The Forgotten Trinity: Recovering the Heart of Christian Belief

by James R. White

Philippians 2:5-11 has been identified as the Carmen Christi, the “Hymn to Christ as God.” Some modern translations, such as the NIV, NRSV, TEV, and JB, set this passage apart in poetic form to indicate the fact that most scholars see in this passage something other than straight prose or teaching.

Verses 5 through 11 provide us with the “sermon illustration” Paul wishes to use. In these words he takes us to the highest points of scriptural revelation, speaking of great eternal truths. Yet he does so through the words of a familiar song.

In this passage, Paul did not just break into a testimony to the greatness of Christ without a reason. He was trying to encourage the Philippians to live and act in a certain manner, and he gives as his example the Lord Jesus.

“Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit.” The peace of the fellowship will exist only when believers do not act in a selfish or conceited manner.

Paul is giving a “sermon illustration,” a reminder that if we are to be like Christ, we must imitate His humility as well. All of the Carmen Christi is, in fact, a means of illustrating what it means to act in “humility of mind,” to give one’s life in the service of others. This is why verse 5 says, “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus.” The attitude of humility of mind that the Philippians are to have is best illustrated in Christ, so Paul directs them to have the same manner of thinking, the same outlook, as seen in Christ.

First, there are those who point to this passage as evidence that Christ is not truly God and was not divine prior to His coming to earth. Some of the translations that lean this direction include the Today’s English Version, the New English Bible,[1] and, not surprisingly, the New World Translation.

The second, and much larger, group of translations sees things quite differently. These translations make it clear that Christ was eternally equal with God. These include the New International Version, the New Revised Standard Version, the Jerusalem Bible, Phillips Modern English, and The New Living Translation.

Paul says that Jesus existed in the form of God. The Greek term used here,[2] just as in John 1:1, does not point to a time when Christ entered into this state. This is brought out by Phillips’ translation, “who had always been God by nature.”

The Greek term “form”[3] (morphe) means the “outward display of the inner reality or substance. Here it refers to the outward display of the divine substance, i.e., divinity of the preexistent Christ in the display of his glory as being in the image of the Father.”[4] This is why a number of translations render the term “nature.” “God’s nature” would refer to the state of being God. This would not merely be referring to existence as a spirit, but to divine existence.

What does this mean? The phrase “equality with God” is not difficult to understand. Paul is talking about full divinity, a status of equal power and glory with God. Obviously, if this status is something that Christ had, the discussion over the deity of Christ is pretty well over.

The hymn says that Christ did not “grasp” His equality with God but instead did something else. He “emptied Himself” is the literal translation.

Note first that Jesus did this himself. The passage does not say that Christ was emptied, as if some outside force or person acted upon Him. This is voluntary. This is something Christ did himself.

Secondly, the term “emptied” is always used by Paul in a metaphorical sense. The term is used in such places as Romans 4:14, where Paul says, “For if those who are of the Law are heirs, faith is made void (literally, “emptied”) and the promise is nullified.” Paul is not talking about a literal “emptying” of faith, but a metaphorical “making empty,” i.e., making void.[6] So it is here. The King James Version does an excellent job by rendering it “made himself of no reputation.” Paul is not saying Jesus ceased...

The act of emptying is followed by an act of taking. He “became flesh” (John 1:14) by taking the form of a bond-servant and being made in the likeness of men. It is no mere coincidence that Paul uses the very same term “form” here that he used in verse 6. Just as Jesus had the form of God in eternity past, so He took the form of a bond-servant in the Incarnation.[8] He who had eternally been served by cherubim and seraphim now takes on the form of a slave so as to serve others! And what service is He called to? “Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” Here is ultimate obedience, ultimate service.

Among Christians, this means that we are to look out for others rather than jealously guard our own rights and privileges. We are to serve others, even though we are all equals before the Lord.

He has of equality something to be held on to at all costs. Instead, out of the great love He has for His people, He voluntarily lays aside those privileges and takes on the form of man. He becomes a servant in the fullest sense, for He lives His entire life in service to the very ones He has come to redeem. And in the ultimate act of service, He is obedient to the very point of death upon a cross.

Therefore, we can reach only one conclusion: Paul is presenting this great early hymn as his highest example of humility of mind, and because of this, we must understand the passage to present Jesus as having eternally existed in the very form of God, having eternally possessed equality with the Father, and yet, out of His great love for us, He voluntarily laid aside those privileges so as to give His life as a “ransom for many.” If context means anything at all, this is what the passage is teaching.

As Christ laid aside His eternal privileges to serve His people, dying as the sacrifice for their sins, so we, too, are called to give ourselves in service to others. This is the primary meaning of the passage, but it comes to us only as we understand who Christ really was and is. The example only carries its weight when we realize that the Lord Jesus eternally existed as the Father’s equal and laid aside His divine privileges out of love for us.

I believe in the Trinity because the Bible teaches the doctrine. No, the Bible doesn’t use the specific word “Trinity” any more than it uses the specific word “theocratic” or “Bible.” Instead, it teaches the doctrine by teaching the three pillars or foundations that make up the doctrine. The first such pillar is that there is only one true God, Yahweh, the Creator of all things. The second is that there are three divine persons, the Father, the Son, and the Spirit. The Father is not the Son, the Son is not the Spirit, and the Spirit is not the Father. Three persons who communicate with one another and love one another. Finally, the third pillar is the teaching that these three persons are completely equal in sharing in the divine Being. This would include the deity of Christ and the personality of the Holy Spirit. This is where we directly disagree. May I show you from the Bible how it teaches these truths?

But I have found two particular passages to carry the most weight in communicating this truth to those who believe that Yahweh is God, believe the Bible is true, but reject the deity of Christ: Hebrews 1:10–12 in comparison with Psalm 102:25–27, and John 12:37–41 in comparison with Isaiah 6:1–10.

Verse 1 indicates it is a prayer to the Lord. The use of the all-caps form LORD is the standard English means of indicating that the underlying Hebrew term is Yahweh, or Jehovah. Some Bibles, such as the Jerusalem Bible, or the New World Translation published by the Watchtower Society, use the term “Jehovah” or “Yahweh.” Throughout Psalm 102 this term is found, indicating plainly that the psalm was originally written in praise of Yahweh. This is important, for it is the context of the words found in verses 25 through 27.

This is the case here. Yahweh founded the earth (Psalm 24:1; 78:69; 89:11; Proverbs 3:19; Isaiah 48:13), and the heavens are described as a “work” of His hands (Psalm 19:1). On the most basic level, then, the universe itself is a dependent creation, while God is eternal and unchanging. They are temporal and will pass away, but God is eternal, and He will “endure.” They are like an old garment that we throw away when it becomes old and useless. But He does not age. He does not change.

The writer to the Hebrews shows no compunctions in taking this passage from the Psalter—a passage fit only for describing the eternal Creator himself—and applying it to Jesus Christ.

It is vital to understand that verses 10 through 12 are, in fact, addressed to the Son. It is Jesus who is addressed as “Lord” in verse 10, and it is His activity in creation, and His unchanging nature, that is revealed in the rest of the passage. The significance of this is clear when one realizes that the writer to the Hebrews is directly applying the passage from Psalm 102:25–27[5] to the Son. The meaning of the original is beyond dispute. The fact that it is speaking of unique characteristics of the true God is likewise unarguable.

But if I were to say that someone is eternal, the Creator of all things, and unchanging, that would communicate identity, for there is only one who is eternal, unchanging, and the Creator of all things. And this is what the writer to the Hebrews does in 1:10-12. Hence the error of the attempt to avoid the force of the identification of Jesus as Yahweh here in Hebrews 1.[6]

We have to go back a little to see that John cites two passages from the book of Isaiah. In verse 38 he quotes from Isaiah 53:1, the great “Suffering Servant” passage that so plainly describes the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ. John says the unbelief of the Jews, despite their seeing signs, was a fulfillment of the word of Isaiah in Isaiah 53. He then goes beyond this to assert their inability to believe and quotes from Isaiah 6 and the “Temple Vision” Isaiah received when he was commissioned as a prophet:

Then John says, “These things Isaiah said because he saw His glory, and he spoke of Him.” John has quoted from two passages in Isaiah, Isaiah 53:1 and Isaiah 6:10. Yet the immediate context refers to the words from Isaiah 6, and there are other reasons why we should see the primary reference as the Isaiah 6 passage. John speaks of Isaiah “seeing” “glory.” In Isaiah 6:1 the very same term is used of “seeing” the Lord, and the very term “glory” appears in verse 3.[7] Even if we connect both passages together, the fact remains that the only way to define what “glory” Isaiah saw was to refer to the glory of Isaiah 6:3.[8] And that glory was the glory of Yahweh. There is none other whose glory we can connect with Isaiah’s words.[9]

Just as the Son voluntarily chose to take the role of Suffering Servant so as to redeem God’s people, so, too, the Spirit has chosen to take the role as Sanctifier and Advocate of the people of God. But since it is the Spirit’s role to direct the hearts of men to Christ, and to conform them to His image, He does not seek to push himself into the forefront and gain attention for himself.

Of course, the argument that is often heard is that the phrase “Holy Spirit” in Greek is in the neuter gender, and it is.[2] But Greek genders do not necessarily indicate personality.[3]

One of the clearest indications of the personhood of the Spirit is His use of the personal pronoun in reference to himself. That is, I prove my own personhood by speaking of myself as “I” and “me.” The Spirit likewise speaks of himself in this way.

The Spirit speaks to Peter and again uses a personal pronoun, indicating His sovereign action in sending the men to Peter. Impersonal forces do not send men, speak, or use personal pronouns in reference to their actions.

The speaking of the Spirit is found throughout the text of the Bible. We have already seen some references in Acts. Two others should be noted: Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go up and join this chariot” (Acts 8:29). And coming to us, he took Paul’s belt and bound his own feet and hands, and said, “This is what the Holy Spirit says: ‘In this way the Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles’ “(Acts 21:11).

The thoughts of God are infinite even as He is infinite. Therefore, the Spirit must likewise be omniscient, an attribute of deity itself.

Another striking evidence of the personality of the Spirit is His role in bringing the very love of God for His people into their lives. . . . and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. (Romans 5:5) The love of God has been poured out in the hearts of the redeemed by the means of the Holy Spirit. How can such an assertion be understood apart from the personhood of the Spirit?

It is self-evident that the Father is a person; so also is the Son. How, then, could two persons share a single name with a nonperson, a mere force? The willingness of the Scripture writers to associate the Spirit in this way with both the Father and the Son is plain evidence of His personality.

An impersonal force cannot be grieved, pained, or injured, nor can a mere “force” or “power” seal believers for the day of redemption. And it was a serious accusation made by Stephen against the Jewish people when he accused them of resisting the Holy Spirit: “You men who are stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting the Holy Spirit; you are doing just as your fathers did” (Acts 7:51).

There is only one Spirit bringing all the gifts to the redeemed. And He does this, not on the basis of how we think the gifts should be given, but instead He gives them “just as He wills.” The word translated “wills” is the Greek term boulomai. It is used only of persons and refers to the volitional act of the will.

So if we can plainly see that the Son’s willing is an act of a person, and the Father’s willing is likewise the act of a person, how can we possibly avoid recognizing that the Spirit sovereignly and wisely gives His gifts to the church just as He wills to do so, and that this makes Him, inarguably, a person?

Yet, in reality, the Bible speaks of our being baptized into Christ Jesus in Romans 6:3 and Galatians 3:27, and neither passage is ever cited to make the point that Jesus is not a person. All through the New Testament we are said to be “in Christ” or “in Him,” and this is never taken to mean that Jesus is not a person. Likewise, being baptized in the Holy Spirit does not deny He is a person—rather, it speaks to His omnipresence and spirituality.

The “Spirit of God” who is said to be omnipresent (Psalm 139:7), omniscient (1 Corinthians 2:10–11), and active in the very creation itself (Genesis 1:2; Psalm 104:30) hardly fits the description of some kind of lesser being. But the fact that this Spirit shares the one divine name with the Father and the Son (Matthew 28:19) makes His deity indisputable.

The most often cited passage is found in the words of the apostle Peter: But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back some of the price of the land? While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not under your control? Why is it that you have conceived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.” (Acts 5:3–4) To whom did Ananias lie? To the Holy Spirit, or to God? Both, for to lie to the Spirit is to lie to God.

This powerful, life-giving person, the Spirit of God, is the one who brings spiritual life to God’s people. He is the one who regenerates and causes us to be born again: “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” (John 3:6). He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit. (Titus 3:5)

Grace is a divine gift and comes from a divine person, Jesus Christ. The love of God is divine and full and comes from the Father. And fellowship, likewise, is a rich term, full of meaning. We have been called into the “fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:9). Paul spoke of “fellowship with His sufferings” (Philippians 3:10). Believers have fellowship with the Father and the Son (1 John 1:3). The fact that the Spirit indwells all believers, and provides the ground of our supernatural unity, results in true Christian fellowship—a sharing that knows no bounds. It is a divine fellowship, brought about by a divine person, the Holy Spirit of God, the eternal third person of the blessed Trinity.

As stated earlier, many Christians, without knowing it, hold a false view of the Trinity simply due to their inability to articulate the difference between believing in one Being of God and three persons sharing that one Being. As a result, even orthodox Christian believers slip into an ancient heresy known by many names: modalism, Sabellianism, Patripassionism. Today this same error is called Oneness or the “Jesus Only” position.

The Oneness position is, in fact, liable to all sorts of refutation on the basis of Scripture, so it is easy to see why many who wish to deny the Trinity prefer to attack this perversion of it rather than the real thing.

As John taught, Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father also. (1 John 2:23) Such a passage not only clearly differentiates between the Father and the Son, but it warns us how important God considers the truth about His nature.

We begin with the fact that the Father loves the Son and the Son loves the Father—actions incomprehensible outside of recognizing that the Father is a separate divine person from the Son: “The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand” (John 3:35). “For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself is doing; and greater works than these will He show Him, so that you will marvel” (John 5:20).

Certainly the best known example of the existence of three persons is the baptism of Jesus recorded in Matthew 3:16–17: After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him, and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.” Here the Father speaks from heaven, the Son is being baptized (and is again described as being the object of the Father’s love, paralleling the passages just cited from John), and the Spirit is descending as a dove. Jesus is not speaking to himself but is spoken to by the Father. There is no confusing of the persons at the baptism of the Lord Jesus.