What does the Bible teach about the Trinity?

The most difficult thing about the Christian concept of the Trinity is that there is no way to completely understand it or explain it. God is infinitely greater than we are; therefore, we should not expect to be able to fully understand Him. But we do trust the Bible, which teaches that the Father is God, Jesus is God, and the Holy Spirit is God. At the same time, the Bible also teaches there is only one God. So, the one God exists in three Persons.


It’s possible to understand some facts about the Trinity and some of the relationships the different Persons of the Trinity have to one another. But, ultimately, how a single Being can exist in three distinct Persons is incomprehensible to us. Our inability to understand, however, does not mean the doctrine of the Trinity is untrue or unbiblical.

The word Trinity is not found in Scripture. It is a useful term in discussions of the triune God, as we speak of three coexistent, co-eternal divine Persons who are One. Although the word itself is not found in the Bible, the concept represented by the word Trinity certainly is. Here is some of what God’s Word says about the Trinity:

1) There is one God (Deuteronomy 6:4; 1 Corinthians 8:4; Galatians 3:20; 1 Timothy 2:5). So, a belief in the Trinity is not a belief in three gods.

2) The one God exists in three Persons (Genesis 1:1, 26; 3:22; 11:7; Isaiah 6:8, 48:16, 61:1; Matthew 3:16–17, 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14). A common Old Testament Hebrew name for God is Elohim, a plural noun. Some passages quote God as speaking of Himself with plural pronouns such as us (Genesis 1:26; 3:22; 11:7; Isaiah 6:8) While the use of plural words is not an explicit argument for the Trinity, it does denote an aspect of plurality in God. The name Elohim, being plural, definitely allows for a tri-unity.

Another Old Testament implication of the Trinity is found in Isaiah 48:16: “And now the Sovereign Lord has sent me, endowed with his Spirit.” In this verse, we have three persons referenced: the Lord (Yahweh), the Spirit, and the speaker (“me”), who in this context is the Messiah.

Also, consider Isaiah 61:1:

According to Luke 4:16–21, the “me” of Isaiah 61 refers to Jesus. So, in the span of one verse, we have a reference to the Lord (Yahweh), the Messiah, and the Spirit. In other words, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

In the New Testament, the Trinity is introduced in Matthew 3:16–17 during Jesus’ baptism:

In the span of two verses, we have the voice from heaven, Jesus, and the dove. In other words, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. See also Matthew 28:19 and 2 Corinthians 13:14.

3) The Persons of the Trinity are distinguished from one another in various passages. In the Old Testament, “Lord” is distinguished from “Lord” (Psalm 110:1). And we learn that the Lord has a Son (Psalm 2:7, 12; Proverbs 30:2–4). The Spirit is distinguished from the “Lord” (Isaiah 48:16) and from “God” (Psalm 51:10–12). God the Son is distinguished from God the Father (Psalm 45:6–7; Hebrews 1:8–9). In one of His prayers, Jesus speaks to the Father about sending the Helper, the Holy Spirit (John 14:16–17). So, Jesus did not consider Himself to be either the Father or the Holy Spirit. There are many other instances when Jesus speaks to the Father. Was He talking to Himself? No. He spoke to another Person in the Trinity—the Father.

4) Each member of the Trinity is God. The Father is God (John 6:27; Romans 1:7; 1 Peter 1:2). The Son is God (John 1:1, 14; Romans 9:5; Colossians 2:9; Hebrews 1:8; 1 John 5:20). The Holy Spirit is God (Acts 5:3–4; 1 Corinthians 3:16). Each Person has all the qualities of divinity, eternally and unchangingly. The three Persons of the Godhead share the same nature and essence.

5) There is subordination within the Trinity. The Holy Spirit is sent by the Father and the Son, and the Son is sent by the Father. This economic (or relational) hierarchy does not negate or diminish the deity of any Person of the Trinity. It is simply something else our finite minds cannot understand concerning the infinite God. Concerning the Son, see Luke 22:42, John 5:36, John 20:21, and 1 John 4:14. Concerning the Holy Spirit, see John 14:16, 14:26, 15:26, 16:7, and especially John 16:13–14.

6) The individual Persons of the Trinity have different roles. The Father is the ultimate source or cause of the universe (1 Corinthians 8:6; Revelation 4:11), divine revelation (Revelation 1:1), salvation (John 3:16–17), and Jesus’ human works (John 5:17; 14:10). The Father initiates all of these things.

The Son is the agent through whom the Father does the following works: the creation and maintenance of the universe (1 Corinthians 8:6; John 1:3; Colossians 1:16–17), divine revelation (John 1:1; 16:12–15; Matthew 11:27; Revelation 1:1), and salvation (2 Corinthians 5:19; Matthew 1:21; John 4:42). The Father does all these things through the Son, who functions as His agent.

The Holy Spirit is the means by whom the Father does the following works: creation and maintenance of the universe (Genesis 1:2; Job 26:13; Psalm 104:30), divine revelation (John 16:12–15; Ephesians 3:5; 2 Peter 1:21), salvation (John 3:6; Titus 3:5; 1 Peter 1:2), and Jesus’ works (Isaiah 61:1; Acts 10:38). The Father does all these things by the power of the Holy Spirit.

There have been many attempts to develop illustrations of the Trinity. However, none of the popular illustrations are completely accurate. The egg (or apple) fails in that the shell, white, and yolk are parts of the egg, not the egg in themselves, just as the skin, flesh, and seeds of the apple are parts of it, not the apple itself. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are not parts of God; each of them is God. The water illustration is somewhat better, but it still fails to adequately describe the Trinity. Liquid, vapor, and ice are forms of water. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are not forms of God; each of them is God. Another illustration sometimes put forward is of a man who is simultaneously a husband, a father, and a brother. The inaccuracy of this illustration is seen in that the man is still only one person, regardless of his role or how many relationships he has. God is three Persons. In the end, no illustration will give us a true picture of the Trinity. An infinite God cannot be fully described by a finite illustration.

God has revealed Himself as triune. The Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God—but there is only one God. That is the biblical doctrine of the Trinity. “Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom” (Psalm 145:3).

Below is the best symbol for the Trinity we are aware of (click to expand):