2. We Believe in a Triune God John 20:31 Definition: We believe in one God who eternally exists as three distinct persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

3. We Believe in a Triune God John 20:31 The Basics: 1.There is One True God 2.Father, Son, and Spirit are equally God. 3. The Bible Presents the Three-in-Oneness of God

4. There is One True God John 20:31 Deuteronomy 6:4, “Hear, O Israel: The L ORD our God, the L ORD is one [ehad].” Isaiah 44:6, Thus says the L ORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the L ORD of hosts: “I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god.

5. There is One True God John 20:31 Mark 12:29, Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.” James 2:19, You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! 1 Timothy 2:5, For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus

6. Father, Son, and Spirit are equally God. John 20:31 God the Father: Not really debated. We are taught to pray by Jesus in Matt. 6:9, “Pray then like this: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.’” Jesus refers to God as Father in every Gospel, but approximately 110 times in John alone.

7. Father, Son, and Spirit are equally God. John 20:31 Jesus the Son Four main Christological passages: John 1:1-18, Philippians 2:5-11, Colossians 1:15-23, and Hebrews 1:1-4. 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.’ 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.’”

8. Father, Son, and Spirit are equally God. John 20:31 Jesus the Son He made direct claims (John 1:1, 1:18, 10:30, 17:3). He taught with authority not as the scribes (Matt 7:28-29). He forgave sins (Mark 2:5-10). He performed divine works (John 1:3, Col. 1:16-17, Heb. 1:3).

9. Father, Son, and Spirit are equally God. John 20:31 Holy Spirit Acts 5:3-4, 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.”

10. Father, Son, and Spirit are equally God. John 20:31 Holy Spirit 1 Cor. 3:16, Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? 1 Cor. 6:19, Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God?

11. The Bible Presents the Three-in-Oneness of God John 20:31 Gen. 1:1-2, In the beginning, God [ The Father ] created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God [ The Spirit ] was hovering over the face of the waters. John 1:1-3, In the beginning was the Word [ Jesus ], and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.

12. The Bible Presents the Three-in-Oneness of God John 20:31 Gen. 1:26, Then God said [ singular verb ], “Let us [ plural ] make man in our image, after our likeness.” Gen. 3:22, Then the L ORD [ YHWH singular ] God said [ singular verb ], “Behold, the man has become like one of us [ plural ] in knowing good and evil.”

13. The Bible Presents the Three-in-Oneness of God John 20:31 Isaiah 6:8, And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I [ singular ] send, and who will go for us [ plural ]?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.”

14. The Bible Presents the Three-in-Oneness of God John 20:31 Matt. 3:16-17, And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice [The Father] from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.

15. The Bible Presents the Three-in-Oneness of God John 20:31 Matt. 28:19-20, Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name [ singular ] of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, [ three names ] teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.

16. The Bible Presents the Three-in-Oneness of God John 20:31 Luke 1:35, And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High [The Father] will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. John 10:30, Jesus declares, “I [Jesus] and the Father are one.” John 14:6, And I [Jesus] will ask the Father, and he will give you another [allos] Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth,”

17. The Bible Presents the Three-in-Oneness of God John 15:26, But when the Helper comes, whom I [Jesus] will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me [Jesus]. Acts 1:7-8, He [Jesus] said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Romans 15:16, to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God [Father], so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

18. The Bible Presents the Three-in-Oneness of God John 20:31 1 Cor. 12:4-6, Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. 2 Cor. 1:21-22, And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee. 2 Cor. 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.

19. The Bible Presents the Three-in-Oneness of God John 20:31 Gal. 6:4, And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” Eph. 4:4-6, There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. 1 Peter 1:2, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you.

20. We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen. And [we believe] in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one being with the Father. Through him all things were made. For us, humans, and for our salvation, he came down from heaven, was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary, and became fully human. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate. He suffered death and was buried. He rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end. And [we believe] in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father, who in unity with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets. [We believe] in one holy universal and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.

21. Selected Heresies John 20:31 1.Tri-theism 1.Modalism 1.Arianism

22. John 20:31 Tri-theism Modern Day: Mormons and some other world religious with a plurality of deities. The belief that there are three Gods and not one. Fails to focus on the unity.

23. Modalism a.k.a.: modalistic monarchianism or sabellianism Sabellius: teacher who lived around the 3 rd century A.D. Modern day: Oneness Pentecostal, “Jesus Only” Pentecostal. The belief that there is one God who manifest Himself in different personalities or modes…God the Father in the OT, Jesus in the Gospels, and the Spirit after Pentecost. Related: “Patripassianism” which means the Father suffered along with Christ on the cross because he was personally and actually present.

24. John 20:31 Arianism Arius, a Bishop of Alexandria. Condemned at the Council of Nicaea in A.D. 325. Modern Day: Jehovah’s Witnesses Believes God the Father created the Son at some point and that before that time neither the Son nor the Spirit existed. “There was a time when the Son was not.” This view emphasizes the “only begotten” and the “unity” passages and contends that Jesus is the first-born of all creation.

25. Jehovah’s Witnesses Website John 20:31 For one thing, the Bible does not mention the word “Trinity.” For another, Jesus never claimed to be equal to God. “The Christian Bible, including the New Testament, has no trinitarian statements or speculations concerning a trinitary deity.”—Encyclopædia Britannica. http://www.jw.org/en/publications/magazines/g201308/trinity/

26. Why is this important to me? John 20:31 Practical Application 1.Theologically 2.Community 3.Equal yet Different 4.How we pray

27. We Believe in a Triune God John 20:31 1.Theologically: Our beliefs about God. Our beliefs about whether Jesus is God or not. Our understanding of the atonement and thus, salvation

28. We Believe in a Triune God John 20:31 2.Community: The Trinity teaches us about community: God has always existed in community. God created us to live in community. God did not need us. He was not lonely. The Trinity teaches us about love. 1 John 4:7-8: Love is from God and God is love. Love is eternally demonstrated in the relationship in the Trinity. Love spoken of roughly 800 times in the Bible.

29. We Believe in a Triune God John 20:31 3.Equal Yet Different: Equally God in substance yet each with distinct roles. This affects how we relate to others and how we serve other. All humanity is equal in substance yet God gives us distinct roles and different assignments. Jesus was not jealous nor was the Spirit. Jesus submitted and served “not my will but your will be done.” We must all learn to submit to authority at some level. We all submit to Jesus.

30. We Believe in a Triune God John 20:31 4. How we pray: To the Father based on the model prayer. “Our Father who art in heaven.” Matt. 6:9 In the name of Jesus based on John 14:14 “If you ask me anything in my [Jesus] name, I will do it.” Through the power of the Spirit based on Eph. 6:18, Rom. 8:26-27.

31. We Believe in a Triune God John 20:31 “Try to explain it, and you’ll lose your mind; but try to deny it, and you’ll lose your soul.” unknown