Sunday

God in Three Persons

The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have unique roles while remaining one in essence and purpose.

18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. (Matthew 28:18-20)

There are people—including some long-standing Christians—who regard the Trinity as a hierarchy, but that isn’t biblical. Scripture shows all three members of the Trinity are fully God:

Father—There are many places in the Gospels where Jesus refers to God as His Father (Mark 14:36; John 5:17-18).

Son—John 1:1 identifies Jesus as divine. And while Christ never specifically called Himself “God,” His Father did apply the title to Him (Hebrews 1:8). In addition, Jesus claimed oneness with the Father (John 10:30) and acknowledged having unlimited authority—an attribute of the divine Creator (Matt. 28:18). He also accepted worship (John 9:38).

Holy Spirit—As with God the Father, Scripture presents the Holy Spirit as omniscient (1 Corinthians 2:11) and omnipresent (Psalm 139:7). The idea of the Spirit’s divinity was reinforced when Jesus commanded the disciples to baptize new believers in the name of all three members of the Godhead (Matt. 28:19).

The Bible confirms that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are equally God. They function as a single unit—no one is more important or less essential than the others. All three are focused upon their plan for mankind: salvation, transformation, and glory for God.

By Charles Stanley