My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

One of the most important doctrines that directly affect salvation is the knowledge of Christ, and the church has had debates and disputes about the deity of Christ but the results from each argument has resulted in the same result: the doctrine of the trinity. In this series of posts, I will attempt to explain how we arrived at this doctrine from a simplified systematic theology approach.

For starters, let’s define the definition of the Trinity. The Trinity is the doctrine that summarizes the teaching of Christology in three statements:

1. God is three persons.
2. Each person is fully God.
3. There is one God.

We should notice that the doctrine of the Trinity is revealed progressively through Scriptures. We can observe from the beginning of the Bible:

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. ~ Gen 1:1 (ESV)

This is the first of many statements on Christ’s character in the Bible exhibiting monotheism, meaning the attribute of God being one God (mono – one, theo – God). The following excerpts of Scripture from the Old Testament also affirm the claims of our God the only God and there is no other God.

To you it was shown, that you might know that the Lord is God; there is no other besides him. ~ Deut. 4:35 (ESV)

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. ~ Deut. 6:4 (ESV)

I am the Lord, and there is no other, besides me there is no God; I equip you, though you do not know me, that people may know, from the rising of the sun and from the west, that there is none besides me; I am the Lord, and there is no other. I form light and create darkness, I make well-being and create calamity, I am the Lord, who does all these things. ~ Isaiah 45:5-7 (ESV)

remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, ~ Isaiah 46:9 (ESV)

Other than these, there are other pieces of Scripture such as the obvious Ten Commandments. What then does the New Testament have to say about God’s monotheistic character?

since God is one—who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. ~ Romans 3:30 (ESV)

You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! ~ James 2:19 (ESV)

Yes! The New Testament claims God as having monotheistic attributes.

Now that we agree that the Bible teaches about a monotheistic God, here is the major question that affects the most about salvation: Is Jesus God?

Stay tuned for the next blog post on The Doctrine of the Trinity: Is Jesus God?