God is described with different words in the Bible, a few of which translate into English as LORD, Lord, the LORD almighty, God, God Almighty and so forth. When reading these in different places in the Bible, you become aware that although God is "one" He is also "more than one"—God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit (Holy Ghost). Together, they are referred to as "the Trinity" or "the Godhead." On this page we will provide explanations that help people understand God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and the Trinity.
God is not so complex that He can not be understood. The Bible is written so that anyone can understand Him. The difference is that God is not human, so He can not be described as a human can be described. The gods of every other religion can be described in "normal" terms since they were invented in the minds of men.* Even some "Christians" (actually Christian cults) invent their own description of God and make Him seem like these other gods (by denying the aspect of the Trinity). On this page we will clarify the Trinity so that you can understand this aspect of God.
* Romans 1:20-23 (chapter 1, verses 20-23)
These same people may even agree that God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are "working together." However, the followers of several cults are taught that Jesus is "just a prophet," or "only the son of God"—not God. This wrong viewpoint is easily clarified by looking at two Bible verses: Isaiah 9:6, and Isaiah 43:12 (below).
Isaiah 9:6For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 43:12I have declared and saved, I have proclaimed, And there was no foreign god among you; Therefore you are My witnesses,"Says the LORD, "that I am God."
Notice the numbers in brackets that we placed in the text. Those numbers indicate the "Strong’s Numbers" of those particular words. Strong’s Numbers are index numbers in a document called a "Strong’s Concordance" that allow someone who only reads English to understand what the Bible’s original Hebrew words are. For example, the number [03068] refers to the Hebrew word YHWH. This word is usually written in English as LORD, Jehovah, or (phonetically) Y@hovah. Similarly, the number [0410] refers to the Hebrew word ‘el, which is normally written in English as God.
It has been thoroughly proven that Isaiah 9:6 is a Messianic Prophecy referring to Jesus Christ. Notice how Isaiah 43:12 clearly shows that God (YHWH) refers to himself as God (‘El)—the exact same term (‘El) used to refer to Jesus. There are numerous other examples, but we will not belabor the point. It is obvious that God and Jesus are both God.
Jesus Doing What Only God Can Do
Mark chapter 2 opens up with an interesting story about Jesus healing a paralytic man. Notice that Jesus forgives the man’s sins in verse 5 and the reaction of the teachers of the law (the religious experts of the day) in verses 6 and 7.
The teachers of the law knew that only God could forgive sin. Since the people could not "see" sin being forgiven, Jesus proved He did indeed forgive the man’s sins by supernaturally healing the man’s paralysis (providing visible proof everyone could see). You can also read about this event in Luke 5:17-26. In both cases it is obvious that Jesus is God.
Out of the Mouth of Jesus
In Luke 22:70 and John 8:58, Jesus answers questions put to him by the Pharisees that declare Himself to be on "God’s level." Notice how Jesus answered their questions by saying "I am." (Ego eimi in Greek.) Ego eimi is not a translation of YHWH, but it is similar to our translating YHWH into "I AM" in English. This choice of words was not lost on the Jewish audience He was talking to! They immediately wanted to kill Jesus for blasphemy. That is, the Jews believed that by comparing Himself to God in that way, that Jesus deserved death. They clearly understood the implication Jesus was making—that He was the same as God. We hope that makes sense to you also.