Good morning. God bless. It’s good to be back in the house of the Lord again. Glad to have our dear family members here—Sister Susie, Sister Jane, and Brother Joe. I’m really happy to see you all; we definitely missed you.
Last week I told the pastor what I was going to share today, but I was torn between two topics. When I sat down to read and take notes, a short video popped up online—completely unprompted—and it was about the second topic I had been considering. So even though I told Pastor I would do a song, I decided instead to expand on this subject.
The clip was from a debate about ten years ago between a Muslim scholar named Shabir Ali and a Christian apologist named Nabeel Qureshi. The debate was titled “What Is God Really Like? Tawhid or Trinity?”
For context, Tawhid means the absolute oneness of God in Islamic belief—the idea that associating anything with God, including the Trinity, is the greatest sin (called shirk), unforgivable and in some regions punishable by death.
Shabir Ali’s main argument wasn’t simply that the word “Trinity” doesn’t appear in the Bible. His argument was that the concept itself does not exist in Scripture, especially in the Old Testament. Many people assume the Trinity is something Christians invented later, and so I want to walk through Scripture—especially Old Testament passages—that show otherwise.
My goal today is simple:
To remind us where the Scriptures reveal the Trinity, so that when we share our faith, we speak with clarity and confidence.
Before diving into verses, we need to define the Trinity:
Three distinct, co-eternal Persons.
One essence or nature shared by all three.
Each Person is fully God, yet there is one God.
The key is the shared essence. If they were three different essences, then yes, that would be three gods. But the Bible teaches oneness of being and distinction of persons.
1. Creation
Genesis starts with plurality:
Genesis 1:1–3
“In the beginning God created… and the Spirit of God was hovering... Then God said…”
We see:
God (the Father)
The Spirit of God
The spoken Word (later revealed as Christ)
John explains this openly:
John 1:1–5
“In the beginning was the Word… and the Word was God… all things came into being through Him…”
Paul confirms:
Colossians 1:16–18
“All things were created through Him and for Him…”
Jehovah’s Witnesses use “firstborn” to argue Jesus was created, but the term means preeminent position, not origin. The First Lady is not the first woman ever created; she holds a position.
Also, John 1:3 makes it impossible for Christ to be created:
“Apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.”
He cannot create Himself. Therefore He is uncreated.
2. Abraham and the Lord Who Appeared
Genesis 18
Three men appear to Abraham. One is called “the LORD.” Abraham speaks with Him as Judge of all the earth.
Genesis 19:24
“The LORD rained fire… from the LORD out of heaven.”
Two persons, both called Lord.
3. The Angel of the Lord — A Pre-Incarnate Christ
Hagar meets Him:
Genesis 16
The Angel of the Lord promises, “I will multiply your descendants”—something only God says.
Hagar responds: “You are the God who sees me.”
Abraham meets Him:
Genesis 22
The Angel of the Lord says,
“You have not withheld your son… from Me.”
Moses meets Him in the burning bush:
Exodus 3
The Angel of the Lord appears…
Then God speaks from the bush:
“I am the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”
The Angel of the Lord is called God, speaks as God, and receives worship.
4. Isaiah 63 — All Three Persons
Isaiah 63:7–14 shows in one passage:
The LORD (Father)
The Angel of His Presence (Son)
The Holy Spirit
It even says Israel “grieved His Holy Spirit.”
5. Judges — The Angel of the Lord Again
Judges 2
The Angel of the Lord says:
“I brought you up out of Egypt.”
Judges 6
The LORD says:
“I brought you up out of Egypt.”
Same action, same claim, same identity.
Judges 13 (Samson’s parents)
The Angel’s name is “wonderful.”
Isaiah says the Messiah is Wonderful Counselor.
When He departs, Manoah says:
“We shall surely die, for we have seen God.”
6. The Clouds — Divine Presence
In Matthew 26, Jesus tells the high priest:
“You will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven.”
He is quoting Daniel 7:13–14, where the Son of Man receives worship and an eternal kingdom.
The high priest tears his clothes because Jesus is claiming divine identity.
In the Old Testament, clouds always represent God’s glory:
Mount Sinai
The Tabernacle
Wilderness guidance
Only God rides on the clouds.
7. Salvation — All Three Persons Working Together
1 Corinthians 6:11
“You were washed… in the name of the Lord Jesus… and in the Spirit of our God.”
Titus 3:4–7
God saves, through the Spirit, poured out through Jesus.
Conclusion
If the Trinity were not true, the Bible would contradict itself repeatedly:
The Angel of the Lord claiming God’s authority
The Spirit giving rest, grieving, speaking
The Son creating all things
God being seen, yet “no one can see God”
Two Persons both called “LORD” interacting
The Trinity makes sense of every passage.
Within the Godhead, love eternally existed.
From that love came:
grace
mercy
forgiveness
salvation
Every doctrine flows from who God is.
Thank you all for listening. I know this involved a lot of reading, but the Word of God speaks with more power than any commentary we could add. May this strengthen our understanding so we can confidently share Christ with anyone who asks.