Three Persons at Jesus’ Baptism

The Trinitarians teach that the baptism of Jesus proves three separate persons of God. If one wants to see three persons in God then of course no one can stop him. If we take a look at what the Bible really says about Jesus’ baptism I believe we can easily see the oneness of God and not three persons.

Let us look at the passages…

Matt 3:16-17
16 And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:
17 And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

Luke 3:21-23
21 Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened,
22 And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.

The theory of the trinity is that we have all three persons here together at one location at one time.

1) Jesus in the water
2) Voice from Heaven
3) Spirit descending

Who was the voice from Heaven and who was the Spirit descending? Was the voice from Heaven, God the Father? I say that it was. The Trinitarian teaching is that the Holy Ghost is a separate person from God the Father.

I have two questions for you that believe God is a trinity / three seperate persons.
Is God the Father a spirit? Yes or No?
Is the Holy Spirit a spirit? Yes or No?

If you answered yes to these questions, you have two spirits of God! This theory boldly contradicts the Bible. God is not two spirits. If you say that God is three persons, than don't change it when we get to the Spirit of God and say that He is one!

Eph 4:4
4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;

John 4:24
24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

As you can see, the Bible is very plain that God is one spirit and not two. Is God holy? Is God a spirit? Yes to both questions! Because God is a spirit and he is holy then we have proof that God is the Holy Spirit. God is not separate from the Holy Spirit, He is the Holy Spirit. God is the Holy Spirit!

If you are to insist that God and the Holy Spirit are separate spirits than what are you going to do with those verses that says he is one spirit. The triune teaching is that the three persons are “separate” from each other. If God is a spirit and the Holy Ghost is a spirit and they are separate, then we have two separate spirits of God!

2 Cor 3:17
17 Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

Who is the Lord? Is he Jesus? Is Jesus the Lord? Ephesians 4:3 says we have one Lord and Deut. 4:2 says there is one Lord. Who then is that one Lord? Is it the first, second or third person? None! Jesus the one person of God is the Lord. The verse above says that the Lord is that Spirit. Yes, Jesus is the Holy Spirit. Jesus is God manifest in the flesh making him the Holy Spirit in human visible form!

The Bible plainly teaches that God is everywhere! God cannot be confined to space or time, He is everywhere at the same time.

At the baptism of Jesus we do see three manifestations of God but not three persons. The one Spirit of God manifested himself in the form of a dove and spoke from Heaven at the same time. Can God do that? Can the almighty God do more than one thing at a time? The answer is a definite yes!

1 Tim 3:16-4:1
16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

The man Jesus, the Son of God, was Jehovah God himself, revealed in the flesh! So in the baptism we have three manifestations of the one God. One manifestation was physical and the other two were of the Spirit of the Almighty.

You might argue that the voice from Heaven proves a separate person from the Son of God. If the voice from Heaven proves a separate person than what are you going to do with the voice from the bush and that of the donkey?

Ex 3:2
2 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.

Num 22:28
28 And the LORD opened the mouth of the ass, and she said unto Balaam, What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times?

Do the donkey and the bush become separate persons of God because a voice came out from them?

If these are manifestations and not persons as I say, what then was God trying to prove? Why would the Holy Ghost take on a bodily shape of a dove? Why then would God do this? Be sure to read “The dual nature of Christ” here on this blog.

The answer to these questions is found in the Bible. The Bible explains clearly why God manifested himself in this way.

Look at:

John 1:32-34
32 And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.
33 And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.
34 And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.

The Holy Spirit descending like a dove was a direct sign to John the Baptist that this indeed was the Son of God. John had not yet had a confirmation that Jesus was the Messiah. This was it, this was the sign.

If a manifestation to you is the same as a person let us take that as a real example. I will use myself as an example. I the editor of this blog am a man, father, son, husband, brother, brother in law, son in law, friend, enemy, salesman, Pastor, editor, neighbor and much more! I have many manifestations and titles but I am ONE person. I am one person as God is ONE person. I have many titles and manifestations but I am one person. I am made in the image of God.

Wow, I almost forgot a very important point about the baptism of Jesus. Did you notice in the scriptural references above that God said “in” and not “with”?

“This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased”
“Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased”

If you are pleased about your son’s good grades might you say to him…?
1) I am pleased with you
Or
2) I am pleased in you

Most people agree that “with” is more appropriate to say. God did not say “with”, He said “in”. What? What is the big deal with that? Let us take a look at another verse with “in”.

2 Cor 5:19
19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

John 14:10-11
10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.
11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake.

God was INSIDE of Christ. The Spirit in the flesh;  Divinity in humanity; The Father in the Son; God in man, making Jesus, Jehovah, the Almighty God of the universe!

Rev 1:8
8 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.