While many references to God the Father, Jesus the Christ, and the Holy Spirit exist in the New Testament, this topic focuses on references to the Trinity in the Old Testament.
Commentary: The term "Trinity" does not exist in the scriptures, but is used as a simple word that refers to the concept of God the Father, His son Jesus the Christ, and the Holy Spirit as being combined.
Compound Unity of Oneness
In Hebrew is the word 'echad, which demonstrates compound unity of oneness. The use of the word can be seen in the English/Hebrew transliteration of a few verses.
[Gen 3:22] And the Lord God <'elohiym> said <'amar>, Behold , the man <'adam> is become as one <'echad> of us, to know good and evil : and now <`attah>, lest he put forth his hand , and take also of the tree <`ets> of life , and eat <'akal>, and live for ever <`owlam>:
[Gen 34:16] Then will we give our daughters unto you, and we will take your daughters to us, and we will dwell with you, and we will become one <'echad> people <`am>.
The Old Testament had a singular term for God, Eloah, which they occasionally used, but the vast majority of the time the plural form of God, Elohim, is used throughout the Old Testament. Had there been only two persons within God, the Hebrews could have used a dual form Elohiayim, which was typically (although not always) used of things that occurred in pairs. So, the Old Testament uses a term that indicates more than a single entity.
Old Testament
The Son in the Old Testament
The Lord said He had a son - Key Verse -
Psalms 2:7 - I will declare the decree: the Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my son; this day have I begotten thee.
Obey the son (of God) - Key Verse -
Psalms 2:12 - Kiss the son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.
Commentary: "Kiss the son" is a Hebrew idiom for "obey him."
God and His son - Key Verse -
Proverbs 30:4 - Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? who hath gathered the wind in his fists? who hath bound the waters in a garment? who hath established all the ends of the earth? what is his name, and what is his son's name, if thou canst tell?
The child born is the messiah
Isaiah 9:6 - For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, the everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Christ came to God
Daniel 7:13-14
[13] I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.
[14] And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.
Holy Spirit in the Old Testament
The Holy Spirit is mentioned is many verses in the Old Testament - Key Verse -
Jesus (a rod out of the stem of Jesse), the spirit, and the Lord - Key Verse -
Isaiah 11:1-2
[1] And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:
[2] And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord;
I (God), my servant (His son), and His Spirit - Key Verse -
Isaiah 42:1 - Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.
I (His son), the Lord God, and His spirit - Key Verse -
Isaiah 48:16 - Come ye near unto me, hear ye this; I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; from the time that it was, there am I: and now the Lord God, and his spirit, hath sent me.
The Spirit, the Lord God, and me (Jesus) - Key Verse -
Isaiah 61:1 - The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;
Commentary: Refer to Luke 4:16-21 [16] And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. [17] And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, [18] The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, [19] To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. [20] And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. [21] And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.
New Testament
Not listed
Scriptures are not listed since the entirety of the New Testament is about Jesus, the son of God.
Book of Mormon
The Father, the son (Christ), and the Holy Ghost are one - Key Verse -
2 Nephi 13:32 And now behold, this is the doctrine of Christ, and the only and true doctrine of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, which is one God, without end. Amen.
God, the son of God, and the Spirit - Key Verse -
Mosiah 8:28-32
[28] And now Abinadi said unto them, I would that ye should understand that God himself shall come down among the children of men, and shall redeem his people;
[29] And because he dwelleth in flesh, he shall be called the Son of God:
[30] And having subjected the flesh to the will of the Father, being the Father and the Son; the Father because he was conceived by the power of God: and the Son, because of the flesh; thus becoming the Father and Son:
[31] And they are one God, yea, the very eternal Father of heaven and of earth;
[32] And thus the flesh becoming subject to the Spirit, or the Son to the Father, being one God, suffereth temptation, and yieldeth not to the temptation, but suffereth himself to be mocked, and scourged, and cast out, and disowned by his people.
Christ the son, God the Father, and the Holy Spirit - Key Verse -
Alma 8:102-104
[102] Now this restoration shall come to all, both old and young, both bond and free, both male and female, both the wicked and the righteous;
[103] And even there shall not so much as a hair of their heads be lost; but all things shall be restored to its perfect frame, as it is now, or in the body,
[104] And shall be brought and be arraigned before the bar of Christ the Son, and God the Father, and the Holy Spirit, which is one eternal God, to be judged according to their works, whether they be good or whether they be evil.
God the eternal Father, thy Son, and his Spirit - Key Verse -
Moroni 4:1-4
[1] The manner of their elders and priests administering the flesh and blood of Christ unto the church:
[2] And they administered it according to the commandments of Christ; wherefore we know the manner to be true, and the elder or priest administered it:
[3] And they did knelt down with the church and prayed to the Father in the name of Christ, saying,
[4] O God, the eternal Father, we ask thee in the name of thy Son Jesus Christ, to bless and sanctify this bread to the souls of all those who partake of it, that they may eat in remembrance of the body of thy Son, and witness unto thee, O God the eternal Father, that they are willing to take upon them the name of thy Son, and always remember him, and keep his commandments which he has given them, that they may always have his Spirit to be with them. Amen.
God the eternal Father, His Son Jesus Christ, and his Spirit - Key Verse -
Moroni 5:1-3
[1] The manner of administering the wine.
[2] Behold, they took the cup, and said,
[3] O God, the eternal Father, we ask thee, in the name of thy Son Jesus Christ, to bless and sanctify this wine to the souls of all those who drink of it, that they may do it in remembrance of the blood of thy Son which was shed for them, that they may witness unto thee, O God, the eternal Father, that they do always remember him, that they may have his Spirit to be with them. Amen.
Epitome of Faith: We believe in God the Eternal Father, and in his Son Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.
Commentary: God, his son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost are consistent with the scriptures.
(Utah) Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints -
Community of Christ -
Eastern Orthodox -
Islam -
Jehovah's Witnesses -
Should You Believe in the Trinity? Thus, neither the 39 books of the Hebrew Scriptures nor the canon of 27 inspired books of the Christian Greek Scriptures provide any clear teaching of the Trinity...The testimony of history is clear: The Trinity teaching is a deviation from the truth, an apostatizing from it.
Commentary: These statements are not consistent with the scriptures that specifically mention God, His Son, and the Holy Spirit in the same verse.
Judaism -
Trinity: Jewish Objections.
The controversies between the Christians and the Jews concerning the Trinity centered for the most part about the problem whether the writers of the Old Testament bore witness to it or not, the Jews naturally rejecting every proof brought forward by their opponents. The latter based their arguments on the Trisagion in Isa. vi. 3, a proof which had been frequently offered since Eusebius and Gregory of Nazianzus. The convert Jacob Perez of Valentia (d. 1491) even found an allusion to the Trinity in the word "Elohim," and Luther saw distinct traces of the doctrine in Gen. i. 1, 26; iii. 21; xi. 7, 8, 9; Num. vi. 22; II Sam. xxiii. 2; and Dan. vii. 13. The Jewish polemics against this doctrine date almost from its very conception. Even in the Talmud, R. Simlai (3d cent.) declared, in refutation of the "heretics," "The three words 'El,' 'Elohim,' and 'Yhwh' (Josh. xxii. 22) connote one and the same person, as one might say, 'King, Emperor, Augustus'" (Yer. Ber. ix. 12d), while elsewhere he substitutes the phrase "as if one should say, 'master, builder, and architect'" (ib. 13a). There are, however, no other allusions to the Trinity in Talmudic literature, as has been rightly pointed out by Herford ("Christianity in Talmud and Midrash," p. 395, London, 1903), since the polemics of the rabbis of that periodwere directed chiefly against dualism (). Another polemic, which is noteworthy for its antiquity and its protagonists, was the disputation between Pope Sylvester I. (314-335) and the Jew Noah (Migne, "Patrologia Græca," viii. 814).
Commentary: The son is distincly mentioned in Psalm 2, Proverbs 30, and Isaiah 11, 42, and 48, so to deny that the three entities do not exist is inconsistent with the scriptures.
Lutheran -
Of God
4. On the basis of the Holy Scriptures we teach the sublime article of the Holy Trinity; that is, we teach that the one true God, Deut. 6:4; 1 Cor. 8:4, is the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost, three distinct persons, but of one and the same divine essence, equal in power, equal in eternity, equal in majesty, because each person possesses the one divine essence entire, Col. 2:9, Matt. 28:19. We hold that all teachers and communions that deny the doctrine of the Holy Trinity are outside the pale of the Christian Church. The Triune God is the God who is gracious to man, John 3:16-18, 1 Cor. 12:3. Since the Fall, no man can believe in the "fatherhood" of God except he believe in the eternal Son of God, who became man and reconciled us to God by His vicarious satisfaction, 1 John 2:23; John 14:6. Hence we warn against Unitarianism, which in our country has to a great extent impenetrated the sects and is being spread particularly also through the influence of the lodges.
Commentary: The Father, Son, and Holy Ghost as three distinct persons with the same divine essence is consistent with the scriptures.
Methodist -
Article I--Of Faith in the Holy Trinity: There is but one living and true God, everlasting, without body or parts, of infinite power, wisdom, and goodness; the maker and preserver of all things, both visible and invisible. And in unity of this Godhead there are three persons, of one substance, power, and eternity--the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.
Commentary: The Godhead as a unity of three persons of one substance is consistent with the scriptures.
Pentecostal -
An Appreciation of God's Identity - The beautiful message of Scripture is that our Creator became our Savior. The God against whom we sinned is the One who forgives us. God loved us so much that He came in flesh to save us. He gave of Himself; He did not send someone else. Moreover, our Creator-Savior is also the indwelling Spirit who is ever-present to help us. God told us how to live and then came to live among us. He showed us how to live in the flesh and laid down His human life to purchase our salvation. Now He abides within us and enables us to live according to His will.
Jesus Christ is the one God incarnate, and in Him we have everything we need: healing, deliverance, victory, and salvation (Colossians 2:9-10). By recognizing the almighty God in Jesus Christ, we restore correct biblical belief and experience apostolic power.
Commentary: A statement that God became Jesus does not explain the statement in Mat 27:46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? God did not forsake himself. UPCI does recognize God, and Jesus, so their statements are partially consistent with the scriptures.
Presbyterian -
Roman Catholic -
Seventh-Day Adventist Church -
Seventh-day Adventist Christians believe there is one God. And that this one God is three co-eternal beings who work together in unity. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit have always been, and always will be.
It's impossible to wrap our finite minds around this infinite concept. How does the doctrine of the Trinity work? How can there be one God, but three persons?
Commentary: The belief in three co-eternal beings who work together in unity is consistent with the scriptures.
- No Found or Stated Position
- Consistent with Scripture
- Partially Consistent with Scripture
- Inconsistent with Scripture