# Does the Trinity mean three gods?

Document: study/god

One God, eternally Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Topic: faith
Keywords: Trinity, foundation, persons, being

## Starting answer

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No. There is one God in three distinct persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Each person is fully God; they are not three gods, parts of God or successive disguises. This is the God revealed in Scripture, whom Christians worship.

Basis: Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 28:19; [Westminster Assembly · OPC text — 2.3](https://opc.org/wcf.html)

## Reasoning 1

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Israel confesses the one Lord; Christian faith does not abandon that confession.

Basis: Deuteronomy 6:4; 1 Corinthians 8:4-6

## Reasoning 2

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The Word is with God and is God; the Father and Son are distinct without the Son being a creature.

Basis: John 1:1-3

## Reasoning 3

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Jesus names Father, Son and Holy Spirit together in the one baptismal name.

Basis: Matthew 28:18-20

## Conclusion

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One divine being and three persons are different affirmations, not a claim that God is both one person and three persons.

Basis: [Westminster Assembly · OPC text — 2.3](https://opc.org/wcf.html); [Historic Christian confession · Church of England text — Confession of Father, Son and Holy Spirit](https://www.churchofengland.org/faith-life/what-we-believe/nicene-creed)

## Read the passages together

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John's Word becomes flesh. At Jesus' baptism the Son is present, the Spirit descends and the Father speaks. These scenes rule out treating Father, Son and Spirit as one person simply changing roles.

Basis: John 1:14; Matthew 3:16-17

## The Trinity and our salvation

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Our access is through Christ, in one Spirit, to the Father. The doctrine belongs to the gospel and our life of prayer. An illustration such as water changing state cannot replace the distinctions Scripture actually gives.

Basis: Ephesians 2:18; [Westminster Assembly · OPC text — 2.3](https://opc.org/wcf.html)

## Objection

Isn't the Trinity a contradiction?

## Reply

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It would be contradictory to affirm one and three in the same respect. The confession distinguishes being from person. That clarification answers the numerical objection; Scripture is our reason for affirming the doctrine.

Basis: [Westminster Assembly · OPC text — 2.3](https://opc.org/wcf.html); John 1:1

## Scope and limits

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We know what God reveals without comprehending God exhaustively. Mystery does not permit us to replace his revelation with a different god.

Basis: Romans 11:33-36; Deuteronomy 29:29

## Conversation starter · editorial application

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When you hear Trinity, do you hear three gods, or the Christian confession of one God in three persons?

Basis: 1 Peter 3:15-16

## Read in Scripture

- Deuteronomy 6:4-5: The Lord is one
- Matthew 28:18-20: Father, Son and Holy Spirit
- John 1:1-3: The Word and God

Related studies: jesus, islam-trinity, why-anything

## Sources and their limits

### The Nicene Creed [creed]

Historic Christian confession · Church of England text · Historic Christian witness

[Read source](https://www.churchofengland.org/faith-life/what-we-believe/nicene-creed)

A historic confession of Christian belief. It identifies the doctrine being defended; it is not independent historical evidence for every claim.

### Westminster Confession of Faith [wcf]

Westminster Assembly · OPC text · Reformed confession

[Read source](https://opc.org/wcf.html)

Our subordinate doctrinal standard for these guides. Citations specify chapter and paragraph. Scripture judges the confession itself (1.10); the confession does not replace Scripture.

## Connected documents

- [editorial/library](editorial-library.md)
- [source/creed](source-creed.md)
- [source/wcf](source-wcf.md)
- [study/islam-trinity](study-islam-trinity.md)
- [study/jesus](study-jesus.md)
- [study/why-anything](study-why-anything.md)
- [topic/faith](topic-faith.md)