The Trinity Overview
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Introduction: Christians believe in an eternal God who operates outside of time and within time. God has always existed and is not bound by the same constraints that we are as His creatures. The Westminster Confession says that “God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal and unchangeable, in his being are wisdom, power, holiness, goodness, justice, and truth.” God has three distinct persons, as they have been revealed to us in the scriptures, Jesus, the Father, and Holy Spirit. In this study, we will look at each of these three persons and how they reveal the character of God to us.
The Trinity Overview: The three-person nature of God is difficult to understand. Each person is fully God and shares God’s attributes and character and yet each one has a unique role in eternity and the unfolding of history. To say it is like a person with multiple personalities wouldn’t be exactly accurate, but would be close. St. Patrick used a three-leaf clover to describe the trinity, united, with the same properties, and yet unique. Others have described it like water, where, at just the right temperature, water is a liquid, solid, and a gas. None of these give a perfect description. Because the trinity is a marvelous mystery, where God is united and one and at the same time, each person is distinct.
The Trinity in the Old Testament: Most of what we know about the Trinity comes from Jesus himself. The Old Testament did not explicitly discuss it. The Old Testament referred to a coming messiah who would deliver the people from their sins and a great king who would lead the nation of Israel back to the Lord, whom the Israelites believed would restore the greatness of Israel in the world. The leaders of Israel did not understand that this would be the same person, nor did they understand that this would be God Himself. In the Old Testament, we read about people, especially leaders, who are filled with the Spirit of God and empowered to do His work. In Ezekiel 36, we learn about God putting His Spirit in the hearts of all of His people, not just the leaders and not just for a season.
The Trinity in the New Testament: In the beginning of Jesus’ ministry he subtly showed people who He was. Giving hints and clues to His divine nature and authority. Jesus quickly became a stumbling block for the leaders of the nation of Israel. They were expecting one thing in their messiah and Jesus was something quite different. When Jesus started doing things that they believed were reserved for God alone like forgiving sins, healing people, teaching from a place of authority about “His” kingdom, casting out demons, and allowing His disciples to worship Him, they were baffled and angry. They rightfully understood His actions to be blasphemous, meaning that He was putting Himself with the same authority as God. As soon as they realized what He was claiming to be, they plotted to take His life. No wonder Jesus was careful how much He revealed and when He revealed it.
Towards the end of His earthly life, Jesus plainly explained who He was to His disciples. He claims to be one with the Father and also one with the Spirit. The Spirit is introduced clearly at Jesus’ baptism where we learn that the Spirit descended on Him like a dove and everyone could see the sweet union that Jesus and the Spirit enjoyed through eternity. Jesus also promises to be with His disciples while He goes away from them. He explains that this will happen because the Spirit, whom He is one with, will be with them, and therefore the very presence of God, His presence, will be with them as well.
Questions:
1) Why do you think the Trinity is less explicitly explained in the Old Testament?
2) Have you ever had questions about the Trinity?
3) Have you tried to explain it to someone?
An Introduction to Jesus, Holy Spirit, and The Father
The Mystery of the divinity of Jesus: Every great mind in history has tried to understand the marvelous mystery of God taking on human form and walking the earth and ultimately paying the price to purchase His people back from Sin and Evil. Nearly everyone who has endeavored to explain how Jesus could simultaneously be the all-knowing, all-powerful, eternal God of the universe and simultaneously posited in human body has been labeled a heretic. For, in order to explain how it works, the person ended up diminishing either the divinity or the humanity of Jesus. In reality, it is a mystery. Jesus was and is fully God and was and is fully human. He is the fulfillment of all of the Old Testament covenants and promises. There are many names given for Jesus in the Bible, each point us to part of His character and influence in the lives of His people and the world. We have an understanding and presence of His kingdom now, but we will have a greater understanding and presence of his kingdom when he returns.
Questions:
1) What stood out to you about Jesus?
2) How do you handle things that cannot be fully understood, like the mystery of Jesus being fully God and fully man?
Holy Spirit: Holy means set apart. Spirit means not bound by a body. So Holy Spirit is the unique presence of God that is not bound by a body. Holy Spirit is not bound by space as Humans are. He is able to be anywhere and everywhere at any time. The presence of God in Holy Spirit is all around us. We also learn that Holy Spirit uniquely dwells within believers/ disciples of Jesus. Holy Spirit reveals truth to God’s people, reminds them of who they are in Christ Jesus, and empowers them to live into that truth. Since He and Christ are one, Jesus is able to say that He is with His disciples always.
Questions:
1) What stood out to you about Holy Spirit?
2) How have you encountered Holy Spirit in your life?
The Father: Jesus refers to God as Father. This reference to God as Father is not to be taken literally. God is not a big grandpa sitting in the sky. Jesus uses the language of father anthropomorphically to show the love and connection God has to Christ and to His creation. He describes God as the great creator and sustainer of the universe. He describes a being who is in control of every detail of the earth, including the color of every lily in the fields and knows each detail of the lives so well that He knows the number of hairs on every head. He also describes this God as good and is driven to provide good things for the people that He loves. Jesus also says on numerous occasions that The Father has plans for the world that He Himself does not even fully know. The Father is not supreme to Christ or Holy Spirit, but Jesus is shown to honor Him and to be faithful to fulfill His plans for the world.
Questions:
1) What stood out to you about The Father?
2) Have you experienced this part of God in your everyday life?