Is God One or Three?

          The third paragraph of the 2nd chapter of the Philadelphia Baptist Confess of Faith says, “In this divine and infinite Being there are three subsistences, the Father, the Word (or Son), and Holy Spirit,27 of one substance, power and eternity, each having the whole divine essence, yet the essence undivided;28 the Father is of none neither begotten nor proceeding, the Son is eternally begotten of the Father,29 the Holy Spirit proceeding from the Father and the Son,30 all infinite, without beginning, therefore but one God, who is not to be divided in nature and being, but distinguished by several peculiar, relative properties, and personal relations which doctrine of the Trinity is the foundation of all our communion with God, and comfortable dependence on Him.”     

          While this does not fully cover the subject, it does state a very important tenet of our faith.  Gen. 1:1 says, “In the beginning God…”  The word God here is translated from the Hebrew “Elohim.”  Is God one or three? One explanation is that the Hebrews have a custom of using a plural term when we would generally use the singular.  That is wrong.

          Others say God is only One with no other manifestation.  This denies the deity of Jesus and the Holy Spirit.  Wrong.

          Others explain God is three, and His Unity is a Unity of Purpose.  This also is wrong.

          There was in years past an old explanation of the Trinity called Sabellianism.  Briefly it said, in the old Testament God was God the father, when Jesus came to earth, He was God, the son, Now they say the Holy Spirit  is God, the Spirit.  Wrong  

          Another modern illustration which seems to be modification of Sabellianism is, a particular man may be a father, a son, and a lawyer.  This too is wrong

          We might say God is inexplicable.  Let me say it this way:  Jesus is not a man in whom God dwells.  That is true of every believer.  He is not a man who came to earth, was baptized, and became God.  He always has been God.  He is not half man and half God.  Jesus was with God in eternity and He was God.  He came to earth by way of the virgin’s womb and that God became man.  He is 100 percent God and 100 percent man.  He is God having become man, the God-Man.