Beth-El Baptist Church
2/6/05
What is meant by “the
Father is one of the three persons of
the one true God”?
Many times unbelievers, cults, and believers raise questions about the doctrine of the Trinity. Over the next several weeks we will be looking at the doctrine of the Trinity and its three persons. While the term Trinity itself is not in the bible, we will be looking at the doctrine from the scriptures and from historical information.
1. What is the general definition of “trinity”?
Trinity comes from the Latin “Trinitas” meaning “threefold”. Thus trinity actually means “threefoldedness” and not Tri-Unity as some will define it.
The essence of the Trinity is wrapped up in this threefoldedness in which there are three inner distinctions but a single divine life. Each person of the Trinity is distinct but they have the same divine nature. The trinity consists of three persons who are coeternal and coequal who are of the same in substance but distinct in subsistence.
2. What is some of the history of the doctrine of the Trinity?
The concept was a common article of the Christian confession as documented by Lucian in AD 160 in his Philopatris in which the Christian is to confess
“The exalted God … Son of the Father, Spirit proceeding from the Father, One of Three, and Three of One”.
The word Trinity was first used in the Biblical work of Theophilus, Bishop of Antioch, in Syria in AD 168 to 183. It became formally used at the synod in Alexandria in AD 317.
(From “All the Doctrines of the Bible”, Lockyer)
3. How many true Gods are there?
Deuteronomy 6:4
Isaiah 42:8
Isaiah 43:11
Isaiah 44:6-8 – beside me there is no God
Matthew 6:24
Mark 12:29,32
1 Corinthians 8:4-6 – To us there is but one God
Ephesians 4:4
1Timothy 2:5
James 2:19
Both in the Old and New Testaments, there is one and only one true God. Any “person” that is identified as being the true God, must be the one and only one true God.
4. What does “person” mean?
From the Latin word signifying primarily a mask used by actors. Thus it indicates the role that one plays in life.
With respect to God, the identification of each person comes about because of the role the unique person of God plays in redemptive history.
5. How is the Father different than the Son and the Holy Spirit?
Luke 11:13 – Gives the Holy Spirit
Luke 22:42 – If thou be willing, remove this cup from me
John 1:18 – Son in the bosom of the Father, declares the Son
John 6:27 – Does the sealing
John 8:54 – Honors the son
John 10:36 – Sanctifies and sends the Son
John 12:50 – giver of the commandments
John 13:3 – gives all things to the Son
John 14:26 – sends the Holy Spirit
Acts 2:33 – sent the promised Holy Ghost (Spirit)
Acts 3:26 – raised the Son
2 Corinthians 1:2 – Father of mercies, God of all comfort
Galatians 1:1-4 – Willed the deliverance of the people
Galatians 4:6 – Sent the Spirit of the Son
Ephesians 4:32 – Forgives for the Son’s sake
Philippians 2:11 – Glorified when the Son is declared as Lord
2 Thessalonians 2:16 – Source of grace
1 Peter 1:2 – Foreknowledge of the elect
There are several things that distinguish the Father from the Son and the Holy Spirit. It is the Father that sends the Son and the Holy Spirit. It is the Father that seals his people with the Holy Spirit. It is the Father who forgives man on behalf of the Son. It is to the Father that the payment of sins by death is required.
6. How is the Father identical to the Son and the Holy Spirit?
Mark 1:24; John 17:11 – Holy
Isaiah 9:6; 63:16; Galatians 6:8; Ephesians 1:4 – Eternal
Luke 10:27; Luke 14:26; – Love above all else
Matthew 6:1-6; 18:20; John 14:17– Omnipresent
Matthew 6:32; Luke 9:47; John 14:26– Omniscient
While there are many characteristics that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit have in common, the essence of their nature is of being Holy and utterly righteous.
7. Is the Father clearly identified as being the one true God?
John 5:18 – God was his Father
John 8:54
John 20:17
1 Corinthians 8:6
2 Corinthians 11:31
Galatians 1:1-4
In many places, the Father is specifically declared to be God to the Jewish people. Since the Jews believed in only one God when the Father of Jesus is declared to be God, then the Father is identified as being the one and only one true God. The Jews had little trouble accepting the Father as God; it was accepting the Son as God that they struggled with.
8. Is the Father separately identified as God in the Old Testament?
Psalm 68:4-6
Psalm 89:26
Isaiah 9:6 – The everlasting Father
Isaiah 19:20 – Sender of the saviour
Isaiah 42:1 – Places his spirit upon his elect, his servant
Isaiah 42:24 – Giver of the law
Isaiah 43:13 – In the hands of
Isaiah 43:25 – Blotting out sins for own sake
Isaiah 44:22 – The one who redeemed (but separate from the redeemer)
Isaiah 53:1-12 – Laid on him our iniquities
Even in the Old Testament, the functions that are later attributed to the Father are attributed to God, Yahweh.
Looking into the scriptures, we clearly see that there is only one true God and that the Father is associated with being that God. His role as God is distinct from that of the Son and the Holy Spirit. It is primarily the separation of the roles in history and the association of the Son, Jesus, to the Father that distinguishes the Father from the other persons of the Trinity.