man was not created in the image of angels. The best explanation would seem to be that God exists as more than one person.

“Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—” (Genesis 3:22)

“Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another's speech.” (Genesis 11:7)

These are just some examples in the Old Testament where it would appear that God has existed in a Trinitarian form. As the New Testament begins and Jesus comes to Earth, we would expect that there would be more teachings about the other persons of God. As we will see shortly, there is much about the Trinity in the New Testament. 

God is three persons, and all three persons are distinct from each other.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God.  All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.” (John 1:1-2)

Since the “Word” is with God, it shows distinction from God the Father. 

“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” (John 14:26)

 The Father will send the Spirit, showing distinction between all three persons. 

“Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.” (John 16:7)

 This indicates that Christ will go back to Heaven, while the Sprit will be sent for the Church. 

“Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.” (John 17:24)

 In the way Jesus speaks to the Father shows a distinction, yet they still share the glory. 

“My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” (1 John 2:1)

In order to advocate for us, the Son must be distinct from the Father.

Each person is fully God.

God the Father is clearly God. This is clear from the first verse of the Bible in Genesis in creation, and is evident throughout the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Son is fully God.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God.  All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.  In him was life, and the life was the light of men.” (John 1:1-4)

Again, here it clearly shows the deity of Christ. John refers to Christ as “the Word” and states that he was “with God” and “was God”. It is significant that John 1 is so similar to Genesis 1. 

“Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” (John 8:58) By declaring himself, “I AM”, Jesus was declaring himself as Yahweh. And as a result, the Jews attempted to stone Jesus, but he hid himself. “And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.” (John 17:5)

 During the High Priestly Prayer, Jesus asked to return with the Father where they co-existed before the world began. 

“So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.” Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”  Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.”  Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20: 25-28)

Thomas was a devout Jew and for him to say “My God” in a way that he was surprised would have been blasphemy for a Jew. Also, Jesus, if not divine, would have rebuked him, as the angel did when John tried to worship them in Revelation.

The Holy Spirit is fully God. Since we can see that the Father and the Son are both God, we can see significance  in a verse like Matthew 28:19:

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,”

 It shows the Holy Spirit on the same footing as the Son and the Father. 

“But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property,  and with his wife's knowledge he kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostles' feet.  But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land?  While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to man but to God.” (Acts 5:1-4)

Peter stated that if you lie to the Holy Spirit, you have lied to God. 

“Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!” (Psalm 139:7-8)

Here David is acknowledging God’s omnipresence and the Spirit is mentioned with it. Omnipresence is not a characteristic of any of God’s other creations. David has put God and the Spirit together and acknowledges that if you flee from the Spirit, you flee from God, which is impossible because God is always there. 

“But, as it is written,“What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”— these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. 11 For who knows a person's thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.” (1 Corinthians 2:9-11)

Paul writes here and explains that the Holy Spirit has the omniscience characteristic, where it is all knowing.

There is one God.

Scripture is crystal clear that there is only one God. There are not three gods, only one God. But there are three different persons in one God. They think the same way, and their nature is the same.

-          “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might." (Deuteronomy 6:4-5)

-          “Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?" (Exodus 15:11)

-          "I am the Lord, and there is no other, besides me there is no God; I equip you, though you do not know me, that people may know, from the rising of the sun and from the west, that there is none besides me; I am the Lord, and there is no other." (Isaiah 45: 5-6)

-          "Declare and present your case; let them take counsel together! Who told this long ago? Who declared it of old? Was it not I, the Lord?  And there is no other god besides me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is none besides me. “Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other." (Isaiah 45:21-22)

-          "For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus..." (1 Timothy 2:5)

-           "...yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist." (1 Corinthians 8:6)

Beware of analogies

When attempting to describe the Trinity to others in a way to make it easier to understand, we must be very careful of using analogies. We’ve all heard various analogies that are good meaning, but fail to give a true understanding of the Trinity. When we use faulty analogies to teach others, we then have a generation full of people who have a faulty understanding of the Trinity.

A three leaf clover is one analogy that is often used. They say that because a clover has three leaves, but is one clover. However, each leaf is only part of the clover and each leaf is not the whole clover.

Another analogy that is popular and on the surface may seem to make sense. Steam, water, and ice are all forms of water. However, they all have different characteristics. And when we start teaching using this analogy, we are using modalism, the teaching that God has revealed himself in three different modes. This is in contrast to Trinitarian teaching and has been condemned throughout Church history. We should be very careful in using analogies to describe the Trinity. There really is not a good analogy to describe the Trinity.

Know the arguments against the Trinity

Not only should you be aware of what Scripture has to say about the Trinity, you should also be aware of some of the argument against the Doctrine of the Trinity. Arianism was created by Arius, an elder of Alexandria born in 256 AD. His views were condemned at the Council of Nicea in 325 AD. Arius taught that the Son and the Spirit are created beings and not equal with the Father. 

“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.  For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.  And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” (Colossians 1:15)

Arius would argue that “first born” here would indicate that Christ was created. However, when properly understood, it means that Christ has the rights of a first born, which in biblical customs would mean he has leadership and authority.

Jehovah’s Witnesses claim that Jesus was not divine and that the Holy Spirit is an “active force” and not a person. Based on their belief, Jesus can not be a part of the Trinity because he was a created being. Jehovah Witnesses also point to Colossians 1:15 as Arians do. John 1:1 is a verse that their translation, the New World Translation, differs from all other translations. The NWT says, “the Word was a god.” However, to show the inconsistencies of the NWT, that is the only time is says “a god”, when other times it never prefaces god with that. 

Mormonism was founded by Joseph Smith in 1830. Those who adhere to this belief are called Latter-day Saints or Mormons. Mormons believe that Jesus is a created being, born to the Father and a celestial mother. Therefore, Jesus could not be part of the God-head. They also teach that the Father and Son are men with bodies of flesh and bone. They are separate people and can not be considered one.

What to expect when defending the Trinity

We have to understand that the Doctrine of the Trinity is hard for us to understand, which also means it will sound like a contradiction to non-believers. We must defend the Trinity and give a good, solid defense for it. But understand, that even though we are to give a defense for it, unbelievers will not respond to it. Christ’s sheep hear his voice, which in turn means that those who are not Christ’s sheep will not hear his voice. Only when God takes action on the sinner, will the Trinity make sense to them, and they will then respond to what the word of God says.

The Doctrine of the Trinity is a biblical teaching. If we are to be consistent in our study and belief, we must affirm these three truths: there is one true God, there are three persons revealed to be God, and they are equal but have unique natures. There is one being of God that is shared by three persons. This is an issue that there can be no compromise on. If Jesus wasn’t God, and is a created being, then how can he pay the debt for our sins? The Gospel itself is a Trinitarian act of God: the origin is in the Father, it is accomplished in the Son, and its application is in the Spirit.