Episode 21, "Unity in the Trinity"; Segment on the Holy Spirit; Series, "Step into His Presence"

Episode 21” The Unity of the Trinity “ Series: “Step into His Presence”

There is no rivalry between God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Welcome to Episode 21 of our segment on the Holy Spirit, "The Unity of the Trinity." 

In a previous podcast, we discussed that God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are not rivals but united as One. We must understand this because when we pray, we need complete confidence that the Holy Spirit is taking our request to the throne of God as our intercessor here on Earth.

We explore how the Holy Spirit was treated as if He were not part of the Godhead, the heresies that led to this exclusion, a man named Tertullian who gave the Holy Spirit His proper place in the Godhead, coining the word "Trinity"; and supporting scriptures that show the "Unity of the Trinity."

            Thank you for joining us today. And join us next time for another segment on the Holy Spirit as we “Step into His Presence.” 

             In closing, if you have not received Jesus as your Savior and Lord, today would be a good day to do so. Romans 10:9 says, if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God has raised Jesus from the dead, you shall be saved, that is, saved from a life of sinning against God to a life of serving Him and spending eternity with Him. 

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Transcript

Episode 21” The Unity of the Trinity “ Series: “Step into His Presence”

There is no rivalry between God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Welcome to Episode 21 of our segment on the Holy Spirit, "The Unity of the Trinity." Let’s get started.

In a previous podcast, we discussed that God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are not rivals but united as One. We must understand this because when we pray, we need complete confidence that the Holy Spirit is taking our request to the throne of God as our intercessor here on Earth.

There was a time in early church history when the Holy Spirit was treated as if He were not part of the Godhead.[1] Many false teachers taught this heresy. We will briefly touch on how those who opposed the Holy Spirit's divinity crept into the Church. However, this podcast encourages you to acknowledge the presence of the Holy Spirit, who was sent from heaven to be our Helper, Comforter, Advocate, and more.

By the second century, everyone who had been eyewitnesses to Jesus' miracles, life, death, burial, and resurrection had died. This was when the heresy against the Holy Spirit snaked its way into the church. It is unclear how these falsehoods took hold with such vengeance because it is believed that between 50 A.D. and 80 A.D., the Gospels, Paul’s Epistles, and the Book of Revelation had all been written. Perhaps the written word did not have the same influence as the Living Word—Jesus—and His followers. But it is just like Satan to attack the Word of God. He did it in the early church, and he does it today.

However, a Christian writer named Tertullian put any challenge to rest on the Oneness of the Holy Trinity.[2] Tertullian was born around 155 AD in Carthage, Africa—now Tunisia—and wrote his treatises around 200 AD. Tertullian coined the term "Trinity," derived from the Latin "Trinitas." His teachings stated unequivocally that God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit were three Gods in One. Tertullian's writings are genius, as evidenced by the world’s embrace of the term “Trinity.” This designation for the Divine Triumvirate is embedded in the Apostles' Creed, recited by most mainstream Christian denominations. The Trinity is the core aspect of the Apostles' Creed.

We will now segue into a discussion of scriptures and events that show the Holy Spirit is One with the Father and the Son.

            In Genesis 1:26, we see the unity of the Trinity because God included the Son and the Holy Spirit in the creation of man when He said, “Let us,” not “Let me.”
            The unity of the Trinity is evident when the angel Gabriel announces to the Virgin Mary, “The Holy Ghost shall come upon you, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow you.” Luke 1:35-38. Thus, we have the Holy Ghost—"shall come upon you"—God the Father—“the Highest,” and the Son of God, Jesus, being conceived through Mary.

            Let’s examine two notable events that support the existence of the Trinity: the Baptism of Christ and the Transfiguration.

            When Jesus was baptized, he “went straightway out of the water; and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: 17And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Matthew 3:16-17; Luke 3:21-22; Mark 1:10-11. The version in Luke 3:22 says “the Holy Ghost descended.” Thus, the unity of the Trinity is displayed when simultaneously Jesus is baptized, the Holy Spirit descends, and God speaks His approval. This union is a watershed moment and precursor to Jesus’ 40 days and nights of praying and fasting in the desert. Jesus was strengthened for His ministry and eventual surrender to death on the cross for man’s redemption.

            The second event occurred when Jesus ascended the Mount of Transfiguration with Peter, John, and James. Matthew 17:1-8; Luke 9:28-36; Mark 9:7. As Jesus prayed, his countenance changed, and his clothing became “white and glistering.” Luke 9:29-30. Moses and Elias appeared and spoke of Jesus' death, but the disciples were asleep when this happened. After they awoke and some discourse transpired, Moses and Elias disappeared, but a cloud overshadowed the disciples and Jesus. Then God spoke through the clouds, “This is my beloved Son: hear him.”

            We have a similar scenario to Jesus’ baptism, but this time, the Holy Spirit is depicted as a cloud in all three gospels. The Holy Spirit is also seen as a cloud in the Old Testament. In Exodus 13:21-22, a pillar of cloud by day led the children of Israel through the desert, and in
1 Kings 8:10-11, when Solomon’s Temple was dedicated.

            Two distinctions in Jesus’ baptism and transfiguration are how the Holy Spirit is represented and what God speaks. In the baptism, the Holy Spirit—like a dove—descends upon Jesus only, but during the transformation, the Holy Spirit cloud covers the disciples and Jesus. In the baptism, God does not tell the people present to “hear” Jesus, but He tells the disciples to hear Jesus at the transfiguration. The distinction seems to foretell the command for the disciples to go into all the world and preach the gospel.

Other Supporting Scriptures
            Other scriptures supporting the unity of the Trinity are 2 Corinthians 13:14, The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.; 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; and 1 Peter 1:2, Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.
            There are more examples, but we will close with excerpts from the Gospel of John. John 14:16 And I [Jesus] will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. John 15:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my [Jesus'] name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

            These scriptures and events depict the Oneness in the Trinity. They show that the Holy Spirit deserves the same respect as God the Father and Son. Indeed, there is no rivalry in the relationship. God the Father and Jesus commissioned the Spirit to live within us to fulfill the ultimate goal of man's reconciliation to God to one day live eternally with Him—no, live eternally with Them—in heaven.

            In closing, if you have not received Jesus as your Savior and Lord, today would be a good day to do so. Romans 10:9 says, if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God has raised Jesus from the dead, you shall be saved, that is, saved from a life of sinning against God to a life of serving Him and spending eternity with Him. 

            Thank you for joining us today. And join us next time for another segment on the Holy Spirit as we “Step into His Presence.” 

Now, we will close with the final words from Apostle Charles on how you can contact us.

[1]  Alistair McGrath, I Believe. (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1997) Page number missing; Burkitt, Crawford. (2009) 2009. Early Syriac Theology. 1st ed. Gorgias Press. 79. https://www.perlego.com/book/1162405; Dünzl, Franz. (2007) 2007. A Brief History of the Doctrine of the Trinity in the Early Church. 1st ed. T&T Clark. 29. https://www.perlego.com/book/392697.
[1]   Hillar, Marian. (2012) 2012. From Logos to Trinity. [Edition unavailable]. Cambridge University Press, 190. https://www.perlego.com/book/4224331.

[2]   Hillar, Marian. (2012) 2012. From Logos to Trinity. [Edition unavailable]. Cambridge University Press. https://www.perlego.com/book/4224331. P. 204.