Before looking at the Trinity per se, what Biblical evidence is there for a doctrine of Three Divine Persons?
The doctrine of the Trinity states that God is One who eternally exists as three distinct Persons — the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Stated differently, God is One in essence and Three in person.
Why Person?
Clearly Scripture speaks of the Father as God (Philipians 1:2), Jesus as God (Titus 2:11), and the Holy Spirit as God (Acts 5:3-4).
Scripture also indicates that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinct entities. The Father sends the Son (John 3:16), Father and Son send the Holy Spirit (John 14:26; Acts 2:33). As the Son is distinct from the Father, the Holy Spirit is similarly distinct with regard to both, even though both Son and Holy Spirit are referred to as Son of God (the Father) and Holy Spirit of God (the Father and the Son).
In the baptism of Jesus, all three are noted – the Father in heaven, the Holy Spirit descending, the Son rising from the water.
John 1:1 it is affirms that Jesus is the Logos, present with God, and indeed was God. The text goes on to say that the Logos was "in the beginning with God", a reference not only to Genesis 1:1, but also that the Greek term for beginning in arche, which implies something other than the temporal order. Suffice to say the Logos was God, and yet with God, and it was through the Logos that creation came to be, and in the Logos was life. (v2-3).
Thus the transcendent Jesus is a distinct entity with regard to the Father. And John 16:13-15 has the Holy Spirit distinct from the Father and the Son.
+++
This distinction is crucial, as is the personal qualities attributed to each. They will, they act. They have a part to play in the Mission of Salvation. Each is spoken of as a Person, even if the Holy Spirit does not carry a personal name – as in fact nor do the other two in this regard, being spoken of as Father and Son – a designation of relation.
Clearly the Father is not the Son, the Son is not the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit is neither Father nor Son. They are different entities, but are presented with personal attributes, most importantly are shown to be and act independently – thus best described as different persons, rather than three ways of looking at the God.
Personhood implies a centre of consciousness. Thus, they relate to each other personally — the Father regards Himself as “I,” while He regards the Son and Holy Spirit as “You.” Likewise the Son regards Himself as “I,” but the Father and the Holy Spirit as “You.”
It is precisely the dialogue between the Father and the Son (Matthew 3:17; 17:5; John 5:19; 11:41-42; 17:1ff ) which offers evidence of separate centres of consciousness.
The Holy Spirit is a 'He' (cf John 14:26; 16:7-15; Acts 8:16), not an impersonal force; He speaks (Hebrews 3:7), He reasons (Acts 15:28), He thinks and He understands (1 Corinthians 2:10-11), wills (1 Corinthians 12:11), feels (Ephesians 4:30), and gives personal fellowship (2 Corinthians 13:14).
Thus they are best and properly understood as three real persons, rather than three modes or three roles of the Father.
Again, whilst the early Fathers spoke of the three in a hierarchical manner, there was never a 'time' when one or other did not exist. The Father is God, God is Father, eternally so, and thus to be God the Father eternally means the Son is eternal also. And the Holy Spirit.
Again whilst even Jesus implies a hierarchy, he also implies equality – in no sense are any of the three inferior. Instead, they are all identical and equal in power, love, mercy, justice, holiness, knowledge, and so on.
Nor does this mean that 'God' is a composite of three separate parts.
An early liturgy, before all the trinitarian debates, declares: "in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form” (Colossians 2:9).
Thus, as hard as it is to comprehend, the individual being of each Person is equal to the whole being of God, the divine essence is not something that is divided or shared between the three persons.
The doctrine of the Trinity states that God is One who eternally exists as three distinct Persons — the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Stated differently, God is One in essence and Three in person.
Why Person?
Clearly Scripture speaks of the Father as God (Philipians 1:2), Jesus as God (Titus 2:11), and the Holy Spirit as God (Acts 5:3-4).
Scripture also indicates that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinct entities. The Father sends the Son (John 3:16), Father and Son send the Holy Spirit (John 14:26; Acts 2:33). As the Son is distinct from the Father, the Holy Spirit is similarly distinct with regard to both, even though both Son and Holy Spirit are referred to as Son of God (the Father) and Holy Spirit of God (the Father and the Son).
In the baptism of Jesus, all three are noted – the Father in heaven, the Holy Spirit descending, the Son rising from the water.
John 1:1 it is affirms that Jesus is the Logos, present with God, and indeed was God. The text goes on to say that the Logos was "in the beginning with God", a reference not only to Genesis 1:1, but also that the Greek term for beginning in arche, which implies something other than the temporal order. Suffice to say the Logos was God, and yet with God, and it was through the Logos that creation came to be, and in the Logos was life. (v2-3).
Thus the transcendent Jesus is a distinct entity with regard to the Father. And John 16:13-15 has the Holy Spirit distinct from the Father and the Son.
+++
This distinction is crucial, as is the personal qualities attributed to each. They will, they act. They have a part to play in the Mission of Salvation. Each is spoken of as a Person, even if the Holy Spirit does not carry a personal name – as in fact nor do the other two in this regard, being spoken of as Father and Son – a designation of relation.
Clearly the Father is not the Son, the Son is not the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit is neither Father nor Son. They are different entities, but are presented with personal attributes, most importantly are shown to be and act independently – thus best described as different persons, rather than three ways of looking at the God.
Personhood implies a centre of consciousness. Thus, they relate to each other personally — the Father regards Himself as “I,” while He regards the Son and Holy Spirit as “You.” Likewise the Son regards Himself as “I,” but the Father and the Holy Spirit as “You.”
It is precisely the dialogue between the Father and the Son (Matthew 3:17; 17:5; John 5:19; 11:41-42; 17:1ff ) which offers evidence of separate centres of consciousness.
The Holy Spirit is a 'He' (cf John 14:26; 16:7-15; Acts 8:16), not an impersonal force; He speaks (Hebrews 3:7), He reasons (Acts 15:28), He thinks and He understands (1 Corinthians 2:10-11), wills (1 Corinthians 12:11), feels (Ephesians 4:30), and gives personal fellowship (2 Corinthians 13:14).
Thus they are best and properly understood as three real persons, rather than three modes or three roles of the Father.
Again, whilst the early Fathers spoke of the three in a hierarchical manner, there was never a 'time' when one or other did not exist. The Father is God, God is Father, eternally so, and thus to be God the Father eternally means the Son is eternal also. And the Holy Spirit.
Again whilst even Jesus implies a hierarchy, he also implies equality – in no sense are any of the three inferior. Instead, they are all identical and equal in power, love, mercy, justice, holiness, knowledge, and so on.
Nor does this mean that 'God' is a composite of three separate parts.
An early liturgy, before all the trinitarian debates, declares: "in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form” (Colossians 2:9).
Thus, as hard as it is to comprehend, the individual being of each Person is equal to the whole being of God, the divine essence is not something that is divided or shared between the three persons.