The Trinity is one of the most difficult things about God to understand in the Bible. The word “trinity” doesn’t appear anywhere in the Bible, it is a word created by people to explain what we can see and understand about God in the Bible.
Even though it is difficult for us to understand the Trinity, we cannot deny what the Bible reveals to us about God. Part of what it reveals is that God is one God, and three persons. I use the word “persons” deliberately. God isn’t three parts; He is three persons.
Think about yourself for a moment. Even you are made up of three parts. You are body, mind, and soul. Science can’t even explain the mystery of a human being. We don’t really understand how the brain works, or fully understand how it interacts with the body – but think beyond “brain” to “mind” – your thoughts, your self-awareness, your feelings, emotions, conscience – somehow your “mind” exists in your “brain”. And we completely fail to understand how our body and mind interacts with our soul.
When we think about the Trinity, it is important to understand and believe that Jesus is God. Some people try to deny this, but the Bible is clear on it. John 1:1 says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” and then in v14 “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth”. “Became flesh” means Jesus, the son, the “Word” became a man.
Jesus claimed to be God: John 10:30 “I and the Father are one.”
If any ordinary human claimed to be God, then we would laugh at them, but Jesus forgave people their sins, performed miracles that no human could do, told the future, and rose from the dead. He calmed a raging storm and raised the dead by simply speaking to them. Jesus more than proved that He is who He says He is.
The apostle Paul wrote letters to the Churches, explaining these things about Jesus.
Colossians 2:9 “For in him [Jesus] the whole fullness of deity [God] dwells bodily”
In this verse, Paul is saying that the fullness of God lives in Jesus’ body.
And it’s not just the New Testament. Isaiah 9:6 gives us a wonderful prophesy about Jesus, hundreds of years before He was born: “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
Can you see in this wonderful description of Jesus, the “child”, the “son”, that He is also called “Mighty God” and “Everlasting Father”. Jesus is Son, Father, and God.
Let’s start with Jesus’ baptism. In Matthew 3:13-17 we read about it. In v16-17 we see all three persons of the Trinity.
As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”
I hope you can see the three people here. We have Jesus, the son. We have the Spirit of God, descending as a dove, and we have the Father, speaking from heaven: “this is my son”.
Jesus said in 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”.
Notice how Jesus doesn’t say “names” – but “name” – One name, one God, three persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
We’ve seen that God is difficult to understand because He is God. But the bible does reveal Him to us. He is one God, and three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. There are ways we can try to explain the idea of the “trinity”, but none are perfect. What we must do is believe God’s word, and not reject the parts that are difficult to accept or understand. Father, Son, and Spirit, all love us, and planned to save us, and play their part is saving us.
Don’t forget, you can always speak with your youth leaders, Pastor, elders or older Christians if you want to know more.
