Bible Question:
If Jesus was “God,” please explain John 5:18-47. Here, Jesus speaks of another person whom He calls his Father. Clearly, there are two persons. Last, explain John 1:18 and Matthew 3:16-17. If Jesus was “God” how could there be a voice from heaven while he is being baptized here on earth by John the Baptist?
Bible Answer:
If a person does not understand the concept of the trinity, it is difficult to understand the Bible, especially the gospels because the concept of the trinity can be found in the both the Old and New Testaments. Some cults claim the word trinity is not in the Bible, so they say the trinity is not biblical. Such reasoning ignores the fact that the concept of the trinity is taught in the Bible. The principle exists and so the word trinity was assigned to describe the concept. Psalm 50:21 teaches us that some people assume they can understand God. In Psalm 50:21 God said this about them.
You thought that I was just like you . . . Psalm 50:21 (NASB)
Those who claim the trinity is not logical or say it is not possible for three persons to be one person have concluded that they can understand God. But Psalm 50:21 reveals they have deceived themselves. Psalm 50:21 says they cannot understand a God who can create a universe, exist forever, and be an aseity.
Mortal men think as mortal men and not as God. The following statement echoes that truth. God is speaking and He reminds us of something important.
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways
And My thoughts than your thoughts.
Isaiah 55:8-9 (NASB)
The message is simple. We are just mortal men who try to understand God and we cannot understand Him completely or fully.
Concept of the Trinity
The Bible declares that God is a triune being. He is a plural-one. God is God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. It can be misleading to say God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit for the cults use that to claim Christians believe in three God. But notice how Matthew 28:19 reads,
Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit . . . Matthew 28:19 (NASB)
Deuteronomy 6:4 declares that God is a plural being and it also says that He is one.
Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one! Deuteronomy 6:4 (NASB)
In this verse, the word “LORD” is actually the Hebrew word “Yahweh.” The word translated as God is elohim which is plural. That is, God is a plural being. The word translated as “one” means “one.” That is God is a plural-one. Yahweh is one and yet three. Just because we cannot understand that concept does not mean it is not true; because Scripture teaches that God is one and Scripture teaches that God is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. If we could understand God, then God would not be God. The truth is, God is way beyond our understanding. The Bible teaches the concept that theology calls the Trinity.
For more in-depth studies about the trinity read “Mystery of the Trinity, part 1” and “Mystery of the Trinity, part 2“, or the series Jesus Is God. They are highly recommended. Our God is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit!
Illustration of the Trinity
Some believers use the illustration of an egg to illustrate the Trinity. They say the egg is like God with a shell, the white of the egg, and the yellow center. But the illustration is poor because the shell, the white, and the yoke are never mixed together as one. Maybe the closest illustration to the Trinity is the triple point of water. In science the triple point of water is the temperature and pressure at which H2O is ice, water, and gas simultaneously. Now that is hard for most to understand but it is a scientific fact. That is the closest illustration I know to the concept of the Trinity.
In the Bible, Matthew 3:16-17 reveals the presence of God the Father in heaven, the Holy Spirit, who descended “as a dove,” and God the Son, Jesus Christ, when He was baptized while standing in water.
After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him, and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.” Matthew 3:16-17 (NASB)
But this verse does not prove the trinity. It only reveals that all three members of the Trinity are present. For explanations about Matthew 3:16-17 and John 5:18-47, please read the following studies “The One and Only,” and “Baptism of Jesus,.” In addition, the reader may be interested in the illustration in 2 Corinthians 13:14. Notice the verse does not say God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. It says simply,
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all. 2 Corinthians 13:14 (NASB)
That is, God is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. They are one God.
Conclusion:
Scripture teaches that God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit all planned and executed the plan that makes it possible for us to have our sins forgiven, and that gives us eternal life. The Father planned our salvation. Then Jesus Christ died for us so our sins can be forgiven and we can have eternal life. If you would like God to forgive you, I would encourage you to tell God that you are a sinner and that you would like your sins to be forgiven. God has promised to give you eternal life. Listen to these words,
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:16 (NASB)
The Holy Spirit helped Christ during His ministry, then to die on the cross and then to resurrect Him. For more information, visit The Holy Spirit – identity and ministry. God provided the means for our salvation.
If you would like to know more, please write to us. We would also encourage to read “Searching For God.”
Suggested Links:
Searching For GodThe Trinity – The Plural One
Mystery of the Trinity, part 1 — Father, Son, and Spirit
Mystery of the Trinity, part 2 — Father, Son, and Spirit
The One and Only
Jesus Our Savior
Sin and Salvation
Who Is Jesus?
Baptism of Jesus