Bible Study: The Trinity
The following is a study I wrote for the Newman Bible Study. Feel free to use it as you see fit.
Definition: In one substance God, there are three divine persons, The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
Some Notes: 1) Because anti-Trinitarians, such as the Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses, typically do not deny the deity of the Father, we will not be going over biblical data proving it. We will only be focusing on the deity of the Son and the Holy Spirit. 2) While there may be Christians who disagree with Catholics on some issues, such as the modes of baptism, it is still true they are Christians. However, anyone who denies the Trinity cannot be said to be Christian at all.
Biblical Data:
Acts 5:1-6 But a man named Ananias, with the consent of his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property; 2 with his wife’s knowledge, he kept back some of the proceeds, and brought only a part and laid it at the apostles’ feet. 3 “Ananias,” Peter asked, “why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back part of the proceeds of the land? 4 While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, were not the proceeds at your disposal? How is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You did not lie to us but to God!” 5 Now when Ananias heard these words, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard of it. 6 The young men came and wrapped up his body, then carried him out and buried him.
Discussion: Have you ever heard someone, like a Jehovah’s Witness tell you that the Holy Spirit is not God? How did you react? What was it that Ananias and Sapphira had done? They held back money that was pledged to the Church. How did St. Peter react? He accused them of lying to the Holy Spirit (v3). Later, Peter clarifies that they lied to God (v4). So because to lie to the Holy Spirit is to lie to God, the Holy Spirit is God. Have you ever held anything back from God? What happened? How did you reconcile?
Biblical Data:
John 14:25-26 25 “I have said these things to you while I am still with you. 26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you.
Old Words:
pneuma, usually translated as “spirit” and is gender neuter
ho paracleto, translated as “the Advocate” and is masculine
Discussion: Sometimes, anti-Trinitarians will say that the Holy Spirit is a force, and not a person. They will point out that “spirit” in “Holy Spirit” doesn’t have a gender, and so that means the Holy Spirit is not a person. How would you respond? The problem with this argument is that God is referred to as spirit, but obviously God the Father is a person (John 4:23-24). Further, Luke refers to the Holy Spirit as the Advocate, and Advocate is a masculine term.
Biblical Data:
John 1:1-3, 14 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. … And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.
Discussion: Does this verse sound similar to any other well known passage in scripture? Yes, Genesis 1:1. As Moses was telling us about how God interacts with the world in Genesis, so John is trying to tell us how God interacts with the world in his gospel. What was in the beginning? The Word. Who was the Word with? God. And who was the Word? God. As Moses begins with God in Genesis, so John begins with God in his gospel. So who exactly is the Word? The Word is Jesus (v14). So Jesus is God. Sometimes Jehovah’s Witnesses will say that “the word was A God, but not God himself.” They have a special translation that inserts the word “a” in their fake bible, even though it isn’t in the greek. My advice is that you don’t engage them on this point unless you’re familiar with some greek grammar, because they will have some greek points memorized and will fluster anyone unfamiliar with the language. There is however, a simple way to still prove Jesus is God. V 3 says “All things came into being through him…” If someone believes that Jesus is not God, then Jesus must have been created. But the bible says that all created things came through Jesus. That means Jesus wasn’t created, which means He is eternal and therefore God.
Biblical Data:
John 20:24-29 24 But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.” 26 A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.” 28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.”
Discussion: Was Thomas willing believe the testimony of the other disciples? No. What did he demand in order to believe? He wanted to physically touch the resurrected Jesus in order to believe that He had been raised from the dead. Does Jesus deliver? Oh yeah. Big time. How does Thomas respond? What does he say? V28. Thomas answers him, “him” being Jesus. Thomas calls Jesus “my Lord and my God.” Thomas directly and explicitly calls Jesus God. So Jesus is God. If Thomas was just saying something like “OMG” then Jesus would have rebuked him immediately for using God’s name in vain. Since Thomas is calling Jesus Lord, he has to also be calling Jesus God. Was there anything in your life you ever doubted about God? Did He deliver?
What Does The Bible Say About: The Trinity
Some Notes: 1) Because anti-Trinitarians, such as the Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses, typically do not deny the deity of the Father, we will not be going over biblical data proving it. We will only be focusing on the deity of the Son and the Holy Spirit. 2) While there may be Christians who disagree with Catholics on some issues, such as the modes of baptism, it is still true they are Christians. However, anyone who denies the Trinity cannot be said to be Christian at all.
Biblical Data:
Acts 5:1-6 But a man named Ananias, with the consent of his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property; 2 with his wife’s knowledge, he kept back some of the proceeds, and brought only a part and laid it at the apostles’ feet. 3 “Ananias,” Peter asked, “why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back part of the proceeds of the land? 4 While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, were not the proceeds at your disposal? How is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You did not lie to us but to God!” 5 Now when Ananias heard these words, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard of it. 6 The young men came and wrapped up his body, then carried him out and buried him.
Discussion: Have you ever heard someone, like a Jehovah’s Witness tell you that the Holy Spirit is not God? How did you react? What was it that Ananias and Sapphira had done? They held back money that was pledged to the Church. How did St. Peter react? He accused them of lying to the Holy Spirit (v3). Later, Peter clarifies that they lied to God (v4). So because to lie to the Holy Spirit is to lie to God, the Holy Spirit is God. Have you ever held anything back from God? What happened? How did you reconcile?
Biblical Data:
John 14:25-26 25 “I have said these things to you while I am still with you. 26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you.
Old Words:
pneuma, usually translated as “spirit” and is gender neuter
ho paracleto, translated as “the Advocate” and is masculine
Discussion: Sometimes, anti-Trinitarians will say that the Holy Spirit is a force, and not a person. They will point out that “spirit” in “Holy Spirit” doesn’t have a gender, and so that means the Holy Spirit is not a person. How would you respond? The problem with this argument is that God is referred to as spirit, but obviously God the Father is a person (John 4:23-24). Further, Luke refers to the Holy Spirit as the Advocate, and Advocate is a masculine term.
Biblical Data:
John 1:1-3, 14 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. … And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.
Discussion: Does this verse sound similar to any other well known passage in scripture? Yes, Genesis 1:1. As Moses was telling us about how God interacts with the world in Genesis, so John is trying to tell us how God interacts with the world in his gospel. What was in the beginning? The Word. Who was the Word with? God. And who was the Word? God. As Moses begins with God in Genesis, so John begins with God in his gospel. So who exactly is the Word? The Word is Jesus (v14). So Jesus is God. Sometimes Jehovah’s Witnesses will say that “the word was A God, but not God himself.” They have a special translation that inserts the word “a” in their fake bible, even though it isn’t in the greek. My advice is that you don’t engage them on this point unless you’re familiar with some greek grammar, because they will have some greek points memorized and will fluster anyone unfamiliar with the language. There is however, a simple way to still prove Jesus is God. V 3 says “All things came into being through him…” If someone believes that Jesus is not God, then Jesus must have been created. But the bible says that all created things came through Jesus. That means Jesus wasn’t created, which means He is eternal and therefore God.
Biblical Data:
John 20:24-29 24 But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.” 26 A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.” 28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.”
Discussion: Was Thomas willing believe the testimony of the other disciples? No. What did he demand in order to believe? He wanted to physically touch the resurrected Jesus in order to believe that He had been raised from the dead. Does Jesus deliver? Oh yeah. Big time. How does Thomas respond? What does he say? V28. Thomas answers him, “him” being Jesus. Thomas calls Jesus “my Lord and my God.” Thomas directly and explicitly calls Jesus God. So Jesus is God. If Thomas was just saying something like “OMG” then Jesus would have rebuked him immediately for using God’s name in vain. Since Thomas is calling Jesus Lord, he has to also be calling Jesus God. Was there anything in your life you ever doubted about God? Did He deliver?
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