The Trinity Dogma - Is It Clearly a Bible Teaching?
If the Trinity were true, it should be clearly and consistently presented in the Bible. Why? Because, as the apostles affirmed, the Bible is God's revelation of himself to mankind. And since we need to know God to worship him acceptably, the bible should be clear in telling us just who he is.
First-century believers accepted the Scriptures as the authentic revelation of God. It was the basis for their beliefs, the final authority. For example, when the apostle Paul preached to people in the city of Beroea, "they received the word with the greatest eagerness of mind, carefully examining the Scriptures daily as to whether these things were so." - Acts 17:10,11.
What did prominent men of God at that time use as their authority? Acts 17:2,3 tells us: "According to Paul's custom...he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving by references [from the Scriptures]." Jesus himself set the example in using the Scriptures as the basis for his teaching, repeatedly saying: "It is written." "He interpreted to them things pertaining to himself in all the Scriptures." - Matthew 4:4,7; Luke 24:27.
Thus Jesus, Paul, and first-century believers used the Scriptures as the foundation for their teaching. They knew that "all Scripture is inspired of God and beneficial for teaching, for reproving, for setting things straight, for disciplining in righteousness, that the man of God may be fully competent, completely equipped for every good work."- 2 Timothy 3:16,17; see also 1Corinthians 4:6; 1Thessalonians 2:13; 2Peter 1:20,21.
Since the bible can 'set things straight,' it should clearly reveal information about a matter as fundamental as the Trinity is claimed to be. But do theologians and historians themselves say that it is clearly a Bible teaching?
"Trinity" In The Bible?
A PROTESTANT publication states: "The word Trinity is not found in the Bible...It did not find a place formally in the theology of the church till the 4th century." (The Illustrated Bible Dictionary) And a Catholic authority says that the Trinity "is not...directly and immediately [the] word God." - New Catholic Encyclopedia.
The Catholic Encyclopedia also comments: "In Scripture there is as yet no single term by which the Three Divine Persons are denoted together. The word tpias [tri'as](of which the Latin trinitas is a translation)is first found in Theophilus of Antioch about A.D. 180...Shortly afterwards it appears in its Latin form of trinitas in Tertullian."
However, this is no proof in itself that Tertullian taught the Trinity. The Catholic work Trinitas-A theological Encyclopedia of the holy Trinity, for example, notes that some of Tertullians's words were later used by others describe the Trinity. Then it cautions: "But hasty conclusions cannot be drawn from usage, for he does not apply the words to Trinitarian theology."
Testimony Of The Hebrew Scriptures
While the word "Trinity" is not found in the Bible, is at least the idea of the Trinity taught clearly in it? For instance, what do the Hebrew Scriptures ("Old Testament") reveal? The Encyclopedia of Religion admits: "Theologians today are in agreement that the Hebrew Bible does not contain a doctrine of the Trinity." And The New Catholic Encyclopedia also says: "The doctrine of the Holy Trinity is not taught in the o[ld] T[estament]."
Similarly, in his book The Triune God, Jesuit Edmund Fortman admits: "The Old Testament...tells us nothing explicitly or by necessary implication of a Triune God who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit....There is no evidence that any sacred writer even suspected the existence of a [Trinity] within the Godhead...Even to see in [the 'Old Testament"] suggestions or foreshadownings or 'veiled signs' of the trinity of persons, is to go beyond the words and intent of the sacred writers."-Italics ours.
An examination of the Hebrew Scriptures themselves will bear out these comments. Thus, there is no clear teaching of a Trinity in the first 39 books of the bible that make up the true canon of the inspired Hebrew Scriptures.
Next - Testimony of the Greek Scriptures - Watch out for Chapter 5, Post number 5.
First-century believers accepted the Scriptures as the authentic revelation of God. It was the basis for their beliefs, the final authority. For example, when the apostle Paul preached to people in the city of Beroea, "they received the word with the greatest eagerness of mind, carefully examining the Scriptures daily as to whether these things were so." - Acts 17:10,11.
What did prominent men of God at that time use as their authority? Acts 17:2,3 tells us: "According to Paul's custom...he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving by references [from the Scriptures]." Jesus himself set the example in using the Scriptures as the basis for his teaching, repeatedly saying: "It is written." "He interpreted to them things pertaining to himself in all the Scriptures." - Matthew 4:4,7; Luke 24:27.
Thus Jesus, Paul, and first-century believers used the Scriptures as the foundation for their teaching. They knew that "all Scripture is inspired of God and beneficial for teaching, for reproving, for setting things straight, for disciplining in righteousness, that the man of God may be fully competent, completely equipped for every good work."- 2 Timothy 3:16,17; see also 1Corinthians 4:6; 1Thessalonians 2:13; 2Peter 1:20,21.
Since the bible can 'set things straight,' it should clearly reveal information about a matter as fundamental as the Trinity is claimed to be. But do theologians and historians themselves say that it is clearly a Bible teaching?
"Trinity" In The Bible?
A PROTESTANT publication states: "The word Trinity is not found in the Bible...It did not find a place formally in the theology of the church till the 4th century." (The Illustrated Bible Dictionary) And a Catholic authority says that the Trinity "is not...directly and immediately [the] word God." - New Catholic Encyclopedia.
The Catholic Encyclopedia also comments: "In Scripture there is as yet no single term by which the Three Divine Persons are denoted together. The word tpias [tri'as](of which the Latin trinitas is a translation)is first found in Theophilus of Antioch about A.D. 180...Shortly afterwards it appears in its Latin form of trinitas in Tertullian."
However, this is no proof in itself that Tertullian taught the Trinity. The Catholic work Trinitas-A theological Encyclopedia of the holy Trinity, for example, notes that some of Tertullians's words were later used by others describe the Trinity. Then it cautions: "But hasty conclusions cannot be drawn from usage, for he does not apply the words to Trinitarian theology."
Testimony Of The Hebrew Scriptures
While the word "Trinity" is not found in the Bible, is at least the idea of the Trinity taught clearly in it? For instance, what do the Hebrew Scriptures ("Old Testament") reveal? The Encyclopedia of Religion admits: "Theologians today are in agreement that the Hebrew Bible does not contain a doctrine of the Trinity." And The New Catholic Encyclopedia also says: "The doctrine of the Holy Trinity is not taught in the o[ld] T[estament]."
Similarly, in his book The Triune God, Jesuit Edmund Fortman admits: "The Old Testament...tells us nothing explicitly or by necessary implication of a Triune God who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit....There is no evidence that any sacred writer even suspected the existence of a [Trinity] within the Godhead...Even to see in [the 'Old Testament"] suggestions or foreshadownings or 'veiled signs' of the trinity of persons, is to go beyond the words and intent of the sacred writers."-Italics ours.
An examination of the Hebrew Scriptures themselves will bear out these comments. Thus, there is no clear teaching of a Trinity in the first 39 books of the bible that make up the true canon of the inspired Hebrew Scriptures.
Next - Testimony of the Greek Scriptures - Watch out for Chapter 5, Post number 5.
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