What Is the Trinity?

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” (Matthew 28:19)

Today’s big question: what is the Trinity?

In the last two devotional series, we have looked at God the Father and the Son, Jesus Christ, and now we are discussing the Holy Spirit. Before we explore the Holy Spirit and His role, we will look at the relationship of the Holy Spirit to the Father and Son.

Today’s passage includes all three: the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. When studying the Trinity, you may notice that the word “Trinity” is not found in Scripture. Trinity (tri-unity) basically means a group of three or, more specifically, the unity of three persons (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) in one Godhead.

Trinity is the word we use to easily identify this truth that is present in God’s Word. Like today’s passage, there are many passages in Scripture that support the concept of three persons in the Godhead (e.g., see 2 Corinthians 13:14). Scripture is also clear that there is only one God (Isaiah 44:8; Isaiah 45:18; James 2:19; Mark 12:29).

Even though the Holy Spirit is sometimes called God’s Spirit in Scripture, this does not mean that the Holy Spirit should be seen merely as God’s power or “active force,” as some groups have taught. We learn from Scripture that the Spirit is recognized as one of the members of the Godhead. He possesses attributes of God: omnipresence (Psalm 139:7), omniscience (1 Corinthians 2:11), truth (John 16:13), and eternality (Hebrews 9:14).

The concept of three in one is tough to grasp with our finite minds, but all three have different roles, and all three are equally God. Each member of the Trinity is critical to the doctrine of salvation.

Thinking about the Trinity in terms of a triangle is a common method people use to explain this concept. For example, consider each member of the Trinity to be one of the corners of the triangle, and each one of the corners make up one triangle. However, we should be careful when using any analogy to explain the infinite Creator, since they all fall short in some areas.

Learning about the Trinity can be a life-long study, and even then, we would not have explored all of the aspects. When studying, we should remember that all three are vital; otherwise, they would not have been mentioned in Scripture.

Today’s big idea: the Trinity is made up of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

What to pray: ask God for guidance and wisdom when studying His Word.