Berean Baptist Church

BIBLE INSTITUTE OF CORRESPONDENCE

COURSE: THEOLOGY III LESSON # 34

THE DOCTRINE OF THE TRINITY

INTRODUCTION:

1. The doctrine of the trinity is clearly found in Scripture, yet it is difficult enough that it is sometimes doubted.
2. All “mainline Christendom” holds to the doctrine of the trinity, only a few small groups deny it.
3. In this lesson, we will try to first, prove the doctrine, and secondly, expound it briefly.

I. THE TRINITY DEFINED

By trinity or triunity, I mean God is revealed to us in three distinct persons, with distinct attributes, yet without division, or disagreement in nature, essence, or being.

1. Hear A. H. Strong’s definition on tape.
2. John Gill says, “There is a trinity of persons in the unity of divine essence.” Hear quote on tape from Gill’s, “Body of Divinity,” Vol. 1, page 187.
3. The trinity consists of three distinctions, i.e., not merely manifes­tations, but distinction and plurality of persons.
4. These distinctions are eternal, if not, then God is mutable and has been, or is imperfect.
5. These distinctions are represented to us as persons, but not as a division of nature, i.e., not tritheism.
6. These persons of the trinity are equal, i.e., each one recognized as God.

II. SCRIPTURAL PROOFS OF THE TRINITY

1. The Father, Son and Spirit, each recognized as God.

i. The Father is recognized as being God. (Jn. 6:27, I Pet. 1:1-2)

2. The Son recognized as God in Scripture.

i. He is called God. (Jn. 1:1, Rom. 9:5, I Jn. 5:20)
ii. Old Testament passages referring to God are applied to the Son in New Testament. Match Mat. 3:3 with Isa. 40:3, and Jn. 12:41 with Isa. 6:1.
iii. The Son possesses the attributes of God. Eternity – Jn. 1:1, Omni­presence – Mat. 28:20, Omniscience – Mat. 9:4. (Hear others on tape.)
iv. The works of God ascribed to the Son: Creation – Jn. 1:3, I Cor. 8:6, Col. 1:16, Heb. 1:10, Preservation – Col. 1:7, Heb. 1:3, Raising the dead and judging them – Jn. 5:27-28, Mat. 25:31-32.
v. He receives honor and worship due God alone. (Jn. 5:23, Heb. 1:6, I Cor. 11:24-25, II Pet. 3:18, II Tim. 4:18)

3. The Holy Spirit is recognized as God.

i. By attributes ascribed to Him: Eternity – Heb. 9:14, Omni­science – I Cor. 2:10, Omnipresence – Ps. 139:7
ii. He, too, is represented as doing the works of God. (Gen. 1:2, Jn. 3:8, Titus 3:5, Rom. 8:11)

3. The three are associated on equal footing. (Mat. 28:19, II Cor. 13:14)
4. The three are distinguished each from the other.

i. The Son is distinguished from the Father. Consider: Begetter – Begotten, Sender – Sent, My Son – My Father, Christ the media­tor, etc.
ii. The Spirit is distinguished from the Father. (Jn. 15:26, Jn. 14:26, Gal. 4:6)
iii. The Son is distinguished from the Spirit. (Jn. 14:16, Jn. 15:26)

5. Yet, that these are to be seen as one God is proven by:

i. All the Bible passages teaching the unity of God.
ii. The fact that each of these three is recognized as God.
iii. By the fact that the three are revealed as essentially equal.

CONCLUSION: This doctrine is a great mystery, yet is a biblical revelation.

NOTE: I gladly acknowledge that the superstructure of this outline is from the work of Thomas Paul Simmons – pages 77 through 82, and from the works of Gill, Berkhof and Strong.