The Trinity in the Word of God
By Rev. Jack Cascione

 

The revelation of the Trinity is through the Word of God. There are numerous verses that proclaim that the Word of God is spoken by each Person of the Trinity or by the one divine Being, the Lord God Almighty. No verse of the Bible expresses this more clearly than 1 John 5:7 "For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one." Nearly all translations and many fine scholars identify the above passage as a later insertion into the text. However, whether it was inserted or not, the following passages demonstrate that the thought expressed in 1 John 5:7 is correct.

The following are four lists of Bible passages about the Word, Truth, Testimony, or Witness of the Lord divided according to the one divine Being or each Person in the Trinity, Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost. The Word, Truth, Testimony, or Witness of God are assumed to be one and the same. According to 1 John 5:7 it is not always possible to make a clear determination if the Word of God is the Word of the one divine Being or the Word of any one of the three divine Persons identified as God rather than by His Trinitarian identity. Therefore, if you have Scriptural insight as to why a particular verse in one column should be in another, you may be correct. This list is far from complete. It is merely an attempt to show that such distinctions regarding the Word of God have been revealed to us in Holy Scripture, distinctions that we all know but don’t always emphasize.

The Words of the Trinity may be easily identified with one of the Persons of the Trinity, or it may be impossible to make such a determination. Hence, the Word of the Trinity clearly reflects the character of God Himself. Please take note of the similarity of terms and phrases for each Person of the Trinity such as "word of...," "truth of...," "testimony of...," "witness of...," and others.

 

Truth of God

Lord God Almighty God the Father God the Son God the Holy Ghost
Isa 65:16 ...shall bless himself in the God of truth;...

Psa 31:5 ...thou hast redeemed me, O Lord God of truth.

Deu 32:4a God of truth and without iniquity, ...

Psa 57:3... God shall send forth his mercy and his truth.

Rom 1:25 Who changed the truth of God....

Rom 2:2 But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth...

Rom 3:7 For if the truth of God...

Rom 15:8 ...for the truth of God, ...

John 4:23 ... true worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.

John 17: 5 And now, O Father...,

17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

John 8:28 Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am [he], and [that] I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.

2John 1:4 I rejoiced greatly that I found of thy children walking in truth, as we have received a commandment from the Father.

John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

John 1:17 For the law was given by Moses, [but] grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

Rom 9:1 I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost,

2Co 11:10 As the truth of Christ is in me, no man shall stop me of this boasting in the regions of Achaia.

John 18:37 ...To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.

John 14:17 [Even] the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive,...

John 15:26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, the Spirit of truth,...

John 4:24 God [is] a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship [him] in Spirit and in truth.

John 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come,

1Peter 1:22... purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit...:

1John 4:6 ...Hereby know we the Spirit of truth, and the Spirit of error.

1John 5:6 ...And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.

Word of God

Lord God Almighty God the Father God the Son God the Holy Ghost
1Sa 9:27,... but stand thou still a while, that I may shew thee the word of God.

Pro 30:5 Every word of God [is] pure:...

Psa 33:4 For the word of the Lord [is] right; and all his works [are done] in truth.

Isa 40:8 ... but the word of our God shall stand for ever.

Luke 3:2 ...the word of God came unto John...

Luke 4:4 ...That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.

Johh 10:35 If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken;

Heb 4:12 For the word of God [is] quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword,...

2Peter 3:5 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old,

John 17: 5 And now, O Father...,17:8 For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me;

John 14:10 ...the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.

Act 10:36 The word which [God] sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ:

2Co 2:17 For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.

Rev 1:2 Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ,

Rev 1:9 ...for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Rev 6:9 ...slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:

Rev 20:4 ...beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God,...

Mat 26:75 And Peter remembered the word of Jesus,.

John 2:22... and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said.

John 8:31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, [then] are ye my disciples indeed;

John 14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words:....

Act 19:10... so that all they which dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.

Col 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly ....

1Tim 6:3 If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, [even] the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to Godliness;

2Tim 1:13 Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

Rev. 19:13 And he [was] clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.

2Sa 23:2 The Spirit of the Lord spake by me, and his word [was] in my tongue.

Pro 1:23 I will pour out my Spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.

Isa 59:21 As for me, this [is] my covenant with them, saith the Lord; My Spirit that [is] upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth...,

Hag 2:5 [According to] the word that I covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt, so my Spirit remaineth among you: .

Zec 4:6 Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This [is] the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.

Zec 7:12 ... and the words which the Lord of hosts hath sent in his Spirit by the former prophets:...

John 6:63 It is the Spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, [they] are Spirit, and [they] are life.

Act 4:31 ...and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.

Witness/Testimony

Lord God Almighty God the Father God the Son God the Holy Ghost
Exo 31:18 ...two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God.

Psa 19:7 The law of the Lord [is] perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord [is] sure, making wise the simple.

1Co 2:1 And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.

John 5:36 But I have greater witness than [that] of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me.

John 5:37 And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. ...

John 8:18 I am one that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me.

John 5:39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.

John 8:18 I am one that bear witness of myself, ...

1Co 1:6 Even as the testimony of Christ ...

2Ti 1:8 Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord,...

Rev 1:2, Rev. 1:9, Rev 12:17, Rev 19:10 and of the testimony of Jesus Christ,

Rev 20:4 ...beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God,....

John 15:26 But when the Comforter is come, ...which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:

Eph 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

1John 5:6 ...And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.

1John 5:8 And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood:...

Rev 19:10 ...for the testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of prophecy.

 


Rev. Jack Cascione is pastor of Redeemer Lutheran Church (LCMS - MI) in St. Clair Shores, Michigan. He has written numerous articles for Christian News and is the author of Reclaiming the Gospel in the LCMS: How to Keep Your Congregation Lutheran. He has also written a study on the Book of Revelation called In Search of the Biblical Order.
He can be reached by email at pastorcascione@juno.com.

June 12, 1999