Understanding the Trinity

Understanding the Trinity is foundational to Christian theology, yet it is often misunderstood, both by those inside and outside the faith.

One common misconception is that belief in the Trinity implies the existence of three separate gods.

However, the Bible reveals that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinct persons yet one God—a profound truth expressed not as 1+1+1=3, but as 1×1×1=1, reflecting a multiplied wholeness.

This article explains the person of the Holy Spirit and examines the Old Testament framework that supports the doctrine of the Trinity while yet emphasizing the oneness of God.

I. Old Testament Framework for the Trinity

Skeptics of the Trinity often cite passages like Deuteronomy 6:4:"Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one!"

Isaiah 43:10 adds to this with God’s emphatic declaration:"Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me."

The Bible unambiguously affirms that there is only one God.

Yet, throughout the Old Testament, God demonstrates a complexity within His unity. For example, in Exodus 40:33-34, God’s presence fills the Tabernacle. His glory is localized in a specific place, yet He remains omnipresent.

This dual reality—localized presence and omnipresence—prepares us to understand how God can simultaneously exist as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

II. The Tabernacle and the Incarnation

The Old Testament framework connects directly to the New Testament. John 1:1 declares, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."

Then in John 1:14, the Word becomes flesh and "tabernacles" among us.

Just as God’s glory filled the Tabernacle in Exodus, He now dwells among humanity in Jesus Christ.

Moreover, the Holy Spirit is revealed as fully God in Acts 5:3-4, where lying to the Spirit is equated with lying to God.

In Matthew 3:16-17, at Jesus’ baptism, we see the Father speaking from heaven, the Son being baptized, and the Spirit descending like a dove—all three persons of the Trinity present simultaneously.

III. Who Is the Holy Spirit?

The Holy Spirit is not an impersonal force or a lesser deity. He is God, the third person of the Trinity.

Alongside the Father and the Son, He shares in the fullness of divine essence. This unity is neither contradictory nor optional—it is how God has revealed Himself.

To grasp this better, let us turn to the Old Testament, where glimpses of God's triune nature emerge, foreshadowing the fuller revelation found in the New Testament.

IV. Misunderstandings About the Holy Spirit

1. Jehovah's Witnesses believe the Holy Spirit is merely an impersonal force, akin to electricity, denying His personhood and deity.

   
   

2. Mormonism regards the Holy Spirit as a spirit being, distinct from God the Father, but not co-equal with Him.

   
   

3. Christian Science reduces the Holy Spirit to an abstract principle, dismissing His personal and active role.

   
   

4. New Age Movement reimagines the Holy Spirit as a mystical energy rather than the personal presence of God.

   
   

5. Islam views the Holy Spirit as a non-divine agent of God’s guidance, rejecting His deity.

   
   

6. Oneness Pentecostalism (Modalism) teaches that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are modes of one person, not distinct persons.

Each of these views fails to account for the full Biblical revelation of the Holy Spirit as God, distinct in person yet unified in essence with the Father and the Son.

• It should be noted that that most groups who deny the Trinity do so thinking that orthodox Christian believers embrace some form of modalism or the Oneness view.

• For example, many times Mormons or Jehovah’s Witnesses attack the Trinity on grounds that are really only relevant to the Oneness or modalistic position. They will point to the baptism of Jesus and say, “Was Jesus a ventriloquist?”

• So, the Oneness position is—in fact—liable to all kinds of refutation on the basis of Scripture, which is why many who deny the Trinity actually attack this perversion of it rather than the real thing.

V. Conclusion

The Trinity is not a human invention but a divine mystery revealed in Scripture.

God has chosen to reveal Himself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—distinct persons sharing one essence.

Just like we can’t fully explain how light works but know it’s real and essential, the Trinity is a mystery we can’t completely grasp, yet it’s how God shows Himself in the Bible—as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, all in one.

May the grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ be with you.