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The Logic of the Trinity
The philosophical law of non-contradiction informs us that something cannot be both true and false at the same time and in the same sense. This is the fundamental law of all rational thought. And the doctrine of the Trinity does not violate it. This can be shown by stating first of all what the Trinity is not. The Trinity is not the belief that God is three persons and only one person at the same time and in the same sense. That would be a contradiction. Rather, it is the belief that there are three persons in one nature. This may be a mystery but it is not a contradiction. That is, it may go beyond reason’s ability to comprehend completely, but it does not go against reason’s ability to apprehend consistently.
Further, the Trinity is not the belief that there are three natures in one nature or three essences in one essence. That would be a contradiction. Rather, Christians affirm that there are three persons in one essence. This is not contradictory because it makes a distinction between person and essence. Or, to put it in terms of the law of non-contradiction, while God is one and many at the same time, he is not one and many in the same sense. He is one in the sense of his essence but many in the sense of his persons. So there is no violation of the law of non-contradiction in the doctrine of the Trinity.
Most of the confusion fall under two Heresies (which should be avoided) and they are involved with the three-in-one teaching of the Trinity:
Modalism, the teaching that God is one essence and one person - and that this one person only manifests in different ways. Depending on what "mode" God happens to be in at a given time we assign Him different names (Father, Son, Holy Spirit).
This is not the teaching of Scripture as:
· The Father sent the Son.
· The Father loves the Son.
· Christ prayed "Not my will but yours . . . " to the Father.
· At the baptism of Christ all three persons "manifest" themselves
- none of which would have been possible if they were only one person. These are clearly relations between distinct persons, not multiple personality disorder!
Tritheism, the other extreme we want to avoid, the idea that there are three persons and three essences in the nature of God - for that would equate to three gods.
Some erroneous Illustrations of the Trinity
No analogy of the Trinity is perfect, but some are better than others. First, some bad illustrations should be repudiated. The Trinity is not like a chain with three links. For these are three separate and separable parts. But God is neither separated nor separable. Neither is God like the same actor playing three different parts in a play. For God is simultaneously three persons, not one person playing three successive roles. Nor is God like the three states of water: solid, liquid, and gaseous. For normally water is not in all three of these states at the same time, but God is always three persons at the same time. Unlike other bad analogies, this one does not imply tritheism. However, it does reflect another heresy known as modalism. Nor is the Trinity like an egg. Which some consider it as one, and yet has three parts. This one is way off, for God cannot be separated into parts. Each member of the Trinity is fully God. It is really a collection of different things. No single part of an egg is an egg, the parts must be added together to form the one. Another example given is the Child/Parent/Sibling and it basically goes like this: You can be a child to your parents, a parent to your children, and a sibling to your sibling; but you are only one person. This analogy is false because God does not reveal Himself in modes of action. He is three in person - not just one who performs different roles.
Most erroneous illustration of the Trinity tend to support the charge that trinitarianism is really tritheism, since they contain separable parts. The more helpful analogies retain the unity of God while they show a simultaneous plurality. There are several that fit this description.
A Mathematical Illustration
One aspect of the problem can be expressed in mathematical terms. Critics make a point of computing the mathematical impossibility of believing there is a Father, Son and Holy Spirit in the Godhead, without holding that there are three gods. Does not 1 + 1 + 1 = 3? It certainly does if you add them, but Christians insist that the triunity of God is more like 1 x 1 x 1 = 1. God is triune, not triplex. His one essence has multiple centers of personhood. Thus, there is no more mathematical problem in conceiving the Trinity than there is in understanding 1 cubed (13).
A Geometric Illustration
Perhaps the most widely used illustration of the Trinity is the triangle. One triangle has three corners, which are inseparable from, and simultaneous to, one another. In this sense it is a good illustration of the Trinity. Of course, the triangle is finite and God is infinite, so it is not an imperfect illustration.
Another aspect of the Godhead is that Christ is one person (shown as one corner of the triangle), yet he has two natures, a divine nature and a human nature. Some show this aspect graphically by symbolizing Christ’s divinity by the corner of the triangle and using another geometric figure, a circle for instance, to illustrate the human nature. At the point of the person of Jesus Christ, the circle is welded onto the triangle, human nature touching, but not mixed with, divine. Human and divine natures exist side-by-side without confusion in the Son. His two natures are conjoined in one person. Or, in Christ there are two Whats and one Who, whereas, in God there are three Whos and one What.
The Love Illustration
Augustine suggested an illustration of how God is both three and one at the same time. The Bible informs us that "God is love" (1 John 4:16). Love involves the love of the lover (a lover), the love of the loved (beloved), and the love they share (spirit of their love). The Father might be likened to the Lover; the Son to the One loved, and the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of love. Yet love does not exist unless these three are united as one. This illustration has the advantage of being personal, since it involves love, a characteristic that flows only from persons.
An Anthropological Illustration
An illustration based in human nature is the relation between the human mind, to its ideas, and the expression of these ideas in words. There is obviously a unity among all three of these without there being an identity. In this sense, they illustrate the Trinity.
Conclusion
Any explanation of the nature of God must account for all that the Bible teaches - not focusing on one aspect (like unity) at the expense of others (plurality). The Trinity successfully unites all that Scripture has to say about God without contradicting itself or logic. It is therefore the best way to express the nature of God as revealed in Scripture. While the Trinity is almost impossible to fully grasp, we must hold on to its principles for they are biblically sound.
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The Trinity
Trinity simply means “triunity.” God is not a simple unity; there is plurality in his unity. The Trinity is one of the great mysteries of the Christian Faith. Unlike an antinomy or paradox, which is a logical contradiction, the Trinity goes beyond reason but not against reason. It is known only by divine revelation, so the Trinity is not the subject of natural theology but of revelation.
While the word Trinity does not occur there, the concept is clearly taught in the Bible. The logic of the doctrine of the Trinity is simple. Two biblical truths are evident in Scripture, the logical conclusion of which is the Trinity:
1. There is one God.
2. There are three distinct persons who are God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
One God
The central teaching of Judaism called the Shema proclaims: “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one” ( Deut. 6:4 ). When Jesus was asked the question, “What is the greatest commandment?” he prefaced the answer by quoting the Shema ( Mark 12:29 ). In spite of his strong teaching on the deity of Christ (cf. Col. 2:9 ), the apostle Paul said emphatically, “there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live” ( 1 Cor. 8:6a ). From beginning to end, the Scriptures speak of one God and label all other gods as false (Exod. 20:3 ; 1 Cor. 8:5–6 ).
The Bible also recognizes a plurality of persons in God. Although the doctrine of the Trinity is not as explicit in the Old Testament as the New Testament, nonetheless, there are passages where members of the Godhead are distinguished. At times they even speak to one another (see Ps. 110:1 ).
The Father Is God
Throughout Scripture God is said to be a Father. Jesus taught his disciples to pray, “Our Father in heaven” ( Matt. 6:9 ). God is not only “our heavenly Father” ( Matt. 6:32 ) but the “Father of our spirits” ( Heb. 12:9 ). As God, he is the object of worship. Jesus told the woman of Samaria, “Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshippers the Father seeks” ( John 4:23 ). God is not only called “our Father” ( Rom. 1:7 ) many times but also “the Father” ( John 5:45 ; 6:27 ). He is also called “God and Father” ( 2 Cor. 1:3 ). Paul proclaimed that “there is but one God, the Father” ( 1 Cor. 8:6 ). Additionally, God is referred to as the “Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” ( Rom. 15:6 ). Indeed, the Father and the Son are often related by these very names in the same verse ( Matt. 11:27 ; 1 John 2:22 ).
The Son Is God
As a broad overview it should be noted that: Jesus claimed to be Yahweh God. YHWH; translated in some versions Jehovah , was the special name of God revealed to Moses in Exodus 3:14 , when God said, “I AM WHO I AM .” In John 8:58 , Jesus declares: “Before Abraham was, I am.” This statement claims not only existence before Abraham, but equality with the “I AM ” of Exodus 3:14 . The Jews around him clearly understood his meaning and picked up stones to kill him for blaspheming (see Mark 14:62 ; John 8:58 ; 10:31–33 ; 18:5–6 ). Jesus also said, “I am the first and the last"(Rev. 2:8 ).
Jesus took the glory of God. Isaiah wrote, “I am the LORD [ Yahweh ], that is my name; I will not give to another, or my praise to idols” ( 42:8 ) and, “This is what the LORD [ Yahweh ] says . . . I am the first, and I am the last; apart from me there is no God” ( 44:6 ). Likewise, Jesus prayed, “Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began” ( John 17:5 ). But Yahweh had said he would not give his glory to another.
While the Old Testament forbids giving worship to anyone other than God (Exod. 20:1–4 ; Deut. 5:6–9 ), Jesus accepted worship (Matt. 8:2; 14:33; 15:25; 20:20 ; 28:17 ; Mark 5:6 ). The disciples attributed to him titles the Old Testament reserved for God, such as, “the first and the last” (Rev. 1:17; 2:8; 22:13), “the true light” (John 1:9), the “rock” or “stone” (1 Cor. 10:4; 1 Peter 2:6–8; cf. Ps. 18:2; 95:1), the “bridegroom” ( Eph. 5:28–33 ; Rev. 21:2 ), “the chief Shepherd” (1 Peter 5:40), and “the great shepherd” (Heb. 13:20). They attributed to Jesus the divine activities of creating ( John 1:3 ; Col. 1:15–16), redeeming (Hosea 13:14 ; Ps. 130:7), forgiving ( Acts 5:31 ; Col. 3:13 ; cf. Ps. 130:4; Jer. 31:34), and judging (John 5:26). They used titles of deity for Jesus. Thomas declared: “My Lord and my God!” ( John 20:28 ). Paul calls Jesus, “the one in whom the fullness of deity dwells bodily” ( Col. 2:9 ). In Titus, Jesus is called, “our great God and savior” ( 2:13 ), and the writer to the Hebrews says of him, “Thy throne, O God, is forever” ( Heb. 1:8 ). Paul says that, before Christ existed as a human being, he existed as God” ( Phil. 2:5–8 ). Hebrews 1:5 says that Christ reflects God’s glory of God, bears the stamp of his nature, and upholds the universe. The prologue to John’s Gospel also minces no words, stating, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word [Jesus] was God’ ( John 1:1 ).
Jesus claimed equality with God in other ways. He claimed the prerogatives of God. He claimed to be Judge of all (Matt. 25:31–46 ; John 5:27–30), but Joel quotes Yahweh as saying, “for there I will sit to judge all the nations on every side” ( Joel 3:12 ). He said to a paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven” ( Mark 2:5b ). The scribes correctly responded, “Who can forgive sins but God alone?” (vs. 7b ). Jesus claimed the power to raise and judge the dead, a power which only God possesses (John 5:21 , 29). But the Old Testament clearly taught that only God was the giver of life ( Deut. 32:39 ; 1 Sam. 2:6) and the one to raise the dead (Ps. 2:7).
Jesus claimed the honor due God, saying, “He who does not honor the Son does not honor the father, who sent him” (John 5:23b). The Jews listening knew that no one should claim to be equal with God in this way and again they reached for stones (John 5:18). When asked at his Jewish trial, “Are you the Christ (Messiah), the Son of the Blessed One?” Jesus responded, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven”(Mark 14:61b–62).
The Holy Spirit Is God
The same revelation from God that declares Christ to be the Son of God also mentions another member of the triunity of God called the Spirit of God, or Holy Spirit. He too is equally God with the Father and the Son, and he too is a distinct person.
The Holy Spirit is called “God” (Acts 5:3–4). He possesses the attributes of deity, such as omnipresence (cf. Ps. 139:7–12 ) and omniscience (1 Cor. 2:10 , 11). He is associated with God the Father in creation ( Gen. 1:2 ). He is involved with other members of the Godhead in the work of redemption ( John 3:5–6 ; Rom. 8:9–17 , 27–27 ; Titus 3:5–7 ). He is associated with other members of the Trinity under the “name” of God ( Matt. 28:18–20 ). Finally, the Holy Spirit appears, along with the Father and Son, in New Testament benedictions (for example, 2 Cor. 13:14 ).
Not only does the Holy Spirit possess deity but he also has a differentiated personality. That he is a distinct person is clear in that Scripture refers to “him” with personal pronouns ( John 14:26 ; 16:13 ). Second, he does things only persons can do, such as teach ( John 14:26 ; 1 John 2:27 ), convict of sin ( John 16:7–7 ), and be grieved by sin ( Eph. 4:30 ). Finally, the Holy Spirit has intellect ( 1 Cor. 2:10 , 11 ), will ( 1 Cor. 12:11 ), and feeling ( Eph. 4:30 ).
Conclusion
That the three members of the Trinity are distinct persons is clear in that each is mentioned in distinction form the others. The Son prayed to the Father (cf. John 17). The Father spoke from heaven about the Son at his baptism (Matt. 3:15–17). Indeed, the Holy Spirit was present at the same time, revealing that they coexist. Further, the fact that they have separate titles (Father, Son, and Spirit) indicate they are not one person. Also, each member of the Trinity has special functions that help us to identify them. For example, the Father planned salvation (John 3:16 ;Eph. 1:4); the Son accomplished it on the cross ( John 17:4 ; 19:30 ; Heb. 1:1–2) and at the resurrection ( Rom. 4:25 ; 1 Cor. 15:1–6 ), and the Holy Spirit applies it to the lives of the believers (John 3:5;Eph. 4:30 ;Titus 3:5–7). The Son submits to the Father (1 Cor. 11:3 ; 15:28), and the Holy Spirit glorifies the Son (John 16:14).
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The Trinity of Trinites
The truth of the tri-une nature of God is clearly implied by the profoundly tri-une nature of Creation. The physical cosmos is clearly a tri-universe of Space, Matter and Time, and each of these co-extensive within the entire universe. Even though it is in a modal existent (see heresy section: Modal Heresy), its individual parts are not!
Space is measured in terms on one single dimension (e.g., the foot, meter, etc.), but it can be see in only two dimensions and “lived in” three dimensions.
Time is a tri-unity of Past, Present and Future. The Future is the unseen source of Time, becoming visible moment-by-moment in the Present, and then passing into the realm of the “experienced” Past. Each is the whole of Time, yet each is distinct and necessary for the understanding of Time.
Matter has a phenomenon and a process that takes place in Space through Time, it constitutes a remarkable triunity. Energy is the unseen source, manifesting itself in Motion and then experienced in particular processes of phenomenon. Everything that “happens” in Space and Time is measured in terms of its particular rate or motion – how much time to move through a unit of space. But the particular Motion is inseparably linked with the particular kind of Energy, which caused it on the one hand, and the particular kind of phenomenon, which it produces on the other. The tri-unity of Matter is that Energy continually producing and revealing itself in Motion, which is then experienced through associated phenomena.
Everywhere we look we see this universal tri-unity of Cause, Event, and Consequences – of Source, Manifestation and Meaning. So why can’t it be realistic, to believe that the God of this Tri-universe is a Tri-une God? Response: people don’t want to. |
Since the word Trinity is not in the Bible, so how can the Trinity be Biblical and thus true?
Response: Neither are the words Old and New Testaments, rapture, missions, discipleship, or evangelism found in the Bible. Merely giving labels to Biblical concepts does not make them any more or less true. What do you call the Three who share the common Name in which we are to be baptized?
For Muslims, while the word "trinity" is not in the Bible, the word to have unity, "tawhid" is not in the Qur’an either. For Latter-Day Saint Mormons, the words "eternal progression" are not in the Book of Mormon either.
Why can I not picture the Trinity in my head?
Response: You are not supposed to picture this. You cannot picture God being Almighty, being everywhere, or eternity either, but mankind’s inabilities do not restrict God. Would you expect to comprehend completely everything about the Infinite God? We can understand what God has revealed about Himself, though.
Admittedly, the Trinity can be confusing for three reasons.
1. God’s truth is often confusing to the unsaved.
2. False teachers have added to the confusion. For example, Jehovah’s Witnesses do not accept the Trinity, but they themselves often either misrepresent the Trinity the reject, or do not even know what the Trinity that they reject is. While some Mormons say they reject the Trinity, I have met many Mormons who say they accept the Trinity. However, they do not know what the Trinity is. The Trinity is much more than the three simply being one in love, spirit, and purpose.
3. We cannot just blame the cults. Many Genuine Christians themselves are ill-equipped to clearly explain the Trinity.
The Trinity just does not fit my image of God.
Response: You must choose to follow God, regardless of your own preconceptions, or to not follow any but your own image or idol or god.
If the Trinity is True, is Jesus 1/3 God?
Response: No, this misrepresentation of the Trinity is human reasoning, and not even very good human reasoning at that. The height of a desk is not 1/3 of a desk. Jesus has the fullness of God according to Colossians 2:9. Just as it is ridiculous to say that since the sun gives light it cannot give heat, Jesus having the fullness of God does not mean the Father and Spirit cannot have the fullness of God also.
Did the concept of the Trinity comes from Babylonian and Assyrian religions, which had triads of gods?
Response: No. When, Jesus said to baptize in the ____ of the Father, Son, and Spirit, Jesus said "Name", not "names". A triad is polytheism with three separate beings and three separate gods. The Trinity is One inseparable God and three distinct beings.
What was some of the early church teaching on the Trinity?
Here are some of them.
Ignatius (died 107 or 116 A.D.)
About the Lord’s second coming "Look for Him that is above the times, Him who has not times, Him who is invisible, Him who for our sakes became visible, Him who is impalpable [beyond touch], Him who is impassable [beyond passion], Him who for our sakes suffered, Him who endured everything in every for our sakes." Letter to Polycarp chapter 3.
To Diognetus (written c.130 A.D.)
"As a king sends his son, who is also a king, so sent He Him; as God(1) He sent Him; as to men He sent Him; as a Saviour He sent Him,..." ch.7 The footnote (1) says "God" here refers to the person sent.
Justin Martyr (wrote about 138-165 A.D.)
"for when we give out some word, we beget the word; yet not by abscission, so as to lessen the word [which remains] in us, when we give it out; and just as we see also happening in the case of a fire, which is not lessened when it has kindled [another], but remains the same;... The Word of Wisdom, who is Himself this God begotten of the Father of all things, and Word, and Wisdom, and Power, and the Glory of the Begetter, will bear evidence to me..." Dialogue with Trypho ch. 61. Actually all of chapters 57-63 discuss the divinity of Jesus.
Theophilus bishop of Antioch (168-181/188 A.D.)
"For the divine writing itself teaches us that Adam said that he had heard the voice. But what else is this voice but the Word of God, who is also His Son? To Autolycus 2:22
Tertullian (wrote about 200-220/240 A.D.)
"The Word, therefore, is both always in the Father, as He says, ‘I am in the Father;’ and is always with God, according to what is written, ‘And the Word was with God;’ and never separate from the Father, or other than the Father, since ‘I and the Father are one.’" Against Praxeas chapter 8.
Irenaeus (182-188 A.D.)
"But that He [Jesus] is Himself in His own right, beyond all men who ever lived, God, and Lord, and King Eternal, and the Incarnate Word, proclaimed by all the prophets, the apostles, and by the Spirit Himself, may be seen by all who have obtained to even a small portion of the truth." (Irenaeus Against Heresies 3:19:2).
"Know thou that every man is either empty or full. For if he has not the Holy Spirit, he has no knowledge of the Creator; he has not received Jesus Christ the life; he knows not the Father who is in heaven;..." (Against Heresies 3:16)
"She [the church] also believes these points [of doctrine] just as if she had but one soul.... For the churches which have been planted in Germany do not believe or hand down anything different nor do those in Spain nor those in Gaul, nor those in the East nor those in Egypt nor those in Libya, nor ..."
Hippolytus (170-235/6 A.D.) after quoting part of John 1:1
"If, then the Word was with God and was also God what follows? Would one say that he speaks of two Gods? I shall not indeed speak of two Gods but of one; of two Persons however and of a third economy (disposition), viz., the grace of the Holy Ghost. For the Father indeed is One but there are two Persons because there is also the Son; and then there is the third the Holy Spirit. The Father decrees, the Word executes and the Son is manifested, through whom the Father is believed on. The economy of the harmony is led back to one God; for God is One. It is the Father who commands and the Son who obeys and the Holy Spirit who gives understanding; the Father is above all, and the Son who is through all and the Holy Spirit who is in all. And we cannot otherwise think of one God, but by believing in truth in Father and Son and Holy Spirit." Against the Heresy of One Noetus chapter 14.
Athanasius (296-373 A.D.)
"United without confusion, distinguished without separation. Indivisible and without degrees." Sermon on Luke 10:22
"For it is only on the cross that a man dies with his hands spread out. Whence it was fitting for the Lord to bear this also and to spread out His hands that with the one He might draw the ancient people, and with the other those from the Gentiles and unite both in Himself." Incarnation 25:3
Basil of Cappadocia (329-379 A.D.)
"when all the while they ought to confess that the Father is God, the Son God, and the Holy Ghost God, as they have been taught by the divine words,..." Letter 7 to Caesareans (p.116)
Hilary (353-368 A.D.)
"The deeds of God therefore are beyond the understanding of our human nature and do not fit in with our rational process of thought because the operation of a limitless eternity demands an infinite comprehension of measuring things. So it is not a conclusion of reason but a limitation of power when God became man, when the Immortal dies, when the Eternal is buried. Again, on the other hand it does not depend on our manner of thinking but on omnipotence that He appears as God from a man, as immortal from one who is dead, and as eternal from one who is buried. Hence we are revivified by God in Christ through his death." Trinity 1:14
"Since unless things are of the same nature they are never accorded equal honor, and equality of honor does not bring about a separation in those who are being honored. But the mystery of the birth demands equality of honor." (on John 5:23)
Gregory of Nyssa (335-394 A.D.)
"When we say that the Godhead of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost is one, and yet forbid men to say ‘there are three Gods’?" On "Not Three Gods"
Ambrose of Milan (340-397 A.D.)
"These words, then, are written with regard to God, of which Name the dignity and truth are common to [both the Father and] the Son." Of the Christian Faith 3:3:17.
Summary
The church did not have non-Trinitarians. Gnostics, Arians, and other heretics were excluded from the church. The doctrines of Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons and others are modern inventions.
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Modalism Heresy
What is modalism, and why is it wrong?
The Trinity teaches there is one inseparable God in three distinct persons. Modalism, teaches there is one inseparable and one person. There are actually two kinds of modalism. Patripassianism says that the Father is the son who is the Spirit. Dynamic modalism says the Father became the son, who became the Spirit. Both kinds of Modalism are wrong for the following reasons.
1. Jesus said "the Father is greater than I" in John 14:28. While Jesus had emptied himself of His glory on earth when He said this, the fact remains that if the Father was greater than Him, there is a distinction between the Father and the Son.
2. If modalism were true, Jesus must have been a ventriloquist, a magician, and ultimately, a liar at His baptism (Matthew 3:16-17; Mark 1:10-12; Luke 3:21-22). While on earth, Jesus was subject to the Father (Hebrews 5:7-8). This would be meaningless if there was no one else to whom Jesus to be subject.
3. Likewise, Jesus did what the Father commanded (John 14:31).
4. Matthew 24:36 says that no one knows the day or hour that Christ would return, not even the son, but only the Father. Thus, at least while Jesus was on earth, there was a difference between what the Father knew and what Jesus knew. While some Greek manuscripts do not have "nor the son", the best Greek manuscripts, and the majority of the Greek manuscripts have "nor the son".
5. Jesus was sent by someone else, if John 5:36-37;6:29,38 have any meaning. Heaven was not empty when Jesus came.
6. Since the Father granted something to the Son, and gave the Son authority in John 5:22,26,27, this shows the Father and Son are distinct.
7. Why would Jesus pray to the Father, or ask something of the Father, in John 17:5, John 14:16, 26,28, and other places, if Jesus were just talking to Himself. Furthermore, since Jesus’ prayers were represented as talking with someone else, the Bible would be misleading if there were no one else to whom Jesus was talking.
8. Who is the One the Spirit is interceding for us in Romans 8:26-27?
9. If Jesus were a servant, who was Jesus a servant of in Matthew 12:18?
10. Who was it that forsook Jesus at Calvary in Mark 15:34;Mt27:46
11. Other verses that show the distinctness are John 1:33; 1 Corinthians 11:3; 15:25-28; Ephesians 1:3,17; Hebrews 1:9
Here are some quotes from Witness Lee, who founded the local church. The local church has student groups called "Christians on Campus." Typically their churches are named "The Church in [cityname]",.
"Thus the three Persons of the Trinity become the three successive steps in the process of God’s economy." W. Lee. The Economy of God Living Stream 1968 p.10.
"Likewise, the Father, Son, and Spirit are not three Gods, but three stages of one God for us to possess and enjoy." W. Lee. Concerning the Triune God Living Stream no date p.31
"In the heavens, where man cannot see, God is the Father; when He is expressed among men, He is the Son; and when He comes into men, He is the Spirit. The Father was expressed among men in the Son, and the Son became the Spirit to come into men. The Father is in the Son, and the Son became the Spirit--the three are just one God." W. Lee. Concerning the Triune God Living Stream no date p.8-9
After death and resurrection He [the Son] became the Spirit breathed into the disciples. W. Lee. Concerning the Triune God Living Stream no date p.8
"...the Son became the Spirit for us to drink in as the water of life...." W. Lee. Concerning the Triune God Living Stream no date p.8 "...We know the Lord is the Son and that He is also called the Father... Now we read that He is the Spirit. So we must be clear that Christ the Lord is the Spirit, too." W. Lee. The All-Inclusive Spirit of Christ Living Stream 1969 p.4,6,8
"Thus, the three Persons of the Trinity become the three successive steps in the process of God’s economy." W. Lee. The Economy of God Living Stream p.10
Note that this is refuted by the verses given at the beginning of this answer.
Since Modalism is wrong, yet the Father and Son are very close, just how close are they?
While Scripture does not give many details, here are six things we can say.
1. As Jesus is In the Father, We Are In Jesus, and Jesus Is In Us
There is a connection between these relationships: Father-Jesus, Jesus-Us, Us-Jesus. John 14:20; 17:23; 6:57
Nevertheless, there is more to the Trinity than just this analogous relationship. Matthew 28:19; John 1:1,18; Philippians 2:6-7; Colossians 1:15
The Father, Jesus, and us all share some things, like eternal life. John 16:13-15
The Father and Jesus "own" all in common. John 16:15;17:10. The Holy Spirit reveals this to us. John 16:14-5
Nevertheless, the Father does not have some things we share with Jesus after His human birth. Hebrews 1:6-10; 2:14; 7:3
2. As the Father and Jesus are One, We are to Be One
We are to be one with each other in some ways similar to the Father and Jesus. John 17:11,21-22
Nevertheless, They are One in some ways we cannot be one. John 5:23
3. The Father lives in Jesus
On earth the Father lived in Jesus. John 10:38;14:10-11. Jesus was filled with the Spirit. Luke 4:1,18
If you really know Jesus, then you know the Father and have seen the Father. John 14:7-9
Nevertheless, the Father did not become, progress, or turn into Jesus. Hebrews 13:8; 1:9; John 14:10,24,26; 15:1; 16:27-8,32; 17:5
4. Jesus lives in the Father
On earth Jesus was in the Father. John 10:38; 14:11
Nevertheless, they are distinct; Jesus was not a ventriloquist. Matthew 3:16; John 8:18. Jesus was forsaken at Calvary. Mark 15:34; Matthew 27:46
No one comes to the Father except through Jesus. John 14:6; 6:45; Acts 3:12
Nevertheless, as close as they were on earth, Jesus still would be going to the Father. John 14:12; Mark 16:19; John 20:11
Jesus is called Everlasting Father, which may refer to being the source of everlasting life. Isaiah 9:6
Nevertheless, Jesus did not become, progress, or turn into the Father. Hebrews 13:8; John 20:17; 14:10,24,26; 15:1
5. God/Father/Christ/the Spirit is in Us
People see God through us and in us.
Nevertheless, God does not live solely in us, any more than stars exist solely in telescopes. 1 Timothy 6:16; Jeremiah 23:24; Revelation 19:11
Father/Jesus/the Spirit also actually dwells/makes their home in every believer. John 14:17,23; 17:26; Romans 8:9-11; Galatians 3:6; 1 Corinthians 6:19; 1 John 4:15-16; 2 Timothy 1:14
Nevertheless, God/Father/Christ/Spirit did not become us, or turn into sinful man. James 1:13; Heb 4:15: 1 Pet 2:22; 1 John 3:5
God works and acts in us and through us. Philippians 2:13; examples:1 Corinthians 15:10; Romans 15:18-19
God’s people, the church, are together Christ’s body. 1 Corinthians 6:15; 10:17; 12:27; Ephesians 4:12; Colossians 1:24.
Nevertheless, we are not Christ’s physical body. Colossians 1:22. God is not limited to acting through us. Genesis 1; Acts 9:1-6; Revelation
Helping/Not helping us is the same as to Jesus Christ. Matthew 25:35-45; John 13:20; Acts 9:4-5; 22:7-8; 26:14-15
Nevertheless, people can praise or revile God directly without doing things to believers. Romans 1:18-32; Revelation 9:20-21
6. We Live in God/Father/Christ/the Spirit
We are in Jesus and the Father. John 17:21; Colossians 2:6,12; 3:3-4; 1 John 4:12,15-16; 5:20.
We must remain in Jesus Christ and in His love. John 15:1-9; 1 John 2:27
Nevertheless, we are not fully with God now; we still need to go and be with God. 2 Corinthians 5:8; 1 Corinthians 13:12; Philippians 1:23
Because Jesus lives, we will live. John 14:19; Colossians 3:4; 1 Corinthians 15:12-22
Nevertheless, we do not become, progress, evolve, or turn into God or Christ; rather we become godly and Christ-like. Isaiah 42:8; 43:10; Romans 8:29; 1 John 3:2; Philippians 3:21
We’re new creations in Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:17. We’ve the mind of Christ. 1 Corinthians 2:16.
Nevertheless, we do not become zombies; we are still to have our own (renewed) minds and personalities. 1 Corinthians 6:2-6; 11:13; 13:11+14:20; Romans 14:5-6
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