Tag Archives: Oneness of God

1 God, 3 Persons

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Modalism is a common false concept of the nature of God.  Essentially, in an attempt to maintain the oneness of God, the Trinity is denied.  Modalism asserts that there is one divine Person who makes himself known in three different ways, i.e., three forms or modes.   Thus, each form or manifestation of God is one way in which he reveals himself.  It is said that the one God revealed himself as the Father in the Old Testament, as Jesus in the Incarnation, and now as the Holy Spirit in the present. Thus, Modalism says that there is only one Being, one Person, made known in three different ways. But this is not a biblical understanding of the Godhead. In Scripture, we are presented with one God who eternally exists as three divine Persons, each fully God, each one distinct from the others, yet one God. This is the Trinity.

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No “Trinity” in the Bible?

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Question:  If God is really a Trinity, then why is the word “trinity” not found in the Bible?

Answer:  A common argument against the doctrine of the Trinity is that the very word “trinity” is not found in the Bible.  This is often used by Jehovah’s Witnesses.  Yet they are not alone.  You hear this line of reasoning quite often from various sources.

Now we admit that the word “trinity” is not found in the Bible.  It is a post-biblical word coined by Christian writers.  However, the concept of the Trinity is definitely found in Scripture.  In fact, a careful study of both Old and New Testaments reveals a wealth of Bible passages that present the Trinity to us.  It is a solidly biblical concept.

Using a term such as “Trinity” for describing the Godhead came about because as the early followers of Christ examined the Scriptures, they were confronted with the reality that God is both One and Three.  For centuries they struggled with how to understand this truth.  In their attempts to discuss and explain the nature of the Deity, they developed a vocabulary that while not found in the Bible is still firmly rooted in the Sacred Writings. Continue reading →