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Mini Profile: The Biblical Basis for the Trinity

1. THERE IS ONLY ONE GOD
1. Deuteronomy 6:4
2. Isaiah 43:10
3. Isaiah 44:6-8
2. OLD TESTAMENT EVIDENCES OF THE TRINITY
1. Genesis 1:1,26,27
2. Isaiah 6:1-10
3. Isaiah 48:12-16
4. Zechariah 2:10-11

(Points I & lll are not contested by those who deny the Trinity, therefore little space is given them here.)

3. THE FATHER IS GOD
1. I Peter 1:17
2. John 5:17-23
4. THE SON IS GOD
1. He Is Called God Explicitly
1. Matthew 1:23, "Emmanuel-God with us."
2. John 1:1, "The Word was God." (Note: There is no scholarly support for the NWT rendering it "a god." For a thorough treatment of this issue request our study on John 1:1)
3. John 5:17-23, The Son is "equal" to his Father
4. John 8:53-59, Jesus is the "I AM" of Exodus 3:1-15
5. John 10:28-33, Jesus and the Father are equal
6. John 20:28 "The Lord of me and THE GOD of me."
7. Romans 9:5, Christ is God over all
8. Colossians 2:9, All the fullness of deity
9. Titus 2:13, "our Great God and Saviour."
10. Hebrews 1:8, "Thy throne O God."
11. I John 5:20, "The true God."
2. He Is Described In Terms Reserved Only For God
1. Creator of ALL Things
1. John 1:3
2. Ephesians 3:9
3. Colossians 1:16,17
4. Hebrews 2:10
5. Revelation 3:14
2. The Almighty
1. Revelation 1:8 with 21:5-7; and 22:12,13,16,20
3. The First and Last
1. Revelation 1:17; 2:8; 22:13 (Compare Isaiah 44:6)
4. The Exact Representation of The Father
1. Hebrews 1:3
2. John 12:45 and 14:6-11
3. Isaiah 46:9
3. He Is Worshipped As God. (See Luke 4:8)
1. Revelation 5:11-13 (Compare Revelation 4:9-11)
2. Hebrews 1:6
4. O.T./N.T. Cross-Reference Proves Jesus Is God
1. Isaiah 40:3 with John 1:23 & 3:28
2. Isaiah 45:23 with Philippians 2:10,11 and Romans 14:11
3. Isaiah 44:24 with John 1:3
4. Isaiah 6:1-5 with John 12:37-41
5. Isaiah 8:13,14 with I Peter 2:7,8
6. Isaiah 42:8 with John 17:5
7. Isaiah 60:19 with Luke 2:30-32
8. Psalms 102:24-27 with Hebrews 1:10-12
9. Psalms 45:6,7 with Hebrews 1:8,9
10. Psalms 23:1 with Isaiah 40:10,11 and John 10,11
11. I Kings 8:39 with Revelation 2:23 
12. Joel 2:32 with Romans 10:9-13
13. Exodus 3:14 with John 8:58,59
14. Malachi 3:1 with Matthew 11:10
15. Exodus 19:18-21 with Hebrews 12:18-26
16. Zechariah 12:10 & 13:6,7 with John 19:34-37
17. Zechariah 14:4,5 with Matthew 24:29-31; Matthew 25:31; Jude 14,15; II Thessalonians  1:7-10; Revelation 19:11-21
5. Jesus Is God Made Flesh
1. Philippians 2:5-8: Jesus "being in the form of God" (i.e., deity), did not consider it something to cling to, but emptied himself of his divine glory and perogatives, NOT his divine nature, and took UPON his divine form "the form of a servant" (i.e., humanity), in order to suffer death.
2. John 1:1,14: "In the beginning was (eternally) the Word and the Word was with God (i.e., the Father and Holy Spirit), and the Word was God (deity)." "And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us."
3. Hebrews 1:3 and 2:9-18: Jesus is the "EXACT REPRESENTATION of His (God's) VERY BEING" (NWT). No creature could possibly do that! But, Jesus set aside his infinite glory to become one of us so that he could be to us an, example in faith, the perfect sacrifice, our High Priest, Comforter, and Saviour.
6. Who Is The "Angel Of Jehovah?"
1. Genesis 16:7-13
2. Genesis 18:1,13,17,20-22,26,33; 19:24
3. Genesis 22:11-18
4. Genesis 31:11-13
5. Genesis 32:24-30 (compare Hosea 12:4,5)
6. Genesis 48: 15,16
7. Exodus 3:1-15 (compare vs. 5 with Joshua 5: 14,15)
8. Exodus 23:20,21
9. Judges 6:11-23

Note: In these passages the "Angel of Jehovah" speaks as Jehovah, is called Jehovah, does the works of Jehovah, and is worshipped by those to whom He appears. He is Jesus, the Son of God. "Angel" means "messenger" and is applied to the angelic beings, men (evangelists), and to God (see above)

7. Answers To Common Antitrinitarian Prooftexts
1. John 14:28 "My Father is greater than I." Just as the husband is positionally greater than the wife so the Father is greater the the Son. Both husband and wife are equally human as the Father and Son are equally divine.
2. Colossians 1:15 "the Firstborn of all creation." "Firstborn" (Gr. Prototokos), not "first created" (Gr. "Protoktistos"). Firstborn is term that means first in importance. These scriptures bear that out: Genesis 41:51,52 with Jeremiah 31:9; Deuteronomy 21:15-17; Exodus 4:22; and Job 18:13.
3. Revelation 3:14 "the beginning of the creation of God." We derive many words such as architect, archangel, arch-rival, from the Greek word "arche" translated "beginning" in this verse. It means "origin," "source," "chief," and "ruler." Jesus is the origin of ALL, or the creator.
5. THE HOLY SPIRIT IS GOD
1. He Is Called God
1. Acts 5:3,4 Lying to the Spirit is lying to God
2. II Corinthians 3:17 "The Lord is that Spirit." (compare this with Exodus 34:29-35)
2. He Is Omnipotent
1. Isaiah 40:12-14 (See Romans 11:34 and I Corinthians 2:16)
3. He Is Omniscient
1. I Corinthians 2:10,11 Isaiah 40: 13,14
4. He Is Omnipresent
1. Psalm 139:7
5. He Is Eternal
1. Hebrews 9:14
6. He Has The Attributes Of Personality
1. Intellect
1. Romans 8:27, "The MIND of theSpirit."
2. I Corinthians 2:10-12, The Spirit "KNOWS."
2. Will
1. I Corinthians 12:11, "The Spirit WILLS."
3. Emotion
1. Ephesians 4:30, "GRIEVE" not the Spirit
4. His Self-Cognizance Is Shown By These Actions:
1. He Speaks
1. Acts 8:29; 10:19; 13:2; 21:11
2. Revelation 2:7,11,17,29; 3:6,13,22
2. He Teaches
1. Luke 12:12
2. John 14:26
3. I John 2:26,27
3. Says "I"
1. Acts 10:20
7. If the Holy Spirit is a self-cognizant personality, and is also eternal, then He must be God, for God is the only eternal being.

Conclusion

"So the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Ghost is God. And yet there are not three Gods, but one God." (from The Athanasian Creed)

This article was excerpted from the July 1998 Vantage Point.

For more information on apologetics, doctrine, and church history, please visit our web catalog; or click here to order a free information packet.