1. The Three-Person God- Artificial or Almighty? 2016-05-01

2. Logical? Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.”(Genesis 1:26) And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?”(Isaiah 6:8)

3. And the LORD appeared to him [Abraham] …. He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing in front of him. When he saw them…and said, “O Lord, if I have found favor in your sight, do not pass by your servant. Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree, while I bring a morsel of bread….” So they said, “Do as you have said.” (Genesis 18:1-5)

4. From Old Testament… OT emphasized monotheism (against polytheism), but implicit plural Godheads “You shall have no other gods before me.”(Exodus 20:3) “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.”(Deuteronomy 6:4)

5. …To New Testament NT revealed 3 persons in 1 God – made God known and fulfilled salvation Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, (Matthew 28:19)

6. and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” (Luke 3:22)

7. The Three-Person God: Trinity (Latin) God eternally exists as three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and each person is fully God, and there is one God. Trinity: Not explicitly defined in Bible but implicitly determined by it.

8. What is a“person”? A self-consciousness with initiatives, feelings and thoughts, and the ability to relate and react to others

9. Diagrams of Trinity

10. Trinity implications: 1 Father God + 1 Son God + 1 Spirit God = 1 God Each Person is eternal (I am that I am) Each Person is equal (in power and rank, be worshiped and glorified) Each Person is fully God (perfect, complete) Each Person is distinct (identity, personality)

11. Trinity in Creation (OT) In the beginning, God 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 was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. (Genesis 1:1-3)

12. Trinity in Creation (NT) In the beginning was the Word, 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. (John 1:1-3) unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. (John 3:5)

13. Trinity in Salvation (OT-NT) The Spirit of the Lord G OD is upon me, because the L ORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor… (Isaiah 61:1, Luke 4:18)

14. And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. (Luke 1:35)

15. This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. (Acts 2:32-33)

16. Roles of each Person FatherSonSpirit Creation and SalvationCommander Director Executor Actor Life-Giver Distributor

17. Implication 1: It is a Mystery The Bible only tells us the What, not the How. Or else, heresies!!! By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist. (1 John 4:2-3)

18. Misunderstandings / heresies: 1 God, 3 identities in 3 periods: Father (OT), Son (NT), Spirit (End time) 1 God, 1 identity: Jehovah's Witnesses 3 Gods, 3 identities: Mormons

19. Implication 2: We need all 3 be saved But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. (Jude 1:20-21)

20. Implication 3: God is love, so love one another Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. (1 John 4:7-8)

21. Models to understand the loving relationship within the Trinity: Father – Son relationship Master – Servant relationship

22. Discussions: 1.Why is the belief of Trinity is not artificial? How likely would anyone think of anything like that? 2.How would you understand and relate to each Godhead differently? 3.How is love expressed in the Trinity Fellowship? How does that relate to our “love one another”command?