TOPIC 02 OF 47
The Triune God
One God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, united in eternal love.
THE MAIN TRUTH
There is only one true and living God.
Watch this topic
Infographic
Explore the Christian confession of the Triune God in this visual overview. Select the image to open it at full size.
The teaching
From the book · pages 4–6
There is only one true and living God. God is invisible, holy, eternal, infinite, and unchanging. He is all-powerful. God is perfect and one in his attributes of knowledge and wisdom, goodness and justice, love and grace.
In Jesus, his incarnate Word, God reveals himself to be one God eternally existing as three persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. These three persons, united as one God, are each fully God. God is a Unity in Trinity and a Trinity in Unity. God is love, and by nature he is the perfect communion of love. The Father loves his eternal, only-begotten Son, and the Son loves the Father in the love of the Spirit, who proceeds from the Father through the Son. They are equal in power, glory, and essence. To deny or ignore one person is to deny them all.
The Triune God alone created us, redeemed us, and makes us holy—dedicated to him. God the Father’s eternal purpose is to make us his family of sons and daughters, united to his Son, Jesus, as his bride and body, and to join us together as the temple of the Holy Spirit, so that we may see and share in God’s glory.
Scripture foundations
All Scripture excerpts from this topic are presented below in the book’s order. Ellipses and bracketed explanations follow the manuscript. Select a reference to read the surrounding passage in the EHV.
Reading these passages together
Read the passages together: they confess one God while distinguishing Father, Son, and Spirit. God’s saving work invites us to trust the Triune God rather than solve him as a puzzle.
14 Scripture excerpt groups
SCRIPTURE 03
Isaiah 40:28; Psalm 147:5; Malachi 3:6; Revelation 15:4 ↗
“The Lord is the eternal God.” “Great is our Lord and mighty in power. To his understanding there is no limit.” “Certainly, I, the Lord, do not change.” “You alone are holy!”
Book page 5
SCRIPTURE 04
1 Timothy 6:13, 15-16 ↗
“. . . God, who gives life to all things . . . the blessed and only ruler . . . who alone has immortality, who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or is able to see. To him be honor and power forever!”
Book page 5
SCRIPTURE 05
Matthew 3:16-17 ↗
“After Jesus was baptized, he immediately went up out of the water. Suddenly, the heavens were opened for him! He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and landing on him, and a voice out of the heavens said, ‘This is my Son, whom I love. I am well pleased with him.’”
Book page 5
SCRIPTURE 06
Matthew 28:19 ↗
“Therefore go and gather disciples from all nations by baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit . . .”
Book page 5
SCRIPTURE 07
John 5:23; 10:30 ↗
[Jesus:] “Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him.” “I and the Father are one.”
Book page 5
SCRIPTURE 08
1 John 4:8-9,13 ↗
“. . . God is love. This is how God’s love for us was revealed: God has sent his only-begotten Son into the world so that we may live through him . . . This is how we know that we remain in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit.”
Book page 6
SCRIPTURE 09
John 3:34-35; 14:31 ↗
“In fact, the one whom God has sent speaks God’s words, for God gives the Spirit without measure. The Father loves the Son and has put everything in his hands.” [Jesus:] “. . . I love the Father. . .”
Book page 6
SCRIPTURE 10
Acts 2:33 ↗
“. . . [Jesus] received the promised Holy Spirit from the Father. . .”
Book page 6
SCRIPTURE 11
Ephesians 4:4-6 ↗
“. . . one Spirit . . . one Lord . . . one God and Father of all.”
Book page 6
SCRIPTURE 12
2 Corinthians 13:14 ↗
“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”
Book page 6
SCRIPTURE 13
Ephesians 1:17-18 ↗
“I keep praying that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, will give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in knowing Christ fully . . . that you may know the hope . . . how rich the glorious inheritance …”
Book page 6
SCRIPTURE 14
Ephesians 1:5; 2:16, 21; 3:11; 5:31-32 ↗
“. . . adopted as his sons. . .” “. . .in one body . . . a holy temple in the Lord. . .” “. . . the eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord . . .” “. . . and the two will be one flesh. This is a great mystery, but I am talking about Christ and the church.”
Book page 6
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture passages are from the Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version (EHV), copyright 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission, as noted in the manuscript.
SMALL GROUP BIBLE STUDY
45-Minute Study Guide: The Triune God
A printable study that weaves the doctrinal statement together with all of its supporting Scripture passages, plus opening discussion, application questions, and prayers.
Download the Complete Bible Study (PDF)PERSONAL REFLECTION OR GROUP DISCUSSION
Reflect and pray
How do Jesus’ Baptism and the baptismal command reveal the Trinity?
What do these passages show about the full divinity of the Son and the Spirit?
How does belonging to the Triune God shape your prayer and worship?
A prayer
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we praise you, the one true God. Keep us in your name and draw us deeper into the love you have revealed in Jesus. Amen.