TRINITY TUESDAY

A recent LifeWay survey of Christian theological knowledge reported distressing news: Christians, including Evangelicals, are theologically confused about the doctrine of the Trinity

For example, 69% of the respondents in LifeWay’s survey either strongly agree or somewhat agree with the doctrine of the Trinity, there is one God in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Yet, more than half went on to indicate that Jesus is “the first and greatest being created by God”. Please note the contradiction

There are two kinds of persons: creator and created. You cannot be both. For example, God created the heavens and the earth. (Genesis 1:1) He is the Creator. In contrast, Adam was created by God from the dust of the earth. (Genesis 1:26) Adam was a creation. He was not the Creator.

Jesus is God and, therefore, Creator. He was not created. This is the testimony of Scripture. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made.” (John 1:1-3) For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities – all things were created through him and for him. “ (Colossians 1:16)

The Council of Nicea is famous for dealing with this issue in 325 A. D. The Council met to deal with this very issue, in response to the teaching of a man named Arius. Arius was a priest in Alexandria, Egypt. He believed that Jesus was not eternal, but created by the Father from nothing. He wrote that “there was a time when the Son was not”. His concept of the Trinity became known as Arianism. The Council rejected Arius’ teaching and affirmed the deity of Jesus.

The doctrine of the Trinity is difficult to understand. I do not believe we can understand it completely. But it is vital that we do not lose the doctrine taught in the Bible that Jesus is God, the second member of the Godhead, eternal and not created.