THE
DOCTRINE OF THE TRINITY
T.P.
Simmons
I.
THE TRINITY DEFINED
Perhaps
the meaning of the Trinity of God has never been better
stated than it is stated by A. H. Strong- "in the nature of the one God there
are three eternal distinctions which are represented to us under the figure of
persons, and these three are equal" (Systematic Theology, p. 144).
The
principles of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary set
forth the doctrine of the Trinity as follows: "God is revealed to us as Father,
Son, and Holy Spirit, each with distinct personal attributes, but without
division of nature, essence, or being."
In
consideration of these definitions, note:
1.
THE TRINITY CONSISTS OF THREE DISTINCTIONS.
The
doctrine of the Trinity does not mean that God merely manifests Himself in three
different ways. There are three actual distinctions in the Godhead. The truth of
this will appear more clearly later.
2.
THESE THREE DISTINCTIONS ARE ETERNAL.
This
is proved, on one hand, by the immutability of God. If there was ever a time
when these distinctions did not exist, then when they came to
exist God changed. It is proved again by the Scriptures which assert or imply
the eternity of the Son and the Holy Spirit. See John 1:1,2; Rev. 22:13,14; Heb.
9:14.
"It
is no reply to this, that the expressions 'begotten,' and 'proceedeth from,'
involve the idea of the antecedent existence of him who
begets, and from whom there is procession. For these are terms of human
language, applied to divine actions, and must be understood suitably to God.
There is no greater difficulty here than in other cases in which this principle
is readily recognized" (Boyce, Abstract of Systematic Theology, pp. 138, 139).
Just as there can be logical order without chronological sequence, and just as a
cause and its effect can be simultaneous, so we have the eternal Father, the eternal Son, and the eternal Spirit. "If there had
been an eternal sun, it is evident that there must have been an eternal sunlight
also. Yet an eternal sunlight must have evermore proceeded from the sun. When
Cyril was asked whether the Son existed before generation, he answered: 'The
generation of the Son did not precede His existence, but He always existed, and
that by generation'" (Strong, Systematic Theology, p. 165).
3.
THESE THREE DISTINCTIONS ARE REPRESENTED TO US UNDER THE FIGURE OF PERSONS, BUT
THERE IS NO DIVISION OF NATURE, ESSENCE, OR BEING.
The
doctrine of the Trinity does not mean tritheism. When we
speak of the distinctions of the Godhead as persons, we must understand that we
use the term figuratively. There are not three persons in the Godhead in the
same sense that three human beings are persons. In the case of three human
beings there is division of nature, essence, and being; but it is not so with
God. Such a conception of God is forbidden by the teaching of the Scripture as
to the unity of God.
4.
THE THREE MEMBERS OF THE TRINITY ARE EQUAL.
Many
of the same attributes are ascribed to each member of the Trinity, and the
attributes thus ascribed are such as could not be possessed
without all other divine attributes. The equality of the members of the Trinity
is further shown by the fact that each one is recognized as God, as we shall see
later.
II.
SCRIPTURAL PROOFS OF THE DOCTRINE OF THE TRINITY
1.
THE FATHER, SON, AND HOLY SPIRIT ARE ALL RECOGNIZED AS GOD.
(1)
The Father Recognized as God.
This
occurs in such a great number of passages that it is both
unnecessary and impracticable to quote all of them. The two following ones will
suffice:
"Work
not for the food which perisheth, but for the food which abideth unto eternal
life, which the Son of Man shall give unto you: for him the Father, even God,
hath sealed" (John 6:27).
"Elect
. . . according to the foreknowledge of God the Father" (1 Pet. 1:1,2).
(2)
The Son Recognized as God.
A.
He is Called God.
John
1:1; Rom. 9:5; 1 John 5:20.
B.
Old Testament Passages Referring to God are Applied in the
New Testament to the Son.
Matt.
3:3- alluding to Isa. 40:3; John 12:41-alluding to Isa. 6:1.
C.
The Son Possesses the Attributes of God.
Eternity:
John 1:1; Omnipresence: Matt. 28:20 and Eph. 1:23; Omniscience: Matt. 9:4 and
John 2:24,25 and John 16:30 and 1 Cor. 4:5 and Col. 2:3; Omnipotence: Matt.
28:18 and Rev. 1:8; Self-existence: John 5:26; Immutability. Heb. 13:8; Truth:
John 14:6; Love: 1 John 8:16; Holiness: Luke 1:35 and John 6:39 and Heb. 7:26.
D.
The Works of God are Ascribed to the Son.
Creation:
John 1:3; 1 Cor. 8:6; Col. 1:16; Heb. 1:10. Preservation: Col. 1:7; Heb. 1:3.
Raising the dead and judging: John 5:27,28; Matt. 25:31,32.
E.
He Receives Honor and Worship Due to God Alone.
John
5:23; Heb. 1:6; 1 Cor. 11:24,25; 2 Pet. 3:18; 2 Tim. 4:18.
(3)
The Holy Spirit is Recognized as God.
A.
The Attributes of God are Ascribed to Him.
Eternity:
Heb. 9:14; Omniscience: 1 Cor. 2:10; Omnipresence: Psa. 139:7; Holiness: all
passages that apply the term "holy" to the Spirit; Truth:
John 16:13; Love: Rom. 15:30.
B.
He is Represented as Doing the Works of God.
Creation:
Gen. 1:2; moved mean "brooded;" Regeneration: John 3:8; Titus 3:5; Resurrection:
Rom. 8:11.
2.
THE FATHER, SON, AND HOLY SPIRIT ARE ASSOCIATED TOGETHER ON AN EQUAL
FOOTING.
(1)
In the Formula of Baptism. Matt. 28:19.
(2)
In Apostolic Benediction. 2 Cor. 13:14.
3.
THE FATHER, SON, AND HOLY SPIRIT ARE DISTINGUISHED FROM ONE ANOTHER.
(1)
The Father and Son are Distinguished From Each Other.
The
Father and the Son are distinguished as the begetter and begotten; and as the
sender and the sent. The distinction between the Father and Son was manifested
at the baptism of Jesus when God's voice from Heaven was heard saying: "This is
my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" (Matt. 3:17). Christ distinguished
Himself from the Father when He prayed to the Father, as He often did. That the distinction thus implied was not a temporal one,
continuing only so long as Christ was In the flesh, is proved by the fact that
Christ still intercedes with the Father (Heb. 7:25; 1 John 2:1). He is a
perpetual mediator between God and man (1 Tim. 2:5), and thus is perpetually
distinguished from God the Father.
(2)
The Spirit is Distinguished from the Father.
The
Spirit is distinguished from the Father when He is said to proceed from and to
be sent by the Father (John 15:26; 14:26; Gal. 4:6).
(3)
The Son is Distinguished from the Spirit.
Jesus
referred to the Spirit as "another Comforter" (John 14:16). And Jesus spoke of
Himself as sending the Spirit (John 15:26).
4.
THE FATHER, SON, AND HOLY SPIRIT ARE ONE GOD.
Trinity
means tri-unity, or three-oneness. We have shown that there are three
distinctions in the Godhead. Now, in order to prove the doctrine of the Trinity,
rather than the doctrine of Tritheism, we must show that the three, while being
distinguishable from one another, are yet one. This is proved:
(1)
By All Passages Teaching the Unity of God.
The
student is referred here to the chapter on the nature and attributes of God,
where these passages are noted.
(2)
By The Fact that Each One of the Three is Recognized As God.
We
have already shown that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are severally
recognized as God in the Scripture. This shows their unity,
because God is represented as being the supreme being. For that reason there
could not be three Gods. Supremacy is possible to only one.
(3)
By the Fact that the Three are Equal.
We
have already discussed the equality of the members of the
Trinity. Absolute equality is impossible without identity of essence, nature,
and being.
III.
THE DOCTRINE OF THE TRINITY IS A MYSTERY INSCRUTABLE AND INSOLUBLE TO FINITE
MINDS; BUT IT IS NOT SELF-CONTRADICTORY.
We
make no attempt to deny or to explain away the mystery of the doctrine of the
Trinity. It is a high mystery that human minds can never fathom.
Yet
the doctrine of the Trinity is not self-contradictory. God is not three in the
same sense that He is one. He is one in essence, nature, and
being; but in this one essence, nature, and being there are three eternal
distinctions that are represented to us in such a way that we call them persons.
Who can say that such distinctions are impossible in the nature of God? To do
that one would have to have perfect understanding of God's nature. So we do well
to accept what the Scripture teaches, and leave the mystery for solution when we
have further light, if such light as will enable us to explain and understand it is ever given to us. The mystery comes
because of our inability to understand fully the nature of
God.