The image above represents the views of the vast majority of Christian denominations, organizations and groups. The quotes below indicate how much belief in the Triune God is considered to be orthodox, or normal, for Christians.
“God is triune; there are within the Godhead three persons; the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit”—J J Packer
“The Holy Spirit, part of the Triune God Himself, lives in the hearts of each person who believes in the gospel of Jesus Christ—Billy Graham
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is said by many to be Almighty God, “God the Son,” the second person of the Trinity. However, Jesus Christ, the Messiah, is mentioned in the Bible as being God’s “servant.” In view of the claims that Jesus is Almighty God, how can he be God’s servant? First, let’s look at some of the claims about him:
“Peter’s sermon identifies Jesus with the ‘I Am’ of Israel’s history”—The Word In Life Study Bible, page 1928, citing Acts 3:11-26 as “proof.”
Is the Trinity in Deuteronomy?
“Within the one Being that is God, there exists eternally three coequal and coeternal persons, namely, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit”—The Forgotten Trinity, page 23, by James R. White
“We hang a person’s very salvation upon the acceptance of the doctrine”—The Forgotten Trinity, page 10
Deuteronomy is the final division of the Torah, the first five books of the Bible, written by Moses. Originally it was on one scroll in ancient Hebrew, which did not have vowels. When the Torah was translated in the 3rd century BCE into Greek, which has vowels, it was divided into five books – Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. Deuteronomy reviews God dealings with Israel, and reviews and restates the Mosaic Law Covenant, which is ratified prior to Israel’s entry into the Promised Land.
“A cornerstone belief of the Christian faith, the doctrine of the Trinity . . . What is the doctrine of the Trinity? . . . There is only one God, but in the unity of the Godhead there are three eternal, coequal Persons where each Person is independently conscious and self-directing but never acting independently of one another and always manifesting the same character attributes and the same nature. Where in the Bible is the Trinity taught? . . . It is taught in 25 of the 27 books of the New Testament and in 13 of the 39 books of the Old Testament”—“Does the Book of Isaiah Teach the Trinity?”, Reasons to Believe (RTB) blogsite, by Hugh Ross, July 20, 2020
The New Testament book of 2 Corinthians was written about 25 years after Jesus’ death and the start of Christianity. Is the Trinity doctrine in 2 Corinthians?
“The Trinity is one of the most important teachings of the Christian faith. It defines God’s very essence and describes how he relates to us”—The Forgotten Trinity, back cover
Since Second Corinthians was written about twenty-fives after the start of Christianity, we would expect to see at least some evidence of such an important doctrine as the Trinity in the letter’s 13 chapters, if it is a true Christian doctrine. Let’s examine scriptures from this book which tell us something about God, Jesus, and the holy Spirit.
Is the Trinity in the book of Philemon?
“For love’s sake I prefer to appeal to you–I, Paul, an old man and now a prisoner also for Christ Jesus”—Philemon 1:9 ESV
In this very
short New Testament book of only 25 verses, Jesus Christ is specifically mentioned eight times, God two times, and the holy Spirit is not mentioned at all. In such a brief letter, only so much can be discussed, of course, so the holy Spirit’s omission is not surprising. This is especially so when we consider that the letter’s subject matter is not primarily doctrinal, but, instead, focuses on the relationship of the wealthy Christian Philemon with his runaway slave Onesimus, whom the apostle Paul in Rome has recently converted to Christianity, and is sending him back to Philemon in Colossae with this letter, appealing to Philemon to do the right thing (Philemon 1:10-21).
Trinitarians say that places in the Bible in which God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, are mentioned together prove the doctrine of the Trinity is true. However, the Trinity doctrine goes far beyond acknowledging the existence of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. What exactly is the Trinity doctrine? A very good, concise, definition by a devoted Trinitarian expert is:
“Within the One Being that is God, there exists eternally three coequal and coeternal persons, namely, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit”—The Forgotten Trinity, page 23
Who is the “Majesty in heaven,” according to the Bible, God or Jesus?
“To the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority through Jesus Christ our Lord”—Jude 25 NIV
There is a popular song that is frequently sung in evangelical churches and groups called “Majesty” that calls Jesus Christ “Majesty”. There are two scriptures in the Bible that refer to “the Majesty in heaven”. Let’s look at them:
“The Son . . . After he had provided purification for our sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven”—Hebrews 1:3 NIV
Let’s look at the evidence to see if the Trinity doctrine is in Revelation chapters 17-22. The word “trinity” is never mentioned, just as it is never mentioned anywhere else in the Bible, and God, Jesus, and the holy Spirit are never mentioned in the same verse or even in the same context, in these chapters. So, let’s examine the evidence that we do find in these chapters, and see where it leads us!
“The Lamb will triumph over them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings”—Revelation 17:14 NIV . Trinitarians claim that Jesus’ titles here, “Lord of lords and King of kings,” mean that he is Almighty God, because Almighty God also has these same titles. However, their claim is undercut by scriptural evidence from Ezra 7:12 where “Artaxerxes” is identified as “king of kings” (NIV), and by Daniel 2:37 where “Nebuchadnezzar” (Daniel 2:1),is also identified as “the king of kings” (NIV). Even more powerfully, “the Lamb”, who is Jesus Christ, is identified as “the Lord of lords and King of kings”(NIV). The “Lamb” was “slain” (Revelation 5:6 NIV), and Jesus said he “was dead” (Revelation 1:18 NIV). Since the Scriptures tell us that “God . . . will never die” (Habakkuk 1:12 NIV), Jesus Christ cannot be Almighty God!
“‘This do in remembrance of me . . . This cup,’ He said, ‘is the new Covenant ratified by my blood which is to be poured out on your behalf'”—Weymouth New Testament
Jesus commanded one celebration, called “the Lord’s Supper” (1 Corinthians 11:20 NIV).
No, Easter is not a Biblical celebration. It is nowhere mentioned in the Koine’ Greek text that the New Testament was originally written in. The 17th century King James Version mistranslates the Greek word for “Passover” as “Easter” at Acts 12:4, but even the New King James Version accurately translates this Greek word as “Passover” at Acts 12:4. Additionally, it is historically well documented in numerous reference works that many of the customs associated with Easter are drawn from paganism, with Christ’s name and resurrection tacked onto them. Ancient pagans often worshipped earth’s star, the sun, in various ways. Easter is built upon many such customs, as well as pagan early spring fertility rites, with modern-day sunrise services, being one result. Rabbits and eggs were often viewed as symbols of fertility by pagans. Other customs, such as Easter baskets and bonnets, and hot cross buns, had their origins in paganism. We can draw a principle to apply from something Jesus said on a different subject: “the pagan world runs after all such things” (Luke 12:30 NIV).