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The Doctrine of the Trinity
T. P. Simmons

Perhaps the meaning of the Trinity of God has never been better stated than it is stated by A. H. Strong— "in the nature of the one God there are three eternal distinctions which are represented to us under the figure of persons, and these three are equal" (Systematic Theology, p. 144).

The principles of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary set forth the doctrine of the Trinity as follows: "God is revealed to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, each with distinct personal attributes, but without division of nature, essence, or being."

In consideration of these definitions, note:

1. THE TRINITY CONSISTS OF THREE DISTINCTIONS.

The doctrine of the Trinity does not mean that God merely manifests Himself in three different ways. There are three actual distinctions in the Godhead. The truth of this will appear more clearly later.

2. THESE THREE DISTINCTIONS ARE ETERNAL.

This is proved, on one hand, by the immutability of God. If there was ever a time when these distinctions did not exist, then when they came to exist God changed. It is proved again by the Scriptures which assert or imply the eternity of the Son and the Holy Spirit. See John 1:1,2; Revelation 22:13, 14; Hebrews 9:14.

"It is no reply to this, that the expressions ‘begotten,’ and ‘proceedeth from,’ involve the idea of the antecedent existence of him who begets, and from whom there is procession. For these are terms of human language, applied to divine actions, and must be understood suitably to God. There is no greater difficulty here than in other cases in which this principle is readily recognized" (Boyce, Abstract of Systematic Theology, pp. 138, 139). Just as there can be logical order without chronological sequence, and just as a cause and its effect can be simultaneous, so we have the eternal Father, the eternal Son, and the eternal Spirit. "If there had been an eternal sun, it is evident that there must have been an eternal sunlight also. Yet an eternal sunlight must have evermore proceeded from the sun. When Cyril was asked whether the Son existed before generation, he answered: ‘The generation of the Son did not precede His existence, but He always existed, and that by generation’" (Strong, Systematic Theology, p. 165).

3. THESE THREE DISTINCTIONS ARE REPRESENTED TO US UNDER THE FIGURE OF PERSONS, BUT THERE IS NO DIVISION OF NATURE, ESSENCE, OR BEING.

The doctrine of the Trinity does not mean tri-theism. When we speak of the distinctions of the Godhead as persons, we must understand that we use the term figuratively. There are not three persons in the Godhead in the same sense that three human beings are persons. In the case of three human beings there is division of nature, essence, and being; but it is not so with God. Such a conception of God is forbidden by the teaching of the Scripture as to the unity of God.

4. THE THREE MEMBERS OF THE TRINITY ARE EQUAL.

Many of the same attributes are ascribed to each member of the Trinity, and the attributes thus ascribed are such as could not be possessed without all other divine attributes. The equality of the members of the Trinity is further shown by the fact that each one is recognized as God, as we shall see later.

II. SCRIPTURAL PROOFS OF THE DOCTRINE OF THE TRINITY

1. THE FATHER, SON, AND HOLY SPIRIT ARE ALL RECOGNIZED AS GOD.

(1) The Father Recognized as God.

This occurs in such a great number of passages that it is both unnecessary and impracticable to quote all of them. The two following ones will suffice:

"Work not for the food which perisheth, but for the food which abideth unto eternal life, which the Son of Man shall give unto you: for him the Father, even God, hath sealed" (John 6:27).

"Elect . . . according to the foreknowledge of God the Father" (1 Pet. 1:1,2).

(2) The Son Recognized as God.

A. He is Called God.

John 1:1; Romans 9:5; 1 John 5:20.

B. Old Testament Passages Referring to God are Applied in the New Testament to the Son.

Matthew 3:3—alluding to Isaiah 40:3; John 12:41—alluding to Isaiah 6:1.

C. The Son Possesses the Attributes of God.

Eternity: John 1:1; Omnipresence: Matthew 28:20 and Ephesians 1:23; Omniscience: Matthew 9:4 and John 2:24,25 and John 16:30 and 1 Corinthians 4:5 and Colossians 2:3; Omnipotence: Matthew 28:18 and Revelation 1:8; Self-existence: John 5:26; Immutability. Hebrews 13:8; Truth: John 14:6; Love: 1 John 8:16; Holiness: Luke 1:35 and John 6:39 and Hebrews 7:26.

D. The Works of God are Ascribed to the Son.

Creation: John 1:3; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Colossians 1:16; Hebrews 1:10. Preservation: Colossians 1:7; Hebrews 1:3. Raising the dead and judging: John 5:27,28; Matthew 25:31,32.

E. He Receives Honor and Worship Due to God Alone.

John 5:23; Hebrews 1:6; 1 Corinthians 11:24,25; 2 Peter 3:18; 2 Timothy 4:18.

(3) The Holy Spirit is Recognized as God.

A. The Attributes of God are Ascribed to Him.

Eternity: Hebrews 9:14; Omniscience: 1 Corinthians 2:10; Omnipresence: Psalm 139:7; Holiness: all passages that apply the term "holy" to the Spirit; Truth: John 16:13; Love: Romans 15:30.

B. He is Represented as Doing the Works of God.

Creation: Genesis 1:2; moved mean "brooded;" Regeneration: John 3:8; Titus 3:5; Resurrection: Romans 8:11.

2. THE FATHER, SON, AND HOLY SPIRIT ARE ASSOCIATED TOGETHER ON AN EQUAL FOOTING.

This is done—

(1) In the Formula of Baptism. Matthew 28:19.

(2) In Apostolic Benediction. 2 Corinthians 13:14.

3. THE FATHER, SON, AND HOLY SPIRIT ARE DISTINGUISHED FROM ONE ANOTHER.

(1) The Father and Son are Distinguished From Each Other.

The Father and the Son are distinguished as the begetter and begotten; and as the sender and the sent. The distinction between the Father and Son was manifested at the baptism of Jesus when God’s voice from Heaven was heard saying: "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" (Matt. 3:17). Christ distinguished Himself from the Father when He prayed to the Father, as He often did. That the distinction thus implied was not a temporal one, continuing only so long as Christ was In the flesh, is proved by the fact that Christ still intercedes with the Father (Heb. 7:25; 1 John 2:1). He is a perpetual mediator between God and man (1 Tim. 2:5), and thus is perpetually distinguished from God the Father.

(2) The Spirit is Distinguished from the Father.

The Spirit is distinguished from the Father when He is said to proceed from and to be sent by the Father (John 15:26; 14:26; Gal. 4:6).

(3) The Son is Distinguished from the Spirit.

Jesus referred to the Spirit as "another Comforter" (John 14:16). And Jesus spoke of Himself as sending the Spirit (John 15:26).

4. THE FATHER, SON, AND HOLY SPIRIT ARE ONE GOD.

Trinity means tri-unity, or three-oneness. We have shown that there are three distinctions in the Godhead. Now, in order to prove the doctrine of the Trinity, rather than the doctrine of Tritheism, we must show that the three, while being distinguishable from one another, are yet one. This is proved:

(1) By All Passages Teaching the Unity of God.

The student is referred here to the chapter on the nature and attributes of God, where these passages are noted.

(2) By The Fact that Each One of the Three is Recognized As God.

We have already shown that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are severally recognized as God in the Scripture. This shows their unity, because God is represented as being the supreme being. For that reason there could not be three Gods. Supremacy is possible to only one.

(3) By the Fact that the Three are Equal.

We have already discussed the equality of the members of the Trinity. Absolute equality is impossible without identity of essence, nature, and being.

We make no attempt to deny or to explain away the mystery of the doctrine of the Trinity. It is a high mystery that human minds can never fathom.

Yet the doctrine of the Trinity is not self-contradictory. God is not three in the same sense that He is one. He is one in essence, nature, and being; but in this one essence, nature, and being there are three eternal distinctions that are represented to us in such a way that we call them persons. Who can say that such distinctions are impossible in the nature of God? To do that, one would have to have perfect understanding of God’s nature. So we do well to accept what the Scripture teaches, and leave the mystery for solution when we have further light, if such light as will enable us to explain and understand it is ever given to us. The mystery comes because of our inability to understand fully the nature of God.

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Here are some images (symbols) that depict the Trinity of God.  Baptists do not accept these images, but many other denominations do:

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