Research Article: Can we consider God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit as
a unique person?
The God Father
God the Father is the creator of all things (Genesis 1:1-31, NIV). In the Old Testament, Israel
had a sense of God as father of a nation, father of their people. The prophet Jeremiah says, “I will
lead them to streams of water, on a level road, without stumbling. For I am a father to Israel,
Ephraim is my firstborn.” (Jer. 31:9). Why is God called Father?” The simple answer is because
that is what Scripture calls God, for example, Jesus teaches us in the Lord’s prayer to say, “In
this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name” (Matt 6:9 NKJV).
The ancient understanding of God as “father” is linked to God as creator. In the Scriptures,
God is the author of life, the maker of all things. The prophet Isaiah writes, “Yet, Lord, you are
our father; we are the clay and you our potter: we are all the work of your hand” (Isa. 64:8).
These words hearken back to Genesis, where God creates human beings from the dust of the
earth (Gen. 2:7). The father breathes life, giving form and shape to our hearts. The one who
created life does not hesitate to re-fashion us in new life. With the advent of sin, the coming of
brokenness into the world, God the Father works to restore us to life. In the Gospel, the Father
says, “I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord
Almighty” (2 Cor. 6:18).
Thus, Scripture shares how God created everything from the beginning. The way of redemption
showcases these roles in a transparent manner. The Father designed and organized how mankind
would be redeemed (Galatians 4:4-5). He set into motion a complex set of events, actions,
and prophecies that culminated in the life and death of a Savior. The Son carried out the plan
(John 6:37-38). He followed the Father’s instructions to come to earth, even though that meant
He would have to die. The Holy Spirit sees to it that every person feels a call toward God’s
saving grace (John 14:26, John 16:8; Romans 1:19-20). Furthermore, He transforms the lives and
hearts of those who receive salvation through Jesus Christ. The Father, Son, and Spirit are equal
in their divine attributes. Yet each relates to mankind in a different way because He has a
specific role. It’s essential to understand this distinction: We do not have three gods; we have one
God in three persons functioning uniquely and perfectly.
https://www.christianity.com/wiki/god/the-roles-of-the-trinity.html
Therefore, God, by His nature, is wholly good (Mark 10:18; 1 Timothy 4:4). His goodness is
unmatched, and because of it, we can trust in Him: “The Lord is good, a refuge in times of
trouble. He cares for those who trust in him” (Nahum 1:7; see also Exodus 33:19; Psalm
25:8; 34:8; Matthew 19:17; 2 Peter 1:3). In His goodness, God always has our best interests at
heart: “We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are
called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28, CSB; see also Genesis 50:20; Jeremiah
29:11; Lamentations 3:25). Everything God does is an expression of His goodness and designed
to benefit His people. God’s holiness is unequaled: “There is no one holy like the Lord; there is
no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God” (1 Samuel 2:2; see also Leviticus 11:44–
45; 19:2; Isaiah 6:3; 43:15; 1 Peter 1:15–16; Revelation 4:8). There is no stain of evil or impurity
in God: “God is light; in him there is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5; see also Psalm 12:6; 19:8).
Another defining characteristic of God is His righteousness, meaning He exists in a state of
moral perfection: “God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his
blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his
forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished—he did it to demonstrate his
righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith
in Jesus” (Romans 3:25–26; see also 2 Chronicles 12:6; Psalm 33:5; Isaiah 45:21). God is
also just; He is perfectly upright and fair in how he treats His creation: “Yet the Lord longs to be
gracious to you; therefore, he will rise up to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of
justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!” (Isaiah 30:18; see also Deuteronomy 32:4; Zephaniah
3:5; Acts 17:31; Revelation 16:5–6).
Loving, compassionate, gracious, kind, and merciful are all central descriptions of the character
of God (Nehemiah 9:31). So kindhearted and caring is He that Scripture says, “God is love” (1
John 4:8, 16). The psalmist describes God as “compassionate and gracious” and “abounding in
love and faithfulness” (Psalm 86:15). So great is God’s love for us “that he gave his one and only
Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16; see also 1
John 4:9–10). Because of His great love, Christ died for us, even while we were still sinners
(Romans 5:8; see also Titus 3:4–5). God’s mercy and compassion never fail; they are renewed
continuously toward us day in and day out (Lamentations 3:22–23). Part of God’s character
is faithfulness: “God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our
Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:9; see also Isaiah 49:7 1 Thessalonians 5:24). In our struggles and
failures, God is faithful to forgive us when we confess our sin and return to Him: “If we confess
our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all
unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). In times when we stumble and fall, it is immensely encouraging
to know that God will never abandon us. Even when we are utterly unfaithful, God remains
faithful and true because that is who He is; it is God’s character to be faithful (2 Timothy 2:13;
see also Revelation 19:11).
God is truthful, and His Word is true: “We know also that the Son of God has come and has
given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true by
being in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life” (1 John 5:20; see also John
17:17). God and His Word form a trustworthy foundation for life (Psalm
12:6; 26:3; 33:4; 43:3; 86:11). In Him is no falsehood, lies, or deception (Numbers 23:19; Isaiah
45:19; Romans 1:25; Hebrews 6:18). What God says is absolutely reliable (Jeremiah 10:10). His
Word is consistent with His character and His revelation of Himself (John 7:28; 8:26). Because
of God’s character, we can count on Him to fulfill His promises (Psalm 31:5). Patience and
longsuffering are attributes of God’s character. He is “slow to anger,” dealing patiently with
rebellious sinners (Exodus 34:6; Numbers 14:18; Psalm 86:15;). God was patient in delaying the
flood in Noah’s time while the ark was under construction, giving sinners plenty of time for
repentance (1 Peter 3:20).
Likewise, the prolonging of Christ’s return is not an indication of slowness or hesitation on
God’s part, but of His longsuffering, as He does not want anyone to die without the opportunity
to repent, be saved, and enter into His family (2 Peter 3:9–10). At the heart of God’s character is
His desire to be a Father to all who draw near to Him (Psalm 68:5; 103:13; Isaiah
63:16; 64:8; Ephesians 4:6; 1 John 3:1). The more deeply we dig into the Scriptures, the more we
will uncover new and beautiful facets to the character of God. And the longer we spend time
with Him and in His Word, the better we will know and understand His nature. We will discover
that God never changes (Malachi 3:6; James 1:17), that He is all-knowing, all-powerful, and
always present everywhere (Psalm 139:7–10; Hebrews 4:13). He is perfect (Matthew 5:48), and
He is three in one. We can spend a lifetime seeking after Him and still only scratch the surface of
comprehending the depth of our heavenly Father’s character.
Graciously, our heavenly Father shares the wonder of his fatherhood with us men. To be a father,
therefore, is a sacred privilege and a high calling. Unique to the Bible is the vision of the one
God as the Trinity—God the rejoicing Father, God the obedient Son, and God the loving Spirit
as the Presence between the Father and the Son. It is amazing but not surprising, then, that such a
God would create us fathers on earth to embody something of his glorious fatherhood above. The
Old Testament says surprisingly little. Though the Old Testament clearly calls God “Father” a
few times (for example, Isa. 63:16; 64:8; Jer. 3:19; Mal. 2:10), the writers of the Old Testament
lay greater emphasis on our distance from God and the reserve we should feel before him. God is
revealed more as separate from us and beyond us, and he is seen less as intimate and close to us.
This Old Testament view of God is true and wonderfully humbling for us. We hasten to bow low
before our powerful Creator and high King.
Indeed, the New Testament, although God remains holy and majestic in our eyes, Jesus adds a
strikingly clear emphasis on God as Father—both his Father and our Father (John 20:17). It is
Jesus who calls God “Abba, Father” (Mark 14:36). It is Jesus who teaches us to pray to God as
our Father (Matt. 6:9). It is the Spirit of the Son who leads us into intimacy with God as our own
Abba Father (Gal. 4:6). Now we know that, as our Father, God cares for us and provides for us
(Matt. 6:25–34). As our Father, he hears and answers our prayers (Matt. 7:7–11). As our Father,
he disciplines us (Heb. 12:3–11). As our Father, he receives us and forgives us and rejoices over
us when in repentance we come home to him (Luke 15:11–32). That God the Father has made
himself God our Father means that he is personally, emotionally, and even sacrificially involved
with us.
Jesus Christ the Son of God
The Bible itself describes Jesus as the God the Son—John 1:1. The Bible identifies Jesus as
divine. Though, Jesus is the “High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of
the same testing we do, yet he did not sin (Heb 4:15 NLT).” While Christ never specifically
called Himself “God,” His Father did apply the title to Him (Heb. 1:8). Furthermore, Jesus
acknowledged having unlimited power—an attribute possessed only by the divine Creator (Matt.
28:18)—and also accepted worship (Matt. 14:33; John 9:38). Jesus had a compassionate nature.
He had compassion on the crowds “because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without
(a shepherd” (Matthew 9:36). Because of His compassion for them, He healed their diseases
(Matthew 14:14; 20:34), and because of their hunger, He compassionately created enough food
to feed large crowds on at least two occasions (Matthew 14:13–21; 15:29–39). He had a mission
in life and never got sidetracked from it, knowing the weightiness of it and the shortness of time.
His attitude was that of a servant. He “did not come to be served, but to serve” (Mark
10:45). Kindness and selflessness characterized His personality. Jesus was submissive to His
Father’s will when He came to earth and subsequently went to the cross. He knew that dying on
the cross was the only payment His Father could accept for our salvation. He prayed the night of
His betrayal by Judas, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I
will, but as you will” (Matthew 26:39). He was a submissive Son to Mary and Joseph, as well.
He grew up in a normal (sinful) household, yet, Jesus “was obedient” to His parents (Luke 2:51).
He was obedient to the Father’s will. “He learned obedience from what he suffered” (Hebrews
5:8). “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we
have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin” (Hebrews
4:15).
The Bible says Jesus had a heart of mercy and forgiveness. On the cross, He prayed, “Father,
forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). Jesus was loving in His
relationships. For example, John 11:5 says, “Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and
Lazarus” (John 11:5). John referred to himself as the disciple “whom Jesus loved” (John 13:23).
Jesus had a reputation for being good and caring. He healed often so that the people might know
who He was. Truly He proved to be the Son of the living God by all the miracles He did, all the
while showing concern for the afflictions of those around Him. Jesus was honest and truthful. He
never violated His own word. He spoke truth wherever He went. He lived a life we could follow
explicitly. Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life.” (John 14:6). At the same time, He
was peaceable. He did not argue His case, nor try to bully His way into people’s hearts. Jesus
was intimate with His followers. He spent quality and quantity time with them. He desired their
fellowship, taught them, and helped them focus on what was eternal. He was also intimate with
His heavenly Father. He prayed to Him regularly, listened, obeyed, and cared about God’s
reputation. When Jesus saw the moneychangers who were taking advantage of worshipers, He
drove them out. He said, “It is written, ‘My house will be a house of prayer’; but you have made
it ‘a den of robbers’” (Luke 19:46). Jesus was a strong but meek leader. Everywhere He went
(until the inevitable decline), the people followed Him, eager to listen to His teaching. The
people were amazed at the authority with which Jesus spoke (Mark 1:27–28; Matthew 7:28–29).
Jesus was patient, knowing and understanding our frailties. Several times in the Gospels, Jesus
verbalized His patience in the face of our faithless provocations (Matthew 8:26; Mark 9:19; John
14:9; cf. 2 Peter 3:9).
As a matter of fact, all believers should desire to emulate Jesus’ character traits through the
power of the Holy Spirit. The things that drew people to Jesus should be the very things that
draw people to us. We need to read God’s Word (the Bible) to know and understand who God is
and His will for us. We should do everything for the glory of the Lord (1 Corinthians 10:31),
living as salt and light in the world and pointing others to the amazing truth of Jesus and
salvation in Him (Matthew 5:13–16; 28:18–20). Jesus is not God’s Son in the sense of a human
father and a son. God did not get married and have a son. God did not mate with Mary and,
together with her, produce a son. Jesus is God’s Son in the sense that He is God made manifest
in human form (John 1:1, 14). Jesus is God’s Son in that He was conceived in Mary by the Holy
Spirit. Luke 1:35 declares, “The angel answered, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the
power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son
of God.’” During His trial before the Jewish leaders, the High Priest demanded of Jesus, “I charge you
under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God” (Matthew 26:63).
“‘Yes, it is as you say,’ Jesus replied. ‘But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son
of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven’”
(Matthew 26:64).
The Jewish leaders responded by accusing Jesus of blasphemy (Matthew
26:65-66). Later, before Pontius Pilate, “The Jews insisted, ‘We have a law, and according to
that law He must die, because He claimed to be the Son of God’” (John 19:7). Why would His
claiming to be the Son of God be considered blasphemy and be worthy of a death sentence? The
Jewish leaders understood exactly what Jesus meant by the phrase “Son of God.” To be the Son
of God is to be of the same nature as God. The Son of God is “of God.” The claim to be of the
same nature as God—to in fact be God—was blasphemy to the Jewish leaders; therefore, they
demanded Jesus’ death, in keeping with (Leviticus 24:15). The book of (Hebrews 1:3) expresses
this very clearly, “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His
being.” Another example can be found in John 17:12 where Judas is described as the “son of
perdition.” (John 6:71) tells us that Judas was the son of Simon. What does (John 17:12) mean
by describing Judas as the “son of perdition”? The word perdition means “destruction, ruin,
waste.” Judas was not the literal son of “ruin, destruction, and waste,” but those things were the
identity of Judas’ life. Judas was a manifestation of perdition. In this same way, Jesus is the Son
of God. The Son of God is God. Jesus is God made manifest (John 1:1, 14). (Got Questions)!
The God of the Holy Spirit
According to the scriptures, God the Holy Spirit—After declaring that God raised Christ from
the dead, the New Testament goes on to credit the Holy Spirit with the resurrection (Acts
4:10; Rom. 8:11). Jesus reinforced that idea when He commanded the disciples to baptize new
believers in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The Bible provides many ways
to help us understand that the Holy Spirit is truly a person—that is, He is a personal being, rather
than an impersonal thing. First, every pronoun used in reference to the Spirit is “he” not “it.” The
original Greek language of the New Testament is explicit in confirming the person of the Holy
Spirit. The word for “Spirit” (pneuma) is neuter and would naturally take neuter pronouns to
have grammatical agreement. Yet, in many cases, masculine pronouns are found (e.g., John
15:26; 16:13-14).
Grammatically, there is no other way to understand the pronouns of the New Testament related
to the Holy Spirit—He is referred to as a “He,” as a person. Matthew 28:19 teaches us to baptize
in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This is a collective reference to one Triune God.
Also, we are not to grieve the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:30). The Spirit can be sinned against
(Isaiah 63:10) and lied to (Acts 5:3). We are to obey Him (Acts 10:19–21) and honor Him
(Psalm 51:11). The personhood of the Holy Spirit is also affirmed by His many works. He was
personally involved in creation (Genesis 1:2), empowers God’s people (Zechariah 4:6), guides
(Romans 8:14), comforts (John 14:26), convicts (John 16:8), teaches (John 16:13), restrains sin
(Isaiah 59:19), and gives commands (Acts 8:29). Each of these works requires the involvement
of a person rather than a mere force, thing, or idea. The Holy Spirit’s attributes also point to His
personality. The Holy Spirit has life (Romans 8:2), has a will (1 Corinthians 12:11), is
omniscient (1 Corinthians 2:10–11), is eternal (Hebrews 9:14), and is omnipresent (Psalm
139:7). A mere force could not possess all of these attributes, but the Holy Spirit does. And the
personhood of the Holy Spirit is affirmed by His role as the third Person of the Godhead. Only a
being who is equal to God (Matthew 28:19) and possesses the attributes of omniscience,
omnipresence, and eternality could be defined as God. (Got Questions)!
The book of Acts 5:3–4, Peter referred to the Holy Spirit as God, stating, “Ananias, how is it
that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself
some of the money you received for the land? Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And
after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a
thing? You have not lied just to human beings but to God.” Paul likewise referred to the Holy
Spirit as God in (2 Corinthians 3:17–18), stating, “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the
Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the
Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from
the Lord, who is the Spirit.” The Holy Spirit is a person, as Scripture makes clear. As such, He is
to be revered as God and serves in perfect unity with Father and Son to lead us in our spiritual
lives. The Spirit of God was present at and involved in creation (Genesis 1:2; Psalm 33:6). The
Holy Spirit moved the prophets of God with the words of God (2 Peter 1:21). The bodies of
those in Christ are described as temples of God because the Holy Spirit is in us (1 Corinthians
6:19). Jesus was clear that to be “born again,” to become a Christian, one must be born “of the
Spirit” (John 3:5).
One of the most convincing statements in the Bible about the Holy Spirit being God is found
in Acts 5. When Ananias lied about the price of a piece of property, Peter said that Satan had
filled Ananias’s heart to “lie to the Holy Spirit” (Acts 5:3) and concluded by saying that Ananias
had “lied to God” (verse 4). Peter reveals that the Holy Spirit is God. Lying to the Holy Spirit is
lying to God. Jesus told His disciples that the Holy Spirit, the Helper, was different from
Himself. The Father would send the Helper, the Spirit of truth, after Christ departed. The Spirit
would speak through the disciples about Jesus (John 14:25–26; 15:26–27; 16:7–15). The Holy
Spirit on the other hand describes as a person, not a mere force. He can be grieved (Ephesians
4:30). He has a will (1 Corinthians 12:4-7). The Holy Spirit uses His mind to search the deep
things of God (1 Corinthians 2:10). And He has fellowship with believers (2 Corinthians 13:14).
Keep in mind, also, that the Holy Spirit was involved with creating all things (Job 33:4), along
with the Father and the Son (Genesis 1:1–2; John 1:1–3). Since the Holy Spirit is God, it is
blasphemous to call him a force. Scriptures teach that the Holy Spirit is not just a person; he is a
divine person, even God himself. Multiple Bible passages attest to this fact. For example, Luke
equates lying to the Holy Spirit with lying to God (Acts 5:3–4). Paul equates God’s temple with
the Holy Spirit’s temple (1 Corinthians 3:16–17; 6:19–20).
Finally, all three Persons mention this article research—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—are God
while being distinct from each other within the Trinity. The three members of the Trinity show
up, together yet distinct, at Jesus’ baptism. As Jesus comes up from the water, the Spirit descends
on Him like a dove while the voice of the Father is heard from heaven saying that He is pleased
with His beloved Son (Mark 1:10–11). The Bible describes God the Father is the creator of all
things (Genesis 1:1-31 NIV). Jesus is the God the Son—John 1:1 identifies Jesus as divine.
Clearly, the Holy Spirit on the other hand describes as a person, not a mere force (Job 33:4).
Though, the Spirit is a person, just as the Father and the Son are persons. Indeed, the Bible is
unequivocal that the Holy Spirit is, in fact, God, just as Jesus Christ and the Father are God.
References:
GotQuestions.org. (2022a, January 4). GotQuestions.org. https://www.gotquestions.org/whoHoly-Spirit.html
GotQuestions.org. (2022b, January 4). GotQuestions.org. https://www.gotquestions.org/JesusSon-of-God.html
GotQuestions.org. (2022c, July 25). GotQuestions.org. https://www.gotquestions.org/FatherGod.html
Kathleen aleteia. (2021, June 20). 4 Ways to understand God as Father. Aleteia — Catholic
Spirituality, Lifestyle, World News, and Culture. https://aleteia.org/2021/06/20/4-waysto-understand-god-as-father/
Nelson, T. (2005). NKJV, Holy Bible: Holy Bible, New King James Version. Thomas Nelson.
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Stanley, C. (2022). The Roles of the Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Christianity.com.
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