Isaiah 6:1-3
The doctrine of the Trinity is what makes Christianity stand out from all the religions of the world. But it is, beyond doubt, the hardest Christian doctrine to understand: the idea that we worship one God who has revealed Himself in three distinct Persons.
How Do We Know About the Holy Trinity?
The only way we can understand—or believe—that God Almighty is triune is by picking up the Bible and reading it.
“Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!”…Also I heard the voice of the LORD, saying: “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” (Isaiah 6:3b,8,Emphasis added).
Even here, we see an insight: holy is the Father, holy is the Son, and holy is the Spirit. And the Lord says, “Who will go for us?”—plural.
There is not even one way to illustrate the Trinity. (See Isaiah 40:18.) But you see reflections of the triune Godhead all around. Space is height, width, and depth. Time is past, present, and future. You cannot have a past without a present. All are distinct, yet all are part of the same.
A man is body, soul, and spirit. Man, made in the image of a triune God, has a triune nature.
The Trinity in the Old Testament
The Trinity at Creation
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1).
The word “God” in this Scripture is Elohim—with the plural ending -im. God is a plurality acting as a unity.
Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness…” (Genesis 1:26a).
To whom is God speaking? We are not made in the likeness of angels. God is communing with His triunity. Elohim made the heavens and the Earth. (See Genesis 1:1; John 1:1-3; Job 26:13.)
The Trinity in the Shema
“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one!” (Deuteronomy 6:4).
The word “LORD” comes from Jehovah, singular. “God” is plural: Elohim. There is no contradiction here, because the word “one,” echad, means a collective one.
The Trinity in Prophecy
Do not get the idea that in the New Testament, we suddenly learn that God has a Son.
“I will declare the decree: The LORD has said to Me, ‘You are My Son, today I have begotten You. Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for Your possession.’” (Psalm 2:6-8).
Even in the Old Testament, Jesus is prophesied and shown as co-equal and co-eternal with God the Father.
The Trinity in the New Testament
“And the angel answered and said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God’” (Luke 1:35).
There you have the trinity: the Holy Spirit, the Father, and the Son of God. You have the same thing in Jesus’ baptism. (Read Matthew 3:16-17.)
There is no way to explain the deity of Christ apart from the Holy Trinity. On Earth, Jesus spoke of Himself as having a unique relationship with God the Father.
Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM” (John 8:58).
I AM was the great Old Testament name for Jehovah. (See Exodus 3:14.)
We worship one God who has revealed Himself in three Persons. When God wants to bless a congregation, do you know what the blessing is?
“The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.” So they shall put My name on the children of Israel, and I will bless them” (Numbers 6:24-27).