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Doctrine of The Trinity

Nathaniel Parker

Created 7/16/20

Updated 7/30/20

Definition of Doctrine

The Trinity: One Lord God; eternally three, coequal persons; Father, Son, and Holy

Spirit.

Annotated Definition

The Trinity: One Lord1 God2; eternally 3 three, coequal persons4; Father, Son, and Holy

Spirit5.

Elaboration

All three persons of the Trinity are equal in essence (John 14:1-28)

Jesus Christ is equated with God and as a person of the Trinity (2 Corinthians 13:14, 1

Peter 1:2)

Each person of the Trinity is distinct (Example: John 1:1-2)

The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit exist at the same time. They are not various

modes, contrary to Modalism (Matthew 3:16-17)

Each of the persons of the Trinity were involved in creation (Genesis 1:1-2, John 1:3)

1 Matthew 28:19-20; Deuteronomy 6:4

21 Corinthians 8:6

3 Baptist Faith and Message

4 The Athanasian Creed

5 Matthew 28:19-20
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Each person of the Trinity receives worship due to God alone (Lexham Survey of

Theology)

Biblical Foundation

Key Biblical Text

Matthew 28:19-20

singular “name” (onoma) signifies one God

“Father”, “Son”, and “Holy Spirit”

Additional Biblical Texts

Matthew 3:16-17

God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit all present at the baptism of Jesus

John 1:1-2

the Word (the Son), while distinct from the Father (“the Word was with God”), is God

(“the Word was God”, qualitative use of “God/Theos “in the third clause of the verse, see

Wallace)

Deuteronomy 6:4

Emphasizes one Lord, but “one” (echad) carries a collective sense

John 14:1-28

“he that hath seen me hath seen the Father”-The Son and the Father are of the One

Godhead

“And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide

with you for ever”-The Holy Spirit is God

Genesis 1:1-2

Plural noun for “God” (Elohim) used with a singular verb “create” (bara) can allude to

the Trinity
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However, there are other interpretative positions (grammatically it could refer to a plural

of majesty, plus there at least two fringe interpretative positions, one used by feminists and the

other used by “divine council” proponents)

Genesis 1:2 and John 1:3 unpack the Trinitarian sense of Genesis 1:1 further with Genesis

1:2 referring to the “spirit of God” (ruach Elohim) and John 1:3 referring to the Son (“the

Word”) as Creator

Careful that one does not literally translate Elohim as a tritheistic plural

The “us” language in Genesis 1:26 and Genesis 11:7 can also allude to the Trinity

1 Corinthians 8:6

But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one

Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.

2 Corinthians 13:14

“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy

Spirit, be with you all. Amen.”

1 Peter 1:2

“Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the

Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ”

Ephesians 2:18

“For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.”

Colossians 2:9

“For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily”-the Son is God

1 John 5:7

“the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit, and the three are one”

The drawback on this passage is that the explicit Trinitarian clause is only found in the

Textus Receptus/Majority Text, although the immediate context in 7a and 6 could possibly offer

a biblical defense of the Trinity even if the explicit Trinitarian clause is not included
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Inadequate Views

Modalism: God is one who takes on roles of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit at different

times and places

Refutation: Matthew 3:16-17, God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit all present at the

baptism of Jesus

Possible refutation of Modalism using Genesis 1:1-2 and John 1:3 to affirm that the

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit were all present at Creation

Arianism/Jehovah’s Witnesses: Jesus Christ is of a different substance than God the

Father

Refutation: John 1:1-2, the Word (the Son), while distinct from the Father (“the Word was

with God”), is God (“the Word was God”, qualitative use of “God/Theos “in the third clause of

the verse, see Wallace), John 1:2 emphasizes that the Word was present at the beginning, alluding

to the Word (the Son) as eternally pre-existent

Unitarianism/Islam: God is a monotheistic monad (same position concerning the god of

Islam)

Refutation: Matthew 28:19-20 and other key texts on the doctrine of the Trinity

Tritheism: God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are Three Individual gods

Refutation: Deuteronomy 6:4, Matthew 28:19-20

Corollaries

Hypostatic Union: Jesus Christ is fully God

Eternal Generation: Jesus Christ is the Monogenes (John 3:16)

Filioque: Procession of the Spirit from the Father and the Son

Perichoresis: The mutual indwelling among the persons of the Trinity

Linkage to Other Doctrines

Theology Proper, Christology, Pneumatology: The doctrine of the Trinity is fully

unpacked in each of the three major doctrines of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
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Bibliology: the written Word of God reveals the living Word of God (the Son) and also

reveals the doctrine of the Trinity

Anthropology/Soteriology: God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are involved in the

individual’s salvation

Confessional Texts

Key Confessional Texts

The Apostle’s Creed

Affirms belief in God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

The Nicene Creed

Affirms belief in God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, with more depth than the

Apostle’s Creed

The Creed of Constantinople

Unpacks the doctrine of the Trinity elaborating further than the Apostle’s Creed

The Athanasian Creed

An elaboration of the doctrine of the Trinity, goes further than the Apostle’s Creed and

Constantinople. The most elaborate creed concerning the doctrine of the Trinity.

Additional Confessional Texts

Second Council of Constantinople

Affirms that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are one nature or essence, one deity in three

hypostases or persons

Fourth Lateran Council

Affirms the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are three persons but a single essence

The Augsburg Confession

Article 1 “Of God” affirms the three persons of the same essence of God the Father, Son,

and Holy Spirit

The Westminster Confession

Chapter 2 “Of God and of the Holy Trinity”

First London Confession

Affirms the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are the same God

Second London Confession

Chapter 2 elaborates on the doctrine of the Trinity

The Orthodox Creed

Third Article ”Of the Holy Trinity”

New Hampshire Confession

Briefly touches on the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit on “Of the True God”

Baptist Faith and Message

“The eternal triune God reveals Himself to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, with

distinct personal attributes, but without division of nature, essence, or being.”

Theologians

Gregory of Nazianzus, Five Theological Orations

Offers an in-depth treatment and elaboration on the doctrine of the Trinity

Yarnell, God the Trinity

Chapter 1 elaborates on Matthew 28:19 and Chapter 3 elaborates on Deuteronomy 6:4

Rahner, The Trinity

A classic work where Rahner discusses the relationship between the immanent and

economic Trinity

Letham, Systematic Theology, Chapters 2-4

Devotes three chapters to a useful discussion on the Trinity

Oliphint, The Majesty of Mystery, Chapter 3

A beneficial discussion on the Trinity

Erickson, God in Three Persons: A Contemporary Interpretation of the Trinity

An extended treatment on the doctrine of the Trinity

Erickson, Making Sense of the Trinity

A brief treatment on the doctrine of the Trinity

Erickson, Systematic Theology, Chapter 3

A useful discussion on the Trinity, including discussions on the Shema and refuting

inadequate views

Ryrie, Basic Theology, Chapter 8

A useful survey on the Trinity

MacArthur, Biblical Doctrine, Chapter 3, Part 4

A general overview on the doctrine of the Trinity

Enns, Moody Handbook of Theology, Chapter 19, Section 7

Argues “Triunity” is a better definition for the doctrine of the Trinity

Barth, Church Dogmatics, Volume 1, Chapter 2, Part 1

Barth offers one of the most extensive treatments on the doctrine of the Trinity

Berkhof, Systematic Theology, Part 1, Chapter 8

A useful presentation on the doctrine of the Trinity, including an elaboration on each of

the persons

Oden, Classic Christianity, Chapter 5

A discussion on the Trinity in light of church history

Mullins, The Christian Religion in its Doctrinal Expression, Chapter 8

Begins with a discussion on the Holy Spirit before elaborating on the Trinity

Mueller, Christian Dogmatics, Chapter 2, Parts 2-5

Offers a good discussion on the terminology with regard to the doctrine of the Trinity

Modern Trinitarian Debates

Eternal Functional Subordination: The position that God the Son is eternally subordinate

to God the Father only in His functional role (usually an appear to 1 Corinthians 15:26-28)
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The Trinity as an Analogy for Gender Roles: Usually argued by complementarian

theologians that the headship of men to women mirrors the headship of God the Father to God

the Son (usually an appeal to 1 Corinthians 11:3)