The fact that God or a god exists should be self-evident. Obviously, we came from somewhere.

If I found an iPhone on the beach, I would not wonder how long it took the waves to create it by randomly bringing elements together to create a highly sophisticated piece of electronics. No, I would know that it was designed and built by someone. I might not know who designed and built it. But I would know that it had a designer and builder.

While an iPhone is pretty complex, it is nowhere near as complex as you or me, or even as complex an insect. Why would I think an insect randomly evolved by chance while an iPhone didn’t? It makes no sense.

Furthermore, if I found the iPhone on the beach, I wouldn’t think that it appeared from nothing. It had a creator more powerful than itself.

The same is true for the universe. Where did all this matter come from? It didn’t come from nothing; Someone or Something had to have created it.

That someone or something is what we commonly refer to as God. The New Oxford American Dictionary defines God as:

1) The creator and ruler of the universe and source of all moral authority; the supreme being.

2) A superhuman being or spirit worshiped as having power over nature or human fortunes; a deity:

There are other words commonly used to explain this concept: deity, goddess, divine being, celestial being, supreme being, divinity, immortal; creator, godhead.

Humans have always known that a creator exists and have tried to make sense of Him. Thankfully though, God has revealed everything we need to know about Himself in the Bible.

If you are not sure that the Bible is the revealed word of God, check out this helpful video that explores the topic. But, the best way to understand that the Bible is clearly beyond human ability is to read it for yourself. Typically, the books of the Bible are arranged by category, not chronologically. We have a free chronological reading schedule that you can print out and check off as you read it. I challenge you to read it for yourself and see if you are not convinced that it is truly the Word of God.

So, what has God revealed about Himself? Well, a lot of things. But what we want to focus on in this article is one of the more confusing aspects of God, the idea that He is three in one. This is often referred to as the “Trinity” or the “Godhead”.

The word “Trinity” is not actually in the Bible. It was first used to describe God by Tertullian in 213 AD. But, just because the term is not in the Bible, that does not mean that the concept behind the term is not in the Bible. The Bible teaches the concept of the Trinity, which can be stated simply as:

There is only one God.
God consists of three persons.
The Father is God.
Jesus is God.
The Holy Spirit is God.

Let’s look at each of those points a little more in-depth.

#1 There is Only One God

“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.” (Deuteronomy 6:4 | ESV)
“Therefore, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that ‘an idol has no real existence,’ and that ‘there is no God but one.’” (1 Corinthians 8:4 | ESV)

Both the Old Testament and the New Testament state that there is one God. So how can the concept of the Trinity be true if God is one?

#2 God Consists of Three Persons

The Hebrew word for God, “Elohim,” is actually plural, though it is translated as singular in English.

We can see the plurality of God when He created man:

“Then God [Elohim - Plural] said, ‘Let us [plural] make man in our [plural] image, after our [plural] likeness.” (Genesis 1:26a | ESV)

But look at the next verse:

“So God [Elohim - Plural] created man in his [singular] own image, in the image of God [Elohim - Plural] he [singular] created him; male and female he created them.” (Genesis 1:27a | ESV)

We can see that the grammar of the Bible opens itself up to the concept of a singular plurality. How is this even possible?

The concept of the Trinity is probably the most difficult thing about God to understand. God is infinitely greater than we are, and therefore, we should not expect to be able to fully understand His nature or explain it. We can, however, rely on the information that the Bible tells us.

#3 The Father is God

“Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.” (John 6:27 | ESV)
“To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 1:7 | ESV)
“…according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you.” (1 Peter 1:2 | ESV)

#4 The Son (Christ Jesus) is God

Speaking of the Israelites, the Bible says,

“To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.” (Romans 9:5 | ESV)

Other New Testament passages also make it clear that Christ is God.

“In the beginning was the Word [Jesus], and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1 | ESV)
“See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily…” (Colossians 2:8–9 | ESV)
“And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.” (1 John 5:20 | ESV)

#5 The Holy Spirit is God

“But Peter said, ‘Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land? While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to man but to God.’” (Acts 5:3–4 | ESV)

Here the Bible equates the Holy Spirit with God. In one of Paul’s epistles, he asks the Corinthians:

“Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16 | ESV)

From Scripture, we can see that one God is made up of three persons: The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In fact, we can see all three of them mentioned together by Jesus in Matthew:

“And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’” (Matthew 28:18–20 | ESV)

I understand that this is a difficult concept to wrap our minds around. How can one be three and three be one? There have been some helpful illustrations used to try and explain it, although they are incomplete and imperfect:

Egg: An egg is a singular object, yet composed of three distinct parts: shell, white, and yolk.

Water: Water can take the form of vapor, liquid, and solid, yet all are still H2O.

Everything we can know about God is revealed in the Bible, and from the Bible, this is what we know about the concept of the Trinity:

There is only one God
The one God is the Divine Nature consisting of three distinct, divine Persons: the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are each God with the same essence and collectively make up the Divine Nature or Godhead.
The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are equal in essence but fill different roles.

What are your thoughts on the topic of the Trinity? Let us know in the comments below!

If you would like to see how God has interacted with mankind throughout history, we have a three-part video series that will walk you through the entire Bible that you can watch here.

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