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At Guntario’s Bible Studies, our mission is to help believers grow in faith, deepen their understanding of Scripture, and be equipped to defend the truth with clarity and love. Whether you're searching for insight into a particular passage, seeking wisdom on real-world topics, or exploring the foundations of Christian belief, you'll find a study here to challenge your mind and stir your heart.

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The Trinity Explained

Table of Contents

Background
Understanding the Trinity
Incarnation & Hypostatic Union
Death of Christ
Common Objections

One of the most discussed topics in Christianity is the doctrine of the Trinity. Most objections to the Trinity come from misunderstandings about what Christians actually believe. In many cases, people argue against distorted versions of the doctrine rather than the doctrine itself. Even many believers struggle to clearly articulate what the Trinity means, which has led to an incredible amount of confusion and disinformation surrounding the subject.

A surprising amount of this confusion also comes from misunderstanding eternity itself. Christian apologists are continually asked questions concerning the eternal generation of the Son or the procession of the Holy Spirit. For example, someone may ask, "If the Holy Spirit eternally proceeds from the Father, does that mean the Father is continuously spirating the Spirit over and over for all eternity?" Questions like this usually come from thinking about eternity in temporal terms. Part of this study will involve clarifying these definitions so that we can understand what Christians actually mean when discussing the Trinity.

The Trinity is central to historic Christian belief because it affects how we understand God, worship Christ, and interpret Scripture. Errors concerning the Trinity almost always lead to errors concerning the nature of God, the identity of Jesus, or the gospel itself.

Let's begin with a simple definition of the Trinity:

God is one eternal being who exists eternally as three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Each person is truly God, yet there is only one God, not three.

This definition is consistent with the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed of 381 AD:

THE NICENE CREED

We believe in one God, the Father, Ruler of all, maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.

And we believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten from the Father before all time; Light, from Light, true God from true God; begotten, not made; of the same essence as the Father, through Whom all things were made; Who for us and for our salvation came down from heaven and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary, and was made a man. He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered and was buried, and rose on the third day, according to the Scriptures. He ascended to heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father. He shall come again with glory to judge the living and the dead; His kingdom shall have no end.

And we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and giver of life, Who proceeds from the Father and the Son, Who is worshiped and glorified together with the Father and Son, and Who spoke through the Prophets.

And we believe that there is one holy, catholic and apostolic church. We confess one baptism for the remission of sins, and we look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.

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The Importance of the Nicaean Councils

  • First Council of Nicaea (325 AD)

    • Arian Controversy
    • First Council of Nicaea
    • The council was called together for several reasons, but the most important was to address the teachings of Arius
    • Arius taught:
      • The Son of God did not eternally exist
      • The Son was a created being
      • The Son was not of the same essence as the Father
      • These teachings and the resulting debates became known as the Arian controversy
    • The council responded by formulating the Nicene Creed of 325 AD
    • The creed specifically used the word homoousios, meaning “of the same essence” or “consubstantial”
    • This directly opposed the teachings of Arius by affirming that the Son is fully divine and shares the same essence as the Father
    • Arius and his followers were condemned as heretics and exiled
    • The council did not invent the Trinity, but produced a concise doctrinal statement to clearly express the Bible’s teachings concerning the nature of God and the divinity of Christ
    • This helped Christians identify and reject future false teachings more clearly

  • First Council of Constantinople (381 AD)

    • First Council of Constantinople
    • This was the second ecumenical council
    • The main reasons for convening were:
      • The Arian controversy still had not fully ended
      • To confirm and expand the Nicene Creed of 325 AD
      • To clarify the divinity of the Holy Spirit against groups that denied His divinity, especially the Macedonians
    • The council:
      • Again condemned Arianism
      • Affirmed the full divinity of the Son
      • Affirmed the divinity and personhood of the Holy Spirit
      • Expanded the Nicene Creed with additional sections concerning the Holy Spirit, the church, baptism, and the resurrection of the dead

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How can one being exist as three persons?

  • To understand this, we need to first look at a few definitions.
    • Eternal: Existing without beginning or end
      • God is eternal because He always was and always will be
      • There was never a point at which God did not exist, nor will there ever be a point at which He ceases to exist
      • God’s eternal existence is not dependent on time
    • Eternity: The mode of existence that transcends time
      • Eternity is not merely an infinite duration of time
      • God exists beyond and independent of time itself
      • All moments of time are fully present to God
    • Everlasting: Having a beginning, but extending out forever in time
    • Being: An existing thing or entity. Being refers to what exists as an individual reality.
      • God is one divine being
      • A human is one human being
      • A rock is also a being
      • Being answers the question, “What existing thing is this?”
      • When we speak about the Trinity, we are not saying there are three divine beings
      • We are saying there is one divine being who exists eternally as three persons
    • Essence / Nature: What something is. Essence answers the question, “What kind of being is this?” The terms essence and nature are often used interchangeably.
      • For example:
        • A rock has rock nature
        • A tree has tree nature
        • A human has human nature
      • Nature determines the kind of attributes and abilities a thing possesses.
        • Rocks do not think
        • Trees do not reason
        • Humans can think, reason, love, communicate, and make moral decisions because these belong to human nature
      • Human nature includes properties such as:
        • Rationality
        • Emotion
        • Physical embodiment
        • Relational capacity
        • Moral awareness
      • Divine nature includes properties such as:
        • Eternality
        • Omnipotence
        • Omniscience
        • Omnipresence
        • Holiness
      • Nature answers “what.” Person answers “who.”
        • Peter is a person
        • Human is his nature
      • Natures do not act independently. Persons act according to their nature.
        • A human person thinks, speaks, chooses, and acts through human nature
        • This distinction becomes important when discussing the Hypostatic Union
      • Mind and will belong to nature rather than person.
        • This is important in understanding the Trinity
        • The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit share one divine nature
        • Therefore they share one divine intellect and will
        • Human experience can make this difficult to grasp because created persons normally correspond to one individual being and one mind
        • But God is not limited by creaturely patterns of existence
    • Person: A distinct “who” who possesses a nature.
      • The classical theological definition is “An individual substance of a rational nature”
        • In other words, a rational who that possesses
          • Abstract reasoning
          • Moral accountability
          • Self reflective thought
          • Ability to communicate concepts
          • Understanding universal truths
          • Ability to contemplate God, justice, mathematics, philosophy, etc.
        • A dog is not a person because it does not possess a rational nature
      • Person answers the question, “Who is it?”
        • The Father is a person
        • The Son is a person
        • The Holy Spirit is a person
      • Persons act according to nature
      • In human experience, one person normally corresponds to one being, which is why we usually do not distinguish these terms carefully
      • With God, however, one divine being exists eternally as three distinct persons
      • A key word to know is hypostasis
        • You may hear this word in debates because it sounds highly technical
        • In Trinitarian theology, hypostasis refers to a distinct person
        • The term was used by the early church to distinguish between essence, also called ousia, and the three distinct persons, also called hypostases
        • So when theologians speak of one essence and three hypostases, they mean one divine being existing eternally as three persons
    • Properties: Characteristics or attributes that describe something. They are qualities that tell us what something is like. There are two types of properties.
      • Essential:
        • Necessary properties
        • Properties that define what something is
        • Without these properties, the thing would no longer be what it is
        • For example, God is eternal. If He were not eternal, He would not be God
      • Accidental:
        • Properties that are not necessary to what something is
        • These properties can change without changing the nature of the thing itself
        • For example, if a human is born with one leg, that person is still fully human
    • Putting the definitions together:
      • There is one divine being
      • This one divine being has one divine essence or nature
      • The one divine nature includes one divine intellect and one divine will
      • This one divine being exists eternally as three distinct persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
      • The Father is not the Son, the Son is not the Spirit, and the Spirit is not the Father
      • Yet the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are not three gods, but one God

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Where Does the Bible Teach This?

  • Now that we have the understanding of the theology, let's look at how the church fathers were able to put it together. They didn't just come up with something to explain away contradictions, but they examined scripture and were able to put it together in a way that didn't contradict itself. This is the only way you can put scripture together and not run into contradictions. This understanding of scripture is how the church fathers were able to disprove heresies like Arianism, and Modalism.

  • There is only one God:

    • Deuteronomy 6:4 - Hear, Israel: Yahweh is our God. Yahweh is one.
    • Isaiah 43:10-11 - “You are my witnesses,” says Yahweh, “With my servant whom I have chosen; that you may know and believe me, and understand that I am he. Before me there was no God formed, neither will there be after me. I myself am Yahweh; and besides me there is no savior.
    • Isaiah 44:6 - This is what Yahweh, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, Yahweh of Armies, says: “I am the first, and I am the last; and besides me there is no God.
    • Mark 12:29 - Jesus answered, “The greatest is, ‘Hear, Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one:
    • 1 Corinthians 8:4 - Therefore concerning the eating of things sacrificed to idols, we know that no idol is anything in the world, and that there is no other God but one.
    • James 2:19 - You believe that God is one. You do well. The demons also believe, and shudder.
    • Isaiah 45:5 - I am Yahweh, and there is no one else. Besides me, there is no God. I will strengthen you, though you have not known me;

  • The Old Testament teaches that there is only one God, but it also contains passages where God speaks of Himself in the plural:

    • Genesis 1:26 - God said, “Let’s make man in our image, after our likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the sky, and over the livestock, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
    • Genesis 3:22 - Yahweh God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand, and also take of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever—”
    • Genesis 11:7 - Come, let’s go down, and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.
    • Isaiah 6:8 - I heard the Lord’s voice, saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am. Send me!”

  • In several passages, the Angel of Yahweh speaks as God, is identified as God, and is worshiped as God, yet is also distinguished from Yahweh:

    • Genesis 16:7-13 - Yahweh’s angel found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain on the way to Shur. He said, “Hagar, Sarai’s servant, where did you come from? Where are you going?” She said, “I am fleeing from the face of my mistress Sarai.” Yahweh’s angel said to her, “Return to your mistress, and submit yourself under her hands.” Yahweh’s angel said to her, “I will greatly multiply your offspring, that they will not be counted for multitude.” Yahweh’s angel said to her, “Behold, you are with child, and will bear a son. You shall call his name Ishmael, because Yahweh has heard your affliction. He will be like a wild donkey among men. His hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him. He will live opposed to all of his brothers.” She called the name of Yahweh who spoke to her, “You are a God who sees,” for she said, “Have I even stayed alive after seeing him?”
    • Exodus 3:2-6 - Yahweh’s angel appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the middle of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. Moses said, “I will go now, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.” When Yahweh saw that he came over to see, God called to him out of the middle of the bush, and said, “Moses! Moses!” He said, “Here I am.” He said, “Don’t come close. Take off your sandals, for the place you are standing on is holy ground.” Moreover he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look at God.
    • Judges 13:18-22 - Yahweh’s angel said to him, “Why do you ask about my name, since it is incomprehensible?” So Manoah took the young goat with the meal offering, and offered it on the rock to Yahweh. Then the angel did an amazing thing as Manoah and his wife watched. For when the flame went up toward the sky from off the altar, Yahweh’s angel ascended in the flame of the altar. Manoah and his wife watched; and they fell on their faces to the ground. But Yahweh’s angel didn’t appear to Manoah or to his wife any more. Then Manoah knew that he was Yahweh’s angel. Manoah said to his wife, “We shall surely die, because we have seen God.”
    • Genesis 32:24-30 - Jacob was left alone, and wrestled with a man there until the breaking of the day. When he saw that he didn’t prevail against him, the man touched the hollow of his thigh, and the hollow of Jacob’s thigh was strained, as he wrestled. The man said, “Let me go, for the day breaks.” Jacob said, “I won’t let you go, unless you bless me.” He said to him, “What is your name?” He said, “Jacob”. He said, “Your name will no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have fought with God and with men, and have prevailed.” Jacob asked him, “Please tell me your name.” He said, “Why is it that you ask what my name is?” He blessed him there. Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for, he said, “I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.”
    • Joshua 5:13-15 - When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man stood in front of him with his sword drawn in his hand. Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us, or for our enemies?” He said, “No; but I have come now as commander of Yahweh’s army.” Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and worshiped, and asked him, “What does my lord say to his servant?” The prince of Yahweh’s army said to Joshua, “Take off your shoes; for the place on which you stand is holy.” Joshua did so.

  • Two persons are identified as God:

    • Psalms 45:6-7 - Your throne, God, is forever and ever. A scepter of equity is the scepter of your kingdom. You have loved righteousness, and hated wickedness. Therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your fellows.
    • Psalms 110:1 - A Psalm by David. Yahweh says to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool for your feet.”

  • The coming Messiah would be God:

    • Isaiah 7:14 - Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin will conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
    • Isaiah 9:6-7 - For to us a child is born. To us a son is given; and the government will be on his shoulders. His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there shall be no end, on David’s throne, and on his kingdom, to establish it, and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from that time on, even forever. The zeal of Yahweh of Armies will perform this.
    • Micah 5:2 - But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, being small among the clans of Judah, out of you one will come out to me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings out are from of old, from ancient times.

  • The Father is God:

    • Isaiah 63:16 - For you are our Father, though Abraham doesn't know us, and Israel doesn't acknowledge us. You, Yahweh, are our Father. Our Redeemer from everlasting is your name.
    • Malachi 2:10 - Don't we all have one father? Hasn't one God created us?
    • Isaiah 64:8 - But now, Yahweh, you are our Father. We are the clay, and you our potter.
    • John 6:27 - Don’t work for the food which perishes, but for the food which remains to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For God the Father has sealed him.”
    • Philippians 1:2 - Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

  • The Son is God:

    • Psalm 110:1 - Yahweh says to my Lord, "Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool."
    • Isaiah 9:6 - For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government will be on his shoulders. His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
    • Titus 2:13 - looking for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ,
    • John 1:1-3, 14 - In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him. Without him was not anything made that has been made. … The Word became flesh, and lived among us. We saw his glory, such glory as of the one and only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth.
    • John 8:58 - Jesus said to them, “Most certainly, I tell you, before Abraham came into existence, I AM.”
    • John 10:30 - I and the Father are one.”
    • John 20:26-28 - After eight days again his disciples were inside, and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, the doors being locked, and stood in the middle, and said, “Peace be to you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Reach here your finger, and see my hands. Reach here your hand, and put it into my side. Don’t be unbelieving, but believing.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!”
    • Colossians 2:9 - For in him all the fullness of the Deity dwells bodily,
    • Hebrews 1:8 - But of the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever. The scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your Kingdom.

  • The Holy Spirit is God:

    • Genesis 1:2 - The Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.
    • 2 Samuel 23:2-3 - “Yahweh’s Spirit spoke by me. His word was on my tongue. The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spoke to me, ‘One who rules over men righteously, who rules in the fear of God,
    • Isaiah 63:10-11 - But they rebelled, and grieved his holy Spirit. Therefore he turned and became their enemy, and he himself fought against them. Then he remembered the days of old, Moses and his people, saying, “Where is he who brought them up out of the sea with the shepherds of his flock? Where is he who put his Holy Spirit among them?”
    • Luke 2:25-26 - Behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.
    • Acts 5:3-4 - But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit, and to keep back part of the price of the land? While you kept it, didn’t it remain your own? After it was sold, wasn’t it in your power? How is it that you have conceived this thing in your heart? You haven’t lied to men, but to God.”
    • 1 Corinthians 2:10-11 - But to us, God revealed them through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For who among men knows the things of a man, except the spirit of the man, which is in him? Even so, no one knows the things of God, except God’s Spirit.
    • 2 Corinthians 3:17 - Now the Lord is the Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

  • They are not the same person:

    • Matthew 3:16-17 - Jesus, when he was baptized, went up directly from the water: and behold, the heavens were opened to him. He saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming on him. Behold, a voice out of the heavens said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
    • John 14:16-17 - I will pray to the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, that he may be with you forever: the Spirit of truth, whom the world can’t receive; for it doesn’t see him, neither knows him. You know him, for he lives with you, and will be in you.
    • John 17:1-5 - Jesus said these things, and lifting up his eyes to heaven, he said, “Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may also glorify you; even as you gave him authority over all flesh, so he will give eternal life to all whom you have given him. This is eternal life, that they should know you, the only true God, and him whom you sent, Jesus Christ. I glorified you on the earth. I have accomplished the work which you have given me to do. Now, Father, glorify me with your own self with the glory which I had with you before the world existed.

  • Explicit Trinity passages:

    • Matthew 28:19 - Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
    • 2 Corinthians 13:14 - The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, God’s love, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all. Amen.
    • Ephesians 4:4-6 - There is one body, and one Spirit, even as you also were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all, and through all, and in us all.
    • 1 Peter 1:1-2 - Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the chosen ones who are living as foreigners in the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, that you may obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with his blood: Grace to you and peace be multiplied.

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Let's Put It All Together

  • The definition that was given earlier is not just given as some type of cover to fix internal contradictions
  • Scripture is clear
    • There's only one God
    • This one God exists as three persons
    • Each of the persons is fully divine
  • If we examine scripture honestly, the only conclusion that we can come to is that there is only one God who exists eternally as three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

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How Can God Be Human?

If you're a Christian, you believe Jesus was God. If you don't, you're not a Christian. You're part of some heresy that is teaching contrary to scripture. But how do we explain that God came to earth as a Human? Isn't God eternal? How can He have a beginning? To understand, we need to learn a new term.

  • Hypostatic Union:

    • The eternal Son, the second person of the Trinity, has two complete natures: one divine and one human
    • These two natures are united in one person without confusion, without change, without division, and without separation
    • This union of two natures in one person is called the Hypostatic Union
    • As defined earlier, hypostasis refers to a distinct person
      • The Son is one person who is fully God, sharing the same essence as the Father and the Holy Spirit, and who became fully human
    • The Son took on a human nature in order to live and die for our sins
      • This did not diminish His divinity in any way
      • He did not lose anything, but added a human nature
    • The human nature of Christ began at the incarnation, but it will never cease to exist
    • It is not eternal in the sense of having no beginning, but it is everlasting, having no end
    • Each nature retains its own properties. The divine nature is omniscient, while the human nature is limited in knowledge
    • The two natures are not mixed or blended
      • The Son knows according to each nature
      • The Son acts according to each nature, doing what is proper to each
    • In His human nature, Jesus could grow in knowledge, while in His divine nature He possesses all knowledge
    • This means the one person of the Son can act and experience according to each nature
    • The two natures are united in one person, but remain distinct

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Where Does the Bible Teach the Hypostatic Union?

  • Jesus is truly God:

    • John 1:1-5, 14 - In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him. Without him was not anything made that has been made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness hasn’t overcome it... And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
    • Colossians 2:9 - For in him all the fullness of the Deity dwells bodily,
    • Hebrews 1:8 - But of the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever. The scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your Kingdom.
    • John 20:28 - Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!”

  • Jesus is truly human:

    • Luke 2:52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.
    • John 1:14 - And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
    • 1 Timothy 2:5 - For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,
    • Hebrews 2:14 - Since then the children have shared in flesh and blood, he also himself in the same way partook of the same, that through death he might bring to nothing him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,
    • Philippians 2:7 - He emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men.

  • Jesus is one person (not two persons):

    • John 1:14 - And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
      • There's only one subject: The Word
      • The Word became flesh
    • Galatians 4:4 - But when the fullness of the time came, God sent out his Son, born to a woman, born under the law,
    • Romans 1:3-4 - concerning his Son, who was born of the offspring of David according to the flesh, who was declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord,

  • The two natures remain distinct:

    • Romans 1:3-4 - concerning his Son, who was born of the offspring of David according to the flesh, who was declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord,
    • Hebrews 4:15 - For we don’t have a high priest who can’t be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but one who has been in all points tempted like we are, yet without sin.
    • Mark 13:32 - But of that day or that hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.
      • The Son, according to His divine nature, knows all things
      • According to His human nature, the Son does not know, because the human nature is limited in knowledge

  • Jesus acts according to both natures:

    • Luke 2:52 - And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.
      • Jesus grew in wisdom, in His human nature
    • Mark 13:32 - But of that day or that hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.
      • Jesus' knowledge was limited in His human nature
    • John 16:30 - Now we know that you know all things, and don’t need for anyone to question you. By this we believe that you came from God.”
      • The human nature's knowledge was limited, but He knew all things in His divine nature
    • Matthew 8:23-27 - When he got into a boat, his disciples followed him. Behold, a violent storm came up on the sea, so much that the boat was covered with the waves, but he was asleep. They came to him, and woke him up, saying, “Save us, Lord! We are dying!” He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then he got up, rebuked the wind and the sea, and there was a great calm. The men marveled, saying, “What kind of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”
      • Jesus exercises His divine authority

  • Jesus retains His humanity forever:

    • Luke 24:39 - "See my hands and my feet, that it is truly me. Touch me and see, for a spirit doesn’t have flesh and bones, as you see that I have.”
    • Acts 1:9-11 - When he had said these things, as they were looking, he was taken up, and a cloud received him out of their sight. While they were looking steadfastly into the sky as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white clothing, who also said, “You men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who was received up from you into the sky, will come back in the same way as you saw him going into the sky.”
    • 1 Timothy 2:5 - For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,

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How Could God Die?

This is a common question, and a quite valid one. God is eternal, so how could He die?

  • The simplest definition of death is the separation of the body and soul.
  • We know that God is all powerful, all knowing, and eternal because of His divine nature
  • Because the divine nature possesses these properties, the divine nature cannot die
  • Death applies to human nature, since it involves the separation of body and soul
  • Jesus is the incarnation of the eternal Son
  • The Son, in His incarnation, died on the cross
  • Therefore, the eternal Son experienced death through His human nature
  • The Son did not die according to His divine nature, but according to His human nature
  • There was no time in which the Son ceased being God
  • The Son's divinity was not diminished in any way

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What Does the Bible Say About Christ’s Death?

  • Death is the separation of body and soul:

    • James 2:26 - For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, even so faith apart from works is dead.

  • Jesus truly died:

    • Matthew 27:50 - Jesus cried again with a loud voice, and yielded up his spirit.
    • John 19:30 - When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, “It is finished.” He bowed his head, and gave up his spirit.
    • 1 Corinthians 15:3 - For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,

  • His death was according to His human nature:

    • 1 Peter 3:18 - Because Christ also suffered for sins once, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring you to God; being put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit;
    • Romans 1:3-4 - concerning his Son, who was born of the offspring of David according to the flesh, who was declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord,

  • God, in His divine nature, does not die:

    • 1 Timothy 1:17 - Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
    • Malachi 3:6 - “For I, Yahweh, don’t change; therefore you, sons of Jacob, are not consumed.

  • The one person who is God truly experienced death:

    • Acts 20:28 - Take heed, therefore, to yourselves, and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the assembly of the Lord and God which he purchased with his own blood.
    • Philippians 2:8 - And being found in human form, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death, yes, the death of the cross.

  • The Son did not cease to exist or lose His divinity:

    • John 10:17-18 - Therefore the Father loves me, because I lay down my life, that I may take it again. No one takes it away from me, but I lay it down by myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. I received this commandment from my Father.”
    • Colossians 1:17 - He is before all things, and in him all things are held together.

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But Jesus dying raises another common question: What happened with His soul?

  • The eternal Son took on a human nature
  • The human nature includes both a body and a soul
  • Death is the separation of body and soul
  • When Jesus died, He gave up His spirit
    • His physical body was in the tomb
    • His soul went to Paradise, often understood as Abraham’s Bosom
    • He proclaimed victory to the spirits in prison
    • His death and resurrection secured the freedom of the righteous
    • His body was reunited with His soul in the resurrection
    • At no time did the eternal Son become separated from the human nature He assumed
    • The divine Son continued to operate through His human nature

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Where does the Bible teach this?

  • Jesus gave up His spirit
    • Luke 23:46 - Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” Having said this, he breathed his last.
    • John 19:30 - When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, “It is finished.” He bowed his head, and gave up his spirit.
  • Jesus' description of the temporary holding place of the dead
    • Luke 16:22–26 - The beggar died, and he was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died, and was buried. In Hades, he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far off, and Lazarus at his bosom. He cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue! For I am in anguish in this flame.’ “But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that you, in your lifetime, received your good things, and Lazarus, in the same way, bad things. But here he is now comforted, and you are in anguish. Besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, that those who want to pass from here to you are not able, and that no one may cross over from there to us.’
  • Jesus tells the thief that he will be in Paradise with Him after death
    • Luke 23:43 - Jesus said to him, “Assuredly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”
  • Christ proclaimed to the spirits in prison
    • 1 Peter 3:18–20 - Because Christ also suffered for sins once, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring you to God; being put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; in which he also went and preached to the spirits in prison, who before were disobedient, when God waited patiently in the days of Noah, while the ship was being built. In it, few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water.
    • 1 Peter 4:6 - For to this end the Good News was preached even to the dead, that they might be judged indeed as men in the flesh, but live as to God in the spirit.
  • Christ descended, then ascended
    • Ephesians 4:8–10 - Therefore he says, “When he ascended on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts to people.” Now this, “He ascended”, what is it but that he also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.
  • Resurrection by the Son, Father, and Spirit
    • John 10:17–18 - Therefore the Father loves me, because I lay down my life, that I may take it again. No one takes it away from me, but I lay it down by myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. I received this commandment from my Father.”
    • Galatians 1:1 - Paul, an apostle (not from men, nor through man, but through Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead)
    • 1 Peter 3:18 - Because Christ also suffered for sins once, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring you to God; being put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit;
  • Reuniting of body and life
    • Luke 24:39 - See my hands and my feet, that it is truly me. Touch me and see, for a spirit doesn’t have flesh and bones, as you see that I have.”
    • John 20:27 - Then he said to Thomas, “Reach here your finger, and see my hands. Reach here your hand, and put it into my side. Don’t be unbelieving, but believing.”

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Common Objections

  • The Trinity is a contradiction: You believe 1+1+1=1

    • This is a misunderstanding
    • The confusion comes from treating "person" and "being" as the same thing
    • When dealing with counting, we always need to answer two questions:
      1. What is it? (its being or nature)
      2. Who is it? (its person)
    • God
      • What: One divine being
      • Who: The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
      • One being, three persons
      • The claim “1+1+1=1” wrongly treats persons as if they were beings
    • Humans
      • What: One human being
      • Who: One human person
      • One being, one person
      • In humans, being and person correspond one-to-one, which is why we usually don’t distinguish them

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  • The Trinity isn’t in the Bible

    • The word “Trinity” is not found in the Bible, but the concept is clearly taught throughout Scripture
    • The Bible teaches:
      • There is one God
      • The Father is God
      • The Son is God
      • The Holy Spirit is God
      • The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinct persons
    • These truths are seen together in passages such as:
      • Matthew 28:19 - Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit
      • 2 Corinthians 13:14 - The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, God’s love, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all
    • Because Scripture teaches all of these truths, the doctrine of the Trinity is the only way to hold them together without contradiction
    • The term “Trinity” was later used by early Christians, such as Tertullian, to describe this biblical teaching
    • Church councils, such as Nicaea (325 AD) and Constantinople (381 AD), did not invent the doctrine, but clarified it in response to false teachings
    • These councils used specific wording with specific definitions to keep people from misusing the Gospel
    • In my experience, people simply misunderstand the definitions derived from scripture, and get confused
    • The importance of defining the terms and understanding them can't be overstated

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  • How can you say that there is one divine mind if each person of the Trinity has their own personal experiences?

    • The confusion comes from assuming that a mind must be a single stream of experience belonging to only one person
    • In Trinitarian theology, the mind belongs to the divine nature, not to the persons
    • Since God has one divine nature, He has one divine intellect and one divine will
    • The three persons fully share this one divine mind
    • The distinction between the persons is not based on having separate minds, but on their relationships to one another
    • The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit can have distinct personal relations and roles without being separate beings or having separate intellects

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  • How can Jesus be God if He didn't know the hour?

    • This is a common objection to the deity of Christ, and it is a very good question
    • Mark 13:32 - But of that day or that hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.
    • The argument:
      • If Jesus is God, He must know the hour
      • If He does not know the hour, then He is not omniscient
      • If He is not omniscient, then He is not God
    • The answer:
      • The Bible clearly calls Jesus God
        • John 1:1-5, 14 - In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him. Without him was not anything made that has been made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness hasn’t overcome it. ... The Word became flesh, and lived among us. We saw his glory, such glory as of the one and only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth.
      • But it also tells us that Jesus humbled Himself
        • Philippians 2:5-8 - Have this in your mind, which was also in Christ Jesus, who, existing in the form of God, didn’t consider equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death, yes, the death of the cross.
      • The answer ties back to the explanation of the Hypostatic Union
      • The eternal Son took on a real human nature, willingly lowering Himself by "taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men”
      • Human nature is finite and limited in knowledge
      • Divine nature is omniscient and possesses all knowledge
      • When Jesus says He does not know the hour, this refers to His human nature, not His divine nature
      • The Son did not stop being omniscient in His divine nature
      • Instead, the one person of the Son truly experienced human limitation according to the human nature He assumed
      • This does not diminish His divinity, because the limitation belongs to His humanity, not His deity

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  • How Many Chickens Are There?

    • The argument goes like this:
      • Chicken Chicken Chicken
      • How many chickens do you see?
      • Of course, the answer is three
      • The objection then says, “Exactly. Just like there are three divine persons, there must be three Gods.”
    • The problem with this objection is that it assumes God is counted the same way created beings are counted
    • Each chicken is its own separate being that possesses chicken nature
      • One chicken = one being
      • Three chickens = three beings
    • But the Trinity is not three divine beings
    • Christianity teaches:
      • One divine being
      • One divine essence
      • One divine nature
      • Three distinct persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
    • The objection only works if persons and beings are the same thing
    • That is true for humans and chickens, where one being corresponds to one person, but Christians do not believe this is true of God
    • The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinct persons who fully share the one undivided divine essence
    • The objection assumes that God must exist exactly like created beings exist, but God is unique and uncreated.

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  • Jesus never said, "I am God."

    • This challenge was popularized by Zakir Naik
    • His challenge is to find one unequivocal or unambiguous verse where Jesus says, “I am God. Worship me.”
    • This objection assumes a doctrine is only true if it is stated in one exact sentence
    • But doctrines are established by the totality of Scripture, not by requiring one specific phrase
    • The Bible clearly teaches that Jesus is God:
      • Exodus 3:14 - God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM,” and he said, “You shall tell the children of Israel this: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”
        • John 8:58 - Jesus said to them, “Most certainly, I tell you, before Abraham came into existence, I AM.”
        • Jesus identifies Himself using the divine name revealed to Moses
        • The Jews immediately understood this as blasphemy and attempted to stone Him
          • John 8:59 - Therefore they took up stones to throw at him
      • John 10:30-33 - “I and the Father are one.”
        • The Jews responded, “You, being a man, make yourself God.”
        • Again, the audience understood Jesus to be making a divine claim
      • Mark 14:61-64 - Jesus said, “I am. You will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of the sky.”
        • Jesus combines imagery from Psalm 110 and Daniel 7, identifying Himself with the divine Son of Man figure
        • The high priest immediately accused Him of blasphemy
      • Thomas worshiped Jesus as God
        • John 20:28 - Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!”
      • Jesus forgave sins
        • Mark 2:5-7 - The scribes responded, “Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
      • Jesus claimed authority over the Sabbath
        • Mark 2:28 - “The Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”
      • John explicitly identifies Jesus as God
        • John 1:1-14 - The Word was God... and the Word became flesh
    • Jesus may not use the exact modern English phrase being demanded, but Scripture repeatedly presents Him as divine in both word and action.

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  • Jesus prayed to God. How can He be God?

    • There are many places throughout the Gospels where Jesus prayed to the Father
      • Matthew 26:39 - He went forward a little, fell on his face, and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass away from me; nevertheless, not what I desire, but what you desire.”
    • The claim is that Jesus cannot be God because He would be praying to Himself
    • The problem with this objection is that it confuses person and being
      • The Father and the Son are distinct persons
      • But they are not separate Gods
      • They share the same divine essence
    • Jesus is the eternal Son incarnate, not a different God
    • The eternal Son took on a second nature, a true human nature
    • During His earthly life, the Son lived as truly God and truly man
    • In becoming man, Jesus willingly humbled Himself and took the role of a servant
      • Philippians 2:8 - And being found in human form, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death, yes, the death of the cross.
    • Jesus was the Word become flesh
      • John 1:1-14 - The Word was God... and the Word became flesh
    • As the incarnate Son, Jesus truly prayed to the Father
    • This is actually a strong argument in favor of the Hypostatic Union
      • Jesus truly experienced human life
      • He lived in perfect obedience and submission to the Father
      • He became the perfect example for how humanity should live before God
    • Jesus praying to the Father only becomes a problem if someone assumes the Father and Son are the same person, which Christianity does not teach.

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  • If Jesus was God, who ran the universe while He was dead?

    • This objection assumes that Jesus is a separate being from the one true God
    • But Christianity teaches that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are one God who share one divine essence and one divine being
    • Jesus is the incarnation of the eternal Son, the second person of the Trinity
    • In the incarnation, the Son added a human nature without ceasing to be fully God
    • When Jesus died, He experienced death according to His human nature, not His divine nature
    • The divine nature did not change, cease, or become inactive
    • Even during Christ’s death, the Son remained fully divine and continued to uphold all things together with the Father and the Holy Spirit
      • Colossians 1:17 - He is before all things, and in him all things are held together
      • Hebrews 1:3 - upholding all things by the word of his power
    • The Son truly died in His humanity, while remaining fully God in His divinity

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  • Who was Jesus praying to in Gethsemane? Himself?

    • This objection assumes that the Father and Son are the same person
    • But Christianity teaches that the Father and the Son are distinct persons who share the one divine essence
    • Jesus was the incarnation of the eternal Son
    • In the incarnation, the Son took on a true human nature
    • When He became man, He willingly humbled Himself and took the form of a servant
      • Philippians 2:5-8 - Have this in your mind, which was also in Christ Jesus, who, existing in the form of God, didn’t consider equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death, yes, the death of the cross.
    • As the incarnate Son, Jesus truly prayed to the Father
    • This does not mean He was praying to Himself, because the Father and Son are distinct persons
    • Jesus lived a truly human life in perfect obedience and submission to the Father
    • Gethsemane is actually a strong argument in favor of the Hypostatic Union because it shows Jesus experiencing real human anguish, obedience, and submission while remaining fully divine

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  • How can Jesus be equal to God if He said, “the Father is greater than I”?

    • John 14:28 - “...for the Father is greater than I.”
    • This objection is very similar to the question: Who was Jesus praying to in Gethsemane? Himself?
    • The problem with this objection is that it confuses equality of nature with role or position
    • The Father and the Son are distinct persons, but they share the same divine essence and are equally God
    • The Bible explicitly teaches the full deity of the Son
      • John 1:1 - The Word was God
      • Philippians 2:6 - existing in the form of God
      • Colossians 2:9 - in him all the fullness of the Deity dwells bodily
    • In the incarnation, the eternal Son took on a human nature and humbled Himself
      • Philippians 2:5-8 - He emptied himself, taking the form of a servant
    • During His earthly ministry, Jesus lived in submission and obedience to the Father as the incarnate Messiah
    • So when Jesus says, “the Father is greater than I,” He is speaking in regard to His humbled condition in the incarnation, not denying His divine nature
    • The Father is greater in role and position during the incarnation, but not greater in divine essence

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  • The Holy Spirit is just God's power, not a person

    • This is a common objection made by Jehovah's Witnesses and other groups that deny the Trinity
    • They argue:
      • Acts 2:17 - “I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh”
        • They argue that a person cannot be poured out
        • Therefore, they conclude that the Spirit must be an impersonal force
      • Acts 2:1-4 - “They were all filled with the Holy Spirit”
        • They argue that this sounds more like power or influence than a person
      • Luke 1:35 - “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you”
        • They argue that the Spirit is being equated with divine power
      • Micah 3:8 - “I am full of power by Yahweh’s Spirit”
        • They argue that the Spirit is simply the means of divine power
    • Christians agree that the Holy Spirit empowers, fills, and works through believers, but these actions do not make Him an impersonal force
    • The Bible repeatedly describes the Holy Spirit as acting personally:
      • Acts 5:3-4 - The Holy Spirit can be lied to, and Peter says, “You haven't lied to men, but to God.”
      • 1 Corinthians 12:11 - The Spirit has a will, distributing gifts “as he desires.”
      • Ephesians 4:30 - “Don't grieve the Holy Spirit of God.”
      • John 14:26 - The Holy Spirit teaches believers
      • Romans 8:26 - “The Spirit himself makes intercession for us.”
      • Acts 13:2 - “The Holy Spirit said, ‘Separate Barnabas and Saul for me.’”
    • These are personal actions, not the actions of an impersonal force
    • The Holy Spirit is associated with divine power and action because He is God, but power and personhood are not mutually exclusive
    • Therefore, the Holy Spirit is not merely God's power, but a divine person of the Trinity
    • An impersonal force does not speak, teach, will, intercede, or experience grief

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  • The Trinity was invented at Nicaea

    • This is not historically accurate
    • The Council of Nicaea was called in 325 AD primarily in response to the Arian controversy
    • Arius taught that the Son was a created being and not equal in essence with the Father
    • The Council did not invent the deity of Christ or the doctrine of the Trinity
    • Instead, the bishops gathered at Nicaea used Scripture to clarify and defend what Christians had already believed against the teachings of Arius
    • The fact that Arianism was recognized as a false teaching shows that there was already an established understanding of the Son’s divinity before the Council
    • The Council produced a written creed to help identify and refute false teachings about the nature of Christ and the Trinity
    • Early Christian writers before Nicaea had already spoken of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in divine terms
    • The doctrine of the Trinity comes from the totality of Scripture, not from the invention of a church council
    • For example, Scripture repeatedly presents the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit together:
      • Matthew 28:19 - Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit
      • 2 Corinthians 13:14 - The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, God’s love, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all. Amen.
      • Ephesians 4:4-6 - one Spirit... one Lord... one God and Father of all
      • 1 Peter 1:1-2 - according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, that you may obey Jesus Christ

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  • God cannot become man because God cannot change

    • The clearest verse expressing this idea is arguably Malachi 3:6. "For I, Yahweh, don’t change; therefore you, sons of Jacob, are not consumed."
    • This is probably one of the strongest objections people bring against the incarnation and the Trinity
    • However, this takes God's words out of context and turns Him into something less than personal
      • Persons show mercy
      • Persons express grief
      • Persons relent
      • Persons respond to events
      • Persons love
    • Scripture repeatedly describes God in these personal ways
    • What should be understood by God saying that He does not change is that His essential nature, character, and promises do not change
      • What God says, He means
      • What God says He will do, He will do
      • God does not stop loving because God is love
      • God does not stop being just because God is just
    • God's character is unchanging, but His interactions with His creation are personal and dynamic
    • Scripture itself describes God responding to prayer, showing mercy, expressing wrath, relenting from judgment, and entering into covenant relationships
    • If God had no relational interaction with His creation at all, He would no longer be revealed in Scripture as a personal God
    • Therefore, the incarnation does not require God to cease being God or to change His divine nature. Rather, the Son took on a human nature while remaining what He eternally is

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  • Jesus has two natures, so He must be two persons

    • This objection misunderstands the difference between person and nature
    • A nature answers the question:
      • “What is something?”
    • A person answers the question:
      • “Who is someone?”
    • Jesus is one person:
      • The eternal Son
    • But the Son possesses two natures:
      • A divine nature
      • A human nature
    • The incarnation did not create a second person
    • The eternal Son took on a human nature while remaining the one divine person of the Son
    • The two natures remain distinct, but they are united in one person without confusion, without change, without division, and without separation
    • This is why Jesus can:
      • Sleep according to His human nature
      • Yet uphold the universe according to His divine nature
    • The existence of two natures does not require two persons, because nature and person are not the same category

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  • God can't be tempted, but Jesus was

    • James 1:13 says:
      • “Let no man say when he is tempted, ‘I am tempted by God,’ for God can’t be tempted by evil, and he himself tempts no one.”
    • This objection fails to distinguish between the two natures of Christ
    • The eternal Son took on a true human nature while remaining fully divine
    • Philippians 2:5-8 tells us that the Son humbled Himself and took the form of a servant
    • As truly man, Jesus experienced genuine human weakness and temptation
      • Hebrews 4:15 - “but one who has been in all points tempted like we are, yet without sin.”
    • The person of the Son experienced temptation according to the human nature He assumed
    • But the divine nature itself cannot be tempted by evil
    • Jesus did not sin because the Son is holy and divine
    • So Christ experienced real temptation in His humanity without ceasing to be fully God

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  • If the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinct, that's tritheism

    • This question was addressed earlier in the article in the How can one being exist as three persons? section
    • Tritheism means belief in three separate divine beings or three separate Gods
    • The assumption behind this objection is that person and being must always mean the same thing
    • The objection assumes that God must exist the same way created beings exist
    • In human experience:
      • One human person corresponds to one human being
    • But Christianity teaches that God is unique
      • The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are three distinct persons
      • But they are not three separate beings
      • They fully share the one divine essence and one divine being
    • This objection collapses the distinction between person and being
    • The divine essence is not divided into parts, but fully shared by the three divine persons

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  • Explain the Trinity with an analogy

    • This request assumes that there is something in creation that can fully explain how God exists
    • However, there is nothing in creation that adequately explains God's nature
    • God is unlike anything in creation
      • Isaiah 40:18 - "To whom then will you liken God? Or what likeness will you compare to him?"
      • Isaiah 40:25 - "To whom then will you liken me? Who is my equal?" says the Holy One.
      • Isaiah 46:9 - "Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me."
      • Exodus 15:11 - "Who is like you, Yahweh, among the gods? Who is like you, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?"
      • Jeremiah 10:6 - "There is no one like you, Yahweh. You are great, and your name is great in might."
    • For this reason, every analogy for the Trinity eventually breaks down and usually leans into some type of error or heresy
    • Some analogies deny the distinct personhood of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
    • Other analogies divide God into separate beings or parts
    • While analogies may help illustrate certain concepts, they cannot fully explain God's existence because God is not a created being
    • The Trinity is ultimately understood from what God has revealed about Himself in Scripture, not from comparisons within creation

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  • How can the Holy Spirit have a will and desires if He shares the one divine will with the Father and Son?

    • This objection fails to distinguish between personhood and essence
    • Having one divine will does not mean that God must exist as only one Person
    • The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinct divine Persons who fully share the one divine nature
    • Because the divine nature is one, the divine mind and will are also one
    • However, each divine Person personally enacts the one divine will according to His personal relation and role
    • Therefore, when Scripture says that the Holy Spirit has desires or distributes gifts according to His will, this does not describe a separate divine will competing against the Father or Son
    • Rather, it is the one divine will being personally expressed through the Holy Spirit
    • The same is true of the Father sending the Son, the Son becoming incarnate, and the Spirit indwelling believers
    • These are not separate gods acting independently, but the one God acting personally through the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

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