THE TRINITY: Yahweh is the TRIUNE God

God variously exists/functions as The Father, The Son (Jesus), and The Holy Spirit (The Holy Ghost). As to Jesus, The Savior: a savior not quite God would be like a bridge broken at its farther end, and one not quite human like a bridge broken at its beginning. So, pay close attention! Essential elements of the Trinity are:

	God is one (Christianity is not polytheistic).
	Each of the 3 within the "Godhead" is deity...not created.
	The one-ness of God and the three-ness of God are not contradictory.
	The Trinity (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) is eternal.
	Each of the 3 is of the same/equal essence, none being superior or inferior to another.
	Each person of the Trinity is different in function and personhood, not one person with 3 modes. God did not become incarnate, Jesus did; so we don't thank the Father for dying on the Cross. Jesus was begotten but not created. Jesus, fully God, became incarnate (John 1:14...the Word became flesh) as fully human (body, soul, & spirit...otherwise he would not be an actual redeemable human & could not have qualified as The Redeemer). Jesus the God-man: exactly how he was both God and man...how the two natures were existing in one person...is not yet a clear thing in my mind (a "mystery").

	the FATHER	the SON	the HOLY SPIRIT
Name	Yahweh ; "I AM"	Jesus of Nazareth	Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost
as if likened to a business situation	when acting as: the founder; the owner, or the Board chair	when acting as: president or CEO (chief executive officer)	when acting as: chief operations officer
as to: divine essence	each same...He is the Head; God is "one"	each same...was a man for 30+ years & God is the Head of Jesus; God is "one"...Jesus is God (Isaiah 9:6; John 1:1; Romans 1:5; Hebrews 1:8)	each same...H. S. not man-like, came like a rushing wind; God is "one"
as to a vineyard example (John 15:1-8)	is the gardener who prunes	the main vine [the true vine] (people are the branches)	not mentioned
as to: personhood & function	each different	each different	each different
as to: fundamental roles	has The Will, the agenda	is perfectly obedient; is on mission to make, shepherd, and be The Head of believers	is perfectly obedient; is enabler of persons to become (say "yes") and be believers; is a promise of the Father (Luke 24); is a gift to every believer (Acts 2:38)
as to presence in the lives of God's chosen people	BC: present but spoke thru prophets AD: present but speaks thru The Word, prayer, circumstances, and the church	BC: present but not realized & not incarnate AD: has all authority on heaven and earth and is the Head of The Church	BC: did not indwell all of the chosen; He only came upon especially chosen individuals for God's purposes AD: He indwells each believer (by doing so He baptizes & causes the new birth) and is the agent by whom God "speaks"
as to: the truth of a person's profession of Christian faith	simply desires (and set the way) for all to be saved and "draws" toward saving belief	died to cancel sin for all & to redeem all; is author of one's faith; convicts of need to say "yes" to Jesus belief; only one knowing sincerity of profession (Matthew 5:21)	enables to say "yes" to salvation
as to: eternality	yes, Psalms 90:2	yes, John 1:2 Revelations 1:8, 1:17	yes, Hebrews 9:14
as to: power	yes, equal: I Peter 1:5	yes, equal: 2 Corinthians 12:9	yes, equal: Romans 15:19
as to the WAYS of God	constitutes God's ways	lived the example and spoke of the ways of God	instructs one as to the ways of God
as to the believer's intimate relationship with Jesus	wills it	desires it for you and leads into knowledge of it	enables the believer into the relationship and as to the mind of Christ
as to: love	originator of love; His nature is love; possesses the will to extend love; is love I John 4:16	is the embodiment of love on earth & commands & leads to love of others	the conduit for pouring out love into the believer's heart Romans 8:26-28 & works to enable love for others
as to: omniscience	yes, total, 100% Jeremiah 17:10	yes, 99.99999% Revelations 2:23 (Jesus doesn't know the time of His return...only the Father knows); John 14:28; Mark 13:32; John 5:19; & I Corinthians 15:28)	yes, 99.99999% I Corinthians 2:11 (only the Father knows the time of Christ's return)
as to: holiness	equal, Revelations 15:4	equal, Acts 3:14	equal, Acts 1:8
as to: benevolence	thru it, God leads man toward repentance, toward "belief" Romans 2:4	thru God's benevolence, Jesus cleanses believer, Ephesians 5:25	thru God's benevolence, the Spirit instructs and enables the believer, Nehemiah 9:20
as to: creation of the world	He conceived it and created it	He was there from the beginning	hovered over it at beginning
as to: creation of Man	formed the man Genesis 2:7	created man and man created for him Colossians 1:	his breath gives man life Job 33:4
as to: Baptism of Christ	is well pleased by it Matthew 3:17	came up out of the water and saw the Holy Spirit Matthew 3:16	descended onto Jesus Matthew 3:16 and Mark 1:9
as to: death of Christ	He conceived of and engineered the plan and agreed that such way was the only sufficient offset for the sins of mankind	He agreed to come to earth as a man, to play the role, to live and speak THE TRUTH, to be the Light of the world, and to undergo the details of all of the prophesies and suffer the death.	He came 50 days later, at Pentecost, to indwell believers therefrom, on  into all the future ages Acts 2:1
as to: Sin	declared and defined sin	came to reveal sin	is always busy among people, and thru people and other means, urging the conviction of sin within the mind of a person (that person becomes CONVINCED...convicted) "shouts" a warning to the believer about to fall off course
as to redemption of mankind	willed the process	willingly came, fully as a man, as the Father's obedient servant to accomplish The Father's will	came onto Jesus (as enablement ?...John 5:19) at his baptism (Mark 1:9)
as to salvation of an individual, role	designates/foreknowledges The Elect	paid the redemption price and "knocks on the door" ...is the invitation to make a choice...for the "yes" hearer to say "yes"	LEADS individual to Jesus: works thru those used to carry the Gospel that the message be conveyed ...quickens the mind and spirit of the "hearer" ...enables the "yes" hearer to hear ..."saves" the "yes" hearer by enabling him to say yes
as to THE TRUTH	defines and declares it	His life and words represent it. He is THE TRUTH	the believer's indwelling force for the discernment of it.
as to THE PRESENT AGE	created and knows it and has a will and purpose for it	has all authority over it	is active in it
as to prayer	loves, solicits, receives it	intercedes for the believer in behalf of it, as requested	aids the believer in discerning what, how, and why to pray; will intercede for believer, as asked, when believer does not know how or what to pray; our helper in prayer.
as to a person's skill of discernment	creates varying intellectual capacities of individuals	is the authority and sets the example for it	provides discernment for the believer
as to vengeance	"It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. Romans 12:19	is a shield from it for the believer	no role
as to Judgment	authority and measurer of proper appeasement	passes all final judgment (John 5:22 & 27)	no role
as to the peace of the believer	wills it	offers it	is the conduit to provide it
as to spiritual gifts			distributes the particular gifts to particular believers
as to advancement of the career/work life of the believer (such as studying in medical school, college, etc.)	gives the talents and wills success	has all authority in Heaven & on earth and can authorize it	provides enablement (sharpening of mind, memory, motivation and determination)....somewhat related to prayer and strength of spiritual relationship
as to Kingdom Work on earth	origin of The Will for it	has all authority to see that The Will is carried out	following that Pentecost after the crucifixion of Jesus, the Spirit comes to & enables the believers, the servants, to be yielded, to be available, and to be used to carry out The Will. The Spirit uses circumstances, other people, and His prompting to lead believers in this work.
as to the believer's glorification of God	He desires it, receives it, and loves it	He intercedes and delivers it (John 15:5)	He infuses the power to do so, originating in Jesus, into the believer (Philippians 4:13)
as to God speaking to believers	He "speaks"	He is the interceding link	He resides within the believer and gives the message through The Word (scripture), prayer, circumstances, and the Church.
as to knowing the will of God for yourself	He "wills" that you know it	He loves you toward desiring to know it	He guides and enables you into seeing, hearing, understanding what God's will is & what the mind of Christ is as to God's will
as to doing the will of God for yourself	it is His will that you come to know it	He loves you toward desiring to do it	He enables you to say "yes" in your decision to do it and enables you to do it.
as to: the local church	has His will for it	is the Head of it	manifests himself as the enabler within each believer for actions and experiences toward the common good of "the body of believers"...the church I Corinthians 12 Acts 2:38
as to: Resurrection from death	He wills that the children of God come to Him and His kingdom after their death (has possibly willed that all come to Him)	He is the actual mechanism for the resurrection of God's children (John 11:25)
as to: the believer discerning the TRUTH of The Word of God, the Holy Scripture	He breaths (is the origin of) The Word	He was The Word in living form	He guides the believer into The Truth of The Word as the Counselor/teacher of it (John 14:26, 15:26, 16:7, 13)

Some Christian churches do not subscribe to standard Trinitarian doctrine...see this file at Bible Tools in order to see how/why persons MIGHT argue against a key belief in the huge sea of well-considered thought & belief in our faith.
                          

August 1998 (latest update 4 August 2007)