explain the trinity

That is such a great question. Honestly, the Trinity is one of those topics that even seasoned believers find difficult to fully explain. It’s a core part of our faith, but it’s also deeply mysterious.

At its heart, the Christian belief is that there is one God, but He exists eternally as three distinct persons: the Father, the Son (Jesus), and the Holy Spirit. They are not three gods, but one God in three persons.

One helpful way to think about it comes from the idea that God is love. For God to be love in Himself, from eternity past, He needed a relationship. He didn't need to create us to learn how to love; He has always been in relationship with Himself. The Father loves the Son, the Son loves the Father, and the Holy Spirit is the bond of that love. This means love is part of the very fabric of who God is.

We see this clearly in Scripture. In the Old Testament, we see hints of this plurality, but it becomes much clearer in the New Testament. For example, in John 1:1, we read that "the Word was with God, and the Word was God." Jesus (the Word) is distinct from the Father, yet He is fully God. Later, after His resurrection, Jesus explained to His followers that everything in the Scriptures pointed to Him (Luke 24:25-27).

We also see the Holy Spirit as a distinct person, not just a force or a feeling. In John 16:13-14, Jesus tells us the Spirit will guide us into truth and will glorify Him. In Romans 8, we see the Spirit helping us in our weakness and interceding for us. He has intellect, emotions, and a will, just like the Father and the Son.

It’s okay if this feels a little confusing. The Bible itself suggests that we won't fully understand how the Trinity works in this life. As one Cru resource notes, the best thing we can do is keep reading the Bible to see more of how God reveals Himself.

If you’re interested in learning more about Jesus specifically—who He is and why He came—Cru has a resource called "Knowing God Personally" that walks through the basics of the gospel and Jesus' identity. You can find it at knowgodpersonally.com.

Does that help clarify things a bit, or is there a specific part of the Trinity that you're wondering about more?

That is a really important and nuanced question, and it’s one that many people ask as they explore faith. It’s also a topic where there can be a lot of confusion because members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (often called Mormons) do identify as Christians and they do believe in Jesus.

From the perspective of historic, orthodox Christianity—which is the foundation of Cru’s beliefs—there are some significant theological differences that distinguish Mormonism from traditional Christianity.

One of the biggest differences is the Trinity. As we discussed earlier, historic Christianity teaches that there is one God who exists eternally as three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. They are distinct persons but share the same essence. Mormon theology, however, teaches that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are three separate beings united in purpose, rather than one God in three persons.

Another key difference is salvation. Cru’s Statement of Faith emphasizes that we are saved only through the atoning work of the Lord Jesus Christ by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9). In contrast, Mormon theology teaches that salvation involves a combination of God’s grace and human works, including specific ordinances and living a certain way to achieve exaltation.

There are also differences regarding Scripture. While Mormons accept the Bible, they also hold the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price as additional scripture. Historic Christianity relies on the Bible as the final and sufficient authority for faith and practice.

It’s important to say that many of us in the Christian community respect the sincerity and faith of our Mormon friends. We believe that everyone is seeking truth, and we want to be clear about our own beliefs without being dismissive of theirs. We believe that Jesus is the only way to the Father (John 14:6), and we want to share that hope with love.

If you’re curious about how these differences play out in practice, or if you want to explore what historic Christianity teaches about Jesus, I’d be happy to chat more about that. Is there a specific part of those differences that you’re wondering about?

That is one of the most important questions you can ask. It’s natural to want to know if what we’re reading is reliable, especially when it claims to be the Word of God.

From a Cru perspective, we believe there are a few layers to this answer: historical evidence, manuscript evidence, and a personal spiritual assurance.

1. Manuscript Evidence
When we look at the New Testament, the historical evidence is actually quite strong compared to other ancient writings. Textual critics have found over 5,000 ancient Greek manuscripts and another 10,000 copies in other ancient languages. Some of these were written just decades after the events took place.

To put that in perspective, for the works of the ancient philosopher Aristotle, we only have about five manuscripts, and they were copied more than a thousand years after he lived. Because of the sheer number of New Testament manuscripts, scholars agree that the text we have today is at least 99.5% accurate to the original writings. The small differences are mostly spelling, not meaning.

For the Old Testament, the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls was a huge moment. When researchers compared those ancient scrolls with the Bible we have today, they found them to be nearly 100% identical. This confirms that the Old Testament text has been preserved very carefully over time.

2. Archaeological Evidence
There is also archaeological evidence that supports the Bible. Over the years, people and places that were only mentioned in the Bible and were once thought to be fictional have been discovered to be real. While history doesn't prove the Bible in the same way a math equation does, it consistently supports the reliability of the text.

3. Spiritual Assurance
However, Cru teaches that historical evidence alone isn't usually what convinces someone to believe. Pastor John Piper has written that the best evidence is often found in nature, in your conscience, and in yourself when you read the Bible.

The Bible itself acknowledges that there is a spiritual dimension to this. In 2 Corinthians 4:6, it says that God shines in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of His glory. It’s not just about intellectual proof; it’s about God opening your spiritual eyes to see the truth.

4. Jesus’ View
Finally, we look at how Jesus viewed the Scriptures. Jesus frequently referred to the Old Testament during His ministry and affirmed that the Scripture cannot be broken (John 10:35). He treated it as the authoritative Word of God.

So, while we can look at the history and manuscripts with confidence, the ultimate assurance comes from the Holy Spirit working in your heart to confirm that this is God’s Word.

Does that help make sense of how we approach the Bible's reliability? Or is there a specific part of history or theology you're curious about?