In light  of eternity

How many persons are there in the Godhead?

There be three persons in the Godhead, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost; and these three are one true, eternal God, the same in substance, equal in power and glory; although distinguished by their personal properties. 

Having been preoccupied with God’s oneness (unity) in the last couple posts, it would probably not be expected that by diversity we are now introduced to an idea (diversity) that makes Christianity unique among all other faith groups.  We find diversity within Unity. 

Our discussion will not get into the technicalities of this formulation but will simply state what has been arrived at from many ages of discussion and formulation.  It is not advisable to meddle with this phraseology for fear you’ll find yourself on either side of a great chasm of error which exists on either side.  

Once again the Westminster Confession of Faith is helpful for some additional insight on this Trinitarian formulation and statement:

God’s Unity:

WCF 2.1 “There is but one only, living, and true God, who is infinite in being and perfection, a most pure spirit, invisible, without body, parts, or passions; immutable, immense, eternal, incomprehensible, almighty, most wise, most holy, most free, most absolute; working all things according to the counsel of His own immutable and most righteous will, for His own glory; 

God’s Diversity:

WCF 2.3 In the unity of the Godhead there be three persons, of one substance, power, and eternity: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost: the Father is of none, neither begotten, not proceeding; the Son is eternally begotten of the Father; the Holy Ghost eternally proceeding from the Father and the Son.”

It is the unity of diversity that marks Trinity.  One God in three persons. We see this also given in this historic Christian creed:

I believe in God, the Father almighty,
Creator of heaven and earth,
and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,  

– Apostles Creed

Each person testifies as seen in 1 John 5:7 which says, “For there are three that testify.”  It is apparent there are three persons from passages such as the baptism of Jesus in Matthew 3:16–17, “16 After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him, 17 and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.’” 

All three persons of the One I AM God are present and active. Consequently it makes sense if God has revealed Himself in this way that Jesus would command his disciples in Matthew 28:19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”

This Trinity of person is not unknown in the Old Testament but it is not as clear as the New Testament when upon the scene of history the second person of the I AM God appears.  John the apostle records many things about Jesus and in John 10:30 this is what Jesus says of himself,  “I and the Father are one.” 

This is an astounding claim.  It is either blasphemous or true.  C.S. Lewis frames this astounding truth claim this way:

“I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him {Jesus}: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.” – Mere Christianity

This is the fulcrum point upon which all men fall and are divided. Either Jesus is God or he is a madman, liar and is dismissed.  Paul was convinced as an orthodox Jew that in fact this one I AM God was indeed three persons. He pronounces blessings on the Corinthian church, delivering these dear believers into the good care of this Triune, I AM God,

“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.”

– 2 Corinthians 13:14

And so, I as well leave you here, in the good graces of our One, Holy and Triune God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.