Should You Believe in the Trinity?
More than two billion people profess to be Christian. Most belong to churches that teach the Trinity
THE Bible was completed in the first century C.E. Teachings that led to the development of the Trinity began to be officially formulated in 325 C.E.
IS JESUS GOD?
When Constantine became sole ruler of the Roman Empire, professed Christians were divided over the relationship between God and Christ. Was Jesus God? Or was he created by God? To settle the matter, Constantine summoned church leaders to Nicaea, not because he sought religious truth, but because he did not want religion to divide his empire.
“To us there is but one God, the Father.”
Constantine asked the bishops, who may have numbered into the hundreds, to come to a unanimous accord, but his request was in vain. He then proposed that the council adopt the ambiguous notion that Jesus was “of one substance” (homoousios) with the Father. This unbiblical Greek philosophical term laid the foundation for the Trinity doctrine as later set forth in the church creeds. Indeed, by the end of the fourth century, the Trinity had essentially taken the form it has today, including the so-called third part of the godhead, the holy spirit.
WHY SHOULD YOU CARE?
Jesus said that “the true worshipers will worship the Father with . . . truth.” (John 4:23) That truth has been recorded in the Bible. (John 17:17) Does the Bible teach that the Father, the Son, and the holy spirit are three persons in one God?
For one thing, the Bible does not mention the word “Trinity.” For another, Jesus never claimed to be equal to God. Instead, Jesus worshipped God. (Luke 22:41-44) A third line of evidence concerns Jesus’ relationship with his followers. Even after he was raised from the dead to the spirit realm, Jesus called his followers “my brothers.” (Matthew 28:10) Were they brothers of Almighty God? Of course not! But through their faith in Christ
What the Nicene Creed says:
“We believe . . . in one Lord Jesus Christ . . . that is of the substance of the Father, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God.”
What the Bible says:
“My Father is greater than I [Jesus].”
—John 14:28. * “I [Jesus] ascend unto my Father, and your Father, and to my God, and your God.”
—John 20:17. “To us there is but one God, the Father.”
—1 Corinthians 8:6. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
—1 Peter 1:3. “These things saith the Amen [Jesus], . . . the beginning of the creation of God.”
—Revelation 3:14. *
^ par. 13 Italics ours. All the quotations in this section are from the King James Version.
^ par. 17 The Bible study aid What Does the Bible Really Teach? includes these two lessons: “What Is the Truth About God?” and “Who Is Jesus Christ?” You may obtain a copy from Jehovah’s Witnesses or read it online at www.jw.org.