How do the Persons of the Trinity relate to one another?
The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are one God in three Persons, and the Bible shows them relating to one another in love and in distinct roles. They are not three gods and not three parts of one being: they are one God, and each Person is fully God. Their relationship is not an abstract theory; it is the shape of our salvation, because the Father sends, the Son redeems, and the Spirit applies.
This question arose from studying What is the Trinity? and Can we really understand the Trinity?.
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What the Scripture says
One God in three Persons, with one name
Baptism is into 'the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit': one name, and yet the Father, Son, and Spirit are each named. Paul's benediction commends 'the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit,' and Israel's oldest confession declares that 'Yahweh is one.' The Persons are distinct, but the God is one: three Persons sharing one divine being and one name.
Go,and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all. Amen.The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen. The second epistle to the Corinthians was written from Philippi, a city of Macedonia, by Titus and Lucas.
Hear, Israel: Yahweh is our God. Yahweh is one.Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord:
yet to us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and we live through him.But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.
The Father sends; the Son comes; the Spirit brings us in
When the fullness of time came, 'God sent out his Son,' and because we are children, 'God sent out the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.' Jesus promised that the Father would send the Helper 'in my name,' and that the Spirit of truth 'proceeds from the Father' and testifies about Him. The roles differ because the Persons differ, yet each is fully God at work in our salvation.
But when the fullness of the time came, God sent out his Son, born to a woman, born under the law, that he might redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of children. And because you are children, God sent out the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, “Abba, Father!”But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and will remind you of all that I said to you.But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
“When the Counselorhas come, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will testify about me.But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:
I will pray to the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, that he may be with you forever,—And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
They know, love, and glorify one another
At the Jordan the Father said, 'This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,' and Jesus prayed that His disciples would see His glory, 'for you loved me before the foundation of the world.' The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand; the Son loves the Father and does what He commands; the Spirit takes what belongs to Christ and declares it to us. The life of God is not lonely; it is a relationship of eternal love.
Behold, a voice out of the heavens said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
Father, I desire that they also whom you have given me be with me where I am, that they may see my glory, which you have given me, for you loved me before the foundation of the world.Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.
The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into his hand.The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand.
But that the world may know that I love the Father, and as the Father commanded me, even so I do. Arise, let us go from here.But that the world may know that I love the Father; and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go hence.
He will glorify me, for he will take from what is mine, and will declare it to you.He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
They work together in our salvation
Paul blesses the church with 'the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit,' and Peter describes believers chosen by the foreknowledge of God the Father, sanctified by the Spirit, and sprinkled with the blood of Jesus Christ. Titus says we were saved by mercy through 'the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly, through Jesus Christ our Savior,' and Paul adds that we were sealed with 'the Holy Spirit of promise,' the pledge of our inheritance. Every Person is at work in every stage of our salvation.
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all. Amen.The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen. The second epistle to the Corinthians was written from Philippi, a city of Macedonia, by Titus and Lucas.
according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, that you may obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with his blood: Grace to you and peace be multiplied.Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.
But when the kindness of God our Savior and his love toward mankind appeared, not by works of righteousness, which we did ourselves, but according to his mercy, he saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly, through Jesus Christ our Savior;But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;
in whom you also, having heard the word of the truth, the Good News of your salvation—in whom, having also believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is a pledge of our inheritance, to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of his glory.In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
Now he who establishes us with you in Christ, and anointed us, is God; who also sealed us, and gave us the down payment of the Spirit in our hearts.Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.
Different roles do not mean unequal worth
When Jesus told the disciples, 'the Father is greater than I,' He was not denying His deity; He was speaking of His sending and His incarnate obedience. Paul can say that the head of Christ is God, and yet also that all the fullness of God dwells in Christ bodily. The ordering is the pattern of love: the Son submits to the Father and the Spirit serves both, not because they are less, but because love has a shape. The truest greatness in God is the loving order of three Persons who are one.
You heard how I told you, ‘I go away, and I come to you.’ If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I said ‘I am going to my Father;’ for the Father is greater than I.Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I.
But I would have you know that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is the man, and the head of Christ is God.But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.
For in him all the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily,For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
who, existing in the form of God, didn’t consider equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men.Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
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Who is God the Father?→God the Father trail“Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you such a long time, and do you not know me, Philip? He who has seen me has seen the Father. How do you say, ‘Show us the Father?’Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?”We haven't written this one yet. Take it to your church or small group: the Word answers it wherever it is asked. If we study it here later, all the better.
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Verses to meditate on
Go,and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all. Amen.The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen. The second epistle to the Corinthians was written from Philippi, a city of Macedonia, by Titus and Lucas.
But when the fullness of the time came, God sent out his Son, born to a woman, born under the law, that he might redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of children. And because you are children, God sent out the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, “Abba, Father!”But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
Father, I desire that they also whom you have given me be with me where I am, that they may see my glory, which you have given me, for you loved me before the foundation of the world.Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.
in whom you also, having heard the word of the truth, the Good News of your salvation—in whom, having also believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is a pledge of our inheritance, to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of his glory.In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
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