The Trinity is one of the hardest concepts of Christianity to understand. This is because Jewish Monotheism is the core of the Hebrew Scriptures. While the Old Testament personifies God's wisdom and word, never does the Hebrew Bible allude to God being multiple beings. One God alone exists (Deuteronomy 6:4-9)!
The New Testament does not abandon monotheism, but reinforces this belief as well. Of course, with the integration of Jesus and the Holy Spirit (Mark 12:29, Ephesians 4:4-6,
1 Corinthians 8:4-6).
The Trinity is a word not used in the Bible, but a concept used later to describe the relationship between God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit (aka. the Holy Spirit).
The Trinity is the belief that Father, Son and Spirit are all the ONE God of Hebrew Scriptures. Each "person" of the Trinity is equal in every way. The Trinity is not a hierarchy of separate gods, unlike with the Roman or Egyptian gods. The Trinity is three separate persons who make up ONE God.
What is the Father, Son and Spirit’s Role in Creation and Salvation
One of the best descriptions of how the Trinity operates in Scripture is:
2 Corinthians 1:20-22, “For as many as the promises of God are, in Him they are yes; therefore, through Him also is our Amen to the glory of God through us. Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God, who sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge.” Salvation is God the Father’s initiative, which happens through the Son and sustained by the Spirit. Which is the same for creation as well.
The Father
The Father is the head of the Trinity. This symbolizes the relationship that the Father has with the rest of the Trinity. The Father is the one in whom we can give all credit for Creation, and it is the Father whose character and desires the Son and Spirit possess. Think of being the head as the brain of the trinity. The brain holds our personality, emotions, and directs the choices we make. But that does not make it any more valuable than the lungs or heart. Even though God the Father is the Head, this does not mean that the Father is any more elevated than the Son and Spirit.
The Father is the one in whom we have a relationship with and is the one who directs the Son and Spirit (John 14:6, Galatians 4:4-5, Romans 8:3, 1 John 4:1-4). Son is the way to the Father, and the Spirit guides us in this relationship with the Father.
The Son
The Son is the Word of God. Meaning the Son is God’s communication to creation. When God speaks, His word is so powerful it acts (Isaiah 55:11, John 1:1-14). Therefore, it was through the Word of God that the world was created (John 1:1-14, Colossians 1:16). The Son is God’s self revelation to creation. Anytime you see God do something, it is through the Son. Like when we do something, the vehicle of our actions is our body. When we hit someone, we do not say that was my arm, that was not me. The Word of God is how God relates to the world and is seen by the World. When the World sees God, they are looking at the Son (John 14:8). Through following and worshiping Jesus, we have a relationship with the Father (John 12:49-50,
1 Timothy 2:5).
The Spirit
The Spirit is the one who sustains the relationship between God and humanity that is established through the Son. The Spirit makes us become more like God because the Spirit is God’s presence and by the presence of God living in us; we are made holy and are reborn into the kingdom of God (John 3:5-6, Titus 3:5 2 Thessalonians 2:13, Galatians 5:16-25).
The Spirit is how we come to know God the Father. He reveals to us God the Father and is how we walk in a relationship with God the Father every day (1 Corinthians 2:10-11). It is through the Spirit we are taught how to live life as people of God’s kingdom (John 14:26).
Do We Worship Father, Son or Spirit?
While God the Father is the one with whom we have relationship with, this does not mean the Son and Spirit are not to be worshiped. The best evidence we have for this in Scripture is the disciples worshiping Jesus after His resurrection (Matthew 28:9, 16-17, Luke 24:51-52). While there are no verses of the Holy Spirit alone being worshiped, there are plenty of verses affirming that the Holy Spirit is God and therefore, He is worthy of worship (2 Corinthians 3:17-18, Acts 5:3-4, 1 Corinthians 3:16, Genesis 1:2, 2 Corinthians 13:14).
For the above reasons, the answer is all three are deserving of worship. Anytime we worship God, we are worshipping all three persons of the Trinity. Because of this in prayer, worship, and your everyday life, be aware of the role that the Father, Son and Spirit have in your life.
Recap:
God the Father: is the one whom the other two persons of the Trinity lead us to, and is the one directs the mission, character and will of the Trinity.
God the Son: The mediator, the way to the Father. It is through following and faith in Jesus that we are in a relationship with the Father.
God the Spirit: The helper. The Holy Spirit is God's presence in us. The Holy Spirit dwelling is what makes us residents of God's kingdom and is the deposit of what is to come (new creation/heaven).
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