The Trinity Explained in the Bible

The concept of the Trinity, one God in three persons – the Father, the Son (Jesus), and the Holy Spirit – is a foundational doctrine of Christianity. At first glance, this concept of the Godhead can appear paradoxical or even contradictory, but through a deeper study of the Word we can further comprehend this mysterious yet profound truth of God’s nature.

Click on any Scripture reference to see the full Bible verse.

1. The Oneness of God

The Bible consistently emphasizes that there is one God.

• Deuteronomy 6:4: (Affirms the oneness of God in the foundational Jewish Shema, a daily prayer for the ancient Israelites.)
• Isaiah 43:10-11: (God declares there were no gods formed before Him nor will there be any after Him.)
• Isaiah 44:6: (The Lord claims to be the first and the last, with no other gods beside Him.)
• Isaiah 45:5-6, 18, 21-22: (God emphasizes His sole divinity and His role as Creator of the heavens.)
• Mark 12:29-32: (Jesus quotes the Shema, reinforcing the monotheistic belief in one God.)
• James 2:19: (Even the demons believe in one God, James mentions when showing the importance of faith accompanied by works.)

2. The Father as God

The Father is addressed and recognized as God throughout the Scriptures.

• Matthew 6:9: (Jesus addresses God as “Our Father in heaven” in the Lord’s Prayer.)
• Matthew 11:25: (Jesus gives thanks to the Father, the Lord of heaven and earth.)
• John 6:27: (The Father has set His seal on the Son.)
• 1 Corinthians 1:3: (Paul addresses the believers in the grace and peace from God the Father.)
• 1 Corinthians 8:6: (There is one God, the Father, from whom all things came.)
• Ephesians 4:6: (One God and Father of all, who is over all and in all.)
• 1 Peter 1:2: (Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father.)

3. Jesus Christ as God

The divinity of Christ is constantly attested to in Scripture.

• John 1:1, 14: (In the beginning was the Word, and the Word became flesh.)
• John 20:28: (Thomas addresses the resurrected Jesus as “My Lord and my God!”)
• Romans 9:5: (Christ is described as God over all.)
• Philippians 2:5-6: (Jesus, though divine, humbled Himself to take on human form.)
• Colossians 1:15-20: (Jesus is the image of the invisible God and creator of all things.)
• Colossians 2:9: (In Jesus dwells the fullness of the Godhead bodily.)
• Titus 2:13: (Awaiting our blessed hope in the appearing of Jesus, our great God and Savior.)
• Hebrews 1:1-3, 8: (Jesus is the exact imprint of God’s nature and sits at the right hand of the Majesty on high.)
• 2 Peter 1:1: (Describes faith in Jesus, our God and Savior.)
• 1 John 5:20: (Jesus Christ, the true God, grants eternal life.)
• Revelation 1:17-18: (The risen Christ declares Himself as the first and the last, who was dead and is alive.)

4. The Holy Spirit as God

The Holy Spirit is described as God in various passages, describing His divine nature and work.

• Acts 5:3-4: (Lying to the Holy Spirit is equated with lying to God.)
• 1 Corinthians 3:16: (Believers are God’s temple, and God’s Spirit dwells within them.)
• 1 Corinthians 6:19: (Our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit.)
• 2 Corinthians 3:17-18: (The Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit is, there is freedom.)
• Hebrews 10:15-16: (The Holy Spirit testifies to the new covenant.)
• 1 Peter 1:10-12: (The Spirit of Christ foretold the sufferings of Christ and subsequent glories.)
• 1 John 4:13: (We know we live in God because He gave us His Spirit.)

5. The Trinity Working Together

There are numerous instances in the Bible where all three Persons of the Godhead are mentioned together, highlighting their distinct roles yet unified essence.

• Matthew 3:16-17: (Jesus is baptized, the Spirit descends as a dove, and the Father’s voice is heard from heaven.)
• Matthew 28:19: (The Great Commission includes baptizing in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.)
• John 14:16-17, 26: (Jesus promises the coming of the Helper, the Holy Spirit, sent by the Father.)
• John 15:26: (The Spirit of truth proceeds from the Father and testifies about the Son.)
• 2 Corinthians 1:21-22: (God establishes us in Christ and has given us the Spirit.)
• 2 Corinthians 13:14: (A benediction invoking the grace of Jesus, love of God, and fellowship of the Holy Spirit.)
• Ephesians 1:3-14: (The roles of the Father, Son, and Spirit in salvation are detailed.)
• Ephesians 2:18: (Through Jesus, we have access to the Father by one Spirit.)
• Ephesians 4:4-6: (A call to unity in one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father.)
• Titus 3:4-6: (God the Father saved us through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit, poured out through Jesus Christ.)
• 1 Peter 1:2: (Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ.)

Conclusion

The doctrine of the Trinity was agreed upon by the early church in the Council of Nicaea. Here is their creed:

I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds; God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God; begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made. Who, for us men for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary, and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; He suffered and was buried; and the third day He rose again, according to the Scriptures; and ascended into heaven, and sits on the right hand of the Father; and He shall come again, with glory, to judge the quick and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end. And I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of Life; who proceeds from the Father and the Son; who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified; who spoke by the prophets. And I believe one holy catholic and apostolic Church. I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins; and I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.¹

Foonotes:

1. Historic Creeds and Confessions, electronic ed. (Oak Harbor: Lexham Press, 1997). ↩︎