Bible Study on The Trinity

I'm not trying to rationally convince you of the doctrine of the Trinity. I'm just trying to help you experience why the Trinity is so important.

In each of the following sections, I'll to ask you to consider some Bible passages. Then I'd like to ask you some Socratic questions that will hopefully lead you in some self-discovery of the amazing truth of God's Self-revelation as Trinity.


The Trinity in Creation

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters" (Gen. 1:1-3). "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made" (John 1:1-3). "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth" (John 1:14)."For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together" (Col. 1:13-17).

Thought Questions
  1. Look at Genesis 1:1-3a. At a cursory glance, how many Persons of the Trinity do you see in these verses?

  2. Notice in Genesis 1:2 that the Spirit of God "hovers" over "the face of the deep." In other cultures of the time, "the deep" conveyed the idea of watery chaos from which the world sprang. How is the Bible's understanding of God's Spirit "hovering" over creation different from creation emanating from chaos? Do you sense God's Spirit "hovering" over your life?

  3. Compare Genesis 1:1-2 to John 1:1-3. What are both passages talking about? What does John say about the powerful, creative Word of God? What is the link between "And God said. . . and it was so" in Genesis 1 and "the Word" in John 1?

  4. Let's identify "the Word." Jump ahead to John 1:14. What explicit connection does John make between "the Word" (who both "was God" and "was with God" and through whom everything that exists came into being) and Jesus Christ, who took on flesh and dwelt among us?

  5. What is the significance that God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit were all intimately involved in the Creation? What does it say about you? What does it say about everyone else? What does it say about people who don't even believe in God?

  6. Regarding Colossians 1:13-17: Who does this passage say is Creator and Sustainer and Holder-together of the Universe? Can this person be trusted?

Now I'd like to take you deeper into the biblical understanding of Jesus and the Trinity.

"I was appointed from eternity, from the beginning, before the world began. . . I was there when he set the heavens in place, when he marked out the horizon on the face of the deep, when he established the clouds above and fixed securely the fountains of the deep, when he gave the sea its boundary so the waters would not overstep his command, and when he marked out the foundations of the earth. Then I was the craftsman at his side. I was filled with delight day after day, rejoicing always in his presence, rejoicing in his whole world and delighting in mankind" (Prov. 8:23,27-31)."But to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God" (1 Cor. 1:24).

Thought Questions (second set):

  1. Proverbs 8 is an extended parable of Wisdom. Wisdom is portrayed as a woman calling out and making her appeal to men. Look at Wisdom's role in creation. Verse 27 says, "I was there" when God established the heavens and the Earth. Verse 30 says, "I was the craftsman at his side." You know something? The Early Church , the church of the first four centuries, clearly understood this passage to refer to Christ! Do you see the parallels?

  2. Proverbs 8:35-36 says, "Whoever finds me (Wisdom) finds life... but all who hate me love death." Precisely the same thing is said regarding people's response to God's Word (see Psalm 1) and to God's Son who is the Messiah (see Psalm 2). Are you connecting the dots yet?

  3. Check out 1 Corinthians 1:24. Now that you have spent some time with the above passages, what insights do you have into the phrase, "Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God"?

The Trinity in Jesus' Ministry and in the Church

"As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, 'This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased'" (Matt. 3:16-17)."[Jesus speaking:] Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" (Matt. 28:19)."There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men" (1 Cor. 12:4-6)."May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all" (2 Cor. 13:13)."There is one body and one Spirit--just as you were called to one hope when you were called--one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all" (Ephesians 4:4-6)."But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life" (Jude 20-21).

Thought Questions
  1. In Matthew 3, what is the Father's attitude toward the Son? What evidence is there for the Trinity in this passage (mentioned also in Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21-22; and John 1:32-35)?

  2. What evidence is there for the Trinity in the other passages above?

  3. With the Trinity, what does the Church have to offer humanity?

  4. Without the Trinity, what does the Church have to offer humanity?

The Trinity and Salvation

"[You] who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood" (1 Pet. 1:2)."In reply Jesus declared, 'I tell you the truth, no-one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.' 'How can a man be born when he is old?' Nicodemus asked. 'Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!' Jesus answered, 'I tell you the truth, no-one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit'" (John 3:3-5)."[Jesus speaking:] For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16)."God our Savior. . . wants all men to be saved and to come to acknowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus" (1 Tim. 2:3-5).

Thought Questions
  1. What is "salvation" in the "What You See Is What You Get" worldview? How does the biblical picture compare?

  2. According to the "Haunted" worldview, after death almost all people go to a place like the Old Testament Sheol (a death-like suspended animation, kind of like in the movie "Coma."). Only heroes and other extraordinary, god-like people make it to the Elysian Fields. How do these Pagan concepts compare to the passages above?

  3. What is "salvation" in the "Omnipresent Supergalactic Oneness" worldview? If you manage to achieve moksha or nirvana in the Pantheistic or Monistic worldview, whom do you thank?

  4. According to 1 Peter 1:2 and 1 Timothy 2:3-5, which Person of the Trinity wills (desires) our salvation? According to the same verses, which Person of the Trinity purchases our salvation (and how)? Again, using the same verses: which Person of the Trinity applies salvation to us, enabling us to see spiritually (though we had been blinded by sin), to have faith in Christ and thus to be "born anew?" Who does a Christian thank for salvation?

  5. What if there were no Trinity? What if there were no Divine Son whose life was absolutely perfect and whose blood provided an inexhaustible atonement for all the sins of the world? Where would you be?

  6. Without the cross, where God the Father accepted and approved the sacrifice of God the Son, what happens to grace and forgiveness? How would you prove your worth or your worthiness to God? How successful do you think you'd be?

The Trinity and Intimacy With God as Father

"[Jesus speaking:] 'Abba, Father,' he said, 'everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will'" (Mark 14:36)."For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, 'Abba, Father'" (Rom. 8:15)."But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, 'Abba, Father.' So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir" (Gal. 4:4-7).

Thought Questions
  1. In Jewish tradition, saying or writing the divine name is strongly discouraged, even in English (hence God is spelled "G-d"). Addressing G-d as Father is rare and in the main considered inappropriate familiarity with G-d. Why would the Jews have such strict and formal ways of talking to and about God?

  2. Jesus broke with Jewish tradition, addressing God as "my Father" and "our Father in heaven." Jesus even called God "Abba," which is kind of like "Papa" or "Daddy." What impact do you think Jesus' intimate relationship with his heavenly Father had on the Jewish people around Him?

  3. Muslims deny that Allah is "Father," because that would imply that Allah has a literal Son. From the perspective of Islam, Jesus could only have had an ordinary person's relationship with Allah. What are the implications of Islam's denying Jesus' unique closeness with God? Which god -- the God of the Bible or Allah -- is more aloof from humanity, and which is more intimate?

  4. Non-theistic religions propose a completely impersonal energy or force that is everywhere and in us. How do these Monistic spiritualities differ from what Christ modeled in His relationship with the Father and which he offered to us?

  5. Jesus modeled an intimate relationship with God the Father, an intimacy unknown before Him, and invited His followers into a similar relationship. What natural right, on our own merits, do we have to address God -- as Jesus did -- as Abba? How can we obtain that privilege? (see John 1:12)

  6. How precious is the right to speak to God -- as Jesus did -- as Abba?

The Trinity and Love

"Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another" (1 John 4:7-11)."In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the Day of Judgment, because in this world we are like him. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because he first loved us" (1 John 4:17-19). "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us" (Romans 5:1-5).

Thought Questions
  1. People often think the reason God created humans was that He was lonely and needed companionship. However, the Scriptures teach that love began within God, and has always been in God -- a perfect fellowship and union between God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Which view brings more glory to God: that God was perfect in communion and love within Himself before creating humans, or that God was needy and lonely before He created humans? Which view is more along the lines of "creating God in our image?"

  2. Even though we are sinful humans, God invites us to experience the eternal love that has always existed within the Trinity. When we become Christians we experience that love! How should experiencing the love within the Trinity transform us?

  3. In mono-monotheism, a monotheism without the Trinity (like in Unitarianism, Jehovah's Witnesses, Islam and Deism), what happens to "love within God?" What happens to communication and fellowship within God? What happens to the "idea of God" -- does it make "God" more accessible to humans, or more remote?

  4. The Trinity provides us with a beautiful model of Unity within Diversity. The Son submits to the will of the Father (John 5:17-20). The Holy Spirit "proceeds" or takes direction from the Father and the Son (John 14:26 and 15:26). What implications do these relationships have for Christian fellowship? Do we all have to be the same, agreeing on every single point of doctrine? Or is there a way to celebrate both unity and diversity?

  5. Without the Trinity, can we have any assurance that the God who created the universe has any real awareness of what it's like to be human? (See also Hebrews 2:10-18; 4:14-16).

  6. In an earlier session we discovered how the only worldview in which it makes sense to say, "God loves you" is the Biblical worldview. In this session we find out why that is true! So, in your own words, why is it true?

The Trinity and Hope

"Who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God, by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord" (Rom. 1:4)."And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins" (1 Cor. 15:17)."In order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory" (Eph. 1:12)."As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient" (Eph. 2:1-2)."To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Col. 1:27)."For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when He comes? Is it not you?" (1Thess. 2:19).

Thought Questions
  1. According to these verses, how do all three Persons of the Trinity contribute to our hope? What has God the Father done? God the Son? God the Holy Spirit?

  2. By the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, through the power of the Spirit of holiness, God declared that Jesus' sacrifice of Himself was approved and completely satisfactory. Without the resurrection of the Son, of what does Paul remind us in 1 Corinthians 15:17?

  3. Without the Trinity, what chance do we have against spiritual darkness?

  4. With the Trinity, what is the culmination of our hope?

The Trinity and Prayer

"[Jesus speaking:] 'This, then, is how you should pray: "'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven"'" (Matt. 6:9-10)."[Jesus speaking:] I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father" (John 14:12)."And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Eph. 5:18-20)."And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints" (by saints he means Christian brothers and sisters) (Eph. 6:18)."In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will. And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose" (Rom. 8:26-28).

Thought Questions
  1. How are all three Persons of the Trinity involved in prayer?

  2. According to these passages what makes our prayers effective?

  3. Jesus' pattern on Earth was to become very familiar with what the Father was doing, and to participate with what the Father was doing (John 5:17-20). He invites us into a similar mode of operation in John 14:12. Notice: what does Jesus say potentially can happen through our faith (and prayers)?

  4. What roles do the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit have in your prayers?

  5. Participating with God's purposes through prayer involves the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. How can we better experience God as supernatural, caring, loving, active, and present?

  6. Without the Trinity, what happens to prayer?

The Trinity and Healing
"If you listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, who heals you." (Exod. 15:26) "That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed. The whole town gathered at the door, and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was." (Mark 1:32-34) ". . . to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit. . ." (1 Cor. 12:9)

Thought Questions
  1. Healing comes in many shapes and sizes: inner, outer, spiritual, physical, circumstantial, with friendships, groups, friendships, churches. What are some areas that you need healing now?
  2. According to these passages, what roles do God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit have in healing? Are you surprised to find the Trinity involved in healing?
  3. Have you ever experienced healing of any kind? Have you thanked the Trinity -- God, the Son and the Holy Spirit -- for your healing? Why not do it right now?
  4. Without God as Trinity, what happens to healing?