Who is the Trinity? God is described with different words in the Bible, a few of which translate into English as LORD, Lord, the LORD almighty, God, God Almighty and so forth. When reading these in different places in the Bible, you become aware that although God is “one” He is also “more than one”—God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit (Holy Ghost). Together, they are referred to as “the Trinity” or “the Godhead.” On this page we will provide explanations that help people understand God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and the Trinity.
God is not so complex that He can not be understood. The Bible is written so that anyone can understand Him. The difference is that God is not human, so He can not be described as a human can be described. The gods of every other religion can be described in “normal” terms since they were invented in the minds of men.* Even some “Christians” (actually Christian cults)
invent their own description of God and make Him seem like these other gods (by denying the aspect of the Trinity).
* Romans 1:20-23 (chapter 1, verses 20-23)
The explanation of the Trinity is so simple that most people miss it.
- If God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit were the same, they would not have different names.
- If they were the same, they would not appear separately as they do in Matthew 3:16,17.
In spite of being different, they are “one.” (John 10:30) - So we understand that the three “members” of the Trinity are different, but have the same purpose.
About 20 years ago, Dr. Harold Willmington (Liberty University) shared an analogy he had heard with his students, comparing the Trinity to a book. For example, a book has length, width, and thickness. The length is not the book’s width, the width is not the book’s thickness. These three dimensions can be described separately, yet they are connected together. If you remove one dimension, you are no longer describing a book. In the same way, the Godhead has three separate members that are connected together, and if you try to remove one you no longer have the Godhead.
God Is One
- God is described as “one” in Deuteronomy 6:4, 1 Kings 8:60, Isaiah 44:8 and numerous other passages. For example, Deuteronomy 6:4 says “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one!” The word for “one” is the Hebrew word ‘echad. (This Old Testament text was originally written in Hebrew). This is the same Hebrew word that is used for “one” in Genesis 2:24—Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.
- In case you haven’t noticed when a man and woman are married they do not melt into one human being, becoming some sort of hybrid. Yet, they do become “one.” We could cite other examples, but we have made our point.
God Is More Than One
- Genesis 1:26, Genesis 3:22, Genesis 11:7, Isaiah 6:8, and other passages are examples of conversations within which God uses the word “we” or “us.” However, God is not referring to any others (people, angels, etc.) in these verses. Since God is having a conversation, the “we” and “us” must therefore refer to the Trinity. You might say that God speaks to Himself in the plural form.
The Trinity Is God
Matthew 28:16-20 is a passage referred to as “The Great Commission.” In verse 19, Jesus states, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,”
Why did Jesus tell his eleven disciples to baptize people in the names of all three members of the Trinity? Why not one or two? It is obvious from this passage that the entire Trinity is God.
