The Early Church Was Absolutely, Unequivocally Trinitarian

First of all I would like to say that I am not interested in arguments. I am interested in the purity and the authenticity of the Bible. David was not afraid of fighting Goliath when he defied the army of the Living God, and I am not afraid of those who are out to pervert or change the meaning of what the Bible, the inerrant Word of God says.

David was a shepherd boy, had no business being on the front lines of war, I am a poor uneducated holiness preacher and have no business taking on theological giants, but feel that I must stand up for the Word of God and what it says.

Why does the doctrine of the Trinity matter? Isn't that non-essential theological banter? Let me answer that with a resounding NO!!! It is very important that we understand who God is, what God is like, and to the best of our understanding how God operates. We have a very revealing picture in the Word of God of all three of these things.

First of all there is symbolism now I don't want to dwell on this because, symbolism can be misunderstood and twisted to fit whatever opinion you would like, but there are a few important instances in the Word of God we need to look at.

1. Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God... the name used for God in this verse is Elohim and is in the plural tense. Not more than one God but more than one individual
2. Genesis 1 God speaks, The Holy Spirit moves upon the face of the deep, and Christ is there as well
3. Genesis 1:26 Let us make man... let who? Us God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
4. In every prayer that Jesus prayed, He prayed to His "Father."
5. When Jesus was baptised by John in the river Jordan  Jesus was in the water, God the Father spoke from heaven, "This is my beloved SON!!!" The Holy Spirit descended on Jesus in the form of a dove.

On and on I could go with symbols but that is not what is so important, what does the Word say about it?

Moses makes it very clear in the Law given by God that "the LORD our God is one LORD."

We must make no mistake, there is only ONE GOD, however He displays Himself in three different distinct personalities. These personalities have been named by God's Word as God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost (Spirit). These are not three gods but One God in three. I like to use math to help me understand it. I am not adding 1+1+1 to equal three but rather 1x1x1 = 1. They work together in a unity, and coexistence that is really unimaginable and incomprehensible by us.

1. John 1:1-2  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God.
   
   From the beginning we have the Word - The Word was God but we read on and find the Word was WITH GOD. The same was in the beginning WITH God.
   
   I am not the brightest snowflake out there but that tells me there are two distinct individuals that were at this event, God AND the Word. Now we know from reading through the Bible that The Word was Christ. We also know that from Genesis 1:2 that the Spirit the third part of the Trinity moved upon the face of the deep.
2. Several references in Hebrews chapter 1.
1. Hebrews 1:1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, ² Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
   ³ Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high:
2. Hebrews 1:5 For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?
3. Hebrews 1:13 But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool?
   
   Notice the questions with implied answers in verses 5 and 13 God the Father speaks to Christ in an implied answer which you can find that this took place in other instances, "Thou art my SON.... I will be to him a Father and he shall be to me a Son..."
   Sit on my right hand... now I am not a genius but I know I can not sit on the right hand of myself. It has to be two distinct individuals. To drive this point a little further look at
1. Acts 7:56 Stephen was being persecuted for being filled with the Holy Spirit and preaching in the name of Jesus, they begin to stone him and he cries, " Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God."
2. On the day of Pentecost Peter preaches to the people in Acts 2:33 and he says, "Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear."
   
   Peter is speaking of Christ being by the right hand of God, receiving the promise of the Father, the Holy Ghost which Jesus sent down on that great day.

I feel I am belaboring the point, however I want to get across to you that, yes God is ONE but He works in Three Distinct Persons that are mentioned by name and duties in the Word of God.

The scriptures should be sufficient but I feel I must pursue this one step further and show that the Early Church Fathers understood this as well. Now we can take history and twist it to say anything we want, but I want to go back and get exact quotes from those individuals that have been left to us in their writings.

• Poly Carp (70-160 A.D.) Prayed, "O Lord God almighty... I bless you and glorify you through the eternal and heavenly high priest Jesus Christ, your beloved Son, through whom be glory to you, with Him and the Holy Spirit, both now and forever."
• Diognetus (Written 130 A.D.) "as a king sends his Son, who is also king, so sent he him, as God (1) he sent him; as men he sent him; as savior he sent him,…"
• The Apostles Creed or the Old Roman Creed was the first attempt at an organized creed dating from 390 a.d. says;
  "I believe in God Almighty, and in Christ Jesus, His only Son, our Lord; who was born of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary; who was crucified under Pontius Pilate and was buried, and the third day rose from the dead; who ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of the Father, whence he cometh to judge the living and the dead. And in the Holy Ghost, the holy church, the remission of sins, the resurrection of the flesh, the life everlasting."

Again I could go on and on but feel I have belaboured the point laready.  I feel that all the above evidence is enough that I can conclude confidently that The Bible, The Early Church Fathers, and The Doctrine of the Trinity are in accord. I believe in the Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit, Three in One and they all reside in my heart, PRAISE THE LORD.