Question: How do we defend the doctrine of the trinity when people say to us “the word trinity isn’t in the Bible”?
This is one of those important and interesting questions that is not uncommon when talking about the Word. One very important thing we need to remember is that some questions start from a false premise.
Things like “the trinity is not found in scripture” are false accusations based on false assumptions. We shouldn’t be surprised it’s not in there. The Bible we generally read has been translated, depending on the translations many things aren’t specifically in scripture. I believe in reading the Scripture literally, when we are supposed to. Sometimes however, we are not supposed to. The Bible was never meant to be just a literal book. We have the books like Psalms and Song of Solomon which are poetic and Proverbs which are generalized sayings based on principle. Then there are books of prophecy like Daniel which also deserve a different approach. How about all the letters to the churches which are giving specific instruction based on things that were actually going on in a particular time to a particular people. All of these things need to be read and understood differently. That may seem like a big task and that’s because it is! 2 Timothy 2:15 (KJV) says, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
That the Bible doesn’t say a specific thing doesn’t make it not true. The Bible gives us no specific way to have church, and yet having church is not a wrong thing to do. In fact, it is what we should do. What we look for is not just what the Bible says, but what does the Bible point to? The ancient Hebrews did not have a word for everything. A word that’s often translated heart is actually the word kidney. People can get cooky trying to figure out how the kidney is where the direction of God is but the heart behind is not the exact location. It means to emanate from the inside out, so the direction of God comes from deep inside.
The fact that there are three persons in the Godhead and that they are separate but equal is woven throughout scripture. John 10:30 (NASB) is one instance where Jesus boldly proclaimed, “I and the Father are one.” Now some argue that He did not specifically call Himself God but that is a false understanding. It goes on to tell us that the Jews went to stone Him because that’s exactly how they understood or interpreted what Jesus was saying and He didn’t correct that thinking.
When interpreting scripture it is important to note that we cannot just read it the way we understand life. We have to do our best to get into the minds of those people in that time. Jesus’s main trouble with the Jews is that He presented Himself as God, which was ultimately the reason they crucified Him. So maybe one would concede that Jesus was claiming to be God, but what about the Holy Spirit? Well, the scriptures talks about Him in the same light. One such place is Matthew 28:19 (NASB), “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” Simple deductive reasoning here points to the idea of the Holy Spirit being coequal or He would not have been included.
We have to understand that the Bible assembled tells a story. While it is important to understand its books individually, it is also important to understand them altogether. We don’t just pick and choose but realize that God gave us this wonderful work in its entirety. He did this also for a purpose. Jesus often spoke in parables to explain God truths that themselves need to be explained differently today because we won’t understand the references. Sometimes while preaching I tell stories to illustrate these points. I’m not changing the scripture, I’m making it relatable. This is exactly what has always been done. Sure I may give an example story involving modern things like television, cars or the internet, but that doesn’t make the scriptural truth I’m presenting unbiblical.
While the Bible certainly gives us boundaries to our belief we have to remember that it came through oral tradition. It was meant to be heard and in such a way that it was understandable to the hearer. Many people in the ancient world couldn’t even read. This is why I’m such an advocate of multiple translations. Too often people build doctrine on what they read in a particular translation rather than study to find out the truth that was actually being presented. This is a problem I have seen so many times that it really needs addressed.
In closing, I will give some more scriptural references that point to the Trinity concept in order to help you respond to those who question the trinity, but I want to also leave you with this thought: consider the source and spirit behind every question. Is the one questioning already set on what they think and therefore not interested in really knowing the truth? People like this will never receive an answer that satisfies them because they’ve made up their minds already. In such cases you are wasting your time, casting pearls before swine!
2 Corinthians 13:14, John 14:16-17, John 15:16, 1 Peter 1:2, Ephesians 4:4-6, Romans 15:16, 1 Corinthians 12:4-6
Be Blessed,
Pastor Jeff
