What Does “Triune God” Mean?

“Triune God” is the Christian confession that God is one being who exists eternally as three distinct persons: the Father, the Son (Jesus Christ), and the Holy Spirit. The specific word Trinity isn’t in the Bible, but the teaching arises from Scripture. We struggle with this because in human experience “one” usually means a single person, not three. Christians therefore say: one essence, three persons—co-equal, co-eternal, sharing all the attributes of deity.

The approach in this article

  1. Scripture teaches God is one (monotheism) and uniquely divine.

  2. Scripture shows Father, Son, and Spirit each possessing the identical divine attributes.

  3. Therefore, there is one God who is triune—three persons, one God.

1) The Bible Teaches There Is One God

Old Testament: Deut 6:4; Isa 43:10; 44:6; 46:9
New Testament: Jas 2:19; 1 Tim 2:5; 1 Cor 8:4; Eph 4:4–6

God’s Unique Divine Nature (sample attributes)

  • Omnipresence (present everywhere): Ps 139:7–10; Jer 23:23–24

  • Omniscience (knows all): Ps 139:1–4; 147:4–5; Heb 4:13; 1 Jn 3:20

  • Omnipotence (all-powerful): Ps 139:13–18; Jer 32:17; Matt 19:26

2) The Father Is God

The OT’s covenant name Yahweh corresponds to the NT’s Father; Scripture applies deity to the Father and presents Him personally. See Ps 89:26; 68:5; 103:13; Prov 3:12. In the NT, His personhood is explicit (Mk 14:36; 1 Cor 8:6; Gal 1:1; Phil 2:11; 1 Pet 1:2; 2 Pet 1:17). He is Father over creation (Acts 17:24–29), Israel (Rom 9:4; cf. Exod 4:22), the Lord Jesus Christ (Matt 3:17), and all believers (Gal 3:26).

3) The Son (Jesus Christ) Is God

Scripture ascribes to Jesus the attributes and works that belong only to God, and accords Him divine honours.

Divine attributes

  • Omnipresence: Matt 18:20; 28:20

  • Omniscience: Matt 12:25; John 4:29; 16:30; 21:17; Matt 24:24–25

  • Omnipotence: Creator and sustainer (John 1:3; Col 1:16); authority over death (John 5:25–29; 6:39), nature (Mk 4:41; Matt 21:19), demons (Mk 5:11–15), and disease (Luke 4:38–41)

Divine honours & works

  • Eternal pre-existence: John 1:1–2

  • Receives worship: Matt 14:33

  • Forgives sins: Matt 9:2

  • Sinless: John 8:46

A note on the Incarnation (kenosis)

When the eternal Son became flesh, He didn’t cease to be God. As Dan Story summarises:
“Jesus did not give up any of His divine attributes. Rather, He gave up His divine glory (see John 17:5) and voluntarily chose to withhold or restrain the full use of His divine attributes.” (cf. Phil 2:5–8)
If Jesus had surrendered deity, He could not perfectly reveal the Father (John 14:7, 9).

4) The Holy Spirit Is God

Scripture presents the Spirit as fully divine and personally active.

  • Omnipresence: Ps 139:7–10

  • Omniscience: 1 Cor 2:10–11

  • Omnipotence: Luke 1:35; Job 33:4

  • Divine works: Present at creation (Gen 1:2; Ps 104:30), inspires Scripture (2 Pet 1:21), gives life/raises the dead(Rom 8:11)

  • Called “God”: Acts 5:3–4

The Triune Conclusion

Major premise: Only God is omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent.
Minor premise: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit each possess these divine attributes.
Conclusion: Therefore, God is Triune—one God in three persons.

This is not a logical contradiction (one what, three whos). It’s a revealed mystery: unity of essence, distinction of persons.

Why the Trinity Matters

  • Reveals God’s eternal love: The Father loves the Son; the Spirit glorifies the Son (John 17; 16:14).

  • Safeguards the gospel: Only if Jesus is truly God can His saving work be sufficient.

  • Shapes Christian life: We pray to the Father, through the Son, in the Spirit; the church images unity-in-diversity.

Quick Answers (FAQ)

Is the word “Trinity” in the Bible?
No. The term is later shorthand. The reality is biblical: one God, three persons.

How can God be one and three?
Christians aren’t saying one person and three persons (that would contradict). We confess one being/essence, three persons.

Why question Jesus’ deity more than the Spirit’s?
Historically many debates centre on Jesus (incarnation, atonement). Scripture, however, honours both the Son and the Spirit as fully divine.