THE DOCTRINE OF THE TRINITY
T.P. Simmons
I. THE TRINITY DEFINED
Perhaps the meaning of the Trinity of God has
never been better stated than it is stated by A. H. Strong- "in the nature
of the one God there are three eternal distinctions which are represented to us
under the figure of persons, and these three are equal" (Systematic
Theology, p. 144).
The principles of the Southern Baptist
Theological Seminary set forth the doctrine of the Trinity as follows:
"God is revealed to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, each with distinct
personal attributes, but without division of nature, essence, or being."
In consideration of these definitions, note:
1. THE TRINITY CONSISTS OF THREE DISTINCTIONS.
The doctrine of the Trinity does not mean that God merely
manifests Himself in three different ways. There are three actual distinctions
in the Godhead. The truth of this will appear more clearly later.
2. THESE THREE DISTINCTIONS ARE ETERNAL.
This is proved, on one hand, by the immutability of God. If there
was ever a time when these distinctions did not exist, then when
they came to exist God changed. It is proved again by the Scriptures which
assert or imply the eternity of the Son and the Holy Spirit. See John 1:1,2;
Rev. 22:13,14; Heb. 9:14.
"It is no reply to this, that the expressions 'begotten,' and
'proceedeth from,' involve the idea of the antecedent existence of him who begets, and from whom there is procession. For these are
terms of human language, applied to divine actions, and must be understood
suitably to God. There is no greater difficulty here than in other cases in
which this principle is readily recognized" (Boyce, Abstract of Systematic
Theology, pp. 138, 139). Just as there can be logical order without
chronological sequence, and just as a cause and its effect can be simultaneous,
so we have the eternal Father, the eternal Son, and the
eternal Spirit. "If there had been an eternal sun, it is evident that
there must have been an eternal sunlight also. Yet an eternal sunlight must
have evermore proceeded from the sun. When Cyril was asked whether the Son
existed before generation, he answered: 'The generation of the Son did not
precede His existence, but He always existed, and that by generation'"
(Strong, Systematic Theology, p. 165).
3. THESE THREE DISTINCTIONS ARE REPRESENTED TO US
UNDER THE FIGURE OF PERSONS, BUT THERE IS NO DIVISION OF NATURE, ESSENCE, OR
BEING.
The doctrine of the Trinity does not mean
tritheism. When we speak of the distinctions of the Godhead as persons, we must
understand that we use the term figuratively. There are not three persons in
the Godhead in the same sense that three human beings are persons. In the case
of three human beings there is division of nature, essence, and being; but it
is not so with God. Such a conception of God is forbidden by the teaching of the
Scripture as to the unity of God.
4. THE THREE MEMBERS OF THE TRINITY ARE EQUAL.
Many of the same attributes are ascribed to each member of the
Trinity, and the attributes thus ascribed are such as could not
be possessed without all other divine attributes. The equality of the members
of the Trinity is further shown by the fact that each one is recognized as God,
as we shall see later.
II. SCRIPTURAL PROOFS OF THE DOCTRINE OF THE TRINITY
1. THE FATHER, SON, AND HOLY SPIRIT ARE ALL RECOGNIZED
AS GOD.
(1) The Father Recognized as God.
This occurs in such a great number of passages
that it is both unnecessary and impracticable to quote all of them. The two
following ones will suffice:
"Work not for the food which perisheth, but for the food which
abideth unto eternal life, which the Son of Man shall give unto you: for him
the Father, even God, hath sealed" (John 6:27).
"Elect . . . according to the foreknowledge of God the
Father" (1 Pet. 1:1,2).
(2) The Son Recognized as God.
A. He is Called God.
John 1:1; Rom. 9:5; 1 John 5:20.
B. Old Testament Passages Referring to God are
Applied in the New Testament to the Son.
Matt. 3:3- alluding to Isa. 40:3; John 12:41-alluding to Isa. 6:1.
C. The Son Possesses the Attributes of God.
Eternity: John 1:1; Omnipresence: Matt. 28:20 and Eph. 1:23;
Omniscience: Matt. 9:4 and John 2:24,25 and John 16:30 and 1 Cor. 4:5 and Col.
2:3; Omnipotence: Matt. 28:18 and Rev. 1:8; Self-existence: John 5:26;
Immutability. Heb. 13:8; Truth: John 14:6; Love: 1 John 8:16; Holiness: Luke
1:35 and John 6:39 and Heb. 7:26.
D. The Works of God are Ascribed to the Son.
Creation: John 1:3; 1 Cor. 8:6; Col. 1:16; Heb. 1:10.
Preservation: Col. 1:7; Heb. 1:3. Raising the dead and judging: John 5:27,28;
Matt. 25:31,32.
E. He Receives Honor and Worship Due to God Alone.
John 5:23; Heb. 1:6; 1 Cor. 11:24,25; 2 Pet. 3:18; 2 Tim. 4:18.
(3) The Holy Spirit is Recognized as God.
A. The Attributes of God are Ascribed to Him.
Eternity: Heb. 9:14; Omniscience: 1 Cor. 2:10; Omnipresence: Psa.
139:7; Holiness: all passages that apply the term "holy" to the Spirit; Truth: John 16:13; Love: Rom. 15:30.
B. He is Represented as Doing the Works of God.
Creation: Gen. 1:2; moved mean "brooded;" Regeneration:
John 3:8; Titus 3:5; Resurrection: Rom. 8:11.
2. THE FATHER, SON, AND HOLY SPIRIT ARE ASSOCIATED
TOGETHER ON AN EQUAL FOOTING.
(1) In the Formula of Baptism. Matt. 28:19.
(2) In Apostolic Benediction. 2 Cor. 13:14.
3. THE FATHER, SON, AND HOLY SPIRIT ARE DISTINGUISHED
FROM ONE ANOTHER.
(1) The Father and Son are Distinguished From Each Other.
The Father and the Son are distinguished as the begetter and
begotten; and as the sender and the sent. The distinction between the Father
and Son was manifested at the baptism of Jesus when God's voice from Heaven was
heard saying: "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased"
(Matt. 3:17). Christ distinguished Himself from the Father when He prayed to
the Father, as He often did. That the distinction thus
implied was not a temporal one, continuing only so long as Christ was In the
flesh, is proved by the fact that Christ still intercedes with the Father (Heb.
7:25; 1 John 2:1). He is a perpetual mediator between God and man (1 Tim. 2:5),
and thus is perpetually distinguished from God the Father.
(2) The Spirit is Distinguished from the
Father.
The Spirit is distinguished from the Father when He is said to
proceed from and to be sent by the Father (John 15:26; 14:26; Gal. 4:6).
(3) The Son is Distinguished from the Spirit.
Jesus referred to the Spirit as "another Comforter"
(John 14:16). And Jesus spoke of Himself as sending the Spirit (John 15:26).
4. THE FATHER, SON, AND HOLY
SPIRIT ARE ONE GOD.
Trinity means tri-unity, or three-oneness. We have shown that
there are three distinctions in the Godhead. Now, in order to prove the
doctrine of the Trinity, rather than the doctrine of Tritheism, we must show
that the three, while being distinguishable from one another, are yet one. This
is proved:
(1) By All Passages Teaching the Unity of God.
The student is referred here to the chapter on the nature and
attributes of God, where these passages are noted.
(2) By The Fact that Each One of the Three is Recognized As God.
We have already shown that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are
severally recognized as God in the Scripture. This shows their unity,
because God is represented as being the supreme being. For that reason there
could not be three Gods. Supremacy is possible to only one.
(3) By the Fact that the Three are Equal.
We have already discussed the equality of the
members of the Trinity. Absolute equality is impossible without identity of
essence, nature, and being.
III. THE DOCTRINE OF THE TRINITY IS A MYSTERY
INSCRUTABLE AND INSOLUBLE TO FINITE MINDS; BUT IT IS NOT SELF-CONTRADICTORY.
We make no attempt to deny or to explain away the mystery of the
doctrine of the Trinity. It is a high mystery that human minds can never
fathom.
Yet the doctrine of the Trinity is not self-contradictory. God is
not three in the same sense that He is one. He is one in essence, nature, and being; but in this one essence, nature, and being
there are three eternal distinctions that are represented to us in such a way
that we call them persons. Who can say that such distinctions are impossible in
the nature of God? To do that one would have to have perfect understanding of
God's nature. So we do well to accept what the Scripture teaches, and leave the
mystery for solution when we have further light, if such light as will enable
us to explain and understand it is ever given to us. The
mystery comes because of our inability to understand fully the nature of God.