Many churches recite the Nicene Creed on a regular basis:
We believe in one God,
the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
begotten from the Father before all ages,
God from God,
Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made;
of the same essence as the Father. ...
And we believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord, the giver of life.
He proceeds from the Father and the Son,
and with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified.
James White, who wrote What Every Christian Needs to Know About the Qur'an, has written The Forgotten Trinity which is a powerful defense of this doctrine and confronts cultic distortions. Before the Corona Crisis there was a debate (11-13-19) where James White faced off with Shabir Ally at Georgia Tech in Atlanta, GA on the topic "Tawhid or Trinity: Is God One or Three Divine Persons?"
Another helpful resource is Knowing the Truth About the Trinity by John Ankerberg and John Weldon which answers questions like "Why is the Trinity a mystery?" and "Is belief in the triune God critical?" Here's the Westminster Confession in modern English (Ch. 2, Sec. 3):
In the unity of the Godhead there are three persons, having one substance, power, and eternity: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. The Father exists. He is not generated and does not come from any source. The Son is eternally generated from the Father, and the Holy Spirit eternally comes from the Father and the Son. (Mt 3:16-17, 28:19, 2 Cor 13:14, Eph 2:18, Jn 1:14,18, 17:24, Heb 1:2-6, Col 1:15-17, Jn 15:26, Gal 4:6)
The Trinity: Evidence and Issues by Robert A. Morey (d. 2019) defends the Trinity from the Old and New Testaments. He looks at Jewish writings and the Early Church Fathers. This massive tome has nearly 600 pages! You may find Michael Brown's talk on the Old Testament and the Trinity here. Dr. Brown has recently put out The Silencing of the Lambs: The Ominous Rise of Cancel Culture and How We Can Overcome It.
Consider Jesus' baptism:
When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” (Lk. 3:21,22; cf. Jn. 1:29-34)
Francis Schaeffer (d. 1984) spoke of the mutual love between the members of the Trinity. Here's the proof:
æ The Father sends the Son. (Galatians 4:4; 1 John 4:14)
æ The Father sends the Holy Spirit. (John 14:26; Galatians 4:6)
æ The Father loves the Son and the Son loves the Father. (John 3:35; 5:20; 14:31)
æ The Father and Son glorify each other. (John 17:1,4,5)
æ The Holy Spirit glorifies the Son. (John 16:14).
Isaiah 63 seems to hint at the Trinity:
Yet they rebelled
and grieved his Holy Spirit.
So he turned and became their enemy
and he himself fought against them.
... Where is he who set
his Holy Spirit among them,
who sent his glorious arm of power
to be at Moses’ right hand,
who led them through the depths?
... they were given rest by the Spirit of the Lord.
This is how you guided your people
to make for yourself a glorious name.
... Where are your zeal and your might?
Your tenderness and compassion are withheld from us.
But you are our Father,
though Abraham does not know us
or Israel acknowledge us;
you, Lord, are our Father,
our Redeemer from of old is your name.
(Is. 63:10-16)
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"The Churches One Foundation" references the Trinity. Child Evangelism Fellowship has a great tune on the Trinity for kids. Enjoy this lovely song on the Trinity based on a an Irish tune. Even Hillsong chimes in as well with "This I Believe (The Creed)." I wrote a pro-Trinity song, "Theology Matters" (~Metallica).
Kudos: the graphic with the long hair and flowers was adapted from the Italian artist Marco Melgrati.
#Trinity #MarcoMelgrati #JamesWhite #ForgottenTrinity #Metallica #TheologyMatters #RobertMorey #Ankerberg #Bible #Theology #Tawhid
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