The Trinity: Each Person In, Described as Eternal
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The doctrine of the Trinity is a foundational tenet of Christian theology, affirming the existence of one God in three distinct persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Each person of the Trinity is fully and equally God, sharing the same divine essence and attributes, including eternality. The concept of eternality implies that each person of the Trinity has no beginning and no end, existing outside the confines of time and space.

The Father as Eternal

The eternality of God the Father is a well-established concept in Scripture. The Father is often referred to as the "Ancient of Days," a title that emphasizes His timeless nature. In the book of Psalms, the eternal nature of God is celebrated: "Before the mountains were born or You brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting You are God" (Psalm 90:2). This passage underscores the belief that God the Father exists beyond the temporal realm, having neither beginning nor end.

The Son as Eternal

The eternality of the Son, Jesus Christ, is a central affirmation of Christian faith. The Gospel of John opens with a profound declaration of the pre-existence and divine nature of the Son: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (John 1:1). This verse establishes that the Son, referred to as the Word, was present at the very beginning, co-existing with God and being God Himself. Furthermore, Jesus' own words in Revelation affirm His eternal nature: "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End" (Revelation 22:13). These titles signify His existence beyond time, affirming His divine and eternal nature.

The Holy Spirit as Eternal

The Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, is also described as eternal. The author of Hebrews refers to the Holy Spirit as the "eternal Spirit" in the context of Christ's sacrificial work: "how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from works of death, so that we may serve the living God!" (Hebrews 9:14). This designation of the Holy Spirit as eternal underscores His divine nature and co-equality with the Father and the Son.

In summary, the doctrine of the Trinity affirms that each person—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—is eternal, sharing the same divine essence and attributes. This eternality is a key aspect of their divine nature, as revealed in the Scriptures, and is essential to understanding the unity and diversity within the Godhead.
Torrey's Topical Textbook
Romans 16:26
But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Revelation 22:13
I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Hebrews 9:14
How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

The Relation of the Godhead to Creation
... being Other than they are, It must be described as "outside ... but also to the Persons
of the Trinity; not only ... And Each "Person" is an Emanation because Each is a ...
/.../rolt/dionysius the areopagite/iii the relation of the godhead.htm

On the Person of the Father and the Son
... Each of these properties is attributed, in the Holy Scriptures ... Son "a person in the
Sacred Trinity," that is ... We call Christ "the second person," according to the ...
/.../arminius/the works of james arminius vol 1/disputation 5 on the person.htm

Thoughts Upon the Mystery of the Trinity.
... Truth more clearly; we will consider each Person distinctly, and ... of those Persons
in the Trinity, described in the ... in more than one and the same Divine Person? ...
/.../private thoughts upon a christian life/thoughts upon the mystery of.htm

Sermon for the Fourth Sunday after Trinity
... each one falls upon his neighbour and judges him; and ... eternal and essential Godhead,
or the Holy Trinity, or the ... on the length of time that a person has been ...
/.../xx sermon for the fourth.htm

The Creed of Jerusalem: Doctrine of the Holy Trinity.
... We neither separate the Holy Trinity, like some (that ... Man, having the nature (ousian)
of each in perfection ... speaking of the unity of Christ's Person, says that ...
/.../cyril/lectures of s cyril of jerusalem/chapter x the creed of jerusalem .htm

Letters of the Emperors Valentinianus and Valens, Written to the ...
... author we meet with the word Hypostasis to denote each distinct person. ... on (virtually)
three different hypostases in the Holy Trinity, Catholics began ...
/.../the ecclesiastical history of theodoret/chapter vii letters of the emperors.htm

On the Words of the Gospel, Matt. xii. 32, "Whosoever Shall Speak ...
... also the Whole Trinity work the works of each several Person ... is none of His." [2454]
To which Person then in ... and the Unity of the Unchangeable Trinity, who can ...
/.../sermons on selected lessons of the new testament/sermon xxi on the words.htm

The Doctrine of God
... Testament is undoubtedly the second person of the Trinity. ... with what detail God's
care is described: The sparrows ... there are three persons in each person of the ...
/.../evans/the great doctrines of the bible/the doctrine of god.htm

The Second Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians
... The two Epistles are interwoven with each other by several threads of thought, such
as St. ... Paul does not confuse the Second Person of the Trinity with the ...
/.../pullan/the books of the new testament/chapter xi the second epistle.htm

Necessity of the New Birth.
... (On Trinity Sunday ... widely diffused, and that it becomes publicly known how each person
stands affected ... And yet such is the difference which we have described. ...
/.../schleiermacher/selected sermons of schleiermacher/iv necessity of the new.htm

Resources
What does the Bible teach about the Trinity? | GotQuestions.org

What is the ontological Trinity / immanent Trinity? | GotQuestions.org

What is the economic Trinity? | GotQuestions.org

Trinity: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

Bible ConcordanceBible DictionaryBible EncyclopediaTopical BibleBible Thesuarus
Subtopics

The Trinity: Baptism Administered in Name of

The Trinity: Benediction Given in Name of

The Trinity: Divine Titles Applied to the Three Persons In

The Trinity: Doctrine of Proved from Scripture

The Trinity: Each Person In, Described as Author of all Spiritual Operations

The Trinity: Each Person In, Described as Creator

The Trinity: Each Person In, Described as Eternal

The Trinity: Each Person In, Described as Holy

The Trinity: Each Person In, Described as Inspiring the Prophets

The Trinity: Each Person In, Described as Omnipotent

The Trinity: Each Person In, Described as Omnipresent

The Trinity: Each Person In, Described as Omniscient

The Trinity: Each Person In, Described as Raising Christ from the Dead

The Trinity: Each Person In, Described as Sanctifier

The Trinity: Each Person In, Described as Source of Eternal Life

The Trinity: Each Person In, Described as Supplying Ministers to the Church

The Trinity: Each Person In, Described as Teacher

The Trinity: Each Person In, Described as True

The Trinity: Salvation the Work of

Trinity

Trinity: The Holy

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The Trinity: Each Person In, Described as Creator
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