A Holy Trinity Sermon in Plain, Understandable Language
In Short
The Bible teaches that there is one God who eternally exists as three divine Persons—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Rather than relying on complicated theological language, this study explains the doctrine of the Holy Trinity primarily through straightforward Scripture, showing both the oneness of God and the full deity of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Key Takeaways
- The Bible teaches that there is one true God.
- Scripture reveals the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit as fully divine.
- The Holy Trinity is one God eternally existing in three divine Persons.
- The doctrine of the Trinity is understood primarily through Scripture rather than human reasoning.
- Numerous Old and New Testament passages reveal God's triune nature.
- Jesus Christ is fully God as well as fully man.
- The Holy Spirit possesses the attributes and works of God.
Key Scriptures
Deuteronomy 6:4; Genesis 1:26–27; Matthew 3:16–17; Matthew 28:19; John 10:30; John 20:28; Acts 5:3–4; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Ephesians 4:4–6; 1 John 5:7 (KJV)
Welcome to Original Pentecostal
Sermons and Bible Studies
by Pastor Jim Feeney, Ph.D.
Brief Bio
Pastor Jim Feeney, Ph.D., is a Pentecostal Bible teacher with more than 50 years of Spirit-filled ministry experience. His sermons and Bible studies are personally written and drawn from decades of service as a church planter, senior pastor, Bible college teacher and Dean, and as a trainer of ministers internationally in the Pentecostal tradition.
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How Can We Define and Demystify the Trinity?
Right at the outset let's ask the question: "What does 'the trinity' mean?" One brief, time-tested definition of the Trinity reads like this: There is one God, eternally existent in three Persons — the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. This short statement summarizes the biblical concept of the triunity, or three-in-oneness, of God.
- •• The mind alone cannot fathom the deep mystery of the Trinity. It must be “spiritually discerned”.
- •• “Three are one.” Three divine Persons — the Father, the Word [Jesus], and the Holy Ghost. Yet they are said to be “one”.
- • Note: “Holy Ghost” in the King James Version and “Holy Spirit” in most modern translations mean one and the same thing, being translated from the same Greek words.
- •• Admittedly, some manuscripts and translations do not agree that the full verse 7 as contained in the King James Version is in the original. We cannot definitively resolve that divided opinion, but we will see that many other verses in the bible clearly indicate that God is indeed a Trinity — one God, eternally existent in three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. To those Scriptures revealing the trinity in the bible we will now turn.
1. Is There One God? Yes.
2. Can God Be Plural, Even Though He Is One? Again, Yes.
- •• The very word for “God” is plural in the Hebrew of these and many other verses.
•• Note the easy interaction of the plural (“us...our”, vs. 26) and the singular (“his”, vs. 27) in speaking of the same “God”.
- •• Plurality (“us”) again in God's Scriptural self-revelation.
- •• In this great theophany, the Lord God appeared to Abraham in the visible form of “three men”.
•• In the rest of this chapter and its dialogue, the “three men” were frequently identified by the divine names “Jehovah” and “Adonay”. Deity was revealed on earth in a theophany of three men.
3. Is the Father God? Yes.
4. Is Jesus God? Yes.
- •• God the Father calls the Son Jesus “God”.
- •• This refers unmistakably to Jesus, who is called “God ... manifest in the flesh”.
- •• Jesus was and is “in very nature God”!
- •• The virgin-born Son “Jesus” (vs. 21) would be known as “God with us”.
A more extensive biblical proof of the Deity of Jesus can be found elsewhere on this website at The Deity of Jesus Christ.
5. Is the Holy Spirit God? Yes.
- •• To lie to the Holy Spirit is to lie to God.
- •• The Holy Spirit was exercising the divine prerogative to call and set apart ministries.
- •• The Holy Spirit was the Divine Co-Creator.
- •• The Holy Spirit is "the eternal Spirit." Angels, even the fallen Satan (Ezekiel 28:14f), are created beings (Colossians 1:16). Humans are clearly created beings (Genesis chapters 1-2). Only absolute Deity — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — are said in Scripture to be eternal, without beginning or end.
- •• We human beings "know in part" (1 Corinthians 13:9). We do not have full knowledge of the ways and thoughts of God — "For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways, and my thoughts higher than your thoughts" (Isaiah 55:9, NLT). By contrast, unlike us humans, "no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God" (1 Cor. 2:11, NKJV). As Deity Himself, the Holy Spirit knows fully the ways and thoughts of God.
- •• The Spirit of God is omnipresent, an attribute possessed only by Deity.
6. The Oneness of the Holy Trinity
- •• Here two (that is, plural Persons) of the Holy Trinity — Jesus and the Father — are said to be one.
- •• Three and yet one. Tri-unity!
•• Some skeptics have said, “How can 1 + 1 + 1 = 1 ?” To them I reply, “1 X 1 X 1 = 1” There we have three ones equaling one! If God can make three ones equal one in His created realm (here, the realm of mathematics), then certainly the Creator God Himself can exist as one triune God in three Divine Persons!
7. Many Scriptures Reveal the Full Trinity
(From the King James Version unless otherwise indicated)
- Summary: The bible clearly teaches us that there is one God. The Bible also reveals that there are three divine Persons (God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit) and that “these three are one”. Not three Gods, but one triune God, eternally existent in three Persons — the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. "These three are one"!
- The Trinity is wonderfully illustrated throughout Scripture in very real illustrations of the triunity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Check out this fascinating trip through the Bible at "The Holy Trinity Explained in Vivid Action."
Frequently Asked Questions About the Trinity
Who is the Holy Trinity?
The Holy Trinity is the one true God eternally existing as three divine Persons—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Although the word "Trinity" itself is not found in the Bible, the doctrine is clearly revealed throughout Scripture. The Bible teaches both the absolute oneness of God and the full deity of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Does the Bible actually teach the Trinity?
Yes. While the Bible does not use the word "Trinity," it repeatedly reveals the doctrine itself. Scripture declares that there is one God, yet also identifies the Father as God, Jesus Christ as God, and the Holy Spirit as God. Many passages place all three divine Persons together, revealing one triune God rather than three separate gods.
Is Jesus Christ fully God?
Yes. The Bible plainly identifies Jesus Christ as fully divine. Thomas worshiped the risen Christ, saying, "My Lord and my God!" God the Father called the Son "God" (Hebrews 1:8), Jesus was "God manifested in the flesh," and He existed "in very nature God." The Scriptures consistently affirm Christ's full deity while also revealing His genuine humanity.
Is the Holy Spirit God?
Yes. The Holy Spirit possesses the attributes, authority, and works of God. Scripture says that lying to the Holy Spirit is lying to God. The Holy Spirit participated in creation, calls people into ministry, is eternal, knows the thoughts of God completely, and is present everywhere. These are characteristics that belong only to God.
How can God be one and yet three?
The Bible teaches both truths. There is only one God, yet that one God eternally exists as three divine Persons—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Human reasoning alone cannot fully explain this mystery, because spiritual truths must be spiritually discerned. Rather than attempting to force God's nature into purely human categories, believers accept the consistent testimony of Scripture concerning God's triune nature.
Why is the doctrine of the Trinity important?
The doctrine of the Trinity helps us understand who God has revealed Himself to be. It explains the relationship of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit throughout the Bible and safeguards the biblical truth that Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit are fully divine while affirming that there is only one God. A proper understanding of the Trinity strengthens biblical faith and worship by honoring God exactly as He has revealed Himself in Scripture.
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An interesting related truth can be seen at our sermon: 'The Triune God's TRIUNE Name is 'Lord Jesus Christ'"
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Pentecostal Sermons and Bible Studies
by Pastor Jim Feeney, Ph.D.