Tuesday, June 5, 2007
Matthew 28:19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
TRIUNE GOD NOT FOUND IN THE OLD TESTAMENT?
Some people have claimed that the teaching of the Trinity evolved throughout the centuries as the Christian church grew and changed. They say that the concept of a Three-in-one God simply isn't found in the Old Testament. And while it may be true that the Trinity is revealed in greatest detail in the New Testament of the Bible, the Triune God has revealed Himself as three-in-one from the very beginning. The first two verses of the Bible say:
"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters" (Genesis 1:1-2 NKJV).
The Triune nature of God is even evident in the way that God speaks in Genesis. Before creating Adam out of dust, God says to Himself:
"Let Us make man in Our image" (Genesis 1:26 NKJV).
Soon after the account of mankind being created and then falling into sin we find prophecies of a Savior who would rescue the people from their sins. A Savior clearly described as human, yet also God (Psalm 2, Daniel 7:13-14). The prophet Isaiah wrote:
"For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God . . ." (Isaiah 9:6 NKJV).
The teaching of the Trinity is found in the Old Testament. All you have to do is read without preconceived ideas.
The teaching of the Trinity is important because through this description of Himself, God distinguishes Himself from all other gods. A religion that does not accept God's Son, does not know God the Father (1 John 2:23). Any god who is not three-in-one is simply not the living and active God who reveals Himself in the pages of the Bible.
