Introduction

The doctrine of the Trinity states that God is one being who exists simultaneously as three distinct persons: the Father, the Son (Jesus Christ), and the Holy Spirit. Each person is fully God, yet there is only one God. This doctrine, while central to mainstream Christianity today, presents numerous logical paradoxes.

This page examines several key problems with Trinitarian theology from within Christianity's own framework, focusing on inconsistencies in the biblical text itself rather than external critiques.

Is God One or Three?

God is One

Deuteronomy 6:4
"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one."
Isaiah 45:5
"I am the LORD, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God."
Mark 12:29
"The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.'"
1 Corinthians 8:6
"Yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live."
1 Timothy 2:5
"For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus."
Matthew 9:8
"When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to man."

God is Three

Matthew 28:19
"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."
2 Corinthians 13:14
"May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all."
John 14:16
"And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever."
1 Peter 1:2
"who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood."

Is Jesus Equal to the Father?

Jesus is Equal

John 10:30
"I and the Father are one."
John 14:9
"Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father."
Philippians 2:6
"Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage."
Colossians 2:9
"For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form."

Jesus is Not Equal

John 14:28
"The Father is greater than I."
Mark 13:32
"But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father."
1 Corinthians 11:3
"But I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God."
John 5:19
"Jesus gave them this answer: 'Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing.'"
John 17:3
"Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent."

Who Raised Jesus from the Dead?

God the Father Raised Jesus

Acts 2:24
"But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him."
Romans 6:4
"We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life."
Galatians 1:1
"Paul, an apostle—sent not from men nor by a man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead."

Jesus Raised Himself

John 2:19-21
"Jesus answered them, 'Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.' They replied, 'It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?' But the temple he had spoken of was his body."
John 10:17-18
"The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again."

Development

The doctrine of the Trinity evolved gradually over several centuries and was not fully formulated until the 4th and 5th centuries CE:

  • The term "Trinity" (Latin: Trinitas) was first used by Tertullian around 200 CE, over 150 years after Jesus's death
  • The doctrine was not formalized until the Council of Nicaea (325 CE) and the Council of Constantinople (381 CE)
  • Early Christians held diverse views about the nature of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit
  • The Trinity doctrine was developed primarily to resolve theological disputes and was shaped by Greek philosophical concepts not present in the original Jewish context of early Christianity

This historical evidence suggests that the Trinity was not part of original Christian teaching but was a later theological development attempting to reconcile contradictory statements in the biblical text.

The "Divine Mystery" Defense

When confronted with these clear contradictions, Trinitarian theology resorts to claiming that God's nature is a "divine mystery" beyond human comprehension. This approach uses sophisticated theological terminology—hypostases, ousia, perichoresis—for concepts that have no physical evidence or real-world referents.

These are ad-hoc rationalizations of concepts that would normally be considered contradictory. We don't apply this kind of logic in any other area of life because it would be absurd and impractical.

A Practical Analogy

Imagine a banking scenario where your landlord says you owe him one thousand dollars, as clearly stated in your lease contract. Then imagine another clause in the same contract that says you owe three thousand dollars for the same rental period. When you point out this contradiction, your landlord responds:

"This is a mysterious unity of financial obligation. You owe both one thousand and three thousand dollars simultaneously. The amounts are distinct yet unified in the ineffable essence of your debt. This transcends ordinary mathematical understanding—it's a divine mystery of contractual perichoresis."

You would rightfully reject this explanation as nonsensical. You would demand:

  • A clear, consistent statement of what you actually owe
  • Evidence-based reasoning, not mystical language
  • Logical coherence in the contract terms
  • The removal of contradictory clauses

Yet when it comes to theology, we're expected to accept that "God works in mysterious ways" and that logical contradictions are somehow evidence of divine truth rather than human error in interpretation or doctrine. It seems that the God who endowed us with reason expects us not to use it when contemplating His nature.