Religious Studies - Catholic Christianity- Unit 1 Beliefs and teachings - Biblical Teachings on theTrinity 1.2

Catholic Christianity Unit 1

Biblical Teachings on the Trinity

• The threefold nature of God is hinted at in the Old Testament
• In Genesis, God speaks the Word to create and the Spirit hovers over creation.
• The prophet Isaiah claims that God sends his Word and Spirit to create and guide.
• God as the Trinity is clearly referred to in the New Testament:
• •Jesus’ final words in Matthew are to make disciples baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit
• •St Paul makes several references to the Trinity in his letters
• •St Peter begins his first letter, with a reference to the Trinity
• The Gospel accounts of the baptism of Jesus clearly show that God is the Trinity:
• •God the Son goes into the Jordan to be baptised
• •As he is being baptised, the God the Holy Spirit descends like a dove and rests on him
• •God the Father speaks from heaven announcing that this is his beloved Son
• So at the very beginning of Jesus’ ministry – his teaching and his miracles – there is a statement that the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are at work as the one God in his ministry.
• Belief in God as a Trinity of Persons is important for Catholics because the Trinity helps Catholics understand the different ways that God has shown…