Who Is God?
September 2, 2025
Why does God call Himself Father?
September 2, 2025
The Trinity is one of the most important teachings of Christianity, but it can also be one of the most confusing.
The word “Trinity” does not actually appear in the Bible, which can make people wonder where the teaching comes from. The answer is that the Trinity is not based on one particular verse. Instead, it comes from putting together everything Scripture teaches about God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
The Bible teaches that there is one God, yet it also teaches that the Father is God, Jesus Christ is God, and the Holy Spirit is God. At the same time, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are not the same Person. They are distinct from one another and interact with one another.
That is what Christians mean by the Trinity.
It does not mean that Christians believe in three gods. It also does not mean that God is one Person who simply changes between being the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
The Trinity means that there is one God who eternally exists as three distinct Persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
We cannot completely explain everything about how God exists because God is greater than our understanding. However, we can explain what the Bible teaches about Him.
There Is Only One God
The first thing we need to establish is that Christianity does not teach three separate gods.
The Bible is very clear that there is only one God.
Deuteronomy 6:4 — The Lord Is One
“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:”
This truth is found throughout Scripture.
The God of the Bible is not one god among many. He is the one true God, the Creator of heaven and earth.
This is important because the doctrine of the Trinity does not abandon biblical monotheism. Christians are not saying that the Father is one god, Jesus is another god and the Holy Spirit is a third god.
There is one God.
The Father Is God
The Bible clearly identifies the Father as God.
1 Corinthians 8:6 — One God, the Father
“But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.”
Paul identifies the Father as God while also distinguishing Him from Jesus Christ.
This distinction is important. The Father is not Jesus, and Jesus is not the Father, yet both are included in what Scripture teaches about the one God.
Jesus Is God
The Bible also teaches that Jesus is not merely a good man, prophet or teacher.
Jesus is God the Son.
John 1:1 — The Word Was God
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
John then explains that this Word became flesh.
John 1:14 — The Word Became Flesh
“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”
The Word was with God, the Word was God, and the Word became flesh.
John is speaking about Jesus.
This means Jesus did not begin to exist when He was born in Bethlehem. He existed before His human birth.
Jesus Existed Before His Birth
Jesus Himself spoke about His existence before Abraham.
John 8:58 — Before Abraham Was, I Am
“Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.”
Jesus did not simply say, “Before Abraham was, I was.”
He used the words “I am,” which point back to the language God used when revealing Himself to Moses.
Exodus 3:14 — God Reveals His Name
“And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.”
Jesus was making a very significant statement about His identity.
He was not claiming to be the Father. He was identifying Himself with the divine name while remaining distinct from the Father.
Jesus Is Fully God and Fully Human
The Trinity also helps us understand something important about Jesus.
Jesus is truly God, but He also became truly human.
Philippians 2:6–8 — Christ Took the Form of a Servant
“Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”
Jesus did not stop being God when He became human.
Instead, He took on human nature and humbled Himself to become a servant.
This is one reason the life of Jesus can sometimes be confusing when we first begin studying the Trinity. Jesus prayed to the Father, spoke about the Father and said that the Father sent Him.
That does not mean Jesus was not God.
It shows that the Father and Son are distinct Persons.
The Holy Spirit Is God
The third Person of the Trinity is the Holy Spirit.
The Bible does not describe the Holy Spirit as merely an impersonal force or energy.
The Holy Spirit is God.
Acts 5:3–4 — Lying to the Holy Spirit
“But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?
Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.”
Peter first says that Ananias lied to the Holy Spirit and then says that he lied to God.
The Holy Spirit is therefore not simply a power that God sends out.
He is divine.
The Holy Spirit Is Distinct From the Father and the Son
The Holy Spirit is God, but He is not the Father or the Son.
We can see this clearly at Jesus’ baptism.
Matthew 3:16–17 — Father, Son and Holy Spirit
“And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:
And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
Jesus is being baptized.
The Holy Spirit descends upon Him.
The Father speaks from heaven.
All three are present at the same time.
This is important because it shows that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are not simply three different appearances of the same Person.
They are distinct.
The Father, Son and Holy Spirit Are Named Together
Jesus also gave His disciples a command that places the Father, Son and Holy Spirit together in a very significant way.
Matthew 28:19 — Baptism in the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit
“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:”
Notice that Jesus says “name”, singular, rather than “names.”
The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are named together under the one divine name.
This does not mean they are the same Person. Scripture has already shown us that they are distinct.
Instead, it points us toward the unity of the three within the one God.
The Trinity Is Shown in Christian Blessing
Paul also brings the Father, Son and Holy Spirit together in his closing blessing to the Corinthians.
2 Corinthians 13:14 — Father, Son and Holy Spirit
“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.”
Here we see Jesus Christ, God the Father and the Holy Spirit together.
The New Testament repeatedly presents the three together in ways that make sense in light of the Trinity.
Does the Bible Say the Word “Trinity”?
No.
The actual word Trinity does not appear in Scripture.
That does not automatically mean the teaching is unbiblical.
There are many words Christians use to describe biblical teachings that are not themselves found as exact terms in the Bible.
The important question is whether the idea accurately summarises what Scripture teaches.
In the case of the Trinity, Christians use the word to describe the biblical teaching that there is one God who exists eternally as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
What Does “One God in Three Persons” Mean?
This is where the subject can become confusing.
When Christians say that God is one God in three Persons, we are not saying that God is three people.
The word “Person” is being used to describe the distinction between the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
The Father can speak to the Son.
The Son can pray to the Father.
The Holy Spirit can be sent by the Father and the Son.
They are distinct from one another, yet Scripture teaches that there is only one God.
We should therefore avoid trying to force the Trinity into a simple physical comparison.
God is not a three-part object.
He is not one-third Father, one-third Son and one-third Holy Spirit.
Each Person is fully God.
The Father Is Not the Son
This distinction is important because the Trinity does not mean the Father and Son are the same Person.
Jesus repeatedly spoke to the Father.
John 17:1 — Jesus Prays to the Father
“These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee:”
Jesus was not talking to Himself as though He were simply changing roles.
He was speaking to the Father.
The Father and Son have a real relationship with one another.
The Son Is Not the Holy Spirit
The same distinction applies to the Holy Spirit.
Jesus promised that the Father would send the Holy Spirit to His followers.
John 14:26 — The Father Sends the Holy Spirit
“But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”
The Father sends the Holy Spirit in the name of Jesus.
Again, we see distinction without division.
The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are not three gods, but neither are they simply three names for one Person.
The Holy Spirit Is Not a Physical Being
It is also important to understand that the Holy Spirit is not physical.
The Holy Spirit does not have a human body like Jesus did during His earthly ministry.
John 4:24 — God Is Spirit
“God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”
The Holy Spirit is spirit.
When the Bible describes the Holy Spirit as teaching, guiding, speaking, comforting or being grieved, it is showing us that He is not merely an impersonal force.
He has a will and acts personally.
That is why Christians use the word Person when describing the Holy Spirit. It does not mean that the Holy Spirit is a physical human being.
Why Does the Trinity Matter?
The Trinity is not just a complicated doctrine that Christians are expected to memorise.
It helps us understand the God we worship.
The Father sent the Son.
The Son willingly came into the world to save sinners.
The Holy Spirit works in believers, guiding, teaching, strengthening and transforming them.
Ephesians 2:18 — Access to the Father Through Christ and the Spirit
“For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.”
This verse brings the three together beautifully.
Through Jesus, by the Holy Spirit, we have access to the Father.
The Christian life is therefore connected with all three Persons of the Trinity.
The Trinity Helps Us Understand Salvation
The work of salvation involves the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
The Father sent the Son.
The Son gave His life for our sins.
The Holy Spirit brings God’s work into our lives and seals believers as belonging to Him.
Ephesians 1:13–14 — Sealed With the Holy Spirit
“In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.”
The Holy Spirit is not an optional addition to Christianity.
He is involved in the life of every genuine believer.
The Trinity Shows Us That God Is Relational
The Bible shows us that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit have existed eternally in relationship with one another.
This helps us understand why relationship is so important to God.
God created humanity for relationship with Him.
John 17:24 — The Father Loved the Son Before the Foundation of the World
“Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.”
The Father loved the Son before the foundation of the world.
This tells us that God’s love and relationship did not begin when He created humanity.
God did not create people because He was lonely or lacking something.
He has eternally existed as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Is the Trinity a Contradiction?
Some people hear “one God and three Persons” and think this is a mathematical contradiction.
It would be a contradiction if Christians were saying that God is one Person and three Persons in exactly the same sense.
But that is not what Christians mean.
The teaching is that God is one being and three Persons.
We are not saying one equals three.
We are saying that God’s existence is different from anything we experience as human beings.
That is why we should be humble when discussing the Trinity.
We can know what Scripture reveals without pretending that we can completely understand the inner nature of God.
We Should Not Try to Explain God With Inaccurate Comparisons
People often use examples such as water being ice, liquid and steam, or an egg having a shell, white and yolk.
These examples may seem helpful at first, but they can actually create theological problems because they suggest that God is one thing appearing in three different forms, or that each Person is only one part of God.
That is not what the Bible teaches.
The Father is fully God.
The Son is fully God.
The Holy Spirit is fully God.
Yet there is only one God.
It is better to admit that the Trinity is a mystery than to use an illustration that gives us the wrong idea about God.
Does the Trinity Mean There Are Three Gods?
No.
The Bible is clear that there is one God.
Isaiah 45:5 — There Is No God Besides the Lord
“I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me:”
Christianity remains firmly monotheistic.
The Father is God, the Son is God and the Holy Spirit is God, but there are not three separate gods competing with one another.
There is one divine being.
Does the Trinity Mean Jesus Is the Father?
No.
Jesus is the Son, not the Father.
Jesus prayed to the Father, was sent by the Father and spoke about returning to the Father.
John 16:28 — Jesus Came From and Returned to the Father
“I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father.”
The Father and Son are distinct.
Yet Jesus is still fully God.
This is one of the central truths we need to hold together when understanding the Trinity.
Does the Trinity Mean Jesus Is Less Than God?
No.
Jesus humbled Himself by becoming human, but Scripture still teaches His divine nature.
Colossians 2:9 — The Fullness of the Godhead in Christ
“For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.”
Jesus is not partly God.
The fullness of deity dwells in Him bodily.
This is why Christianity teaches that Jesus is both truly God and truly man.
What About the Holy Spirit?
The Holy Spirit is also fully divine.
He is not simply God’s power or an energy that comes from God.
1 Corinthians 2:10–11 — The Spirit Knows the Things of God
“But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.”
The Holy Spirit knows the deep things of God.
He teaches believers, guides them and works within them.
The Bible therefore gives us good reason to understand the Holy Spirit as fully divine.
Why Is the Trinity Important to Our Faith?
Understanding the Trinity helps us understand who God is and what He has done for us.
The Father loves us and sent the Son.
The Son willingly came into the world, died for our sins and rose again.
The Holy Spirit works within believers, guiding us toward God and helping us become more like Christ.
1 Peter 1:2 — Father, Spirit and Jesus Christ
“Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.”
The three Persons are involved in God’s work of salvation.
This is not three different plans from three different gods.
It is the work of the one true God.
So, What Does the Trinity Mean?
The simplest biblical explanation is this:
There is one God.
The Father is God.
Jesus Christ the Son is God.
The Holy Spirit is God.
The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are distinct Persons.
There are not three gods.
That is what Christians mean when they talk about the Trinity.
The Bible does not give us a diagram explaining exactly how God’s nature works, and we should not pretend that we can completely understand something so far beyond our experience.
What Scripture does give us is enough to know who God has revealed Himself to be.
The Father is God.
The Son is God.
The Holy Spirit is God.
And yet God is one.
The Trinity Is a Mystery, But It Is Not Meaningless
There is nothing wrong with admitting that some things about God are beyond our full understanding.
In fact, it makes sense that an infinite God would be greater than the ability of finite human beings to completely comprehend Him.
Romans 11:33 — God’s Wisdom Is Beyond Our Understanding
“O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!”
The Trinity is not something we need to be afraid of because we cannot completely explain it.
Instead, we can be grateful that God has revealed Himself to us.
We know Him as Father.
We know Jesus Christ as the Son who came to save us.
We know the Holy Spirit as the One who lives and works in believers.
And all three are revealed throughout Scripture as belonging to the one true God.
The Trinity Helps Us Know the God Who Loves Us
Ultimately, the Trinity is not meant to be a theological puzzle that keeps us at a distance from God.
It helps us understand the God who has made Himself known to us.
The Father sent Jesus because He loves the world.
Jesus willingly gave His life because He loves us.
The Holy Spirit works within believers because God has not left us alone.
2 Corinthians 13:14 — The Grace, Love and Fellowship of God
“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.”
The Trinity may be difficult for us to fully understand, but the message behind it is beautiful.
The God who created us is the same God who came to save us and the same God who works in the lives of His people today.
We do not worship three gods.
We worship one God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
And although there will always be things about God that are beyond our understanding, we can know what He has chosen to reveal to us and trust Him with what we cannot yet comprehend.
The Trinity is not three Gods, and it is not one God changing between three roles. It is one true God who eternally exists as the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
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