Karen Engle
Understanding the Trinity—one God in three persons (Father, Son, and Spirit)—takes us into deep theological waters, where the simplest math fails us: 1 + 1 + 1 = 1.
Even though the word “Trinity” never appears in the Bible, God reveals himself throughout Scripture as one being (Deut 6:4, John 10:30) in three persons (Gen 1:2; Matt 3:16–17, 1 Pet 1:2). While we can’t find answers to every question about the Trinity, we can grow in our love for God by searching Scripture to discover how he reveals himself to us.
Here are 17 verses about the Trinity, organized by topic:
- The Trinity exists in 3 persons
- Each person of the Trinity is God
- There is only one God
But first, here’s a tip: you can find verses on nearly any Bible-related topic in the Logos Bible app.
The Trinity exists in 3 persons
1. Isaiah 48:16
“Draw near to me, hear this: from the beginning I have not spoken in secret, from the time it came to be I have been there.” And now the Lord God has sent me, and his Spirit.*
2. Matthew 3:16–17
And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
3. Matthew 28:19
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Each of these 3 persons is God
The Father is God
4. John 6:27
Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.
5. Romans 1:7
To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
6. 1 Peter 1:1–2
To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you.
The Son is God
7. John 1:14
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
8. Romans 9:5
To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.
9. Colossians 2:9
For in him [Jesus] the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily.
10. Hebrews 1:8
But of the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom.
11. 1 John 5:20
And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.
The Holy Spirit is God
12. Acts 5:3-4
But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land? While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to man but to God.”
13. 1 Corinthians 3:16
Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?
There is only one God
14. Isaiah 44:6
Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: “I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god.”
15. Isaiah 45:5–6
I am the LORD, and there is no other, besides me there is no God; I equip you, though you do not know me, that people may know, from the rising of the sun and from the west, that there is none besides me; I am the Lord, and there is no other.
16. Galatians 3:20
Now an intermediary implies more than one, but God is one.
17. 1 Timothy 2:5
For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.
*In Isaiah 48:16, the Son is speaking but references the Father and the Holy Spirit.
Resources for further study
Making Sense of the Trinity: Three Crucial Questions (Three Crucial Questions)
Regular price: $15.99
Mobile Ed: TH361 Perspectives on the Trinity: Eternal Generation and Subordination in Tension (4 hour course)
Regular price: $149.99
God of All Comfort: A Trinitarian Response to the Horrors of This World
Regular price: $21.99
Austin Surls
Timothy Miller
Kirk Miller
Leave a comment