The doctrine of the trinity

• Christianity is a monotheistic religion, meaning belief in only one God. However, the doctrine of the trinity is that there is one God in three persons; Father, Son and Holy Spirit
• The father, Son and Holy Spirit are three distinct persons
• Each person is fully God; the three are coexistence, coetrnal and coequal
• There is 1 God; The Trinity does not spilt God into 3 parts
• The word "trinity" is not in the Bible. However, the trinitarian doctrine is also argued to make most sense of what the Bible says about the relationship between Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit
• Corinthians 8:6 "For us there is but one God, the Father, from whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom we live
• John 10:30: Jesus said "The Father and I are one"
• Arians responded with a different interpretation to both Corinthians 8:6 and John 10:30: Jesus did not mean that he and the father were one substance, but of one purpose. The context of the quote shows that Jesus was referring to being one in their pastoral work and purpose
• John 1:1-3 "in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God"
• John 1:14 "the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us"
• Hick: Jesus did not seem to believe he was divine. Hick argued that the historical Jesus did not teach nor "apparently believe that he was God, or God the Son, Second person of a Holy trinity, incarnate, or the son of God in a unique sense"
• Weaknesses of the trinity

  Confusing and unclear. The concept of God as "one in three and three in one" seems complicated and it undermines the idea that Christianity is a monotheistic religion. Contradictory, and confusing
• Strengths of the trinity

  Christians may argue that the trinity is not supposed to be fully understood; it is a divine mystery God is transcendent and unknowable
• Strengths of the trinity

  Part of a teaching from Jesus - he was trying to give a clear message. Matthews gospel - "go and make disciples of every nation, baptising them in the name of the father, son and holy spirit"  
• Weakness of the trinity

  We cannot absolutely say that Jesus said this (Matthew) or that he meant for Christians to understand God as a trinity - Matthews gospel was written many years after the event it described
• The Trinity is not accepted by all Christians
• 'And he who sees me sees him who sent me' - 2 Corinthians 13:14
• 'He who has seen the father ... I am in the Father and the father is in me' - John 14:9-10
• Weaknesses of the trinity

  Monotheism - Jesus was a Jew, who believed the same thing as other Jews. 1st century Jews did not believe in the Trinity
• Weaknesses of the Trinity

  Singular pronouns - God is always addressed using singular person pronouns (you)
• Weaknesses of the Trinity

  Characteristics - Jesus wasn't omniscient. God knows everything that can be known - if the Trinity is true, then Jesus is fully God, he should therefore have full knowledge
• Weaknesses of the Trinity

  Jesus was both human and divine - that means Jesus would've had to have been omniscient, omnipotent, omnibenevolent and transcendent
• The Shield of the trinity

  A) The Father

  B) The Son

  C) The Holy Spirit

  D) God