The Trinity doctrine in the Bible

The Trinity Doctrine is probably the most misunderstood and attacked Christian doctrine even though it is firmly rooted in the Bible and is really nothing but a summary of what the Bible teaches about the nature of God. This article explains key concepts and presents an extensive list of scriptures along with explanations that prove or support the trinity doctrine.

(This list will be continually expanded.)

Old Testament
New Testament
Definition
- Common misunderstandings
Trinity doctrine concepts explained
Titles of God
Attributes of God
Other phrases and idioms

Here is a list of scriptures that harmonize with or prove the trinity doctrine, along with explanations as to what part of the doctrine they touch on.

Old Testament

Genesis 1: 1-3

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. 3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

The cery first sentences in the Bible are ripe with trinity concepts. It says God created the heavens and the earth, that is, everything that exists. Later in John 1:3, Colossians 1:15 and Hebrews 1:3 it shows that Jesus created everything that exists.

In this passage the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters presenting it as a separate agent with a location, meaning it must somehow be corporeal¹. This is mirrored in the Gospel account of Jesus’ baptism, where the Holy Spirit comes down from heaven in physical form as a dove, hovering over the waters, signalling the new creation. (Matthew 3:16; Mark 1:10; Luke 3:2; John 1:32)This is the Third Person of God going forth to prepare this shapeless wilderness for being shaped.

In both accounts, God said something. In Genesis, God said, “Let there be…“. His word goes forth 10 times to create things. This is the Word of God, whch other passages explain is the Second Person of God, Jesus, doing the creating.

So in this short passage we have God, the Word of God, and the Spirit of God, cooperating in creation.

Genesis 1: 26,27

Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

God speaks to himself in the second person saying “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness”, and then he created man in his own image. God has an internal discussion, the Father to the Son and Holy Spirit, and then the result is that of a unified singular action, man being created in his image.

Notice that God is not talking to angels or other creatures, because angels are not created in God’s image, nor are humans created in the image of angels, but humans are created in the image of God. so when God says ge will create humans in our inage he is talking among the persons of the Godhead.

Also note what it says about humanity. “In the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” So humanity as a whole is referred to as “him” and humanity also consists of male and female, them. Humanity was created in the image of God, meaning that this plurality if two seces in the unity of “man” or humanity, mirrors the nature of God.

The name Adam means Humanity, and it is the name of all of humanity but also of the first male human. But Eve is also Adam in that she is part of humanity. The same way “God” refers to both the primary person of God, the Father, but also to divinity as a whole. Sonthe Son and the Holy Spirit are also God because they are part of Divinity.

This proves and illustrates the plurality of God.

“God was talking to the angels”

The angels have no part in the creation process. The only one who has part in the creation, the only creator, is God himself. So saying “Let us create” to someone who has no ability to create anything would be pointless and taunting.

Genesis 2: 23-24

Then the man said, “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” 24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

This passage exlains how two persons can be united in substance. Originally Woman was taken out of Man and is flesh of [his] flesh, and when united in matrimony, Man and Woman become one flesh. Even though as physical creatures they kust function as separate in location, in a spiritual sense they are one flesh.

Just as the Woman is the same flesh as Man, and she was taken out of Man so the Word and Spirit of God is the same “flesh” or substance as God the Father. Matrimony also illustrates the relationship between God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. As the Man is put in a position of authority over the Woman, the Father is in a position of authority over the Son and Holy Spirit. And just as the Woman is in a position of submission to the Man, Son and Holy Spirit are in a position of submission to the Father. Still, a Woman is equal to a Man in her Humanity and dignity, and the Son and Holy Spirit are equal to the Father in their Divinity and dignity. It’s just a matter of family organization to that the unity will function harmoniously.

This illustrates the plurality of both humanity and God.

Genesis 3: 8

And they heard the voice of Jehovah God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of Jehovah God amongst the trees of the garden.

Jehovah had the habit of walking in the garden every afternoon with Adam and Eve. Walking implies actual physical bipedal movement. This is not like God is some kind of ghost or some mist of energy just hovering along. No this is a human figure walking alongside Adam and Eve on the ground.

They heard the voice of Jehovah God and they hid themselves which means that God had a location from which they heard the voide and from which they presumed to hide. This means God had a specific location and moved around.

This is a theophany of the pre-incarnate second person of God.

See: The Two Powers in Heaven

Genesis 3: 22

Then Jehovah God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever–”

God speaks among himself and refers to himself in the plural. Humanity has become like one if us in knowing good and evil. Verse 5 makes clear that the one who knows (has the authority to make known) what is Good and Evil is God, not the angels or anyone else. When Humanity ate the fruit they took on themselves this authority and became like God.

This indicates the plurality of God.

Genesis 12: 7

Then Jehovah appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built there an altar to Jehovah, who had appeared to him.

Jehovah appeared to Abram which is a theophany which disproves the idea that no one can see God. This is the second person of God, the Word, who appeared to Abram.

See the Two Powers in Heaven

Genesis 17: 1

When Abram was ninety-nine years old Jehovah appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless,

In this theophany, Jehovah presents himself as God Almighty. Verse 22 shows that this was not a vision or some supernatural visual spectacle, since God went up from Abram. This is a visit from the second person of God, the Word of God, manifest as a human.

See the Two Powers in Heaven

Genesis 17: 22

When he had finished talking with him, God went up from Abraham.

That God went up from Abram shows that God was with Abram in a physical location. This shows that what happens in this chapter is not a vision or vague appearance, but a physical, visual manifestation of the second person of God.

See the Two Powers in Heaven

Genesis 18: 1-5

And Jehovah appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the door of his tent in the heat of the day. 2 He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing in front of him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the earth 3 and said, “O Lord, if I have found favor in your sight, do not pass by your servant. 4 Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree, 5 while I bring a morsel of bread, that you may refresh yourselves, and after that you may pass on–since you have come to your servant.” So they said, “Do as you have said.”

The Bible teaches that “no one can see God and live”, however in this passage Abraham experiences how Jehovah appeared to him. The passage reveals that Jehovah here is visible, tangible², has location, eats food, walks, and other things a regular person would. This tells us that there is not as simple as that God is invisible and transcendental. God can also be physically present as a human on earth.

Abraham bows to Jehovah and adresses him in the singular “in your sight”, and suddenly switches to the plural “wash your feet, and rest yourselves … refresh yourselves”, to which Jehovah answers in the plural, “So they said, “Do as you have said.””

Notice also that Jehovah appears as three men. Some argue these are the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. I find this improbable. Others argue that this is Jehovah and two angels. That is more probable giving the overal context of the Bible. God in the Old Testament is sometimes manifested in two or even three agents, one in heaven, invisible and transcendental³, one visible and immanent⁴. In this case it is the immanent Jehovah, the second person of God, who visits Abraham.

In any case this passage shows that God is not so simple that you can put him in a neat box. The ancient near east concept of the supernatural is not as straightforward as our western thinking would like.

See The Two Powers in Heaven

Genesis 18: 8

Then he took curds and milk and the calf that he had prepared, and set it before them. And he stood by them under the tree while they ate.

The fact that they ate shows that the concept of God as transcendental³ is not entirely true. God the Father may be invisible and transcendental, however God the Son has often appeared in a human figure throughout biblical history. And in this case he was seen and even ate food. This chapter details such a theophany.

See the Two Powers in Heaven

Genesis 18: 17-19

17 Jehovah said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, 18 seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? 19 For I have chosen him, that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of Jehovah by doing righteousness and justice, so that Jehovah may bring to Abraham what he has promised him.”

Here, Jehovah is speaking to himself, asking himself questions. Or perhaps he is speaking with the two angels. In any case Jehovah says I have chosen him … so that Jehovah may bring to Abraham what he has promised him.

Genesis 18: 33

And Jehovah went his way, when he had finished speaking to Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.

That Jehovah went his way shows that he was in one physical location with Abraham, and he loved to another physical location away from Abraham. But he didn’t go “up” to heaven as in Genesis 17:22. He remained on earth, which is vital to understanding the context of Genesis 19:24.

Genesis 19: 24

Then Jehovah rained on Sodom and Gomorrah sulfur and fire from Jehovah out of heaven.

Here we have two Jehovahs, one on earth (see 18:33) and one in heaven, yet there is only one Jehovah. Jehovah on earth calls down fire, and the fire comes from Jehovah in heaven. This shows that Jehovah is acting in two distinct agents, one immanent⁴ and one transcendental³. This is a key scripture in the ancient Jewish doctrine of the Two Powers in Heaven. It proves that God has a plurality of persons, and that he can be physically manifested on earth.

Exodus 17: 6

Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb, and you shall strike the rock, and water shall come out of it, and the people will drink.” And Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel.

Notice that Jehovah said he will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb. That means that he has a physical lovation (on top of the rock) and that he has a physical body (is standing). This is a theophany of the second person of God.

This is also the first time the word “rock” is used in the Bible, which is significant since Jehovah is standing on the rock from which the Israelites got water. Paul made clear that this Rock was Jesus Christ, so the connection is unmistakable. (1 Corinthians 10:4](1-corinthians-10-4)

This proves that God can come in the form of a man, and that this form of God is the second person of God, the Word, later incarnated as Jesus Christ.

See The Two Powers in Heaven, theophany.

Exodus 19: 9

And Jehovah said to Moses, “Behold, I am coming to you in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and may also believe you forever.” When Moses told the words of the people to Jehovah,

Jehocah is the one who comes on the clouds. See The Cloud Rider

Exodus 23: 20-23

“Behold, I send an angel before you to guard you on the way and to bring you to the place that I have prepared. 21 Pay careful attention to him and obey his voice; do not rebel against him, for he will not pardon your transgression, for my name is in him. 22 “But if you carefully obey his voice and do all that I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries. 23 “When my angel goes before you and brings you to the Amorites and the Hittites and the Perizzites and the Canaanites, the Hivites and the Jebusites, and I blot them out,

This passage presents the Angel of Jehovah who is not a regular low ranking messenger angel. They must obey him and not rebel against him because he has the authority of to pardon transgressions, forgive sins, something that only belongs to Jehovah. Jehovah also says “my name is in him”. The name being the presence of Jehovah, this means that Jehovah is present in this angel.

Notice also that Jehovah says “carefully obey his voice and do all that I say”, he is talking about himself in the third person. The voice that comes out of him is the voice of Jehovah. When the angel speaks, Jehovah speaks.

Also Jehovah says that he will be an enemy to their enemies when the angel goes ahead of them, meaning that Jehovah is the angel.

This angel is the second person of God, the secondary Jehovah, who later incarnated as Jesus Christ as Paul confirms in 1 Corintians 10:4

See The Angel of Jehovah, The Two Powers in Heaven.

Deuteronomy 6: 4

Hear, O Israel: Jehovah our God is one Jehovah:

This scripture proves that God is one, not three gods. The word translated “one” is the hebrew eḥāḏ (אֶחָד) which is used in Genesis 2:24 where it says “they shall become one flesh.” So it can be used for the compound unity of two or more persons. This is all in harmony with the trinity doctrine.

Deuteronomy 33: 26

“There is none like God, O Jeshurun, who rides through the heavens to your help, through the skies in his majesty.

See The Cloud Rider

2 Chronicles 18: 23

Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near and struck Micaiah on the cheek and said, “Which way did the Spirit of the LORD go from me to speak to you?”

This scripture reveals that the Holy Spirit speaks. Being able to independently communicate with other persons is a aign of personhood. This proves the personhood of the Holy Spirit.

Nehemiah 9: 5

Then the Levites, Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah, said, “Stand up and bless the LORD your God from everlasting to everlasting. Blessed be your glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise.

Jehovah has the highest name. Philippians 2:9 reveal that Jesus is the one with the highest name. So either Jesus is Jehovah or Jehovah is not the highest name.

This equates Jesus with Jehovah.

Job 9: 8

who alone stretched out the heavens and trampled the waves of the sea;

The ability to walk on water is a unique attribute of God. In Matthew 14:25, Mark 6:48 and John 6:19 Jesus is the one who walks on water, so the disciples immediately realize that Jesus is Jehovah.

Job 19: 25-27

For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. 26 And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God, 27 whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. My heart faints within me!

This whole pasaage is about how Job was looking forwards to “see God..for myself … (and not another)”. He here also calls God “my Redeemer” who “will stand upon the earth”. When was God ever seen, or stabd upon the earrh as a redeemer? Only in the person of Jesus. This proves that even Job, one of the oldest booka of the Bible had the idea that God himself would come to warth physically to save humans.

This proves the deity of Christ.

Psalm 9: 7,8

But the LORD (Jehovah) sits enthroned forever; he has established his throne for justice, 8 and he judges the world with righteousness; he judges the peoples with uprightness.

In this verse the Lord Jehovah is the one who judges the world with righteousness, and in Acts 17:31, Paul explains that the one who judges the world with righteousness is Jesus. This identifies Jesus with Jehovah.

Psalms 44: 21

Will not God discover this? He is aware of the secrets of the heart.

This verse identifies God as the one who is aware of the secrets of the heart. This shows omniscience. The one who sees the hearts is also one of the descriptions of Jesus Christ, proving Jesus is God, and omniscient.

Psalms 45: 6-7

6 Your throne, O God, is forever and ever. The scepter of your kingdom is a scepter of uprightness; 7 you have loved righteousness and hated wickedness. Therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions;

Here two distinct persons are called God. The psalmist is talking about what from the context appears to be a human kingly character, and calls him “God”. He then goes on to talk about God being the God of this God.

This shows the duality between God the Father and God the Son (the king). Both are called God.

Psalms 68: 32-33

O kingdoms of the earth, sing to God; sing praises to the Lord, 33 to him who rides in the heavens, the ancient heavens; behold, he sends out his voice, his mighty voice.

See The Cloud Rider

Psalm 83: 18

that they may know that you alone, whose name is Jehovah, are the Most High over all the earth.

This scripture tellsnus that Jehovah God is the highest over all the earth. Philippians 2:10-11 shows that Jesus is the one who is the most high over all the earth.

Psalms 89: 9

You rule the raging of the sea; when its waves rise, you still them.

Jehovah has the power to control the weather and to still the sea. When Jesus did this in Mark 4:39-41 and Matthew 8:26,27 the disciples wereastonished at Jesus doung this because only Jehovah can do this. This proves that Jesus is Jehovah.

Psalms 96: 13

… before the LORD (Jehovah), for he comes, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness, and the peoples in his faithfulness.

In this verse the Lord Jehovah is the one who will come and judge the world with righteousness, and in Acts 17:31, Paul explains that the one who judges the world with righteousness is Jesus. Jesus is also the one who comes. This identifies Jesus with Jehovah.

Psalm 98: 9

…before the LORD (Jehovah), for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity.

Psalm 102: 25-27

Of old you laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. 26 They will perish, but you will remain; they will all wear out like a garment. You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away, 27 but you are the same, and your years have no end.

Psalm talks about God, and this section is used by Paul in Hebrews 1:10-12 where he applies it to Jesus, because Paul believed that Jesus is the God of the Old Testament that this Psalm is speaking of.

Psalms 103: 2,3

Let me praise Jehovah; May I never forget all that he has done.3 He forgives all your errors And heals all your ailments;

Jehovah God is the one who forgives and heals all your ailments. But in Mark 2:5-12 and Luke 5:20-25 Jesus forgives the sins of a man and heals his paralysis, and the scribes understood that this is something only God can do, thinking that Jesus was blaspheming. Jesus wasn’t blaspheming because Jesus is Jehovah, the second person.

Psalms 104: 3

He lays the beams of his chambers on the waters; he makes the clouds his chariot; he rides on the wings of the wind;

See The Cloud Rider

Psalms 107: 29

He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed.

Psalm 130: 4

But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared.

There is forgiveness only in God. He is the only one with the absolute right to forgive, even sins not committed against him. But in Mark 2:5-12 and Luke 5:20-25 Jesus forgives the sins of a man, and the scribes understood that this is something only God can do, thinking that Jesus was blaspheming. Jesus wasn’t blaspheming because Jesus is God, the second person.

Psalm 138: 2

I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word.

God’s name and word is exalted above all things. Philippians 2:9 shows that Jesus is then one with the uniquely highest name. Also Jesus is the Word of God. This means Jesus is divine.

Psalm 148: 13

Let them praise the name of Jehovah, for his name alone is exalted; his majesty is above earth and heaven.

Jehovah uniquely has the highest name. Philippians 2:9 shows that Jesus is the one with the uniquely highest name. This means Jesus is divine.

Isaiah 6: 1-5

In the year that King Uzziah died I saw Jehovah sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. … 3 And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is Jehovah of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” … my eyes have seen the King, Jehovah of hosts!”

Isaiah saw the glory of Jehovah. in John 12:41 John explains that Isaiah actually saw Jesus Christ. This is the scripture John talked about when he said that Isaiah saw Jesus. This proves that Jesus is Jehovah.

Isaiah 6: 8

And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.”

God asks “Whom shall I send?” in the first person and immediately follows it up with the mirror phrase “who will go for us?” in the plural. God refers to himself as both sinful and plural.

Thos proves the unity and plurality of God.

Isaiah 19: 1

An oracle concerning Egypt. Behold, Jehovah is riding on a swift cloud and comes to Egypt; and the idols of Egypt will tremble at his presence, and the heart of the Egyptians will melt within them.

See The Cloud Rider

Isaiah 40: 8

The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.

The word of God will never pass away. In Luke 21:33 Jesus says “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.”

Isaiah 40: 10

Behold, the Lord GOD comes with might, and his arm rules for him; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him.

The one who repays deeds is a divine title which in Revelation 22:12,13 is used about Jesus, proving his deity.

Isaiah 41: 4

Who has performed and done this, calling the generations from the beginning? I, the LORD, the first, and with the last; I am he.

This shows that God is the first and the last. This is who Jesus said that he is in Revelation 1:17 and 2:8, thus proving that he is God.

See The First and the Last.

Isaiah 42: 8

I am Jehovah; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols.

Jehovah God gives his glory to no other. Yet in scriptures like John 5:23, Matthew 16:27, and 2 Peter 1:17, The Son, Jesus, is glorified by the Father and humans with equal glory to the Father. Since Jehovah gives his glory to no other, it means that Jesus is no other than Jehovah. This proves the deity of Christ.

Isaiah 43: 10

“You are my witnesses,” declares the LORD, “and my servant whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me.

The trinity doctrine us stricty monotheistic. There is only one God. Before him no god was formed, nor shall there be any after him. This rules out heresies like Arianism which teaches that the Son of God, Jesus, is a divine being, “a god”, created by God. Isaiah rejects this idea.

Isaiah 43: 25

“I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.

God is the one who blots out transgressions, and no one else. He is the only one with the absolute right to forgive, even sins not committed against him. But in Mark 2:5-12 and Luke 5:20-25 Jesus forgives the sins of a man, and the scribes understood that this is something only God can do, thinking that Jesus was blaspheming. Jesus wasn’t blaspheming because Jesus is God, the second person.

Isaiah 44: 6

Thus says the LORD [Jehovah], the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: “I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god.

The king of Israel and the redeemer is Jesus.

The First and the Last is a unique title of God which emphasizes his eternity. In Revelation 1:17;2:8 Jesus calls himself by this title, thus claiming that he is the eternal God.

This scripture also emphasizes the monotheism of the Bible: “besides me there is no god”. This rules out heresies like Arianism which teaches that the Son of God, Jesus, is a divine being, “a god”, created by God. Isaiah rejects this idea.

Isaiah 44: 8

Fear not, nor be afraid; have I not told you from of old and declared it? And you are my witnesses! Is there a God besides me? There is no Rock; I know not any.”

The trinity doctrine is strictly monotheistic. There is no God besides Yahweh, he knows not any. This rules out heresies like Arianism which teaches that the Son of God, Jesus, is a divine being, “a god”, created by God. Isaiah rejects this idea.

Isaiah 45: 23

By myself I have sworn; from my mouth has gone out in righteousness a word that shall not return: ‘To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear allegiance.’

Every knee shall bow before Jehovah, and every tongue swear allegiance. In Philippians 2:10-11 these phrases are used to describe Jesus. So Paul is asceibing equality between Jesus and Jehovah God. This indicates the Deity of Christ.

Isaiah 48: 11

For my own sake, for my own sake, I do it, for how should my name be profaned? My glory I will not give to another.

Isaiah 48: 12

“Listen to me, O Jacob, and Israel, whom I called! I am he; I am the first, and I am the last.

This shows that God is the first and the last. This is who Jesus said that he is in Revelation 1:17 and 2:8, thus proving that he is God.

See The First and the Last.

Isaiah 48: 16

Draw near to me, hear this: from the beginning I [Jehovah] have not spoken in secret, from the time it came to be I have been there. And now Jehovah has sent me, and his Spirit.

In the surrounding verses, Jehovah God is speaking. However in verse 16 Jehovah suddenly says Jehovah has sent me, and his Spirit. So Jehovah sent Jehovah and the Spirit of Jehovah. There are three characters here, one Jehovah who sends, one Jehovah who is sent and the Spirit of Jehovah who is also sent. These are the three persons of God, the Father who sends, the Son who is sent, and the Holy Spirit who also goes out from God.

Isaiah 63: 1-6

Isaiah 63:1-6 … Why is your apparel red, and your garments like his who treads in the winepress? 3 “I have trodden the winepress alone, and from the peoples no one was with me; I trod them in my anger and trampled them in my wrath; their lifeblood spattered on my garments, and stained all my apparel. … I trampled down the peoples in my anger; I made them drunk in my wrath, and I poured out their lifeblood on the earth.”

As revealed in verse 7, this is the Lord God whose garments are stained in the blood of the people he has crushed like grapes in a wine press.

Revelation 19:13 describes Jesus saying “He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood” Verse 15 says “He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty.”

John is referring back to Isaiah 63, saying that Jesus is the same as the Jehovah there.

Isaiah 63: 9-10

In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them; in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old. 10 But they rebelled and grieved his Holy Spirit; therefore he turned to be their enemy, and himself fought against them.

In this passage it mentions God, his angel of his presence, and the Holy Spirit. As Exodus23: 20-23 shows, the Angel of God’s presence is equal to Jehovah himself. This is the preincarnate Jesus, the Word of God, the Som of God, the second person of the Godhead. So this passage mentions all three persons of the Godhead in two verses.

Isaiah 63: 10

But they rebelled and grieved his Holy Spirit; therefore he turned to be their enemy, and himself fought against them.

This scripture says that God’s Holy Spirit can be grieved. Having complex emotions like grief is something only persons can have. This proves the personhood of the Holy Spirit.

Jeremiah 2:13

for my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water.

God is the fountain of living water. In John 4:10,13,14 and John 7:38,39 Jesus reveals that he is the fountain of living water, and that the living water is the Holy Spirit.

Jeremiah 17: 10

“I the LORD search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.”

God is the one who search the heart and test the mind, and give every man according to his ways. These are two divine titles. Both titles are used about Jesus, proving his deity.

See The one who sees the heartand The one who repays deeds](#the-one-who-repays-deeds).

Jeremiah 17: 13

O LORD, the hope of Israel, all who forsake you shall be put to shame; those who turn away from you shall be written in the earth, for they have forsaken the LORD, the fountain of living water.

God is the fountain of living water. In John 4:10,13,14 and John 7:38,39 Jesus reveals that he is the fountain of living water, and that the living water is the Holy Spirit.

Jeremiah 23: 23-24

“Am I a God at hand, declares the LORD, and not a God far away? 24 Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the LORD. Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares the LORD.”

God is omnipresent, filling heaven and earth, is near and far, and in every secret place. Both God the Father, The Son and the Holy Spirit are said to be omnipresent. See Omnipresence

Lamentations 3: 64

“You will repay them, O LORD, according to the work of their hands.

God is the one who repays deeds, which is a divine title used for Jesus Christ as well in Revelation 22:12,13 proving the deity of Christ.

Daniel 7: 13

“I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him.

This is a crucial scripture that establish the meaning of the phrases The Son of Man and The Cloud Rider. Daniel sees a Son of Man coming on the clouds and in the next verse he is given power and worship equal to God. So the Jews knew that this Son of Man coming on the clouds was none other than Jehovah God himself in human form.

The most common thing Jesus called himself was The Son of Man. He also tells his apostles that he will come on the clouds. (Matthew 26:64; Mark 13:26) But the most powerful verses in the gospels are probably when Jesus tells the Sanhedrin “I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.” The Sanhedrin reacts by accusing him of blasphemy and judging him to death. (Matthew 26:64-66; Mark 13:62-64)

Why? Because they knew Daniel 7:13 and understood that Jesus directly, and very deliberately, with no room for any doubt, claimed to be Jehovah God.

Daniel 9: 9

To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against him

Forgiveness belongs to God alone. He is the only one with the absolute right to forgive, even sins not committed against him. But in Mark 2:5-12 and Luke 5:20-25 Jesus forgives the sins of a man, and the scribes understood that this is something only God can do, thinking that Jesus was blaspheming. Jesus wasn’t blaspheming because Jesus is God, the second person.

Zechariah 12: 10

“And I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and of pleading, so that they will look at Me whom they pierced; and they will mourn for Him, like one mourning for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn.

In this verse Jehovah God says they will look at Me whom they pierced. How can an immaterial God be pierced unless he takes on a human body? This is a prophecy pointing forward to the crucifixion of Jesus, because Jesus is the Jehovah that they pierced. This proves the deity of Christ.

Malachi 3: 1

“Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts.

This verse is a messianic prophecy about Jesus. Here Jehovah speaks, saying that the true Lord will come to his temple. But the temple isnJehovah’s templ. So this true Lord Jehovah says will come must he Jehovah himself.

It also calls him the messenger of the covenant. The word measwnger in hebrew is Malach. In greek it’s Angelos. This verse is talking about The Angel of Jehovah which is a manifestation of Jehovah himself, the pre-incarnate Jesus.

This shows that Jesus is Jehovah, the Angel if Jehovah, the True Lord, and that he is God coming to his own temple.

New Testament

Matthew 1: 23

“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).

Jesus wasn’t literally named Immanuel. Matthew means that this name applies to Jesus because Jesus is “God with us”.

Matthew 3: 3

For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.’”

This verse identifies Jesus as the *Lord+ whom Isaiah foretold in Isaiah 40:3

Isaiah 40:3 A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

LORD in all capitals represents the name Jehovah, the name of God. So what Matthew is saying is that Jesus is the LORD or Jehovah that Isaiah said would come, and the God before whom the paths are to be made straight.

Matthew 8: 26-27

26 And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. 27 And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”

The answer to their question is “Jehovah”. The Bible makes clear in scriptures like Psalm 89:9 and 107:29 that Jehovah is the one who has the power over the weather to calm the storm.

Matthew 9: 4

But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts?

Jesus is knowing their thoughts because he is omniscient, having the ability to know anything and everything. This is an attribute of God. See Omniscience

Matthew 9: 38

therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

in Matthew 13, it makes clear that the Lord of the Harvest is Jesus. Here Jesus is telling us to pray to him. Jesus accepts prayer because he is God.

Matthew 14: 25

And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea.

The disciples knew that only God has the power to walk on the water. (Job 9:8) This shows that Jesus is God, and why they fell down and worshipped him. (Matthew 14:33)

Matthew 14: 33

And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

They worshipped him because in verse 25 they had just seen him do something that a Jew knew only Jehovah does, walking on water. See Job 9:8 for the scriptural basis for this.

They recognized that Jesus is the Son of God. Not “a” son of God as someone from the Divine Council may be referred to, but “the”, as in the unique son of God. Unique in the sense that he partakes of the same substance as the Father. See The Son of God.

Matthew 16: 27

For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done.

Jesus is here called the Son of Man, which is a divine title for the human manifestation of Jehovah mentioned in Daniel 7:13

See Son of Man.

Jesus is coming in the glory of his Father. Scriptures like Isaiah 42:8 and 48:11 show that God does not allow anyone else to have equal glory to him. This means that Jesus is no one else but God. This proves the deity of Christ.

That Jesus will repay each person according to what he has done. Isaiah 40:10 shows that the one who does this is Jehovah, meaning Jesus is Jehovah. Romans 2:6 shows that the one who does this is God, meaning Jesus is God. It also shows that the one mentioned in Revelation 22:12 is Jesus, who is the Alpha and Omega, who is God Almighty. This is proof of the deity of Christ.

See The one who repays deeds

Matthew 18: 20

For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”

This shows that Jesus is omnipresent, having the ability to be anywhere. This is a unique attribute of God, evidence of the deity of Christ. See Omnipresence

Matthew 24: 30

Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

Jesus is The Cloud Rider, a unique attribute of God.

Matthew 28: 20

teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

This shows that Jesus is omnipresent, having the ability to be anywhere. This is a unique attribute of God, evidence of the deity of Christ. See Omnipresence

Mark 1: 3

the voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,’”

This verse identifies Jesus as the *Lord+ whom Isaiah foretold in Isaiah 40:3

Isaiah 40:3 A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

LORD in all capitals represents the name Jehovah, the name of God. So what Mark is saying is that Jesus is the LORD or Jehovah that Isaiah said would come, and the God before whom the paths are to be made straight.

Mark 2: 5-12

And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” 6 Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, 7 “Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 8 And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question these things in your hearts? 9 Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’? 10 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”–he said to the paralytic– 11 “I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.” 12 And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”

When the scribes get upset and accuse Jesus of blasphemy because Jesus forgives sins. This is something only God can do. See Daniel 9:9, Psalm 103:2,3, Psalm 130:3,4 and Isaiah 43:25 for example. This proves the deity of Jesus.

Mark 4: 39-41

39 And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. … 41 And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

The answer to their question is “Jehovah”. The Bible makes clear in scriptures like Psalm 89:9 and 107:29 that Jehovah is the one who has the power over the weather to calm the storm.

Mark 6: 48

And he saw that they were making headway painfully, for the wind was against them. And about the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. He meant to pass by them,

The disciples knew that only God has the power to walk on the water. (Job 9:8) This shows that Jesus is God, and why they fell down and worshipped him. (Matthew 14:33)

Mark 13: 26

And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.

Jesus is The Cloud Rider, a unique attribute of God.

Mark 14: 62-64

And Jesus said, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.” 63 And the high priest tore his garments and said, “What further witnesses do we need? 64 You have heard his blasphemy. What is your decision?” And they all condemned him as deserving death.

When put under oath, Jesus reveals that he is The Cloud Rider and the Son of Man, two divine titles that are unique to Jehovah God. Thus claiming to be God he was judged as a blasphemer.

Luke 3: 4

As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

This verse identifies Jesus as the *Lord+ whom Isaiah foretold in Isaiah 40:3

Isaiah 40:3 A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

LORD in all capitals represents the name Jehovah, the name of God. So what Luke is saying is that Jesus is the LORD or Jehovah that Isaiah said would come, and the God before whom the paths are to be made straight.

Luke 5: 20-25

20 And when he saw their faith, he said, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.” 21 And the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 22 When Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answered them, “Why do you question in your hearts? 23 Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? 24 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”–he said to the man who was paralyzed–“I say to you, rise, pick up your bed and go home.” 25 And immediately he rose up before them and picked up what he had been lying on and went home, glorifying God.

Luke 8:39

“Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.” And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him.

The man should declare how much God has done for him, and declares how much Jesus has done for him. This man, and this verse, puts equality between Jesus and God.

Luke 21: 27

And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.

Jesus is The Cloud Rider, a unique attribute of God.

Luke 21: 33

Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

Isaiah 40:8 shows that it is the word of God will never pass away. Jesus is here claiming equality with God.

John 1: 1

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

This verse describes the second person of the trinity, known as the Son, Jesus or the Word. It shows that in the beginning, he already existed, meaning he is eternal.

It also shows that he is a separate person from God, he was with God, but that at the same time he was God.

The original greek grammar is hard to convey here. Greek sometimes use nouns as qualitative, describing a quality of something. So the Word being God means that the Word posesses all that qualities required for a person to be God. In short, he shares the divine substance.

John 1: 3

All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.

The Word, Jesus, is the creator of the universe. All things were made through him. As the second person of God he has been tasked with God’s interaction with the physical world since the beginning, even creating the universe itself. is there anything that has been created that Jesus did not create? No, for it continues to emphasize without him was not any thing made that was made. This logically means that the Word, the second person of God, is not himself a created being, but an eternal, uncreated being without a beginning in time.

John 1: 18

No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.

Here it emphasizes that God is both invisible and visible. God the Father is invisible, but God the Son was made manifest visibly and made God known perfectly.

John 4: 10,13,14

Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” … 13 Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

In Jeremiah 2:13 and 17:13 it says that the Lord Jehovah is the fountain of living water. Here Jesus reveals that he is the fountain of living water.

John 5: 18

This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.

What Jesus said was no mistake but deliberately meant to make people believe he is equal in substance with God, in other words that he is God.

John 5: 19

For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.

The Son not only has the authority but also the power to do everything that God the Father does. Can it be said about any creature that they can do everything that God can do? Logically no. Only God, the uncreated, can do everything that God does.

John 5: 21

For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will.

Only God has power over life and death. In the exact same way that God the Father has power over life and death, so God the Son has power over life and death. Jesus is making himself equal to the Father.

John 5: 23

that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him.

That all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father means that Jesus is given equal honor or glory as the Father by men. In fact if someone does not give divine glory to the Son they do not give such to the Father. They are treated as being perfectly equal in glory. Scriptures like Isaiah 42:8 and 48:11 show that God does not allow anyone else to have equal glory to him. This means that Jesus is no one else but God. This proves the deity of Christ.

John 5:26

For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself.

This shows that the Son has ice in himself, so called “aseity”, a property of God alone. It also shows that his life comes from the Father, so he is personally distinct from the Father but essentially equal.

John 5: 30

I can do nothing of my own

This shows the essential equality of the Son with the Father, that whatever the Son does is what the Father does.

John 6: 19

When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were frightened.

The disciples knew that only God has the power to walk on the water. (Job 9:8) This shows that Jesus is God, and why they fell downand worshipped him. (Matthew 14:33)

John 7: 38,39

38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” 39 Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

In Jeremiah 2:13 and 17:13 it says that the Lord Jehovah is the fountain of living water. Here Jesus reveals that he is the fountain of living water. And it reveals that the living water is the Holy Spirit. This confirms they trinity doctrine that the Son is begotten of the Father and the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father through the Son.

John 8: 24

(NASB20) “Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am, you will die in your sins.”

The NASB20 is the only translation I have that translates the Greek accurately. Other translations add words like “I am he” or “I am the one”, but in the Greek, Jesus says “πιστεύσητε (you must believe) ὅτι (that) ἐγώ εἰμι (I AM)”

What did they have to believe? That Jesus exist? That he is? Is what?

Yes, that he exists, in the ultimate fundamental sense, of being existence itself, the self-existent one, the one who introduced himself as the “I am” in Exodus 3:14.

Often John 8:58 is used to show the deity of Jesus by linking his statement to Exodus 3:14, but I think that this verse is even more clear in a way, and it supports the argument for verse 58.

John 8: 58

Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”

In John 8:58, Jesus makes a significant statement during a heated debate with the religious leaders of his time. He says, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” To understand the significance of this statement, it’s important to consider its historical and cultural context.

The phrase “I am” is a direct reference to the name of God revealed to Moses in the Old Testament. In Exodus 3:14, when Moses encountered God at the burning bush and was tasked with leading the Israelites out of Egypt, he asked God what name he should give to the Israelites if they inquire about the identity of the one who sent him. God responded, “I AM WHO I AM” and instructed Moses to tell the Israelites, “I AM has sent me to you.” In John 8:58, Jesus uses the Greek equivalent of this phrase, “ego eimi,” which can be translated as “I am” or “I exist.” By using this phrase, Jesus was asserting his preexistence, his eternal nature, and his divinity, and applying a divine title to himself, making a direct claim to the divine name and nature of God.

The reaction of the Jews to Jesus’ statement in John 8:59 confirms their understanding of its significance. By using the same phrase that God used to reveal His name to Moses, Jesus was unmistakably identifying himself as God. They picked up stones to throw at him, which was a punishment for blasphemy under Jewish law. They understood Jesus to be claiming equality with God, an assertion that they considered blasphemous and deserving of death.

“Jesus just used weird grammar” / “Jesus only meant he had existed for a long time”

It is important to consider the context of the passage. The claim that Jesus used unusual grammar, or that he merely meant he had existed for a long time, does not adequately explain the reaction of the Jews or the significance of his statement. Their reaction was one of extreme offense. They immediately sought to stone him for what they perceived as blasphemy. Neither the use of unusual grammar nor claiming to be thousands of years old were crimes that warranted stoning according to the Mosaic law. However claiming to be divine would warrant stoning. This strong reaction suggests that they understood Jesus’ words as a claim to deity, rather than simply a matter of grammar.

John 10: 14

I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and my sheep know me.

This refers to scriptures like Ezekiel 34:11-19 where Yahweh describes himself as a good shepherd. Jesus is saying that he is Yahweh. And the Jews understood it because in John 10:33 the Jews reacted by wanting to stone him for blasphemy.

John 10: 30-33

I and the Father are one.” 31 The Jews picked up stones again to stone him. 32 Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone me?” 33 The Jews answered him, “It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God.”

Jesus is one with God the Father in substance. The Jews are upset, they think Jesus is blaspheming because he is calling himself God.

John 12: 41

Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory and spoke of him.

John says that Isaiah saw the glory of Jesus Christ and spoke of him. When did Isaiah see his glory? There is only one time when Isaiah beheld the glory of someone and that is in Isaiah 6:1:

Isaiah 6:1,3,5In the year that King Uzziah died I saw Jehovah sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. … 3 And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is Jehovah of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!”…5 And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, Jehovah of hosts!”

So John is saying that when Isaiah saw Jehovah, Isaiah saw Jesus Christ. This proves Jesus is Jehovah.

John 12: 45

And whoever sees me sees him who sent me.

Here Jesus claims equaity with God. If you see Jesus you see God, because Jesus is the person of God who came into the world.

John 14: 14

(ESV/NASB20/CSB) “If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.

In John 14:14 the greek text contains a “me” that some translations leave out. The greek says “ἐάν τι αἰτήσητέ με ἐν τῷ ὀνόματί μου ἐγὼ ποιήσω”. This means Jesus commands us to pray to him in his name. Jesus receives prayer because he is omniscient, and since he is omnipotent he can also do whatever is asked. This is something only God can do, which proves that Jesus is the second person of God.

John 14: 28

You heard me say to you, ‘I am going away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.

This verse is one that unitarians and Arians ofteb quote to try to show that Jesus is not God, but actually it shows us that he is God. This verse shows the hypostatic union and the internal cooperation between the persons of the trinity. The Son is here in his incarnated human form, a period in which he “emptied himself”, so called “kenosis”. Like a seeing person can voluntarily “empty himself” of the power of sight by putting on a blindfold, so God the Son “emptied himaelf” by putting on human flesh, and therefore took on the limitations of a human. The reason why the apostles should have rejoiced that Jesus going to the Father is because the Father is greater than Jesus is in his state of kenosis. Only when Jesus have left his human state and retaken his full divinity can he send the Holy Spirit. “The Father is greater than I is nothing but a temporary situation that will soon change, and this should be a source of joy for the apostles.

This verse does not show that Jesus is jot God. Ut shows that henis God and it also proves the doctrine of kenosis, the hypostatic union, and gives us insight into the inner workings of the economic trinity.

John 16: 15

All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

That all that the Father has is Jesus’ indicates equality between the Father and the Son.

John 20: 27-29

Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” 28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

What a perfect time for Jesus to correct Thomas if Thomas was wrong in calling him God. But Jesus didn’t correct him. Instead he asked “have you believed because you have seen me?” He was relieved that Thomas finally believed that Jesus is God.

Acts 1: 9

And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.

See The Cloud Rider

Acts 5: 3-4

3 But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land? 4 While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to man but to God.”

This scripture proves that the Holy spirit is both a person and divine. Ananias tried to lie to the Holy Spirit. Lying is something you can only do to a person. It is meaningless to lie to a thing or a force, because they do not have a mind that could possibly be fooled. But the Holy Spirit has a mind that someone might think could be fooled. It also shows that the person of the Holy Spirit is divine, or God, because in the same utterance Peter says that Ananias has lied to God. Lying to the person of the Holy Spirit equals lying to God, because the Holy Spirit is God.

Acts 9: 14

And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name.”

The phrase “calling on the name of” is an idiom that in the Bible is only used to describe the worship of a deity. The earliest Christians were immediately known far and wide as those who call on the name of Jesus, in other words those who worshipped Jesus. This shows that the earliest Christians regarded Jesus as divine.

See Calling on the name of…

Acts 9: 21

And all who heard him were amazed and said, “Is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem of those who called upon this name? And has he not come here for this purpose, to bring them bound before the chief priests?”

The Christians were known far and wide as those who called upon this name, that is, the name of Jesus. Calling upon the name of someone means to worship them as a deity. This proves the early Christians worshipped Jesus as God.

See Calling on the name of…

Acts 10: 9-28

13 And there came a voice to him: “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.” 14 But Peter said, “By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.”

19-20 And while Peter was pondering the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are looking for you. 20 Rise and go down and accompany them without hesitation, for I have sent them.”

28 And he said to them, “You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with or to visit anyone of another nation, but God has shown me that I should not call any person common or unclean.

WhenmPeter got the vision of the unclean animals, a voice speaks to him. Verse 13 shows Peter calls the one who speaks “Lord”. Verse 19-20 says this Lord is the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit says that “I have sent them”, showing that he is a person who speaks and refers to himself in the first person. Verse 28 summarizes that the person who showed him these things and spoke to him is God.

Hence, the Holy Spirit is Lord and God, and is a person with a self-identity and will. The Holy Spirit is the third person of God.

Acts 13: 2

While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”

In this verse the Holy Spirit speaks, refers to himself, and makes commands according to his own decisions. It shows he has a sense of self, the ability to make decisions, a will, and the ability to communicate his will. These are all abilities only persons have. He is also speaking with the authority of God.

Acts 17: 31

because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”

Paul is explaining that God will judge the world in righteousness by Jesus coming as the judge. Psalms 9:8;96:13 and 98:9 sows us that the one who will come and judge the world in righteousness is Jehovah. This equates Jesus with Jehovah.

Acts 20: 28

Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.

It is the Holy Spirit that has made you overseers. This shows that the Holy Spirit is a person with authority and agency, who makes decisions and carries out plans.

Jesus bought the flock with his own blood. Paul says it was the blood of God because he believed that Jesus is God. Thanks to Jesus taking on a human substance, it allowed God to bleed and to obtain us with his blood.

Acts 22: 16

And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name.’

Among the first things Ananias instructs Paul to do is to pray to and worship Jesus by calling on his name.

See Calling on the name of…

Romans 2: 6

He will render to each one according to his works:

God is the one who The one who repays deeds. However this description is also used about Jesus in Matthew 16:27 and Revelation 22:12,13, proving the deity of Christ.

Romans 8: 9

You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.

This verse equates the the Spirit of God with the Spirit of Christ pretty much in the same breath. This shows that Paul saw Jesus as equal to God, using “God” and “Christ” interchangeably. Since the Father and the Son have the same spirit, these three are united in essence.

Romans 8: 16

The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,

The Holy Spirit bears witness with our spirit shows that he communicates with our spirit. Communicating is something only persons can do, and if our spirit man is our person, then the Holy Spirit is a person of God.

Romans 8: 26

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.

This verse says the Spirit himself intercedes for us, which shows that the Holy Spirit makes a decision to intercede, that is to help us out in our prayers to God, praying for us. Praying is communication with God. This shows that the Holy Spirit is a person who can make a decision and can communicate.

Romans 8: 27

And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

He who searches hearths is a divine attribute of God.

Romans 14: 11

for it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.”

Paul is referring to Isaiah 45:23 which says that every knee will bow to God and every tongue confess him as Lord, and he is applying this to Jesus because Paul believed that Jesus is God. This indicates the deity of Christ

1 Corinthians 1: 2

To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours:

The earliest Christians were well known everywhere as all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, in other words, those who prayed to and worshipped Jesus Christ.

See Calling on the name of…

1 Corinthians 2: 10

these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.

This verse says that the [Holy] Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God, which shows that he is omniscient, which is an attribute of God.

1 Corinthians 2: 11

For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.

That no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God shows that the Holy Spirit is omniscient and a part of God, since he comprehends what is going on in the mind of God.

1 Corinthians 8: 6

yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.

The title Lord as applied to Jesus in the New Testament, especially by Paul, is a divine title of God. the first Christians started the convention of using “God” for the Father, and “Lord” (originally Yahweh) for the Son.

Paul is playing off of the Shema from Deuteronomy 6:4, which says “Yahweh our God, Yahweh is one”. In the Septuagint, the name Yahweh was rendered Kyrios or Lord. Paul is explaining that “God” from the Shema refers to the Father, and “Lord” refers to the Son, Jesus. And they are one.

This verse also says that through [Jesus Christ] are all things, which shows that Jesus is not part of “all things”, i.e. he is not created, but he is the creator. And as uncreated, he is eternal and therefore God.

2 Corinthians 12: 8-9

Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Paul had a “thorn in the flesh”, some sort of physical ailment. So he prayed about it. Who is the Lord Paul prayed to? The Lord told him “my power is made perfect in weakness”. The power of the Lord helped Paul cope. Paul says that this power was the power of Christ. Hence Jesus Christ is the Lord that Paul prayed to three times about his thorn.

This proves that Jesus accepts prayer and that he is omniscient, two attributes only God has.

2 Corinthians 13: 14

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

This scripture highlights the trinity, and talks about three relationships, grace, love and fellowship. Grace means tresting someone with blessing even though they don’t deserve it. Love is to give if yourself for someone else. Fellowship is to have intimate communion with someone. Relationships like these are only possible between persons, so having fellowship with the Holy Spirit shows that he is a person.

Galatians 4: 6

And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!”

The spirit that is in the heart of a believer is the Holy Spirit of God. (Rom 8:9; 2 Cor 1:22; 3:3) So the spirit of Jesus is identical to the spirit of God, which shows that Jesus is God. It also says that the Holy Spirit is crying, “Abba! Father!”, which shows that the Holy Spirit can communicate, and he has a personal relationship with God the Father.

Philippians 2: 5-7

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.

Jesus has the form of God, being fully of the same substance as God the Father. He did not have the same status position as the Father and didn’t grasp for that, but he emptied himself of the status that he did have to take on the lowliest status, that of a slave. He did this by taking on the substance of a human along with his divine substance, and to live a life of service.

Philippians 2: 9

Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,

In the Old Testament, Jehovah God has the highest name, the name above wvery name. But in the New Testament it is Jesus. So either Jehovah is not tye highest name anymore, or Jesus is the same as Jehovah. This indicates the deity of Christ.

Philippians 2: 10-11

so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Every knee should bow shows that Jesus is receiving worship as God. Paul quotes Old Testament scriptures like Isaiah 45:23 which use these phrases for God. Paul is therefore ascribing equality between Jesus and Jehovah God. This proves the deity of Christ.

Colossians 1: 15

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.

Jesus is the image of the invisible God. God the Father, the invisible God, still needs a way to interact with humans. So Jesus is the image, or physical, visible manifestation of the invisible God. Fully God, but in his humanity the visible representation that we humans can understand.

Colossians 1: 16

For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities – all things were created through him and for him.

Jesus, the second person of God, created all things without exception. He is not himself created but eternally uncreated. To emphasize this, Paul lists “in heaven and on earth” which isnidiomatic for “everything, visible and invisible not leaving out the spirit world. Thrones, doninions, rulers, authorities are ranks of spirit beings, so Jesus is the origin of their existence and authority too. God created everything through him and for him. The second person being the active agent of creation and also the main reason for the universe to exist. The universe was created by him, through him, and for him. He is the instigator, the means and the end.

Jesus is therefore eternal and fully divine.

Colossians 1: 19

For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell,

All the fulness of God…dwells in Jesus, and this pleases God. So Jesus has the fulness of everything that it means to be God.

Colossians 2: 9

For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily,

In Jesus, the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily. The fullness of deity means “everything that makes God God”. So in Jesus dwells everything that makes God God. Whoever has everything that makes God God, is by definition God. Jesus is fully God. And the fullness if deity dwell bodily because Jesus took on a human substance.

Titus 2: 13

waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ

Jesus is called our Great God and Savior by the apostle Paul. This is what the first Christians believed.

Hebrews 1: 2

but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.

If the Son is the heir of all things. All things refers to all created things. If Jesus himself would be a created thing, does that mean he inherits himself? Of course not, because Jesus is not created. He is the uncreated creator, the person of God through whom…he created the world.

Hebrews 1: 3

He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

Jesus is the Radiance of the Glory. Glory is not Glory without it’s radiance. The radiance is the Glory itself. God is not God without Jesus, Jesus is God. The earliest church Fathers compared the Father and Son to the Sun and the Sunshine. They would call both “sun”. Today we may make a distinction, but in common parlance we still refer to both with the word “sun”. “Let’s move to the sun” means to go to where the sun shines, not to fly to the heavenly body called the sun. And if not for the sunshine we would not be able to know that the heavenly body existed. And like the sunshine is dependent on the heavenly body for their existence, so the Son is dependent on the Father for his existence. However not in the temporal way as if he ever had a beginning. God has always existed and the Son, the Glory of God has always radiated.

Jesus is the exact imprint of God’s nature. Whatever God is, Jesus is. In the vein of Colossians 1:15 this explains that Jesus is God manifested in a way humans can understand.

Jesus upholds the universe by his power, showing he is almighty, omnipotent. Every atom is in place thanks to him.

That he sat down at the right hand of God the Father shows that the Son is still separate from the Father.

Hebrews 1: 8

But of the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom.

God the Father calls Jesus “God”.

Hebrews 1: 10-12

But of the Son he says,… 10 And, “You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning, and the heavens are the work of your hands; 11 they will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment, 12 like a robe you will roll them up, like a garment they will be changed. But you are the same, and your years will have no end.”

Paul quotes Psalm 102 which talks about Jehovah, and he applies it to Jesus. Jesus is the one who laid the foundation of the earth, because Jesus is Jehovah.

This also proves Jesus is the creator, which means that he is eternal. and if he is eternal then he is God.

Hebrews 2: 5

For it was not to angels that God subjected the world to come, of which we are speaking.

God did not subject the world to angels, but the world is subjected to Jesus, which proves that Jesus is not an angel, and disproves Arianism.

Hebrews 3: 3-4

3 For Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses — as much more glory as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself. 4 (For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.)

In this analogy Jesus is greater than Moses just like the builder of a house is greater than the house. Jesus is put in the creator role, and Moses in the creature role. This is in line with scriptures like John 1:3, 10; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Colossians 1:16; Hebrews 1:2, 10; 11:3; which all shows that Jesus is the creator of the universe. This verse builds on this analogy by saying that the builder of all things - the creator of the universe - is God. In other words, Jesus is God.

Hebrews 5: 5

So, too, the Christ did not glorify himself by becoming a high priest, but was glorified by the One who said to him: “You are my son; today I have become your father.”

This is a reference to Psalms 2:7, a messianic prophecy, where God says this to the messiah. And Paul says that in doing so, God glorified Jesus. However in Isaiah 42:8 (also a messianic prophecy) Jehovah says “I give my glory to no one else.” Jehovah does not give his glory to anyone else, but he gives it to Jesus. This shows that Jesus is no one else than Jehovah.

Hebrews 9: 14

how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.

This verse proves that the Holy Spirit is eternal, which is an attribute of God. It shows that the Holy Spirit is God.

James 1: 12

Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.

In this verse whoever has stood the test will receive the crown of life by God, however the only other time the crown of life is mentioned is in Revelation 2:10 the crown of life is given by Jesus Christ, because Jesus Christ is God.

1 Peter 3: 14,15

14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, 15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,

Peter is talking about Christ Jesus, and he is paraphrasing or quoting Isaiah 8: 12,13

12 “Do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy, and do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread. 13 But the LORD of hosts, him you shall honor as holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.

So Peter is taking a verse that is talking about not fearing but to honor the Lord Jehovah God as holy, and is replacing “the LORD of hosts” with “Christ the Lord”. This shows that he and the Christians he wrote to considered Christ Jesus to be interchangeable with Jehovah God.

2 Peter 1: 1

Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ:

Jesus is called our Great God and Savior by the apostle Peter. This is what the firat Christians believed.

2 Peter 1: 17

For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,”

Jesus received honor and glory from God the Father. However scriptures like Isaiah 42:8 and 48:11 show that God does not allow anyone else to have equal glory to him. This means that Jesus is no one else but God. This proves the deity of Christ.

This is my beloved Son shows that Jesus is the unique son of God, of the same substance as the Father. This proves the deity of Christ.

1 John 3: 2

Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.

In this verse it says that Christians are God’s children, and it says that God will appear and we shall be like him. But who is is who will appear? It is not God the Father, but Jesus the Son of God who is the one who will appear. It is also Jesus whom we will be like. (1 Cor 15:49) Therefore God in this verse is Jesus Christ.

1 John 5: 6

This is he who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not by the water only but by the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.

This verse says that the Spirit is the truth, identifying the Holy Spirit with The Truth. in John 14:6 Jesus says “I am… the Truth”. So either these verses contradict, or Jesus and the Holy Spirit are both the ultimate Truth, because they are both God.

Revelation 1: 7

Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.

Jesus is The Cloud Rider, a unique attribute of God.

Revelation 1: 8

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

The Alpha and the Omega is a divine title emphasizing the eternity of God. This verse makes it clear that it is about God Almighty. Revelation 1:17;2:8;22:13 shows that this is also a title applied to Jesus. This proves the deity of Jesus.

Revelation 1: 17

When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last”

He laid his right hand on me shows that this was not a vision but a real life experience. John met the physical Jesus Christ, who even touched him. This is evidence that Jesus still keeps his glorified human substance (body) in heaven. Being both human and God, it makes him the only possible perfect mediator between humanity and divinity.

The first and the last is a divine title of Jehovah used in Isaiah 41:4; 44:6; 48:12. It means that he is eternal, the one whom everything begins with and ends with. As Isaiah 44:6 points out there is only one God worthy of this title, and the fact that Jesus applies this title to himself is evidence of his divinity. He is fully God, the second person of the trinity.

Revelation 2: 8

“And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: ‘The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life.’”

The one speaking is clearly Jesus since he is the one who died and came to life. He is identifying himself as the first and the last, a divine title that implies eternality and is a unique title of God. This proves Jesus is eternal and God.

Revelation 2: 10

Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.

In this verse whoever faithful unto death will receive the crown of life by Jesus Christ. However the only other time the crown of life is mentioned is in James 1:12 where the crown of life is given by God, because Jesus Christ is God.

Revelation 2: 23

and I [Jesus] will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know that I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works.

He who searches minds and hearts is a reference to the old testament in passages such as Jeremiah 17:10 where it says that Jehovah searches the mind, and try the heart and who give to every man according to his ways. This shows that Jesus claims to be the same as Jehovah in these passages, which proves the deity of Christ.

Revelation 4: 8

And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!”

Who is to come? Is it God the Father? No, the one who will come is the Son, Jesus. So this entire chapter talks about Jesus and calls him the Lord God Almighty.

Revelation 4: 11

“Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”

As described in scriptures like John 1:3; 1 Corinthians 8;6; Colossians 1:16; Hebrews 1:2, 10 etc. the o e who created all things is the Son, Jesus. So this verse, and the rest of the chapter talks about Jesus as God.

Furthermore, if this was about God the Father, from whom would he receive power? He is not dependent upon anyone. However God the Son is eternally begotten of the Father and thus receives his power from God the Father. So this verse and the whole chapter is about God the Son.

Revelation 5: 13

And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!”

Here every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, worship God and the Lamb, Jesus. This shows that Jesus is worshipped, and also that he is not part of the category of “created beings”. He is uncreated and eternal.

Revelation 3: 15

And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped.

This follows the scene in 13 and it shows that the 24 elders fell down and worshipped both God the Father and the Lamb, showing that Jesus receives worship as God.

Revelation 5: 13,14

And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!” 14 And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped.

Here we have every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, which is emphasizing every single living thing that has been created. And all of them are worshiping God and the Lamb.

This means that the Lamb, that is Jesus Christ, is worshiped as God. It also means that Jesus is not among any creatures, that he is not a created being. And as an uncreated being he is eternal, and therefore God.

Revelation 22: 12,13

12 “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”

This passage is about Jesus, because Jesus is the one who is coming soon. To repay each one for what he has done is a reference to scriptures like Isaiah 40:10; Lamentations 3:64; Hosea 12:2, which is what God will do. This is evidence that Jesus is God.

The First and the Last is a divine title that only apply to the eternal God. In Revelation 1:17;2:8 and here, Jesus applies it to himself. In this verse we also see that synonymous titles the Alpha and Omega, as well as the Beginning and the End. These are all divine titles of God applied to Jesus.

Definition

The Christian doctrine of the Trinity is the central doctrine concerning the nature of God, which defines one God existing in three coequal⁵, coeternal⁶, consubstantial⁷ divine persons: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ) and God the Holy Spirit, three distinct persons (hypostases⁸) sharing one being/essence/substance/nature (ousia⁹).

Ousia describes what a being is, while hypostasis describes who a person is. So in short, God is one what with three who. One divine being with three divine persons. Three divine persons sharing equally in everything that it means to be God, eternally bound by love.

Common misunderstandings

The trinity doctrine doesn’t teach three gods or a triad of gods. That is called tritheism.
The trinity doctrine doesn’t teach that there are three persons in one person. That makes no sense.
The trinity doctrine doesn’t teach that one person manifest in three different modes, facets or aspects. That’s modalism.
The trinity doctrine doesn’t teach that God consists of three parts that together form one God. That’s partialism.

Trinity doctrine concepts explained

“Being God”

what does it mean to “be God”? The Bible talks about God as a singular character, but it also uses the word God to describe that a person is Divine, or having the attributes of God. When God is the subject or object if a sentence, such as “God said…” or “he sinned against God”, it talks about God as a singular character. But when it for example in John 1:1 says that Jesus “is God”, God is rather used as a qualitative noun, almost like an adjective. Like saying “the car is red, Jesus is God”. The car participates in Redness, having the quality of being red, and Jesus participates in Divinity, having the quality of being God. It doesn’t mean that Jesus is the same person as God the Father, but that both Jesus and the Father both participate in Divinity, the quality of being God. Just like you and I are different persons but we both participate in Humanity, the quality of being Human. Jesus “is Divine”, meaning he has the divine substance, and everything that is unique about God the Father applies to Jesus too. And the Holy Spirit.

“Economic trinity”

This has nothing to do with money, but the word economy comes from the Greek word for household. So the relationship between the three persons of God can be viewed as a household.

While the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are equal in their substance, what it means to be God, they are not equal in authority and role. Just as in a human family, members have dufferent roles, but all of them are equally human. The titles Father and Son brings to mind the relationship in a family, especially an ancient oriental family, where the Father has the ultimate authority, while the adult oldest son has the role of “firstborn” or prince, excercising his father’s authority over the household and its property. The Holy Spirit usually has a supportive role like that of what a wife or servant had in an ancient oriental family. Although all members are God (divine) each member have his own authority, role and general area of operation (although there is some overlap), and cooperate as one unity.

The Father holds the higest authority. The Son and Holy Spirit obeys the Father. The Son is the mediator with mankind, and the savior, and therefore took on a secondary, human nature. The Holy Spirit does a lot of supportive heavy lifting. He creates, empowers, comforts, guides, helps, and draws people to Christ. The Father is the unbegotten cause. The Son is eternally begotten. The Holy Spirit eternally proceeds from the Father.

The relationship is complex and deep, but through it God can be all things in all situations, and do anything in a harmonious loving way. This eternal loving relationship between three persons is how John could say “God is Love”. (1 John 4:8)

Eternally begotten

The Son is “eternally begotten”. Begotten means that The Son has his origin in The Father, and his substance, what he consists of, comes from The Father. However “begotten” suggests a beginning in time. The Son is however the creator of all things, including time, so his begetting is beyond time, and is tgerefore eternal. In other words there has never been a time in which The Son has not existed. He is eternal like the Father.

Eternally proceeding

Like the Son is eternally begotten, so the Holy Spirit is eternally proceeding. Like an eternal stream he proceeds from the Father to do his will.

Hypostatic union

The second person of God took on human flesh and became a true human. in doing so he added a secondary substance to his person. He is therefore a partaker of the sivine substance and the human substance. He is fully God and fully Man. (However the persons of the Father and the Holy Spirit do not partake of the human substance.) This is called the Hypostatic Union, the Union of two Ousia in one Hypostasis and is the reason only Jesus can be the mediator between Divinity and Humanity.

Kenosis

In Christian theology, kenosis (Ancient Greek: κένωσις, romanized: kénōsis, lit. ’lit. ’the act of emptying’’) is the “self-emptying” of Jesus. Jesus emptied his own desires and becoming entirely receptive to God’s divine will. Philippians 2:7 says that “though [Jesus] was in the form of God, [he] did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited,” suggesting that Jesus was not “abusing” his divine status to avoid the implications of a mortal life. Jesus, to truly live as a mortal, had to have voluntarily bound use of his divine powers in some way, emptying himself. This explains why Jesus as a human sometimes seem to not have access to divine powers.

Titles of God

In the Bible there are several titles and attributes that identify Jehovah God. Whenever someone is said to posess these, it is an indication that the writer and readers understands that it’s talking about God. Some of these attributes are given to God in the old testament and to Jesus Christ in the New Testament, showing that the writer and readers considered them to be one and the same.

The I AM

In Exodus 3, Moses meets God at the burning bush. He asks God about his name, and in Exodus 3:14 God responds “I am that I am”, or simply “I am”. This is from the hebrew אֶהְיֶה אֲשֶׁר אֶהְיֶה (a’hayah a’sher a’hayah) or אֶהְיֶה (a’hayah) for short.

In hebrew, the “A” functioned as the first person pronoun prefix, meaning “I”. “Hayah” means to exist. God is saying “I exist” which is a profound statement because that is a unique attribute of God. He is the one who exists independently of anyone else, before time and beyond space or any other thing, he always exist. He is the self-existent one.

In verse 15 he tells Moses to call him “Jehovah” (יְהוָה). This is another way of saying A’hayah. יְ (y) functioned as the third person masculine pronoun prefix. and הוה (havah) is a synonym to hayah which also means “to exist”. Thus Yhvh means “He exists”.

In the greek Septuagint, the authoritative text Jesus quoted 80% of the time, this phrase “I am” is written ἐγὼ εἰμί (ego eimi). Thus “Ego eimi” was a title of God, equivalent to the name Yahweh/Jehovah, since it is the literal meaning of the divine name. This is important to understand when reading passages like John 8:58.

The Angel of Jehovah

Angels in the Bible are not necessarily spirit beings of a certain type, but Angel is a job description which means messenger. Sometimes God sends spirits as angels. But sometimes he comes himself. Often when the Bible talks about “the Angel of Jehovah” context tells us that the angel is actually divine, yes, it is Jehovah himself. This is a title of the second person of God, the Word, also known as Jesus.

See The Two Powers in Heaven

The Cloud Rider

In the Old Testament, one of the attributes of Jehovah God is that he comes with the clouds. This was an attribute of deity in rhe ancient near east. tThe pagan nations around Israel ascribed this to Baal, but the biblical writers polemically insisted that it is Jehovah who comes with the clouds. So this idea was deeply embedded in the jewish psyche. And when Daniel 7:13 says that there will be a “Son of Man” coming on the clouds, they realized that somehow Jehovah would be coming in human form as a real human.

When Jesus later told the Sanhedrin that they would “see the Son of Man coming with the clouds” they accused him of blasphemy, because saying such a thing in their ears meant saying that you are Jehovah. So in short, Jesus was condemned by the Jews because he claimed to be God.

Some 40 days later, Jesus did ascend on the clouds to the throne of God as Daniel foretold. And he will come back the same way, on the clouds in glory.

The Son of Man

The title Jesus uses about himself more than any other is “The Son of Man.” This refers to Daniel 7:13 where Daniel sees a vision of a Son of Man, meaning a human being, coming on the clouds, which was something only God did. So this character was both human and god at the same time. And he sits down at the right hand of the Ancient of Days and recieve total power over and worship from the entire universe.

When Jesus told the Sanhedrin that they would “see the Son of Man coming with the clouds” they accused him of blasphemy, because saying such a thing in their ears meant saying that you are Jehovah. So in short, Jesus was condemned by the Jews because he claimed to be God.

Jesus used this title of himself all the time, and every time he does, he wants you to associate it with the fully-human, fully-God character of Daniel 7:13.

The one to whom every knee will bow

Being the universal sovereign, God is the only one to whom every knee should bow. Isaiah 45:23 makes clear that ‘To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear allegiance.’ And Romans 14:11 agrees that “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.”

However in Philippians 2:10,11, it makes clear that the one to whom every knee will bow and every to gue confess is Jesus Christ. This proves the deity of Christ.

The one with the highest name

Only God has the highest most exalted name. (Psalm 8:1; 99:3; 148:13) However in Philippians 2:9,10 Jesus is thebone who has the name above all names. This means that Jesus is God, because ifnhe is not God, then Jesus has a name higher than God’s name, and that would be a contradiction both theologically and logically.

The First and the Last

The First and the Last is a unique title of God. It emphasizes his eternality. Only one who exists beyond time itself can encompass both the First and the Last in time. In Isaiah 41:4; 44:6; 48:12 God uses this title on himself. However in Revelation 1:17 and 2:8, Jesus uses this title to present himself. This proves that Jesus is eternal and that Jesus is God.

The one who sees the heart

God is the one who can see what is in a persons’s heart and judge them fairly. In the Old Testament 1 Kings 8:39; 1 Chronicles 28:9; 2 Chronicles 6:30; Proverbs 16:2); and Jeremiah 17:10 it makes clear that Jehovah God is the one who can see the heart of people. This implies omniscience, a divine attribute.

In the New Testament it turns out that the one who sees the heart to judge them fairly is Jesus. In 1 Corinthians 4:5 Paul says that the Lord Jesus will judge based on the intentions of the heart. In Revelation 2:23 Jesus says that he is the one who sees the heart and will judge based on it. This means Jesus is omniscient and Divine.

The one who repays deeds

God is the one who rewards or punishes people according to their deeds.

1 Kings 8:39
2 Chronicles 6:30
Isaiah 40:10
Lamentations 3:64
Hosea 12:2
Matthew 16:27
Romans 2:6
Revelation 22:12

Monogenes

The greek word monogenes (μονογενής) often translated as only-begotten, is a word used to describe the relationship of the Son to the Father. For a long time translators thought that the word came from mono (μονο) meaning only, and gennao (γεννάω) meaning born. This is the word that words like “generate”, “genesis”, and “generation” come from.

However recent research into other ancient literature revealed that the second part of the word rather comes from the greek word genos (γένος), which means kind or type. So the more accurate rendering of monogenes would be “one of a kind” or “unique”, and it has nothing to do with being born. This is the word that words like “genetics”, “genus”, “gender” and “gentile” come from.

That Jesus is the unique son of God emphasizes that in contrast with the other spirit beings sometimes called “sons of God”, Jesus is special, one of a kind. He is unique because while these spirit beings and even the human Adam are “sons” in a relational sense, like adoptive children, they are different from God in substance. Jesus however is a true son, having the same substance as the Father. They are “genetically” related, having the same “genos” or type.

Since Jesus shares the same unique substance as the Father, this means they are both God, sharers in the God-substance.

The Son of God

Jesus being “the” son of God is a shorter way of saying he is the unique son of God, and not just “a” son of God.

Attributes of God

These are attributes that only God posess. the Bible shows that both the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit posess these atteibutes, which means that they are all God, Divine.

Eternality

Being eternal means being beyond time itself. Only God is eternal, as he is the creator of everything, including time itself.

Omnipresence

Being omnipresent means having the ability to be in any and all place at any time. Being omnipresent means being beyond space and time. As for conscious beings, only God is omnipresent, has always existed, filling the entire universe and going beyond it. (Jeremiah 23:23,24;1 Kings 8:27) As aspects of God’s very nature, mathematics and logic are omnipresent, being present everywhere and in all times, unchanging.

Since Jesus is said to be omnipresent, and omnipresence is a unique attribute of God, the only logical conclusion is that Jesus is God/Divine.

Omniscience

Being omniscient or all-knowing keans the ability to know any and all things. A unique attribute of God.

Omnipotence

Being omnipotent ir almighty means having the ability to do anything that power can do. A unique attribute of God.

Other phrases and idioms

These are other phrases and idioms used in the Bible that are important to understand in order to grasp what the Bible is saying about God.

Calling on the name of

All throughout the Bible, the phrase “calling on the name of…” is without exception used for the worship of a deity. For example Genesis 4:26; 13:4; 26:25; 2 Kings 5:11; Psalm 116:4,13, 17; Joel 2:32 and Zephaniah 3:9 uses it to mean worshipping or praying to the Lord Jehovah. 1 Kings 18:24 shows it is used for Baal. So “calling on the name of” someone is an idiom for worshipping or praying to a deity. Very early on in the Christian era, even as early as the time Paul converted, Christians were well known far and wide as those calling on the name of Jesus, in other words those who worship Jesus. And they aply this on themselves in Acts 9:14,21;22:16 and 1 Corinthians 1:2. The first Christians worshipped Jesus as God.

The Divine Council

An often overlooked feature of ancient Jewish theology is that God has a Divine Council, a royal court in heaven who cooperates with God in taking decisions. These are sometimes referred to as “the sons of God”, but just like Adam, their sonship is merely relational, and not genetic. That is why the Word, Jesus, is singled out as the unique son of God, because he is not simply one of these spirit beings of the council.

The council is especially visible in passages such as 2 Chronicles 18:18-22 where God consults the Divine Council on how to deal with king Ahab. In Psalm 82, God chastises members of the Divine council for not performing their responsibility to guide the nations. To learn more about the Divine Council, I recommend the book The Unseen Realm” by Dr. Michael Heiser.

The Two Powers in Heaven

Alan F. Segal, a scholar of religion, discussed the concept of the “Two Powers in Heaven” doctrine in his book, “Two Powers in Heaven: Early Rabbinic Reports about Christianity and Gnosticism.” This doctrine refers to a Jewish theological belief that existed in the late Second Temple period, around the time of Jesus and the early Christian movement.

According to Segal, the Two Powers in Heaven doctrine can be understood as follows:

The Heavenly Throne: The first power in heaven refers to the unique and supreme authority of God, who sits on the divine throne. This power is associated with God’s absolute sovereignty, omnipotence, and transcendence. It represents the monotheistic understanding of God’s oneness and supremacy.
The Exalted Divine Agent: The second power in heaven represents a celestial being who is distinct from God but possesses divine qualities and authority. This being is often described as a divine figure, sometimes associated with the titles “the Word of Jehovah”, “the Angel of Jehovah”, “Son of Man” or “Son of God.” This power is considered subordinate to God but still occupies a high and exalted position within the divine hierarchy.

Segal argues that the Two Powers in Heaven doctrine emerged within certain Jewish circles. This belief system reflects a complex understanding of the divine realm, acknowledging both God’s ultimate sovereignty and the existence of an intermediary figure who participates in divine authority. A primary Jehovah and a secondary Jehovah, both being Jehovah.

Corporeal: Having a body. ↩
Tangible: Being able to be touched. ↩
Transcendental: Beyond the natural world or the grasp of the senses. ↩ ↩² ↩³
Immanent: Existing or operating within the world. ↩ ↩²
Coequal: Being equal in essence. No one is more of less “God”, however in the cooperation between the persons of God, there is a certain hierarchy of authority and responsibility. ↩
Coeternal: All of them are eternal. None has a beginning nor an end. ↩
Cosibstantial: Consisting of the same substance or essence. Substance is whatever makes a being what it is. For example the human substance is what makes a person human. ↩
Hypostasis: A person, the identity and conscious personhood of someone. It is what answers the question “Who is it?” ↩
Ousia: Often translated being, essence, substance or nature, is the essential being of something. It answers the question “What is it?” Humans have the human ousia. Dogs have the canine ousia. Cats have the feline ousia. God has the divine ousia. ↩

Thyreon The Shield of Faith

The Trinity doctrine in the Bible

Old Testament

Genesis 1: 1-3

Genesis 1: 26,27

Genesis 2: 23-24

Genesis 3: 8

Genesis 3: 22

Genesis 12: 7

Genesis 17: 1

Genesis 17: 22

Genesis 18: 1-5

Genesis 18: 8

Genesis 18: 17-19

Genesis 18: 33

Genesis 19: 24

Exodus 17: 6

Exodus 19: 9

Exodus 23: 20-23

Deuteronomy 6: 4

Deuteronomy 33: 26

2 Chronicles 18: 23

Nehemiah 9: 5

Job 9: 8

Job 19: 25-27

Psalm 9: 7,8

Psalms 44: 21

Psalms 45: 6-7

Psalms 68: 32-33

Psalm 83: 18

Psalms 89: 9

Psalms 96: 13

Psalm 98: 9

Psalm 102: 25-27

Psalms 103: 2,3

Psalms 104: 3

Psalms 107: 29

Psalm 130: 4

Psalm 138: 2

Psalm 148: 13

Isaiah 6: 1-5

Isaiah 6: 8

Isaiah 19: 1

Isaiah 40: 8

Isaiah 40: 10

Isaiah 41: 4

Isaiah 42: 8

Isaiah 43: 10

Isaiah 43: 25

Isaiah 44: 6

Isaiah 44: 8

Isaiah 45: 23

Isaiah 48: 11

Isaiah 48: 12

Isaiah 48: 16

Isaiah 63: 1-6

Isaiah 63: 9-10

Isaiah 63: 10

Jeremiah 2:13

Jeremiah 17: 10

Jeremiah 17: 13

Jeremiah 23: 23-24

Lamentations 3: 64

Daniel 7: 13

Daniel 9: 9

Zechariah 12: 10

Malachi 3: 1

New Testament

Matthew 1: 23

Matthew 3: 3

Matthew 8: 26-27

Matthew 9: 4

Matthew 9: 38

Matthew 14: 25

Matthew 14: 33

Matthew 16: 27

Matthew 18: 20

Matthew 24: 30

Matthew 28: 20

Mark 1: 3