by Dave Root, VividChristianity.com, last modified on 07/19/2024.

As you read this section, keep in mind that the New Testament is not merely a history book, it's meant to change us to become more and more like Jesus. When we read any passages in the New Testament, our goal should be to discern what God wants us to believe and do so that we can be obedient to Him.


The doctrine of the Trinity essentially says that there is one God who eternally exists in three divine Persons: God the Father (frequently referred to as "God" in the New Testament, and sometimes as "the Lord God"), Jesus Christ (frequently referred to as "the Lord," and sometimes as "the Son of God"), and the Holy Spirit (frequently referred to as "the Spirit," and sometimes as "God's Spirit," "the Spirit of Christ," "the Spirit of truth," or similar terms).

In these New Testament passages, notice that there is only one God:

[Jesus is speaking:] "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" (Matthew 28:19)
[The word "name" is in the singular here, so Bible commentaries tend to point out that this indicates that God is one, with one name, in three Persons (even if they also have individual names as in Revelation 14:1). For example, on the StudyLight.org page for Matthew 28:19 , click the Greek word ὄνομα to see that it's the Greek word for "name," then hover over that Greek word and notice in the Lexical Parser that it's a singular noun.]

"One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?" "The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.'"" (Mark 12:28-29)

[Jesus is speaking:] "My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. I and the Father are one." (John 10:29-30)

[Jesus is speaking:] "what about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, 'I am God's Son'? Do not believe me unless I do the works of my Father. But if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father." (John 10:36-38)

"Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him." Philip said, "Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us." Jesus answered: "Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves."" (John 14:6-11)

[Jesus is speaking:] "On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you." (John 14:20)

[Jesus is speaking:] "All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one." (John 17:10-11)

[Jesus is speaking:] "My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one - I in them and you in me - so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me." (John 17:20-23)

"since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith." (Romans 3:30)

"So then, about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that "An idol is nothing at all in the world" and that "There is no God but one."" (1 Corinthians 8:4)

"A mediator, however, implies more than one party; but God is one." (Galatians 3:20)

"For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus" (1 Timothy 2:5)

"You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that - and shudder." (James 2:19)

The above passages show that there is only one God. In these New Testament passages, notice that the Father is God, Jesus is God, and the Holy Spirit is God:

"Paul, an apostle (not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead), and all the brethren who are with me, To the churches of Galatia: Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father" (Galatians 1:1-4)

"I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better." (Ephesians 1:17)

"elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace be multiplied." (1 Peter 1:2)

"Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of Christ, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen." (Romans 9:5)

"while we wait for the blessed hope - the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ" (Titus 2:13)
["Of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ (tou megalou theou kai soteros Iesou Christou). This is the necessary meaning of the one article with theou and soteros just as in 2Pe 1:1, 2Pe 1:11." (Robertson's Word Pictures in the New Testament, Titus 2:13)]

"But about the Son he says, "Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever, and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom."" (Hebrews 1:8)

"Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours" (2 Peter 1:1)
["The grammar here clearly indicates that "God and Savior" are one Person, not two (i.e., there is one Gr. article with two substantives). This passage ranks with the great Christological passages of the New Testament which plainly teach that Jesus Christ is coequal in nature with God the Father (cf. Mat 16:16; Joh 1:1; Joh 20:28; Tit 2:13)." (The Bible Knowledge Commentary, Walvoord and Zuck, Dallas Theological Seminary, 2 Peter 1:1)]

"Then Peter said, "Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? Didn't it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn't the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied just to human beings but to God."" (Acts 5:3-4)

"How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!" (Hebrews 9:14)

As we have seen, the New Testament clearly shows that there is only one God, and it clearly shows that the Father is God, Jesus is God, and the Holy Spirit is God. When Jesus told us to baptize people in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19, above), He showed that He and the Holy Spirit and the Father are all on the same level, all co-equal (but with different roles as we'll see).

In these passages, notice that we see all three Persons in the Trinity being distinguished from each other:

"As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased."" (Matthew 3:16-17)

[Jesus is speaking:] "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" (Matthew 28:19)

"In the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you." Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob's descendants forever; his kingdom will never end." "How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?" The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God."" (Luke 1:26-35)

[Jesus is speaking:] "For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit. The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on them." (John 3:34-36)

[Jesus is speaking:] "But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. You heard me say, 'I am going away and I am coming back to you.' If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I." (John 14:26-28)

[Jesus is speaking:] "When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father - the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father - he will testify about me." (John 15:26)

[Jesus is speaking:] "But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you." (John 16:13-15)

"On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit."" (Acts 1:4-5)

"God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it. Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear." (Acts 2:32-33)

"how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him." (Acts 10:38)

"You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you." (Romans 8:9-11)

"The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs - heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory." (Romans 8:15-17)

"May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all." (2 Corinthians 13:14)

"But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "Abba, Father."" (Galatians 4:4-6)

"I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better." (Ephesians 1:17)

"But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ...For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit." (Ephesians 2:13-18)

"There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all." (Ephesians 4:4-6)

"For it is we who are the circumcision, we who serve God by his Spirit, who boast in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh" (Philippians 3:3)

"How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!" (Hebrews 9:14)

"who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance." (1 Peter 1:2)

"For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit." (1 Peter 3:18)

"No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God." (1 John 4:12-15)

"Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well...Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. This is the one who came by water and blood - Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. For there are three that testify: the Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement. We accept human testimony, but God's testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son. Whoever believes in the Son of God accepts this testimony. Whoever does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because they have not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life." (1 John 5:1-12)

The above passages are examples in which God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are distinguished from each other. They are three separate divine Persons, and yet in some way they are one God. This does not simply mean that they are in one accord or that they are one in purpose because Jesus said that the Father is in Him and He is in the Father (John 10:36-38, 14:6-13, 20, 17:20-24, above), which indicates that they are part of each other in some way. They are three Persons who are spiritually one, one in essence, one God.

In the above passages, notice that the Holy Spirit is shown to be a Person, a Being, just as the Father and the Son are. He is not some kind of force such as electricity. In John 16:13-15 (above), for example, the Holy Spirit guides people into the truth, speaks what He hears, tells people what is yet to come, and receives information from Jesus and makes it known to people. These are the behaviors of a person, not of a force or energy. In Acts 5:3-4 (above), two people lied to the Holy Spirit, but notice that people can't lie to electricity or any other force. Only a living being can realistically be lied to.

What we've seen is that there is one God who exists in three divine Persons, and there are no other divine Persons. They are three separate, individual Persons who can interact with each other, but we know that they're not three separate Gods based on the numerous passages we looked at which say that there is only one God. They're also not three separate pieces or parts of one God, because that would mean that each is only one-third God. Instead, we've seen that each one is referred to as God all by Himself (my article called Cheat Sheet #26 shows that the Holy Spirit is not female or God the Mother).

How can one God exist in three divine Persons? Online you'll find different illustrations that people have suggested, but none of them really fit the Trinity:

• Water can exist as a liquid, a solid (ice), and a gas (steam), so it's one substance that can exist in three different states.
• One egg has three parts: the shell, the egg white, and the yolk.
• One man can be a father, a son, and a husband, all at the same time.
• A pretzel is one piece of dough with three separate holes.
• A shamrock is one plant with three leaflets.
• Space consists of three attributes: length, width, and height.
• Time consists of three divisions: past, present, and future.

Illustrations such as these can't really describe or explain how three completely separate and individual Persons who can interact with each other can all be one God. Another idea is to imagine a global pandemic that kills everyone on earth except for a father and his son. One of them could be called human the father and the other could be called human the son. They are completely separate and individual persons, yet they are both human, and there are no other humans. Perhaps this comes close to being a useful illustration, but it falls short because the father and son are two humans, not one.

Some people argue against the concept of the Trinity by saying that 1+1+1=3 (three Gods), and others reply by saying that 1x1x1=1 (one God). But these are not scriptural arguments; they don't mean anything.

In some of the above passages, and in many other passages, we can see that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit have different roles. But we're told that each is God, and therefore each is worthy of praise, worship, and obedience. There's only one God, so where one is, they all are; when we pray to one, we're praying to them all. It's not necessary to pray to each one separately; it's not necessary to praise and worship each one separately.

Sometimes people say that anyone who denies the Trinity is not actually a Christian, but this is completely unscriptural. Jesus said that if we disown or deny Him before people then He will disown or deny us before the Father (Matthew 10:32-33), but the New Testament never says that we must believe in the Trinity in order to be a Christian. For the full New Testament teaching on how to become a Christian by receiving salvation, see my article called How to Receive Salvation.

We've seen that Jesus is the Son of God, but the Bible doesn't say that He was always God's Son. Notice what these passages say:

[Jesus is speaking:] "And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began." (John 17:5)

"In the beginning was the Word [Jesus], and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind...The Word [Jesus] became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." (John 1:1-14)

"In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death - even death on a cross!" (Philippians 2:5-8)

"In the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you." Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob's descendants forever; his kingdom will never end." "How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?" The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God."" (Luke 1:26-35)

[Jesus is speaking:] "the Father is greater than I" (John 14:28)

In John 17:5 (above), Jesus referred to the glory that He had with the Father before the world began. John 1:1-14 (above) says that Jesus (the Word) was with God and was God from the beginning, and that everything was made through Him (showing that He is God). Jesus was with God and was God from before the world began, which tells us that He has always been a divine Person who is separate and distinct from God the Father, but we're never told that in His divine nature He was God's Son before the world began. Philippians 2:5-8 (above) says that in His very nature He is God and equal with God, then it says that He voluntarily lowered Himself by becoming human. In Luke 1:26-35 (above), the angel Gabriel told a virgin named Mary that she will conceive and bear a son whom she was to name Jesus, and He will be called (future tense) the Son of the Most High, the Son of God. One more piece of information to keep in mind is that Jesus has two natures, a divine nature and a human nature, so He is 100% God and 100% human, both at the same time (see my article called Understanding Jesus - Part Three).

Putting all of this together, in Jesus' divine nature He existed with God and was God (and still is God) from before the world began, but His divine nature has never been the Son of God. It's only in His human nature that He's the Son of God. To emphasize this fact, Jesus' favorite title for Himself was "Son of Man," which is used 82 times throughout the Gospels in the NIV ("Son of Man" is clearly associated with Jesus as Lord, as in Matthew 9:6, 12:8, John 3:13, 13:31). John 1:1-14 (above) says that Jesus is "the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." Jesus came from the Father as His Son when the Father conceived Him in Mary's womb. The Father has never conceived another child, either before or since, so Jesus is the unique, one of a kind, only begotten, Son of God. When Jesus referred to God as "Father" in John 17:5 (above) and anywhere else, He was speaking from the perspective of His human nature. Similarly, when He said that "the Father is greater than I" in John 14:28 (above), He was speaking from the perspective of His human nature. Remember, we saw a moment ago that Jesus has two natures, a divine nature and a human nature, so He is 100% God and 100% human, both at the same time.

Some people believe that God the Father is eternally begetting the Son, meaning that the Son is being begotten or generated from the Father's divine nature from all eternity. They say that the Son wasn't generated after the Father, making Him less than God the Father, but rather that the Son is eternally being generated from the Father. According to their argument, in order to be a son, one must be begotten or generated from a father, which is what distinguishes a son from his father. Then they rightly say that Jesus (referred to as the Word) was always with God and always has been God (John 1:1-3), so His divine existence didn't have a beginning, so the Father was never apart from the Word, and the Word is the Son who became flesh (John 1:14). They are scripturally correct in making those statements as we've seen. But then they extrapolate beyond those statements by saying that therefore the Son has no specific point of generation or being begotten, and therefore He is eternally the Son, eternally generated, begotten from eternity. They freely admit that there are absolutely no passages anywhere in the Bible which say that the Son is eternally generated from the Father, but they say that this concept is "assumed" and "presupposed" in passages that talk about the Son and the Father, especially in the apostle John's writings. For example, they tend to point to John 10:36 (below), saying that it makes clear the connection between being begotten and being sent, because they believe that when the Son speaks of being "from" the Father or "sent from" the Father, He's implying that He's from the Father from all eternity. Therefore, they say, being "sanctified" (in the passage below) must be from all eternity (because being "sent" from the Father implies from all eternity, they believe), and therefore, they say, the highlighted part of this passage implies that the Son is being eternally generated (eternally begotten) by the Father:

"[Jesus is speaking:] ""I and My Father are one." Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him. Jesus answered them, "Many good works I have shown you from My Father. For which of those works do you stone Me?" The Jews answered Him, saying, "For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God." Jesus answered them, "Is it not written in your law, 'I said, "you are gods"'? If He called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken), do you say of Him whom the Father sanctified [hagiazo] and sent [apostello] into the world, 'You are blaspheming,' because I said, 'I am the Son of God'?"" (John 10:30-36 NKJV)

In the above passage, notice that nothing is said about the Son being eternally generated from the Father, and nowhere in the entire Bible does it ever say that the Son is being eternally generated from the Father. In fact, when Jesus prayed to the Father concerning the apostles, notice that He used the exact same Greek words in reference to the apostles that He used in reference to Himself in the above passage:

[Jesus is praying to the Father about the apostles] "They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify [hagiazo] them by Your truth. Your word is truth. As You sent [apostello] Me into the world, I also have sent [apostello] them into the world." (John 17:16-18 NKJV)

So Jesus said the exact same things about the apostles that He had earlier said about Himself, and He said that He had sent the apostles into the world just as He Himself had been sent into the world. There is no implication of being "eternally generated" or "eternally begotten" concerning the apostles (John 17:16-18, above), just as there is no implication of being "eternally generated" or "eternally begotten" concerning Jesus (John 10:30-36, above).

Another issue is that Jesus is sometimes referred to as "the firstborn":

"For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters." (Romans 8:29)

"The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross." (Colossians 1:15-20)

"The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs. For to which of the angels did God ever say, "You are my Son; today I have become your Father"? Or again, "I will be his Father, and he will be my Son"? And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says, "Let all God's angels worship him."" (Hebrews 1:3-6)

"But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect" (Hebrews 12:22-23)

"John, To the seven churches in the province of Asia: Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood" (Revelation 1:4-5)

God the Father and Jesus are eternal, immortal, spirits (e.g., John 4:24, 1 Corinthians 15:45, 2 Corinthians 3:17, 1 Timothy 1:17), and by definition, so is the Holy Spirit. Being eternal and immortal, none of their divine natures or spirits were ever created or born. (In Colossians 1:15-20, above, notice that all things were created in and through and for Jesus, and He is before all things, so He cannot be a created thing Himself.) Yet Jesus is called the "firstborn" in the above passages. Since His divine spirit was never created or born, being the "firstborn" refers to His human nature (from His birth on earth as a human baby).

Romans 8:29 (above) says that Jesus is the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. He was the firstborn because no one could be adopted into God's family until after He was born, suffered, died, and was resurrected. When we receive salvation, we are adopted into God's family as His children and as co-heirs with Christ (Romans 8:14-17, 29, Galatians 4:4-7, Ephesians 1:4-5, Hebrews 2:11), which is why Jesus has many brothers and sisters. In Colossians 1:15-20 (above) and Revelation 1:4-5 (above), we see that Jesus is the firstborn from among the dead. Jesus never sinned, so He was never dead in His sins as everyone else is. Instead, He died to sin (purchasing our salvation) and was resurrected to life, and when we have proper faith in Him then we are united with Him in His death and resurrection (see my article called Understanding Jesus - Part Two). Therefore, He was the first to die to sin and be resurrected into a glorified body, making Him the firstborn from the dead. We've seen that Jesus' divine spirit is eternal and immortal and was not God's Son. Therefore, when Hebrews 1:3-6 (above) refers to God bringing His firstborn into the world, this describes Jesus being born as a human baby, making Him God's firstborn Son. In Hebrews 12:22-24 (above), "the church of the firstborn" simply means "the church of Jesus."

In Colossians 1:15-20 (above), we're told that Jesus is the firstborn over (or "of") all creation, but this doesn't mean that He is a created Being as we've seen. Throughout the Bible, the word "firstborn" often refers to the first child born in a family, but it can also have the meaning of first in rank because the firstborn son typically received greater blessings and privileges than the other children. In some cases, the firstborn was appointed (as in Psalm 89:18-27), and sometimes one son was the firstborn in time but the second son was the firstborn in rank, receiving the blessings and privileges that were due to the firstborn (the clearest example is 1 Chronicles 5:1-2, but also see Genesis 17:18-21, 27:1-41, and 48:1-20). Therefore, Bible commentaries tend to point out that in Colossians 1:15-20 (above), Jesus is the firstborn over (or "of") all creation because He is the first in rank, having supremacy over all things as Colossians 1:15-20 (above) specifically says.

Throughout the Bible, the word "day" doesn't always refer to a specific 24-hour period (see my article called The Rapture of the Church - Part Five), and the same is true for the word "today." The context is important in determining what period of time is being referred to. In Hebrews 1:3-6 (above), notice that God said "You are my Son; today I have become your Father" and "I will be his Father, and he will be my Son" (future tense). These are quotes from the Old Testament that the author of Hebrews (under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit) was using in reference to Jesus, and he also used the first quote in reference to Jesus in Hebrews 5:5, and Paul used it in reference to Jesus in Acts 13:32-37. Those statements are the opposite of the "eternally generated" or "eternally begotten" view (which says that Jesus has been the Son for all eternity) because they show that there was a time before Jesus was the Son. So in context, they are statements of a specific point in time. As we've seen, Jesus' divine nature has never been the Son of God; it's only in His human nature that He's the Son of God. He became God's Son by being conceived in Mary's womb by the Holy Spirit as we saw, but this didn't guarantee that He would receive the blessings of the firstborn based on the examples we saw a moment ago. When He completed His mission on earth by remaining sinless and then taking on sin and dying on the cross, God appointed Him as the firstborn in rank (receiving the firstborn's rights, privileges, and blessings). God then demonstrated that Jesus is the firstborn Son of God by raising Him from the dead in glory. We know this because when Paul quoted the second Psalm ("today I have become your father") in Acts 13:32-37, it was in the context of God raising Jesus from the dead, which Paul mentioned three times in that short passage. In addition, Paul specifically said that Jesus "was appointed the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead" (Romans 1:1-4). So the fact that Jesus is the firstborn Son of God who was raised from the dead in glory shows, yet again, that Jesus is only the Son in His human nature after being conceived by God in Mary's womb. He has never been the Son in His divine nature.

The concept of the Trinity has been debated for centuries or millennia (partly because the Bible never uses the word "Trinity"), but the simple fact is that our tiny, fallible brains will probably never be able to comprehend the truth, the vastness, of who God is. If we could comprehend all things about Him, He wouldn't be a very big God.