For a long, long time, we’ve had an orthodox doctrine of the Trinity. The Apostles’ Creed is structured in a Trinitarian pattern, each of the three main sections centering on the Father, Son, and Spirit, respectively. The Nicene Creed similarly defended the full deity of Christ and clarified the deity of the Spirit. The Athanasian Creed might be considered the most explicit and technical of the creeds regarding the Trinity. This creed contains such statements as:
“We worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity.”
“Neither confounding the persons nor dividing the substance.”
“The Father uncreated, the Son uncreated, the Spirit uncreated… And yet there are not three uncreated, but one uncreated.”
Yet, as we read our Bible straight through, we may wonder, “Where do we find all these terms and phrases used in the creeds— ‘Trinity,’ ‘substance,’ ‘Father uncreated’? Exactly where does the Bible teach the doctrine of the Trinity? I must have missed it.”
Well, there is no passage in the Bible to which we can turn for one-stop shopping on the Trinity. This is a reason church councils spent many years refining our understanding of it. As with other doctrines, understanding what the Bible says about the Trinity requires much wrestling; we must account for all the many things that the Bible says about God.
In this way, the doctrine of the Trinity can serve as a specific example of how the Bible teaches generally. Most of the things the Bible teaches it teaches in pieces over centuries. So, for us to talk about any one doctrine succinctly requires us to use a kind of theological shorthand to describe a host of ideas interconnected across the whole Bible.
While the Scriptures do not contain compact, dedicated, all-inclusive teaching about the Trinity, it does contain features that indicate, assume, require, and inform the reality of the Trinity. When we put them all together, we end up with the truths crystalized in the creeds. This post won’t provide an exhaustive list, but here are a few of the planks the HS provided for us to piece together Trinitarian theology.
Linguistic Indicators. The Hebrew OT uses a plural noun for “God,” Elohim, when referring to YHWH. The singular for “God” is El, which the Bible also uses for YHWH. Perhaps more striking is that when it comes to pronouns, numerous texts refer to Yahweh using plurals “we/us” (Gen 1:26; 3:22; 11:7; Isa 6:8); many other texts use singular “I/me”. Interestingly, Isaiah 6:8 uses both in the same sentence.
Certainly such linguistic indicators do not argue directly for a Trinity. However, we might say plurality and singularity in God are whispered in the OT, whispers amplified in the NT.
Narrative Moments. A well-known scene in the NT is the baptism of Jesus, where all three members of the Trinity are present (Matt 3:13-17; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21-22). Jesus of course is there in the Jordan being baptized; the “Spirit of God” descends as a dove and rests on Him; the Father from heaven voices His approval. In conjunction with other NT statements about the Father, Son, and Spirit, this scene requires one God in three Persons. OT parallels exist in Isaiah, where the Messiah/Suffering Servant mentions Himself in relation to both YHWH and the Spirit:
Isaiah 48:16b “… And now the LORD God has sent me, and his Spirit.”
Isaiah 61:1 “The Spirit of the LORD God is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me…”
Didactic Nuggets. Here and there, the NT drops truths related to the Father, Son, and Spirit. There are far too many to mention here, but some examples… John (John 1:1-3; 8:58; 10:30; 1Jn 5:20), Paul (Col 2:9; Phil 2:6; Rom 9:5), and the author of Hebrews (1:3, 8) each make numerous statements about the divinity of Christ. Similarly, the divinity of the Spirit is well-attested (Acts 5:3-4; 1 Cor 2:10-11; 2 Cor 3:17-18; Matt 28:19; 2 Cor 13:14). Taken in conglomeration, they contribute well to a robust theology of Trinity.
Redemptive History. One might argue that the big picture storyline of the Bible—not abstract theology—is the Bible’s primary way of teaching. The NT revelation of the Trinity through the Son’s incarnation and the Spirit’s work at the behest of the Father provides an interpretive key; this key opens in the OT what was present all along. In fact, there are mysteries of the OT that cannot be seen rightly without the “Trinitarian eyes” of the NT. The above passages in Isaiah are a great example.
So, one of the greatest, most essential doctrines in the Bible does not have any single passage that outlines all its features, concepts, and connections. Some of the words and phrases we use to describe this doctrine—even the word “Trinity” itself—are not found in the Bible. The way that the Bible tends to convey truth over many books and centuries requires us to know the whole, understand the parts in light of the whole, and the whole in light of the parts. It further requires us to use words and/or phrases that may not be found verbatim in Scripture in order to describe complex ideas that are.
Three things I would leave with you:
Thank God for the doctrine of the Trinity revealed in Scripture.
Thank God for those who came before us and wrestled with the Scriptures that we might understand God more faithfully.
May we strive to know the full counsel of God so that we are able to understand and easily, clearly articulate the deep things of God.
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