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SCRIPTURE - Matt. 28:19                                                               DECEMBER, 2001

Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of
the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

SUBJECT - EXPLAINING THE TRINITY

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This month, I am going to explain just what it is that I believe about this subject, that has many Christians confused, when trying to explain it.

First, I know that some will not agree with what I am about to say, but, I do believe that the explanations that I will give, are what God has shown me. If after you read this, you still disagree, then, no problem, we will have to agree, to disagree.

First, the word trinity, is not, a word found in the bible. It is used, sort of, like a nickname, to describe the totality of God, which is manifested in three entities, and that is (Father, Son, and Holy Ghost). Other terms for this are 'triune', and the biblical term 'Godhead' [Acts 17:29, Rom. 1:20, Col. 2:9].

What we usually say is, that there is One God, manifested in 3 (triune, or trinity) persons.

Now, God has given me wisdom to see this, relationship several ways.

From a family standpoint: The relationship {Father, Son, and Holy Ghost}, portrays a family. You should realize this. The word 'God', even though used in the gender form of male [He, His, Him] and such, is actually a title. It is the title, that is given to all three manifestations of the Godhead, by us. We say sometimes, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost.

To put this in family terms, it is like your last name. All members of the same family, have the same last name. All different individuals, but with the same name [i.e. Smith, Jones, Carter]. Every one from the same family, having the same authority, when it comes to the family owned business. The mere fact that it is a member of the family, gives them total rights to do whatever the head of the family directs. Well, in like manner, all creation, is the family [God's] business, and they run it perfectly.

In the case of the trinity, or Godhead, the Father, gives the orders, the Son follows them, and the Holy Ghost, does as the Son directs. And since the Son, Jesus, and the Holy Ghost, are so in one accord with the Father, they are all called, One, or God.

When you read in Genesis 1 where it says 'In the beginning, God...', and 'God said.......', we are actually looking at the God head, which back then, Jesus, was known as 'the Word.' It is made clearer in St. John 1:1-2,14, where it says, [John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:2 The same was in the beginning with God. John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.] This is where we get the idea of calling Jesus, God, manifested in the flesh, or just calling Him, God. Either way, they both fit.

The second example, explains the different manifestations of God, [Father, Son and Holy Ghost], in the same light that we look at water, ice and steam.

I use this to explain how can God be in Jesus, and be in Heaven, and have His Spirit, descending on Jesus, and still maintain all of His power. The bible tells us, [Col 2:9 For in Him dwelleth all the fulness [basic characteristics] of the Godhead bodily.]

Looking at the relationship of water, ice and steam, we know that they are all the same thing, water (h2o). One is a liquid, one is a solid, and the other is a gas.

Using water as the basic, it is a liquid. You can do many things with it. You can drink it. You can swim in it. You can cook with it, and make other things, with it.

Ice, is also water, but it is water that has been transformed from a liquid, to a solid. As a solid, some of the characteristics that it had as a liquid are gone. If you put water in to any vessel, it would take the form of the inside of that vessel. When it becomes ice, it will maintain the shape it was in, when it was frozen, unless someone forms it, in to another shape.

As a solid, it is limited in some areas, but it still maintains all of its original characteristics. If you thaw it out, it will be as it was before, a liquid.

In some ways, when the Word, God, became flesh, He was limited in some of the things He could do, as God. He was limited as to His being able to be everywhere at the same time. And, until the time came, when He was anointed by the Father, to begin His ministry, He didn't have the Power to do the things He did while He was here. Also, it is evident, that unless He lied about it,, He didn't know when His second coming would be, even though the Father knew. [Mark 13:32 But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.]

Steam, is the third part, of the water trinity, if you will. Unlike the solid and liquid, it can move over, and cover a much broader area, even though it is the same quantity.

Water, in the form of steam, represents power. Steam is used to drive machinery like generators, engines, and can be used to heat and cook things.

Steam is the power side of water, sort of like the Holy Ghost, is the power side of God.

No matter which state it is in, it maintains all of it's basic characteristics, that is, it is still [h2o], water.

Many people get the notion that when a Christian says Jesus is God, that somehow, we are taking something away from the Father. They think that God the Father, is diminished somewhat because if all the fullness of God, is in Jesus, then the Father, can't be as powerful as He was, before Jesus was born. But, just like the water, all of the basic characteristics are present, in each.

If a father, has a son or daughter, his [the father's] seed is in the child, but, the father is still who he was before the seed was passed from him.]

In the last part, we see in [Ge 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: Ge 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.]

Now, if we are created in His image, then we must be made just like Him,

The bible tells us that we are three part beings [1Th 5:23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.]

This definitely tells me, that I am made up of three separate parts. Yet, those three parts, together, make up, my total self.

Now, if I am made in the image of God, and I am a three part being, then, doesn't it stand to reason that God, who made me in His image, would also be a three part entity??

In a comparison of ourselves and God, the bible uses this analogy, [1 Jn 5:7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word (which is the Son, Jesus), and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.]

Much confusion has been brought about, by those that seem to think, that if you take Jesus, and put Him one place apart from God, that you now only have a two part God, but that is not the case.

Remember, Jesus, is the Word, made flesh [Jn 1:1, 14]. The key to this is, the Word.

Words, are what we use, to communicate with. Whether written, spoken, or signed (for deaf communication), we relay our thoughts, desires, and even our very being, through words.

Words are so important, that Jesus once said, [Mark 7:15 There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man.]

Now, there are several things that come out of man. Apart from the natural functions of the body, which clearly, Jesus is not referring to, the only other thing Jesus could be talking about, is words. The very words you speak, can either make you righteous, or they can defile you. Jesus said, [Mat 12:37 For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.] Words, mean little to us, but everything to God. They are reflections of the individual's true nature. Another meaning for reflection, is image. In fact, the bible says, [Mat 12:34 O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.] If you really want to know a person's true nature, let them talk long enough, and you will know it.

Well, with God, His Word, is Him. Everything that God is, is revealed in His Word.

Now, if you take all the Words that God has ever said, and bundled them up in a package, and gave them a body, you would have Jesus. Jesus is the Word made flesh. Therefore, He is the fulness of God, because He is the Word of God. This is why we have the apostle Paul saying, [Phi 2:6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:].

As I mentioned at the beginning, there is much confusion about the Trinity, when in fact, there shouldn't be.

Certain groups have taken the term, Trinity, and have built, what amounts to a cult, out of it. They say, that if you don't believe in it, then you are not saved. The bible says that our salvation depends on our belief in Jesus Christ, not the Trinity, even though it refers to the Godhead.

Even if we consider those that say they believe in God, that isn't enough. Once again, the bible let's us know, [Jas 2:19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.] Notice, the scripture says that there is but one God, not two or three.

Another way we could look at, is the government of this nation. We have one government, that is made up of three branches. We have the executive branch, which is the president, and his cabinet and staff. We have the administrative branch, which is the senate, then we have the legislative, which is the congress. All three are the government, and they, in an ideal setting, function together, and should all be in one accord. But alas, that is not the way it is, because man is involved.

This is one of the reasons, that when we try to explain the trinity, people can't figure out how it could possibly work, because they are considering, how man's government works, and they think the Godhead, is the same way.

However, God's way is so far higher than ours, that trying to figure it out totally, and the way He does things, is so far out of our way of thinking, that if some of us hear it, we would say, 'That is ludicrous.' So, I hope this explains the trinity, the way I believe God has shown me. If you choose to disagree, then that's all right, we are still brothers and sisters in the Lord.

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