For many Christians, the Trinity is at the very heart of faith: one God in three Persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. At the same time, the word “Trinity” does not appear in the Bible, and its detailed formulas were written long after Jesus.
This page does not mock or belittle this belief. It simply asks: What did Jesus himself teach about God, and how did Christian theology arrive at the doctrine we know today?
How Jesus Spoke About God
In the Gospels, Jesus consistently points beyond himself to God:
- He prays to God.
- He calls God “my Father” and “your Father”.
- He worships and submits to the One he calls God.
- He affirms the central Jewish confession of one God.
When asked about the most important commandment, he quotes: “The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart…”.
His language is deeply God-centred and monotheistic, rooted in the faith of the prophets before him.
New Testament Language About Jesus
The New Testament also uses exalted language about Jesus: Son of God, Messiah, Lord, the Word. Some passages speak about him in ways that go beyond a mere human teacher.
Christians have wrestled for centuries with how to hold together:
- The strict monotheism that Jesus affirmed.
- The high honour and titles given to Jesus in certain passages.
The doctrine of the Trinity grew out of attempts to express this mystery without denying either side.
How the Trinity Doctrine Developed
Historically, it took centuries for the Church to formally define the doctrine of the Trinity. Early debates and councils wrestled over questions such as:
- Is the Son equal to the Father or created by Him?
- How should Christians speak about the Holy Spirit?
- What language best protects belief in one God while honouring Jesus?
The famous creeds that many churches still recite today were written long after the time of Jesus and the original disciples.
Christian Scholars on Trinity Language
Many Christian scholars note that:
- The exact technical terms of the creeds (“one substance, three persons”, etc.) are not used in the Bible itself.
- The word “Trinity” does not appear in either the Old or New Testament.
- Belief in the Trinity became a boundary marker for orthodoxy only after long debates and disagreements.
A Sincere Question for the Conscience
If Jesus consistently directed worship to the One he called “my God and your God”, and if the detailed doctrine of the Trinity emerged later through councils and philosophical language, then a gentle question arises:
Are we worshipping God the way Jesus worshipped Him — or according to formulas that developed after him?
This question does not require anyone to abandon their faith overnight. It simply invites honest comparison between the original message and the later system.
The next chapter looks at another important area: not what we believe, but how confident we can be that the original message has been preserved in our hands today.