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I thought that this might be a good topic to open where we can talk and discuss the Trinity (a word not found in the Bible) and scriptures to support this doctrine.

I just found this:




Trinity

There is only one God; but He consists of three distinct persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

The word "trinity" is not found in Scripture. It is a word used by Christians to express the doctrine of the unity of God as consisting of three distinct Persons. This word is derived from the Greek word trias, first used by Theophilus (A.D. 168-183), or from the Latin trinitas, first used by Tertullian (A.D. 220), to express this doctrine.

The propositions involved in the doctrine are these:

• 1.  That God is one, and that there is but one God (Deut. 6:4; 1 Kings 8:60; Isa. 44:6; Mark 12:29, 32; John 10:30).
  
  
• 2.  That the Father is a distinct divine Person (hypostasis, subsistentia, persona, suppositum intellectuale), distinct from the Son and the Holy Spirit.
  
  
• 3.  That Jesus Christ was truly God, and yet was a Person distinct from the Father and the Holy Spirit. (John 20:30-31)
  
  
• 4.  That the Holy Spirit is also a distinct divine Person.

Notice the use of the words "us" and "our" when the Son of God ("The Word") created Man (Gen. 1:26).

Although equal in divinity, the Father is in a position of authority or hierarchy over Jesus Christ, incarnate Son of God (John 14:28, 13:16; 1 Cor. 11:3; Phil. 2:6-8).

Author: Matthew G. Easton and Paul S. Taylor on this website ChristianAnswers.net

....That we worship One God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity;

Neither confounding the Persons: nor dividing the Substance. For there is One person of the Father, another of the Son: and another of the Holy Ghost.
But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost is all one; the Glory equal, the Majesty co-eternal.
Such as the Father is, such is the Son: and such is the Holy Ghost.
The Father uncreate, the Son uncreate: and the Holy Ghost uncreate.
The Father incomprehensible, the Son incomprehensible, and the Holy Ghost incomprehensible.
The Father eternal, the son eternal: and the Holy Ghost eternal.
And Yet there are not three eternals: but one eternal.
Aso there are not three incomprehensibles, nor three uncreated, but one uncreated, and one incomprehensible.
So likewise the Father is Almighty, the Son Almighty: and the Holy Ghost Almighty.
And yet there are not three Almighties:but one Almighty.
So the Father is God, the Son is God: and the Holy Ghost is God.
And yet there are not three Gods: but one God.
So likewise the Father is Lord, the Son is Lord: and the Holy Ghost is Lord.
And yet not three Lords: but one Lord.
For like as were compelled by the Christian verity: to acknowledge every person by himself to be God and Lord:    So are we forbidden by the Catholick Religion: to say There be three Gods, or three Lords.
The Father is made of none: neither created, nor begotten.
The Son is of the Father alone: not made, nor created, but begotten.
The Holy Ghost is of the Father and of the Son: neither made, nor created, nor begotten, but proceeding
So there is One Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons: one Holy Ghost, not three Holy Ghosts.and in this Trinity none is afore, or after other: none is greater, or less than another;
but the whole three Persons are co-eternal together: and co-equal.

Furthermore it is necessary to Everlasting Salvation: that he also believe rightly the Incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ.

For the right faith is that we believe and confess: that the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God is God and Man;
God of the substance of the Father,Begotten before the worlds; and Man, of the Substance of His Mother, born in  the World;
Perfect God and perfect Man: of a reasonable soul and human flesh subsisting;
Equal to the Father, as touching His Godhead: and inferior to the Father, as touching his Manhood.
Who although He be God and Man: yet he is not two, but One Christ:
One; not by conversion of the Godhead into flesh: but by taking of the Manhood into God;
One altogether; not by confusion of substance: but by Unity of Person.
For as the reasonable soul and flesh is one man: so God and Man is One Christ:

Athanasius.

I'm going to copy into this thread the post I placed in NEM, simply because it may be that some who read the one don't read the other.  This is in answer to the extremely understandable confusion that Soni expressed there, a confusion that many express.

I've had many, many JWs come to our door over the years, and each time I've had to truly agonize in prayer over what I was going to say.  Actually, I've been thankful to have the opportunity, but it sure has made me dive into the Word to discover more and more of the truth of the Trinity.

Jesus said, "I and My Father are one." (John 10:30)  Yet He also promised the disciples, "And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever - the Spirit of truth, Whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you." 

And then He goes on wonderfully to say, "I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you." (John 14:16-18)  It's pretty plain from these Scriptures that there is a definite distinction between Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  Yet it is also equally plain that they are One.  We're simply not capable of really understanding this concept - three in one and one in three.  Many, many have tried to illustrate it from nature, but all such illustrations fall short.  We need to simply accept what He tells us as the truth, even though we don't understand it.

Jesus our Lord is God.  In His wonderful and perfect humanity, He prays to the Father and communes with the Father.  Yet, as the divine Spirit, He also comes to us and dwells in our very hearts, moving us to love and serve Him.
I have counselled many, many people not to try to understand this - but simply to accept it because it is taught by God's Word.

When I'm called upon to talk to a JW, I simply stress the straightforward Scripural statements, and I tell them we are, after all, finite, and we can therefore only understand the finite, but He is infinite, and He call on us to believe His trinitarian nature.

God bless.  Don't let confusion and lack of full understanding make you hesitate to call Jesus your Lord and your God (as Thomas did).  Ask Him to come to you by His Spirit, to indwell you, and to bless His blessed truth to you.

I love that Anglican prayer book, Jenny!  And I love the beautiful expression of the Athanasian Creed.  Your explanation, Pat, was also a very good expression of what Christians believe.  

What I've posted above is not meant to be a reexpression of our creed, but it is meant to help, albeit only a little, with understanding.

I have copied this post from NEM:

The Jehovah Witnesses do not believe in the Trinity, nor do they believe that Jesus is God!  In fact, in John 1:1 it says "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God."    The JW's say "the word was with God and the word was a god"   They have put an "A" in their watchtower version, which makes Jesus just another god!  They say He is a just a representative from God!  

There are many scriptures that tell us that Jesus is God.  One of my favourites is in Heb. 1: 5-8.  God the Father is saying "You are My Son, Today I have begotten You" v8-v9  But to the Son He says:  Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of righeousness is the scepter of your kingdon.  You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness;  Therefore God, Your God has anointed You with the oil of gladness more that Your  companions"  Here God the Father is calling Jesus God!  
To understand who is true and who is false, you just have to ask "Who do you say Jesus is?"

In Isa. 7: 14, 8:8, & Matt 1:23 Jesus is called "Immanuel, which means God with us"   In Matt 1:21 it says that Jesus will save His people from their sins.  And in Mark 2:7 it says that only God can forgive sins"

So Jesus is the mighty God who is our Lord and Saviour.  Anyone who proclaims that He is anything less is false!  And Jesus has said "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, no man will come to the Father but through Me"  

The Holy Spirit's job is to reveal Jesus Christ.  The Holy Spirit takes the written word to reveal the Living Word.

For one thing the JW's do not believe in heaven like we do.  They say that heaven is here on earth! They will not be in heaven with all the saints, unless they come the way we all have to, through Jesus Christ alone.

May the love of the Father, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all until Jesus comes again.

God Bless

Ruthie

Pastor Al...
Gosh guess what I picked up a book and a piece of paper fell out,  I must have put it there years ago..
It is some notes about Athenasius.  Apparently some think he didn't actually write that Creed himself although he taught it. He spent much time alone living in the desert where he also wrote a life of St. Anthony. He opposed Arius who taught that only God the Father was divine.
He was exiled for opposing Arianism....Praise God!
He was the first Church leader to give any serious thought to the person of the Holy Spirit.
Jenny.

I had many conversations with JW's, and try to show love , but they do try one's patience, as they are so indoctrinated.
They just can't think for themselves.
A  friend of mine had a good argument with them of them about blood transfusions, and they were adamant that the transfusions were wrong, so my friend asked him,  then why did Jesus say " greater love has no man than this, that he would lay down his life for his friends!"
They had no answer to it.
They are sincere, but sincerely wrong.
regards Chris.

Pat, Jenny, Al, Ruthie, and Chris..........

You're wrong, you don't really know what you are talking about.  There is no Trinity and your Bible is NOT  the true Bible, and "WE" have the only Bible that is right.  [So say the JW's and Mormons].  I add Mormons simply because they do NOT believe God's Word either.  

Now, let me speak for myself.   I much appreciated your Biblical knowledge, as well as the deep and longstanding truths of your words.  I pray should unbelievers, including JW's who might venture into this forum, will take time to digest what you have written in your above posts.  Vivian and I have a JW friend living just five acres from us and she never "witnesses" to us because she knows we are prepared to meet her with God's Word (Our Bibles), so she sends others from her kingdom hall.  I say "Bibles" because we show them more than one Bible, and compare each one to the other regarding the very chapter and verse(s) you have given.  I always ask them to please give me the date their Bible was written, and ask them why their Bible doesn't square with God's holy Word.  They do not know when there Bible was written (Changed).  However, they are quick to say their "Greek" translation is correct, but cannot give names or dates of their so-called translations.  The truth is, they do not have Greek translators.  They would be shocked to learn that the other Bibles have been with us for many hundreds of years.

I've tried to use Man's trinity as an example of the Trinity, and one group actually said Huh?  They cannot fathom man's trinity.