Essentials of Doctrine Trinity What is the Trinity, where is it in the bible, how does it work and how does it make sense? Essentials of Doctrine

Australian Bureau of Statistics PERCENTAGE OF PEOPLE(a) REPORTING NO RELIGION(b), 1911-2011 http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/4102.0Main+Features30Nov+2013

Belief in God in the Australian Christian community in 2009 Christian Research Association Belief in God in the Australian Christian community in 2009

MONOTHESTIC BELIEFS – A belief in one God MONOTHESTIC BELIEFS – A belief in one God. Religions: Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Sikhism, Zoroastrianism, Baha’i (And variations of these) PANOTHEISTIC BELIEFS – A belief in many gods or that everything is god – e.g. trees etc. Religions: Hinduism, Confucianism, Taoism, Unitarianism, New Age (Wicca)   AGNOSTIC BELIEFS – A belief that God may exist. ATHIESTIC BELIEFS – God does not exist – religions Buddhism, (Marxism)

Trinity Where is it in the Bible? What is the trinity? How does it work? How does it make sense? How can you explain it to some one who doesn’t know about the Bible?

Where is it in the Bible? Concordance - Basic

Tools Concordance - NIV Exhaustive

Tools Concordance - Strong’s exhaustive

Tools Google 58 million results Most unhelpful

Methods – first mention principle The first time something is mentioned in the Bible also includes it’s full meaning. Also called the law of first mention So let’s look up the first time God is mentioned...

Gen 1:1 In the beginning God....

NONE OF THESE REALLY DESCRIBE THE TRINITY NONE OF THESE REALLY DESCRIBE THE TRINITY. SOME ARE CLOSER TO HERESIES FROM THE AGES

THE SUN HAS ATTRIBUTES OF HEAT AND LIGHT THAT GO OUT FROM IT THE SUN HAS ATTRIBUTES OF HEAT AND LIGHT THAT GO OUT FROM IT. ALL ARE PART OF THE SUN. THEY ARE NOT EQUAL THE TRINITY OF HUMANKIND BUT WE ARE NOT THREE IDENIFIABLE PERSONALITIES CLOSER AS AN EXAMPLE, HOWEVER THEY CANNOT EXIST IN ALL THREE STATES AT THE SAME TIME.

God SI IS IS FATHER IS NOT IS NOT John 8:16 Eph 2:18 Separate from Jesus Gal 1:1 - Jesus refers to the father’s seal of approval John 6:27 SI God Gen 1:1-3 Matt - 28:19 1John 5:1-8 Rev – 1:8 IS NOT John 8:16 IS NOT Eph 2:18 JESUS Existed from the beginning John 1:1-14 IS HOLY SPIRIT In the last days I will pour out my Spirit... Acts 2:17 IS IS NOT Acts 1:4-5

Essentials of Doctrine – week two Trinity What is the Trinity, where is it in the bible, how does it work and how does it make sense? Essentials of Doctrine – week two

FALSE DOCTRINE REGARDING THE TRINITY: UNITARIANISM - Accepts the existence of one God, but denies three entities ARIANISM - Jesus was not eternal God, but a created being, simply a good and moral man SABELLIANISM - God the Father, God the Son and the Holy Spirit are three modes or aspects of God

Overview God is three persons (Mt 3:13-17) Each person is fully God (Phil 2; Acts 5:3-4) There is one God (Mk 12:29)   1. God is three persons (Distinction) Deny this Truth: Modalism 2. Each Person is Fully God (Deity) Deny this Truth: Arianism 3. There is One God (Unity) Deny this Truth: Tritheism

Can we pray to Jesus? Can we pray to the holy spirit? Who do we pray to? Can we pray to Jesus? Can we pray to the holy spirit?

WHAT GENDER IS GOD? WHY DO WE CALL HIM FATHER?

GOD EXISTS AS THREE DISTINCT PERSONS, WHO ARE ONE IN UNITY, EQUAL IN SOVEREIGNTY AND AUTHORITY. There is no reference to ‘the trinity’ in scripture, but scripture shows God to be three distinct, eternally, co-existing persons 

Conclusion Throughout the Bible, God revealed Himself as one God. Yet, God eternally exists in three distinct, divine persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Together they were involved in creation, salvation, sanctification, and glorification. None of them work outside the single will of God, which always works to the glory of God.   We worship one God in trinity and the trinity in unity, neither blending their persons nor dividing their essence.