The Old Testament proclaims the oneness of God as the foundation for Israel’s witness and worship as God’s people. The New Testament proclaims the good news of Jesus as the incarnation of God, and also the Son of God.

The proclamation of the New Testament depends on the message of the Old Testament. Yet there is potential tension between this declaration of monotheism and the revelation of Jesus as God with His Father (and the Holy Spirit). The Early Church worked to resolve this tension by developing a grammar for talking about God, which we recognize today as the doctrine of the Trinity.

Early Church

The Church has always insisted on the Jewish declaration of faith that “the LORD our God, the LORD is one” (Deuteronomy 6:4). The oneness of God served as the foundation of the Christian faith and, in an idolatrous culture of many gods, was the first thing the apostles proclaimed (Acts 17:23–29).

We can love God with everything we have (Deuteronomy 6:5) because God has no equals demanding our attention. The oneness of God frames our worship, witness and ethics as undivided obedience.

At the same time, the New Testament Church worshipped Jesus as God incarnate. The first Christians addressed Jesus as Lord, or kurios (John 20:28; Acts 2:36; Romans 10:9; Colossians 3:17; Revelation 22:20). In the Old Testament, this title was Adonai, a replacement word for Yahweh, the personal name of God (Genesis 2:4; Exodus 3:15; Psalm 23:1).

The Bible writers attributed the works of God to Jesus, including creation (John 1:1–4; Colossians 1:15) and judgment (Matthew 25:31–36; John 5:22–30; Acts 10:42; 17:31; 2 Timothy 4:1; Revelation 19:11). They used the messianic title “Son of God” as if a Son/Father relationship existed before the Incarnation (John 3:16–18; 10:36; 20:31; Romans 8:29; Colossians 1:15; Hebrews 1:3–8). John called Jesus the Logos, or Word of God from before creation (John 1:1–14).

New Testament believers talked of Jesus as God, but did that make Jesus a second God after the Father?

The Holy Spirit also existed with God the Father before creation (Genesis 1:2). The apostle Paul attributed the giving of life to the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:10–11). Jesus spoke of the Holy Spirit in personal terms, as a paraclete or “advocate” for the disciples (John 14:16–17). Paul used personal verbs to explain the Spirit’s activity, describing the Holy Spirit as interceding (Romans 8:26–27), giving (1 Corinthians 12:11), and being grieved (Ephesians 4:30).

If the Holy Spirit is a distinct personality who shares in the traits of God along with Jesus, did that mean the Spirit represented a third God after Jesus and the Father?

Beginning with the second generation of believers, Christians struggled to understand and explain the biblical revelation of God amid a pagan culture. How could there not be three gods if the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are each God? If there is only one God, did Jesus pray to himself, and did He send himself to the Church on the Day of Pentecost? Could it be that Jesus and the Spirit were not God in the same way as the Father, so that only the Father is the one true God?

Answering “yes” to these questions led, respectively, to the early Christian heresies of tritheism (belief in three Gods), modalism (belief that God is the Father, Son, and Spirit at different times), and Arianism (belief that Jesus and the Holy Spirit are not truly God in the same way as the Father).

The Early Church
created a grammar
for understanding
God that guided the
worship, witness
and discipleship of
the community.

Heresies served a purpose by showing how not to understand and explain a doctrine. Early Church leaders worked hard to develop a grammar for proclaiming the full biblical revelation of God that avoided those heresies, while acknowledging that the mystery of God’s nature goes beyond human understanding.

By the fourth century, church leaders worked out a way of speaking that would preserve the biblical witness without falling into heresy. They described God as one Being in three Persons, unified as to divine nature but distinct as the Persons of the Trinity.

To discuss the Being of God meant something different than to talk about the Persons of God. By keeping terms distinct and spelling out what could and could not be said based on biblical revelation, the Early Church created a grammar for understanding God that guided the worship, witness and discipleship of the community.

Assemblies of God

Early in the 20th century, Pentecostals divided over their understanding of the Trinity.

Pentecostals took the harmony of the Bible seriously, prompting discussions about whether certain passages agreed. One area of concern was the different baptismal formulas in Matthew 28:19 (“in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”) and Acts 2:38 (“in the name of Jesus Christ”). What was the biblical formula for water baptism?

A novel solution, reportedly based on a personal revelation, was offered in 1913. The baptismal formulas could be harmonized if “Jesus” were the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

The implications of this revelation went beyond the practice of water baptism. For some, Acts 2:38 superseded Matthew 28:19 in Church practice, which led them to advocate baptizing or rebaptizing believers in the name of Jesus only. They reasoned Peter must have realized the Holy Spirit was Jesus on the Day of Pentecost.

These Pentecostals suggested baptism in the Spirit, with the evidence of speaking in tongues, was a spiritual baptism in Jesus. Some began teaching that speaking in tongues was the evidence for full conversion to Christ.

This teaching created controversy throughout Pentecostalism, but especially in the newly founded Assemblies of God (AG). Pastors raised questions about whether they should rebaptize members, whether someone could be a Christian without speaking in tongues, and how the Church could have been mistaken on the Trinity for most of its history.

What was called the “new issue” developed almost overnight, evolving from a question over the acceptable formula for water baptism to become a controversy concerning the reception of salvation and the nature of the triune God.

In response, AG leaders during the 1916 General Council commissioned the writing of a “Statement of Fundamental Truths.” The largest of these fundamental truths was No. 13, “The Essentials as to the Godhead.” It affirmed the historic boundaries of Trinitarian orthodoxy, using language that harkened back to the first four centuries of the Church.

Approximately 25% of ministers withdrew from the Fellowship over their refusal to sign this statement, reducing the number of AG credential holders from 585 to 429 in one year. Nevertheless, belief in the Trinity as a fundamental truth ensured the AG would belong to historic Christianity.

The doctrine of the Trinity preserves biblical revelation, reflects the nature of the gospel, and provides direction and boundaries for our worship, witness, and discipleship. The AG holds to 16 fundamental truths, but none is more foundational than belief in the Trinity.

One True God

In 1920, the Fundamental Truths were rearranged. The statement on the Trinity moved to No. 2, under the heading “The One True God.” This truth affirms what we believe and teach concerning the nature and work of God.

Concerning the nature of God, He is one, eternal and self-existent. There is no other besides Him (Deuteronomy 4:35). There is no beginning before God, no ending beyond Him, and nothing equal to Him. Furthermore, there is nothing upon which God depends for existence.

There is an orthodox limit on what humans can and cannot say about the Trinity because we can only speak of God based
on His revelation,
not our speculation.

Concerning the work of God, He is the Creator, Redeemer, and Revealer of truth. God has revealed himself as the “I Am,” and as One who exists in relationship to himself eternally and in creation historically as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

One Triune God

It has been said that no one can talk intelligently about the Trinity for more than five minutes without committing an ancient Christian heresy.

There is an orthodox limit on what humans can and cannot say about the Trinity because we can only speak of God based on His revelation, not our speculation.

If we go beyond the teaching of Scripture, we speak arrogantly. If we violate the meaning of Scripture, we speak falsely. If we make the gospel impossible or significantly less likely, we speak heretically. (For example, treating Jesus as less than God changes the meaning of the Incarnation, which in turn calls into question the effectiveness of the Atonement.) If we do not speak of God for fear of violating a boundary, we have no witness to offer. So how should we speak of God?

The section on the godhead within the Statement of Fundamental Truths contains 10 paragraphs, lettered (a) through (j), clarifying teaching on the Trinity in a way that lines up with the understanding of the Early Church. Paragraphs (a) through (d) deal with the nature of the godhead, while (e) through (j) address the nature of Jesus. Together, these teachings provide a sense of what the AG sought to affirm and defend in regard to the Trinity.

Father, Son, and Spirit

As paragraph (a) acknowledges, the word “trinity” is nowhere in Scripture, and the Bible writers never used the word “persons” to describe God. The second-century Church developed this terminology to talk about the tri-unity of God. “Persons” delineated each member of the Trinity in His uniqueness, while “Being” described the nature of the one God.

The Trinitarian view of God as one Being in three Persons denies neither the deity nor the distinctiveness of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

One mistake to avoid is the assumption that “Being” refers to some kind of divine stuff rather than God himself. Another is the error that “Persons” refers to separate individuals — as it does with humans — instead of distinction within the one God. This notion leads to the heresy of tritheism.

Paragraph (b) affirms the distinction, not separation, of the Persons of the Trinity. Their divinely revealed names are terms of relationship. However, those distinctions can go no further than the Bible allows. “I don’t know” is a biblical response for times when we don’t have a clear answer from Scripture (2 Corinthians 12:2–3).

As paragraph (c) explains, “the Father is the Begetter; the Son is the Begotten; and the Holy Spirit is the One proceeding from the Father and the Son.” What makes the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit distinct is how they relate to one another.

The New Testament provides the revelation of God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, but those relationships exist in eternity and not just in the biblical narrative. If we assume God’s actions in history created those relationships of Son and Spirit, we fall into the heresy of Arianism.

If the Son and Spirit are not eternal, they are not God and their actions for salvation will not have the same effect. The Father is the Father to the Son eternally, the Son is the Begotten of the Father eternally, and the Spirit is the Procession from them both eternally.

Paragraph (d) further emphasizes the distinction and unity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. They are not the same in person. Recognizing their relationships with one another helps preserve the distinctiveness of each Person. If we strip away those relational distinctions, we commit the heresy of modalism.

At the same time, there is no opposition between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. They understand, speak, and act in perfect harmony. They are united in their relationship and fellowship.

The Trinity works cooperatively in all
the work of God, including creation, redemption and revelation.

The Trinity works cooperatively in all the work of God, including creation, redemption and revelation. The Son and the Spirit were with the Father during the act of creation (Genesis 1:2; John 1:3; Colossians 1:16–17). The Father sent the Son for our salvation (John 3:16), while the Father and Son sent the Spirit to guide us to the truth of the gospel and empower us for mission (John 16:13; Acts 1:8).

The Son is the revelation of God the Father (John 14:9). The Holy Spirit is the agent of revelation in the conception of Jesus, the inspiration of Scripture, and the giving of prophecy (Luke 1:35; 2 Peter 1:21).

The Lord Jesus

There is something unique in the work of the Persons of the godhead. Only the Son became incarnate, which is why the title “Lord Jesus Christ” belongs exclusively to Him.

Paragraphs (e) through (j) explain Christ’s incarnation which, along with Fundamental Truth No. 3, provide our statement on the deity of Jesus (a topic for another article).

Suffice it to say that we do not need Jesus to be the entire Trinity to honor Him as God, nor do we need to reduce the Trinity to Jesus to be monotheistic. Jesus is not the Father or the Holy Spirit, but Jesus is the one true God, as is the Father and the Holy Spirit.

Why It Matters

Our witness, discipleship, and worship are deeply connected to our understanding and proclamation of the triune God. Following are three reasons to emphasize this teaching:

1. For the sake of the gospel. Considering the difficult questions the topic raises, it can be tempting to avoid teaching on the Trinity. However, it is healthy for ministers to admit they know only what Scripture reveals. Showing humility concerning the things of God edifies the entire congregation.

The gospel depends on all three members of the Trinity for meaning. The story of Jesus includes His conception and birth, baptism and ministry, death and resurrection, ascension and return. The Spirit plays a role in each of these events.

Without the Father, we could not make sense of Christ’s coming, calling, ascension or returning. The Father sent Jesus to reconcile the world to himself (2 Corinthians 5:19).

As ministers of the gospel, we cannot avoid the doctrine of the Trinity. To understand the revelation of God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is to know the depths of God’s love for a world in need. And to fully understand this love of God is to experience transformation (Ephesians 3:14–19).

2. For the love of believers. If God exists eternally as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in perfect unity, then He also exists throughout eternity in loving relationship. In other words, God is love (1 John 4:8).

The gospel reveals the love of a triune God for the world through the sacrifice of Jesus (John 3:16; 1 John 4:10) and the love of God before the creation of the world through the revelation of the Trinity (John 15:9–13).

We are called to reflect the love of God in our relationships. Jesus told His disciples He loved them as the Father loved Him. He then called on the disciples to love one another in the same way.

Laying down one’s life exemplifies the love Jesus had for His disciples, and the love His disciples must have for one another. Such love overcomes and outlasts all things. If we can share in God’s eternal love, we can share in God’s eternal life. This is the promise of the gospel.

Our churches should be communities of the triune God, with each member working cooperatively as God works in unity (1 Corinthians 12:4–6). People in any community will disagree, but disagreement is not the same as strife.

The gospel depends
on all three members
of the Trinity for meaning.

Believers must understand that discord, gossip, slander, and other forms of selfish behavior (2 Corinthians 12:20) testify against us as communities God has called to proclaim His love. A community that does not reflect love cannot be a witness to the God who loves throughout all eternity.

Pastors must reflect the love of God through leadership that is not overbearing, manipulative, or self-centered.

Some pastors lead out of their insecurity, trying to exert a level of control that does not allow other team members to grow in their giftings. Some pastors lead using the wrong models, trying to guide congregants through manipulative tactics learned from secular environments where God’s love was not a concern.

Still others lead out of arrogance. They build community around their charisma and create implicit hierarchies, giving some people insider status and excluding others.

Pastoral leadership should communicate the love of God through service and the sharing of spiritual gifts.

The two greatest commandments are to love God with our whole being and to love our neighbor as if they were us (Luke 10:27). The love of God is at the heart of our worship, and love for neighbors is the focus of our ethics. In the doctrine of the Trinity, worship and ethics come together as we represent the loving God we revere.

Belief in the Trinity leads us to a deeper understanding of love as those who proclaim the gospel, serve our community, and worship God.

3. For the glory of God. Belief in the triune God shapes our worship because God is the subject, object, focus, center, and substance of it. When we worship together, we worship God together.

It is right and proper to honor the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in our worship and prayers with the glory that belongs to God alone, and in acknowledgement of God’s gracious giving of himself to us.

Much of Pentecostal worship in the past has been directed at Jesus to the exclusion of the Father. Much of the emphasis of the Church’s worship historically has been focused on the Father and the Son to the exclusion of the Holy Spirit. The doctrine of the Trinity can help us keep our worship of God in line with our conviction about God.

One of the more confusing parts of Fundamental Truth No. 2 is the phrase “The Adorable Godhead.” An example of how language changes over time, today the word “adorable” most often applies to children, puppies, dolls or those to whom we would condescend. It makes little sense in a statement about God. When this was written, however, “adorable” was perfectly appropriate as a term to describe the highest worship. The One who is adorable is the One whom we adore.

The doctrine of the Trinity teaches us to adore God as the Father who sent His only Son and Holy Spirit, as the Son who reconciles us to the Father, and as the Holy Spirit who glorifies the Son.

When we understand, even in a small measure, the meaning of the Trinity as God in the gospel, we can only marvel, praise, and adore God both for who He is and what He has done. To God be the glory!

This article appears in the Winter 2023 issue of Influence magazine.