To understand the Trinity, we first need to define "God" according to Scripture. The Bible presents God as eternal, the self-existent "I AM" (Exodus 3:14), existing from everlasting to everlasting (Psalm 90:2), the first and the last (Isaiah 41:4). He is the Creator, not created. Secondly, God is immutable, meaning He is unchanging. While creation is in constant flux, God remains the same (Psalm 102:25-27), with "no variation or shadow of turning" (James 1:17). This unchangeableness provides a firm foundation for faith.
Furthermore, God is omnipotent – all-powerful and sovereign. As Job acknowledged (Job 42:2) and the angel Gabriel declared, "with God nothing will be impossible" (Luke 1:37). While His nature imposes certain logical limits (e.g., God cannot lie), His power is absolute within His character. God is also omnipresent, present everywhere simultaneously. The Psalmist marveled that wherever one might go, from heaven to the depths, God is there (Psalm 139:7-10). Paul affirmed God is "not far from each one of us" (Acts 17:27). Finally, God is omniscient – all-knowing and all-seeing. He knows the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:9-10) and is the source of all wisdom and knowledge (Isaiah 40:13-14).
With this understanding of God's nature, we approach the concept of the Trinity – the idea that God is triune, or tripartite. This means God exists as three separate and distinct persons (Father, Son/Word, and Holy Spirit) who work together as one God. Hints of this appear even in the Old Testament. Genesis 1:1-3 shows God (the Father), the Spirit of God, and God's spoken Word involved in creation. Genesis 1:26 has God saying, "Let us make man in our image," implying plurality. Isaiah 42:1-4, speaking prophetically of Jesus, also suggests the distinct persons of the Godhead.
The New Testament provides clearer examples. At Jesus' baptism (Matthew 3:16-17), the Son (Jesus) is baptized, the Spirit descends like a dove, and the Father speaks from heaven. Paul groups them together in Ephesians 4:4-6, mentioning "one Spirit," "one Lord" (Jesus), and "one God and Father of all." All three persons are presented as eternal and involved in creation. They are one God in substance, yet distinct persons.
This raises the central question: How can God be both three and one, especially when the Bible strongly emphasizes monotheism (Deuteronomy 6:4 - the Shema)? An imperfect analogy from science is the "triple point" in thermodynamics, where a substance like water (H2O) can exist simultaneously as solid, liquid, and gas under specific conditions – one substance, three phases. This helps conceptualize unity in diversity.
The meaning of "one" in Scripture also needs consideration. It often emphasizes that Jehovah is the only true God, in contrast to false idols (Isaiah 44:8, 45:5, 18, 22). "One" can also signify compound unity or unity in plurality. In Exodus 24:3, the multitude of Israel answers with "one voice" – many voices speaking in perfect agreement. Similarly, humans are considered one person, yet composed of spirit, soul, and body. Thus, the biblical declaration of "one God" might refer to His unique status as the sole deity or His perfect unity within the three persons of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
In summary, the Bible defines God by His attributes: eternal, immutable, omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient. It presents Him as a Triune being – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – one in divine essence but distinct in personhood. Understanding the concept of "one" as potentially signifying uniqueness or compound unity helps reconcile the idea of three distinct persons existing eternally as the one true God.
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