Is the Trinity Biblical? A Closer Look at God’s Nature in Scripture

THE DOCTRINE of the Trinity — the belief that God is one being in three co-equal, co-eternal persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — is considered foundational by mainstream Christianity. Yet, surprisingly, this concept is not explicitly found in Scripture.

Is the Trinity a biblical teaching, or is it a later development influenced by pagan philosophy? In this blog post, we will examine the origin of the Trinity doctrine, its pagan parallels, and what the Bible actually teaches about the nature of God and Christ.

The Origin of the Trinity Doctrine

The word “Trinity” is not found in the Bible. Early Christians did not teach it. The concept developed gradually over the first few centuries A.D. and was formalized at the Council of Nicaea in 325 A.D., then further defined at the Council of Constantinople in 381 A.D. These councils, heavily influenced by Greek philosophical thinking, sought to unify theological disputes within the Roman Church. Notably, Emperor Constantine, a political leader and recent convert to Christianity, played a key role in the formulation of the Nicene Creed.

Respected scholar Alvan Lamson, in The Church of the First Three Centuries (1860), states:

“The modern doctrine of the Trinity is not found in any document or relic belonging to the Church of the first three centuries.”

The Pagan Roots of Trinitarian Worship

Trinitarian concepts predate Christianity and are seen in various pagan religions. The Babylonians worshiped a triad of deities: Anu, Enlil, and Ea. Hindus embrace the Trimurti: Brahma (creator), Vishnu (preserver), and Shiva (destroyer). Ancient Egyptians honored Osiris, Isis, and Horus. Greek and Roman religions also had triads of gods: the Capitoline Triad in Rome, consisting of Jupiter, Juno, and Minerva, etc. All these pagan gods were consistenly represented as "trinity".

Alexander Hislop, in The Two Babylons, explains:

“In order to conciliate the pagans to nominal Christianity, Rome pursued a policy of compromise, resulting in the adoption of heathen ideas such as the Trinity under Christian labels.”

By merging pagan traditions with Christian terminology, early theologians obscured the biblical simplicity of God’s oneness.

The Trinity: A Biblical Reality Check

The New Testament contains no verse where God is defined as “one God in three persons.” Rather, Scripture affirms monotheism, the belief in one God, not a three "coequal" beings. Jesus Himself declared in John 17:3:

“This is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.”

The apostle Paul, in 1 Corinthians 8:6, distinguishes between God the Father and Jesus the Son:

“Yet for us there is one God, the Father… and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.”

In apostle Paul's epistles, equality of Christ with the Father in not an issue, or something to be debated on. As 'Father and Son', they have the same essence of God, but the Son is clearly subordinated with the Father. The basic understanding of human family expresses this concept. Just as the father is human so is the son of the same 'human' essence of the father.

A Closer Look at 1 John 5:7-8: A Textual Addition?

One of the few texts used to support the Trinity is 1 John 5:7-8, which in the King James Version reads:

“For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.”

However, this phrase — known as the Johannine Comma — is not found in the earliest Greek manuscripts. Most modern Bible translations exclude it. Bruce Metzger, a leading New Testament scholar, wrote in A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament:

“The passage is absent from every known Greek manuscript before the 14th century.”

This verse was likely inserted later by scribes to support a growing Trinitarian theology, not based on apostolic teaching.

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord Our God is One”

The Bible consistently affirms God’s oneness, not a triune nature. The Shema, quoted by Jesus in Mark 12:29, says:

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.”

The Greek word used for “one” here is heis, meaning one in essence or number — not a 'hypostasis' type of fixed union (substances). Jesus never corrected this statement, nor introduced a triune God. He always honored the Father as the one true God (John 4:23).

The God Family: A Biblical Alternative

Rather than a closed Trinity, the Bible reveals a God family — a divine relationship that begins with the Father and the Son, and into which believers are invited. Hebrews 2:10 speaks of God’s purpose:

“...bringing many sons [children] to glory.”

Jesus is called the firstborn among many brethren (Romans 8:29), indicating that God’s plan is to expand His family — not maintain a closed triune Godhead.

The Holy Spirit, rather than being a separate person, is consistently portrayed as the power and presence of God, not a co-equal being. In Luke 1:35, the Spirit is referred to as “the power of the Highest.” Paul never greets churches in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — only the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ (e.g., Galatians 1:3).

Jesus Christ: The Son of God, Not 'God the Son'

The New Testament repeatedly calls Jesus the Son of God, not “God the Son” (Trinitarian formula) He was begotten, sent by the Father, and did the Father’s will (John 5:30). He acknowledged, “My Father is greater than I” (John 14:28).

Even after His resurrection, Jesus refers to the Father as “My God” (John 20:17; Revelation 3:12). This would make no sense if Jesus were competing with co-equality with the Father.

Conclusion: One God, One Family, One Future

The Trinity doctrine is neither biblical nor apostolic. It emerged centuries after Christ, shaped by pagan philosophy and ecclesiastical politics.

The Scriptures reveal a personal, singular God — the Father, and Jesus Christ as His begotten Son, through whom God is creating a divine family. As Hebrews 2:10 declares, God's goal is bringing many sons to glory — not preserving a mysterious triune formula.

Rather than embracing creeds rooted in confusion, let us return to the simplicity of biblical monotheism, understanding the God Family as a dynamic relationship — one we are invited to join.

As Jesus prayed in John 17:21:

“That they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us...”

This is the true unity God offers — not a Trinity, but a family!