THE TRINITY

1
THE TRINITY
A Christian Evidences presentation on the
Reality, Nature and Unity of the God Head

• International Church of Christ
• Islands Region

2
Presented by Emmanuel Emeh Evangelist ICOC,
Lagos Islands Region
3
Why do a Study on Trinity?

• It occupies an important aspect in Christianity
• Its about the most controversial topic in the
  whole of Christendom
• It is a major point of attack from
  anti-Christians
• Its a topic avoided by most preachers and church
  goers
• Its not an easy nut to crack
• Answers are in the Bible

4
IMPORTANT NOTE

• 1Timothy 316
• Beyond all question, the mystery of godliness
  is great
• He God appeared in the body,
• was vindicated by the Spirit,
• Was seen by angels,
• was preached among the nations,
• Was believed on in the world,
• was taken up in glory.
• A possible "early creed" of the church

5
What is 1Tim. 316 saying?

• This scripture is telling us that we cannot
  completely understand the infinite God with our
  finite minds.
• We will get into trouble if we try to make God
  "reasonable", or "easily understood". God is
  complex. His thoughts are higher than our
  thoughts as the prophet pointed out in
• Isaiah 55 9
• Nevertheless, God has made a revelation of
  Himself in the Bible, which we can accept or
  reject as we please.

6
Where do we start?

• Colossians 22-3
• My purpose is that they may be encouraged in
  heart and united in love, so that they may have
  the full riches of complete understanding, in
  order that they may know the mystery of God,
  namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the
  treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

7
What is TRINITY?

• "Within the unity of the One God there are three
  Persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy
  Spirit and these three share the same Nature and
  attributes. In effect then, the three Persons are
  the One God."
• The word "Trinity" means "Tri-Unity".
• While not used in Scripture as a Bible term, it
  conveys what the Bible teaches concerning God.
  The ONE GOD of the Bible is revealed to us in
  THREE persons as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
• (or Holy Ghost).

8

• To grasp the concept of TRINITY, one needs to
  first understand the nature of GOD and to do
  this, you need to understand the nature of MAN.

9
What is MAN?

• An illustration from the image of MAN

10
What is God?

• Then God said, Let us make man in our own
  image, in our likeness
• so god created man in his own image,
• in the image of God he created him
• Male and female he created them
• Gen, 126a, 27

11
What is the image of God?
Gods image is not Physical but Spiritual
12
What the Bible says about God and His nature

• "God is a Spirit John 424
• He is not flesh and blood Matt. 1617
• "God is light, in Him there is no darkness at
  all I John 15
• "God is love who ever lives in love,
  lives in God, and God in him
• I John 416
• "God is love. I John 48

13

• "God is not a man, that He should lie Numbers
  2319
• "For as the heavens are higher than the Earth, so
  are my ways higher than yours, and my thoughts
  than your thoughts. Isaiah 559
• He is not a man like me that I might answer him,
  that we might confront each other in court Job
  932
• How great is God- beyond our understanding! The
  number of his years is past finding out. Job 36
  26

14
Man simply bears the Likeness of God
God is a Class of being composed of three
individuals.God is not limited by our physical
world.He does not operate under our laws. Time
and SpaceTo try to fully comprehend God with
our limited and primitive minds will only
breed frustration. 1. God is everywhere.
(omnipresent) Mk 510 Jude 6 Rev 201-3 1
Ki 827 2 Chron 26 618 Isa 661 Acts 749
1727-28 Ps 1397-13 2. God is all knowing
(omniscient) Ps 1391-6 Job 422 Acts 223
1 Tim 117 3. God is all powerful
(omnipotent) Gen 171 3511 Rom 131 1 Tim
615 Rev 196
15
What is Man?
God made MAN in His image, MALE and FEMALE He
made them
16
"For this reason a man shall leave his father and
his mother, and be joined to his wife and they
shall become one echad flesh. " Genesis 224
17
Biblical Trinity
They are three in personality but one in nature
or essence. Father, Son and Spirit are each God
(in essence), but none can be identified with
the other.
18
The Historical Background of the word Trinity

• CONSTANTINE AND THE NICAEAN CONCILE (325/381AD)
• The Council of Nicaea, the first ecumenical
  council of the Catholic Church, was conducted at
  Constantines imperial summer residence in Nicaea
  of Bithynia, from May 20th until July 25th, A.D.
  325. With 318 clergymen in attendance
• Council of Constantinople (382)
• It was here the Nicene Creed, which officially
  approved the trinity doctrine was finally adopted
  .

19
Where lies the Problem and Confusion?

• The Ontological Trinity
• (who God is)
• The Economic Trinity
• (what God does)

20
Various Views of God and The TRINITY
21
Monotheism
The believe in one personality GodThe problem
with this is, when religious groups or
individuals say they are Monotheist, a lot of
times they are actually HENOTHEISTChristians
are Monotheist
22
HENOTHEISM
Henotheism the worship of one god without
denying the existence of other gods
23
Mysterious Trinitarian
I know its true, but its too mysterious to
understand
24
Tritheism Catholic Trinity
Three Gods in One?
Tritheist by observation
25
Modalism
God "morphs" from one form to another according
to the need of the hour
26
Modalism states that God has taken numerous forms
in both the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament,
and that God has manifested Himself in three
primary modes in regards to the salvation of
mankind. Thus God is Father in creation (God
created or begat a Son through the virgin birth),
Son in redemption (God manifested Himself into or
indwelt the begotten man Christ Jesus for the
purpose of His death upon the cross), and Holy
Spirit in regeneration (God's indwelling Spirit
within the souls of Christian believers). In
light of this view, God is not three separate
Persons, but rather one God manifesting Himself
in multiple ways. It is held by its proponents
that this view maintains the strict monotheism
found in Judaism and the Old Testament
scriptures. This Theory is also called
Animation
27
Animation
He Morphs
28
Arianism

• 1 personality
• Created demi-god son
• Impersonal Holy Spirit Active force

Arianism, a Christian heresy first proposed early
in the 4th century by the Alexandrian presbyter
Arius. It affirmed that Christ is not truly
divine but a created being
29
Twinity
Holy Spirit is a thing
30
Attempts to graphically portray the God of the
bible and the concept of the Trinity.
ANTHROPOMORPHISM
31
Norwegian-1300AD
32
France-1400AD
33
Italy-1500AD
34
German-1900AD
35
German-2000AD
36
Lagos Trinity?
37

• Illustrations of God that
• are best in my opinion
• Marriage two distinct individuals, are joined as
  one.
• Class of being deity, Mankind Singular word for
  a class of being composed of many individuals.
• Family Singular word comprised of many members.
• Organization Singular word for a group of
  individuals functioning together for a common
  goal or purpose.
• Church/Body Singular word with Christ as the
  head and individual Christians as the body.
• Unity Three can be one in unity and purpose.

38

• Modalism illustrations that should not be used
  because they erase the distinctness of each of
  the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
• Egg shell, white and yolk
• Apple Peel, flesh, core
• Water H2O has three states depending on the
  temperature liquid, solid (cold), gas (hot)
• Roles A single man has many roles father,
  employee and citizen.

39
Polytheism The believe in more than one God
OGUN
Shongo
Many bodies in disunity
40
NOTE
Mohamed called the Christians Roman Catholics
Polytheist because of the doctrine of the Trinity.
At some other occasion The Koran even includes
Mary as part of the God Head
41
WHAT ABOUT OTHER gods?

• By nature, there is only one true eternal God,
  all the other gods are not gods by nature. They
  are created and false as opposed to the one true
  God who is eternal, without beginning or end.
• "However at that time when you did not know God,
  you were slaves to those which BY NATURE are no
  gods." Gal 48
• "for even if there are so-called gods whether in
  heaven or on earth, as indeed there are many gods
  and many lords, yet for us there is but one God,
  the Father, from whom are all things and we exist
  for Him and one Lord, Jesus Christ through whom
  are all things, and we exist through Him." 1
  Corinthians 8 5,6

42
Three-god concept in world religions
"The Hindus, Greeks, and Romans had a three-god
triad, but those did not come close to the
Christian doctrine of the Trinity. The members of
their divine triads were not co-equal and
co-eternal. Neither did they share the same
nature and essence. They also did not have a
perfect unity among them. In fact, the opposite
was true. These religions may be called
Tritheistic, or, more accurately, Polytheistic,
but not Trinitarian. They did not have one God of
three persons, nor even three gods. Rather they
had scores of gods of different strengths in
constant conflict." (J. L. Williams, Victor Paul
Wierwille and The Way International, p. 78)
43
Was Trinity borrowed from pagans?

• A look at several relevant world religions and
  cultures used by anti-trinitarians as proofs.
• While these proofs do not support the claims
  anti-trinitarians want us to believe, they how
  ever show that some element of truth about God
  can be found in these religions and culture.

44
Hindus brahma-vishnu-shiva
Brahma (the creator) Vishnu (the
omnipresent) Shiva-Rudra (beneficent and
destructive)
45
Bramha of Hindu
Bramha, one member of the triad Hindu God is
actually a 5 headed God within a 3 headed
trinity! This proves that the Hindu trinity is
very different from Christian trinity.
46
Triad of Amon-Ra, Ramses II, and Mut. 2000BC
47
Hindu,India-700AD
48
Grecian trinity
Hades
Zeus
Poseidon
49
The Palmyra triad of moon god, Lord of the
Heavens, and sun god.
50
Greek Hecate of the three faces
51
ishtar-sin-shamash of Babylon
ishtar
52
Egyptian gods
Isis
osiris
53
Baal the Canaanite god of fertility
54
Three gods clouds
55
Mary child
56
More visual representations of The Trinity

• FROM THOUGHT PROVOKING
• TO THE REDICULLOUS!

57
(No Transcript)
58
Trinidad
59
Chinese Trinity The Shaoline Masters?
60
Father, Son and Spirit Mother?
61
Prodigal Trinity
62
(No Transcript)
63
(No Transcript)
64
(No Transcript)
65
(No Transcript)
66
(No Transcript)
67
(No Transcript)
68
(No Transcript)
69
(No Transcript)
70
Major Anti-Trinitarians

• Jehovah's Witnesses Watch Tower
• Modalists (United Pentecostal Church, UPCI)
• Muslims (Islamic)
• Jews
• The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
• The Living Church of God
• Christian Scientists
• The Unification Church Monist
• American Unitarian Conference
• Branhamists
• Frankists
• Oneness Pentecostals
• Splinter groups of Armstrongism
• The Restored Church of God
• Christadelphians
• Unitarians
• The Way International

71
Christians did not borrow Trinity from the pagans!

• Clearing the Confusion

72
The Godhead

• THE FATHER HARDLY ANY CONTROVERSY
• THE SPIRIT A PERSONALITY NOT A THING
• THE SON JESUS MOST CONTROVERCIAL

73
The one God Father, Son, Holy Spirit

• Passages that say there is only one God
• "there is no one like Yahweh our God." Exodus
  810
• "Yahweh, He is God there is no other besides
  Him." Deuteronomy 435
• "Yahweh, He is God in heaven above and on the
  earth below there is no other." Deuteronomy 439
• "See now that I, I am He, And there is no god
  besides Me" Deuteronomy 3239
• "Hear, O Israel! Yahweh is our God, Yahweh is one
  echad!" Deuteronomy 64
• "You are great, O Lord God for there is none
  like You, and there is no God besides You" 2
  Samuel 722

74

• "For who is God, besides Yahweh? And who is a
  rock, besides our God?" 2 Samuel 2232
• "Yahweh is God there is no one else." 1 Kings
  860
• You are the God, You alone, of all the kingdoms
  of the earth..." 2 Kings 1915
• "O Lord, there is none like You, nor is there any
  God besides You" 1 Chronicles 1720
• "You alone are Yahweh." Nehemiah 96
• "For who is God, but Yahweh? And who is a rock,
  except our God" Psalm 1831
• "You alone, Lord, are God." Isaiah 3720
• "Before Me there was no God formed, And there
  will be none after Me." Isaiah 4310

75

• "I am the first and I am the last, And there is
  no God besides Me." Isaiah 446
• "Is there any God besides Me, Or is there any
  other Rock? I know of none." Isaiah 448
• "I am Yahweh, and there is no other Besides Me
  there is no God." Isaiah 455
• "Surely, God is with you, and there is none else,
  No other God." Isaiah 4514
• "I am Yahweh, and there is none else." Isaiah
  4518

76

• "Is it not I, Yahweh? And there is no other God
  besides Me, A righteous God and a Savior There
  is none except Me." Isaiah 4521
• "I am God, and there is no other I am God, and
  there is no one like Me" Isaiah 469
• "And Yahweh will be king over all the earth in
  that day Yahweh will be the only one, and His
  name the only one." Zechariah 149

77

• "The foremost is, Hear, O Israel! The Lord our
  God is one Lord " Mark 1229
• "you do not seek the glory that is from the one
  and only God?" John 544
• "No one can serve two masters for either he will
  hate the one and love the other, or he will be
  devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot
  serve God and wealth." Matthew 624

78

• "I and the Father are one." John 1030
• "This is eternal life, that they may know You,
  the only true God" John 173
• "The glory which You have given Me I have given
  to them, that they may be one, just as We are
  one" John 1722
• "since indeed God is one" Romans 330
• "to the only wise God, Amen."
• Romans 1627
• "there is no God but one" 1 Corinthians 84

79

• "yet for us there is but one God, the Father,
  from whom are all things and we exist for Him
  and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all
  things, and we exist through Him." 1 Corinthians
  86
• "Now a mediator is not for one party only
  whereas God is only one." Galatians 320
• "There is one body and one Spirit, one hope, one
  Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father
  of all who is over all and through all and in
  all." Ephesians 44-6
• "You believe that God is one. You do well the
  demons also believe, and shudder." James 219

80

• "Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible,
  the only God" 1 Timothy 117
• "which He will bring about at the proper timeHe
  who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King
  of kings and Lord of lords, who alone possesses
  immortality and dwells in unapproachable light,
  whom no man has seen or can see. To Him be honor
  and eternal dominion! Amen." 1 Timothy 616
• "For there is one God, and one mediator also
  between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,"
• 1 Timothy 25
• "the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ
  our Lord. Amen." Jude 25

81
The Deity of Jesus Christ
82
CHRISTOLOGY
WHO IS JESUS?
83
Jesus pre-existed His physical birth

• A. Jesus actually created the universe in Gen 11
  (John 13, Heb 12, Col 116-17)
• B. Jesus existed before Abraham who died 2000 BC
  John 856-58
• C. Jesus existed before John the Baptist who was
  six months older than Jesus
• John 115 Lk 124-26
• D. Prophecies before his incarnation into Mary's
  womb
• He will be called "God with us" Isa 714
• He will be called, "Mighty God, Eternal Father"
  Isa 96

84
Jesus Is Divine In Substance

• Col 29 the fullness of deity
• Heb 13 exact representation of His
  nature
• Jn 148-10 He who sees Me sees
  the Father.

85
Who is JESUS?
86
(No Transcript)
87
Jesus is Divine in name and is called "GOD"
directly John 11-3

• Passages where Jesus is unquestionably called God
• Heb 18 Father addresses son as God
• Jn 11 The word was God
• Phil 26-8 Jesus existed in the form of God
• Jn 2028 'My Lord and My God
• Isa 714 A Child Will Be Born And His Name
  Is Called" "Emanuel God with us"
• Isa 96 "A Child Will Be Born And His Name Is
  Called" "Mighty God, Eternal Father,
  Prince of Peace"

88
(No Transcript)
89
Titles Yahweh and Jesus Shares
90
Distinct and unique attributes possessed by both
YAWEH Jesus
91
ARE WE TO WORSHIP JESUS AS GOD?

• Angels should not be worshipped, only God Rev
  1910 228-9
• Men should not be worshipped, only God
• Acts 1026
• Jesus accepts worship from Angels Heb 16
• All creation worships both Father and Lamb Rev
  511-14

92

• Men worshipped Jesus and He did not refuse
• From the ruler - Mt 918 KJV
• From the leper - Mt 82
• From the wise men - Mt 211
• From His disciples in the boat - Mt 1433
• From the Canaanite woman - Mt 1525
• From the man born blind - Jn 938
• From the women and other disciples following
  His resurrection - Mt 289,17
• From the disciples following His ascension
• Lk 2452
• NB Herods words in Matt.28, Go and make a
  careful search for the child. As soon as you find
  him, report to me, so that I too may go and
  worship

93
The Question of Equality
Are they equal?

• Galatians 328 "There is neither Jew nor
  Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there
  is neither male nor female for you are all one
  in Christ Jesus."

Truth One's nature and equality is not dependent
upon whether they submit. Jesus taught the
greatest will be the servant!
94
Shared Descriptions
95
God The Father, Son Holy Spirit (Eccl 412)
Genesis 126 322 117 Isa 68
96
Jesus divinity questioned and affirmed 6 times
97
Divine Traits Jesus Shares with the Father
 
98
(No Transcript)
99
Divine Titles Jesus Shares with the Father"God,
YHWH, I am, King of Kings, First and Last"
 
100
Divine functions Jesus shares with the Father
101
(No Transcript)
102
(No Transcript)
103
(No Transcript)
104
Personality and character ascribed to the Holy
Spirit
105
(No Transcript)
106
What different churches teach about Christ's
Nature
Atheist
Christadelphians
107
Jehovah's Witnesses
108
Mormons
109
Bible
110
CONCLUSION

• God is ONE
• There are no three separate gods in one
  (Tritheism).
• In your prayers, do you jump indiscriminately
  from Father to Son to Spirit, or do you have a
  sensitive appreciation of the various persons of
  the Trinity praying in Jesus' name through the
  power of the Spirit to my Father in heaven? Dr.
  D J
• The persons of the trinity always remain
  distinct. God does not "morphs" from one person
  to another (Modalism).

111
You killed the author of life Acts 315
112
Questions that demand Honest answers

• Do you have a relationship with this God?
• Is your SALVATION based on the BIBLE?
• Are you prepared to look into the scriptures?

113
Thank You!
May the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love
of God and fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with
you all- Amen!
114
THE TRINITY By Emmanuel Emeh March 2006