There is only one God

The doctrine of the Trinity — that God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are each equally and eternally the one true God — is admittedly difficult to comprehend, and yet is the very foundation of Christian truth. Although skeptics may ridicule it as a mathematical impossibility, it is nevertheless a basic doctrine of Scripture.

Both Old and New Testaments teach the Unity and the Trinity of the Godhead. The idea that there is only one God, who created all things, is repeatedly emphasized in such Scriptures as Isaiah 45:18:

“For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else.”

"I am the LORD, and there is no other; besides Me there is no God," (Isaiah 45:5).

“Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel And his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: ‘I am the first and I am the last, And there is no God besides Me," (Isaiah 44:6).

Isaiah 43:10; 44:6,8; 45:5,14,18,21,22; 46:9; 47:8; John 17:3; 1 Cor. 8:5-6; Gal. 4:8-9

One of the scribes, who was a religious scholar, once asked our Lord Jesus Christ this question; "Which is the first commandment of all?" Jesus answered him, "the first of all the commandments is; "Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one." (Mk. 12:28-29) The commandment that Jesus identified as the most important, is known in Jewish circles as the "Shema".

The ancient confession of Israel’s faith is, the Shema ( Hear ), begins:

Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one.
(Deuteronomy 6:4)

Now we come to the heart of the matter. If the Lord Jesus Christ believes in the Shema and pronounced it as the most important commandment then He would surely believe in strict monotheism just like the Jews. He does, but there is something more about the Shema.

What does it mean that the LORD (YHWH יְהוָה) is One? The Hebrew word for ONE is ECHAD (Strongs # 259) and means: compound unity of oneness. Specific examples of how echad demonstrates compound unity are found below:

• Now the whole earth used the same [echad] language and the same [echad] words. (Genesis 11:1)
• And the LORD said, "Behold, they are one [echad] people, and they all have the same [echad] language. And this is what they began to do, and now nothing which they purpose to do will be impossible for them. (Genesis 11:6)
• Then we will give you our daughters and take your daughters for ourselves. We'll settle among you and become one [echad] people with you. (Genesis 34:16)
• Then Moses came and recounted to the people all the words of the LORD and all the ordinances; and all the people answered with one [echad] voice, and said, "All the words which the LORD has spoken we will do!" (Exodus 24:3)

The name for God used is Elohim אלהים, a uniplural noun. El is singular, Eloah is dual, whereas Elohim apparently implies three or more persons. Yet the three Persons of the Godhead act as One God in all they undertake in creation, in redemption and in the management of the universe we live in. Elohim is used over 2300 times throughout the Bible.

The word "Godhead" occurs three times in the scriptures (Acts 17: 29, Rom. 1: 20, Col. 2: 9). There are two different Greek words translated Godhead in these occurrences, theiotes and theotes. Thayer says Godhead (theiotes) means, "divinity, divine nature" (Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon, pg. 285). Vine distinguishes between these two words: "Theiotes, the attributes of God, His Divine nature and properties; theotes indicates the Divine essence of Godhood, the personality of God" (W. E. Vine, Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words). The Godhead, then, is divinity, divine nature, and the essence of God, simply stated. It is essential that we also understand the term inspired writers used to designate the Creator - "God." "God" is from the Greek theios which means "divine, deity" (Thayer, pg. 285).

Elohim and YHVH Applied to Two Personalities

To make the case for plurality even stronger, there are situations in the Hebrew Scriptures where the term Elohim is applied to two personalities in the same verse. One example is Psalm 45:6-7:

"Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre. Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows."

A second example is Hosea 1:7:

"But I will have mercy upon the house of Judah, and will save them by the LORD their God, and will not save them by bow, nor by sword, nor by battle, by horses, nor by horsemen."

Not only is Elohim applied to two personalities in the same verse, but so is the very name of God. One example is Genesis 19:24:

"Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven; "

A second example is Zechariah 2:8-9:

"For thus saith the LORD of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye. For, behold, I will shake mine hand upon them, and they shall be a spoil to their servants: and ye shall know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me."

How Many Persons are There?

If the Hebrew Scriptures truly do point to plurality, the question arises, how many personalities exist in the Godhead? We have already seen the names of God applied to at least two different personalities. Going through the Hebrew Scriptures we find that three, and only three, distinct personalities are ever considered divine.

1. First, there are the numerous times when there is a reference to the Lord YHVH. This usage is so frequent that there is no need to devote space to it.

2. A second personality is referred to as the Angel of YHVH. This individual is always considered distinct from all other angels and is unique. In almost every passage where he is found he is referred to as both the Angel of YHVH and YHVH himself. For instance in Genesis 16:7 he is referred to as the Angel of YHVH, but then in 16:13 as YHVH himself. In Genesis 22:11 he is the Angel of YHVH, but God himself in 22:12.

A very interesting passage is Exodus 23:20-23 where this angel has the power to pardon sin because God's own name YHVH is in him, and, therefore, he is to be obeyed without question. This can hardly be said of any ordinary angel. But the very fact that God's own name is in this angel shows his divine status.

3. A third major personality that comes through is the Spirit of God, often referred to simply as the Ruach Ha-kodesh. There are a good number of references to the Spirit of God among which are Genesis 1:2; 6:3; Job 33:4; Psalm 51:11; 139:7; Isaiah 11:2; 63:10,14. The Holy Spirit cannot be a mere emanation because he has all the characteristics of personality (intellect, emotion and will) and is considered divine.

So then, from various sections of the Hebrew Scriptures there is a clear showing that three personalities are referred to as divine and as being God: the Lord YHVH, the Angel of YHVH and the Spirit of God.

The Three Personalities in the Same Passage

In the Hebrew Scriptures you will also find all three personalities of the Godhead referred to in single passages. Two examples are Isaiah 48:12-16 and 63:7-14.

Because of the significance of the first passage, it will be quoted:

"Hearken unto me, O Jacob and Israel, my called; I am he; I am the first, I also am the last. Mine hand also hath laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand hath spanned the heavens: when I call unto them, they stand up together. All ye, assemble yourselves, and hear; which among them hath declared these things? The LORD hath loved him: he will do his pleasure on Babylon, and his arm shall be on the Chaldeans. I, even I, have spoken; yea, I have called him: I have brought him, and he shall make his way prosperous. 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. "

In the second passage, there is a reflection back to the time of the Exodus where all three personalities were present and active. The Lord YHVH is referred to in verse seven, the Angel of YHVH in verse nine and the Spirit of God in verses 10, 11 and 14. While often throughout the Hebrew Scriptures God refers to himself as being the one solely responsible for Israel's redemption from Egypt, in this passage three personalities are given credit for it. Yet no contradiction is seen since all three comprise the unity of the one Godhead.

The teaching of the Hebrew Scriptures, then is that there is a plurality of the Godhead. The first person is consistently called YHVH, while the second person is given the names of YHVH, the Angel of YHVH and the Servant of YHVH. Consistently and without fail, the second person is sent by the first person. The third person is referred to as the Spirit of YHVH or the Spirit of God or the Holy Spirit. He, too, is sent by the first person but is continually related to the ministry of the second person.

The Tri-unity of God

We read in Genesis 1:1 that Elohim ( which, by the way, is the third word in the Hebrew Bible ) created the heaven and the earth. The plural form for the name of God is used in the very first verse of the bible. And ther is another interesting thing found in this verse. Between "God" and "created" the scriptures have two letters, ( אֵת ) alef and tau inserted. these are untranslated, and interesting enough, are the first and last letters in the hebrew alphabet. Equivelent to alpha and omega in the greek. This mystery is progressively uncovered throughout the bible and is often referred to as the "Trinity" - "God the Father," "God the Son," and "God the Holy Spirit"

This triune God (or Trinity) began to allude to this aspect of His nature also in Genesis 1:26–27. There we read that “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: . . . So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him;” Here God is a plural noun, said is in the third-person singular verb form, and we see both the plural pronoun our and the singular His referring to the same thing (God’s image). This is not horribly confused grammar. Rather, we are being taught, in a limited way, that God is a plurality in unity. We can’t say from this verse that He is a trinity, but God progressively reveals more about Himself in later Scriptures to bring us to that conclusion.

Genesis 2:7 tells us that Adam's body was first formed (yatsar) from the dust of the earth. Yatsar means to mold as a potter molds the clay, (see Jer 18:2). Man was thus created, but in the process his body was also molded and fashioned by the hands of the Master Potter. Next, Elohim breathed into the man's body the breath (ruach) of life and man became a living being (nephesh, soul). The soul is the realm of personality, of mind, emotions, will, and conscience. Man is thus both a material being, and also a spiritual creation of God. We are intended to live simultaneously into two worlds: the physical and the spiritual. The Bible reveals that man is a tripartite being, body, soul, and spirit.

This record of man's creation is neither mythical nor parabolic, but literal. It is assumed as historic fact by the Lord (Matt. 19:4-6) and the inspired Apostle (1 Tim. 2:13 -14), and is fundamental to revealed truth concerning man in his present condition (Rom. 5:12 -19) and future state (1 Cor. 15:12 -19). Evolution, in its modern aspects, virtually denies this record, although the account is endorsed by the Son of God (Matt. 19:6).

Man, as created by God and in the "image and likeness" of God, is a triune being, composed of “spirit and soul and body” (1 Thess. 5:23 ). These three parts constitute the man. He may be, and is, in the language of Scripture, identified with either, according to the line of truth being revealed. He usually is so with the “body” when his relation to others is in view, and with the “soul and spirit” when his attitude toward God is under consideration. It is the possession of spirit which makes man a moral and accountable being, fitted for acquaintance and interaction with God, and which links him, in his hopes or fears, with a life and a world beyond the present.

Image - the Body

The body is spoken of in Scripture as man's “tabernacle,” which he may “put off” (2 Pet. 1:14), in which he may be “at home” (2 Cor. 5:6), or from which he may be “absent” (v. 8). It is said to be “mortal” (Rom. 8:11 ), that is, subject to death, as a result of the fall. Men may kill it (Matt. 10:28 ), and it may see corruption (Acts 13:36 ), from which it will be delivered at resurrection (John 5:28 -29). Materialists say the body is the man, ignoring spirit and soul as Scripture describes them and their functions, and denying consciousness or any survival after death. With Annihilationists, death is the “extinction” of man's being.

Col.1:15 [Jesus] Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:

Likeness - Soul and Spirit

Derived, as Genesis 2:7, informs us, from the inbreathing of the Creator, which raises him far above the beasts, which are said to have “soul” (Gen. 1:30, wherein there is life = living soul ), man is the offspring of God (Acts 17:28), formed to have dominion, in the image and glory of God (1 Cor. 11:7), even though now fallen from his first estate. Man is linked with the inferior creatures by being, as they are, “a living soul,” and distinguished from angels, who are only “spirits” (Heb. 1:7, 14), but not “souls.” While man is alive in the body, he is a “soul” (see Ezek. 18:20 ; Lev. 5:2, 4; 7:20 , where the person—the individual—is clearly meant); when out of the body, he is then called a “spirit” (Heb. 12:23 ). It is the intermediate link between spirit and body, and the life of the latter.

To the soul, the functions of loving (1 Sam.18:1), hating (2 Sam. 5:8), desiring (Job 23:13 ), longing (Ps. 84:2) are ascribed. The soul is said to be the seat or spring of sin—“the sin of the soul” (Mic. 6:7)—for it atonement is said to be made (Lev. 17:11), and as it is by the soul needed, so by it is it made, as we read, “When Thou shalt make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed. He shall see of the travail of His soul, and shall be satisfied” (Isa. 53:10-11). “The spirit of man which is in him” (1 Cor. 2:11), “formed within him” (Zech. 12:1), a separate entity in each individual, his highest part, linking him with God, who is the “Father of spirits” (Heb. 12:9), and the “God of the spirits of all flesh” (Num. 16:22; 22:16), which is equivalent to saying, of all men (see Gen. 6:12; Luke 3:6), saved and unsaved. This “spirit” which animates and controls the bodily organism is from God Himself, and without it the body is “dead “ (James 2:26 ). At death it returns to God who gave it (Eccl. 12:7).

In the case of the believer, it is received by the Lord Jesus (Acts 7:59 ), and exists in consciousness apart from the body (Heb. 12:23 ). To the spirit is ascribed the functions of intelligence, understanding, and judgment. It can “know “(1 Cor. 2:11 ), be “stirred” (Acts 17:16 ), be “provoked” (Ps. 106:33), while by it moral and spiritual qualities may be developed, such as a “right spirit” (Ps. 51:10), a “meek and quiet spirit” (1 Pet. 3:4). “My spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour” (Luke 1: 47) tells of its capability of spiritual joy, while the Spirit of God bearing witness “with our spirit” (Rom. 8:16 ) tells of its capability for relationship with the Divine.

The physical and the spiritual

Man is defined as having a body, soul, and spirit. These three things make up one Man. A person who exist in both the physical and spiritual realm at the same time. Taking the "image and Likness" expressed in the creation of man, and looking back to the Elohim who created man, the triune man is a hint to the triune God who created man.

SPIRIT AND SOUL AND BODY.

"And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. ." (1 Thess 5:23).

The words spirit, soul, and body are translated from the three original New Testament Greek words: pneuma, psuche, and soma, respectively. In the original Hebrew language of the Old Testament the same three words are ruach, nephesh and geshem, respectively. Considering the usage throughout the Old and New Testaments of these three different words, we must conclude each words has a different meaning. A spirit is somewhat different from a soul or a body. And a soul is somewhat different from a body or a spirit. Paul used all three words to describe the complete or entire makeup of a person. We are led to the thought that each human being must be composed of three different entities which Paul calls: spirit and soul and body.

Body and Soul are Separate Entities.

This thought is reinforced as we consider the meaning in context of each word in the Old and New Testaments. Jesus spoke clearly of the distinction between the soul and the body of a person when He told His disciples that the soul of a person could not be killed as could the body of a person but that the soul lives on after the death of the body.

"And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matt 10:28)

Spirit and Soul are Separate Entities.

"For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. ." (Heb 4:12).

Reflection on the meaning of this verse leads us to conclude that the spirit of a person is somewhat different from the soul of that person.

The soul and the body are different parts of the human being for the soul lives on after the death of the body. The spirit and the soul are different parts of the human being for the spirit can and should be separated from the total influence of the soul. But the three parts, spirit and soul and body, make up the complete person as he lives on earth and even as he is preserved to meet the Lord when He comes again.

Spirit, Soul, and Body are Separate Entities Within One Complete Human.

The proposition that each human being has been created by God with three separate entities is strengthened by our knowledge that our God has three entities. Our God is three in one, a triune God, with the three parts referred to in the Bible as the Father, the Word or the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Since God has created human beings in His image, we are led to expect that humans have been created as triune beings also, with three parts, referred to in the Bible as spirit, soul, and body.

"Then God said, 'Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness;'". (Gen 1:26).

Here is the Trinity, stated very simply. The Will of God is expressed and executed by the Ruach HaKodesh, the Holy Spirit, see more below, and is the fullness of the Spirit of God. The LORD, יְהוָה, who has revealed his Holiness, character and personality through out the Hebrew scriptures, and seeing that character and personality are an expression of the soul, is the fullness of the Soul of God. When the Invisible God who can't be seen, ( Exodus 33:20; John 1:18; John 5:37; John 6:46; 1 Tim. 6:15-16 ) desires to be seen, Jesus is (Col.1:15) is the image of the invisible God. The Trinity of Spirit, Soul, Body. One Supernatural God who exists in the physical and spiritual realm and in the natural and supernatural realm simultaneously.

Has anyone seen God or not?

(Gen. 17:1) – “And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect;

(Gen. 18:1) - " And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day;”

(Exodus 6:2-3) – “ And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the LORD: And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH ( יְהוָה ) was I not known to them.”

(Exodus 24:9-11) – “Then went up Moses, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel: And they saw the God of Israel: and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness. And upon the nobles of the children of Israel he laid not his hand: also they saw God, and did eat and drink.

(Num. 12:6-8) – “And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the LORD will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream. My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house. With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the LORD shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?

(Acts 7:2), "And he said, Men, brethren, and fathers, hearken; The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran,"

(Exodus 33:20) – “And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live."

(John 1:18) – “No man hath seen God at any time, the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.”

(John 5:37) – "And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape."

(John 6:46) - "Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father.”

(1 Tim. 6:15-16) – “Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen”

It is evident above that God was seen. But, considering the "can't-see-God" verses, some would understandably argue that there would be a contradiction. One explanation offered is that the people were seeing visions, or dreams, or the Angel of the LORD (Num. 22:22-26; Judges 13:1-21) and not really God Himself. But the problem is that the verses cited above do not say vision, dream, or Angel of the LORD. They say that people saw God (Exodus 24:9-11), that God was seen, and that He appeared as God Almighty (Exodus 6:2-3).

At first, this is difficult to understand. God Almighty was seen (Exodus 6:2-3) which means it was not the Angel of the Lord, for an angel is not God Almighty, and at least Moses saw God, not in a vision or dream, as the LORD Himself attests in Num. 12:6-8. If these verses mean what they say, then we naturally assume we have a contradiction. Actually, the contradiction exists in our understanding, not in the Bible--which is always the case with alleged biblical contradictions.

The solution is simple. All you need to do is accept what the Bible says. If the people of the OT were seeing God, the Almighty God, and Jesus said that no one has ever seen the Father (John 6:46), then they were seeing God Almighty, but not the Father. It was someone else in the Godhead. I suggest that they were seeing the Word before He became incarnate. In other words, they were seeing Jesus.

If God is a Trinity, then John 1:18 is not a problem either because in John chapter one, John writes about the Word (Jesus) and God (the Father). In verse 14 it says the Word became flesh. In verse 18 it says no one has seen God. Since Jesus is the Word, God then, refers to the Father. This is typically how John writes of God: as a reference to the Father. We see this verified in Jesus own words in John 6:46 where He said that no one has ever seen the Father. Therefore, Almighty God was seen, but not the Father. It was Jesus before His incarnation. There is more than one person in the Godhead and the doctrine of the Trinity must be true.

There are numerous passages that teach that God, the Father, God, the Son, and God, the Holy Spirit are distinct persons and yet each hold the attributes of deity. But the Bible also emphatically and unambiguously declares that there is only one God (Isaiah 44:8; Isaiah 45:18; Deuteronomy 6:4; Malachi 2:10, James 2:19; Mark 12:29 ). Hence, taking all the Scriptures into account, Christian theology has always affirmed that the one true God is triune in nature—three co-equal and co-eternal persons in the Godhead.

In John 17:3 our Lord Jesus Christ declared the Father is the Only True God. Paul echoed this in I Corinthians 8:6. Many other scriptures may be cited to demonstrate with confidence that the Shema supports the absolute unity of God (strict monotheism).

One of the most astounding statements ever made by our Lord Jesus Christ is when He declared: "I and My Father are one." (Jn. 10:30) Some apologetics explained the Jews had misunderstood our Lord's statement that this was a claim that He is God so they stoned Him. (Jn. 10:31) Others explain that Jesus indicated He had the unity of purpose with the Father and did not claim to be God. What is the truth of this statement: "I and My Father are one."? Here is the truth. The Lord Jesus Christ had warned the Jews, "You are from beneath; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.' Then they said to Him, 'Who are You?' And Jesus said to them, 'Just what I have been saying to you from the beginning. I have many things to say and to judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I heard from Him.' They did not understand that He spoke to them of the Father." (Jn. 8:23-27) Here is a clear unmistakable statement that Jesus claimed Himself to be the One True God. His oneness with the Father is more than in aims and purposes. Jesus and the Father is the same Diving Being.

In Isaiah 48:12–16 we find the speaker in the passage describing himself as the Creator and yet saying that “the Lord God and His Spirit have sent Me.” This is further hinting at the doctrine of the trinity, which becomes very clear in the New Testament. There are many other Old Testament Scriptures that hint at the same idea.

In Matthew 28:18–20 Jesus command His disciples to baptize His followers in the name (singular) of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. John’s Gospel tells us that “the Word” is God who became man in Jesus Christ (John 1:1–3, 14). Jesus was fully man and fully God. Many other verses combine together to teach that God is triune.

The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God

God is Spirit.  Our Lord Jesus Christ said, "God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." (John 4:24) "Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be given men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men." (Mt. 12:31)  The Holy Spirit is called "the Holy Spirit of God." (Eph. 4:30)  From this we understand that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is blasphemy against God and lying to the Holy Spirit is lying to God.  "But Peter said, 'Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself?  While it remained, was it not your own control?  Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God." (Acts 5:3-4)

The Holy Spirit is personal. Our Lord Jesus Christ refers to the coming Spirit as a Comforter or Helper. "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you" (John 14:26). The Holy Spirit has characteristics of a person.  He has a mind.  We read of "the mind of the Spirit" in Romans 8:27. He has a will (1 Cor. 12:11). He can speak (1 Tim. 4:1). He refers to himself as 'Me' and 'I' in Acts 13:2. (See also John 15:26; Romans 8:26; 1 Corinthians 2:10-13.)

There is one Spirit. "There is one body and one Spirit" (Eph. 4:4). "For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father" (Eph. 2:18). "For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body - whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free - and have all been made to drink into one Spirit" (1 Cor. 12:13). The Spirit of God and the Spirit of Christ are the same Spirit. "But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His" (Rom. 8:9).

The Holy Spirit is omnipresent. "Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?" (Psm. 139:7).

The Holy Spirit is all-knowing. "Who has directed the Spirit of the Lord, or as His counselor has taught Him?" (Isa. 40:13). "For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God" (1 Cor. 2:10-11). These scriptural verses indicate the Holy Spirit knows everything that God knows.

The Spirit is eternal. "How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?" (Heb. 9:14).

The Spirit is the truth. "And it is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is truth" (1 John 5:6). He is called "the Spirit of truth" in John 14:17.

The Spirit proceeds from the Father and is sent by God and the Lord Jesus Christ. "And now the Lord GOD and His Spirit have sent Me" (Isa. 48:16). "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you" (John 14:26). "But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me" (John 15:26).

From these scriptural verses we have learned that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are one and the same God. The Holy Spirit is personal. There is one Spirit. HE is omnipresent. He is all-knowing.  He is eternal. The Spirit is the truth. The Spirit proceeds from the Father and is sent by God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

The One True God manifests Himself as the Father, Son and Holy Spirit

The third, and unseen, member of the triunity of God, The Holy Spirit, is also found extensively in the Old Testament:

God is described with different words in the Bible, a few of which translate into English as LORD, Lord, the LORD almighty, God, God Almighty and so forth. When reading these in different places in the Bible, you become aware that although God is “one” He is also “more than one”—God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit (Holy Ghost). Together, they are referred to as “the Trinity” or “the Godhead.”

Therefore, the doctrine of the Trinity is arrived at
by looking at the whole of scripture, not in a single verse.

No one can deny that the Bible is a supernatural Book which reveals the supernatural works of God in creating and working with man through the ages. The Bible presents mankind with God's ultimate and supernatural plan, that man by simple faith in Jesus Christ the Savior, can have forgiveness for sins and eternal life and receive the spiritual nature of God. Those that believe and receive Jesus Christ as their Savior become a part of Heaven with is a spiritual place and the children of God.

The Trinity does not divide God into three parts. The Bible is clear that all three Persons are each one hundred percent God. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all fully God. For example, it says of Christ that “in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form” (Colossians 2:9). We should not think of God as like a "pie" cut into three pieces, each piece representing a Person. This would make each Person less than fully God and thus not God at all. Rather, “the being of each Person is equal to the whole being of God.”1 The divine essence is not something that is divided between the three persons, but is fully in all three persons without being divided into "parts." 

The verses presented and many others clearly teach that God is One God. These passages state that Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit are also God. Thus the Bible affirms one of the most important doctrines in Scripture that God one God existing in a unity of God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The full importance of understanding and accepting this truth is found in the Epistle of 1 John:

"Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world." (1 John 4:1-3).

It must be noted that the phrase "Jesus Christ is come in the flesh" is a direct reference to His deity and that GOD came to the earth in flesh. All men are "born in the flesh" therefore this verse has no significance unless it is referring to God coming in the flesh. John says those that deny this revealed truth of the Trinity are not of God and the denial of this doctrine comes from the spirit of the antichrist who is directed by Satan.

The biblical doctrine of the Trinity was not invented by man or any church. Its origin is in the plain and unmistaken statements made in the Bible that is God's word. It is revealed truth and salvation to those who seek God.