Below is a point by point response to an article that can be found at www.gotquestions.org. Comments are embedded in bold in the text copied from the article below.
The most difficult thing about the Christian concept of the Trinity is that there is no way to perfectly and completely understand it. The Trinity is a concept that is impossible for any human being to fully understand, let alone explain. God is infinitely greater than we are; therefore, we should not expect to be able to fully understand Him. The trinity Godhead does not exist in the Bible. It is impossible to explain or understand, because it is not there. The Bible teaches that the Father is God, that Jesus is God, and that the Holy Spirit is God. This statement is profoundly false. Where does it say Jesus is God? Nowhere! But you will find the Son of God in many places, and you will find the only begotten Son of God in several places. Where does it say God the Holy Spirit? Nowhere! But you will find the Spirit of God or God’s Spirit all over the place. You will also find the Spirit of Jesus or Christ’s Spirit in many places. The Bible also teaches that there is only one God. The Bible only teaches that there is one true God. Jesus, as the only begotten Son of God is equal to God in every way, except that God came first. I know that is a hard pill for trinitarians to take, but the Bible states this. In 1 Cor 1:24; 30 Jesus is called the wisdom of God. Proverbs 8 speaks about Jesus, the wisdom of God. In verse 22-30 Jesus is speaking about his own beginning, which occurred in eternity past, before anything was created. Jesus was formed from the bosom of God in John 1:18. Since Jesus is of the same substance as his Father who had no beginning, Jesus has always existed. It is just that Jesus did not have his own personality until He was begotten. This same idea is taught in Genesis where God formed Eve from the rib of Adam. Eve was begotten of Adam, and so they are of the same substance (human), but Eve did not have her own personality until she was begotten. Though we can understand some facts about the relationship of the different Persons of the Trinity to one another, ultimately, it is incomprehensible to the human mind. However, this does not mean the Trinity is not true or that it is not based on the teachings of the Bible. It is called an incomprehensible mystery because it does not exist in the Bible!!!
The Trinity is one God existing in three Persons. This is nowhere to be found in the Bible. Understand that this is not in any way suggesting three Gods. This is why they have invented the 1 in 3 gods and 3 gods in 1 nonsense that CANNOT be found anywhere in the Bible! Keep in mind when studying this subject that the word “Trinity” is not found in Scripture. This is a term that is used to attempt to describe the triune God—three coexistent, co-eternal Persons who are God. This idea CANNOT be found in the Bible. It is strictly a teaching or creed of men!! Think about it. If God and Jesus are co-eternal and had no beginning, what does that do to the Father-Son relationship taught throughout the Bible (see John 3:16 for example)? It destroys it because in a true father-son relationship, the father must exist first. What trinitarians must do to support this idea is to say the Father-Son relationship between God the Jesus is not real, and that it is metaphorical only. There is a very stern warning against this in the Bible. 1 John 2:22,23 “Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father; he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.” If the Father-Son relationship is metaphorical only, that means they are just role playing. Role playing means presenting a view of something different than the truth. Would that be like making God out to be a liar? Yes! Of real importance is that the concept represented by the word “Trinity” does exist in Scripture. The following is what God’s Word says about the Trinity:
1) There is one God (Deuteronomy 6:4; 1 Corinthians 8:4; Galatians 3:20; 1 Timothy 2:5). The only comment to make here is that the ESV used in the article is problematic. All new versions of the new testament are based upon the corrupted Codex Sinaiticus and the Codex Vaticanus Greek manuscripts. The KJV is based on the Textus Receptus Greek manuscript. It is reliable. You can see a difference in these versions for Gal 3:20 and other verses used.
2) The Trinity consists of three Persons (Genesis 1:1 no trinity in this verse, Gen 1:26 Who is the “us” here? It is not defined here, but can be found in other verses such as Proverbs 30:4, John 17:3, 1 Cor 6, and others. The “us” is God and his only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Notice that none of these verses describing the Godhead mention a 3rd God called the Holy Spirit. ; Gen 3:22 Same comment as for Gen 1:26; Gen 11:7 Same comment as for Gen 1:26; Isaiah 6:8 Notice that there are only 2 beings discussed here, not 3. It is God and Jesus, Is 48:16 KJV: “Come ye near unto me, hear ye this; I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; from the time that it was, there am I: and now the Lord God, and his Spirit, hath sent me.” This verse is about God and Jesus, and “his spirit,” that is God’s spirit, which is the Holy Spirit, not some 3rd make believe god., Is 61:1 Notice it says the Spirit of the Lord God. It DOES NOT say God the Holy Spirit here or anywhere else!; Matthew 3:16-17 It says the Spirit of God, never does the Bible say God the Holy Spirit, Matt 28:19 This verse is likely a corruption. It should say “in My name” rather than in the name of … see the following link for more information http://www.trinitytruth.org/matthew28_19addedtext.html. But even if you accept this verse, it still does not say who or what the Holy Spirit is! ; 2 Corinthians 13:14) It does not specify who or what the Holy Spirit is. You have determine that from other verses. In Genesis 1:1, the Hebrew plural noun “Elohim” is used. Elohim is not used to refer to plural Gods, it is used to describe the plurality of God’s majesty. See more about this at the link http://www.sabbathreformation.com/article-elohim-and-the-majestic-plural-121572418.html. In Genesis 1:26, 3:22, 11:7 and Isaiah 6:8, the plural pronoun “us” is used. The “us” is not defined. The Godhead consists of God the Father and his only begotten Son the Lord Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God and the Spirit of Jesus, not some make believe god called the Holy Spirit. The word “Elohim” and the pronoun “us” are plural forms, definitely referring in the Hebrew language to more than two. While this is not an explicit argument for the Trinity, it does denote the aspect of plurality in God. The Hebrew word for “God,” “Elohim,” definitely allows for the Trinity See comment above and the link provided. The Godhead is not 3 separate, coequal, and co-eternal Gods and nowhere in the Bible is such a trinity described!!! Elohim is used to describe the plurality of God’s majesty. This can be demonstrated in other verses in the Old Testament and is a generally accepted truth!
3) The members of the Trinity are distinguished one from another in various passages. In the Old Testament, “LORD” is distinguished from “Lord” two beings LORD, all caps is Yahweh or Jehovah God, and Lord is his son, Jesus Christ. (Genesis 19:24; Hosea 1:4). The LORD has a Son (Psalm 2:7, 12; Proverbs 30:2-4) see previous comment. The Spirit is distinguished from the “LORD” (Numbers 27:18) and from “God” (Psalm 51:10-12) all living beings have a spirit, the spirit is not something separate, but is within the being described. God the Son is distinguished from God the Father (Psalm 45:6-7; Hebrews 1:8-9) God had an only begotten Son, that is 2 separate and distinquishable beings. In the New Testament, Jesus speaks to the Father about sending a Helper, the Holy Spirit (John 14:16-17). This shows that Jesus did not consider Himself to be the Father or the Holy Spirit. Consider also all the other times in the Gospels where Jesus speaks to the Father. Was He speaking to Himself? No. He spoke to another Person in the Trinity—the Father. John 14:26 states that the comforter (parakletos) is the Holy Spirit. 1 John 2:1 says that the advocate (parakletos) is Jesus. THERFORE, JESUS IS CLAIMING IN THESE VERSES TO BE THE HOLY SPIRIT! John 14:18 is Jesus speaking and He says “I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.” It is clear that Jesus, claimed to be the comforter, or the Holy Spirit, and that HE would indwell you. Jesus often spoke of himself in the third person. In fact, Jesus existed in heaven (first person of Jesus). Then he existed on earth as the Son of man (second person of Jesus). Then after He was resurrected and ascended to heaven to the right hand of the Father on the throne, he existed the third time (third person of Jesus). He tried to explain to the disciples that he was going to go away, but that He would manifest himself to them after He departed. But Judas (not Iscariot) did not understand this and asked how He would manifest himself to them. In fact, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit is described in Acts 3:32-33 “This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.” Jesus explained this sequence to the disciples in John 16:7-16, but he called Himself the “Spirit of Truth.” Ellen White described why Jesus had to ascend to heaven so that the outpouring of Holy Spirit could occur. Here is what she wrote:
EGW 14 MR p23
“Cumbered with humanity, Christ could not be in every place personally, therefore it was altogether for their advantage that He should leave them, go to His Father, and send the Holy Spirit to be His successor on earth. The Holy Spirit is Himself divested of the personality of humanity and independent thereof. He would represent Himself as present in all Places by His Holy Spirit, as the Omnipresent.”
4) Each member of the Trinity is God. The Father is God (John 6:27; Romans 1:7; 1 Peter 1:2) No problem, God the Father is correct in these verses. The Son is God this phrase is erroneous in that is seems to be saying Jesus is God the Father. There is no question, Jesus is divine. But nowhere in the Bible does the phrase God the Son occur, or is the Son equated as being God the Father. But Jesus is divine as God’s only begotten son. (John 1:1 Please see explanation at the following link: http://www.trinitytruth.org/isjesusgod.html#Part1. This article fully explains the meaning of John 1:1. Jesus is in no way being called God the Son, John 1:14 Nothing to explain here, it clearly states that Jesus is the Son, not the Father; Romans 9:5 bad translation. Here it is in the KJV “Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen.” Jesus is not being called God here, he is the one that God the Father blessed forever ; Colossians 2:9 Jesus is divine just like his Father, that does not make him the Father. Jesus, as the only begotten Son of God inherited divinity from His Father; Hebrews 1:8 no problem with this verse, God is God, and the Son is the Son; 1 John 5:20) see a good explanation at the following link: https://www.biblicalunitarian.com/verses/1-john-5-20. The Holy Spirit is God (Acts 5:3-4, You have to keep reading. Acts 5:9 explains it, they tempted the “Spirit of the Lord.” The Spirit of the Lord belongs to the Lord. It is His mind, power, and omnipresence. It is not some 3rd fictitious and unnamed God called the Holy Spirit. Names have significance in the Bible. The Holy Spirit is simply a title not a name. ; 1 Corinthians 3:16) The Holy Spirit is God’s Spirit just as the verse reads. The Holy Spirit dwells in those who will receive it. It is the mind, power, and omnipresence of God imparted to us. If God’s spirit indwells us, we can become victorious over sin in our lives.
5) There is subordination within the Trinity. Scripture shows that the Holy Spirit is subordinate to the Father and the Son, and the Son is subordinate to the Father. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God and the Spirit of Jesus. All beings have a spirit. It is a part of their being. This statement that the Holy Spirit is subordinate to God and Jesus is nonsensical. It is like saying my hand is subordinate to me. No, my hand is part of me!!! This is an internal relationship and does not deny the deity of any Person of the Trinity. This is simply an area which our finite minds cannot understand concerning the infinite God. Trinity doctrine is not biblical and makes no sense, so it is a mystery – or in other words, it is total nonsense. Concerning the Son see Luke 22:42, John 5:36, John 20:21, and 1 John 4:14 A literal Son speaking to a literal Father in all these verses. Concerning the Holy Spirit see John 14:16 , 14:26, 15:26, 16:7, and especially John 16:13-14. As explained in detail at the end of question #3, Jesus received the Spirit of God from the father when we ascended to the right hand of his Father on the throne in heaven. The Spirit of God was given to Jesus, and from Jesus to us (via His omnipresence that God gave to Jesus) at Pentecost.
6) The individual members of the Trinity have different tasks. The Father is the ultimate source or cause of the universe (1 Corinthians 8:6 This is a statement of the Godhead – why is the Holy Spirit left out? It is left out because the Holy Spirit is within God and Jesus and is not a separate God; Revelation 4:11); divine revelation (Revelation 1:1); salvation (John 3:16-17); and Jesus’ human works (John 5:17; 14:10). The Father initiates all of these things. The Father and Son relationship is clear throughout the Bible. There is no third being of the Godhead. Only Jesus Christ would be qualified to assist us by His Spirit because He suffered in life on the earth and was tempted at all points just as we are. Why would Jesus turn the job of indwelling us with power to overcome Satan to another being who could not empathize with us? It had to be Jesus because ONLY Jesus was qualified. It could not be done by God the Father or some 3rd unknown and unnamed God!!!
The Son is the agent through whom the Father does the following works: the creation and maintenance of the universe (1 Corinthians 8:6; John 1:3; Colossians 1:16-17); divine revelation (John 1:1, 16:12-15; Matthew 11:27; Revelation 1:1); and salvation (2 Corinthians 5:19; Matthew 1:21; John 4:42). The Father does all these things through the Son, who functions as His agent. All absolutely true. The Father is a real Father, and the Son is a real Son. Two separate and distinct entities.
The Holy Spirit is the means by whom the Father does the following works: creation and maintenance of the universe (Genesis 1:2 The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God. That is his mind, power, and omnipresence – things which are inherent to God. Why does this verse not say “God the Spirit was hovering” instead of “the Spirit of God was hovering?” Job 26:13 terrible translation, see KJV: “By his spirit …”; Psalm 104:30) God sends forth his Spirit, not another god ; divine revelation (John 16:12-15 Jesus is the Spirit of Truth, not another god. See the following link http://www.asitreads.com/blog/2018/5/17/who-is-the-spirit-of-truth-in-john-16 ; Ephesians 3:5 if the spirit was another god, why would it not say this. The spirit is the spirit of God and Jesus ; 2 Peter 1:21) this verse would be nonsensical if the Holy Spirit was another God. The spirit here is God’s spirit; salvation (John 3:6; Titus 3:5; 1 Peter 1:2); and Jesus’ works (Isaiah 61:1; Acts 10:38). Thus, the Father does all these things by the power of the Holy Spirit – which is His spirit and the Spirit of Jesus, and is never called another god.
There have been many attempts to develop illustrations of the Trinity. However, none of the popular illustrations are completely accurate. The egg (or apple) fails in that the shell, white, and yolk are parts of the egg, not the egg in themselves, just as the skin, flesh, and seeds of the apple are parts of it, not the apple itself. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are not parts of God; each of them is God.The Bible nowhere states that the Holy Spirt is another god. It is just not there. The Sprit of God, or God’s Spirit, or even the Spirit of Jesus Christ is all over the place.The water illustration is somewhat better, but it still fails to adequately describe the Trinity. Liquid, vapor, and ice are forms of water. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are not forms of God, each of them is God.So, while these illustrations may give us a picture of the Trinity, the picture is not entirely accurate. An infinite God cannot be fully described by a finite illustration. A false creed invented by the Catholic church centuries after the Bible was written and hoisted upon the entire world. An attempt to formalize a creed on the Godhead occurred at the Council of Nicea in 325 AD. It took the Catholic church almost 200 years to “mature” the doctrine, which in fact was borrowed from sun worship in Babylon of ancient times. In 476 AD the Roman empire disintegrated and was taken over by ten barbaric tribes. Three of those tribes were Arian, which means they still believed in God the Father and his only begotten son the Lord Jesus Christ. The Catholic church destroyed all the writings of these tribes and claimed that they believed that Jesus was created, not begotten. However, there is plenty of evidence that ths was yet another lie. The Bishop of Rome (later called the pope) sent armies to destroy those three tribes. The last tribe was destroyed in 538 AD. At that point the papacy reigned supreme as head of the church and state. For 1260 years, as prophesied in the Bible, they hunted down and murdered any and all who would not accept their false teachings. Esitmates range from 50 to 100 million innocent people killed, many of them tortured first! THE PAPACY BASICALLY WIPED OUT ANY BELIEF IN THE TRUE GODHEAD OF THE BIBLE AND HOISTED THE TRINITY DOCTRINE UPON THE ENTIRE WORLD. Because the translators of the Greek manuscripts into English and other languages were “all” trinitarians, there is a slight bias in the translations of the Bible that we have! You can read more about the trinity and 3 known corruptions to the Bible at www.trinitytruth.org.
The doctrine of the Trinity has been a divisive issue throughout the entire history of the Christian church. While the core aspects of the Trinity are clearly presented in God’s Word, some of the side issues are not as explicitly clear. The Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God—but there is only one God. This statement is absolutely false! The Bible only teaches the One True God, and his only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Nowhere in the Bible is the Son of God said to be the one True God. Nowhere can the statement God the Son be found. Nowhere is the statement God the Holy Spirit found. Nowhere in the Bible is there any mention of 1 God in 3 or 3 Gods in 1. It was fabricated by the Catholic church in order to be able to argue against the fact that the trinity doctrine is really 3 Gods (polytheism). That is the biblical doctrine of the Trinity. Beyond that, the issues are, to a certain extent, debatable and non-essential. Rather than attempting to fully define the Trinity with our finite human minds, we would be better served by focusing on the fact of God’s greatness and His infinitely higher nature. “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?” (Romans 11:33-34). The Catholic church considers the trinity doctrine to be its most fundamental doctrine and bases much of its false teachings on it as shown below.
“The mystery of the Most Holy Trinity is the central mystery of Christian faith and life. It is the mystery of God in himself. It is therefore the source of all the other mysteries of faith, the light that enlightens them. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 234).