In the last Teaching Notes, we looked at the Holiness of God. While other religions believe that God is holy (e.g. Judaism, Islam), the Christian belief about God is different than all other religions on earth. We look now at the Trinity – a belief exclusive to Christianity.
[These notes are from 40 years ago when I spoke to a group of pastors. The notes are in outline form.]
- Genesis 1 introduces us to a Creating God. He made everything that was made.
- According to verses 26-27 – “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness … So God created man in his own image.”
- Here the Scriptures introduce to us a plural God who is one. God creates man in Their image and His image.
Matthew 28:19 teaches us that the Three Members of the Godhead (the Trinity) are:
- The Father
- The Son
- The Holy Spirit
They are also placed in a position of being equal to each other in other in other Scriptures (e.g. Galatians 4:4-6; 2 Corinthians 13:14).
The Holy Spirit is called God in Acts 5:3-4 and was actively involved in creation as God (Genesis 1:2).
- Isaiah speaks of a future time when God would honor Galilee of the Gentiles by giving a male child to the people of Israel who be called “Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:1-6)
- The Apostle John claimed that Jesus was God the Son (John 1:1-18).
- The Apostle Matthew records the baptism of Jesus and says that God the Spirit descended upon Him and God the Father said, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17)
- The Apostle Paul wrote that Jesus was the image of the invisible God and the Creator of all things (Colossians 1:15-17).
- Paul told the Philippians that Jesus was in His very nature God and totally equal to God (Philippians 2:6).
- The Apostle Thomas called Jesus “My Lord and my God” (John 20:28).
- The Apostle Peter believed Jesus to be “the Son of the living God” (John 6:69).
- The demons believed Jesus was the “Son of the most high God” (Mark 5:7).
- God the Father called Jesus “O God” (Hebrews 1:8).
- Jesus claimed to be God, the “I am” (John 8:58).
Understanding the Trinity is an important part of comprehending how God has worked and is working in the lives of people.
[Thank you for reading these teaching notes from 40 years ago. My prayer is they will be a blessing to you and your ministry.]