Facts
about the Trinity
The doctrine of the Trinity
is regarded as fundamental by many churches, although the word “trinity” nowhere
appears in the Bible. In fact, the word did not even appear in Christian literature
until the beginning of the third century. Tertullian, who introduced the word,
used it in a very different way than it is used today. The Father alone, he
wrote, was without beginning: the Son had a beginning, and his pre-human existence
was of the angelic nature. The oneness of the Father and the Son was a oneness
of purpose and will.
Early
Church Writers
Both Protestant and Catholic
Bible scholars recognize that the doctrine of the Trinity did not become church
dogma until the fourth century. Early church writers were emphatic in asserting
that the Father was superior to the Son, and as late as the third century
the majority regarded the Spirit of God as merely a divine power, and not
another person.1
The Jews, whom God dealt with exclusively during the Old Testament times,
never believed in a triune God. The rabbinical writings (Talmud) which date
from Old Testament times are voluminous, yet the concept of a trinity is not
once mentioned in them. The New Catholic Encyclopedia concedes that the doctrine
of the Trinity is not taught in the Old Testament.2
Neither does the New Testament teach this doctrine.
The words of Jesus in
the New Testament clearly teach that the Father is a being that is superior
to the Son.
“I can of mine own self
do nothing . . . my judgment is just because I seek not mine own will, but
the will of the Father which hath sent me.” John
5:30
“. . . my Father is greater
than I.”
John 14:28
“. . . as my Father hath
sent me, even so I send you.” John
20:21
“. . . I ascend unto my
Father, and your Father: and to my God and your God.” John
20:17
In the last verse quoted
above, note that the Heavenly Father is said to be the God of Jesus. And Jesus
spoke of his Father (John
17:3) as the “only
true God.”
The
Word was with God
John 1:1 is frequently
cited in support of the doctrine of the Trinity, for our common version says
that the “. . . Word was with God and the Word was God.” But that expression
contains a contradiction, for how can the Word be God and be with God at the
same time? This contradiction is not found in the Greek text.
“. . . the Word was with the God and a god was the Word.” John 1:1 (See the Emphatic Diaglott Interlinear)
This translation expressed
the thought that the Apostle John intended: that our Lord was with “the God”
(our Heavenly Father) and that our Lord was “a god” (a mighty godlike one).
The night before he was crucified, Jesus prayed to the Father (John
17:5) that, when
resurrected, he might have “. . . the glory which I had with thee before the
world was.” And God granted this request that Jesus made that night in Gethsemane,
for Paul tells us (Philippians
2:9) that God has
“. . . highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name.”
I and
My Father are One
Truly, Jesus is a god,
a mighty one, a ruler. But he is not the Supreme Deity. Whenever the
Bible uses the word “God” in the sense of a supreme Deity, it is referring
to the Father alone – never to the Son. True, Jesus said, “I and my Father
are one.” (John 10:30) But he later explained that this is the same oneness
that was to exist between him and his disciples: “Holy Father, keep through
thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as
we are.” (John
17:11) The oneness
of the Father and the Son is a oneness of purpose and will. God is the author,
Jesus the honored executor, of the Father’s plans. Thus Paul writes: “But
to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in
him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.” (1
Corinthians 8:6) The high spiritual glory that Jesus now enjoys (Philippians
2:8, 9) was received
as a gift from the Father, a reward for his obedience on earth. Peter also
speaks of this relationship between God and Jesus, saying (Acts
5:30, 31) “The God
of our Fathers raised up Jesus . . . him hath God exalted.” And Paul reminds
us (Hebrews
1:4) that Jesus
“. . . hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name” than the angels.
That “God the Father”
is a separate and superior being to “Jesus the Son” is evident by our Lord’s
obedience to God’s commands. (Hebrews
5:8; John 4:34; Luke 22:42)
The fact that many of the secrets of God’s plan were not revealed to Jesus
until after his resurrection (Mark
13:32; Revelation 5:1-4)
shows that the Father and the Son were separate beings but with a “oneness”
of character and purpose.
The Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is neither
God nor Lord. Nowhere in the Bible is the Holy Spirit called “God.” Many of
the New Testament epistles open with greetings from the Father and the Son,
but the Holy Spirit never sends greetings – because it is not a person. The
Spirit of God is not another God, but the power or influence emanating from
the one true God, and from his Son, Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 1:21; Luke 4:1,
14, 18
The “Spirit of God,” the
“Spirit of Truth,” the “Spirit of Liberty,” the “Spirit of Understanding,”
and the “Spirit of Love” are a few of the Scriptural terms used to describe
the one mind, the disposition or influence of God. These are not titles of
one or more Gods, any more than the opposite terms – The “Spirit of ,”
the “Spirit of Fear,” the “Spirit of Slumber,” and the “Spirit of Antichrist”
– are names of one or more devils.
The Holy Spirit is the
power that energized the true Christian in the service of the Lord (Romans
8:11) It is the
power that enabled the prophets to work miracles. (Judges
14:6) It is “shed”
abundantly upon believers of this age (Titus
3:6), and during
the reign of Christ it is to be “poured out upon all flesh.” Joel
2:28; Zechariah 12:10
Those who advocate the
dogma of the Trinity concede that it is a mystery which nobody can understand.
The true teachings of the Bible are entirely reasonable and contain no contradictions
which must be rationalized under the heading of “mystery.” The Father is really
a father; the Son is truly a son. When Jesus died on our behalf, he actually
died.
But what is the source
of this doctrine? If it was not taught in the Bible, and was not believed
by the early church, where did it begin? After the twelve apostles died, a
gradual falling away from the original faith occurred. Great numbers of Pagans
entered the church, bringing with them Pagan ideas. The Trinity is one of
many Pagan concepts which corrupted Christian doctrine during the early centuries
of the Christian era. Originating in Babylon, the “trinity concept” spread
throughout the ancient world, and became a prominent feature of the Grecian
Roman, Egyptian, Japanese, Indian, Siberian, Scandinavian, and Persian Mythologies.
- Adolf Harnack, OUTLINES OF THE HISTORY OF DOGMA, trans. E. K. Mitchell (Starr King Press), 1957, p. 266 (a Trinitarian source).
- NEW CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA, 1967 edition, Vol. XIV, p. 306.
The wise Christian will
not establish his faith upon human traditions, which he is cautioned to avoid.
(Colossians
2:8) It is the duty
and privilege of every Christian to study the Bible for himself. To assist
you in this endeavor please see our literature list.
On this topic we particularly
recommend:
THE
ATONEMENT BETWEEN GOD AND MAN
All
are available from Bible Today in printed format.