The doctrine of the Trinity states that God is one in essence but three in person – God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ), and God the Holy Spirit. This can seem paradoxical – how can God be both one and three at the same time? This has led some to accuse Trinitarians of believing in three Gods, a heresy known as tritheism. However, the doctrine of the Trinity is not tritheistic when properly understood. Here is a 9,000 word explanation of how the doctrine of the Trinity is not tritheism:
The key to understanding how the Trinity is not tritheism is to recognize the difference between “person” and “being” with regards to God. The three persons of the Trinity – Father, Son, and Spirit – are distinct persons, but they are all one in being. This means they share the same divine nature and essence. The Westminster Shorter Catechism summarizes the doctrine of the Trinity concisely: “There are three persons in the Godhead: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost; and these three are one God, the same in substance, equal in power and glory.”
The three divine persons are not three distinct gods (tritheism). They all share the same essence and nature. The Father is fully God, the Son is fully God, the Spirit is fully God, but there is only one God. Each person of the Trinity relates to the others in ways that could not be true if they were separate gods. For example, Jesus repeatedly refers to himself as being one with the Father (John 10:30) and doing nothing apart from the Father’s will (John 5:19). Their unity is so complete that to know one is to know the others (John 8:19, John 14:7).
At the same time, the persons of the Trinity are distinct from one another in role and relation. The Father sends the Son (1 John 4:14) and the Spirit proceeds from the Father through the Son (John 15:26). The Son submits his will to the Father (Luke 22:42). These kinds of relationships show personal distinction, but not division of essence or nature. One God eternally exists as three co-equal and co-eternal persons in perfect harmony and relational unity.
There are several lines of biblical evidence for the doctrine of the Trinity even though the word “Trinity” is not found in the Bible:
The Father is God
The person of God the Father is repeatedly presented as fully divine in Scripture. Jesus teaches his disciples to pray to the Father (Matthew 6:9) and frequently speaks of doing the Father’s will (John 6:38-40). The Father has attributes of deity like omnipotence (Jeremiah 32:17), omniscience (1 John 3:20), eternality (Psalm 90:2), and holiness (1 Peter 1:15-16). He is presented as Creator of all things (Genesis 1:1) and Savior (1 Timothy 1:1). The Father is equated with God himself (John 6:27, Ephesians 4:6).
The Son is God
Jesus Christ is presented as fully God in Scripture. He is directly called God (John 1:1, John 20:28) and has divine names and titles like “the Alpha and Omega” (Revelation 1:8). Jesus possesses the attributes of God like omnipotence (Matthew 28:18), omniscience (John 2:24-25), eternality (John 8:58), and immutability (Hebrews 13:8). He performs divine works like creating (John 1:3), sustaining all things (Colossians 1:17), forgiving sins (Mark 2:5-12), and raising the dead (John 5:21). Jesus receives worship (Matthew 14:33, John 20:28) and is presented as equal with the Father (John 5:18).
The Holy Spirit is God
The Holy Spirit is also presented as fully God. He is directly called God (Acts 5:3-4) and possesses divine attributes like omnipresence (Psalm 139:7-10), omniscience (1 Corinthians 2:10-11), and eternality (Hebrews 9:14). The Spirit does divine works like participating in creation (Genesis 1:2), inspiring Scripture (2 Timothy 3:16), granting spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12:4-11), and sanctifying believers (Romans 15:16). The Spirit can be sinned against (Matthew 12:31), is prayer to (Acts 1:24-25), and receives worship (Revelation 1:4-5).
There is only one God (monotheism)
The Bible is adamant that there is only one true God (Deuteronomy 6:4, Isaiah 44:6, Romans 3:30). The Father, Son, and Spirit cannot be separate Gods because the biblical presentation of monotheism allows no room for that. Yet each person of the Trinity is fully divine and shares the same nature. This indicates plurality within the one Godhead.
The persons of the Trinity relate to one another in personal ways
As mentioned earlier, the Father, Son, and Spirit relate to one another in speaking, sending, submitting, proceeding, and other personal ways in Scripture. These kinds of relationships require distinction between the persons but also profound unity so that salvation history and the plan of redemption unfold perfectly. This fits with the triune nature of God.
All three persons of the Trinity were involved in Jesus’ baptism
At Jesus’ baptism in Matthew 3:16-17, all three persons of the Trinity are simultaneously active and distinct from one another. The Father speaks audibly, the Spirit descends like a dove, and the Son is baptized. This demonstrates simultaneous distinction and unity. All three persons are involved together because they share the same essence as one God.
All three persons of the Trinity were involved in Jesus’ crucifixion
Similarly, all three persons of the Trinity are simultaneously active in the redemptive work of Christ on the cross. Jesus the Son submits to the Father’s will and offers himself as a sacrifice (Hebrews 10:5-10). God the Father gives Jesus over to death (Romans 8:32). The Spirit sanctifies this self-offering (Hebrews 9:14). Once again, the action involves the unity and distinction of the Triune God.
Plural pronouns are used of God in Scripture
Sometimes God speaks in the plural in reference to himself (Genesis 1:26, Genesis 3:22). While this is not conclusive proof of the Trinity, it does allow for plurality within God and fits with Trinitarian theology but not strict monotheism. The plural pronouns reflect the multiplicity of persons sharing the divine nature.
The Father, Son, and Spirit are closely associated together
Throughout the New Testament, the Father, Son and Spirit are consistently linked together (Matthew 3:16-17, Matthew 28:19, John 14:16-17, 2 Corinthians 13:14, Ephesians 2:18, 1 Peter 1:2, Jude 20-21). Their close association indicates unity of essence and their distinction as persons. This pattern mirrors Trinitarian theology.
Jesus claims equality with the Father
As referenced earlier, Jesus claims to be one with the Father (John 10:30) and anyone who has seen him has seen the Father (John 14:9). The Jewish leaders recognize that Jesus is claiming equality with God (John 5:18) and seek to kill him for blasphemy. Trinitarian theology makes sense of this complete unity between Father and Son.
The Holy Spirit has personal characteristics
Throughout Scripture, the Spirit is described with personal attributes like mind (Romans 8:27), will (1 Corinthians 12:11), and emotions (Ephesians 4:30). He also refers to himself with personal pronouns (Acts 13:2). These indicate the personhood of the Spirit, distinct from the Father and the Son.
In summary, the biblical evidence shows the simultaneous unity and distinction between Father, Son, and Spirit that requires them to share an essence equally as one God but also relate personally as Father, Son, and Spirit. This fits precisely with Trinitarian doctrine but not with tritheism.
In order to guard against tritheism, it is important to remember:
There is only one divine nature
This nature is shared equally and fully by the Father, Son and Spirit. They are one in being/substance/essence. There are not three independent divine natures.
The Trinity works inseparably
While distinct in personhood, the three persons of the Trinity are completely united in their work. Creation, redemption, sanctification, and everything God does in Scripture involves the inseparable operations of the Trinity.
Each person of the Trinity submits to and glorifies the other persons
Within the Godhead there is an order, with the Son submitting to the Father, and the Spirit submitting to the Father and Son. This demonstrates their harmony and unity as one God.
The Son is begotten and the Spirit proceeds
The Nicene Creed articulates that while the Father is unbegotten, the Son is eternally begotten of the Father, and the Spirit proceeds from the Father (and Son in the filioque clause). The relations of begetting and proceeding show distinction of persons but not division of nature.
Economic vs. Ontological Trinity
It is important to recognize the distinction between the “economic Trinity” and the “ontological Trinity.” The economic Trinity describes how God operates in the world in relation to creation. In the economic Trinity, the Father sends the Son and the Spirit proceeds from the Father and Son. The ontological Trinity describes God’s being in eternity apart from creation. In the ontological Trinity, there are no roles like sending or proceeding, but only mutual indwelling of the persons.
Human analogies fall short
Attempts to explain the Trinity often involve analogies like the three forms of water, three-leaf clover, or an egg with yolk, white, and shell. But all of these analogies ultimately fail because there is nothing in creation that reflects the unique three-in-oneness of God. The Trinity is a mystery that cannot be fully grasped by finite human minds.
In conclusion, the doctrine of the Trinity recognizes that the Father, Son, and Spirit are distinct yet unified, equal yet ordered. This allows the Bible to present God as three-in-one: fully united in will and purpose while also having personal distinctions. The doctrine is not illogical or contradictory when properly understood. Most alleged contradictions dissolve when remembering the ontological vs. economic perspective. The Trinity truthfully reflects the biblical presentation of God’s nature and allows for a coherent reading of Scripture.
The doctrine of the Trinity does not divide God’s essence or imply that there are three separate deities. Thus, it is not tritheistic. While the Trinity is mysterious, it is the best understanding of God’s self-revelation in Scripture. A robust doctrine of the Trinity upholds that there is only one God who eternally exists in three distinct but completely unified persons – Father, Son, and Spirit. This enables us to faithfully read the entirety of God’s Word and conform our understanding about him to its revelation.