Bible Basics - Trinity - Part 2a Bible Foundations

So how do we go about showing that the Trinity doctrine comes from Scripture? Well, I wish I could say that this method was revealed to me from high, but I heard this line of reasoning from Dr. Walter Martin when he was addressing how to witness to Jehovah Witnesses when they deny the Trinity. I find that his presentation should work for any discussion of the subject.

Dr. Martin started with premise that if you can prove that the Bible teaches all of the following:
There are 3 persons identified in scripture -
Father is called "GOD";
the Son is called "GOD";
the Holy Spirit is called "GOD";
and there is only one God;

Then you have to accept the doctrine of the Trinity in order to be consistent with the Bible.
Then each person of the Trinity must Equal and are God. Logically, things equal to the same thing are equal to each other.
Therefore if the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all God, then they must be equal to one another.

Let us take on further discussion step by step. All Christians agree that God is personal and the Father is God. 2 Peter 1:17 clearly states that the Father is called God.

For he received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased."

I'll leave this point because I think that very few people will argue with it. To show the concept that the Bible teaches that Jesus is God and the Holy Spirit is God will require much more Biblical Proof.

Jesus applied the Divine name to himself. I realize that there are people who deny this. If you do not accept that Jesus is God, please consider the implications of if He really did teach that he is God. If any man makes such a claim, there are only 4 possible conclusions that you draw. Either He was:
a. deceived;
b. insane;
c. wrong;
or d. telling the truth.

Let's look at the scriptures to talk about what Jesus said about himself and what the scriptures say about Him. A favorite texts where Jesus emphatically claims the divine name is found in John 8:58,59 which says:

"I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "before Abraham was born, I am!" At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.

Without looking at the cultural context of the people who heard Jesus say this it is impossible to understand why they reacted so violently. They wanted to kill Him! Why? They understood what He was saying and it's lost on us in English. However Greek helps a lot. We have to go back to what God said to Moses back in Exodus 3:13,14:

Moses said to God, "Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' Then what shall I tell them?"God said to Moses, "I am who I am . This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.' "

The Greek Translation of the Old Testaments, the Septuagint - completed over a century before Jesus' birth through Mary, translated the Hebrew word for "I AM", YWH (Yaweh or Jehovah) with the same word Jesus used in John 8:58: Eimi. The Jews who wanted to kill Jesus understood that Jesus was asserting his eternality and calling himself the same name as the God who brought them up out of Egypt under Moses. His meaning was not lost upon them. Why should we set it aside today?

Let's go to John 10: 24-39. The Passage is as follows:

The Jews gathered around him, saying, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly."

Jesus answered, "I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father's name speak for me, but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all^] no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. I and the Father are one."

Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus said to them, "I have shown you many great miracles from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?"

"We are not stoning you for any of these," replied the Jews, "but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God."

Jesus answered them, "Is it not written in your Law, 'I have said you are gods'? If he called them 'gods,' to whom the word of God came—and the Scripture cannot be broken— what about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, 'I am God's Son'? Do not believe me unless I do what my Father does. But if I do it, even though you do not believe me, believe the miracles, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father." Again they tried to seize him, but he escaped their grasp.

Here we again have an example of Jesus saying something that no other human being can say. And again the Jews undrerstood the weight of the words. They understood Jesus claimed to ber God because He claimed to be one with Father. I've heard some folks try to use verses 34, 35, and 36 to say that Jesus denied being equal with God but instead only claimed to be God's Son. This explanation pre-supposes that God's Son has a fundamentally different essence than God himself and I think that we can't say that. The scripture won't hold.

Let's examine some more scriptures. Revelations 1:8 says:

"I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty."

We can definitely say that God is exactly what verse 8 says. It is God the Father talking. Most People will agree that Revelation 1:17 18 is Jesus talking. Red letter Bible have his words in Red.

When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: "Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.

We have Jesus calling himself "First and Last". Sounds like God to me. Look at Revelations 22: 12, 13 which says:

"Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End."

Jesus refers to himself in the same way God does in Revelation 1. So either we have a contradiction or Jesus is God. and the Holy Spirit is God.

Let's throw in some Old Testament texts from Isaiah. Isaiah 44:6 says

This is what the LORD says—

"Israel's King and Redeemer, the LORD Almighty:
I am the first and I am the last;
apart from me there is no God."

Whis is echoed in Revelation. This shows that God the Father and God the Son are sharing the same name.

Recall that in Isaiah 9: 6-7, Jesus is prophesied to being called "Everlasting Father".and "Mighty God".

For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Of the increase of his government and peace
there will be no end.
He will reign on David's throne
and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
with justice and righteousness
from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the LORD Almighty
will accomplish this.

If all these names apply to Jesus, then no other conclusion can be drawn other than Jesus is just as much God as the Father.

Wow....I just get on a roll and keep typing. I need to break this post up too. So that it won't be too long. In Part 2b I will continue going over scripture.