Article III: Trinity

A Study on Trinity

The Father

Going back to antiquity, "organized" religions have typically found their differences in the god, or gods they honored. The same holds true between Judaism and Orthodox (Eastern) Christianity. While the base origin story and holy texts are largely the same, the defined Godhead is not. One would expect all of the Western Christian Churches to share the same views, but again, they do not.

God "The Father", Abba, Yahweh, Elohim, is very much the same between Eastern and Western Judeo-Christian practices—Top of the hierarchy, All knowing, all seeing, all present, eternal, and without time. The closest counterpart of Western Eurasian and African origins would be Allah. Here is where any commonality ends.

Some would argue the "The Creator" at the start of Genesis is not the same as the "God of Jacob" (or Moses), or "The Father", those distinctions are a study for another day. For this article we just need the understanding that God the Father refers to The Creator of heaven and Earth, and the primary figure in the Godhead through whom the Son and Spirit have authority. 

Divergences of the Divine Makeup

To understand how the definition of the Godhead diverges from this shared foundation, we have to look at how different traditions view the divine makeup:

• Jewish Tradition: Maintains strict, absolute monotheism, viewing God as a singular, indivisible unity without co-equal persons, hypostases, or a physical incarnation.
• Orthodox (Eastern) Christianity: Upholds the historic, classical Trinitarian model formulated at the early ecumenical councils, defining God as one divine essence (ousia) existing eternally as three distinct, co-equal, uncreated persons (hypostases): Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
• Mainstream Western Christianity (Catholicism and Historic Protestantism): Shares the same core Nicene Trinitarian framework as Eastern Orthodoxy, though historical schisms and shifts in emphasis developed regarding how the Spirit proceeds and how the divine will is expressed.
• Modern Restitutionist and Nontrinitarian Western Groups:
  • Latter-day Saints (LDS / Mormon): Reject the traditional Trinity entirely, viewing the Godhead as a council of three distinct, separate entities where the Father and Jesus Christ possess glorified physical bodies of flesh and bone, and humanity shares the potential for eternal progression.
  • Jehovah's Witnesses: Reject the Trinity as unbiblical, teaching that Yahweh (Jehovah) is the Almighty God alone, Jesus is His first created being (Michael the Archangel), and the Holy Spirit is an active impersonal force rather than a distinct divine person.

Note on Fraternal Orders: Fraternal and philosophical societies (such as Freemasonry, the Odd Fellows, the Elks, the Møøse, and historical secret orders like the Bavarian Illuminati) fall outside this framework entirely; they require a belief in a generic "Supreme Being" precisely to avoid taking a stand on theological creeds like Nicaea.

Scriptural Foundations

The Son

The Son of God has many names: Yeshua, Christ, Lord, Immanuel, The Word, The Son of Man, The Son of God, The Light, The Redeemer, or simply Jesus to His followers. Beyond the faith, His actual footprint in time was recorded by outsiders who had no reason to fabricate Him. Both Rome and Judea recognized Him and His crucifixion as a hard moment in history. First looking at the local, internal view from Judea, Jewish leadership and local chroniclers took note of the ongoing phenomenon of His followers. Flavius Josephus wrote (c. 93–94 AD):

"Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, for he was a doer of wonderful works,—a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many of the Jews, and many of the Gentiles. And when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men amongst us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at the first did not forsake him; And the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct at this day." — Flavius Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews (Book 18, Ch. 3, Sec. 3)

Pairing that with the macro, imperial view of the Roman government looking back decades later at the fallout under Tiberius and Nero, senior Roman senator and former imperial governor Publius Cornelius Tacitus wrote (c. 115–117 AD):

"Nero fastened the guilt and inflicted the most exquisite tortures on a class hated for their abominations, called Christians by the populace. Christus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilatus, and a most mischievous superstition, thus checked for the moment, again broke out not only in Judaea, the first source of the evil, but even in Rome," — Publius Cornelius Tacitus, Annals (Book 15, Ch. 44)

We can cross-reference the biblical account directly:

"When morning came, all the chief priests and elders of the people plotted against Jesus to put Him to death. And when they had bound Him, they led Him away and delivered Him to Pontius Pilate the governor." — Matthew 27:1–2 (NKJV)

22 “What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called the Messiah?” Pilate asked. They all answered, “Crucify him!” 23 “Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate. But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!” 24 When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. “I am innocent of this man’s blood,” he said. “It is your responsibility!” — Matthew 27:22–24 (NIV)

To "believe" Jesus existed is the easy part; He walked the earth just as we do, and He is a matter of written history outside of the Bible. The real question boils down to:

"'But what about you?' He asked. 'Who do you say I am?' Simon Peter answered, 'You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.'" — Matthew 16:15–16 (NIV)

For those who witnessed His life firsthand, the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy should have been unmistakable. Yet, widespread doubt and rejection remained. To understand why, we have to look closely at the intense geopolitical pressure-cooker of first-century Judea. Prophetic timelines were converging, pointing squarely to that exact generation.

Side Study: Prophetic Timelines of the Second Temple Era

A closer look at the calculations active in Judea during the lifetime of Jesus:

1. Canonical Writings

• Daniel’s "Seventy Weeks" (Daniel 9:24–27): Outlined a countdown of 483 years from the command to rebuild Jerusalem until the arrival and cutting off of the Messiah. First-century Jews and the Qumran community calculated this precise window to expire right around the 1st century CE.
• The Scepter of Judah (Genesis 49:10): Prophesied that tribal leadership would remain until Shiloh (the Messiah) arrived. Historically, Judea lost its final autonomous authority and fell under direct Roman prefect rule right when Jesus reached adulthood.

2. Non-Canonical & Rabbinic Writings

• The Dead Sea Scrolls: Sectarians at Qumran studied Daniel and Isaiah intensely, expecting two anointed figures right in their contemporary generation.
• Psalms of Solomon (c. 1st Century BCE): Explicitly prayed for God to raise up a Davidic king to throw off Roman tyranny.
• The Babylonian Talmud: Preserved early calculations pointing the era of the Messiah directly to the late Second Temple period—leading later rabbis to lament past chronological predictions after the political restoration failed to materialize conventionally.

In first-century Jewish thought, "Messiah" wasn't a spiritualized title; it meant a physical, military, or political liberator—a new King David anointed by God to break Roman occupation and restore national sovereignty. Because that political desperation was so high, the era naturally spawned a wave of prophetic figures and insurrectionists. Within a hundred years of Jesus, historians recorded roughly a dozen other individuals who claimed or were viewed as messianic deliverers:

• Simon of Perea (c. 4 BCE): Former slave who crowned himself king and burned royal palaces after Herod's death before Roman execution.
• Athronges the Shepherd (c. 4–2 BCE): A shepherd of immense physical stature, led a guerrilla insurgency with his brothers, donning a royal diadem.
• Judas of Galilee (c. 6 CE): Sparked the anti-tax "Fourth Philosophy," laying the ideological groundwork for the Zealots.
• John the Baptist (c. 27–30 CE): Though he explicitly denied being the Messiah, his massive apocalyptic following alarmed Herod Antipas enough to warrant execution.
• The Samaritan Prophet (c. 35 CE): Promised followers sacred Mosaic vessels on Mt. Gerizim; crushed by Pontius Pilate's troops.
• Theudas (c. 44–46 CE): Claimed he would part the Jordan River like Joshua; beheaded by Roman cavalry.
• "The Egyptian" (c. 54–58 CE): Led 30,000 men to the Mount of Olives promising the walls of Jerusalem would fall (confused with Paul in Acts 21).
• Menahem ben Hezekiah & Simon bar Giora (66–70 CE): Key military leaders who acted as royalty and held parts of Jerusalem during the First Jewish-Roman War.
• Simeon bar Kokhba (c. 132–135 CE): Formally proclaimed the Messiah by Rabbi Akiva during the Second Jewish-Roman War, minting freedom coins before his rebellion was obliterated.

This historical reality explains the fundamental disconnect: the average citizen under Rome wasn't looking for a suffering servant to usher in a restored spiritual relationship with God the Father; they were looking for a general with a sword to kick the Romans out. When Jesus walked a completely different path, it shattered their expectations.

When we dig deeper and look past the turmoil of the 1st century, we find the scriptures actually provided a picture of the Messiah that resembled Jesus as he was.

Side Study: The Foretold Christ (Suffering Servant vs. Conquering King)

While first-century citizens expected a political general, the Hebrew scriptures also laid out a counter-cultural blueprint for a suffering, humble Messiah:

• The Ultimate Suffering Servant (Isaiah 52:13 – 53:12): Written centuries before Christ, this text details a rejected figure with no majestic appearance, who would be "pierced for our transgressions" and led like a lamb to the slaughter rather than raising a sword.
• The Crucifixion Blueprint (Psalm 22:1, 14–18): Written long before crucifixion was even invented as a method of execution, King David graphically describes pierced hands and feet, separated bones, and enemies casting lots for clothing.
• The Lowly King (Zechariah 9:9): Prophesied that Israel's true king would arrive not on a majestic warhorse like a Roman conqueror, but humbly riding on a donkey—signifying peace and a rejection of imperial might.
• The Pierced Representative (Zechariah 12:10): Foretold that the people would look upon the one they pierced and mourn, shifting the focus from a military coup to deep spiritual repentance.
• The Eternal Priest-King (Psalm 110:1, 4): Positioned the Messiah outside the normal political/levitical dynasties, tying Him to the eternal order of Melchizedek rather than a permanent earthly throne in Jerusalem.

The Holy Spirit

Probably the biggest difference between Judeo-Christian religions is the view on The Spirit, also commonly referred to as The Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost. While some deny the existence, or power, biblical writers from the opening of Genesis to the closing of Revelation have made reference to The Holy Spirit [Ruach Hakodesh / "The Spirit of Holiness"] as messenger, counselor, and guiding portion of the Godhead. 

1. The Cosmic Beginning (Genesis 1:2)

"Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters." — Genesis 1:2 (NIV)

2. The Conscience (Ezekiel 36:27)

"And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws" — Ezekiel 36:27 (NIV)

3. The Personal Advocate (John 14:26)

"But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have told you." — John 14:26 (NIV)

4. The Refining Baptism (Matthew 3:11)

"I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes One who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire." — Matthew 3:11 (NIV)

5. The Explosion at Pentecost (Acts 2:1–4)

"When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them." — Acts 2:1–4 (NIV)

6. The Final Invitation (Revelation 22:17)

"The Holy Spirit and the Bride say, “Come!” And the person who hears should say, “Come!” Anyone who is thirsty should come. Anyone who wants to take the free gift of the water of life should do so." — Revelation 22:17 (NIRV)

7. The Ultimate Mortal Sin (Matthew 12:31)

"And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven." — Matthew 12:31 (NIV)

The final note on The Spirit, by and large the only member of the Godhead the media has stayed away from. Be it Hollywood film, music, or books, one can mock, satire, or openly blaspheme the Father and the Son constantly, and the secular media barely bats an eye. It's practically background noise.

Yet, when it comes to the Holy Spirit—or treating the deep, unseen, numinous presence of God with levity—there is an invisible line that Hollywood and mainstream media rarely cross. Even secular culture seems to unconsciously sense the gravity of that boundary, leaving the Spirit uniquely "off-limits" in a way the rest of the Trinity isn't. Perhaps it's The Spirit consoling the creatives for their own eternal safety.

The Unified Bridge

While several world religions deny the Trinity as all God, or degrade Personhood within it into rank or hierarchy, they are all inclusive in the statements of New Testament writers.

"As soon as Jesus was baptized, He went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on Him. And a voice from heaven said, 'This is My Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased.'" — Matthew 3:16–17 (NIV)

"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit," — Matthew 28:19 (NIV)

"May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all." — 2 Corinthians 13:14 (NIV)

"But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have told you." — John 14:26 (NIV)

"There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord [Jesus]. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God [the Father] at work." — 1 Corinthians 12:4–6 (NIV)

"...who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood..." — 1 Peter 1:2 (NIV)

"For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father" — Ephesians 2:18 (NKJV)

The debate over the divine makeup is more than an academic exercise in ancient history; it defines how humanity relates to the Creator. From the geopolitical turmoil of the Second Temple period to the quiet, unseen advocacy of the Spirit, the study of the Trinity challenges us to look past what we expect God to be, and accept God as He has revealed Himself.

The Nature of the Mystery

To help visualize the mystery of how three distinct entities make up a singular divine substance without blending or breaking identity, consider this analogy:

Take an apple: peel, meat, and core. The peel is neither the meat nor the core, nor is the meat the peel or core. At all times all three are individually apple, and all together apple.

In essence, God is the same; Father, Son, Spirit. Each is God, and each their own ‘person’. Each ‘person’ can only complement the nature of God, none can oppose the other. They are all equal.