Major Christian Doctrines
(On The Nature Of The Persons Of The One True God)
Bodie Hodge, M.Sc., B.Sc., PEI
Biblical Authority Ministries, September 12, 2025 (Donate)
I’m surprised how many people fail to grasp who God is. When
I speak to those who do not believe or follow God, I find they often have misconceptions
about who He is. For instance, I once messaged back and forth to someone who
said they wanted to believe but they wanted someone who was greater than the God
of the Bible.
I had to point out that there is no one greater than the
God of the Bible. Just consider the omni’s
of God as an example. By the very definition of who God is, it is impossible
for anyone to be greater.
God Reveals To Us His Nature
The 66 books of the Bible progressively reveal more and more
about who God is and more about His wonderful nature and being. From the very
first verse, we recognize that God is unique.
In the beginning God [Elohim]
created the heavens and the earth. (Genesis 1:1, NKJV)
The Bible reveals many names of God, but the one used here
in Hebrew is Elohim. The fascinating part ab out this, is that God here is
plural, yet grammatically it is treated as s singular. This is often called a majestic
plural or composite unity. It reveals something unique about God’s
nature from the very first verse.
And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.” (Luke 3:22, NKJV)
It shows that there is one God, but plurality in the Godhead.
As the Bible reveals more, we find that the nature of God is three persons
of the Godhead, who is one God. We denote this as the Trinity or Triune God.
The Triune God is one God, not “three gods.”
The three persons of the Godhead are co-equal, co-eternal,
and share co-majesty. The three persons reveals by God in His Word are God
the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
·
The study of the doctrine of God the Father is
called Theology (Theos in Greek is “God”.
·
The study of the doctrine of God the Son is
called Christology (Christos in Greek is Christ).
·
The study of the doctrine of God the Holy Spirit
is called Pneumatology (Pneuma is Greek for Spirit).
·
The study of the doctrine of Triune God is
called Triadology (Triada means trinity or united group of three in Greek).
The Doctrine Of Theology
Theology is the systematic study of God and divine truth as
revealed in Scripture. It comes from the Greek words Theos (God) and Logos
(which means word or discourse). Theology encompasses the
knowledge of God’s nature, attributes, works, and will. Though in a laymen’s
understanding, it seems to cover any biblical topic nowadays.
Nevertheless, theology includes understanding His
relationship to creation, His
existence, providence, redemption, and final judgment. Theology is not mere
speculation but is predicated on absolutes of the Bible. True theology must
lead to reverence, obedience, and worship rather than intellectual pride.
Theology is often divided into categories, such as natural
theology (what can be known of God through creation—consider Romans 1) and revealed
theology (what God has made known through His Word). Revealed theology is
essential because human reason alone (aka autonomous human reason) is
insufficient to grasp the fullness of divine truth. This is why autonomous philosophy
can never override biblical teaching, as this distorts the truth about God.
Theology is simply the foundational doctrine that informs
every other branch of Christian doctrine, sin, law, history, philosophy, and science.
Theology is often dubbed the “queen of sciences” because it deals directly with
the Creator and His purposes for humanity.
The Doctrine Of Christology
Christology is the study of the person and work of Jesus
Christ. It examines His divine and human natures, His role as Mediator, and His
offices as Prophet, Priest, and King. The centrality of Christ to the entire
message of Scripture is essential because He is the cornerstone of redemption.
The doctrine of the incarnation — that Christ is both fully
God and fully man, united in one person comes straight out of the Bible. Christ
is God who took on flesh and became a man. without confusion. The nature of
Christ is vital to salvation—a false understanding of Christ means that one is
placing their faith in a false Christ that has no power. For instance, if someone
claims to follow Jesus and yet argues that Jesus is a created being and not
God, then they have a false Christ.
Christology also deals with His specific atoning work on the
cross, His resurrection, ascension, and future return. Christ must be God in
order to take the infinite
and eternal punishment we deserve for sin from an infinite and eternal God the
Father. Only God is in a position to endure that punishment to make salvation
possible. Any form of a “created Christ” would not be equal in power to take
the punishment from the all-powerful Creator God.
A right understanding of Christology safeguards the biblical Christian faith against heresies, such as Arianism (denying Christ’s divinity) or Docetism (denying His humanity). Every doctrine of salvation flows from Christology, making it vital for personal faith and church teaching.
The Doctrine Of Pneumatology
Pneumatology is the study of the Holy Spirit (pneuma
meaning “spirit” or “breath”). The Holy Spirit is a divine person, coequal
with the Father and the Son. His role includes inspiring Scripture, saving
sinners (e.g., 1 Corinthians 12:3), sanctifying believers (growing them in
holiness), and while the gifts existed in apostolic age, He gave was responsible
for tongues, prophecy, and healing.
The Spirit applies the work of Christ to individuals,
convicting them of sin and leading them to salvation. The Spirit also gives
spiritual gifts for the edification of the body of Christ (e.g., love, joy,
peace, patience, etc.).
Pneumatology also addresses the Spirit’s role in
illumination—helping believers understand and apply God’s Word. One must be
careful to neglect the Spirit or attributing His works to mere human works. Also
keep in mind that rejecting Christ, is a rejection of the Holy Spirit and
blasphemy against Him.
Basically, pneumatology is the doctrinal study of how the
Holy Spirit actively works in both the individual believer and the church,
making redemption effective and advancing God’s kingdom.
The Doctrine Of The Trinity (Triadology)
The doctrine of the Triadology is that there is one God
who exists eternally in three distinct persons: the Father, the Son, and
the Holy Spirit. These three are of the same divine essence, coequal in power,
glory, and eternity, yet are not three gods, but one.
This is a mystery that transcends a full human
understanding, but it is clearly revealed in Scripture and necessary for true
Christian faith. We can understand aspects of this (like the common use of an
equilateral triangle which went back to Church fathers. Or more modern analogies
like the triple point of water, where water, at a particular pressure and
temperature, is a sold, liquid, and gas all at the same time. But no analogy is
perfect.
The Godhead work in perfect unity. For example, in creation,
redemption, and the sustaining of the world, the three persons act together,
though their roles are distinct. The baptismal formula in Matthew 28:19 — “in
the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” — is a key
biblical witness to this truth.
When discussing the trinity, be there are some serious errors.
The most common is:
- Tritheism—falsely
teaches there are three separate gods.
- Unitarianism
or Modalism—denies the personal distinctions and claims the Father,
Son, and Spirit are just different modes or roles of one person.
- Partialism—teaches
the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are each only one-third of God, combining
to make a whole deity.
The Trinity is vital because it upholds the full divinity of
Christ and the Holy Spirit. If Christ were not fully God, His atonement would
not have infinite value to save sinners. If the Spirit were not fully God, His
work in regeneration and sanctification would lack divine power.
Ultimately, the Trinity cannot be fully comprehended, though
we can understand aspects and element of it. The Apostles
Creed, Nicene
Creed, and the finally the Athanasian
Creed each discuss the trine nature of God.
The Athanasian Creed has become the gold standard for its definition.
Christians should return God’s love for us by obey Him and this means giving
equal honor and glory to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—as Scripture commands
and as the early church faithfully confessed.
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Bodie Hodge, Ken Ham's son in law, has been an apologist
since 1998 helping out in various churches and running an apologetics website.
He spent 21 years working at Answers in Genesis as a speaker, writer, and
researcher as well as a founding news anchor for Answers News. He was also head
of the Oversight Council.
Bodie launched Biblical Authority Ministries in 2015 as a
personal website and it was organized officially in 2025 as a 501(c)(3). He has
spoken on multiple continents and hosts of US states in churches, colleges, and
universities. He is married with four children.
