When Three are One

This is one of the most controversial Bible teachings within Christianity. It has been twisted and disparaged to the point where many reject the concept of the Godhead as soon as they hear the term “trinity”. Trinity literary just means a group of three but people use the false teachings of the trinity by other churches as an excuse to reject the teaching of the Godhead in the Bible.

Our finite minds can’t grasp the Godhead being three separate persons making a single entity of God. Because we are too proud or lack faith in God’s word, we try to use our own understanding to make sense of the Godhead which we are warned against in Proverbs 3:5 “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.” We end up twisting the clear teaching of the Bible to fit our own limited understanding. There are many mysteries in the Bible that we can’t understand but we don’t reject them. We don’t reject the resurrection of Jesus just because we can’t understand how He was resurrected. We can’t grasp that all we see and know was created merely by the word of God, but we don’t reject it. We can’t grasp the enormity of eternity, but we don’t reject it. “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9) yet we faithfully believe that when Jesus comes to take us home, we will receive these things.

Before we go to the Bible verses, I will use an example that helps me to understand the Godhead. I’m going to use food because anyone who knows me knows that I love food. Think of a pie. It’s one pie. Now cut it into three slices, does the pie become three pies? No, it’s still one pie.

This is a very crude description but it’s the best my finite mind can do. My personal advice is to not make it more complicated than it needs to be. We should exercise our faith by believing God’s word even though we may not fully understand it.

Now to get into the meat of the subject. The Bible describes an immortal, all-knowing, all-powerful and ever-present God who is infinite beyond human comprehension and who reveals Himself to us through His word. God describes Himself throughout the scriptures as three coeternal Persons; the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit who is worthy of worship, adoration and service by all of His creation.

Our immortal, eternal God:

“And Abraham planted a grove in Beersheba, and called there on the name of the Lord, the everlasting God.” Genesis 21:33

“The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them.” Deuteronomy 33:27

“Thy throne is established of old: thou art from everlasting.” Psalm 93:2

“I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.” Revelation 1:8

Our all-knowing, ever-present God:

“O lord, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether.” Psalm 139:1-4

“The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.” Proverbs 15:3

“Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the Lord. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the Lord.” Jeremiah 23:24

“With him is wisdom and strength, he hath counsel and understanding.” Job 12:13

“O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!” Romans 11:33

3 persons, 1 God

“And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.” Genesis 1:26

“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” Matthew 28:19

“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.” 2 Corinthians 13:14

“Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.” 1 Peter 1:2

Here are some scriptures for you to study further on this topic: Psalm 41:13, Proverbs 8:23, Isaiah 9:6, Isaiah 40:28, Micah 5:2, Habakkuk 1:12, Romans 16:26, Hebrews 13:8, Hebrews 4:13, Psalms 147:5, Luke 12:7, Deuteronomy 6:4, Isaiah 6:8, John 3:16, 2 Corinthians 1:21-22 and Ephesians 4:4-6. How many other scriptures can you find?