I.        INTRODUCTION

A.      So far in this study of Deity, we have considered some good reasons for believing in Deity and the essential character of Deity, which is holiness.

B.      Presently, let us notice the plural personality of Deity, which is expressed in the term “Trinity.”

                                                             1.      The idea of the Holy Trinity can be a challenging concept, and it is troubling for some.

                                                             2.      Nevertheless, we can understand the Trinity by carefully considering the Bible’s revelation of the Godhead – the Holy Father, the Holy Son, and the Holy Spirit.

II.      ONE GOD, THREE PERSONS

A.      The Bible is very clear in presenting God as the only true and living Deity.

                                                             1.      Consider the following:

a.       “Hear, O Israel!  The LORD is our God, the LORD is one!” (Deut. 6:4)

i.         Note that “LORD” (capital letters) in the KJV, NKJV, and NASB is an interpretation of God’s name YHWH, or Jehovah.  This name is derived from the verb hayah, which means “to be.”  See Exodus 3:13-15 and His name “I AM.”

ii.        The name Jehovah (LORD) is used more than 6,000 times in the Old Testament to describe Deity.

b.       “I am the LORD, and there is no other; besides Me there is no god.” (Isa. 45:5)

c.        “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” (John 17:3)

                                                             2.      Just as these and other passages of Scripture exalt God (Jehovah) as the only Deity, there are also many passages that explicitly deny the existence of any other gods (1Cor. 8:4 for example).

B.      However, the Bible also presents God in multiple persons.

                                                             1.      The very first chapter of the Bible presents the plural existence of God.

a.       Notice Genesis 1:26 – “Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness…’” (see also Gen. 3:22).

b.       The word “God” in Genesis 1 is translated from the Hebrew word elohiym, which is a plural noun that is used more than 2,300 times in the Old Testament to designate Deity.

c.        Even though elohiym is a plural noun, it is matched with singular verbs.  In this way, even the grammar of Genesis 1 recognizes both the unity and the plurality of God.

                                                             2.      The Old Testament gives occasional glimpses of this aspect of God, but the New Testament gives a more perfect explanation.

a.       The New Testament reveals God as three distinct persons.

i.         One person is the Father.  As the name “Father” implies, God the Father is revealed as an Almighty Patriarch over heaven and earth.  It is most often the Father who is implied by the term “God” in the N.T. (see Eph. 5:20 for example).

ii.        Another person is the Son, Jesus Christ, who is identified explicitly as God in John 1:1, Philippians 2:5-6, Colossians 2:9, and other passages.  It is He who came to earth to be the Mediator between God and man.

iii.      The third person is the Holy Spirit, who is shown to be the same as God in Acts 5:3-4 and other passages.  He is the Great Communicator between God and man.

b.       Each of the persons in the Trinity is fully God, yet they are all distinct from one another.

i.         Notice how all three (Father, Son, and Spirit) were distinctly present at the baptism of Jesus (Matt. 3:16-17).  Similarly, all three of these are to be invoked at the baptism of disciples (Matt. 28:19).

ii.        Also notice how Paul mentioned all three members of the Godhead in 2Corinthians 13:14 (“the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit”; see also 1Pet. 1:2).

C.      So then, how should we understand the concept of three persons within one God?

                                                             1.      Maybe we can find an example in our own history to help us understand.

a.       Prior to the Civil War, the term “United States” was considered plural because the individual states were emphasized (people would say, “The United States are a nation”).  After the Civil War, the term “United States” became singular because the unified nation was emphasized (we now say, “The United States is a nation”).

b.       In a similar way, God has a plural personality but a single, unified existence.

                                                             2.      Perhaps the best way to understand the Trinity by the phrase “unity in diversity.”

a.       The Father, the Son, and the Spirit are unified in purpose and nature, but they are diversified in function and personality.

b.       In the remainder of this lesson and this series, we will consider various aspects of this unity and diversity for all three members of the Trinity.

III.   COMMON TRAITS OF THE TRINITY

A.      As we consider some common characteristics of the persons in the Trinity, let us understand that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are not only similar to one another, but they are exactly the same.

                                                             1.      We can search the Scriptures and attempt to extract diverse facts about each person in the Godhead, but we will find many times that these facts are deeply entangled and inextricable.  This is because the Father, the Son, and the Spirit are unified and inseparable as one God.

                                                             2.      It is not easy to decipher where one ends and the next begins.  Consider these overlapping terms:

a.       The Son is called “Eternal Father” in Isaiah 9:6.

b.       The Spirit is called “the Spirit of your Father” in Matthew 10:20 and “the Spirit of Christ” in 1Peter 1:11.

c.        Likewise, the Spirit is called “the Spirit of God” and “the Spirit of Christ” in Romans 8:9.

                                                             3.      In most cases, we will find that whatever is said about one person in the Godhead is usually true of the others.  Whatever is true of God is true of each member of the Trinity.

B.      As we studied in the previous lesson, God is holy, which means all three members of the Trinity are holy.

                                                             1.      The Father (John 17:11), the Son (Luke 1:35), and the Spirit (John 14:26) are all described as holy, which means that each is separated, uncommon, and exalted.

                                                             2.      Perhaps the three members of the Godhead are one reason that the seraphim said, “Holy, holy, holy” (Isa. 6:3; Rev. 4:8).  In fact, 3 is significant as the divine number in the book of Revelation.

C.      All three members of the Trinity share the trait of omnipotence, which means they are all-powerful.

                                                             1.      It is God the Father whom we typically envision when we speak of the Almighty God and Creator of all things (Jer. 32:17, 27; Matt. 6:13; Rev. 21:22).

                                                             2.      Equal to His Father, Christ the Almighty Son was God’s instrument of creation and has been given all power in heaven and on earth (Matt. 28:18; John 1:1-3; Col. 1:15-18; Heb. 1:3; Rev. 1:8).

                                                             3.      The Holy Spirit is likewise endowed with the full power of the Almighty (Luke 1:35).

D.      All three members of the Trinity also share the trait of omniscience, which means they are all-knowing.

                                                             1.      The Holy Father knows and sees all things, including the things hidden from the eyes of men (Matt. 6:6; 10:29; Heb. 4:13; 1John 3:20).

                                                             2.      Likewise, the Son has the full insight of Deity along with the Father (Matt. 9:4; John 2:25; 16:15).

                                                             3.      The Holy Spirit also shares in all knowledge with the Father and the Son (John 16:13-16; 1Cor. 2:10-11).

E.       Likewise, all three members of the Trinity share the trait of omnipresence, which means they are ever-present.

                                                             1.      God the Father dwells in heaven, but He is always near to all of us (Jer. 23:23-24; Acts 17:27).

                                                             2.      Jesus the Son referred to His omnipresence when He promised the apostles He would be with them always (Matt. 28:20)

                                                             3.      David recognized the abiding, inescapable presence of the Holy Spirit in Psalm 139:7-10.

F.       Finally, all three members of the Trinity are eternal, meaning that they have no beginning and no end.

                                                             1.      God is frequently described as eternal or everlasting.  Notice Isaiah 41:4, where God said, “I, the LORD, am the first, and with the last, I am He.”  This is an expression of His eternal nature.

                                                             2.      Similarly, the following is quoted of the Son in Revelation 1:8, “‘I am the Alpha and the Omega,’ says the Lord God, ‘who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty’” (also 21:6; 22:13).

                                                             3.      The Holy Spirit is also eternal, for He is called the “eternal Spirit” in Hebrews 9:14.

IV.    CONCLUSION – DO YOU KNOW GOD?

A.      If concepts of the Trinity seem difficult, then let us remember that some things are simply too wonderful for the mind of man (Job 42:3; Ps. 139:6).  Let us do the best we can to understand.

B.      Moreover, let us be thankful for the opportunity of knowing God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit through the Holy Scriptures.  To know the Trinity is to know God, and no relationship is more important than that which we have with Almighty God.