Understanding the Trinity
Understanding the Trinity
Before we begin, I feel that it is imperative that everyone understand that having a grasp on the concept of the Trinity is a good thing to strive for, but it has no bearing on your salvation at all. If we understand it with perfect clarity, we are no more saved than someone who has no understanding of it whatsoever. In fact, I feel safe in saying that if you approached every denomination of churches and asked the pastor to explain the trinity to you, the explanation would vary to some degree with each pastor. While I must confess that my explanation of the Trinity may be as varied as any you may hear, I would caution you against becoming too entangled in the notion as it has absolutely no bearing upon your salvation. With that said, let us begin.
Let us first establish that there is indeed a Trinity. In the first book of John we read, “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word (or the Son), and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.” 1 John 5:7. The Trinity is comprised of three separate distinct individuals; The Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost (aka the Holy Spirit, and/or the Comforter). These three function in perfect harmony all having the same authority; Please note that I said “the same authority” not equal authority, but in fact, the very SAME authority.
To establish that these three are separate and distinct from each other is not difficult. Some quick examples of this are found in the Gospels. When the Christ, Jesus (the Son) taught the “Lord’s Prayer”, He taught people to pray to the “Father, which art in heaven…” Matthew 6-9 and again when Jesus prayed in the garden immediately before his arrest, He prayed, “O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.” Matthew 26:39, and long before then, we read, “And Jesus, when He was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Matthew 3:16-17. In these examples, we clearly find Jesus on earth while his Father is still in heaven, with the third example showing the Father in heaven, the Son on earth, and the Holy Spirit in transit from heaven to earth, and clearly three separate, distinct individuals.
Next we should understand that these three individuals are of the same authority. Jesus himself said, “I and my father are one.” John 10:30. It is verified in 1 John 5:7 that the Holy Ghost is included in that same authority: “For there are three that bear record in Heaven, the Father, the Word (the son), and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.” 1 John 5:7.
Now let us try to understand the role each of these three play and we should begin to have a better handle on what the Trinity is and how they function, at least in a very elementary way. The easiest example of this is found in the very beginning; in chapter one of Genesis, and in chapter one of he Gospel According to John. The Bible opens with creation and shows all three members of the Trinity present form the very beginning. “In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth.” Genesis 1:1. God, the Father, created both heaven and earth, but He was not alone in His effort. “In the beginning was the Word (the Son), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made.” John 1:1-3. God, the Son was present with God, the Father and had an active role in the creation. “And the earth was without form and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said,Let there be light: and there was light.” Genesis 1:2-3. A lot is happening in these verses. The earth, and all matter that God had just created, was not subject to any physical or spiritual law; at this point, it merely existed. It was without “form” and “void”, but immediately, the Spirit of God made the move and said, “Light be!”, thus bringing all matter under God’s authority and making it subject to His power and the physical and spiritual laws that He put into place. We might even say that all matter became “enlightened” to God and began to operate according to God’s natural laws. All of this by the power and presence of God, the Holy Spirit on the first day.
Creation continued through the sixth day. On that sixth day God made mankind. “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness:…” (please note that the use of the words ‘us’ and ‘our’ are plural and the use of ‘man’ is plural and indicates mankind). Genesis 1:26. “So God created man (mankind) in His own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them (mankind).” Genesis 1:27. We see, by a close examination of verse 26 that mankind was made to reflect the image of the Trinity. In fact, we read that He made them to be just like they, the Trinity, were, and we read further in verse 27 that both male and female were made. We can only conclude that there is indeed a female member of the Trinity. God the Father, and God the Son, are easily identified and understood as male. Therefore, the Holy Spirit must be that female member. Now the picture of the Trinity should begin to become more clear to us. An earthly parallel to this picture would be that of a father, a mother, and a son; A family unit.
This should come as no big surprise to any of us that the Holy Spirit is in fact female, however it has already been said that to have such a teaching is to institute “goddess worship”. Nothing could be further from the truth. If we worship God the Father directly, or through the Son, or in the Holy Spirit, we still worship only one God, and that is the same triune God that created our entire universe, the one who provided for our salvation and the one who comforts us and teaches us today. I would also remind everyone of the creation story to the end that male and female were created in the image of God and when God made a help-meet for Adam, that her name was Eve. I would further recommend that we read in the Gospel According to Luke, “And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but unto him that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven.” Luke 12:10. This last verse brings to mind a saying we have here in the Southeastern United States: “If mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy.” With that said, I leave you to study this teaching for yourself. I welcome any comments you may have. ~Bruce
Bruce Scott is a Christian man residing in North Georgia with his wife and six children. He has been called of God to found the Enochian Church of Jesus the Christ, a church founded on all of God’s word. The church will eventually be located in or near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina as God has shown him the need to accomplish this work there.
Copyright Bruce Scott 2008