Religion & Ethics: Section 1: Belief in God

1.1: The Trinity

Christians believe in the concept of the Trinity. God is one, but He has revealed Himself in
three ‘persons’:

 God the Father

 God the Son
 God the Holy Spirit (Holy Ghost)

Each of these three persons is fully God, but they are not three Gods – they are one God.

The Nicene Creed (adopted in A.D. 325), which is recited in worship today, reinforces the concept of the Trinity:

‘We believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and
earth… We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God,
eternally begotten (always existed) of the Father… We believe in the
Holy Spirit, the giver of life, who proceeds (comes directly) from the
Father.’
The Bible highlights the importance of the Trinity. It helps people to understand and worship the Trinity and know
what being a Christian involves. In the Gospel of Mark there is an event
where the persons of the Trinity all appear together:

‘Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being
torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice
came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love.” ’
(Mark 1: 10-11)

This is important because it shows the Trinity working together as one –

Jesus is baptised to begin his ministry, the Father speaks his approval, and
the Holy Spirit, with the power of the Father, enables Jesus to begin his work.

All Christian ceremonies are performed ‘in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.’
Sometimes the sign of the cross is made with a hand gesture in three movements, reflecting the Trinity. Christians
may worship one or all three persons:

God the Father: The creator of the universe who is almighty (omnipotent). The Father as the creator, cares for all
that he has made. Christians pray to him in the knowledge that he cares about them and he has the power to help
bring about real change in their lives.

God the Son: Christians believe that God became human in the form of Jesus. Jesus is seen as the saviour, a role
model and a friend. Believers follow Jesus’ teachings and his example in order to live a good life. Christians express
their joy and thanks to Jesus during worship for forgiving their sins and for the sacrifice he made on the cross
when he died to take the punishment for their sins.
God the Holy Spirit: Christians believe that the Holy Spirit is their comforter and guide. They believe that the Holy
Spirit lives in their hearts and enables them to lead good lives and make the right moral choices. The Holy Spirit
also enables believers to praise and worship God.

1. What is the ‘Trinity’?

2. What is the Nicene Creed and how does it reinforce the Christian teaching on the Trinity?
3. How does the Gospel of Mark highlight the importance of the Trinity?
4. How do all Christian ceremonies reinforce the idea that believers may worship one or all three persons?
5. Clearly explain the differences between the three persons of the One God:
Religion & Ethics: Section 1: Belief in God

 Father
 Son
 Holy Spirit

GCSE Examination Questions:

(a) Outline three Christian beliefs about God. (3 marks)

Christians believe that God is:

1. There is only One God who has revealed Himself as the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
2. God is the omnipotent (all-powerful) creator of the universe.
3. God is omniscient (all-knowing) and will judge people at the end of time.

The Trinity

What is the Trinity?

The Trinity is the core Christian belief that there is only one God and He has revealed Himself in three ‘persons’:

 God the Father

 God the Son
 God the Holy Spirit

Each of these three persons is fully God, but they are not three Gods – they are one God.

Exam Question

(a) Outline three ways the Trinity is reflected in worship. (3)

 The Trinity is stated in the Nicene Creed which is spoken in church services.
 It is spoken when Christians make the sign of the cross when they perform personal blessing.
 It is recited during all Christian ceremonies e.g. baptism.

(b) Explain two reasons why the Trinity is important to Christians. (4 mark)

The Trinity is a core Christian belief which is stated in the Nicene Creed. It helps believers to understand
the true nature of the one God who has revealed Himself in three ways: God the Father, God the Son and
God the Holy Spirit.
Religion & Ethics: Section 1: Belief in God

The Trinity also helps Christians to focus their minds during worship. Worshipping God the Son helps them
to focus on the fact that God became flesh in the form of Jesus who died to save them from sin (salvation).

(d) ‘The three Persons of the Trinity make it easy to understand God. (2022)

Evaluate this statement considering arguments for and against. In your response you should:

 Refer to Christian teachings

 Refer to different Christian and non-religious points of view
 Reach a justified conclusion. (12)

Disagree:

1. Some believers may argue that the idea of the Trinity contradicts the central Biblical teaching of
monotheism. The Ten Commandments state that believers are to worship One God alone. The
Trinity is confusing and gives the impression that Christians worship three gods, and not one.

2. Unitarian Christians reject the idea of the Trinity and they believe that God is one.
Unitarian Christians believe that Jesus is our saviour, but he was not God in human form.

3. The Bible contains no direct teaching on the Trinity. The idea of the Trinity has been inferred from
what the New Testament teaches its followers about God. In Matthew 28:19 Jesus commands his
disciples to go into the world and baptise believers in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy
Spirit. However, Jesus never uses the word Trinity directly.