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The Divinity of Christ and the Trinity

What is the Trinity? The word does not occur in the Bible but it describes the God of the Bible. God in the Bible is portrayed as Three Divine Persons -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit -- who are One God. How this can be we do not know.  Regarding the Trinity we need to remember the words of Deuteronomy 29:29 "The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever...." There are going to be some things we simply cannot understand because God is infinite and we are finite. The Three Persons are sometimes referred to as the Godhead (See Acts 17:29; Romans 1:20; Colossians 2:9)     

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A number of passages describe the Three Persons of the Godhead together. One of these is Matthew 28:19: "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:" This passage clearly equates the Three Members of the God-head as being equal.

How do we know Christ is Divine? There are many passages in the Bible that discuss Christ's Divinity. Here are a selection:

John 8:58: " Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am."

John 10: 30-33: 
30 "I and my Father are one.
31 Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him.
32 Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone Me?
33 The Jews answered Him, saying, For a good work we stone Thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that Thou, being a man, makest Thyself God."

Romans 9: 5, "Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen [literally in the Greek 'the Christ according to flesh who is over all God blessed to the ages. Amen']"

2 Pe. 1: 1, "Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ [literally in the Greek, 'of our God and Saviour Jesus Christ']"

John 1: 1-4. This passage says Christ "was God" in the beginning. It also says "all things came into being by Him". This means Christ could not have come into existence by some other Person creating or producing Him. The phrase "in Him was life" reminds us of Ge. 2: 7 where God breathed the "breath of life" into Adam. Christ is the God of Genesis 2: 7 (cf. Jn. 21: 22).

Colossians 1:13-19:
13 "Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
14 In whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
16 For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him:
17 And He is before all things, and by Him all things consist.
18 And He is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things He might have the preeminence.
19 For it pleased the Father that in Him should all fulness dwell."

Hebrews 1:8-10:
10 "But unto the Son He saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of Thy kingdom.
9 Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even Thy God, hath anointed Thee with the oil of gladness above Thy fellows.
10 And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of Thine hands:"

Some people appear to be bothered by such texts as Hebrews 1:9 (above) which talks about the Father being the God of Jesus.  Other similar passages include, John 17.3; 1 Cor.8.6; 1Cor.11.3; 1Cor.15.24-28; Eph.1.2,3; Eph.1.17 and Phil.2.11. For example Ephesians 1:3 says, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:" These people may ask how can Jesus be God and yet call the Father His God?

I believe that the fundamental point to understand in relation to this is that Christ voluntarily subordinated Himself to the Father at His incarnation. He did this for the purpose of our salvation. To save us He had to take upon Himself humanity to become the God-man Christ Jesus. Phil. 2:1-5 says: "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God [equal is the Gk isos meaning equal, in quantity or quality]: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." It must be stressed that He took upon Himself humanity but did not cease to be God. His natures were blended -- an amazing condescension!

As a man, and as man's mediator Christ called the Father His God. He prayed to the Father as His God. How else could He have operated? He laid aside His omnipotence etc. In harmony with Christ's condescension it is written in 1 Timothy 2:5, "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus" This is emphasising Christ's humanity. Again in John 14:28 " If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for My Father is greater than I."

Such texts as Ephesians 1:3 describe the relation of the Father and Son following the incarnation. They must not be taken to mean that Christ has not always been equal with the Father. They  must be understood in the context of the incarnation. It is true that Bible texts are basically to be taken literally, just as they read. But we must also let them speak to us in the context of the whole Bible. If you are going to hold the position that "context is not relevant and the text must be taken literally just as it stands" you are going to get into some very difficult places. You will end up finding contradictions where there is really none and what will you do with such texts as Lk. 22:36 and 1Co. 14:34?

In what sense was Christ the Son of God? I believe the Bible portrays Christ's Sonship in two aspects.

First, it describes a relationship where the Son is equal with the Father, one with Him. The following comments (in red) relating to Hebrews 1: 1-2 will help us to appreciate this aspect. Hebrews 1: 1-2 says: " God, who at sundry times and in divers [different] manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son,..." (Emphasis supplied. The word His has been supplied by the KJV translators)

"in Son"- that is how the original reads literally. The construction emphasizes the quality of Sonship; we bring out the thought better with "by one who is Son," or "by one who has the status of Son." Paul is contrasting the fragmentary revelation that came through prophets with the full revelation that the Son brings.

We will notice the term Son several times in Hebrews. Each time the name carries heavy weight, pointing to the significance and superiority of His person. Thus, Son indicates revelation with finality (1:2), superiority to angels (1:5-14), qualification for the new and better priesthood (5:4-6;7:28), and one whom we are warned not to despise (6:6; 10:29).

In 2:10-18, the Son takes on our human nature and becomes our brother.

Hebrews 1:1-4 makes three marvelous affirmations concerning the Son. First, He is the radiance of God's glory. The word translated "radiance," apaugasma, suggests a beam of light, a bright ray, a shining forth. Various translations render it as "effulgence" (NEB), "brightness" (KJV), "reflection" (RSV), or "radiance" (Phillips). This description lifts us to the realm of glory, where the Son shines in eternal day. He dwells in light unapproachable; He is the Light of lights.

He is also the exact representation of God's being. Here the metaphor changes to the seal and its impression on wax. The word is the same as the one from which we derive character, and tells us that the Son is the very stamp of the divine essence. What God is, the Son is.

But the affirmation of the Son's glory and deity goes further: The Son is the divine radiance and the divine essence. Literally, "being"- not became. Eternally the Son is Light of light. Eternally He is image of the divine. Eternally He has been so. Eternally He will be so.

No more exalted description of the Son can be found in Scripture. Only three other passages compare with these verses in declaring the true, eternal, preexistent deity of our Lord - John 1: 1, 2; Colossians 1:15-17; and Revelation 1:5, 17, 18. Here we find the decisive reply to those voices, ancient or modern, who would suggest that He is in some sense less than God or that He was elevated at some point in time to the status of God.

Our salvation hangs on these affirmations and the fact that they declare. Today, as through the centuries, the person of Jesus Christ confronts men and women. He arrests us with His eye and asks us, "Who do you say I am?" (Matt. 16:15). We cannot avoid that question. After all the studies in the history of religions, all the psychological analyses and philosophical discourses, the question still stands, demanding our response.

We who believe affirm: Jesus of Nazareth was what He claimed to be. More than a good man, a teacher, a miracle worker. More than the Jews Messiah. Yes, much, much more - God in the flesh! Eternally, truly God!

The term Son points to more than the incarnation, though. He did not become the Son; He is the Son, the eternal Son. Son suggests exalted status and function.

Jesus often used this term of Himself. While His most frequent self-designation was "Son of Man," he showed the closeness of His relation to God by Son - the word by itself. For instance: "All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him" (Matt. 11:27).

The terminology of Father and Son may mislead us. Inevitably we associate it with time and origin: Sons derive their being from fathers; fathers are prior in time. But Jesus as eternal Son did not originate in and through the Father. Rather, the biblical language of Father and Son points to shared being, equality, divine essence. And the Jews so understood this language, for when Jesus called God His own Father, they were offended because they realized He was "making himself equal with God" John 5:18).

From Johnson WG, The Abundant Life Bible Amplifier, Hebrews, Pacific Press, Boise, Idaho, 1994, p 43,44. 

Other texts where Jesus uses "Son" - the word by itself - are:

John 3:35, 36. The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into His hand. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

John 5:19-23. Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He seeth the Father do: for what things soever He doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise. For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth Him all things that Himself doeth: and He will shew Him greater works than these, that ye may marvel. For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom He will. For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent Him.

John 14:13. And whatsoever ye shall ask in My name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

However, as the above author points out himself later on, there is another aspect to Christ's Sonship. He became the Son of God in this second sense at His incarnation. 

Christ became the "Son of God" -- in the sense of coming out from God -- at His incarnation. Not at some vague point in the eternal past. As it is written in Luke 1:35 "And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God." When Christ said in John 16:28a " I came forth from the Father" He did not mean in the distant eternal past but when He came into the world as the God-man: "and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father" (John 16:28b).

He did not become the Son of God at some distant eternal point in the past. He has always been in existence as the pre-incarnate Word. As it is written in John 1:1-4 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him; and without Him was not any thing made that was made. In Him was life; and the life was the light of men." The beginning here is not the beginning of our world but the beginning of eternity before anything was made. It is telling us in limited human language that the Word has been God from "the start". I know that you cannot really say there is a start or beginning to eternity. Human language and thought are struggling with infinite concepts. The thought is that the pre-incarnate Christ has always been. This is supported by Christ's clear declaration in John 8:58 "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am." He is the self-existent One.

Christ is rarely referred to in the OT as God's Son.  I see the references in the OT to Him as the Son (eg, Ps. 2:7: Pr. 30:4) to be either describing Christ as the pre-incarnate Son (in the first aspect above) or to be prophetic of what was to come. 

In the OT Christ is basically referred to as the one true God. In Exodus 20:1-3 it says "And God spake all these words, saying, I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before Me." Who was God here? Christ. Definitely the pre-incarnate Christ. We can see this clearly by comparing John 8:58 with Exodus 3:12-14. In John 8:58 Jesus says "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am." So Christ is the I AM who appeared to Moses in Exodus 3:12-14 saying He would bring the Israelites out of Egypt. Exodus 3:14 says: "And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and He said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you." So Christ is the I AM who could say, "I …have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage" (Ex. 20:1). 

Also 1 Corinthians 10:1-4 says "Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; And did all eat the same spiritual meat; And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ." (See also Romans 9:33 and 1 Peter 2:6-8). The pre-incarnate Christ (the Word) was God, the Rock, who was with the Israelites in the wilderness (not the Father). When it says in Deuteronomy 32:4, "He is the Rock, His work is perfect: for all His ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is He" it refers to Christ. 

The term "Word" Gk. Logos (Jn Ch. 1) points us back to the "Oracle" of the OT. What is the Oracle of the OT? It is a reference to the voice of God heard coming from the Shekinah Glory and came to designate the room that the Shekinah dwelt in. 1 Kings 6:16 says "even for the oracle, even for the most holy place." Christ was the Shekinah glory of the OT -- the God of Exodus 20:1-4. One with the Father. Truly God. Christ is often referred to as being Light. He was represented by the light and voice of the Shekinah.

There are other passages that show us Christ is the God of the OT. For example in Revelation 1:11 Christ says "I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last" and in Revelation 22:13 "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last." The God of the OT says in Isaiah 41:4 "Who hath wrought and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? I the LORD, the first, and with the last; I am He." And in Isaiah 44: 6-8 it says: "Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me [the pre-incarnate Christ] there is no God. And who, as I, shall call, and shall declare it, and set it in order for Me, since I appointed the ancient people? and the things that are coming, and shall come, let them shew unto them. Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even My witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God [Heb. Tsuwr, Rock]; I know not any." Notice in this last passage that Christ is the Redeemer of Israel, the One who redeemed them from Egypt, the God of Exodus 20.

I have no problem knowing that when I worship Christ I am worshipping all members of the God-head simultaneously. Where Christ is present so are the other members of the God-head. Where the Holy Spirit is present so are the other members of the God-head. I do not understand the mystery of the Trinity just as I do not understand how I am re-born through the Spirit or how Christ took on human nature. But I except these things by faith because of the Bible. The Bible portrays three Divine Beings as one God-head. How this can be I do not know, but I except it by faith, acknowledging that God is infinite and I am finite.

Christ is the Almighty according to Scripture. In Revelation 1:11 Christ says "I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last" and in Revelation 22: 13 "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. In Revelation 1:8 Christ is also speaking: "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord (Gk. kurios), which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty." The Greek kurios here is the same as in 1 Corinthians 8:6 "But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in Him; and one Lord (kurios) Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by Him." 

As mentioned above, we know that Christ is the I AM of Exodus 3:14 which says "And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and He said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you." In John 8:58 Jesus says "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am." Now please note that in Exodus 3:15 it says "And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The LORD (YHWH) God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is My name for ever, and this is My memorial unto all generations." So Christ is YHWH. What does the Bible say about YHWH?

Ps. 90: 2,13,17: "Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever Thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, Thou art God…
Return, O LORD (YHWH), how long? and let it repent Thee concerning Thy servants…
Let Thy work appear unto Thy servants, and Thy glory unto their children.
And let the beauty of the LORD (YHWH) our God be upon us: and establish Thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish Thou it. 

Isaiah 63:16: "Doubtless Thou art our father, though Abraham be ignorant of us, and Israel acknowledge us not: Thou, O LORD (YHWH), art our father, our redeemer; Thy name is from everlasting."

Genesis 17:1 " And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD (YHWH) appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect."

Exodus 6:3 "And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH (YHWH) was I not known to them." Etc.

Christ is the Almighty. The Father is also the Almighty (Revelation Ch 4).  They are One.

I would like to finish this page by asking the question, What do we mean when we make the Christian confession, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God"? Biblically, this is a confession of His Divinity and His identity as the true Messiah. Please see the following texts: Jn. 5: 17-23; Heb. 1: 8-12; Mt. 14: 33; 16: 16, 17; Jn. 1: 32-34; 3: 35, 36; 9: 35; 11: 27; Acts 7: 37 KJV.

For more information about the divinity of Christ please go to More on the Divinity of Christ

For information on the identity and work of the Holy Spirit please see The Holy Spirit

I would now like to take a look at Zechariah 6:12, 13. It appears that some people think that this passage is referring to a "counsel of peace" between the Father and Son and therefore try and use it to say there is no Trinity because it says "both" (dual not trio). The whole passage under consideration is Zech. 6: 9-15:

"9 ¶ And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
10 Take of them of the captivity, even of Heldai, of Tobijah, and of Jedaiah, which are come from Babylon, and come thou the same day, and go into the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah;
11 Then take silver and gold, and make crowns, and set them upon the head of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest;
12 And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name is The BRANCH; and he shall grow up out of his place, and He shall build the temple of the LORD:
13 Even He shall build the temple of the LORD; and He shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon His throne; and He shall be a priest upon His throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.
14 And the crowns shall be to Helem, and to Tobijah, and to Jedaiah, and to Hen the son of Zephaniah, for a memorial in the temple of the LORD.
15 And they that are far off shall come and build in the temple of the LORD, and ye shall know that the LORD of hosts hath sent Me unto you. And this shall come to pass, if ye will diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God." 

What is this passage talking about? Peace and cooperation between the offices of king and priest in the coming Messiah (the Branch). In verse 11 they put a king's crown on the high priest Joshua (Joshua is a type of Christ as his name indicates. Joshua is Hebrew for Jesus). In verse 12 it introduces the Branch and in verse 13a the Branch is a Priest on a kings throne. Then in verse 13b we have the declaration that peace will be between them both. The fulfillment of this promise in our Blessed Lord Jesus is recorded in Hebrews 8:1,2: "Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man."

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