After the resurrection of Jesus, He appeared to the disciples, saying, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you. And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit’” (John 20:21-22). Fifty days later, on Pentecost (Shavuot), Jesus told His disciples: “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8). Notice the Holy Spirit came in two forms: first in peace—the fruit of the Spirit. And then in power—the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
The Persons of The Trinity
In the Old Testament, there are plural names and pronouns for God. For example, the names Elohim and Adonai or plural. Some scholars claim this plurality relates to “a plurality of majesty.” However, in Genesis, we read: “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness” (Genesis 1:26). Notice the plural pronouns. Others are found in Genesis 3:22 and 11:7. In Isaiah, we read: “I heard the voice of the Lord [Adonai], saying: Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” (Isaiah 6:8). This verse acknowledges the oneness and unity of God, but also incorporates God’s plurality, inferring plurality in unity.
Understanding The Trinity
Christian theology takes on a definite form and system of study, creating the basis for exploring religious doctrines and matters of divinity, specifically the relationship of God with His creation. Theology comes from two Greek words: theos, meaning “God,” and logos, meaning “discourse” or “reason.” Therefore, theology is the discourse or reasoning about God, His existence, nature, names, attributes, works, and His biblical truth. One of the more challenging areas of theological study is that of God’s triune nature—the Trinity.