Bible Texts on the Trinity, the Deity of Christ, and the Holy Spirit



    
	
  1. Trinity
    
	
      
		
    1. Heidelberg
		Catechism Q#25: Since there is only one God, (Deu_6:4; Isa_44:6;
		Isa_45:5; 1Co_8:4-6) why do you speak of three persons, Father,
		Son, and Holy Spirit?
      Because God has so revealed Himself in His
		Word that these three distinct persons are the one, true, eternal
		God. (Gen_1:2-3 creation; Isa_61:1 - cf. Luk_4:18 the Spirit of
		Jehovah is upon me; Isa_63:8-10 trinity in history of Israel;
		Mat_3:16-17 baptism of Jesus; Mat_28:18-19 baptising in the name
		(singular) of the Father, Son, and H.S.; Joh_14:26 & 15:26 &
		Gal 4:6 & Tit_3:5-6the H.S. whom the Father will send in my
		name; 2Co_13:14 benediction) also see Isaiah 48:16.

      
	
    





    
	
  1. Deity Of Jesus
    
	
      
		
    1. Foundational Passages
      
		
        
			
      1. Colossians
			1:12-22, 2:6-10 kingdom, first-born, creator, holds all things
			together, before all things, headship, forgiveness of sins, the
			image of the invisible God, Christ = Messiah, Lord = Jehovah, all
			the fullness of Deity, head over all rule and authority (except
			the Father 1 Cor 15:27)
        
			
      2. Phil 2:5-7 in
			very nature God... equality with God... made in the likeness of
			men
        
			
      3. John 1:1-3,
			14- word was in beginning, was God, creator, became flesh,
			only-begotten of the father
        
		
      
		
    2. Jesus Claimed to be God
      
		
        
			
      1. "I Am"
			statements: (Ex. 3:14 "I Am that I Am") (John 8:58
			Before Abraham was, I Am.") (John 14:6 "I Am the Way the
			Truth and the Life" - see
			paper)
        
			
      2. "I and the
			Father are one" (John 10:30) Understood as blasphemy
        
			
      3. Son of Man -
			Title emphasizes humanity, but in the following instances is an
			allusion to Daniel's pre-existent heavenly man-like being who
			brings the everlasting kingdom to earth - Dan 7:13, 22 cf. Mk.
			8:38, Mt. 16:27, Lk 9:26; Mk 13:26=Mt. 24:30=Lk. 21:27; Mk.
			14:62=Mt. 26:64=Lk. 22:69. Jesus used this term instead of
			"Messiah" because the Jews misunderstood the concept of
			Messiah and because the "Son of Man" title, although
			indicating Messiahship, was less familiar and He could infuse it
			with meaning. (Ladd, Theology of the N.T.)
        
			
      4. Son of God (Matt
			26:63-64; Lk 22:70 - admission in court 'You say that I am";
			John 3:16-18 - Jesus refers to himself as Son of God in 3rd
			person; John 9:35-37 - Jesus identifies himself as Son of God to
			the lame man He healed; Also, Jesus accepted the appellation from
			Satan (Mat 4), demons (Mat. 8), disciples (Matt 14:33), Peter
			(Mat. 16:16), Nathaniel (John 1:49), Martha (John 11:27), even his
			Roman executioner (Mat. 27:54)
        
			
      5. Messiah (Isa.
			9:6 - child is born, son is given, name shall be mighty God,
			everlasting Father, prince of peace)
        
			
      6. "I am the
			first and last" Rev. 1:17-18 cf. Isa 44:6
        
			
      7. I am the Light
			of the world (John 8:12)
        
			
      8. Rev 21:5-9 - The
			lamb on the throne = Jesus says, "I will be their God"
        
		
      
		
    3. Jesus did things only God can do
      
		
        
			
      1. Accepted worship
			(Mat 8:2 - leper, Matt 14:33 - disciples in the boat; Matt.15:25 -
			Canaanite women; Matt. 20:20 - mother of James and John; Mark 5:6
			- Gerasene demoniac; John 20:28 - Thomas)
        
			
      2. Forgave sins
			(Mark 2:5)
        
			
      3. Gives life (John
			5:21 cf. I Sam.2:6; Deut.32:39)
        
			
      4. Only one
			Lawgiver and Judge who is able to save and to Destroy (James 4:12)
        
			
          
				
        1. Matt 5:21 "You
				have heard.. but I say to you" Lawgiver on par with God
				in O.T. law
          
				
        2. "Not even
				the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the
				Son that all may honor the Son even as they honor the Father"
				(John 5:22-23)
          
				
        3. “execute
				judgment” (John 5:27); “save” (Luke 19:10)
          
			
        
			
      5. Glory "Father,
			glorify me in your own presence with the glory which I had with
			you before the world was made (John 17:5) cf Isa 42:8 "My
			glory I will not give to another"
        
			
      6. Called for faith
			in Himself in order to be saved.
        
			
      7. Miracles
			confirmed His testimony about himself.
        
		
      
		
    4. Use of "Lord" at a time when
		YHWH/Jehovah was called "Lord"
      
		
        
			
      1. Greek "Kurios"
			- Lord - is used in the N.T. both as the modern-day equivalent of
			"Mister" but also for the divine name which was
			considered unutterable after the Exile.
        
		
      
		
    5. The disciples understood Jesus to be God
      
		
        
			
      1. Jesus would have
			corrected them if they were mistaken. Most of them were martyred
			for their belief that Jesus is God.
        
		
      
	
    





    
	
  1. Holy Spirit
    
	
      
		
    1. Deity: Called
		"God" in Acts 5:3-4; Possesses divine attributes of
		omnipresence (Ps. 139:7-12), omniscience (I Cor. 2:10-11), creating
		the world (Gen 1:2), and saving (John 3:5-6; Rom 8:9ff; Titus
		3:5-7)
      
		
    2. Personhood of the
		Holy Spirit established in scripture:
      
		
        
			
      1. Grammatically:
			3rd person masculine pronoun "he," (I Pet 1:11) and
			called "comforter (not "comfort"), and placement as
			a person along with lists of persons (Father, Son, and H.S.)
        
			
      2. Personally:
			attributes of intelligence (I Cor 1:11), will (Spirit does
			things), affections (grief)
        
		
      
	
    



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