Torrey's Topical Textbook

"Concerning God, His Being, The Trinity"

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Matthew Henry Commentary -
Easton's Bible Dictionary - Nave's Topical Bible - Torrey's Topical Textbook

Concerning God, His Being, The Trinity

  • I. Concerning God.
  • A. His Being.
  • 2. The Trinity.
  • By the Trinity is meant the unity of three persons in one Godhead; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Representing God as one, the Scriptures also ascribe divinity to Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
    Course of the Argument
  • a. God is one. Unity is ascribed to God.
  • b. The Father is divine: a distinct person.
  • c. The Son is divine: a distinct person.
  • d. The Holy Spirit is divine: a distinct person.
  • e. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are classed
  • together, separately from all other beings.

  • a. God is one. (See passages cited under Attributes, Unity. )
  • b. The Father is divine and a distinct person. The Word "Father" is used in the Scriptures in a two-fold sense in relation to the Godhead: sometimes as equivalent to God, sometimes to the first person of the Trinity.
  • 1. Passages where "Father" is used as equivalent to God, not implying personal distinctions.
  • De 32:6; 2Sa 7:14; 1Ch 29:10; Ps 89:26; Isa 63:16; Jer 3:19; Mal 2:10; Mt 6:9; Mr 11:25; Lu 12:30; Joh 4:21, 23,24; 2Co 6:18; Php 4:20; Jas 1:17; 1Jo 2:15,16
  • 2. Passages applied to God in contrast with Christ, denoting a special relation to Christ as Son, in His office of Redeemer.
  • Ps 2:1-11; Mt 11:27; 25:34; Mr 8:38; Joh 5:18-23, 14:36;26,27; Joh 10:15,30; 17:1; Ac 2:33; Ro 15:6; 1Co 8:6; 15:24; 2Co 11:31; Ga 1:1-4; Eph 1:2,3; 4:5,6; Php 1:2; 1Th 3:11,13; 2Th 2:16; 1Ti 1:2; 2Ti 1:2; Tit 1:4; Phm 1:3; 1Pe 1:2,3; 2Pe 1:17; 1Jo 1:3; 1Jo 4:14; Jude 1:1; Re 3:21
  • c. The Son divine, a distinct person from the Father.
  • 1. Christ pre-existent. Existed as a distinct person before He came into the world.
  • Mic 5:2; Joh 8:56-58; 17:5; 1Co 15:47; Php 2:6,7; Col 1:17; 1Jo 1:1; Re 22:13,16 together)
  • 2. Not merely pre-existent, but pre-eminent, above all things except the Father, co-eternal with the Father.
  • Mt 11:27; 28:18; Lu 20:41-44; Joh 3:13,31; Ac 10:36; Ro 14:9; Eph 1:20-22; Col 1:15, Php 2:9,10; 17,18; Heb 1:4-6; 1Pe 3:22; Re 1:5; 3:14
  • 3. Creator of the universe.
  • Joh 1:3; Col 1:16; Heb 1:2,10
  • 4. Divine attributes ascribed to Him
  • a. Omnipotence.
  • Isa 9:6; Mt 28:18; Joh 10:17,18; 11:25; 1Co 1:24; Php 3:21; Col 2:10; 2Ti 1:10; Heb 1:3; Re 1:8
  • b. Omnipresence.
  • Mt 18:20; 28:20; Eph 1:23
  • c. Eternity.
  • Mic 5:2; Joh 1:1; Re 1:8
  • d. Omniscience.
  • Mt 11:27; Lu 10:22; Joh 2:24,25; 21:17; Ac 1:24; Col 2:3; Re 2:23
  • 5. The divine name is applied to Him as to no other being except the Father, implying supreme divinity.
  • Ps 102:24,25; Heb 1:8-10; Isa 7:14; 9:6; Mal 3:1; Mt 1:23; Joh 1:1; 20:28; Ac 20:28; Ro 9:5; Eph 5:5; Php 2:6; Col 2:9; Tit 1:3; 2:13; Heb 1:8-10; Ps 102:24,25; 2Pe 1:1; 1Jo 5:20; Re 17:14; 19:16
  • 6. Exhibited in the Scriptures as the object of religious worship.
  • Mt 2:11; 14:33; 15:25; Lu 24:52; Joh 5:23; Ac 7:59,60; 1Co 1:2; 2Co 12:8,9; Ga 1:5; Php 2:10; 1Th 3:11,12; 2Ti 4:18; Heb 1:6; Ps 97:7; 2Pe 3:18; Re 5:13
  • d. The Holy Spirit is divine and a distinct person from the Father and the Son.
  • 1. The Holy Spirit is divine.
  • Called the Spirit of the Father, the Spirit of the Son, the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth, the Spirit of life.
  • Ge 1:2; 6:3; Ne 9:30; Isa 63:10; Eze 36:27,28; Ac 2:16,17; Joe 2:28; Mt 10:20; Lu 12:12; Joh 14:16,17; 15:26; Ac 5:3,4; 28:25; Ro 8:14; 1Co 3:16; Ga 4:6; Eph 1:13; 1Th 4:8; Heb 2:4; 1Pe 1:2
  • 2. Is distinct from Father and Son, and is personal.
  • The personal pronoun _He_ applied to Him; personal acts ascribed to Him.
  • Mt 3:16,17; 28:19; Mr 1:10,11; Lu 3:21,22; Joh 14:26; 15:26; 16:13; Ac 13:2,4; 15:28; Ro 8:26; 1Co 12:11
  • 3. Converting, regenerating power ascribed to Him.
  • Ne 9:20; Isa 44:3; Eze 36:26,27; 37:14; Joe 2:28; Mt 3:11; Joh 3:5,6; 14:26; Ac 9:31; Ro 8:9, 11,14; 1Co 6:11; 2Co 1:22; 5:5; Ga 4:6; 5:22; Eph 1:13; 3:16; 1Th 1:6; 2Th 2:13; Tit 3:5; 1Pe 1:2; 1Jo 3:24; Re 22:17
  • e. The Father, Son, and Spirit are classed together, separately from all other beings, as divine.
  • Mt 28:19; Ro 8:9,14-17; 2Co 13:14; 1Pe 1:2; Jude 1:20,21
  • Result of the Biblical evidence in respect to the divinity of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

  • 1. That the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are personally distinguished from each other. There is recognized throughout a personal relation of the Father and Son to each other. So of the Holy Spirit to both.
  • 2. They each have divine names and attributes.
  • 3. Yet there is only one God.

  • - H. B. Smith