Bible Teaching On The Trinity
If you are a church goer, how often have you heard the words "God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost"?
This is of course a reference to the doctrine of the Trinity - a doctrine formulated over a period of 300 years by the early Church leaders. It was not one of the beliefs of the first-century Christians.
Orthodox Christians, both Catholic and Protestant, defend the Trinity as an essential doctrine of Christianity, one God in three persons and three in one. A trinity in unity, co-equal and co-eternal. According to this doctrine, God, in the form of Jesus, died on the cross.
But the Bible tells us that God is immortal. He cannot die. Jesus was made immortal only when God raised him from the dead.
The Bible also tells us that no man has seen God, neither can anyone see Him. Yet everyone knows that when Jesus was on the earth 2,000 years ago, he was seen, daily, by large numbers of people.
Again, according to the doctrine of the Trinity, Jesus is co-equal with God. But Jesus himself declares that this is not so. He says: "My Father is greater than I".
As for the Holy Ghost, or the Holy Spirit, being the third person of a trinity, the Bible makes it very clear that this isn't a person at all, but the power of God, when He uses His Spirit for a special purpose.
Now you may perhaps feel: "Is it really all that important whether I believe in a Trinity or not?" But have you thought how serious it could be? God has repeated, over and over again, that He is the Lord, and there is none else. The Bible makes it abundantly clear that God has no equal. So, if we believe in the doctrine of the Trinity, we could be treading on very dangerous ground.
Am I being over-dramatic? Well, just think about it. God says: "I am a jealous God. I am the Lord. There is none else". So, if we fear God, let's try and imagine where we might stand in His sight if our reaction is something like this: "Lord, I have read these declarations of Yours in many places in Your Scriptures. But I can't accept them. I still believe there are two other persons who are equal to You".
If you are a church goer, how often have you heard the words "God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost"?
This is of course a reference to the doctrine of the Trinity - a doctrine formulated over a period of 300 years by the early Church leaders. It was not one of the beliefs of the first-century Christians.
Orthodox Christians, both Catholic and Protestant, defend the Trinity as an essential doctrine of Christianity, one God in three persons and three in one. A trinity in unity, co-equal and co-eternal. According to this doctrine, God, in the form of Jesus, died on the cross.
But the Bible tells us that God is immortal. He cannot die. Jesus was made immortal only when God raised him from the dead.
The Bible also tells us that no man has seen God, neither can anyone see Him. Yet everyone knows that when Jesus was on the earth 2,000 years ago, he was seen, daily, by large numbers of people.
Again, according to the doctrine of the Trinity, Jesus is co-equal with God. But Jesus himself declares that this is not so. He says: "My Father is greater than I".
As for the Holy Ghost, or the Holy Spirit, being the third person of a trinity, the Bible makes it very clear that this isn't a person at all, but the power of God, when He uses His Spirit for a special purpose.
Now you may perhaps feel: "Is it really all that important whether I believe in a Trinity or not?" But have you thought how serious it could be? God has repeated, over and over again, that He is the Lord, and there is none else. The Bible makes it abundantly clear that God has no equal. So, if we believe in the doctrine of the Trinity, we could be treading on very dangerous ground.
Am I being over-dramatic? Well, just think about it. God says: "I am a jealous God. I am the Lord. There is none else". So, if we fear God, let's try and imagine where we might stand in His sight if our reaction is something like this: "Lord, I have read these declarations of Yours in many places in Your Scriptures. But I can't accept them. I still believe there are two other persons who are equal to You".
