Expert: Dean Gade - 4/23/2007

Question
Do you think the Trinity was just something created by the Council of Nicea to help blend paganism and Christianity ? Is the Trinity biblical and how is it that Jesus himself was not a Trinitarian ?

Answer
The Apostles Creed, Nicene Creed and the Athanasian Creed were all written to establish the beliefs of the Christian Church as drawn from the Bible.  They were to show our common beliefs as well as pointing out what we didn't believe.  

They are called "creeds" from the Latin word "credo" which means "I believe".

The word "Trinity" does not appear in the Bible.  The word is a "theological construct", which means that it is a word or phrase used by theologians to cover a whole concept without many explanations.   Another common one is "Original Sin"...used often but not in the Bible.

Jesus taught that He was both the Son of man and the Son of God.  He taught that He came from heaven, had been with the Father, was the only one who could bring people to the Father, did only what the Father gave Him to do before He came to earth, when He left He promised to send the Holy Spirit to us and thus be "with" us always even to the end of the world....and many more places where He teaches the concept of ONE God, yet THREE PERSONS.

Even the prophecies written hundreds of years before Jesus' birth tell of the Christ/Messiah who would be one with the Father and the Counselor:

Isa 9:6-7
6 For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of his government and peace
there will be no end.
He will reign on David's throne
and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
with justice and righteousness
from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the LORD Almighty
will accomplish this.
(from New International Version)

If you would like me to send the text of some of the passages which speak about Jesus as God, please write again.