Booger McLovin

One of the most misunderstood doctrines within Christianity is also one of the most important. While I could write in excess of a thousand pages on this subject, I will try to make it as simple as possible so it can be understood on a functional level by most readers.

The doctrine of the Trinity is not the belief that Christians worship three gods. The central claim is that there is only one YHWH, one God. The doctrine of the Trinity is the conclusion reached when all relevant passages concerning the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are taken seriously together rather than selectively.

Isaiah 44:6:

“Thus says Yahweh, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, Yahweh of hosts: ‘I am the first and I am the last, and there is no God besides Me.’”

The argument for the Trinity begins here. There is only one God, one YHWH. Christianity is and always has been monotheistic.

Paul writes in 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.”

On the surface some argue Paul is separating Jesus from God entirely by calling the Father “one God.” But Paul immediately follows this by saying there is “one Lord, Jesus Christ.” The word used for Lord is Kyrios, the same word used throughout the Septuagint in reference to YHWH. Paul is not demoting Jesus. He is including Jesus within the divine identity.

Paul makes this even clearer in Philippians 2:10-11:

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

Paul is directly connecting this to Isaiah 45:23:

“I have sworn by Myself, the word has gone forth from My mouth in righteousness and will not turn back, that to Me every knee will bow, every tongue will swear allegiance.”

In Isaiah, YHWH declares every knee will bow to Him alone. Paul applies this passage directly to Jesus. This is one of the clearest examples in Scripture of New Testament authors identifying Jesus with YHWH.

John 1:1 establishes both distinction and unity within the Godhead:

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

The Word is distinct from the Father because He was “with God,” yet He also shares the divine identity because “the Word was God.” John later identifies the Word as Christ Himself:

John 1:14:

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

John continues by affirming that all things were made through Him. If all things were made through Christ, then Christ Himself cannot belong to the category of created things.

Historic Christianity therefore concluded that the Son is eternally begotten of the Father, not created by Him. Since Scripture teaches that God does not change (Malachi 3:6; James 1:17), the Father did not become Father in time but eternally exists as Father with the Son eternally begotten from Him.

As for the Holy Spirit, Acts 5:3-4 states:

“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? 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.’”

Peter directly identifies the Holy Spirit as God. Yet the Holy Spirit is also personally distinct from both the Father and the Son.

Jesus says in John 16:13-14:

“When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.”

The Spirit is not described merely as an impersonal force, but as a distinct Person who hears, speaks, guides, and glorifies Christ.

Matthew 28:19 further shows both distinction of Persons and unity of divine identity:

“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,”

Notice Christ says “name,” singular, not “names.” Three distinct Persons share the one divine Name.

The doctrine of the Trinity is therefore not an invention forced onto Scripture, but the most coherent conclusion drawn from Scripture itself. The Father is identified as YHWH. The Son is identified as YHWH. The Holy Spirit is identified as YHWH. Yet Scripture repeatedly insists there is only one God.

Three distinct Persons sharing the one undivided divine essence of YHWH.