The one true God has revealed himself in Scripture as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This glorious mystery, known as the Trinity, is the cornerstone of the Christian faith, and it sets Christianity apart from all other religions and cults.
While the actual word “Trinity” doesn’t appear in Scripture, the truth that it represents is taught explicitly and implicitly. Jesus himself commanded his disciples to baptize new believers “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19). Scripture’s teaching on the Trinity requires careful thinking, but it’s important to remember that this doctrine is not a problem to be solved. It’s a mystery to be received, and it should evoke praise and awe from Christians.1
Three Truths to Affirm about the Trinity
To understand the Trinity rightly, we need to affirm at least three truths.
1. There is one God.
From beginning to end, Scripture teaches that there is one true and living God.2 This God created all things, sustains all things, redeems sinners by his grace, and will bring all of creation to its appointed consummation. All other so-called “gods” are in reality “worthless idols” that cannot compare to the Lord (Psalm 96:5).
2. The Father, Son, and Spirit are each fully God.
The one true God exists eternally as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. These three persons are each fully divine and equally deserving of worship. The Father is God,3 the Son is God,4 and the Holy Spirit is God.5
3. The Father, Son, and Spirit are distinct persons.
While the Father, Son, and Spirit exist as one God, they are distinct persons who exist in relation to one another.6 The Father is distinguished from the Son (John 1:1–3); the Son is distinguished from the Spirit (John 14:26); and the Spirit is distinguished from both the Father and the Son (John 15:26). The distinction between the persons of the Trinity is evident in Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan river: as the Spirit comes to rest on Jesus, the Father voices his pleasure in his beloved Son (Matthew 3:16–17).
Based on the truths above, we can say that God is both one and three. Yet, this is not a contradiction, because God is not one in the same sense that he is three. He is one with respect to his divine essence and three with respect to persons. If we fail to affirm one (or more) of the three truths listed above, we risk falling into grave error.
Two Errors to Avoid Concerning the Trinity
Next, we’ll consider two errors to avoid when it comes to the doctrine of the Trinity. These errors have shown up in different forms throughout the church’s history.
1. Modalism
While modalists rightly affirm that God is one in essence, they believe the Father, Son, and Spirit are merely “modes” of God’s interaction with the world.7 Modalism fails to see the persons of the Trinity as eternally distinct persons that relate to one another. Oneness Pentecostals are a modern-day example of modalists.
2. Subordinationism
Subordinationism affirms that the Father, Son, and Spirit are distinct persons, yet it denies that the Son and the Spirit have existed eternally as God, thus making them inferior to God the Father. Even when subordinationists refer to the Son as divine, it is a lesser form of deity because it only became a reality at a certain point in time. Subordinationism relegates the Son of God to the category of a creature, which contradicts the consistent teaching of Scripture.8 Jehovah’s Witnesses are a modern-day example of subordinationism.
Three Ways the Trinity is at Work in Our Lives
Finally, we need to consider how the Bible’s teaching on the Trinity affects our lives in practical ways.
Conviction and conversion
The Holy Spirit convicts us of sin and reveals our need for Christ (John 16:7–11). When we put our faith in Christ, we find out—usually much later—that the Father has drawn us (John 6:44) and the Spirit has caused us to be born again unto eternal life (John 3:3–8).
Prayer and confidence
With the Son of God as our great high priest (Hebrews 4:14–16), we can approach the Father with confidence (Hebrews 10:19–22). Likewise, the Spirit gives us the confidence to cry out to God as our Father, for he, the Spirit, is the Spirit of Christ (Romans 8:15; Galatians 4:6).
Perseverance and assurance
As believers, we are held safely in the hands of the Son and the Father (John 10:28–30), which means we will never perish. The Spirit is the guarantee of our eternal inheritance (Ephesians 1:13–14), and he assures us that we are children of God (Romans 8:16).
- For many of the truths explained in this article, see David Platt, Secret Church 4, “Who is God?” (See pgs. 51–57 of the Secret Church 4 Study Guide.); Scott Swain, The Trinity: An Introduction. ↵
- Genesis 1:1; Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 45:5–6; Mark 12:29; 1 Corinthians 8:6; 1 John 5:20. ↵
- John 20:17; 1 Corinthians 8:6. ↵
- John 1:1; 2 Peter 1:1. ↵
- Acts 5:3–4; 1 Corinthians 2:10–12; 2 Corinthians 3:17. ↵
- All three persons of the Trinity are manifest when Jesus is baptized in the Jordan River: the Spirit comes to rest on Jesus and the Father voices his pleasure in his beloved Son (Matthew 3:16–17). ↵
- Scott Swain, The Trinity: An Introduction, 82–83. ↵
- John 1:1–3; Colossians 1:16; Hebrews 1:10. ↵
