The Trinity

If Jesus were not God, then we would still have to suffer damnation for our sin, for the ultimate judgment for sin is the eternal suffering of men's souls, "and the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever" (Revelation 14:11). Jesus suffered the torment of spiritual separation from God in our place: "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" (Mark 15:34). Because he was divine, an infinite soul, his spiritual suffering was infinite, and so was able to take the place of the suffering of every soul: "Thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin... He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied" (Isaiah 53:10-11).

"The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 6:23). Jesus' death had to be of infinite value for it to serve as a propitiation "for the sins of the whole world" (1 John 2:2). If Jesus was not divine, his single death could not have in any way taken the place of the deaths of billions of men; Jesus' death had to be of infinite value in order for him to "taste death for every man" (Hebrews 2:9); "We were reconciled to God by the death of his Son" (Romans 5:10).

Men are "are of more value than many sparrows" (Matthew 10:31); it was "not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins" (Hebrews 10:4). This was why "neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us" (Hebrews 9:12). If even King David was only "worth ten thousand of us" (2 Samuel 18:3), what man could be worth 10 billion of us unless he were divine?

The only way that "it was not possible" that Jesus "should be holden of" death (Acts 2:24) was because of his divinity: "No man taketh [my life] from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again" (John 10:18), "and if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins" (1 Corinthians 15:17).

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Jesus is God:

"The Word was God... And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us" (John 1:1, 14).

"God was manifest in the flesh" (1 Timothy 3:16).

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God" (Isaiah 9:6).

"The glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ" (Titus 2:13).

"Unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever" (Hebrews 1:8).

"And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God" (John 20:28).

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The Alpha & Omega

The Lord Jesus is Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last, from everlasting and to everlasting:

"Thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting" (Micah 5:2); "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty" (Revelation 1:8); "I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last" (Revelation 1:11); "I am the first and the last: I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore" (Revelation 1:17-18); "And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son" (Revelation 21:5-7); "Behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last" (Revelation 22:12-13).

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Jesus is YHWH

"I, even I, am YHWH; and beside me there is no saviour" (Isaiah 43:11); "Our Saviour Jesus Christ" (Titus 2:13).

"I am YHWH that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself" (Isaiah 44:24); "By [Jesus] were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth" (Colossians 1:16).

"YHWH is my shepherd; I shall not want" (Psalm 23:1); "I am the good shepherd" (John 10:11); "One fold, and one shepherd" (John 10:16).

"Whosoever shall call on the name of YHWH shall be delivered" (Joel 2:32); "Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Romans 10:13).

"The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of YHWH" (Isaiah 40:3); "The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord" (Mark 1:3); "To make ready a people prepared for the Lord" (Luke 1:17).

"Thus saith YHWH the King of Israel, and his redeemer YHWH of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last" (Isaiah 44:6); "Thou art the King of Israel" (John 1:49); "Christ hath redeemed us" (Galatians 3:13); "These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive" (Revelation 2:8).

"I and my Father are one" (John 10:30); "He that hath seen me hath seen the Father" (John 14:9); "If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him" (John 14:7).

"Then shall YHWH go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives" (Zechariah 14:3-4); "And in righteousness he doth judge and make war" (Revelation 19:11).

"I am YHWH: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another" (Isaiah 42:8); "And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was" (John 17:5); "Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory" (1 Corinthians 2:8); "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory" (Revelation 5:12); "Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever" (Revelation 5:13).

"I am YHWH; and there is none else... unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear" (Isaiah 45:18, 23); "At the name of Jesus every knee should bow... and that every tongue should confess" (Philippians 2:10-11); "For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess" (Romans 14:10-11).

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One Yet Three

An analogy of the trinity would be one graphic image made up of three concentric circles: while it is one thing, that is, no one would claim that it is three separate graphic images, yet the one involves three.

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Subordination

God the Son is subordinate to God the Father (John 14:28, Mark 14:36), but this makes him no less God, just as a human son can be subordinate to his human father without being any less human.

God the Word is subordinate to God the Father, but this makes him no less God, just as what you speak and do are always subordinate to you without these being any less you. How could we know you if you never spoke or did anything? In the same way, how could we know the Father except by his Word and Son, Jesus Christ (John 14:6-7, 1:14; Luke 1:35)?

Subordination isn't antithetical to unity, just as 1a x 1b x 1c = 1abc.

Note that because the three terms above were not added together but multiplied together, their product becomes a single term; similarly, the trinity can be thought of not as 1 + 1 + 1 = 3, but rather as 1 x 1 x 1 = 1.

Or, if one continues to insists on addition, the trinity can be thought of not as 1 + 1 + 1 = 3, but rather as 1-infinity + 1-infinity + 1-infinity = 1-infinity, as all three persons of the trinity are infinite.

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Jesus As Man

I believe that as a man Jesus had to temporarily taste everything we humans taste, including incomplete knowledge about future things (Mark 13:32, Matthew 24:36), for "in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren" (Hebrews 2:17).

I believe that after his resurrection, just as he received as a man all power in heaven and earth, so he received all knowledge: "All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth" (Matthew 28:18); "Christ; In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" (Colossians 2:2-3).

God can die physically, for God the Son died on the cross for our sins. But God cannot die spiritually, for the Spirit of Christ is eternal -- from everlasting and to everlasting (Micah 5:2, Deuteronomy 32:40, Revelation 1:8).

I believe Luke 1:35 shows that the Word of God would not be called "the Son of God" until after he was "made flesh" (John 1:14) without any human father. The Word was uncreated, for John 1:1-2 and Colossians 1:16-18 say he was God and that ALL things were created by him, and that without him was not anything made that was made.

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Oneness -- Yet The Son Is A Different Person Than The Father

Note that Jesus and the Father are two separate persons at the same time:

"It is also written in your law, that the testimony of two men is true. I am one that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me" (John 8:17-18).

"He that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone" (John 8:29).

"I proceeded forth and came from God... he sent me" (John 8:42).

"Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again" (John 12:28).

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Oneness -- Yet The Son Is Subordinate To The Father

Note that Jesus is subordinate to the Father:

"I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things... I do always those things that please him" (John 8:28-29).

"Neither came I of myself, but he sent me" (John 8:42).

"For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak" (John 12:49-50).

"The words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works" (John 14:10).

"For my Father is greater than I" (John 14:28).

"As the Father gave me commandment, even so I do" (John 14:31).

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Oneness -- Yet Three Persons At The Same Time

"Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" (Matthew 3:16-17).

"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost" (Matthew 28:19).

"When the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me" (John 15:26).

"The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen" (2 Corinthians 13:14).

I believe that just as the one God is three separate persons at the same time in Matthew 3:16-17, Matthew 28:19, and 2 Corinthians 13:14, so the one God had always been three separate persons at the same time, and always will be three separate persons at the same time.

I believe that just as before he was made flesh the Word of God had always been the one God and at the same time was "with" God (John 1:1), so once he was made flesh (John 1:14) the Word continued to be the one God (John 10:30; 1 Timothy 3:16; John 20:28) and at the same time continued to be a separate person (John 14:28, Mark 14:36), and always will continue to be the one God (Hebrews 1:8) and at the same continue to be a separate person as he continues to serve in the flesh (Luke 24:39) as the Son of God (Hebrews 1:8) and the Lamb of God (Revelation 21:22-23) and the human mediator and high priest between the Father and the rest of mankind: "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus" (1 Timothy 2:5); "Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God" (Hebrews 2:17); "Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace" (Hebrews 4:14-16); "And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it" (Revelation 22:3); "And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever" (Revelation 5:13).

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Jesus Sitting In The Father's Throne

"To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne" (Revelation 3:21). Note that Jesus' sitting "with" the Father in the Father's throne does not suggest that he is the same person as the Father, just as our sitting "with" Jesus in Jesus' throne doesn't suggest that we will be the same person as Jesus.

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Roles Vs. Persons?

The Father and the Son exist at the same time (Matthew 3:17; Mark 14:36; Acts 7:55; 1 Timothy 2:5).

How can Jesus be all three "roles" and still be a distinct role? Can one person be his own father and his own son?

Why are "one God" and "three persons" mutually exclusive but "one God" and "three roles" not?

When someone plays more than one "role" in a play, aren't the different "roles" different "persons" within the play?

Can one person play two distinct roles simultaneously?

Some say Trinitarians separate the Godhead into three parts. But aren't "parts" in a play the same as "roles" in a play?

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In The Name Of Jesus

How are we to fulfill Paul's command to do everything in the name of Jesus? "Whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus" (Colossians 3:17).

What is "the name of Jesus"? If we answer simply "Jesus," then what is the use of saying "the name of"? Wouldn't that be redundant? The name of Jesus must include more than a particular word or sound because in the original Greek of the Bible it's a different word and sound: Iesous, pronounced ee-ay-sooce. What do these different words and sounds have in common, that they can both be called his name?

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The Holy Spirit

The Spirit of the Father and the Spirit of the Son is the Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:17, Matthew 10:20, Mark 13:11, Romans 8:9), so they are one Spirit (John 4:24), yet they are also 3 persons (Matthew 28:19, 3:16-17), just as 1 is also 1 x 1 x 1.

The Lord is that Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:17), for God is one Spirit (John 4:24; Romans 8:9), but Jesus is at the same time a different person than the Holy Spirit (John 16:7, 14-15), just as he is at the same time one with the Father (John 10:30) and at the same time a different person than the Father (John 14:28, 17:1-26; Matthew 3:16-17, 28:19). Unity can involve different terms, just as 1a x 1b x 1c = 1abc.

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The Creator

"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth" (Genesis 1:1).

"By [Jesus] were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth" (Colossians 1:16).

"All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made" (John 1:3).

"The glory which I had with thee before the world was" (John 17:5).

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Who Raised Jesus' Body From The Dead?

Jesus: "I will raise it up" (John 2:19).

The Father: "God the Father, who raised him from the dead" (Galatians 1:1); "The God of our fathers raised up Jesus" (Acts 5:30); "Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father" (Romans 6:4).

The Spirit: "If the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you" (Romans 8:11).