triunity

By Bob Vaughn - uca@uncommonanswers.com
"Contending for the faith once delivered to the saints"
Uncommon Answers Home Page

The Tri-unity of the One God

There are those outside the Christian community who see Christians as polytheistic. We are not. We have only one God, but sometimes fail to find the words to clearly portry Him as our Heavenly Father, out savior - Jesus, and our companion - the Holy Spirit. The scriptures clearly show us that there is one God and that He manifests Himself in these three ways. Can we understand the Godhead? Surely! Romans 1:20 says, "For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and godhead; so that they are without excuse." Paul, the Apostle, here indicates that we can understand the Godhead. Let's search the scriptures and see just how much we can find out.

To begin with, can we know that there is but one God (deity)? Or could there be two Gods? Or three? Or more?

The Scripture says:

"I am Jehovah, and there is none else, there is no God beside me." Isaiah 45:5
"Thou believes that there is one God; thou doest well." James 2:19
"For there is one God; and there is none other but He." Mark 12:32

Yes, we can know that there is but one God! But who is this one God? Can we know who He is?

Again, we must go to the scriptures. Compare the Scriptures, giving attention to the underlined portions. These verses will help us to know who the One God is.

"After this manner pray, our Father who is in Heaven." Matthew 6:8
"I pray to God that you do no evil." 2 Corinthinas 13:7 (We pray to the Father; we pray to God.)
"O Father, Lord of heaven and earth." Luke 10:21
"I am your God says the Lord God." Ezekiel 34:31 (The Father is Lord; God is Lord.)

From these verses, and many others, we can plainly see that the Father is God. Let's search further.

"Holy men of God apoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit." 2 Peter 1:21
"All scirpture is given by inspirtation of God." 2 Timothy 3:16 (Inspiration given by the Holy Spirit; given by God)
"Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit." Acts 5:4
"You have not lied to men but to God." Acts 5:3 (He lied to the Holy Ghost; he lied to God)

These scriptures show us that the Holy Spirit is God. Let's continue.

"I am the first and the last: I am he that lives and was dead." Revelation 1:17
"I am the first and the last beside me there is no God." Isaiah 44:6    (Jesus, the first and the last: God, the first and the last)
"I am he that searches the reins and the heart." Revelation 2:23
"Lord my God.....even you only knows the hearts." 1 Kings 8:39   (Jesus knows the heart; only God knows the heart)

No doubt. These scriptures and many more show us that Jesus is God. What have the scriptures shown us thus far?
    There is one God.        The Heavenly Father id God.        The Holy Spirit is God.        Jesus is God.

Thus far these four facts lead us to two possible conclusions

1). The Heavenly Father, the Holy Spirit, and Jesus are all different names for the one God.
OR
2). The one God is three persons; the Heavenly Father, the Holy Spirit, and Jesus.
being baptized animation

Let's look at each of these conclusions in the light of more scriptures.

"Jesus being baptized and praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, You are my beloved Son, in thee I am well pleased."
Luke 3:21

Each one exists separately -- they are mutually exclusive.

Each one exists at the same time -- they are concurrent. being baptized animation

"For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father." Ephesians 2:18

Each one has a different function -- they function uniquely.

These two verses have given us some new facts.

How do these new facts affect our two possible conclusions?

They dispel the first. They cannot be the same for they exist separately, at the same time and function uniqyely. They dispel the second. One God cannot logically be three persons anymore than one king can be three persons, or one carpenter three persons. The statement in contradictory. God is logical and has manifested Himself to us logically, for He has said that we can understand His Godhead (Romans 1:20).

Some, in defense of the three person Godhead have likened God to a Committee of three persons. Maybe similar to the Supreme Court. But can you say that a member of the Supreme Court is the Supreme court? Of course not. But you can say that Jesus is God (not a memeber of God). Again, this line of thinking is flawed.

<>Now that we have dispelled both of our previous conclusions, what are we left with?
One God; The Heavenly Father is God; Jesus is God; The Holy Spirit is God;
The Heavenly Father, the Holy Spirit, and Jesus are concurrent, mutually exclusive, and they function uniquely.
Based on these facts, let's consider a third possible conclusion:

The Heavenly Father, The Holy Spirit, and Jesus are concurrent, mutually exclusive, and uniquely funtioning manifestations of the One God.

According to Webster, a manifestation is "one of the forms in which an individual is manifested (or perceived or recognized)". Now the Godhead is beginning to make sense, just as the scriptures said it could. Can we not recognize God is each of His manifestations? We recognize an egg shell, or egg white, or egg yoke as "egg". They are all concurrent, mutually exclusive, and function uniquely. We can use similar reasoning concerning God.

But can God be a person? Can a person exist in three manifestations each concurrent, mutually exclusive, and functioning uniquely?

Let's examine the possibility.

Man is a person consisting of flesh, soul and spirit. Each of these manifestations of man exist concurrent, mutually exclusive, and functioning uniquely.

Yes, a person can exist in three manifestations concurrent, mutually exclusive, and functioning uniquely. Therefore, God, as man is, can be a person existing in three manifestations.

YOU ARE FLESH, SOUL and SPIRIT.
GOD IS FATHER, JESUS and HOLY SPIRIT.

YOU GOD

Also, Genesis 1:26 reads, "And God said let us* make man in our image after our likeness". We are made in His likeness. HE is tri-une, and so are we. God and man are bother persons, each existing in three manifestations - concurrent, mutually exclusive and functioning uniquely.

*us - God communing with Himself, even as our soul, flesh and spirit each participate in the forming of our ultimate decisions. An example could be my flesh being hungry, my soul wanting something tatly, and my spirit reasoning what's healthy. Some say that since scriptures show that each of the three manifestations of God has a will they must be three persons; that isn't so. Our flesh has a will, separate from our soul's will and separate from our spirit's will. That doesn't make us three persons. Scriptures like Romans 8:12-14, Mark 14:38, and Galatians 5:17,can help us to understand the reality of these separate wills. Also, some suppose God was talking to angels when He said "us", but it is evident that they are not in His likeness. They are spirits (Hebrews 1:14).

Therefore: The Heavenly Father, the Holy Spirit, and Jesus are concurrent, mutually exclusive, and functioning uniquely manifestations of the same person, the One God.
Having been brought to this conclusion by the Scriptures, let's see if other scriptures concerning God agree.

"There is ONE body and ONE spirit even as you are all called in ONE hope of your calling, ONE Lord, ONE faith, ONE baptism, ONE God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all." Ephesians 4:4-6
Also, "I and my Father are ONE." John 10:30

ONE and ONE are different words in the Greek. Why? ONE describes something that is plural in its make-up (body). ONE describes something that is singular in its make-up (hope, faith).

The plurality of the one body is clearly seen in 1 Corinthians 12:12, "For as the body is ONE , and has many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are ONE body." The body is one body but it is made up of many members; thus the plural one describes it.

Subject described by the plural one are the plural make-up. God is decribed with the plural one in Ephesians 4:6. This agrees with our latest conclusion - the Heavenly Father, the Holy Spirit, and Jesus are concurrent, mutually exclusive, and uniquely functioning manifestations of the same person, the ONE God. And He is above all, as the Father; through all, as Jesus; and in you all, as the Holy Spirit.

In John 10:30 Jesus said, "I and the Father are one." This ONE is the plural one.

Jesus prayed in John 17:11, ".......Holy Father, keep through your own name those whom thou have given me, that they may be ONE as we are." Jesus prayed that the Apostles would have the same oneness that He and the Father have. The oneness that we the church has should be the same as the oneness of the triune God. We are ONE body made-up of many members and Christ is the head.

Having examined the scriptures, I believe we with confidence can say there is ONE God! He is a person, not a Committee. Each of His manifestations exist at the same time, separate from each other, and functioning uniquely.

THE HEAVENLY FATHER, JESUS, AND THE HOLY SPIRIT ARE CONCURRENT, MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE, AND UNIQUELY FUNCTIONING MANIFESTATIONS OF THE ONE PERSON - GOD.

Bob Vaughn