The Trinity, 2 of 3

In those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized in the Jordan by John. As soon as He came up out of the water, He saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending to Him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: You are My beloved Son; I take delight in You! - Mark 1:9-11 HCSB

Even the most cursory examination of the Scriptures will indicate to the careful student that the members of the Trinity do everything as a unified team. Each is involved in every function of the other.

The Trinity created all things. We are told that the Father created all things by speaking it into being. [1] The Son is the personification of that creative word of God. He is the “Word made flesh.”[2] While the Father expressed the will, and the Son was the mode, it was the Holy Spirit, the Ruach’, the breath of God that empowered that creation.[3] By the way, Wisdom in the book of Proverbs is a personification of Ruach’, the Spirit of God, Who is referred to in the New Covenant as “Sophia” the Spirit of Wisdom.

Because the idea of a community of Persons forming one Person is so foreign to us, the concept was progressively revealed to humanity over time. Thus the idea is far more clearly expressed in the New Covenant than in the Old. However, we get intimations of the Trinity from the very beginning of the Holy Scriptures. In Moses’ creation account we read, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness…”[4]

Here we see the “Us” of the Trinity balanced by the “God” (singular), “His” and “He” (both also singular). God was not using the “majestic we” as some claim, else He would consistently follow that practice, not only in these two verses but throughout the Scriptures. We also see that to be “in the image of God” entailed two persons, one male and the other female, together forming Mankind.

Divinity is ascribed to the three Persons. The Father proclaims Himself to be God, the Son accepts the title of God, and the Apostles called the Holy Spirit God.[5] They share a fundamental similarity of nature. For instance, all three members are eternal,[6] holy,[7] and true.[8]

The entire Trinity was involved in the Son’s resurrection[9] which only emphasizes their being the source of eternal life.[10] Thus we are saved through the work of Triune God.[11]

The Trinity sanctifies us, which means all three Persons call us or set us apart for holy use.[12] In fact, Triune God is the author of all spiritual advancement,[13] with all three Persons teaching us[14] primarily through the Trinity-inspired Scriptures.[15] So our salvation, sanctification and ministry all depend on the foreknowledge of the Father, the sanctifying power of the Spirit and the grace made available through the shed blood of Christ.[16] That care has continued through the provision of elders to guide, teach and equip Hashem’s people.[17]


[1] Genesis 1:1; Psalm 33:6, 9; 148:5; Proverbs 3:19
[2] John 1:1-3, 14 cp Colossians 1:15-17
[3] Genesis 1:2; Job 26:13; 33:4; Proverbs 8:27-31
[4] Genesis 1:26-27 HCSB
[5] Exodus 20:2; John 20:28; Acts 5:3-4
[6] Romans 16:26; Revelation 22:13; Hebrews 9:14
[7] Father - Revelation 4:8; Son - Acts 3:13-14; Revelation 15:3-4 (though the wording is similar to Revelation 4:8 note that it is called the “Song of the Lamb”; Holy Spirit - 1 John 2:20
[8] Father - Psalm 31:5; John 7:28; Son - Revelation 3:7; Holy Spirit – John 14:16-17; 15:26; 16:13; 1 John 4:5-6; 5:6
[9] Father – 1 Corinthians 6:14; Son – John 2:19; Holy Spirit – 1 Peter 3:18 (I believe the correct translation there is “made alive in [or through] the Spirit”)
[10] Father – Romans 6:23; Son – John 10:27-30; Holy Spirit – Galatians 6:7-8
[11] Father - Psalm 107:19-20; John 6:44; 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14; Son – 1 Timothy 2:3-6; Titus 3:4-6; Holy Spirit – 1 Peter 1:12
[12] Father – Romans 8:28-31; Son – Hebrews 2:11; Holy Spirit – 2 Thessalonians 2:13; 1 Peter 1:2
[13] Father – Hebrews 13:20-21; Son – Colossians 1:28-29; Holy Spirit 1 Corinthians 12:11
[14] Father – John 6:45; Isaiah 48:17-18; Isaiah 54:13; Son – Luke 21:12-15; Galatians 1:11-12; Holy Spirit - Zechariah 4:4-6; John 14:26; 1 John 2:20
[15] Father – Hebrews 1:1; Son – 2 Corinthians 13:3; Holy Spirit – Mark 13:11; 2 Peter 1:21
[16] 1 Peter 1:2
[17] Father – Jeremiah 3:15; 26:4-6; Son – Ephesians 4:10-13; Matthew 10:5-7; Holy Spirit – Acts 13:2; 20:28