The Father is not the Son. The Son is not the Father, but Jesus and the Father are one (John 10:30). The Holy Spirit is not the Father or Jesus, but all three are God (Matthew 28:19).
As sunlight hit the camera lens, it produced a unique diagram. I did not manipulate its presence. It just appeared. As I looked at it intently, to me it illustrates the trinity. Whatever caused it, I find it interesting. According to Scripture, God is three persons in one. When we see God as only one person constrained to human standards of identity, we reduce Him to be just like us and He ceases to be God. He is like no other.
God The Father – When Jesus was on earth, the Father was still on the throne. Unlike what some say, God the Father did not die on the cross.
“God raised Him up, ending the pains of death, because it was not possible for Him to be held by it.”
Acts 2:24
Genesis 1:1 – In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
Genesis 1:26 – Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
Isaiah 42:8- I am Yahweh, that is My name; I will not give My glory to another or My praise to idols.
Isaiah 43:11- I, I am Yahweh, and there is no other Savior but Me.
God The Son – He is God in the flesh who came in order to redeem humanity from sin. If you look at Isaiah 43:11, it tells us that the Father and Jesus are one since there is no other Savior but Him. Fully God, yet fully man, this mystery is beyond human comprehension.
“For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; 10 and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.”
Colossians 2:9-10
John 1:1 – In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
John 1:14 – And the Word became 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.
John 20:28 – And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!”
Hebrews 1:3 – He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high
Hebrews 1:8-9 – But to the Son He says: “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of gladness more than Your companions.”
Colossians 1:17 – And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.
2 Corinthians 4:6 – For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
God The Holy Spirit – He is present in every single believer. How many believers are there in the world today? If God the Holy Spirit is capable of being in every single believer (omnipresence), who are we to say God isn’t triune?
“For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.”
1 Corinthians 2:11
Genesis 1:2 – The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.
Genesis 1:26 – Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
Acts 5:3-4 – But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? 4 While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.”
For there are three that bear witness in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit: and these three are one.
1 John 5:7
We can only know the nature of God by what is revealed to us in His Word and He is One in three persons.
It is not a problem for people to accept separate entities claiming to be one corporation. Yet the trinity is a topic of debate for Christians and non-Christians alike. Some don’t have a problem accepting people who identify to be something other than what they were born. Others easily accept that the earth is billions of years old when our current human lifespan does not allow us to live past 120 years (Genesis 6:3) in order to investigate this speculation, making it more of a faith claim rather than scientific. Old bones were dug up and what you see in museums are definite creatures which people accept as fact than fiction. They say there’s more evidence for some creature no one in recorded history has ever seen walk the earth millions of years ago, than the historical existence of Jesus only some 2000 years ago!
Not only did Jesus claim to be God (John 8:58 , John 14:7) He also claimed the trinity. Notice the singular form of name referring to three persons- “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 28:19).
“May they know that You alone– whose name is Yahweh– are the Most High over all the earth.”
Psalms 83:18