Week 7: God the Father and the Trinity
God is able to be known, and at the same time, is full of incomprehensible mystery. One of those mysteries is the plurality of the Godhead. Our God, the God of the Bible, is one God in three Persons.
We call this the Trinity.
I wish I could eloquently and simply explain the mystery of the Trinity, but it is impossible. It’s like trying to explain the internet to an ant. But, despite the complexity of the plurality of the Godhead, the Trinity isn’t a liability to our faith; rather, it sets our faith apart from all other religions. Our finite minds can’t quite comprehend all of this, but I consider the Trinity to be the most beautiful and foundational truth of our faith.
Deuteronomy 6:4 declares: The LORD our God, the LORD is one (see my commentary on Deuteronomy, to see link click Bw – Sh’ma Isra’el).
Isra’el’s God, the God we worship, is distinct and unequaled. He is not powerful over just one area of our life, but in all of life. He is sovereign, reigning over and in control of all things. He is altogether holy and set apart from everything and everyone. There is none like Him. Yet, He is infinitely faithful, making a way for us to be holy before Him, through the ministry of Himself, His Son, Yeshua Messiah, and the Ruach Ha’Kodesh. This is the delight and distinctiveness of our faith.
The word Trinity is not found in the Bible, but the concept is made clearer as we study the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. There are a dozen examples of the Trinity in the Scriptures, but three in particular are Isaiah 48:16-17, Matthew 28:19, Acts 10:38. These passages point to the Trinity as being active together, each Person coequal with the others. Each Person is eternal, having existed and will exist forever; being all-knowing (omniscient), all-powerful (omnipotent), ever-present (omnipresent), and unchanging. They are perfect in their union, sharing in divine perfection, action, and mission. There is no hierarchy with one Person being more powerful or supreme than the other.
Each Person of the Trinity is distinct from the others. The Father is not the Son or the Spirit, the Son is not the Spirit or the Father, and the Spirit is not the Father or the Son. The Father brings about the Son, and the Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son. They are unified, and yet distinct – one God – not three gods or three views of one Person. The Trinity is an antimony, two things seemingly at odds with each other, but both are true.
They are also distinct in their roles. The Father exercises the primary role in creation (working with the Son and the Spirit to create). The Son exercises the primary role in salvation (working with the Father and the Spirit to save). The Spirit exercises the primary role in our being set apart for God’s holy purposes (working with the Father and the Son in our being conformed into the image of Christ).
God chose us in Him by His eternal plan, sent Yeshua to redeem us by shedding His blood, then sealed us with His Spirit as a down payment of our eternal security. Without the plurality of the Godhead, our faith would be in vain.
It’s OK to be a little bit baffled about the Trinity. It is a mystery that will not be completely understood until we are in heaven. But that doesn’t mean we discard or ignore it. To know God is to know Him as the Trinity. And knowing the One we worship helps us to correctly talk about, think about, and praise Him. He is an incomprehensible mystery, yet close and personal. He is the Father who generates all life, the Son who reveals the Father and saves God’s people, and the Spirit who is the Giver of eternal life, comfort, and guidance.
ADONAI is three Persons – but one God. He is unlike anything or anyone in the universe. He is beyond what we can think or imagine. He is good, and He cares about you.
Finally, the Church has believed in the Trinity for 21 Centuries. Therefore, to be a believer, is to believe in the Trinity!
Study questions for Lesson Seven: God the Father and the Trinity
Can God be known? Yes
Is God a mystery? Yes
What do we call this mystery? The Trinity, One God in three Persons
Can our finite minds explain this mystery? No
Is the word Trinity found in the Bible? No
Then how is the concept made clear? When we study the Bible from Genesis to Revelation
What Scriptures point to the Trinity? Deut 6:4, Isaiah 48:16-17, Matthew 28:19, Acts 10:38
Is there a hierarchy within the Trinity? No, they are all co-equal
Is each person of the Trinity distinct from each other? Yes
Do they have different roles? Yes
What is the primary role of the Father? The Father exercises the primary role in creation
What is the primary role of the Son? The Son exercises the primary role in salvation
What is the primary role of the Spirit? Being set apart for God’s holy purposes
Is it ok to be a little baffled by the Trinity? Yes
When will we understand it completely? When we get to heaven
Can you be a believer and not believe in the Trinity? No!
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