The term Trinity was developed by a Christian writer Tertullian (c. 155–220 AD), deriving it from the Latin word “Trinitas” evolving the concept of three or trio in number.
For God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are one person but are seen within the Bible manifest in three forms.
Biblical Evidence of the Three Forms
If you look at Genesis 1:1–3; we see that there is He the creator and when you read along, in verse 2, the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the earth.
However in John 1:1 KJV
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the word was God.”
If you read along, and your eyes are opened you will realise the ‘word’ they referred to here is Jesus the Son of God. But how come? Where was he in the beginning? Read my article on (John 1:1 finally explained here:) to get the gist of it.
Is God Three Persons Then?
God is one, but is made manifest in three forms. Just like you go to save your document in Microsoft Word, and they ask you which format you wish to save your document. Is it in word format, pdf, plain text, or something else? It’s still the same document but has been suited to be opened in a specific mode.
The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit; is God.
When you meet one, you have met the other.
“Jesus said to him, “Have I been among you all this time without you knowing Me, Phillip? The one who had seen Me has seen the Father. How can you say,’Show us the Father’? “
Seeing one is meeting the rest. If you open your document in word or pdf, or another format, it may display through a different means but it’s still the same document? And so is it here.
Many have got all sorts of theorems and views on the roles of three forms. How one does this, the other does this but does all that really matter? Are these concerns something we should worry about? Isn’t our duty to follow Christ with our hearts and souls and serve Him diligently while still on earth?
The Father is seen a lot in action in the Old Testament while Jesus is made manifest in the New Testament. But in reality ‘Jesus the Son,’ is what the Old Testament is all about. As we see in John 1:1–2
Jesus is the Word and the word is God. If God was giving His word to the prophets—as He did throughout the Old Testament, it only means, He was giving them Himself, Jesus (the Word).
Read that again before you claim I confused you.
The Holy Spirit
Now we all know that all invisible beings are spirits. And we also have a spirit within us. And so is God a spirit. Hence we see the term Holy Spirit. God made us in His image—Genesis 1:27
“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.”
The funny scenario is that we as humans also have three forms, ie; body, soul and spirit but that’s a story for another time.
What Jesus Says About the Holy Spirit
Matter of fact none of us would have understood God if it wasn’t for the Holy Spirit. In 1 Corinthians 2:10–11 NKJV
“But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. 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.”
If you consider these words, man is only able to get direction from God through the Spirit of God, which has been freely given to us from the time of ascension of Jesus Christ our Lord and saviour for before that— it was not the case. Yes from the time of Moses till Jesus died, not all who knew God had His Spirit in them. Only a few did.
Numbers 11:16–17 NKJV also Numbers 11:29
“Then Moses said to him, “Are you zealous for my sake? Oh? that all the Lord’s people were prophets and that the Lord would put His Spirit upon them!””
Look at Jesus in John 16:7 NKJV
“Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.”
So Jesus says these words to his disciples, because they were sad in heart that he is leaving them, and they might see Him no more. Jesus at this time was in flesh, a person. And so He couldn’t be everywhere all at the same time. He couldn’t be performing miracles in Bethlehem and Galilee at the same time. He was limited in movement. But the Spirit was to go everywhere to everyone who accepted Jesus as their Lord and saviour. If you go on to read the whole chapter John 16 you will see what Jesus says the Holy Spirit will do when poured out in men. From convicting non believers to teaching, revelation and guidance and so forth.
When we look at the Old Testament also, we realise all prophets were actually able to prophesy when the Spirit of the Lord came upon them, even Samson only had strength when the Spirit of God was in Him. The day Delilah defeated him, the Spirit of God had departed hence Samson’s lack of strength.
The Holy Spirit is a person not an ‘it’ as some naive people term him. He is the element of God which dwells in us, a friend, comfort, counsellor and guide at all times. The love Jesus has for you is manifest through the Spirit— which dwells within you.
How About the Father?
He is the all knowing, Finisher and beginning (alpha and omega). An emblem of authority and dominance. For we see Him as the judge in Heaven— giving out eternal judgements, never withstood against. And one to be worshiped.
The question arises, if God be one? Why does Jesus talk of the Father as though He is a separate person? Or why is it that Jesus sits at His right hand and intercedes for us on a daily basis?
How can Jesus who is God, be interceding for us to Himself? Why is it that He sits at the right hand And not in the same place as God?
Jesus is a symbol for humanity. As the world back then only had an idea of what God was like but didn’t really know Him. So one of the many reasons Jesus came down was one of those. To help us, humans at least get a rough picture on what God is like. For before then, we were in utter darkness. And the few who had the light, failed it. But thanks to God, He is gracious and loving— He sent us Himself; through His Son and made Himself manifest.
Jesus sits at the right hand of the Father as an emblem of humanity, He represents us in heaven — that’s why He is the eternal priest interceding for us. As Aaron did in the tabernacle for the Israelites. So does Jesus in heaven. It’s Him God looks unto and has mercy on our very many sins.
As it was that man was cursed and has suffered from the time beginning due to Adam’s fall in the garden. We as humanity have suffered to date because of the chaos that was caused in the first act of sin (eating the forbidden fruit). So just as the world became condemned through Adam— we are justified through redemption by Jesus’ righteousness.
He is the first born among the Sons of God— those who are promised to share in the glory of the Lord in the day of redemption. So as Adam caused the world to err, Jesus turned the course and brought back our fallen glory to us.
He sits on the right hand in His authority as the first Son— one through you and me are saved. For if not for Him none of us would have made it to heaven. For before Him, the world was in utter darkness but He is the light. When we see Him, we see the Father.
As Adam signifies sin (man’s fallen nature); Jesus Christ signifies righteousness (eternity).
For the Curious Minds…
But as for the role of the Father, what are God’s full responsibilities? That’s none of your concern. For do you have an account of what transpires in the spiritual realm everyday? Or do you know what part God plays in the heavens?
Or how sure are you that God hasn’t created other ‘parallel’ universes or worlds just like this earth and perhaps governs them too?
Concern yourself with things that will secure your place in heaven not in vain desires and curiosities.
Final Thoughts
So yes, as if the three play different roles; with the Father being the judge, the Son our Saviour and the Spirit our guide.
It’s like seeing the same object from three different angles but in reality it’s all one object.
The three serve the same purpose but may manifest themselves in different ways, as we saw with the document being saved in different formats in Microsoft but still serving the same purpose in the end.
