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A Comprehensive Biblical Defense of the Trinity

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

By Ben Rast

Contender Ministries

December 12, 2004

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dr. Pyuwarmer flipped the chart closed, took off his reading glasses, and let out a
long sigh. John, there is a procedure that can save your life. Id like you to
consider it.

John Skeptich rubbed his temples and looked up. Well, is it an invasive
procedure?

Well, thats hard to answer, John. Yes and no.

You call that an answer, doc? Johns frustration was beginning to show. Either
it is or it isnt.

Well, its kind of both. Im sorry, but its hard to describe. Its a very advanced
procedure, and I dont really understand it fully myself. However, I think you should
have it done.

Do you have any literature that can explain it?

Well, yes, but its not very clearly spelled out. You kind of have to read between
the lines. Its all in there though.

John could no longer hide his frustration. He stood up, grabbed his coat, and
fixed Dr. Pyuwarmer with a hard look. Look doctor. Youre asking me to submit to a
procedure you dont understand and cant explain. With all due respect, Ill take my
chances! With that, John swept out the door, slamming it so hard that Dr.
Pyuwarmers medical school diploma fell from the wall.

Putting yourself in Johns shoes, its easy to see how hard it would be to put your
faith in something that your doctor didnt even understand. Just as in this analogy,
Christians must be prepared to explain our faith with nonbelievers. There are few
things more important for Christians to understand than the nature of God. Many of
the differences between biblical Christianity and cults occur within the context of
variant understandings of the nature of God. If we are to worship God in truth (John
4:24) and share the truth with others, it is vitally important that we have an
understanding of what the Bible says about God.

Perhaps the single most misunderstood doctrine regarding the nature of God is the
doctrine of the Trinity. Believers and nonbelievers alike have a difficult time
comprehending Gods triune nature, and those that do understand have a difficult
time explaining it. As critics of the Trinity are quick to point out, the word Trinity is
not found in the Bible, and no single verse provides a summary of the Trinitarian
doctrine. In an email we received, LDS apologist D.L. Barksdale said, The
homoousion Trinitarian dogma is heretical to anyone who cherishes the Bible. It is
an unbiblical doctrine

Complicating the issue are various misconceptions about the Trinity within
Christianity as well as from without. Jehovahs Witnesses and Mormons disregard
the Trinity, believing that Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are three distinct gods, with
the Father being a greater God than the other two. Jehovahs Witnesses especially
emphasize the subordination of the Godhead, believing Jesus to be Michael the
Archangel a created being, and a lesser god than Jehovah. Mormon doctrine is
polytheistic (worship of multiple gods), though some Mormons will stress that their
belief is henotheistic (belief in multiple gods, but worship of only one).
Mohammads misunderstanding of the Trinity was apparently affected by the
hyperdulia veneration of Mary seen in the Eastern and Roman Catholic churches, as
the Quran accuses Christians of believing the Trinity to be composed of God the
Father, Jesus, and Mary. Indeed, the doctrine of the Trinity can pose a stumbling
block for some people. A Jehovahs Witness sent us an email that included the
following (the English is poor, but youll see the point): And when I can not find in
any Bible that I read that there is a 3 headed god that will resurrect anyone on this
earth, both now or ever. If this 3 headed god is your belief? I have never read about
such a god in any Christian Bible that I have ever read! As I told this man, we
agree that the Bible does not teach of a three-headed god. That sounds more akin
to the hydra of Greek mythology. Yet this illustrates the extent of the
misunderstandings. Even Christian churches have been victimized by erroneous
doctrines such as modalism, particularly Oneness theology.

We may never fully understand the nature of God until we get into heaven. God is
omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, and eternal. Our finite created minds are
unable to fully grasp these characteristics of God. However, it is possible to have a
basic understanding of the triune nature of God, and to be able to defend this
doctrine with the Word of God. In this article, well assess the Scriptural evidence

and put the pieces together until they form a full picture. A triune God will be the
only possible verdict based on an objective analysis of the Scriptural evidence.

The doctrine of the Trinity can be summed up as follows: Within the one Being that
is God, there exist eternally three coequal and coeternal Persons, namely, the
Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.[1] In order to prove this doctrine we must prove
the following:

1.
There is only one God

2.
The Father is God

3.
Jesus is God

4.
The Holy Spirit is God

5.
The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are three distinct Persons.

Each point above is very important, and we will clearly illustrate each. Heresy
arises when these distinctions are blurred. For instance, modalism (also known as
Oneness theology) would agree with items one through four, but item five is where

modalism fails. However, as James White said in regards to the doctrine of the
Trinity, For some reason many feel that there is a hierarchy of error when it comes
to the Trinity. We are to worship God in spirit and in truth, and two-thirds of the
truth is not a valid substitute, no matter which one-third of His truth we choose to
reject.[2]

There is a treasure trove of Scriptures to support each of the points well be

studying. To keep this article at a reasonable length, where there are several
relevant verses, Ill limit the full verse quotation to two verses (in NIV, unless stated
otherwise), and give the Scripture references for the rest.

1. There is only one God:

Islam, Judaism, and Christianity are known as the big three monotheistic religions.
You wont find many arguments among Muslims, Jews, and Christians that there is
more than one God, except perhaps among some aberrant sects. Nevertheless, let
us establish this Scripturally before we move on to areas where disagreements will
arise.

A. There is only one God:

You were shown these things so that you might know that the LORD is God; besides
him there is no other. Deuteronomy 4:35

"This is what the LORD says- Israel's King and Redeemer, the LORD Almighty: I am
the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God. Isaiah 44:6


Other Old Testament Verses: Deut. 4:39; 32:39; 2 Sam. 22:32; Isa. 37:20; 43:10;
44:6-8; 45:5, 14, 21-22; 46:9.

How can you believe if you accept praise from one another, yet make no effort to
obtain the praise that comes from the only God? John 5:44

since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the
uncircumcised through that same faith. Romans 3:30

Other New Testament Verses: Rom. 16:27; 1 Cor. 8:4-6; Gal. 3:20; Eph. 4:6, 1 Tim.
1:17; 2:5; James 2:19; Jude 25.

B. There is only one true God:

But the LORD is the true God; he is the living God, the eternal King. When he is
angry, the earth trembles; the nations cannot endure his wrath. Jeremiah 10:10

We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so
that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true--even in his Son
Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. 1 John 5:20.

Other verses: 2 Chron. 15:3; John 17:3; 1 Thess. 1:9.

C. All other so-called gods are false gods.

For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the LORD made the heavens. Psalm
96:5

So then, about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that an idol is nothing at all
in the world and that there is no God but one. 1 Corinthians 8:4

Other verses: Deut. 32:21; 1 Sam. 12:21; Isa. 37:19; 41:23-24, 29; Jer. 2:11; 5:7;
16:20; 1 Cor. 10:19-20.

The verses above are clear evidence that there is only one God. This is known as
monotheism. Judaism, Islam, and Christianity are known as the three great
monotheistic religions. However, Islam and Judaism will fall off as we continue our
support of the Trinity.

2. There is a plurality to God.

The Hebrew word for God is el in its singular form. The most common form used for
God is elohim, which is plural in form. How can there be plural form used for only
one God? Some suggest that the answer is found in the three persons of the Trinity.
Others contend that the plural construct denotes a fullness of deity as opposed to
plurality. I submit that both interpretations are correct. Im getting ahead of myself
now though. Rather than look at all the verses that use the plural elohim, lets look
at other verses that point to a plurality within the one God.


Let us make man in our image Genesis 1:26, emphasis added.

God said, Behold, the man has become like one of us Genesis 3:22, emphasis
added.

Some would say that God could be speaking to the angels in these verses, but
that's simply not correct. God was speaking to co-creator(s) in these verses (Let us
make man). Who could be a co-creator? Not the angels. The answer is found
later in this article.

3. The Father is God.

This isnt really an item that is in question. While God the Father is only known as
the Father in the New Testament, Christians, Jews, Muslims, and pseudo-Christian
cults understand that the Father in the New Testament is the Yahweh of the Old
Testament, though some disagree with the characterization of Father. However, it
is important to establish that the Father of the New Testament is the true God
referred to in the Old Testament, known often as Yahweh, or Jehovah.[3]

A. The Father is God.


Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion
and the God of all comfort, 2 Corinthians 1:3

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the
heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. Ephesians 1:3

Other verses: John 17:3; 1 Cor. 8:6; 1 Peter 1:3; (Note: Some verses seem to
indicate that Jesus is not God at first glance. These will be explained later).

B. The God of the Old Testament is known as Yahweh/Jehovah (The LORD).

You were shown these things so that you might know that the LORD is God; besides
him there is no other. Acknowledge and take to heart this day that the LORD is
God in heaven above and on the earth below. There is no other. Deuteronomy
4:35, 39.[4]

Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his
people, the sheep of his pasture. Psalm 100:3

Other verses: Gen. 9:26; 24; Exo. 3:14-18; 4:5; 2 Sam. 7:22, 25.

From the verses above, it is clear that Yahweh/Jehovah in the Old Testament is the
one God. It is also clear that the Father in the New Testament is that one God. Now,
lets look at whether Jesus Christ is God. Remember, there is only one God. There
is also a mysterious plurality to this one God. We have established that the Father

is Yahweh, the God of the Old Testament. We now explore the plurality in the one
true God.

4. Jesus is God.

There is a great deal of Scriptural evidence that Jesus Christ is God. The evidence is
comprised not only of specific statements, but also in prophecy fulfillment and his
attributes. Lets first look at some of explicit Scriptural evidence. In this section, we
wont limit ourselves to only giving the text of two verses.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was
God. No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father's
side, has made him known. John 1:1

Thomas said to him, My Lord and my God! John 20:28

I want to pause just a moment to discuss the verses above. The Greek word for God
is theos. In John 1:1, we read that the Word (Jesus) was with theos and was indeed
theos. Jesus was (and is) God! This is a very powerful statement! The word theos
is used not only in John 1:1, but also in verse 18 and in John 20:28. Theos is used in
the New Testament in reference to Jehovah/Yahweh God. Theos is also used in
reference to Jesus. Were beginning to see the plurality found within the one God.


"You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you
created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being."
Revelation 4:11 (the words of the 24 elders to Jesus).

Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. Acts
20:28

Once again, in the verses above Jesus is referred to as theos. In Acts 20:28, we
know that Jesus shed His blood for the church, and as one person of the triune God,
this action is the action of God. Now lets look at some common compound
references to Jesus:

the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ Titus 2:13

To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have
received a faith as precious as ours 2 Peter 1:1

In the passages above, both God and Savior are used in reference to Jesus
Christ. There is no division of the clause. Scholar Robert Reymond writes, The two
nouns [God and Savior] both stand under the regimen of the single definitive
article preceding God, indicatingthat they are to be construed corporately, not
separately, or that they have a single referent.[5] In other words, attempts to
divide this clause into a reference to God and a separate reference to Jesus as
Savior flies against the Greek grammatical construct. These verses provide

additional powerful and clear evidence that Jesus is Jehovah/Yahweh God. Lets now
turn our attention to more verses that reveal Jesus to be Jehovah/Yahweh.

That if you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that
God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. for, Everyone who calls on the
name of the Lord will be saved. Romans 10:9,13. Note: Paul reveals Jesus to be
the same Lord referred to in Joel 2:32, which he quotes. In Joel 2:32, LORD is
Jehovah/Yahweh.

that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and
under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of
God the Father. Philippians 2:10-11. Note: Lord = Jehovah/Yahweh.

now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. 1 Peter 2:3. This verse is
taken almost identically from Psalms 34:8, where Lord is Jehovah/Yahweh. From
the verses that follow verse 3, it is clear this is a reference to Jesus.

Another way we know that Jesus is Jehovah/Yahweh comes from the fulfillment of an
Old Testament prophecy. Zechariah 12:10 says, And I will pour out on the house of
David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will
look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns
for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son. This
verse is part of an oracle given by Jehovah/Yahweh. This passage starts off in verse
1, This is the word of the LORD concerning Israel. The LORD, who stretches out the
heavens, who lays the foundation of the earth, and who forms the spirit of man
within him, declares Jehovah/Yahweh prophesies that He will be pierced. It is
widely accepted among scholarly circles that this was fulfilled in the crucifixion and
spearing of Jesus Christ. This is confirmed in Revelation 1:7 wherein we read
concerning Jesus, Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him,
even those who pierced him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of
him. So shall it be! Amen. This is important enough to go over again. In Zechariah

12:10, Jehovah/Yahweh prophesies that He (Jehovah/Yahweh) will be pierced, and

people will mourn for Him. Jesus Christ is pierced through his hands and feet at his
crucifixion, and pierced through the side with a spear while on the cross. Revelation
1:7 confirms this fulfillment of prophecy. Conclusion? Jesus Christ is
Jehovah/Yahweh!

Another evidence that Jesus is Jehovah/Yahweh comes from His role as Savior.
Isaiah 43:11 says, I, even I, am the LORD, and apart from me there is no savior.
Yet Jesus is referred to many times in the New Testament as our Savior (Luke 2:11;
John 4:42; Acts 13:23; Eph. 5:23; Phi. 3:20; 1 Tim. 1:1; 2 Tim. 1:10; Tit 1:4; 2:13;
3:6; 2 Pet. 1:1,11; 2:20; 3:2,18; 1 John 4:14).

Jesus caused no small uproar among the Jews of the day because He accepted
praise and worship blasphemous if He were not God! As we have seen, only God
is the savior of men. Matthew 21:1-11 describes Jesus triumphal entry into
Jerusalem. He came riding in on a donkey, in fulfillment of an Old Testament
messianic prophecy (Zec. 9:9). As Jesus rode in, we find the crowds that surrounded
him shouting Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name
of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest! Websters 1913 dictionary defined Hosanna
as A Hebrew exclamation of praise to the Lord. The word is derived from a
Hebrew word that meant Save us, in a prayer directed to God. This shows that
the crowd viewed Jesus as God and Savior. It is important to note that Jesus did not
rebuke the crowd for this praise. In verse 15, we find that the chief priests and
Pharisees were outraged and indignant at this (because, as we said, this would be
blasphemy for a mere man). Children had followed Jesus in to the temple are and
were still shouting, Hosanna to the Son of David! In verse 16, they asked Jesus if
He could hear what the children were saying. No doubt they were shocked that he
would not have straightened out the blasphemy of these little urchins. But Jesus did
not rebuke the children. Instead, He answered, Yes. Have you never read, From
the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise? Additionally, in John
9:35-39 we read the following exchange:

35Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, "Do
you believe in the Son of Man?"

36"Who is he, sir?" the man asked. "Tell me so that I may believe in him."
37Jesus said, "You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with
you." 38Then the man said, "Lord, I believe," and he worshiped him. [emphasis
added]
39Jesus said, "For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see
and those who see will become blind."

Jesus accepted worship. This is not adoration of a mere prophet, but praise and
worship due only to God. Jesus was either God or He was crazy, and there is ample
evidence against the latter and in support of the former. Further evidence comes
from the fact that Jesus has many of the attributes of God:

Creator (John 1:3, 1 Cor. 8:6; Col 1:16-17; Heb. 1:2; Rev. 3:14)

Unchanging (Heb. 1:10-12; 13:8)

Eternal (John 1:1; 8:58; 17:5; Col. 1:17; Heb. 1:2)

Omniscient (John 16:30)

Omnipresent (Matt. 18:20; 28:20; John 3:13; Eph. 1:23; 4:10; Col. 3:11)

It is clear from the Scriptural evidence above that Jesus is God. He is the LORD
(Jehovah/Yahweh) of the Old Testament, and therefore is the one true elohim or
theos. He shares this role as God with the Father. As we are about to see, He also
shares this role with the Holy Spirit.

5. The Holy Spirit is God

Less Scripture is dedicated to the Holy Spirit, but there is enough to conclude that
He too is God. In Acts 5:3-4, we see the Holy Spirit being equated with God:

Then Peter said, Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you
have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you
received for the land? Didn't it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was
sold, wasn't the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a
thing? You have not lied to men but to God. [emphasis added]

Paul clearly and explicitly equated the Holy Spirit with God:

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And
we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into
his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the
Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3:17-18

Additional evidence of the deity of the Holy Spirit comes from the shared attributes
of the deity. The Holy Spirit is:

Eternal (Heb. 9:14)

Omniscient (1 Cor. 2:10-11)

Omnipresent (Psa. 139:7)

Savior (Rom. 8:1-27)

In addition to the attributes above, we find the Holy Spirit was involved in creation
(Gen. 1:2; Psa. 104:30), the incarnation (Matt. 1:18,20; Luke 1:35), and the
resurrection (Rom. 1:4; 8:11). This is ample evidence to show that the Holy Spirit is
God. We have now proven Scripturally that there is only one God. We have also
proven that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit can each lay claim to being God.
However, one can believe in all this, and still subscribe to the erroneous belief of
modalism.

Modalists believe that there is only one God, but believe God to be comprised of one
Person who simply manifests Himself at different times through Father, Son, or Holy
Spirit. In other words, modalists believe that God is one in substance as well as
essence the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are not distinct persons. As we shall see,
modalism fails because the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are indeed three distinct
persons.

6. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are three distinct persons.

A. Jesus is not the Father:

First, lets turn our attention to Matthew 28:19,
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the
Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. The grammatical construction of this
verse is very revealing with regards to Trinitarian doctrine. First, each person of the
Trinity is identified individually with use of the definite article preceding each (the
Fatherthe Sonthe Holy Spirit). The use of the definite article for each person of
the Trinity identifies each as unique and distinct from the others. Yet at the same
time, this verse groups each into a singular entity by use of the singular form the
name of. What is this name? The singular name of God is Yahweh/Jehovah, and
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit share that name. Other verses identify the
Father and the Son as two separate persons (John 3:17, 35; 5:22-23, 31-32; 8:16-18;
11:41-42; 12:28; 14:31; 17:1-26; Rom. 1:7; 1 Cor. 1:3; 15:24-28; 2 Cor. 1:2; Gal. 1:3;
4:4; Eph. 1:2; 6:23; Phil. 1:2; 1 Thess. 1:1; 2 Thess. 1:1-2; 1 Tim. 1:1-2; 2 Tim. 1:2;
Tit. 1:4; Phm. 3; James 1:1; 2 Pet. 1:2; 1 John 4:10; 2 John 3).

B. Jesus is not the Holy Spirit: The first evidence of this is discussed in detail in the
preceding paragraph Matthew 28:19 identifies the Son and the Holy Spirit as
separate persons, using definite articles preceding each. Next, Jesus tells us that
He would send the Holy Spirit (When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you
from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify
about me. John 15:26). This verse is revealing in that each person of the Trinity is
mentioned as separate individual persons. Key elements in this verse include 1)
Jesus will send the Holy Spirit, 2) from the Father, 3) the Holy Spirit will go out from

the Father, 4) and will testify about Jesus. Another verse that identifies Jesus and
the Holy Spirit separately is John 16:7, But I tell you the truth: It is for your good
that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I
go, I will send him to you. Here we have two important elements: 1) Jesus will go
away, and 2) send the Holy Spirit. Since Jesus arose and ascended in his physical
human body, the Spirit He sends is not Jesus Himself. Another important verse is
John 14:16, And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be
with you forever (emphasis added). Once again, the elements are here to show
that Jesus, the Father, and the Holy Spirit are separate. Jesus said He would ask the
Father. If Jesus were simply a manifestation of the Father, then He would be asking
Himself, which sounds neurotic rather than orthodox. The verse also refers to the
Holy Spirit as another Counselor separate from Jesus.

C. The Father is not the Holy Spirit: Once again, the first bit of evidence is given in
Matthew 28:19 as discussed before. John 14:16, and 15:26 also remain as evidence
that the Father and Holy Spirit are distinct persons. As we delved into each verse in
the preceding paragraph, we wont do so again. We also find Paul describing in
Romans 8:26-27 that the Holy Spirit intercedes for us with the Father. If the Holy
Spirit were the same person as the Father, he would not need to intercede with
himself.

Now lets address another Scripture that makes it clear that the Father, the Son, and
the Holy Spirit are three different persons. Luke 3:21-22 covers the baptism of Jesus
Christ, When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he
was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily
form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: You are my Son, whom I love; with
you I am well pleased. Each person is described separately here. First, note that
Jesus was praying. If Oneness theology were correct, Jesus would be praying to
Himself. Once again, that smacks of neurosis. Instead, Jesus was praying to the
Father. As He did, the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus in a physical manifestation
like a dove. The voice of the Father was then heard from Heaven, speaking to the
Son. This highlights that each person of the Trinity is unique and separate.

7. Conclusion:

It is clear from a reading of the Bible that there is only one God, known in the Old
Testament as Yahweh/Jehovah. It is clear that the Father, the Son, and the Holy
Spirit are each God (Yahweh). It is also clear, in contrast to Oneness theology
(Unitarian modalism), that each person is separate and distinct from the other. One
God in three persons the Biblical Trinity.

Ontology is important in understanding the Trinity. Ontology is the study of being.

As James White said, It is vitally important that we recognize the difference
between the words Being and Person. Being is what makes something what it is.
Person is what makes someone who he or she is. when speaking of the Trinity, we
speak of one what (the Being of God) and three whos (the three divine Persons).
Most cultic rejections of the Trinity focus on blurring the distinction.[6]

Are you still having a difficult time comprehending the triune nature of God? Thats
understandable. The laws to which we are bound define our comprehension. Gods
nature transcends these laws. If we could fully comprehend Gods nature, he would
cease to be Almighty God. He would be lesser than He truly is. I am a devotee of
analogies. One analogy I like to use with regards to the Trinity is my computer. My
computer consists of input devices (mouse and keyboard), output devices (monitor,
printer, speakers), and the central processing unit. These different components
form my one computer. This analogy fails to capture the full complexity of the
substance of God, but it can help someone to grasp the basic relationship.

It is true, as so many Mormons, Muslims, and Jehovahs Witness are inclined to point
out, that there is no concise, clear teaching of the Trinity in the New Testament or
Old Testament. However, by such reasoning, there is also no clear teaching
regarding smoking or illicit drug use. Yet by examining Scripture in its greater
context, it is clear that our body is the temple of God (1 Cor. 6:19) and Paul urges us
to purify ourselves from things which contaminate the body (2 Cor. 7:1). Similarly,

by examining the sum of Scripture in immediate and greater context, it is clear that
God is triune. He is one God, eternally existent in three divine persons the Father,
the Son, and the Holy Spirit. We must be able to defend this biblical doctrine if we
are to effectively contend for the truth of the gospel.

[Authors note: In the coming weeks, we will post a follow-up article to examine and
refute the most common objections raised against the Trinity by various cults, such
as the Jehovahs Witnesses and the Mormon Church.]

ENDNOTES:

1. James R. White, Loving the Trinity, (Christian Research Journal, Volume 21/ Issue
4).

2. Ibid.

3. The Hebrew name for God is YHWH four consonants only. Because of a nearly
superstitious fear of taking the Lords name in vain, the Jews avoided using this
name, and often used the name Adonai. Eventually, the vowels from Adonai were
included in YHWH to form Yahowah. Today, this name is often spelled in English,
Yahweh. As a human contrivance, Yahowah mutated to Jehovah in some
manuscripts. Yahweh and Jehovah are considered synonymous, and mean The
LORD. The Hebrew word for God is el or elohim.

4. In these verses, and the ones that follow, LORD is Yahweh/Jehovah, and God
is elohim. It is important to note that el is singular, but elohim is plural. Since the
Bible is clear that there is only one el, the plurality of elohim can present a
conundrum. This problem is resolved by the doctrine of the Trinity three divine
Persons in one God. One should also note that the New World Translation (The Bible
of the Jehovahs Witnesses) and the ASV leave out LORD and simply include
Jehovah.

5. Robert L. Reymond, Jesus, Divine Messiah: The New Testament Witness

(Phillipsburg, NJ: Presbyterian and Reformed, 1990), p. 276.

6. White, Loving the Trinity