The Triune God Lives!

In this post I will share some of the biblical evidences, which led the first Christians to the conclusion that the one true God is Triune by nature.

One True God

The Bible is clear that there is only one uncreated God who created and sustains all creation. The name given to this God is YHWH.

“It was shown to you so that you might know that Yahweh is God. There is no one else besides him… Know therefore today, and take it to heart, that Yahweh himself is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath. There is no one else.” Deuteronomy 4:35, 39

“Hear, Israel: Yahweh is our God. Yahweh is one. You shall love Yahweh your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might.” Deuteronomy 6:4-5  

“Therefore you are great, Yahweh God. For there is no one like you, neither is there any God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears.” 2 Samuel 7:22

“that all the peoples of the earth may know that Yahweh himself is God. There is no one else.” 1 Kings 8:60

“He returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and came, and stood before him; and he said, ‘See now, I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel. Now therefore, please take a gift from your servant.’” 2 Kings 5:15

“with whom Yahweh had made a covenant and commanded them, saying, ‘You shall not fear other gods, nor bow yourselves to them, nor serve them, nor sacrifice to them; but you shall fear Yahweh, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt with great power and with an outstretched arm, and you shall bow yourselves to him, and you shall sacrifice to him. The statutes and the ordinances, and the law and the commandment which he wrote for you, you shall observe to do forever more. You shall not fear other gods. You shall not forget the covenant that I have made with you. You shall not fear other gods. But you shall fear Yahweh your God, and he will deliver you out of the hand of all your enemies.’” 2 Kings 17:35-39

“Yahweh, there is no one like you, neither is there any God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears.” 1 Chronicles 17:20

“Now for a long time Israel was without the true God, without a teaching priest, and without law.” 2 Chronicles 15:3

“You are Yahweh, even you alone. You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their army, the earth and all things that are on it, the seas and all that is in them, and you preserve them all. The army of heaven worships you.” Nehemiah 9:6

“For who is God, except Yahweh? Who is a rock, besides our God,” Psalm 18:31

“that they may know that you alone, whose name is Yahweh, are the Most High over all the earth.” Psalm 83:18

“There is no one like you among the gods, Lord, nor any deeds like your deeds. All nations you have made will come and worship before you, Lord. They shall glorify your name. For you are great, and do wondrous things. You are God alone.” Psalm 86:8-10  

“Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers and read it. Then Hezekiah went up to Yahweh’s house, and spread it before Yahweh. Hezekiah prayed to Yahweh, saying, ‘Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel, who is enthroned among the cherubim, you are the God, even you alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. Turn your ear, Yahweh, and hear. Open your eyes, Yahweh, and behold. Hear all of the words of Sennacherib, who has sent to defy the living God. Truly, Yahweh, the kings of Assyria have destroyed all the countries and their land, and have cast their gods into the fire; for they were no gods, but the work of men’s hands, wood and stone; therefore they have destroyed them. Now therefore, Yahweh our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you are Yahweh, even you only.’” Isaiah 37:14-20

“You are my witnesses,” says Yahweh, ‘With my servant whom I have chosen; that you may know and believe me, and understand that I am he. Before me there was no God formed, neither will there be after me. I myself am Yahweh. Besides me, there is no savior… Yes, since the day was, I am he. There is no one who can deliver out of my hand. I will work, and who can hinder it?’” Isaiah 43:10-11, 13

“This is what Yahweh, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, Yahweh of Armies, says: ‘I am the first, and I am the last; and besides me there is no God. Who is like me? Who will call, and will declare it, and set it in order for me, since I established the ancient people? Let them declare the things that are coming, and that will happen. Don’t fear, neither be afraid. Haven’t I declared it to you long ago, and shown it? You are my witnesses. Is there a God besides me? Indeed, there is not. I don’t know any other Rock.’” Isaiah 44:6-8

“I am Yahweh, and there is no one else. Besides me, there is no God. I will strengthen you, though you have not known me, that they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is no one besides me. I am Yahweh, and there is no one else… Declare and present it. Yes, let them take counsel together. Who has shown this from ancient time? Who has declared it of old? Haven’t I, Yahweh? There is no other God besides me, a just God and a Savior. There is no one besides me. Look to me, and be saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other.” Isaiah 45:5-6, 21-22  

“Remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other. I am God, and there is none like me.” Isaiah 46:9

“Has a nation changed its gods, which really are no gods? But my people have changed their glory for that which doesn’t profit.” Jeremiah 2:11

“There is no one like you, Yahweh. You are great, and your name is great in might… But Yahweh is the true God. He is the living God, and an everlasting King. At his wrath, the earth trembles. The nations aren’t able to withstand his indignation. You shall say this to them: ‘The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth will perish from the earth, and from under the heavens.’”  Jeremiah 10:6, 10-11

“Yet I am Yahweh your God from the land of Egypt; and you shall acknowledge no god but me, and besides me there is no savior. I knew you in the wilderness, in the land of great drought.” Hosea 13:4-5

“Yahweh will be King over all the earth. In that day Yahweh will be one, and his name one.” Zechariah 14:9

“Don’t we all have one father? Hasn’t one God created us? Why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother, profaning the covenant of our fathers?” Malachi 2:10

“since indeed there is one God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith.” Romans 3:30

“Therefore concerning the eating of things sacrificed to idols, we know that no idol is anything in the world, and that there is no other God but one.” 1 Corinthians 8:4  

“Now a mediator is not between one, but God is one.” Galatians 3:20

“However at that time, not knowing God, you were in bondage to those who by nature are not gods.” Galatians 4:8

“Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.” 1 Timothy 1:17

“You believe that God is one. You do well. The demons also believe—and shudder.” James 2:19

The Father is God

The God-breathed Scriptures identify the Father as the one true God.

“How can you believe, who receive glory from one another, and you don’t seek the glory that comes from the only God?” John 5:44

“This is eternal life, that they should know you, the only true God, and him whom you sent, Jesus Christ.” John 17:3

“For though there are things that are called “gods”, whether in the heavens or on earth—as there are many ‘gods’ and many ‘lords’—yet to us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and we live through him.” 1 Corinthians 8:5-6  

“one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in us all.” Ephesians 4:6

“For they themselves report concerning us what kind of a reception we had from you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead: Jesus, who delivers us from the wrath to come.” 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10

“For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,” 1 Timothy 2:5

The Son is God

The Holy Bible also describes the Son of God as the true God who became human.

First Example

“‘She shall give birth to a son. You shall name him Jesus [Yeshua], for it is he who shall save his people from their sins.’ Now all this has happened that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, ‘Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and shall give birth to a son. They shall call his name Immanuel,’ which is, being interpreted, ‘God (ho theos) with us.’” Matthew 1:21-23

Jesus is the God that has come to dwell with his people and who, after his physical ascension into heaven, continues to personally (not physically) abide with all of them till the end of the age:

remain “‘teaching them to observe all things that I commanded you. Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’ Amen.” Matthew 28:20

He is also that very YHWH who comes to do what only YHWH does, namely, save mankind from their sins since there is no mortal who is sinless and undeserving of judgment:

“If you, Yah, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with you, therefore you are feared… Israel, hope in Yahweh, for there is loving kindness with Yahweh. Abundant redemption is with him. He will redeem Israel from all their sins.” Psalm 130:3-4, 7-8

Second Example

“‘Return to your house, and declare what great things God has done (hosa… epoiesen ho theos) for you.’ He went his way, proclaiming throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done (hosa epoiesen… ho ‘Iesous) for him.” Luke 8:39

The God who had done great things for the demoniac is none other than Jesus Christ.

Third Example

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God (theos). He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people… The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world came into being through him, yet the world did not know him… And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth… No one has ever seen God. It is the only Son, himself God (monogenes theos), who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known.” John 1:1-4, 9-10, 14, 18 New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition (NRSVUE)

Christ is the uncreated divine Word by whom the Father created and gives life to all things that became a human being at a specific point in time.

Fourth Example

“And Thomas answered and said to him, `My Lord and my God (ho kyrios mou kai ho theos mou);'” John 20:28 Young’s Literal Translation (YLT)

Thomas’s confession echoes the praise of YHWH in the Psalms:

“Wake up! Rouse yourself for my defense, for my cause, my God and my Lord!” Psalm 35:23 NRSVUE

“Awake, O Lord, and attend to my judgment, [even] to my cause, my God and my Lord (ho theos mou kai ho kyrios mou).” Psalm 34:23 LXX

Jesus is to Thomas what YHWH is to the Psalmist.

Fifth Example

“Take heed, therefore, to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the assembly of the Lord and God (tou kyriou kai theou) which he purchased with his own blood (dia tou idiou haimatos/ tou haimatos tou idiou).” Acts 20:28

Jesus is the Lord God who purchased the Church by his own blood.

Once again, Christ is presented as doing the very thing that YHWH did for Israel:  

“A contemplation by Asaph. God, why have you rejected us forever? Why does your anger smolder against the sheep of your pasture? Remember your congregation, which you purchased of old, which you have redeemed to be the tribe of your inheritance: Mount Zion, in which you have lived.” Psalm 74:1-2  

Sixth Example

“to them belong the patriarchs, and from them, according to the flesh, comes the Christ, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen.” Romans 9:5 NRSVUE

For Paul, Jesus is the God that reigns supreme over all creation and who is worthy of everlasting praise.

Seventh Example

The blessed Apostle also magnifies Jesus as the great God and Savior of all believers, and by extension of the entire creation, since the same God of believers is also the same God of all:

“looking for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ (tou megalou theou kai soteros hemon ‘Iesou Christou), who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify for himself a people for his own possession, zealous for good works.” Titus 2:13-14

Paul is joined by the blessed Peter who glorified the risen and glorious Son of God as our Lord, God and Savior, and ascribes to him everlasting glory:

“Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have obtained a like precious faith with us in the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ (tou theou hemon kai soteros ‘Iesou Christou)…For thus you will be richly supplied with the entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ (tou kyriou hemon kai soteros ‘Iesou Christou)… For we didn’t follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received from God the Father honor and glory when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, ‘This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’ We heard this voice come out of heaven when we were with him on the holy mountain.” 2 Peter 1:1, 11, 16-18

“But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (tou kyriou hemon kai soteros ‘Iesou Christou). To him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.” 2 Peter 3:18

The particular Greek construction which both of these blessed and inspired Apostles employed conclusively prove that they are describing Jesus as the God of all believers:  

tn The terms “God and Savior” both refer to the same person, Jesus Christ. This is one of the clearest statements in the NT concerning the deity of Christ. The construction in Greek is known as the Granville Sharp rule, named after the English philanthropist-linguist who first clearly articulated the rule in 1798. Sharp pointed out that in the construction article-noun-καί-noun (where καί [kai] = “and”), when two nouns are singular, personal, and common (i.e., not proper names), they always had the same referent. Illustrations such as “the friend and brother,” “the God and Father,” etc. abound in the NT to prove Sharp’s point. The only issue is whether terms such as “God” and “Savior” could be considered common nouns as opposed to proper names. Sharp and others who followed (such as T. F. Middleton in his masterful The Doctrine of the Greek Article) demonstrated that a proper name in Greek was one that could not be pluralized. Since both “God” (θεός, theos) and “savior” (σωτήρ, sōtēr) were occasionally found in the plural, they did not constitute proper names, and hence, do fit Sharp’s rule. Although there have been 200 years of attempts to dislodge Sharp’s rule, all attempts have been futile. Sharp’s rule stands vindicated after all the dust has settled. For more information on Sharp’s rule see ExSyn 270-78, esp. 276. See also 2 Pet 1:1 and Jude 4. (New English Translation [NET]: https://netbible.org/bible/Titus+2; emphasis mine)

And:

tn The terms “God and Savior” both refer to the same person, Jesus Christ. This is one of the clearest statements in the NT concerning the deity of Christ. The construction in Greek is known as the Granville Sharp rule, named after the English philanthropist-linguist who first clearly articulated the rule in 1798. Sharp pointed out that in the construction article-noun-καί-noun (where καί [kai] = “and”), when two nouns are singular, personal, and common (i.e., not proper names), they always had the same referent. Illustrations such as “the friend and brother,” “the God and Father,” etc. abound in the NT to prove Sharp’s point. In fact, the construction occurs elsewhere in 2 Peter, strongly suggesting that the author’s idiom was the same as the rest of the NT authors’ (cf., e.g., 1:11 [“the Lord and Savior”], 2:20 [“the Lord and Savior”]). The only issue is whether terms such as “God” and “Savior” could be considered common nouns as opposed to proper names. Sharp and others who followed (such as T. F. Middleton in his masterful The Doctrine of the Greek Article) demonstrated that a proper name in Greek was one that could not be pluralized. Since both “God” (θεός, theos) and “savior” (σωτήρ, sōtēr) were occasionally found in the plural, they did not constitute proper names, and hence, do fit Sharp’s rule. Although there have been 200 years of attempts to dislodge Sharp’s rule, all attempts have been futile. Sharp’s rule stands vindicated after all the dust has settled. For more information on the application of Sharp’s rule to 2 Pet 1:1, see ExSyn 272, 276-77, 290. See also Titus 2:13 and Jude 4. (Ibid.: https://netbible.org/bible/2+Peter+1; emphasis mine)

Eighth Example

“But of the Son he says, ‘Your throne, O God (ho theos), is forever and ever. The scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your Kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated iniquity; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your fellows.’”

“And, ‘You, Lord (the Son), in the beginning, laid the foundation of the earth. The heavens are the works of your hands. They will perish, but you continue. They all will grow old like a garment does. You will roll them up like a mantle, and they will be changed; but you are the same. Your years won’t fail.” Hebrews 1:8-12

The Father glorifies Jesus as the God who reigns forever in the context of identifying him as that very YHWH, which the following Psalm magnifies as the unchangeable Creator and Sustainer of all creation!

“A Prayer of the afflicted, when he is overwhelmed and pours out his complaint before Yahweh. Hear my prayer, Yahweh! Let my cry come to you… But you, Yahweh, will remain forever; your renown endures to all generations… Of old, you laid the foundation of the earth. The heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you will endure. Yes, all of them will wear out like a garment. You will change them like a cloak, and they will be changed. But you are the same. Your years will have no end.” Psalm 102:1, 12, 25-27

Ninth Example

“We know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.” 1 John 5:20

John in his prologue has already identified who this true God and eternal life is:

“That which was from the beginning, that which we have heard, that which we have seen with our eyes, that which we saw, and our hands touched, concerning the Word of life (and the life was revealed, and we have seen, and testify, and declare to you the life, the eternal life, which was with the Father, and was revealed to us); that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us. Yes, and our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.” 1 John 1:1-3

The inspired Apostle has already informed his readers that the eternal life is none other than He has been from the beginning with the Father, and whom and he and the others physically beheld and touched.

John has, therefore, provided a bookend (also known as an inclusio) in which he begins and ends his epistle by reiterating the point of believers having fellowship with the Father and his Son Jesus Christ. And it is the Son whom he describes as the eternal life, which means that he is that very true God who was with the Father from the beginning.

The Holy Spirit is God

The Spirit of God is also depicted as an uncreated, eternal divine Person, and not a mere force, influence and/or power.

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and empty. Darkness was on the surface of the deep and God’s Spirit was hovering over the surface of the waters.” Genesis 1:1-2

“Yahweh’s Spirit spoke by me. His word was on my tongue. The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spoke to me, ‘One who rules over men righteously, who rules in the fear of God,” 2 Samuel 23:2-3

“The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.” Job 33:4

“You send out your Spirit and they are created. You renew the face of the ground.” Psalm 104:30

“Who has directed Yahweh’s Spirit, or has taught him as his counselor? Who did he take counsel with, and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of justice, and taught him knowledge, and showed him the way of understanding?” Isaiah 40:13-14  

“But they rebelled and grieved his Holy Spirit. Therefore he turned and became their enemy, and he himself fought against them.” Isaiah 63:10

“I still have many things to tell you, but you can’t bear them now. However, when he, the Spirit of truth, has come, he will guide you into all truth, for he will not speak from himself; but whatever he hears, he will speak. He will declare to you things that are coming.” John 16:12-13

“But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back part of the price of the land? While you kept it, didn’t it remain your own? After it was sold, wasn’t it in your power? How is it that you have conceived this thing in your heart? You haven’t lied to men, but to God.” Acts 5:3-4

“In the same way, the Spirit also helps our weaknesses, for we don’t know how to pray as we ought. But the Spirit himself makes intercession for us with groanings which can’t be uttered. He who searches the hearts knows what is on the Spirit’s mind, because he makes intercession for the saints according to God.” Romans 8:26-27

“But to us, God revealed them through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For who among men knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so, no one knows the things of God except God’s Spirit. But we received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is from God, that we might know the things that were freely given to us by God.” 1 Corinthians 2:10-12

“But the one and the same Spirit produces all of these, distributing to each one separately as he desires.” 1 Corinthians 12:11

“Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face seeing the glory of the Lord as in a mirror, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord, the Spirit.” 2 Corinthians 3:17-18

“how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without defect to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” Hebrews 9:14

Unless stated otherwise, scriptural references taken from the World English Bible (WEB).

Further Reading

Trinity Chart (https://answeringislam.blog/trinity-chart/)

TRINITARIAN PATTERN OF THE NT (https://answeringislam.blog/trinitarian-pattern-of-the-nt/)

The Biblical Basis of the Doctrine of the Trinity Pt. 1 (https://answeringislam.blog/the-biblical-basis-of-the-doctrine-of-the-trinity-pt-1/)

Trinity in Hebrews (https://answeringislam.blog/trinity-in-hebrews/)