The Living Word answer

what is the Holy Trinity ?

The Holy Trinity is the biblical doctrine that there is one God eternally existing as three distinct divine Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. This affirms monotheism while acknowledging what Scripture reveals about the nature of the Godhead.

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The doctrine of the Trinity does not mean Christians believe in three gods, but rather in one God who exists as three divine Persons [1]. The Bible plainly reveals deity in terms of three divine Persons who form a single God [2]. Scripture establishes the oneness of God: 'Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one' (Deuteronomy 6:4). Yet it also reveals three distinct divine Persons: **The Father** is identified as God (1 Timothy 2:5; Malachi 2:10). **The Son (Jesus Christ)** is revealed as divine: 'In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God' (John 1:1). Thomas declared to the risen Jesus, 'My Lord and my God!' (John 20:28). Paul wrote that in Christ 'all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form' (Colossians 2:9). **The Holy Spirit** is presented as a divine Person: Peter said, 'Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit?' (Acts 5:3), and later, 'You have not lied just to human beings, but to God' (Acts 5:4), equating the Holy Spirit with God. The Spirit is described as having will (1 Corinthians 12:11) and can be grieved (Ephesians 4:30). All three Persons are involved in salvation and worship together (Ephesians 2:18; Matthew 28:19), demonstrating their co-equal divine nature within the unity of one God.

Scripture references

Deuteronomy 6:4 Isaiah 45:5 Isaiah 43:10 Romans 3:30 1 Timothy 2:5 John 1:1 John 1:14 John 20:28 Colossians 2:9 Acts 5:3-4 Acts 5:9 John 5:26 John 17:5 John 15:26 Ephesians 2:18 Romans 1:20 Acts 17:29 2 Peter 1:3-4 Acts 17:18 Acts 17:24 Revelation 4:11 John 1:3 John 1:10 Ephesians 3:9 Colossians 1:16 Hebrews 1:2 Hebrews 1:10-12 Hebrews 2:10 Malachi 2:10 1 Timothy 6:15 1 John 4:8 1 Corinthians 3:3 John 10:36 Matthew 25:31-34 Genesis 1:2 Ephesians 4:30 John 14:26 1 Timothy 4:1 Micah 3:8 2 Corinthians 3:17 2 Corinthians 3:3 Matthew 10:20 Acts 16:7 1 Peter 1:11 Philippians 1:19 1 Peter 4:14 John 16:13 Romans 1:4 Romans 8:9 Ezekiel 2:2 Ephesians 3:5 1 Thessalonians 1:5 Acts 8:29 Acts 10:19 Acts 11:28 Matthew 3:11 Acts 1:5 Ephesians 6:17 Ephesians 1:14 Matthew 6:26 Daniel 4:17 Isaiah 9:6 Revelation 22:9 John 16:7 John 4:14 John 3:16 Romans 2:7 2 Corinthians 3:6 Galatians 6:8 Job 33:4 Matthew 12:31-32 1 Corinthians 3:16 Ephesians 2:22 1 Corinthians 6:19 2 Samuel 23:2 2 Timothy 3:16 Hebrews 9:14 Psalm 104:30 Deuteronomy 32:6 Psalm 89:26 Isaiah 63:16 Jeremiah 3:19 1 Chronicles 17:13 Hebrews 1:5 Psalm 2:7 2 Samuel 7:14

Sources

One God Who Is Three Beings? Does the doctrine of the Trinity mean that Christians believe in three beings? The answer of historic Christianity is an unambiguous, “no.” The doctrine of the Trinity exists precisely to reject the idea that God is three beings. Far from undermining monotheism, Trinitarian doctrine is the church’s disciplined attempt to confess everything Scripture says about… Read More https://apologeticspress.org/one-god-who-is-three-beings/

The Godhead In some ways, the nature and essence of divinity is unfathomable—precisely what one would expect when conceptualizing an eternal, infinite Being. Nevertheless, the Bible plainly alludes to deity in terms of three divine Persons Who form a single God. The Bible uses three closely-related terms—essentially synonyms—to identify the notion of divinity, rendered “Godhead” or “Divine… Read More https://apologeticspress.org/the-godhead/

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