Let’s break down the issue of the Trinity and whether the Holy Spirit is presented in the Bible as the third "person" of a triune God, or rather the literal Spirit of the Father. Using
James 4:4-10 (TLV) and other scriptures, I will explain how the Trinity doctrine is not defined in the Bible, and how it aligns more with pagan ideas than biblical truth. I have gone over some of this before, but lets take another angle and include some of what I have already shared as it still is relevant..
James 4:4-10 Analysis (TLV)James 4:5 says, “Or do you think that the Scripture speaks in vain? ‘He yearns jealously over the spirit which He made to dwell in us.’” This verse emphasizes
God’s Spirit dwelling in us, but it doesn’t suggest a separate, distinct person. Instead, it points to
the Father’s Spirit—the very presence of God Himself—yearning over His people. There’s no indication of a third person here; it simply speaks of God’s personal and intimate connection to believers through His Spirit.
Literal Spirit of the Father:The Bible consistently teaches that the
Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God the Father, not a separate "person" in a triune deity. Consider the following verses:
- John 14:16-17 (TLV): “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper so He may be with you forever—the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not behold Him or know Him. You know Him, because He abides with you and will be in you.”
- This passage shows that the Spirit comes from the Father. Yeshua speaks of sending the Spirit of truth (the Holy Spirit) from the Father, but this does not imply the Holy Spirit is a distinct person. It is described as God's presence abiding within believers.
- Romans 8:9 (TLV): “However, you are not in the flesh but in the Ruach, if indeed the Ruach Elohim dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Ruach of Messiah, he does not belong to Him.”
- Here, the Spirit is called the "Ruach Elohim" (Spirit of God) and "Ruach of Messiah" (Spirit of the Messiah). These terms highlight the unity of the Spirit as part of God’s nature, not a distinct person from God or Yeshua.
- Matthew 10:20 (TLV): “For it is not you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.”
- This is crucial. It explicitly refers to the Holy Spirit as the Spirit of the Father. Again, there is no indication that the Spirit is a separate person from God, but rather God’s presence working through His followers.
Countering the Trinity Doctrine:- No Direct Biblical Reference to the Trinity: Nowhere in the Bible is the concept of the Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as three co-equal, co-eternal persons—explicitly stated. The term “Trinity” itself is absent from the Scriptures. If this doctrine were so central to the Christian faith, it would be clearly and explicitly outlined, but instead, we see descriptions of God’s oneness. Deuteronomy 6:4 (TLV): “Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One.”
- Yeshua’s Own Words: In John 17:3 (TLV), Yeshua says, “Now this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Yeshua the Messiah whom You sent.” Yeshua refers to the Father as the only true God, distancing Himself from being equal with the Father in the sense of a co-equal Trinity.
- Pagan Influence: The idea of divine triads predates Christianity and can be found in various pagan religions. For example:
- Egyptian Triad: Osiris, Isis, Horus.
- Hindu Trimurti: Brahma (creator), Vishnu (preserver), Shiva (destroyer).
- Babylonian Triad: Anu, Enlil, Ea.
The early church under Constantine absorbed many of these concepts into Christian theology, leading to the development of the Nicene Creed in 325 AD, where the doctrine of the Trinity was formalized. This was heavily influenced by Greek philosophical ideas of a triune godhead, which is why critics argue it has pagan roots. - Holy Spirit as God’s Power, Not a Person: Several verses portray the Holy Spirit not as a distinct person, but as the power or presence of God working in the world.
- Luke 1:35 (TLV): “The angel answered and said to her, ‘The Ruach ha-Kodesh (Holy Spirit) will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you...’” This shows the Holy Spirit acting as the power of God, not as a separate person.
- Acts 2:4 (TLV): “They were all filled with the Ruach ha-Kodesh and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to speak.” Here, the Holy Spirit enables believers to speak in tongues, which is described as a manifestation of God's power, not as the action of a distinct person.
The Bible points to the Holy Spirit as the literal
Spirit of God the Father, dwelling within believers to lead, guide, and empower them. It does not support the idea of a separate "person" within a triune Godhead. The Trinity doctrine, formalized centuries after the time of Yeshua, has strong ties to paganism and is not grounded in the clear teachings of Scripture. This is where the subject should simply end Star.
Instead of viewing the Holy Spirit as a distinct entity, we should understand it as the very presence of God Himself working in and through His people, fulfilling His purposes and revealing His truth.
