20th June, 2022.

WHY I BELIEVE IN TRINITY Pt.1

2 Cor 13:14May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

WHAT DO WE MEAN?

One of the most controversial bible doctrine is "Trinity". It is not controversial among those to whom it has been revealed neither is it controversial among those that have studied the bible along this line of truth. It is easy to find critics of this doctrine use history to refute this claim but no other source is credible except the bible. The word "Trinity" itself is not in the bible, we only use it to describe the relationship that exist in the Godhead. Even if you don't like that word, if you open your heart and allow God's word and Spirit in, you will agree there is God in three unique persons. What do we mean by "Trinity"? Are we saying God is three? To start with, let's establish a truth from scriptures: GOD IS ONE. In Deuteronomy 6:4, the bible says: "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:". This declaration is what the Jews call Shema. It is a declaration that affirms that God is one. In Mark 12:29(ESV), "Jesus reaffirm thesame truth saying: Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one". This is no mistake or fluke of saying. It is what it is. However, when we talk about trinity, what we are saying is that one God exist in three persons thereby making each of them coequal, coeternal and of thesame essence in all ramifications. The doctrine of trinity has never denied the oneness of God, rather it affirms it and establishes the existence of one God in three unique persons- God the father, God the son and God the Holy Spirit.

From the beginning(Gen1:26), when God said, "Let US make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air". I want you to note the pronoun "us". Definitely, it refers to more than one person. You don't use "us" when talking to yourself or about yourself. It is obvious there were more than one person in the conversation. You will also notice if those God was talking to weren't in the very image and essence with Him, He wouldn't have said man should be made in their image. It would have been a selective creation in the image of just one person but we see God talking to another person with creative power and ability like Him. The same pronoun was used in Gen 3:22: "And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of US, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:". In the same book of Genesis (11:7), the use of the same pronoun "us" reflect in God's conversation. God wouldn't have been talking to angels when he said "Let us". In Isaiah 6:8, "Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for US?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”. Now, it is established there's a "us" right from creation. The trinitarian doctrine didn't start with Paul as some haters of Paul have said. It started right from the beginning, the prophets confirmed it.

In the prophetic writing of Isaiah (48:16), speaking about the Son (Jesus Christ), the Son is speaking while making reference to he Father and the Holy Spirit: "Come near me and listen to this: "From the first announcement I have not spoken in secret; at the time it happens, I am there." And now the Sovereign LORD has sent me, with his Spirit". The speaker mentioned "Sovereign LORD"( denoting God the father) and he further said the LORD has sent him with his "Spirit"( denoting the Holy Spirit). Obviously, it is the Son (Jesus Christ) that is talking here. Let's check a new testament scripture that revealed the persons in trinity. In Matthew 3:16-17, at the baptism of Jesus, the trinity surfaced: "As soon as Jesus baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment, heaven was opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him, And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased*". In this passage, God the father spoke from heaven, God the Son was baptized and God the Spirit descended on the Son like a dove. Are you still in doubt about the three persons of the trinity? It is only those that don't believe in the inspiration of the bible that doubt these things. How can we be made perfect in our faith if we spurn this truth? I believe in the holy trinity because it is an established truth in the scriptures both old and new testament.