Biblical Conundrum: Trinity

The idea of God being Trinity is a little hard for humans to comprehend. However, this concept is definitely supported in Scripture. Both the Old Testament and the New Testament supports this view of God. Here are three examples from Scripture:

1. In the first verse of the Bible it states, “In the beginning God [Elohim] created…” (Gn 1:1). Here we have a plural noun with a singular verb. In the next verse we have, “…the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” One, of course, could argue that this does not necessarily support God being exactly triune, but it does support it. It does, however, show that God is multi-dimensional.

2. When God visited the Israelites at Mt. Sinai after they left Egypt under the leadership of Moses, God first appeared to them as a cloud of fire and smoke that settled onto the mountain (Ex 19-20); He then met with Moses and several of the leaders and ate with them (Ex 24:9-11); He then descended in Spirit form on the leaders so they could discern wisely (Nu 11:24-25). Therefore, we have the three components of the Godhead: the first person of the Godhead who appeared as fire and smoke, the second person of the Godhead who appeared in human form to them, and the third person of the Godhead who descended upon them as Spirit.

3. When Jesus Christ was baptized by John the Baptist (Mt 3), we have the second person of the Godhead, Jesus Christ, who was in human form; and we have the third person of the Godhead, God the Holy Spirit, descending upon Jesus as a dove (Mt 3:16); and we have the first person of Godhead, God the Father, speaking from heaven, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased” (Mt 3:17).

If we put all three of these together, we have a multidimensional God, and in two places (both Old and New Testament) presenting God as triune.

The reason I call this concept a conundrum is that this concept is indeed a great mystery. Our human brains just cannot truly grasp a concept that God is three individuals in one. It is not really a paradox because although we can believe the concept to be true, we cannot truly rationally describe or understand it. I don’t think it is really an antinomy either because we are not really comparing two different concepts. Many have used various metaphors to try and explain it (like water can exist in three phases, solid, liquid, and gas); however, these are not exact parallels in concept.

They seem to be three individual personalities but composed of one will. We know that Jesus Christ stated that he was one with the Father (Jn 10:30) and stated that he existed even before Abraham (Jn 8:58). However, we also know that the relationship between each of these personalities can change. Before Jesus Christ came to earth in the form of us humans, he was spirit (Jn 4:24). When He ascended back to heaven he did not return as spirit and re-enter the same relationship with God the Father; he returned to the Father as our High Priest and mediator as a man (1Tm 2:5), but in glorified form, a form that we one day will also have (1Jn 3:2).

This concept about God may be hard to understand but we know that Jesus Christ came to present truth (Jn 18:37). Therefore, we can trust this concept. Although hard to understand, we can see that it makes sense because it makes God the most perfect relationship builder—ever! We truly serve a unique and holy God. Hallelujah!

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens