10. The Trinity of God
faith and provides assurance of His faithfulness and goodness.
10. The Trinity of God Richer and more vivid still than in its attributes, the Eternal Being reveals itself in the triune existence. In the holy Trinity, the Divine
Being and every perfection therein, so to speak, first come into their own, unfolding their richest content and receiving their deepest meaning. Only then do we truly know who and what God is; only then, above all, do we understand who and what God is for the guilty and lost child of man, when we know and can confess Him as the Triune God of the covenant: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
In dealing with this profound part of our confession, a holy reverence and childlike fear should pervade our minds more than ever. For Moses, it was an awe-inspiring and unforgettable hour when the Lord appeared to him in the desert, in a flame of fire, out of the midst of the bramble. When Moses saw the blazing fire from afar, which burned but did not consume, and wished to rush towards it, the Lord stopped him and called out: "Do not come any closer; take off your shoes from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground." And when Moses heard this, he was greatly afraid; he hid his face and feared to look upon the Lord (Exod. 3:1-6).
Such a holy fear is also fitting for us when God reveals Himself to us in His Word as the Triune One. We must always remember that we are not dealing here with a doctrine about God, a deductive concept of God, or some philosophical system concerning God. We are not dealing with a human proposition about God, which we or others have invented, and which we now attempt to dissect and understand logically. Rather, we are dealing with God Himself, the one and true
God, who has revealed Himself in His Word when He speaks of the Trinity. Just as He said to Moses: "I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob" (Exod. 3:6), so He also reveals
Himself to us in His Word and makes Himself known to us as Father, Son, and Spirit.
In this sense, the Christian church has always accepted and confessed the revelation of God as the Triune. Consider our Twelve
Articles of Faith. The Christian does not declare therein that he thinks this or that about God. He does not provide a conception of God, nor does he state that he believes God possesses certain attributes and that certain things exist. Rather, he confesses: "I believe in God the Father, and in Jesus Christ, His only begotten
Son, and in the Holy Spirit; I believe in the Triune God." In doing so, he expresses that God, the living and true God, God as Father, Son, and Spirit, is the God of his trust, to whom he has surrendered himself completely, in whom he trusts with his whole heart. God is the God of his life and his salvation. As Father, Son, and Spirit, God has created him, saved him, sanctified him, and glorified him. The Christian owes everything to Him. And it is his joy and consolation that he may believe in that God, trust in Him, and expect everything from Him.
What the Christian further confesses about God is not articulated in abstract terms but described through a series of deeds wrought by God from eternity past, continuing in the present, and extending into the future. These are works and miracles that constitute the Christian's confession; it is a long, broad, grand history that he recounts in his confession—a history encompassing the entire world in its length and breadth, its beginning and end, its origin, development, and destination, from creation to the end of the ages.
The church's confession is a proclamation of God's great works.
All these works, though numerous and diverse, form a strict unity.
They are interconnected, supporting and preparing one another, and flowing seamlessly into each other. There is order and progress, development and ascension within them. It moves from creation through redemption to sanctification and glorification. The end point returns to the starting point, yet elevated to a higher pinnacle. The works of God form a circle that ascends in a spiral, connecting the horizontal with the vertical line, moving simultaneously forward and upward.
In all these works, God is the artist and builder, the origin and final goal; from Him, through Him, and to Him are all things. He is the Creator, the Rescuer, and the Finisher of them all. The unity and diversity in the works of God reflect the unity and diversity within the Divine Being. That Being is one, unique, and simple; yet it is also triune in persons, manifestations, and operations. The entire work of God is an unbroken whole, rich in variety. The church's confession encompasses the entire history of the world, including all moments of creation and fall, reconciliation and forgiveness, renewal and
restoration. It proceeds from the triune God and leads everything back to Him.
Thus, the Article of Faith concerning the Holy Trinity is the heart and core of our confession, the distinguishing mark of the Christian religion, the glory and consolation of all true believers in Christ.
This doctrine has been the subject of battle and spiritual wrangling throughout the ages. It is the precious jewel entrusted to the Christian church for preservation and defense.
If the confession of the Trinity holds such a central place in the Christian faith, it is crucial to understand the foundation upon which it rests and the source from which it flows to the church. Many in our time consider it the fruit of human reasoning and scholastic learning, deeming it of no value in religious life. They propose that the original
Gospel, as proclaimed by Jesus, knew nothing of this doctrine of the Trinity, not only because of the term later used to designate this article of faith but also because of the substance that this term sought to express. They argue that only when the simple Gospel of Jesus was brought into contact with Greek philosophy and distorted by it did the Christian church adopt this doctrine.
The Christian Church, in its understanding of the divine nature of Christ and the Holy Spirit, embraced the doctrine of three distinct persons within the one divine essence, thus confessing the Trinity.
Yet, the Christian Church has always viewed this doctrine differently.
It did not regard the doctrine of the Trinity as an invention of shrewd theologians or a product of Greek philosophy fused with the Gospel.
Rather, it saw it as a confession inherently contained within the
Gospel and the entirety of God's Word, a confession derived from God's revelation. To the question, "Since there is only one divine being, why do you call the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit?" the Heidelberg Catechism provides a succinct and conclusive answer:
"Because God has revealed Himself in His Word" (Q&A 25). God's revelation is the firm foundation upon which this church confession rests; it is the principle from which the doctrine of the one, holy, universal, Christian church has grown and been established. God has revealed Himself in this manner because He exists in this manner, and He exists in this manner because He has revealed Himself thus.
The Trinity in God's revelation points back to the Trinity in His existence.
This revelation was not instantaneous; it was not accomplished in a single moment. It unfolded over a long historical process, spanning centuries. It began with creation, continued after the fall with the promises and acts of salvation to Israel, reached its culmination in the person and work of Christ, in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and the founding of the church. It now stands firm throughout all ages and amidst all opposition in the indestructible testimony of Scripture and the rock-solid confession of the church. Because revelation has had such a long history, the confession of God's Triune existence has also progressed and developed. God does not change by this progression; He remains eternally the same. Yet, in the progress of revelation, He makes Himself more clearly and wonderfully known to men and angels; with His revelation, our knowledge increases.
When God began to reveal Himself in the days of the Old Covenant, the unity of God was foremost in that revelation.
Through the sin of mankind, the pure knowledge of God was lost; the truth, as Paul profoundly states, was suppressed in unrighteousness.
Even what is evident of God in His creatures was thwarted by vain imaginations and darkened in the hearts of men; mankind everywhere fell into idolatry and iconoclasm (Romans 1:18-23).
Thus, revelation had to begin by emphasizing God's unity. It declared to mankind: the gods to whom you bow down are not the true God.
There is only one true God, namely the God who created the heavens and the earth and all their host in the beginning (Gen. 1:1, 2:1), who made Himself known to Abraham as God Almighty (Gen. 17:1, Exod.
6:2), who appeared to Moses as Jehovah, the I AM WHO I AM (Exod. 3:14), and who, by His own free will, chose the people of Israel, called them, and included them in His covenant (Exod. 19:4).
The initial content of revelation was thus: Jehovah alone is Elohim, the LORD alone is God; there is no other God but He (Deut. 4:35, 39;
32:39; Josh. 22:22; 2 Sam. 22:32; 1 Kings 18:39; Isa. 45:5, 18, 21).
For the people of Israel, the revelation of God's unity was of paramount necessity. Surrounded by nations steeped in idolatry, they were continually enticed to forsake the Lord and embrace foreign gods. Even during their exile, many Israelites gravitated towards pagan worship, disregarding the prohibitions of the Law and the admonitions of the prophets. Hence, God asserted that He, the LORD who revealed Himself to Moses and sought to deliver His people through him, was the very same God who had manifested to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as God Almighty (Exod. 3:6, 15). When
giving His law to Israel, He prefaced it with: "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage," and strictly forbade all forms of idolatry in the first and second commandments (Exod. 20:2-5). As the one and only Lord,
Israel was to love Him with all their heart, soul, and might (Deut.
6:4-5). The LORD alone was Israel's God, and thus they were to serve Him exclusively.
Despite the strong emphasis on God's unity, which stands as the foundational article of Israel's faith, the progressive revelation of the divine nature begins to unveil a diversity within this unity, a personal distinction within the Godhead. The Hebrew name for God, Elohim, already hints at this complexity. Though Elohim is a plural form, it does not directly indicate the Trinity; rather, it conveys the fullness of life and power inherent in God. This plural form aligns with the instances where God refers to Himself using plural pronouns, indicating a complex unity with personal distinctions (Gen. 1:26-27,
3:22, Isa. 6:8).
Significantly, the Old Testament teaches that God accomplishes all things in creation and sustenance by His Word and Spirit. Unlike a human craftsman who labors with existing materials, God brings all things into existence from nothing by His mere word. The first chapter of Genesis exalts this truth, depicting God as one who speaks creation into being. "He spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm" (Ps. 33:9). His voice commands the elements, shaking the wilderness, making mountains leap, and stripping forests bare (Ps. 29:3-10).
This exalted depiction of God's creative work highlights two key aspects: first, God's omnipotence—He alone, by His word, brings all things into being, and His word is a command imbued with power
(Ps. 33:9, Ps. 29:4). Second, it underscores God's wisdom—He does not act without purpose or thought. His word is powerful and wise;
"He made the earth by His power, established the world by His wisdom, and stretched out the heavens by His understanding" (Jer.
10:12, 51:15). All His works are crafted in wisdom, and the earth is filled with His creations (Ps. 104:24). This wisdom is intrinsic to God, existing with Him from eternity, serving as the principle of His creative acts. Wisdom was present when God created the heavens, set the earth's boundaries, and established the foundations of the world. It was a constant delight to Him, rejoicing in His presence, as described in Proverbs 8:22-31 and Job 28:20-28. God delighted in wisdom, by which He fashioned the world.
Next to the Word and Wisdom, the Spirit of God functions as the Mediator of creation. Just as God is Wisdom and also possesses
Wisdom, so that He might impart it and manifest it in His works, He is in His very essence Spirit (Deut. 4:12, 15), and has the Spirit, through whom He indwells the world and is ever-present within it
(Ps. 139:7). Without counsel from anyone, the Lord has fashioned everything by His Spirit (Isa. 40:13). This Spirit hovered over the waters at creation's dawn (Gen. 1:2) and remains active in all created things. By that Spirit, God adorns the heavens (Job 26:13), renews the face of the earth (Ps. 104:30), gives life to man (Job 33:4), maintains the breath in his nostrils (Job 27:3), grants him understanding and wisdom (Job 32:8), and also causes the grass to wither and the flower to fade (Isa. 40:7). In sum: by the Word of the
Lord, the heavens were made, and by the breath of His mouth, all their host (Ps. 33:6).
This self-distinction within God is even more abundantly expressed in the works of re-creation. Here, it is not merely Elohim but Jehovah, the covenant God, who reveals Himself in acts of redemption and salvation. He does not merely save and guide His people by the word spoken to them, but also sends the Angel of the Covenant (the Angel of the Lord). This Angel, appearing in the history of the patriarchs with Hagar (Gen. 16:6ff), Abraham (Gen.
18ff), and Jacob (Gen. 28:13ff), is particularly manifest in the deliverance of Israel from Egypt (Ex. 3:2, 13:21, 14:19, 23:20-23,
32:34, 33:2, Num. 20:16). This Angel is not on par with created angels but is a unique manifestation of God. He is distinguished from God, who speaks of Him as His angel, yet He is one with God in name, power, salvation, and blessing, and is worthy of worship and honor. He is called the God who sees (Gen. 16:13), the God of Bethel
(Gen. 31:13), and alternates with God or the LORD Himself (Gen.
32:28, 30, Ex. 3:2, 4). He bears the name of the Lord within Him (Ex. 23:21), delivers Israel from all evil (Gen. 48:16), and rescues
Israel from the Egyptians (Ex. 3:8). He cleaves the waters and dries up the sea (Ex. 14:21), guards the people on their journey, brings them safely to Canaan, and triumphs over their enemies (Ex. 3:8,
23:20). He must be obeyed as God Himself (Ex. 23:20) and always encamps around those who fear the Lord (Ps. 34:7, 35:5).
In re-creation, just as Jehovah carries out His redeeming work through the Angel of the Covenant, so through His Spirit He dispenses diverse gifts and powers to His people. In the Old
Testament, the Spirit of God is the source of all life, salvation, and
ability. He grants courage and strength to judges such as Othniel (Judg. 3:10), Gideon (Judg. 6:34), Jephthah (Judg. 11:29), and Samson (Judg. 14:6, 15:14). He endows those who fashion the priestly garments, the tabernacle, and the temple with skill (Ex. 28:3,
31:3-5, 35:31-35, 1 Chr. 28:12). He gives understanding and wisdom to the judges who assist Moses (Num. 11:17, 25). He bestows the gift of prophecy upon the prophets (Num. 11:25, 29, 24:2-3, Mic. 3:8), and grants the righteous renewal, sanctification, and guidance to all
God's children (Ps. 51:13, 143:10).
In sum, the Word, the promise, and the covenant established with Israel at the Exodus, along with the Spirit given to them, endured through all ages and remained even after the Exile during the days of Zerubbabel, ensuring they need not fear (Hag. 2:5). When the Lord brought Israel out of Egypt, He became their Savior. This divine disposition was manifest in the fact that in all their afflictions, He too was afflicted; thus, He sent the Angel of His Presence to save them, redeeming them by His own hand.
He redeemed them by His love and mercy, taking them up and carrying them all the days of old; moreover, He gave them the Spirit of His holiness to guide them in the ways of the Lord (Isa. 63:9-12).
In the era of the Old Covenant, the Lord, through the High Priest, bestowed His threefold blessing upon the people of Israel: the blessing of His guardianship, His mercy, and His peace (Num. 6:2426).
Thus, in the history of God's guidance with Israel, and progressively more clearly, the threefold distinction in the divine nature and works comes to light. Yet, the Old Testament also contains the promise of a
higher and richer revelation to come. Israel rejected the Word of God and grieved His Holy Spirit (Isa. 63:10; Ps. 106:13). The revelation of God in the Angel of the Covenant and in the Spirit of the Lord proved insufficient; if God was to confirm His covenant and fulfill His promise, another, higher revelation was necessary.
This was proclaimed by the prophets. In the future, in the last days, the Lord would raise up from among Israel a prophet like Moses, into whose mouth the Lord would put His words (Deut. 18:18); a priest, who would be a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek
(Ps. 110:4); a king of the house of David (2 Sam. 7:12-16); a child from the stump of Jesse (Isa. 11:1); a son who would reign as king and administer justice in the earth (Jer. 23:5). He would be a human being, the son of a woman (Jer. 7:14), without form or majesty (Isa.
53:2); yet at the same time, He would be Immanuel (Isa. 7:14), the Lord our righteousness (Jer. 23:6), the Angel of the Covenant (Mal.
3:1), the Lord Himself who appears to His people (Ps. 45:8, 110:1; Hos. 1:7; Mal. 3:1), bearing the name of Wonderful Counselor,
Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace (Isa. 9:6).
This coming of the Servant of the Lord would be followed by a richer dispensation of the Holy Spirit. In an extraordinary measure, this
Spirit, as the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, of counsel and might, of knowledge and the fear of the Lord, would rest upon the Messiah (Isa. 11:2; 42:1; 61:1). Furthermore, the Spirit would be poured out upon all flesh: upon sons and daughters, old and young, servants and maidservants (Joel 2:28-29; Isa. 32:15; 44:3; Ezek.
36:26-27; Zech. 12:10). He would grant all a new heart and a new spirit, enabling them to walk in His statutes and to keep His judgments (Ezek. 11:19-20; 36:26-27; Jer. 31:31-34; 32:38-41).
Thus, the Old Testament itself intimates that the full revelation of God will culminate in the unveiling of His triune nature.
This promise and prediction find their fulfillment in the New Testament. Here too, the unity of God is the foundation of all revelation (John 17:3; 1 Cor. 8:4; 1 Tim. 2:5). Yet, from this unity, the diversity in the divine nature now emerges far more distinctly, first in the great salvific events of the incarnation, atonement, and the outpouring of the Spirit, and subsequently in the teachings of Jesus and His apostles. The work of salvation is a singular divine act from inception to completion, yet it comprises three principal phases: election, redemption, and sanctification, each reflecting the triune cause in the divine nature—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
The incarnation of Christ manifests the triune activity of God. While the Father gives the Son to the world (John 3:16), and the Son descends from heaven (John 6:38), He is conceived in Mary by the Holy Spirit (Matt. 1:20; Luke 1:35). At His baptism, Jesus is anointed with the Holy Spirit and declared by the Father to be His beloved
Son, in whom He is well pleased (Matt. 3:16-17). His miracles are performed by the Spirit of God (Matt. 12:28). His resurrection is a work of the Father (Acts 2:24) and also an act of Christ Himself, proving Him to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness (Rom. 1:4). After His resurrection, He ascended into heaven in the Spirit that quickened Him, submitting to the angels, authorities, and powers (1 Peter 3:19, 22).
The teachings of Jesus and the apostles are consistent with this trinitarian revelation.
Jesus came to earth to declare the Father and to make His name known to mankind (John 1:18; 17:6). The title "Father" for God, as Creator of all, was used by pagans and is supported in Scripture
(Luke 3:38; Acts 17:28; Eph. 3:15; Heb. 12:9). The Old Testament refers to God as Father in His theocratic relationship with Israel, having created and preserved it by His mighty power (Deut. 32:6;
Isa. 63:16). Yet, in the New Testament, a new and glorious light is cast upon this name. Jesus consistently makes an essential distinction between His relationship to the Father and that of others.
For instance, when He teaches His disciples to pray, He says, "When you pray, say, 'Our Father...'" (Luke 11:2). After the Resurrection, He tells Mary Magdalene, "I ascend to My Father and your Father, to My
God and your God" (John 20:17). The Son knows and loves the Father uniquely, as only the Son can (Matt. 11:27). Therefore, the apostles refer to God as the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ in a special sense (Eph. 1:3). This relationship is eternal, not temporal
(John 1:1, 14; 17:24). God is Father, primarily because He is the Father to the Son in an utterly unique sense; this fatherhood is His original, special, personal quality.
In a derivative sense, God is also called the Father of all creatures, as He is their Creator and Sustainer (1 Cor. 8:6; Eph. 3:15; Heb. 12:9); of Israel, as He elected and called them (Deut. 32:6; Isa. 64:8); and of the Church and all believers, as the Father's love for the Son extends to them through Christ (John 16:27; 17:25), adopting them as His children and regenerating them by His Spirit (John 1:12; Rom.
8:15).
Thus, the Father is ever the Father, the first person from whom the initiative springs forth in the essence of God, in the counsel of God,
and in all outward works, in creation and preservation, redemption and sanctification. He granted the Son to have life in Himself (John
5:26), and causes the Spirit to proceed from Him (John 15:26). His is the purpose, the election, and the good pleasure (Matt. 11:26; Eph.
1:4, 9, 11). In a special sense, He possesses power, strength, and glory (Matt. 6:13). He particularly bears the name of God, distinct from the Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 8:6; 2 Cor. 13:13).
Indeed, Christ Himself, as Mediator, calls Him not only His Father but also His God (Matt. 27:46; John 20:17) and is Himself called the Christ of God (Luke 9:20; 1 Cor. 3:23; Rev. 12:10). In sum, the first person in the Divine Being is the Father, for from Him are all things
(1 Cor. 8:6).
If God is the Father, it implies there is also a Son, who received life from Him and shares in His love. The title "Son of God" was already used in the Old Testament for the angels (Job 38:7), for the people of Israel (Deut. 1:31; 8:5; 14:1; 32:6, 18; Hos. 11:1), and particularly for the theocratic king (2 Sam. 7:11-14; Ps. 2:7; 82:27, 28). However, in the New Testament, this title acquires a much deeper meaning.
Christ is the Son of God in a wholly unique sense; He is exalted above angels and prophets (Matt. 13:32; 21:27; 22:2), and He declares that no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son (Matt. 11:27). Unlike angels and men, He is the only Son (Rom. 8:32), the beloved Son in whom the Father is well pleased (Matt. 3:17), the only begotten Son (John 1:18), to whom the Father gave life in Himself (John 5:26).
This entirely unique relationship between Father and Son did not arise in time through the supernatural conception by the Holy Spirit, nor through the anointing at baptism, nor through the resurrection
and ascension, as some have asserted, but it exists from all eternity.
For the Son, who assumed human nature in Christ, existed as the Word with God in the beginning (John 1:1), was already in the form of God (Phil. 2:6), richly and gloriously clothed (John 17:5, 24), the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of His being
(Heb. 1:3). Hence, in the fullness of time, He could be sent, given, brought into the world (John 3:16; Gal. 4:4; Heb. 1:6). Thus, creation
(John 1:3; Col. 1:15) and preservation (Heb. 1:3), and the procurement of all salvation (1 Cor. 1:30), are attributed to Him. He is not made or created like the creatures, but is the firstborn over all creation, meaning the Son who holds the preeminence and rights of the firstborn over all creatures (Col. 1:15). As He is the firstborn from the dead and the firstborn among many brothers, He is the first in all and over all (Rom. 8:29; Col. 1:18). Although He took on the form of a servant in the fullness of time, He was in the form of God and is in all things equal to God the Father (Phil. 2:6)—in life (John 5:26), in knowledge (Matt. 11:27), in power (John 1:3; 5:21, 26), in honor
(John 5:23). He Himself is God, to be praised above all things forever (John 1:1; 20:28; Rom. 9:5; Heb. 1:8, 9). As all things are from the Father, so they are all through the Son (1 Cor. 8:6).
Both the Father and the Son are united and joined together in the Holy Spirit, and through Him dwell in all creatures. God is Spirit by nature (John 4:24) and also holy (Isaiah 6:3); yet the Holy Spirit is distinctly set apart from God as Spirit. Just as man, according to his invisible aspect, is spirit and also possesses a spirit by which he knows himself, so God Himself is Spirit in His essence and also has a Spirit who searches the depths of His being (1 Cor. 2:11). Thus, He is called the Spirit of God or the Holy Spirit (Ps. 51:13, Isa. 63:10-11), distinct from the spirit of an angel, a human, or any other creature.
Although separate from God, the Father, and the Son, the Holy Spirit maintains the most intimate fellowship with both. He is termed the breath of the Almighty (Job 33:4), the Spirit of His mouth (Ps. 33:6), sent by the Father and the Son (John 14:26, 15:26), and proceeds from both; not only from the Father (John 15:26) but also from the Son, as He is called the Spirit of Christ or the Spirit of the Son, as well as the Spirit of the Father (Rom. 8:9).
Because the Holy Spirit is given, sent, poured out, or tortured out of the Father and the Son in this manner, He is often perceived as a power or gift that equips people for their calling and ministry. For example, in Acts 8:15, 10:44, 11:15, 15:8, and 19:2, the Holy Spirit is associated with the gift of tongues or prophecy. However, many wrongly deduce from this that the Holy Spirit is nothing but a gift or power of God. Elsewhere, He clearly appears as a person, bearing personal names, possessing personal qualities, and performing personal works. In John 15:26 and 16:13-14, despite the Greek word for Spirit being neuter, Christ uses a masculine pronoun: He will testify of Me and glorify Me. In the same passages, He is called the Comforter or Advocate, the same title used for Christ in 1 John 2:1, translated in Dutch as Voorspraak.
In addition to these personal names, all kinds of personal characteristics are attributed to the Holy Spirit, such as selfhood
(Acts 13:2), self-consciousness (Acts 15:28), self-determination or will (1 Cor. 12:11), and various personal activities, including investigating (1 Cor. 2:11), hearing (John 16:13), speaking (Rev. 2:7), teaching (John 14:26), and praying (Rom. 8:27). This is most clearly and magnificently expressed in the fact that He is placed on the same
level as the Father and the Son, who are undoubtedly persons (Matt.
28:19, 2 Cor. 13:13).
This already implies more, pointing to the fact that the Holy Spirit is not only a person but also truly God. The Scriptures offer all necessary data for this significant confession. Despite the aforementioned distinction between God and His Spirit, the two are constantly interchanged in Scripture, making it clear that it is entirely the same whether God or His Spirit says or does something.
In Acts 5:3-4, lying to the Spirit is equated with lying to God; in 1 Cor. 3:16, believers are called the temple of God because the Spirit of God dwells in them. Additionally, various divine attributes, such as eternity (Heb. 9:14), omnipresence (Ps. 139:7), omniscience (1 Cor.
2:11), omnipotence (1 Cor. 12:4-6), and various divine works in creation (Ps. 33:6), preservation (Ps. 104:30), and re-creation (John
3:3), are attributed to the Holy Spirit as much as to the Father and the Son. He shares the same honor with them; He is placed alongside the Father and the Son as the source of salvation (2 Cor. 13:13, Rev.
1:4). In His name, we are baptized (Matt. 28:19) and blessed (2 Cor.
13:13). Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is even an unforgivable sin (Matt. 12:31-32). While all things are from the Father and through the Son, they all exist and rest in the Holy Spirit.
All these elements of the doctrine of the Trinity, which are spread throughout Scripture, are succinctly gathered by Christ in His baptismal commission and by the Apostles in their benediction. After His Resurrection and before His Ascension, Christ commands His
Apostles to go forth and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the singular name, in which, nonetheless, three distinct persons are revealed. Father, Son, and Spirit are, in their unity and
distinction, the complete revelation of God. Similarly, according to the Apostles, all salvation and blessedness for mankind lies in the love of the Father, the grace of the Son, and the communion of the Holy Spirit (2 Cor. 13:13, 1 Pet. 1:2, 1 John 5:4-6, Rev. 1:4-6). The pleasure, foreknowledge, power, love, kingdom, and strength belong to the Father. The mediation, atonement, grace, and redemption are the Son's. The regeneration, renewal, sanctification, and communion are the work of the Spirit. The relationship of Christ to the Father is perfectly mirrored by the relationship of the Holy Spirit to Christ.
Just as the Son speaks and acts not of Himself but receives all from the Father (John 5:26, 16:15), so the Holy Spirit receives all from Christ (John 16:13, 14).
As the Son testifies of and glorifies the Father (John 1:18, 17:4, 6), so the Holy Spirit testifies of and glorifies the Son (John 15:26, 16:14).
Just as no one comes to the Father except through the Son (John 14:6), so no one can declare that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy
Spirit (1 Cor. 12:3). Through the Spirit, we have fellowship with both the Father and the Son. In the Holy Spirit, God Himself dwells in our hearts through Christ. Given this truth, the Holy Spirit, with the Son and the Father, is the one true God, eternally to be praised.
The Christian church has affirmed this scriptural teaching in her confession of the Trinity of God with a resounding yes and amen.
This rich and glorious confession did not come without a long and arduous spiritual struggle. For centuries, the deepest experiences of the spiritual life of God's children and the most profound thoughts of the Church's fathers and teachers labored to fully comprehend the revelation of the Holy Scriptures on this point and to faithfully articulate it in the confession. The church could not have succeeded
in this essential work, nor achieved such fruitful results, had she not been led by the Holy Spirit into all truth, and had not received in Tertullian, Irenaeus, Athanasius, the Cappadocian Fathers, Augustine, and Hilary those men who, endowed with extraordinary gifts of piety and wisdom, steered their course along the pure path.
The very essence of Christianity was at stake in this theological battle. The congregation faced the peril of being torn from the solid foundation upon which it had been built and being engulfed by the world.
On one side stood the Arianism, named after the Alexandrian presbyter Arius, who died in 336. He held that the Father was the only true and eternal God because He was unbegotten in the fullest sense. However, regarding the Son, the Logos who became flesh in Christ, Arius taught that since He was begotten, He could not be God but was a creature. Although preeminent above all other creatures, the Son was brought forth from nothing by the will of God. Likewise, the Holy Spirit was regarded as a creature or merely a power or gift of God.
On the other side stood the party of Sabellianism, named after a certain Sabellius, who lived in Rome at the beginning of the third century. He viewed the Father, Son, and Spirit as three names for the one God, who revealed Himself in various forms and guises as His revelation progressed. In the form of the Father, God first acted as Creator and Lawgiver; then, in the form of the Son, as Redeemer; and now, in the form of the Holy Spirit, as the Sanctifier of the Church.
While Arianism sought to maintain the unity of God by placing the Son and the Spirit outside the Divine Being, reducing them to mere creatures, Sabellianism aimed to achieve the same goal by stripping the three persons of their distinctiveness, transforming them into three successive manifestations of the same Divine Being. In the first direction, the Jewish, deistic, rationalistic way of thinking is expressed; in the second, the ideas of Pagan pantheism (algodism) and mysticism are represented. As the Church began to consider with clarity the truth later enshrined in the doctrine of the Trinity, these directions emerged on the left and right, continuing to accompany it to this day. The congregation and each of its members must always be vigilant, neither to compromise the one essence of God nor to neglect the distinct persons within that divine essence.
Unity and diversity must be upheld in their indissoluble connection and pure relationship, both theologically in thought and practically in life. This is the vocation of all believers.
To fulfill this calling, the Christian Church and theologians have employed various terms and expressions not found verbatim in Scripture. They speak of the one essence of God and of three persons or modes of functioning within that essence; of trinity and triplicity; of essential and personal characteristics; of the eternal generation of the Son and the procession of the Holy Spirit from the Father and the Son, and so forth.
There is no reason why the Church and theology should refrain from using such terms and expressions. The Holy Scriptures were not given by God to the congregation merely to be imitated but to be experienced in their fullness and richness, absorbed into our consciousness, and expressed in our own language, so that we may
proclaim the great works of God. Moreover, these terms and expressions are necessary to defend the truth of Scripture against its opponents and to protect it from misunderstanding and error.
History has shown that lightly rejecting and dismissing these terms leads to various deviations in the confession.
Yet, when using these terms, we must always remember that they are of human origin, limited, imperfect, and fallible. The Fathers of the Church have always acknowledged this; they said, for example, of the term "persons," which denotes the three modes of existence in the Divine Being, that it did not fully capture the matter but served as an auxiliary to uphold the truth and counter error. This term was chosen not because it was perfect in all respects, but because no better one could be found. Thus, the word falls short of the thought, and the thought again falls short of the matter. Although we cannot fully grasp the matter except in its imperfect form, we must never forget that it is the matter, not the word, that is paramount. In the dispensation of glory, other and better names will undoubtedly be placed upon our lips.
The matter itself, concerning the confession of the Holy Trinity, is of utmost significance for both mind and heart.
By this confession, the congregation affirms the unity and diversity within the essence of God. The Divine Being is singular; there is but one Being who is God and who rightfully bears the name God. In creation and re-creation, in nature and grace, in church and world, in state and society, everywhere and always, we encounter the one, identical, living, true God. The unity of the world, the unity of humanity, the unity of truth, virtue, justice, and beauty all hinge
upon the unity of God. Once this unity of God is denied or weakened, the door is opened to polytheism.
Yet, this unity of God, as revealed in Scripture and experienced by the congregation, is not an empty, abstract unity but a fullness of life and power. It encompasses diversity. This diversity is manifested in the three persons or modes of existence of the Divine Being. These three persons are not mere forms of manifestation but modes of existence within the Being of God. Father, Son, and Spirit share the same divine nature and attributes; they are one being. Yet, each has a distinct name and a special quality that distinguishes them from one another: the Father alone is Father, the Son is begotten, and the Holy
Spirit proceeds from both.
The order of the three persons in all divine works corresponds to this order of existence within the Divine Being. It is the Father, from whom all things proceed; it is the Son, through whom all things are accomplished; and it is the Spirit, in whom all things are. From the Father, through the Son, and by the Spirit, all things originate in creation and re-creation; and in the Spirit and through the Son, all things return to Him. Thus, we give thanks especially to the Father for His electing love, to the Son for His redeeming grace, and to the Holy Spirit for His regenerating and renewing power.
Secondly, with this confession, the congregation staunchly opposes the errors of deism, pantheism, Judaism, and paganism. There is always a dual tendency in the human heart: one tendency to think of God as distant and to detach the entire world from God, and another tendency to draw God into the world, to identify Him with the world, and thus to deify oneself with the world. If the first tendency prevails
in us, we are led to believe that in nature, in our professions, in our business, in our science, in our art, or in the work of salvation, we can manage without God and save ourselves. If the second inclination dominates our hearts, we transform the glory of God into the image of some creature; we deify the world, the sun, the moon, and the stars, or art, science, and the state, and in the creation of ourselves, we often seek our own greatness. There, God is only from afar; here, only close by. There, He is above, outside, separate from the world; here, He is alone inside and united with the world.
But the church confesses both: God is above the world, distinct in essence, yet fully present in it, and at no point of space or moment of time separated from it. He is both distant and near, highly exalted and simultaneously deeply embedded in all His creatures. He is our
Creator, who, distinct in His being, brought us forth by His will. He is our Redeemer, who saves us not by our works but by the riches of His grace. He is our Sanctifier, who dwells within us as His temple.
As a triune God, He is God above, for, and in us.
Finally, this confession of the congregation holds profound significance for the spiritual life. It is often claimed, albeit incorrectly, that the doctrine of the Trinity is merely a philosophically derived dogma with no bearing on religion or daily life. The Dutch Confession of Faith holds a different view, asserting in Article IX that God's triune nature is known not only through the testimonies of Holy Scripture but also through their effects, especially those experienced within ourselves. While our belief in the Trinity is not founded on mere feeling and experience, embracing this belief reveals its deep connection to the spiritual experience of God's children.
Believers come to know the workings of the Father, the Creator of all things, who grants them life, breath, and all things. They recognize
Him as the Lawgiver, who imparts His holy commandments for their guidance. They perceive Him as the Judge, who abhors all iniquity and never leaves the guilty unpunished. Ultimately, they come to trust Him as the Father, who for Christ's sake is their God and Father, assuring them that He will provide for all their needs and turn every trial to their benefit. They affirm this trust by confessing: I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth.
Similarly, they experience the workings of the Son, the only begotten of the Father, conceived by the Holy Spirit in Mary. They know Him as their highest Prophet and Teacher, who fully reveals God's hidden counsel and will for their salvation. They acknowledge Him as their only High Priest, who redeemed them with the sacrifice of His body and continually intercedes for them before the Father. They also recognize Him as their eternal King, who governs them by His Word and Spirit, safeguarding their redemption. They profess this faith by declaring: I believe in Jesus Christ, God's only begotten Son, our
Lord.
Moreover, they come to understand the workings of the Holy Spirit, who resurrects them and leads them into all truth. They know Him as the Giver of faith, through which they partake in Christ and all His benefits. They recognize Him as the Comforter, who prays within them with unspeakable sighs and confirms to their spirits that they are God's children. They trust Him as the pledge of their eternal inheritance, preserving them until the day of redemption. They affirm this belief by stating: I believe in the Holy Spirit.
Thus, the confession of the Trinity is the heart and essence of the entire Christian religion. Without it, neither creation, redemption, nor sanctification can be rightly upheld.
Any deviation from this confession inevitably leads to error in other doctrines; conversely, any misrepresentation of these articles of faith results in a misunderstanding of the doctrine of the Trinity. We can proclaim God's great works truthfully only when we acknowledge and confess them as the singular, magnificent work of the Father,
Son, and Spirit.
In the love of the Father, the grace of the Son, and the communion of the Holy Spirit lies all the salvation and blessedness of mankind.
Study Questions for Reflection 1. How does the doctrine of the Trinity enhance our understanding of God's revelation in Scripture and His work in the world?
Reflect on how knowing God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit helps us grasp the full depth of His actions and character as revealed in the Bible and throughout history.
2. What is the significance of Moses' encounter with God in the burning bush (Exodus 3:1-6) for understanding the holiness and mystery of the Trinity?
Consider how this Old Testament event sets a precedent for approaching the revelation of the Triune God with reverence and awe.
3. In what ways does the Christian confession of the Trinity differ from philosophical or human conceptions of God?
Discuss how the doctrine of the Trinity is rooted in God's selfrevelation rather than human invention, and how this shapes our understanding of God.
4. Why is it essential to maintain a balance between the unity and diversity of God's nature in the doctrine of the Trinity?
Reflect on the importance of holding both the oneness of God and the distinct persons of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in proper tension to avoid theological errors.
5. How does the Old Testament prepare for the revelation of the Trinity, and what indications of the Trinity can be found in the Old
Testament?
Explore examples such as the plural form of Elohim and the roles of the Word and Spirit in creation that hint at the triune nature of God.
6. How does the New Testament fully reveal the doctrine of the Trinity through the person and work of Jesus Christ and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit?
Discuss key New Testament passages and events, such as the baptism of Jesus and the Great Commission, that explicitly reveal the triune nature of God.
7. What role does each person of the Trinity play in the work of creation, redemption, and sanctification?