The Truth About the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit
PEOPLE who believe the Trinity teaching say that God consists of three persons—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Each of these three persons is said to be equal to the others, almighty, and without beginning. According to the Trinity doctrine, therefore, the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God, yet there is only one God.
Many who believe the Trinity admit that they are not able to explain this teaching. Still, they may feel that it is taught in the Bible. It is worth noting that the word “Trinity” never occurs in the Bible. But is the idea of a Trinity found there? To answer this question, let us look at a scripture that supporters often cite to uphold the Trinity.
“THE WORD WAS GOD”
John 1:1 states: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (King James Version) Later in the same chapter, the apostle John clearly shows that “the Word” is Jesus. (John 1:14) Since the Word is called God, however, some conclude that the Son and the Father must be part of the same God.
Bear in mind that this part of the Bible was originally written in Greek. Later, translators rendered the Greek text into other languages. A number of Bible translators, though, did not use the phrase “the Word was God.” Why not? Based on their knowledge of Biblical Greek, those translators concluded that the phrase “the Word was God” should be translated differently. How? Here are a few examples: “The Logos [Word] was divine.” (A New Translation of the Bible) “The Word was a god.” (The New Testament in an Improved Version) “The Word was with God and shared his nature.” (The Translator’s New Testament) According to these translations, the Word is not God himself. * Instead, because of his high position among Jehovah’s creatures, the Word is referred to as “a god.” Here the term “god” means “mighty one.”
GET MORE FACTS
Most people do not know Biblical Greek. So how can you know what the apostle John really meant? Think of this example: A schoolteacher explains a subject to his students. Afterward, the students differ on how to understand the explanation. How can the students resolve the matter? They could ask the teacher for more information. No doubt, learning additional facts would help them to understand the subject better. Similarly, to grasp the meaning of John 1:1, you can look in the Gospel of John for more information on Jesus’ position. Learning additional facts on this subject will help you to draw the right conclusion.
For instance, consider what John further writes in chapter 1, verse 18: “No man has seen [Almighty] God at any time.” However, humans have seen Jesus, the Son, for John says: “The Word [Jesus] was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory.” (John 1:14, KJ) How, then, could the Son be part of Almighty God? John also states that the Word was “with God.” But how can an individual be with someone and at the same time be that person? Moreover, as recorded at John 17:3, Jesus makes a clear distinction between himself and his heavenly Father. He calls his Father “the only true God.” And toward the end of his Gospel, John sums up matters by saying: “These have been written down so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.” (John 20:31) Notice that Jesus is called, not God, but the Son of God. This additional information provided in the Gospel of John shows how John 1:1 should be understood. Jesus, the Word, is “a god” in the sense that he has a high position but is not the same as Almighty God.
CONFIRM THE FACTS
Think again about the example of the schoolteacher and the students. Imagine that some still have doubts, even after listening to the teacher’s additional explanation. What could they do? They could turn to another teacher for further information on the same subject. If the second teacher confirms the explanation of the first one, the doubts of most students may be put to rest. Similarly, if you are not sure what the Bible writer John was really saying about the relationship between Jesus and Almighty God, you could turn to another Bible writer for further information. Consider what was written by Matthew, for example. Regarding the end of this system of things, he quotes Jesus as saying: “Concerning that day and hour nobody knows, neither the angels of the heavens nor the Son, but only the Father.” (Matthew 24:36) How do these words confirm that Jesus is not Almighty God?
Jesus says that the Father knows more than the Son does. If Jesus were part of Almighty God, however, he would know the same facts as his Father. So, then, the Son and the Father cannot be equal. Yet, some will say: ‘Jesus had two natures. Here he speaks as a man.’ But even if that were so, what about the holy spirit? If it is part of the same God as the Father, why does Jesus not say that it knows what the Father knows?
As you continue your Bible studies, you will become familiar with many more Bible passages that have a bearing on this subject. They confirm the truth about the Father, the Son, and the holy spirit.—Psalm 90:2; Acts 7:55; Colossians 1:15.
- - - Updated - - -
Ang Salita ba ay “Diyos” o “isang diyos”?
ANG tanong na iyan ay kailangang isaalang-alang kapag isinasalin ng mga tagapagsalin ng Bibliya ang unang talata ng Ebanghelyo ni Juan. Sa Bagong Sanlibutang Salin, ganito ang mababasa sa talata: “Nang pasimula ay ang Salita, at ang Salita ay kasama ng Diyos, at ang Salita ay isang diyos.” (Juan 1:1) Sa ibang salin, ipinahihiwatig ng huling bahagi ng talata ang ideya na ang Salita ay “tulad-Diyos,” o katulad nito. (A New Translation of the Bible ni James Moffatt; The New English Bible) Pero sa maraming salin, ganito ang binabanggit sa huling bahagi ng Juan 1
“At ang Salita ay Diyos.”—Magandang Balita Biblia.
Malinaw na ipinakikita ng balarila ng wikang Griego at ng konteksto na tama ang pagkakasalin ng Bagong Sanlibutang Salin at na “ang Salita” ay hindi dapat isiping tumutukoy sa “Diyos” na binabanggit sa unang bahagi ng talata. Gayunpaman, dahil walang balintiyak na pantukoy ang wikang Griego noong unang siglo, nagkaroon ng iba’t ibang opinyon ang ilan hinggil sa talatang ito. Kaya naman napakahalagang malaman ang tungkol sa isang salin ng Bibliya sa wikang sinasalita noong unang mga siglo ng ating Karaniwang Panahon.
Ito ang diyalektong Sahidic ng wikang Coptic, o tinatawag na Sahidic Coptic. Ang wikang Coptic ay ginagamit sa Ehipto nang sumunod na mga siglo pagkatapos ng ministeryo ni Jesus sa lupa, at ang diyalektong Sahidic ay isang sinaunang anyong pampanitikan ng wikang iyon. Tungkol sa pinakaunang mga salin ng Bibliya sa wikang Coptic, ganito ang sinabi ng The Anchor Bible Dictionary: “Yamang isinalin sa wikang Coptic ang [Septuagint] at ang [Kristiyanong Griegong Kasulatan] noong ika-3 siglo C.E., ang salin sa wikang Coptic ay salig sa [mga manuskritong Griego] na di-hamak na mas nauna pa sa karamihan ng umiiral na mga reperensiya.”
May dalawang dahilan kung bakit napakahalagang malaman ang tungkol sa mga tekstong Sahidic Coptic. Una, gaya ng nabanggit na, ipinakikita nito kung ano ang unawa ng mga Kristiyano sa mga turo ng Bibliya bago ang ikaapat na siglo, kung kailan naging opisyal na doktrina ang Trinidad. Ikalawa, ang balarila ng wikang Coptic ay may pagkakatulad sa balarila ng wikang Ingles. Ang naunang mga salin ng Kristiyanong Griegong Kasulatan ay sa wikang Syriac, Latin, at Coptic. Ang wikang Syriac at Latin, gaya ng wikang Griego noon, ay walang balintiyak na pantukoy, pero mayroon nito ang wikang Coptic. Karagdagan pa, ganito ang sinabi ng iskolar na si Thomas O. Lambdin sa kaniyang akda na Introduction to Sahidic Coptic: “Ang paggamit ng mga pantukoy sa wikang Coptic, pamanggit at balintiyak, ay katulad na katulad ng paggamit ng mga pantukoy sa wikang Ingles.”
Kung gayon, ang salin sa wikang Coptic ay nagbibigay ng kapansin-pansing ebidensiya hinggil sa unawa noon sa Juan 1:1. Ano ang ebidensiyang iyon? Ang saling Sahidic Coptic ay gumagamit ng balintiyak na pantukoy kasama ng salitang “diyos” sa huling bahagi ng Juan 1:1. Kaya kapag isinalin, ganito ang mababasa: “At ang Salita ay isang diyos.” Maliwanag na alam ng mga sinaunang mga tagapagsalin na ang mga salita ni Juan na nakaulat sa Juan 1:1 ay hindi nangangahulugang si Jesus ang Diyos na Makapangyarihan-sa-lahat. Ang Salita ay isang diyos, hindi Diyos na Makapangyarihan-sa-lahat.
- - - Updated - - -
Is the Trinity a Bible teaching?
▪ The Trinity doctrine is defined this way, although there are many variations: “Three divine Persons (the Father, the Son, the Holy Ghost), each said to be eternal, each said to be almighty, none greater or less than another, each said to be God, and yet together being but one God.” Is this a Bible teaching?
Matthew 28:19 is usually cited to prove the doctrine. The text from the King James Version quotes Jesus: “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” True, the Father, the Son, and the holy ghost (or spirit) are all mentioned in this text. However, nothing is said about their being one. Jesus was commissioning his Jewish followers to teach and baptize people in the name of the Father, the Son, and the holy spirit. As a nation, what did the Jews believe?
When the nation of Israel received the Law covenant, which forms part of the Bible, they were commanded: “You must never have any other gods against my face.” (Deuteronomy 5:7) How many persons were speaking here? Without any confusion, Deuteronomy 6:4 reads: “Listen, O Israel: Jehovah our God is one Jehovah”—not three in one. Israel had just been liberated from Egypt, where Osiris, Isis, and Horus (shown at left)—one of a number of triads of gods—were worshipped. Therefore, Israel was commanded to worship just one God. How important was it for people to understand this command? According to Dr. J. H. Hertz, a rabbi: “This sublime pronouncement of absolute monotheism was a declaration of war against all polytheism . . . The Shema excludes the trinity of the Christian creed as a violation of the Unity of God.” *
Since Jesus was a Jew by birth, he was instructed to follow this same command. After his baptism, when tempted by the Devil, he said: “Go away, Satan! For it is written, ‘It is Jehovah your God you must worship, and it is to him alone you must render sacred service.’” (Matthew 4:10; Deuteronomy 6:13) We can learn at least two things from this incident. First, Satan was trying to entice Jesus to worship someone other than Jehovah, an attempt that would have been absurd if Jesus were part of the same God. Second, Jesus made it clear that there is just one God who must be worshipped when he said “him alone,” not “us,” which he would have said if he were part of a Trinity.
When people come to an accurate knowledge of God and want to serve him, they are baptized “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy spirit.” (Matthew 28:19) They understand and accept the authority of Jehovah and the role of Jesus Christ in the outworking of Jehovah’s purpose. (Psalm 83:18; Matthew 28:18) They also comprehend the function and activity of God’s holy spirit, which is his active force.—Genesis 1:2; Galatians 5:22, 23; 2 Peter 1:21.
The Trinity doctrine has confused people for centuries. On the other hand, Jesus enlightened his followers and directed them to “the only true God,” Jehovah.—John 17:3.
