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God in Three Persons: The Trinity
Alex Chen
Austin Chinese Church
Acknowledgements
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Systematic Theology Textbook
“Loving the Trinity” paper by James
White
Presentation by co-worker (Todd
Erdner)
Goals
1. What does it mean that God is three
persons, yet one God?
2. Does it really matter?
Motivation
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Trinity matters because God matters
“God is spirit, and those who worship
him must worship in spirit and truth."
(John 4:24)
Motivation
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Eternal Life depends on the right
understanding of God
“And this is eternal life, that they know
you the only true God, and Jesus Christ
whom you have sent.” (John 17:3)
Definition
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Trinity – “tri-unity” or “three-inoneness”
What are some examples in real life of
unity and diversity existing together?
One God
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One Essence
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Same attributes and perfections
Three persons
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Unique persons
Eternally existed together
Co-equality of the Father and the Son and
the Spirit
Can have different actions and roles
Partial Revelation in OT
Genesis 1:26: God said, “Let us make
man in our image, after our likeness.”
Partial Revelation in OT
Psalm 45:6-7
"Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, the scepter of
uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom. You have loved
righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God,
has anointed you”
“Your throne, Jesus, is forever and ever, the scepter of uprightness
is the scepter of your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and
hated wickedness; therefore God, God the Father, has anointed
you.”
More Complete Revelation in NT
Baptism of Jesus
And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he
went up from the water, and behold, the
heavens were opened to him, and he saw the
Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming
to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven
said, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am
well pleased.” (Matt 3:16-17)
More Complete Revelation in NT
Great Commission
“Go therefore 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)
More Complete Revelation in NT
1. God is Three Persons
2. …
3. …
More Complete Revelation in NT
Father is God
 Creator
 Sovereign Lord
 Jesus prays to the Father
More Complete Revelation in NT
Son is God
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At the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven
and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue
confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the
Father.” (Phil 2:10-11)
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was
with God, and the Word was God. He was in the
beginning with God.” (John 1:1-3)
Jesus heals the paralytic (Mark 2)
More Complete Revelation in NT
The Holy Spirit is God
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“Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that
God’s Spirit dwells in you?” (1 Cor. 3:16)
Lying to the Holy Spirit is the same as lying to God (Acts
5:3-4)
“Go therefore 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)
More Complete Revelation in NT
1. God is Three Persons
2. Each Person is God
3. …
More Complete Revelation in NT
There is only one God
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“For there is one God, and there is one mediator
between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Tim.
2:5)
"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.
You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and
with all your soul and with all your might.” (Deut. 6:4-5)
More Complete Revelation in NT
1. God is 3 Persons
2. Each Person is God
3. There is only one God
In the being that is God, there exists eternally 3
coequal and coeternal Persons.
Trinitarianism
1) God is 3 Persons
3) Only One God
Orthodoxy
2) Each Person is God
Christianity vs. Heresy
Reject the Trinity → Reject the Biblical
Revelation of God
e.g. Mormons reject: Only one God
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God the Father was once a man but became
God
Christ was a man who became God
Man has the ability to become a god
Trinitarianism vs. Mormonism
1) God is 3 Persons
3) Only One God
Orthodoxy
Tritheism
2) Each Person is God
Christianity vs. Heresy
Reject the Trinity → Reject the Biblical
Gospel
e.g. Jehovah’s Witnesses reject: Each Person
is Fully God
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Jesus Christ is a created being, not God
Trinitarianism vs. JW’s
3) Only One God
Subordination
1) God is 3 Persons
Orthodoxy
Tritheism
2) Each Person is God
Christianity vs. Heresy
Reject the Trinity → Reject the Biblical
Gospel
e.g. Oneness Pentecostals (Phillips, Craig and
Dean) reject this: God is 3 Persons
God “manifests” (changes) Himself in three
different forms: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Christianity vs. Heresy
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Randy’ Philip’s Church (Promiseland Church in
Austin, TX):
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We believe in one God who is eternal in His existence,
Triune in His manifestation, being both Father, Son and
Holy Ghost
Dan Dean’s church:
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...there is One True God that has manifested Himself as
Father in creation, Son in redemption and the Holy Spirit
in emanation
Trinitarianism vs. Oneness Pentecostals
1) God is 3 Persons
3) Only One God
Subordination
Orthodoxy
Modalism
Tritheism
2) Each Person is God
Flashback
Son is God
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At the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven
and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue
confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the
Father.” (Phil 2:10-11)
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was
with God, and the Word was God. He was in the
beginning with God.” (John 1:1-3)
Jesus heals the paralytic (Mark 2)
Christianity vs. Heresy
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No distinct persons → No Atonement
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Atonement: Jesus Christ satisfies the wrath of
God the Father by dying on the cross as a
payment for our sins.
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken
me?” (Mark 15:34)
Christianity vs. Heresy
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No distinct persons
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Jesus’ Baptism was just a charade
All instances where Jesus is praying to the
father are an illusion or charade
God was not loving prior to creation
Modalism Condemned by Early Church
3rd Council at Antioch – 345 AD
“Those who say that the Father, Son and
Holy Spirit are the same person, impiously
understanding the three names to refer to
one and the same person, we expel with
good reason from the Church.”
Motivation
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Eternal Life depends on the right
understanding of God
“And this is eternal life, that they know
you the only true God, and Jesus Christ
whom you have sent.” (John 17:3)
Motivation
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Mormons, JW’s, and Promiseland church are
committing idolatry by making up another god
The Trinity is the foundation for understanding
who God is, the gospel, the atonement, prayer,
etc…
These are not “minor” doctrinal issues!
Motivation
No Trinity → No Christianity!
Trinity in Redemption
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God the Father loved us
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“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son….”
(Jn 3)
“He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all….”
(Rom 8)
God the Son died for us
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[They] fell down before the Lamb…and they sang…"Worthy are
you…for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for
God from every tribe and language and people and nation” (Rev 5:810)
Trinity in Redemption
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God the Holy Spirit sanctifies us
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“But we ought always to give thanks to God for you,
brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you from
the beginning to be saved, through sanctification by the
Spirit and belief in the truth.” (2 Th. 2:13)
Trinity in other Areas
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Trinity and Prayers
Trinity in Creation
Trinity in the Afterlife