The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are not three versions of the same person. They’re not different manifestations or different forms of the same God. They are unique and distinct persons of God’s one nature. And there is evidence throughout the Bible of all three “showing up” at the same time while maintaining a singular nature. 

When Jesus began His ministry, He was baptized by John in the Jordan River. As soon as Jesus ascended from the water, the heavens opened up and the Holy Spirit descended onto Him in the form of a dove. At this moment, the Holy Spirit anoints Jesus as Israel’s King and Messiah. Then, the Father speaks in an audible voice from heaven and says, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,” (Matthew 3:17 ESV). The Holy Spirit anoints the Son, who is affirmed by the Father, as the messianic king that Israel has been waiting for. The three work together in fulfilling the messianic promise. 

Another time near the end of His ministry, Jesus delivers the famous line that Christians refer to as The Great Commision. It’s our purpose. What we are called to do. It’s the underlying motivation to the meaning of life. Jesus says, 

”Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20 ESV 

The language here is interesting. He doesn’t tell them to go in the names of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit…but the name. Singular. His statement reinforces that there is one God in nature. But He also clearly calls out the three persons of the Trinity. 

A few more. Jesus was constantly giving the disciples clues about what was to come. They often missed what He was saying at face value, but understood after His death and resurrection. During a Passover meal with the disciples, Jesus said that He would ask the Father to send a Helper to be with them forever. Jesus. The Father. The Helper. 

They were confused why they’d need a helper because Jesus was literally sitting in front of them. Jesus was foreshadowing His future death, resurrection, and ascension into heaven. But that’s not the end of the story. The Helper, or the Holy Spirit, would come and dwell inside of them. They wouldn’t need to follow Jesus around, eat where he ate, sleep where he slept. That’s what you did as a student of a rabbi. Instead, the Holy Spirit would dwell with them and be in them. And the Father approved. (John 14:16-17) 

Many of the New Testament authors spoke of the three persons of God. In Paul’s second letter to the church in Corinth, he says that it’s God the Father who sends the Holy Spirit to be with us. And the Holy Spirit seals the work that Jesus did on the cross (2 Corinthians 1:21-22). 

In his first letter to the church in Asia Minor, Peter rejoices in the work of the triune God in saving His people. The Father foreknew who would be His people before the beginning of time. The Holy Spirit guides His people toward holiness in a process called sanctification. Removing sin from their lives and becoming more like Christ. Then, Peter recognizes the redemption of sin that comes through Jesus’s death on the cross. (1 Peter 1:1-2) 

It’s the Father’s plan, initiated by Jesus, and carried out to completion by the Holy Spirit. When learning about three persons of the one God, a question often arises. Are there different roles or responsibilities for each person of the Godhead? Or do they all blend together? 

The pattern of scripture is that the Father plans, directs, and sends. The Son is sent by the Father, and is subject to the Father’s authority and obedient to the Father’s will. Both Father and Son, direct, and send the Holy Spirit, who carries out the will of both. 

What the Trinity Is not 

Many scholars and theologians have tried to make sense of this mystery. Unfortunately, it’s led to some conclusions that don’t align with the entirety of scripture. For example, modalism holds that God is only one person who appears in different modes or roles at different times. A bad analogy would be H20, water. Water can be either ice, liquid, or vapor, but it cannot be all three simultaneously. God does not change forms, but is eternally existent as three persons in one nature. 

There’s a concept called tritheism, which is the belief that there are three gods or three separate beings in the Godhead. In other words, it’s a polytheist view where there are many gods. Another concept, Arianism, espouses that Jesus and the Holy Spirit are creations of the Father and not one with Him in nature. Neither of these views can be reconciled with the orthodox view of the Trinity. 

All analogies will fall short of fully understanding the nature of God. After all, He is the creator and we are just the creation. While not perfect, there are some analogies that are better at helping us understand God’s triune nature. (Link to Creation points to the Trinity) 

There is only one God. He is the all-powerful, all-knowing creator of the universe and everything in it. God, one in nature, exists as three persons that each have a mind, a will, and feelings.