The Trivial Trinity
The Trinity never made sense to me, no matter which way it was explained or presented, it never seemed right. For the longest time my prayer life was affected by this confusion, I didn’t know who to pray to so I would break my prayer down into three parts to talk to the three persons. In hind-sight that sounds ridiculous but when you’re in a church that pushes the idea of the Holy Spirit being a person and God Almighty’s name being Jesus, there's a mental and spiritual game being played in a person. My husband and I would spend hours deliberating and searching the bible for confirmation of the trinity but could never fully come to terms with it. We knew something wasn’t right but at the time didn’t know there was an option to not believe it and since it was made out to be a salvation issue we just assumed we were dumb and went along with it. If you can relate, see this video: Must I Believe The Trinity To Be Saved?
It wasn’t until I began watching debates that I realized there was another way! The argument from the side of the trinitarians sounded incomprehensible and the fruit they displayed by making the trinity into a salvation issue was unbecoming. I had been taught to believe in the trinity for so long but had never actually heard the arguments and defense for it until these debates. On the opposing side, was a gentleman that literally just used scripture and defined the words, that’s it. For the first time I felt like I had permission to just believe the bible, I didn’t have to believe in something that the bible doesn’t mention, I could believe what it says about the Father and what it says about the Messiah. It was another layer of man-made doctrine peeled away and another step of walking in freedom with my faith. Is The Trinity Doctrine Biblical?
Where Does It Come From?
There is absolutely nowhere in scripture that states you must confess the doctrine of the Trinity to be saved, so where does this dogmatic thought process come from? There is a lot of history behind theTrinity but the salvation issue aspect actually comes from the Athanasian Creed. Within this creed, the same creed even protestant churches today uphold, is a proclamation of necessity to profess the Catholic Church in order to be saved:
“Whosoever will be saved, before all things it is necessary that he hold the Catholic Faith. Which Faith except everyone do keep whole and undefiled, without doubt he shall perish everlastingly. And the Catholic Faith is this, that we worship one God in Trinity and Trinity in Unity.”. . .
“So there is One Father, not Three Fathers; one Son, not Three Sons; One Holy Ghost, not Three Holy Ghosts. And in this Trinity none is afore or after Other, None is greater or less than Another, but the whole Three Persons are Co-eternal together, and Co-equal. So that in all things, as is aforesaid, the Unity in Trinity, and the Trinity in Unity, is to be worshiped. He therefore that will be saved, must thus think of the Trinity.”
CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: The Athanasian Creed (newadvent.org)
The Trinity is a mystery of faith in the strict sense, one of the "mysteries that are hidden in God, which can never be known unless they are revealed by God". - Catechism of the Catholic Church . . . “The Trinity is an incomprehensible mystery. It is the central doctrine of the Catholic faith. Upon this foundation are based all the other teachings of the church.”
The Origins of the Trinity Doctrine - HubPages
Let’s get into the nitty gritty of the most common arguments. Videos and articles will be inked throughout, but the most important thing is to simply open your bible and read with a humbled heart that’s prepared to learn.
The Word Was God
John 1:1 “the word was God”...this is sandwiched between “the word was with God” and “He was with God in the beginning” Defining God - Untangling Trinitarian Confusion
There was someone WITH the Almighty meaning there are two people.
Define the word God: ‘theos’ in Greek, ‘elohim’ in Hebrew. Jesus IS God is an accurate statement because that simply defines that He has deity/authority but that authority comes from someone- the Father/ Almighty.
The Father And I Are One
John 10:30 “I and the Father are one.” most often taken out of the context of Jesus explaining the Father gave Him followers (again, 2 persons- the Father gave the Son). Is Jesus Really God?
John 10:34 Jesus reminds those who are shouting “blasphemy!” of the definition of god- a person who sits in judgment. John 10:36 He clarifies that He is not calling Himself the Almighty Father but is the SON of God.
In John 10:37-38 We see Him explain that He does the works of His Father- Jesus does the will of the Father; the Father’s will is being worked through the Son. This is the same concept we see later in John 14 about us remaining in Jesus and He will remain in us. It has nothing to do with us (the body) being some fourth leg of the Trinity- nobody thinks that! When we say we are IN Christ we are not claiming to BE Him, no! We are expressing a dedication to His will and His will IS the Father's will. Just as the body is one with Christ, so is Christ one with the Father.
The Spirit
The Holy Spirit doesn't have a body. Rauch Ha’codesh in Hebrew means ‘Set-apart Spirit’ Broken down even further, Rauch means breath, power, wind. In the New Testament we see the Spirit referred to as ‘He’ implying he is a person i.e. the “third person of the Trinity” however the word used there in Greek (ekeinos) means he/ she/ it. So quite literally we can say for John 16:13
“But when it, the Spirit of truth, comes, it will guide you into all the truth; for it will not speak on it's own, but whatever it hears, it will speak; and it will disclose to you what is to come.” Translators assumed the ‘He.’ The Spirit, the Rauch, is the breath and the power of the Almighty. It is the power that is given in deposits to lead the set-apart ones, the saints, to the way of righteousness. The power of God leads you to the ways of God. It's not a person we need to pray to or praise or welcome, it's the power that the Father gives to His Son to distribute to His followers. The Nature of God
Three In One Pagan Roots
All of the explanations of the Trinity- the three parts to one egg, the three phases of water, the man being all together a husband, a son, and a father… all of these explanations are using creation to describe the essence of the Creator- this is also known as gnostic or pagan philosophy. All explanations of the Trinity eventually end with “well God is a mystery we can't understand” and while the bible does say that His ways are higher than we can comprehend, it also says that what He has given to us is for us to know and do. What He has given us is a clear distinction that He is ONE. He has given us a clear distinction that He beget a Son who is the First Born of all creation. He has given us a clear distinction that He sets His son as a High Priest and King over Zion. He gives us the clear distinction that His Son is not equal to Himself but that He gives His Son authority. He gives us clarity in His word! But people, with Greek philosophical mindsets have twisted His words and eisegetically implied a trinitarian concept to His word.
"The belief that God could be incarnate, or that there were sons of God, were common and popular beliefs. For example, the chief god in the Greek pantheon, Zeus, visited the human woman Danae in the form of golden rain and fathered Perseus, a “god-man.” In another tale Zeus is said to have come to the human woman Alcmena, disguised as her husband. Alcmena bore Hercules, another “god-man.” Such tales bear a striking similarity to Trinitarian beliefs of God being begotten as a man. . .
“Even the concept of God-men who were saviors of mankind was by no means exclusive to Jesus. Long before Jesus was born, it was not uncommon for military men and political rulers to be talked about as divine beings. . . Judaic phrases like “son of God” took on a different meaning when transported out of their Jewish monotheistic context into pagan Greco-Roman thought. The Trinity doctrine arose neither in a vacuum, nor strictly from the text of Scripture. It was the result of the influence of certain beliefs and attitudes that prevailed in and around the Church after the first century. The Church emerged in a Jewish and Greek world and so the primitive Church had to reconcile the notions they had inherited from Judaism with those they had derived from pagan mythology."
Pagan Origins of The Trinity *This particular article shows the issues with pagan influence in the trinity doctrine but please use extreme caution with this religious site!
“It must not be forgotten that Jesus Christ never mentioned such a phenomenon [the Trinity], and nowhere in the New Testament does the word 'Trinity' appear. The idea was only adopted by the Church three hundred years after the death of our Lord; and the origin of the conception is entirely pagan . . .
"The ancient Egyptians, whose influence on early religious thought was profound, usually arranged their gods or goddesses in trinities: there was the trinity of Osiris, Isis, and Horus, the trinity of Amen, Mut, and Khonsu, the trinity of Khnum, Satis, and Anukis, and so forth . . ."The early Christians, however, did not at first think of applying the idea to their own faith. They paid their devotions to God the Father and to Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and they recognized the mysterious and undefined existence of the Holy Spirit; but there was no thought of these three being an actual Trinity, co-equal and united in One . . ."The application of this old pagan conception of a Trinity to Christian theology was made possible by the recognition of the Holy Spirit as the required third 'Person,' co-equal with the other 'Persons' . . .
This is why it's so important to learn and understand the priesthood of Jesus. He didn't come to be “God the Son,” and was not deity in the flesh. He took off glory to become a human, learn obedience, live righteously, and resurrect from the dead so He could become High Priest to YHWH. He didn't save the world as god-man, He will save believers as the righteous High Priest atoning for the sins of Israel in the heavenly tabernacle. YHWH = Father, High Priest = Son. No other pagan religion describes this scenario, and we’ll go into what makes worship different towards the end.
The Priesthood and The New Covenant
Trinity Concepts
The three key concepts of the Trinity doctrine are that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are co-equal in authority, co-substantial in a combined essence also known as ‘Homoousios,’ and co-eternal without beginning or end. But what does the bible say?
Co-equal: Jesus says the Father is greater than He:
-John 14:28, Mark 10:18, Matthew 24:36
Jesus is a High Priest forever in service to the Almighty:
-Psalm 110:4, 1 Timothy 2:5, all of Hebrews explains this
Jesus hands authority back to the Father and subjects Himself:
-1 Cor 15:24+28, Hebrews 1:13-14
Co-substantial: YHWH, Jesus, and the angels have a spirit body:
-John 4:24, 1 Cor 14:45, Hebrews 1:13-14
Mortals will receive a spirit body at the Resurrection
-1 Cor 15:36-54, Phil 3:20-21, 1 John 3:2, John 3:3-6
*The bible only describes two types of ontology: blood and flesh mortals, spirit and water immortal. There is no third ontology that describes 3 in 1 being or ‘homoousios.’
Co-eternal: Jesus is the beginning of the creation of YHWH
-Revelation 3:14, Colossians 1:15, Hebrews 1:6
The bible does not explicitly say when the Son was begotten but it does say that He was the first of creation. The Holy Spirit was the power and breath of the Almighty which hovered over the face of the deep. YHWH spoke a Word and Light came to be. Because we aren’t given an exact connection I will insert my own view here to say I believe this is the moment the Son was created. The book of Jubilees corroborates Day 1 of creation and adds the detail that along with the heavens, the heavenly bodies (angels) were created. I believe the Son was begotten first and given a higher authority than the angels but in like manner with the angels was created as an eternal being. Hebrews 1:5 “For to which of the angels did He ever say, “You are My Son, Today I have fathered You”? And again, “I will be a Father to Him And He will be a Son to Me”?
-Genesis 1:1-5, John 1:3-5
John 8:58 "Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.”
He existed with the Father before Abraham was born which leads to Phil. 2:7 He emptied Himself to be born of a woman. He existed with the Father before His taking on the form of a man. We know that Abraham knew the prophecy of the coming Son and rejoiced! The ‘I am’ statement wasn’t Him claiming to be YHWH in the flesh. Most often pulled from Jewish Oral tradition, you will hear “I am who I am” in Exodus 3:14 taught as the Father’s name but this wasn’t His name, it was His declaration of being The God of Israel. Literally the next verse says, “YHWH (Yahuah), the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is My name forever, and this is the name for all generations to call upon Me. Jesus made 7 different ‘I am’ statements that were a declaration of His purpose and position as the Son of YHWH.
Are The Father and The Son Co-Equal?
Worship
One major issue many trinitarians bring up is how can the Father and the Son both be worshiped without creating a polytheistic scenario. I’ll be honest, this was something I struggled to wrap my mind around as well until I learned the definition of worship. There are two types of worship- one that is done in a manner of offerings and sacrifices; temple worship.The other is that of obeisance or respect in regard to a ruler or judge. This was the final light bulb moment for me personally. While the bible describes a high level of honor and respect given to both the Father and the Son, temple worship is only being done for the Father. The Son Himself is a minister of temple worship to the Father as described throughout the entire book of Hebrews.
Isaiah 42:8 "I am the YHWH, that is My name; I will not give My glory to another, Nor My praise to idols." The context is idols. The pagan practices of the nations included making sacrifices and giving offerings to other gods- this is what YHWH is saying He will not share with another false deity. There is not a single instance in all of scripture where this temple worship is being done for Jesus.
Psalm. 2:12 "Kiss the Son, that He not be angry and you perish on the way, For His wrath may be kindled quickly. How blessed are all who take refuge in Him!" The Father requires obeisance to be given to the Son. Jesus is the King appointed by YHWH- David is the picture of this and how David is promised the throne forever. Respect and honor is to be given to the Son because He is the mediator, He is the One ministering in the heavenly temple on our behalf.
1 Timothy 2:5 "For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and mankind, the --> man Christ Jesus"
The Son is the chosen servant of YHWH whom we look to as our High Priest and King, He was given all authority by the Father to execute His will.
John 6:38 "For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me."
Revelation 3:21 “To him who overcomes I shall give to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.”
Trinity Argument DESTROYED - 2 Types of Worship
Agency
Revelation 1:1-2 “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John, who testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, everything that he saw.” The bible uses the concept of agency. In Revelation 1 we can see that this entire message was given by the Father to the Son, then from the Son the message was given to angels, then from the angels to John for all of the assemblies. We see this same concept happening on Mt. Siani with the Law being given through angels to Moses for the people.
-Acts 7:38 & 53, Hebrews 2:2, Galatians 3:19
Jesus is the mediator between the Father and mankind. If God was three in one there would be no need for a mediator, no need for a High Priest, no need for Jesus to be the first fruits of the resurrection, no need to have a King over Zion. But there is Jeus! He was hidden with the Father until the appointed time (John 1:18), took off His glory to be born of a woman (Phil 2:7), lived a human life without sin (Heb. 5:8), died completely righteous and was able to resurrect three days later in a glorified body (1 Cor 15:20), ascended back to the Father to begin His prophesied position as High Priest (Heb 10:12). Again, at the appointed time, the Father will send forth His Son to raise the righteous dead, execute judgment, and pour out the Almighty’s wrath upon the earth (Rev 11:18). When He returns He will also bring with Him the city of Zion with the Father in its midst to be the dwelling place of the saints for 1k years (Rev 20:4, Rev 21:1-8, Ezekiel 37:23-28); the saints will rule and reign with Him as a kingdom priesthood, then after 1k years death and hades will be thrown into the lake of fire and the Son will hand the Kingdom back over to the Father (Rev 20:13, 1 Cor 15:25-28). This is the gospel! And the true Gospel requires the understanding of who the Father is and who the Son is. With this understanding comes a greater appreciation for Jesus and a deeper relationship with our Father. Complete Trinity Playlist
John 3:16 God sent His only begotten Son so that whoever believes in Him (as the Son and High Priest meditating on our behalf) shall be saved.
For a deeper look into the New Covenant and the role of Jesus, check out