The word “Trinity” does not appear in the Bible. Scripture affirms that God is one; distinguishes the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; calls the Word God; equates lying to the Holy Spirit with lying to God; and mentions the Father, Son, and Spirit together in several places. The theological term “Trinity” refers to a conclusion drawn from these texts.
What Does the Bible Say About This?
- Deuteronomy 6:4 affirms that God is one.
- The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinct: at Jesus’ baptism, the Son comes out of the water, the Spirit of God descends upon Him, and a voice sounds from heaven (Matt. 3:16–17); Jesus says that the Father will give another Helper, the Spirit of truth (John 14:16–17).
- John 1:1–3 speaks of the Word: the Word was with God, was called God, and through Him everything came into being; in John 1:14, this Word became flesh, and His glory is called the glory of the one and only Son from the Father. Acts 5:3–4 equates lying to the Holy Spirit with lying to God.
- The Father, Son, and Spirit are mentioned together: in the blessing of 2 Cor. 13:14—the Lord Jesus Christ, God the Father, and the Holy Spirit—and in 1 Pet. 1:2—God the Father, the Spirit, and Jesus Christ.
- Interpretations differ: the disagreement begins with how these texts should be brought together and how passages about the Son and the Holy Spirit should be understood. Therefore, the biblical statements themselves should be distinguished from the theological formula built on them.
Brief answer prepared by the editorial team; Scripture passages are from the “Father’s Blessing” Bible.
Key Scripture Passages
8 Scripture passages · “Father’s Blessing” Bible
Deuteronomy 6:4
Hear, O Israel: the Eternal is our God, the Eternal alone;
Matthew 3:16–17
16 And after He was baptized, Jesus immediately came up out of the water—and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on Him. 17 And behold, a voice from heaven said: This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
John 14:16–17
16 And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter, that He may remain with you forever, 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, because He remains with you and will be in you.
John 1:1–3
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through Him, and without Him nothing came into being that has come into being.
Acts 5:3–4
3 But Peter said, “Ananias, why has you allowed Satan to fill your heart to think that you could lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land? 4 While it remained unsold, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not under your control? Why did you put this in your heart? You have not lied to people but to God.”
2 Corinthians 13:14
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.
John 1:14
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
1 Peter 1:2
according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling with the blood of Jesus Christ: May grace and peace be multiplied to you.
