There are about 153,000 members of the UUA (UUA Membership Statistics, 1961-2020, uua.org). The top three states by number are: (1) California; (2) New York; (3) Texas (Demographic and Statistical Information, uua.org).
History
The UUA was formed in 1961 when the Unitarian Church and the Universalist Church merged. Let’s consider each.
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1. Unitarian Church
Unitarianism is a belief in one God which rejects the trinity. They believe that Jesus was strictly human and not deity (Frank S. Mead and Samuel S. Hill, Handbook of Denominations, p. 232). The “Holy Spirit” is understood to be used two ways in scripture. One is another name for the one God. Another refers to God’s nature which He gives man (What is the Holy Spirit? biblicalunitarianism.com). Unitarian beliefs are found in early Christianity. However, the origin of the Unitarian Church seems to be found in Protestant Reformation and later. (a) It has a European connection. “The movement spread from the independent thinkers and Anabaptist in Switzerland, Hungary, Transylvania, Holland, Poland, and Italy to England. There it found champions in such leaders as Newton, Locke, and Milton, but no attempt was made to organize the movement until the late eighteenth century” (Mead, p. 231). (b) It has an American connection. “American Unitarianism, however, developed independently, when members of the liberal wing of the Congregational Church in eastern Massachusetts, who asked that they not be required to subscribe to a creed, were branded as Unitarian.” (ibid).
The first organized church to turn Unitarian as a body was the Episcopal King’s Chapel in Boston in 1785 (ibid). A split occurred within Congregationalism in the nineteenth century. The American Unitarian Association was formed in 1825. It was a missionary society and publishing society. A national conference was established in 1865 (ibid).
2. Universalist Church
A Universalist is one who believes universal salvation. “American Universalism has its direct origin in the work of George de Benneville… John Murray… and Hosea Ballou” (Mead, p. 233). (a) George de Benneville (1703-1793) was a physician and Universalist preacher in Europe and in America, preaching in Pennsylvania and New Jersey (George de Benneville, uudb.org). He believed that the fire of hell would purify and lead to universal salvation (The Universalists: George de Benneville, reddit.com). (b) John Murray (1741-1815). He was once a Calvinist Methodist. He did some preaching in Ireland and England. He was sent to bring back a young woman who had come under the influence of James Relly, a Welsh Methodist preacher who was teaching Universalism. Murray, himself, was converted to Universalism (John Murray, uudb.org). He moved to America. His Independent Christian Church of Gloucester (Massachusetts) became organized in 1779 (Mead, p. 233). (c) Hosea Ballou (1791-1852). He was a schoolteacher and a Universalist preacher in Vermont. He too started out as a Calvinist but became convinced that Romans 5:18 taught Universalism. He published, “A Treatise on Atonement” in 1805. He also began to publish a weekly, The Universalist Magazine, in 1819. These works greatly influenced Universalists. He wrote against capital punishment and slavery (Hosea Ballou, uudb.org).
Authority
1. Sacred Texts
“While Unitarianism and Universalism both have roots in the Protestant Christian tradition, where the Bible is the sacred text, we now look to additional sources for religious and moral inspiration… we celebrate the spiritual insights of the world’s religions, recognizing wisdom in many scriptures” (Sacred Texts in Unitarian Universalism, uua.org). They do not view the Bible as inerrant (Unitarian Universalist Views of the Bible, uua.org).
2. Six Sources:
(1) Direct experience of that transcending mystery and wonder affirmed in all cultures, which moves us to a renewal of the spirit and an openness to the forces which create and uphold life;
(2) Words and deed of prophetic people which challenge us to confront powers and structures of evil with justice, compassion, and the transforming power of love;
(3) Wisdom from the world’s religions which inspire us in our ethical and spiritual life;
(4) Jewish and Christian teachings which call us to respond to God’s love by loving our neighbors as ourselves;
(5) Humanist teachings which counsel us to heed the guidance of reason and the results of science and warn us against idolatries of the mind and spirit.
(6) Spiritual teachings of Earth-centered traditions which celebrate the sacred circle of life and instruct us to live in harmony with the rhythms of nature (Sources of Our Living Tradition, uua.org).
Beliefs and Practices
1. Seven Principles
(1) The inherent worth and dignity of every person;
(2) Justice, equity and compassion in human relations;
(3) Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations;
(4) A free and responsible search for truth and meaning;
(5) The right of conscience and the use of the demographic process within our congregations and in
society at large;
(6) The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all;
(7) Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part
(The Seven Principles,uua.org)
2. Jesus’ Role
They do not believe that Jesus died to save us from the wrath of God (God is viewed as too loving to be wrathful against man). Instead, Jesus is our Savior in the sense he showed us how to live (Hosea, Ballou, A Treatise on Atonement, archive.org; Tony Larsen, The Problem with Atonement, uufdc.org). Jesus lived to call us to our better selves rather than dying to save us from our fallen selves. They believe that it was Paul who changed Jesus’ role to saving man from the wrath of God (Steve Edington, Atonement and Forgiveness, fculittle.org).
3. Diverse and Inclusive
“Our beliefs are diverse and inclusive… Unitarian Universalists believe more than one thing. We think for ourselves, and reflect together about important questions” (Beliefs & Practices, uua.org).
“People with atheist and agnostic beliefs find a supportive community in our congregations… since the early 20th century, Humanism has been an influential part of our continually evolving religious traditions. Many Unitarian Universalists who are Atheist or Agnostic also identify as Humanists” (Atheist and Agnostic Unitarian Universalist, uua.org).
Organization
“Each UU congregation is autonomous” (About the Unitarian Universalist Association, uua.org). However, they do have a headquarters in Boston, Massachusetts (Headquarters of the Unitarian Universalist Association, uua.org).
Bryan Hodge 
With so many denominations and religions, how can I decide which are true and which are false?
It is certainly understandable that even a very earnest and sincere seeker after truth would be confused over the religious situation today, with hundreds of denominations, sects, and cults in Christendom alone, as well as hundreds more in other countries and cultures, and with new religious movements arising almost every day. Nevertheless, God has provided adequate instruction for us to enable us to “know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error” (I John 4:6) if we really want to do so.
There are three criteria which are especially helpful in evaluating a particular cult or movement: the teachings of its leaders concerning the Bible, concerning Christ, and concerning the way of salvation, respectively.
1. Attitude toward the Bible
The Bible claims, many hundreds of time, to be the written Word of God. The Old Testament Scriptures were accepted by Christ and the apostles as divinely inspired and completely infallible. Jesus said: “The scriptures cannot be broken” (John 10:35). With respect to the New Testament, He promised His apostles that “the Holy Ghost shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you” (John 14:26), and that “the Spirit of truth will guide you into all truth” (John 16:13).
Therefore, during the first century, the apostles who had been with Christ, had witnessed His resurrection and had received these promises, gradually wrote down the Gospels and Epistles which now comprise the New Testament. These were readily received and recognized by the early Christians as inspired Scriptures. The apostles claimed that these writings were divinely inspired and authoritative, and true Christians have always accepted them as such.
Finally, the last of the apostles, John the Beloved, near the end of the first century, was enabled to look prophetically into the future ages and to write down the last of the true Scriptures, the book of Revelation. This completed God’s written words,
“For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life” (Revelation 22:18, 19).
These last words of Christ’s apostles give us a most important rule. The Scriptures are fully inspired, even to the very words, and those who would add to them or take away from them are, to the extent they do so, false teachers.
In general, cultists have been guilty of “adding to” the Scriptures, claiming either that the writings of their own founders were divinely inspired or that the interpretations of their leaders were uniquely necessary and authoritative. Modernists and liberals, on the other hand, have been guilty of the even more serious error of “taking away from” Scripture, culling out or allegorizing those portions which they decide are unscientific or unreasonable to modern man. The true teacher, however, will accept all the Scriptures, and only the Scriptures, as the infallible Word of God.
2. Attitude toward Christ
A true Christian teacher will gladly accept and proclaim Jesus Christ as He is, true God and true man.
“Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is the antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son” (I John 2:22).
“For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist” (II John 7).
“There shall be false teachers among you, who privately shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought [that is, ‘redeemed’] them” (II Peter 2:1).
Error concerning the person of Christ can take either the form of the ancient Gnostic heresy, which denied His true humanity, or that of the modern Agnostic heresy, which denies His true deity. The latter considers Him to be a great man and great religious teacher and leader, but rejects His virgin birth, His sinless life, His substitutionary atonement, and His bodily resurrection and ascension. Any cult or denomination or religious movement which does not clearly and forcefully proclaim the Lord Jesus Christ both as the perfect Son of man and the only begotten Son of God, “the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty” (Revelation 1:8), is false, and should be rejected.
3. Attitude toward Salvation
The gospel of Christ is “the power of God unto salvation, to everyone that believeth” (Romans 1:16). The word “gospel” means “good news,” not “good advice.” It does not tell us what we must do and not do in order to earn salvation, but rather what Christ has done to provide salvation as a free gift. “For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God; Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8,9).
Every other religion under the sun, whether pseudo-Christian or non-Christian, panders to man’s pride by teaching him there is something he can do to earn, or to help in earning, his own salvation. Only true Biblical Christianity recognizes man as he really is, utterly lost in sin, destined for eternal separation from God. The gospel, “by which you are saved,” is the glorious news that “Christ died for our sin” (I Corinthians 15:1,3), and that we can be saved by grace, through personal faith in Christ, plus nothing else whatever! Any religion which teaches otherwise is, to that extent, false. Paul said,
“If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that you have received, let him be accursed” (Galatians 1:9).
One who is truly saved by God’s grace in Christ will, of course, then seek to follow Christ and His Word in all things, not to earn salvation, but in love and gratitude for His glorious gift of cleansing and everlasting life.
You have some good thoughts. Denominationalism is contrary to God’s plan. I am anti-denominations. Things are very confusing today. However, I do believe that it is possible to be just a Christian, and to find the church which belongs to Christ. You are correct. We cannot earn or merit salvation. It is a gift from God. When looking for the church, I would add two things to what you have said. (1) Does this church teach and practice the proper plan of salvation? One cannot be a part of Christ church without being added to it. He adds to it the saved (Acts 2:41; 2:47; 1 Corinthians 12:13). (2) Once the first point has been determined and the church is determined, I ask: Is this church conducting itself properly? e.g. Does it publicly worship correctly? How can I join in with them in worship if they do not? (John 4:24). May God be with you!
Positive Defense of the Christian Perspective
A. The Trustworthiness of the New Testament
2. Good arguments can be given that each of the Gospels was either written by an eyewitness, or significantly influenced by firsthand testimony, as recognized by many contemporary scholars.
3. Even without proving eyewitness authorship, the Gospels measure up well by normal historical standards used in ancient historiography.
4. The Gospel are trustworthy sources, as explained by A.M. Hunter
a. These Christian authors, like their Jewish counterparts, were careful to preserve traditional material.
b. The Gospels are close to eyewitness sources.
c. The Gospel authors were honest reporters.
d. The picture of Jesus presented in the four Gospels is virtually the same (see Archibald M. Hunter, Bible and Gospel, pp. 32-37).
5. The Gospels and Acts exhibit a specific interest in reporting historical facts, not mythology. This is especially the case when the life of Jesus is reported.
6. Contemporary historians frequently opposed the application of radical criticism to New Testament studies. According to A.N. Sherwin-White and Michael Grant, such attacks fail at a number of crucial points (see A.N. Sherman-White, Roman Society, pp. 186-193; Grant, Jesus: An Historian Review, pp. 179-184, 199-201).
a. Numerous ancient works exhibit intentions and methodologies similar to that of the New Testament authors, and yet these ancient works are well accredited as historical works.
b. There are no ancient writings in the category that radical critics place the Gospels.
c. New Testament books such as Acts have been largely confirmed by external test of historicity.
7. The Gospel and Acts were recognized as inspired books almost immediately after being written (see J.B. Lightfoot, The Apostolic Fathers).
a. 1 Timothy 5:18 quotes Luke 10:7 and refers to it as “Scripture.”
b. Clement of Rome (about AD 95) speaks of the “Gospel” and quotes portions found in all three synoptic Gospels, referring to them as the words of Jesus (Corinthians 13,46).
c. Ignatius (Smyrnaeans 3) and Polycarp (Philippians 2, 7), both writing about AD 115, refer to verses in the synoptic Gospels as the words of Christ.
8. Paul’s epistles were also recognized as inspired Scripture almost immediately after being written.
a. 2 Peter 3:15-16 calls Paul’s epistles “Scripture.”
b. Clement of Roman (Corinthians 47), Ignatius (Ephesians 10; to Polycarp 5), and Polycarp (Philippians 1,3-4, 6) all refer to Paul’s writings as inspired.
B. The Historicity of Jesus
1. The trustworthy Gospels (A above) exhibit much interest in the historical Jesus and give accurate accounts of his life, death, and resurrection.
2. Numerous pre- and extra biblical sources record much ancient testimony concerning Jesus within 125 years after his death.
a. Early Christian creeds that pre-date the New Testament, as well as the historical facts that virtually all critical scholars admit, provide an extremely strong case for the death and resurrection of Jesus.
b. Archaeology contributes a few finds that illuminate and provide background for Jesus’ career, such as the crucifixion victims investigated by archaeologist Vasilius Tzaferis, “Jewish Tombs At and Near Giv’at ha- Mivtar,” Israel Exploration Journal 20 (1970), pp. 38-59.
Also the Shroud of Turin (Historically proclaimed to be the actual burial garment of Jesus). See Ian Wilson, The Shroud of Turin (New York: Doubleday, 1978, also see John Heller, Report on the Shroud of Turin (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1983), especially chapters 12-14.
4. To reject Jesus’ miracles a priori is to ignore correct inductive procedure where all the facts are investigated before a decision is made.
5. To reject Jesus’ doctrinal teachings a priori as valid for today is to pick and choose portions of the Gospels. Further, If Jesus was raised from the dead, there is, at a minimum, some implied significance for Jesus’ teachings, as well.
6. Without a significant historical basis in the life of Jesus, Christianity would have had no impetus for its origins.
7. Jesus died on the cross, as indicated by several facts.
a. The nature of crucifixion, including the discovery of Yohanan’s skeleton, reveals both the nature and assurance of death by this method.
b. The explanation of Jesus’ heart wound indicates that it would have killed him even if he had been alive.
c. The death of Jesus is the most recorded event in ancient, non-Christian history.
d. The trustworthy Gospels give accurate accounts of Jesus’ death.
8. After his death, Jesus was raised bodily and appeared to his followers.
a. Naturalistic hypothesis that have sought to explain in normal terms the supernatural element of Jesus’ resurrection have failed to do so, chiefly because they are refuted by the known historical data. Several other reasons also indicate this failure.
b. There are numerous positive evidences for the resurrection that indicate that Jesus rose from the dead and appeared to many of those who followed him.
c. A case for the resurrection can be built by using only those minimal facts that are clearly established by the historical method. On a smaller scale, these facts can refute the alternative hypotheses and provide the best evidences for the resurrection.
d. The Shroud of Turin may supply some additional scientific evidence of Jesus’ resurrection.
9. Jesus’ message was not changed by Paul or by other followers.
a. In both the synoptics, as well as in John, Jesus claimed to be deity. Often this was done by his words, such as his claims to be Son of God and Son of Man (c.f. Mark 2:10-11; 10:45; 13:32; 14:36). At other times he showed his deity by his actions, such as forgiven sin, fulfilling Old Testament messianic prophecy and by claiming authority much greater than that of the Jewish leaders (see Mark 2:1-12; Matthew 5;20-48; cf. Isaiah 9:6-7).
b. Numerous pre-Pauline creeds such as Philippians 2:6-11, Romans 1:3-4, 1 Corinthians 11:23, and many from the book of Acts designate Jesus by the loftiest titles, thereby indicating the early teaching of his deity. These show further that this doctrine definitely did not originate with Paul.
c. Neither Jesus nor Paul taught that Christianity was a new religion. Both held that Christianity was a fulfillment of Judaism (see Matt. 5:18; Luke 16:16-17; Romans 10:4:9-11; Colossians 2:16-17).
d. Jesus’ central teaching of the Kingdom of God and its entrance requirements of faith in his person and teachings in found in all four Gospels (c.f. Mark 1:14-15; Matthew 18:3-6; Luke 18:28-30; John 1:10-13) and in Paul’s epistles (c.f. Romans 6:23; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4).
f. Paul was known as the apostle to the Gentiles (see Acts 9:15;16; 22:21; Romans 11:13-14). Not only did Jesus command his disciples to take the gospel to the Gentiles (see Matthew 28:19-20; Luke 24:47; John 10:16; Acts 1:8), but this was actually a fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy, not a new doctrine (see Genesis 12:3; Isaiah 19:18-25 for two examples).
g. Since Jesus literally rose from the dead, any verification of the truthfulness of his teachings would even extend to Paul’s message and writings, since they are in agreement with the Gospels at these points.
10. Jesus was not an international traveler during his “silent years” or after his death.
a. There is no viable historical evidence for such international ventures.
b. The swoon theory fails and is rejected by critical scholars.
c. These endeavors almost always involved a long trail of illogic and incredibly mysterious connections.
C. Miracle-claims
1. Although many would place miracle-claims completely in the realm of faith, such is to ignore their possibly objective theistic and historical nature.
a. If it is taught that miraculous events have occurred in history, as in the case with New Testament miracle-claims, then at least the objective, historical side of such a claim can be investigated. In other words, if it actually happened, at least the portion of the event that touched the space-time world can potentially be examined.
b. In the New Testament, the resurrection of Jesus is not only the central tenet Christianity, but it is asserted that if Jesus did not rise from the dead, then faith in actually in vain (1 Corinthians 15:1-20). Paul even supports his point that Jesus was raised by citing eyewitnesses, historical testimony to this fact (vv. 5-8). Under these circumstances, one could hardly claim that objective, factual interests in the resurrection are foreign to the New Testament.
c. This objection also commits errors that are associated with the “leap of faith.” If carried to its logical conclusion, it provides no objective basis for faith, including any reasons why faith should be exercised at all. As such, it is difficult to distinguish between belief and credulity.
2. Alternative theories that have been proposed to account for Jesus’ resurrection on naturalistic grounds have failed to account for the known historical facts.
3. There are many strong historical reasons to believe that Jesus was raised from the dead.
a. The disciples’ experiences
b. The transformation of the disciples into bold witnesses
c. The empty tomb
d. The resurrection of Jesus was the very center of the apostolic message.
e. The Jewish leaders could not disprove their message.
f. The very existence and growth of the church.
g. In this resurrected physical body Jesus appeared to more than five hundred of his disciples on twelve different occasions over a forty-day period and conversed with them (see Luke 24:13-49, 1 Corinthians 15:5-7, Acts 1:4-8, Matthew 28:1-10, John 20:24-31).
This was the greatest of all miracles since the creation itself, and could have been accomplished only if Jesus indeed is God, as He had claimed to be.
D. Predictive Prophecies
Consider the following predictions made centuries in advanced that Jesus would be:
It is important to understand that these prophecies were written hundreds of years before Christ was born. No one could have been reading the trends of the times or just making intelligent guesses, like the “prophecies” we see in the checkout line at the supermarket.
What happens when a person dies? I am fearful of dying.
The Bible speaks of physical death and spiritual death. When a person dies physically, the soul and spirit leave the body in an inanimate state on earth. Those who die physically in Christ are united spiritually with God, while those who die apart from Christ await the final judgment. Physical death, therefore, is the separation of the soul and spirit from the body.
Spiritual death is the separation of the soul and spirit from God. It is possible to be physically alive on earth while being spiritually dead. Apostle Paul describes those “who were dead in trespasses and sins” in Ephesians 2:1. Paul also wrote that sin entered the world through Adam and spread to every person (Romans 5:12), and that the “wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). Spiritually dead persons are “made alive” through faith in Christ (Ephesians 2:1). Whatever one’s spiritual condition at the time of physical death, whether spiritually alive or spiritually dead, passes through to eternity.
So physical death is the separation of the spiritual nature of man from the body, while spiritual death is the separation of the spiritual nature of man from God. For a Christian (born again), physical death is nothing more than a doorway through which we pass into eternal life. Jesus said it best: “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die” (John 11:25-26). There is no reason for a Christian to fear physical death. Through faith in Christ, we have eternal life even before die physically (John 17:3).
If you were to die right now, do you think you would enter Heaven? Would you like to have the absolute assurance that you will be welcome there? If so then, pray this simple prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner, and I know I cannot earn my way into Heaven. I thank you for sacrificing your life so that my sins could be forgiven. I know the only way anyone can receive forgiveness is through you, and so I come to you now and ask you to come into my life, forgive me of my sins, cleanse me, heal me, and be my personal savior so I may have eternal life through you. I pray in your name Jesus. Amen.
As a continuation of your faith in Christ, you should start studying the Bible daily in order to gain a closer relationship with God, also find a local church to attend that teaches directly from the Bible so you will have someone to answer any questions you may still have. Welcome to the family of God!
Thanks for reading. I do not find anyone saying this prayer or being told to do so for salvation in the Bible. Where do you find it? Kindly, Bryan
THE HOLY TRINITY
The Trinity is a biblical concept, carried throughout the Scripture.
Defining the Holy Trinity
Webster defines the Trinity in the simplest terms:
The union of three divine figures, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, in one Godhead.Accurate from a biblical standpoint? Yes. Understandable to most people? No. Misleading? Possibly. A much better and more complete definition of the Trinity is given by a well-known theological dictionary. It defines the Trinity as
The term designates one God in three persons. Although not itself a Biblical term,…[it is] a convenient designation for the one God self revealed in Scripture as the one essence of the Godhead. We have to distinguish three “persons” who are neither three gods on the one side, not three parts or modes of God on the other, but coequally and coeternally God.” [J.B. Heard, “The Tripartite Nature of Man”, R.E. Brennan, “Psychotherapy and a Christian View of Man”: W.M. Horton, “A Psychological Approach to Theology”: as cited in Walter A. Elwell, ed. Evangelical Dictionary Of Theology (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House Co., 1984.). p. 1112.Why Isn’t the Word Trinity in the Bible?
As the above definition states, although the word Trinity never appears in the Bible, the concept is “self-revealed” by God. Biblical scholars merely gave the concepts of the three-in-one God a name so it would be easy to refer to and discuss.
There are other concepts in the Bible that have been given a name that doesn’t appear in the Bible. For instance, the omnipotence (“all-powerfulness”) of God is very clear from the Scriptures (for example, in Job 38 and 39). No Christian would deny this doctrine, yet the word omnipotence never used in the English Bible. For ease of reference, the concept of God’s “all-powerfulness” was given the name omnipotence.
The Persons of the Trinity Are Co-Equal and Co-Eternal
The words co-equal and co-eternal indicate that the Son and the Holy Spirit are totally equal with God the Father.
The Bible clearly describes Jesus as equal to God (for example, “ I and the Father are one” – see John 10:30). Jesus also received worship and forgave sin, something only God could do. And Jesus proclaimed his authority as God: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” (Matthew 28:18)
The Trinity in the Old Testament
There is substantial evidence supporting the concept of the Trinity in the Old Testament (the Hebrew Scriptures). Apart from the individual references to each of the three “parts” of the Trinity, we also find other indications that God is made up of multiple “persons.”
God the Father
God the Father is presented in the Old Testament in absolute, total glory. So holy and so glorious is his majesty that anyone who saw his face would die (Genesis 32:30; Isaiah 6:1-5).
The presence of God the Father (theophany) was perceived in many miraculous ways:
An angel appeared to Hagar (Genesis 16:9)
The Lord appeared again to Abraham (Genesis 22:11-12)
The burning bush to Moses (Exodus 3:2)
Clouds and fire to the Israelites (Exodus 14:19)
The tabernacle (Exodus 40:34)
The Lord appeared to Moses (Exodus 33:11)
A theophany is a visual or spoken presence of God. There were many theophanies in the Old Testament, Some theophanies clearly show the glory of God, others are apparently manifestations of God in human form, often described as the appearance of “an angel of the Lord,” a term which implies a special reverence reserved for God.
God the Son
The Old Testament is also filled with writings that point toward Jesus. There are hundreds of prophecies contained in the Old Testament that are exactly fulfilled by Jesus. (Scholars have actually identified 322 distinct prophecies.)
God has declared that prophecy is the key test to determine whether something is “from him” (Deuteronomy 18:9-22; Isaiah 46:10).
Certainly the Jews themselves were well aware of a coming Messiah (“Anointed One”). Perhaps the single most important indication of the coming Messiah in relation to the Trinity is Isaiah’s prophecy of a “son” who was to be called “Ii“Immanuel””
“Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14). Immanuel means “God with us.”
God the Spirit
The third component of the Trinity, the Spirit of God, is mentioned throughout the Old Testament. Starting at the very beginning of Genesis (1:2), we find this important verse:
The Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.The Hebrew word used for spirit is ruwach, which in essence means “a resemblance of breath”, but “only by a rational being.” So we can recognize immediately that this “Spirit” is differentiated from God the Father and God the Son. And we also see that he is a “rational being,” not merely some “force.” Furthermore, we see the Holy Spirit involved immediately from the beginning of creation.
The Trinity in the New Testament
The concept of the Trinity is clearly expressed throughout the New Testament. If we accept the Bible as truth, we do not need to wonder about the doctrine of the Trinity, because we have distinct evidence from both the start of Jesus’ ministry and also the end, with a great deal of supporting evidence in between.
The Beginning of Jesus’ Ministry
When Jesus was about 30 years old, he started his ministry by being baptized by John the Baptist. It’s significant that Jesus appeared very human and humble. John claimed to be “unworthy” of baptizing Jesus; then when the baptism took place at Jesus’ insistence, we again find all three Persons of the Trinity:
The Son was humbly submitting himself in human form to the Father, as a model for all of the world (Matthew 3:15).
The Father spoke from heaven, saying, “This is my son, who I love; with him I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17).
The Holy Spirit – the “Spirit of God” – descended “like a dove,” lighting on Jesus (Matthew 3:16).
The End of Jesus’ Ministry
The last words of a person are often especially significant. What were the last words of Jesus? They were spoken just prior to his ascension into heaven.
Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age (Matthew 28:19-20).No doubt Jesus especially wanted people to recognize the three-in-one nature of God. Otherwise, why would he use his final words to emphasize the three Persons of the Trinity?
In Matthew 28:19, It is critical to note that the word “name” is singular in the Greek text, indicating that there is one God, but three distinct persons within the Godhead: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Theologian Robert Reymond draws our attention to the importance of this verse for the doctrine of the Trinity:
Jesus does not say, (1) “into the names [plural] of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” or what its virtual equivalent, (2) “into the name Of the Father, and into the name of the Son, and into the name of the Holy Spirit,” as if we had to deal with three separate Beings, Nor does he say, (3) “into the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,” (omitting the three recurring articles), as if “the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost” might be taken as merely three designations of a single person. What He does say is this: (4) “into the name [singular] of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,” first asserting the unity of the three by combining them all within the bounds of the single Name, and then throwing into emphasis the distinctness of each by introducing them in turn with the repeated article. [Robert Reymond, Jesus, Divine Messiah: The New Testament Witness (Phillipsburg, NJ: Presbyterian and Reform, 1990), p. 84].Question…
Can you see that because the word “name” is singular in the Greek, and definite articles are placed in front of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, that plurality within the unity is thereby indicated?
There are many other scriptural indications for three-in-oneness in the Godhead. For example, when God was about to create man, He said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground” (Genesis 1:26, emphasis added). Notice the plural pronouns In this verse: “us”, “our”. (Note that the phrase “our image” in Genesis 1:26 is explained in verse 27 as God’s image.)
Commenting on this verse, Bible scholar Gleason Archer notes the “the one true God subsists in three persons. Persons who are able to confer with one another and carry their plans into action together, without ceasing to be one God.” [Gleason Archer, Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1982), p. 359.]
More New Testament References
The New Testament differentiates, yet also unites, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit in many ways in addition to those indicated at the beginning and end of Jesus’ ministry. For example, Paul speaks of God’s three-in-one nature in his letter to Corinth. He describes the differences in roles, but the oneness of “essence”:
There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, But the same God works all of them in all men (I Corinthians 12:4-6).Other references to the triune God in the New Testament:
Matthew 3:16-17
John 14:16
1 Corinthians 12:4-6
2 Corinthians 13:14
Ephesians 3:14-19
Ephesians 4:4-13
1 Peter 1:1-2
Revelation 1:4-6
The Three-in-One Nature of the Trinity
Could we ever understand a multidimensional God? Though the concept of the Trinity has been known since the time of Christ, it has often been misunderstood.
Why? It’s because humans exist in a world that consists of three dimensions of space and one dimension of time. How can we know or even conceive of dimensions beyond our own, such as the spiritual dimension? This has been a large problem for people who can’t accept God because he is too far beyond our understanding.
As we have seen, the Bible is very clear in its references to the triune nature of God. We also know there was a widespread, rapid acceptance of Jesus as God (co-equal with the Father) by the Jews around Jerusalem in the months immediately after Jesus’ death. At first glance, this would seem to contradict the traditional Jewish monotheism (was Jesus an “additional” god?). Yet the early Jewish Christians accepted Jesus as “one” with the Father: co-existent and co-equal.
The Expression of God’s Love Required the Full Resources of the Trinity
In order to demonstrate complete love to human beings, who were made in the image of God, all three Persons of God are necessary. First, an authority figure (the Father) was necessary to display perfect love, justice, and holiness. The Father provided us a chance to love him perfectly by giving us free choice, which also allowed sin to enter the world. Second, a human figure (the Son, Jesus) was necessary 1) to give himself as the perfect sacrifice to redeem humans from sin he knew they would choose, and 2) to be our ongoing source of life and relationship with the Father. Finally, the Holy Spirit was necessary to provide humans daily guidance, assurance, and counsel by being the continual presence of Christ within us.
The Roles of the Persons of the Trinity
In many aspects of God’s activities, we see the Persons of the Trinity each taking a role.
In Creation:
Father Revelation 4:11
Son Hebrews 1:1-2, John 1:1,14
Holy Spirit Genesis 1:2, Psalm 33:6
In God’s Plan:
Father Ephesians 1:11-12
Son Colossians 1:15-16
Holy Spirit Isaiah 11:2-3
In God’s Word:
Father Isaiah 55:11
Son John 1:14, Hebrews 1:3
Holy Spirit 1 Corinthians 2:12-14
In God’s advent in human form:
Father Hebrews 10:5-7
Son Matthew 16:15-17
Holy Spirit Matthew 1:20; John 3:34
In salvation through Jesus’ sacrifice:
Father John 3:16; 1 John 4:10-11
Son John 19:30; Hebrews 9:23
Holy Spirit John 3:34
In reconciliation with God:
Father 1 John 1:3, 2 Corinthians 5:17-19
Son Hebrews 2:13-15
Holy Spirit 2 Corinthians 13:14
In providing holiness to believers:
Father 1 Peter 1:15-16
Son 1 Corinthians 1:30-31
Holy Spirit Galatians 5:16; Romans 8:3-4
In providing love, faith, and hope:
Father John 3:16
Son John 14:6; Hebrews 12:2-3
Holy Spirit Romans 15:13
What the Bible says about The TRINITY:
Yet each is called God:• Father Eph. 4:6; John 6:27
• Son Heb. 1:8; Titus 2:13
• Holy Spirit Acts 5:3,4
Yet each is described as CREATOR:• Father Isaiah 44:24
• Son John 1:1-3
• Holy Spirit Job 33:4; 26:13
Yet each is described as ETERNAL:• Father Psalms 93:2
• Son Micah 5:2, Heb 1:8
• Holy Spirit Heb. 9:14
Yet each is described as INSPIRED:• Father II Tim. 3:16
• Son I Peter 1:10-11
• Holy Spirit II Peter 1:21
Yet each is described as OMNIPRESENT:• Father Jer. 23:24
• Son Matt. 28:20
• Holy Spirit Psalms 139:7-10
Yet each is described as OMNISCIENT:• Father Jer. 17:10
• Son John 2:24
• Holy Spirit I Cor. 2:10-12
The Trinity is Necessary for Eternal Life with God
We have noted the roles of the Persons of the Trinity and the biblical support for them. We can see that
The concept of the Trinity is clear throughout the Bible
Each person of the Trinity has had a clear role from the beginning in all human relationships with God.
Yet we are still left with the question, “Why was a triune God necessary in the first place?” Just asking that question (though many people have) seems presumptuous. What right do we have to ask God why he is who he is? Even so, though it is impossible for human minds to comprehend an infinite God, the Bible does give us some clues why the Trinity is necessary for our eternal relationship with God. Consider the following:
God is perfectly holy. He was once in complete fellowship with a sinless Adam and Eve.
Once Adam and Eve sinned, humanity became separated from God.
A perfect blood sacrifice was required to pay for human sin.
Even after giving up this perfect sacrifice, humans still continue to sin.
God’s ultimate goal is complete fellowship with humans in a perfectly sinless place, heaven.
In summary, the Trinity, while difficult to understand from a human point of view, is an integral and necessary aspect of God, and it is indispensable to his great love and his many temporal and eternal provisions for humanity.
thanks for sharing