Part 1 of The Trinity and Salvation

How much do you have to know about the Trinity to be saved?

A recent discussion of this topic stemming from the participation of T D Jakes in the Elephant Room with MacDonald and Driscoll surprised me.  In the discussion, people with varying levels of theological education and from differing, albeit evangelical traditions, disagreed on whether or not one must believe in the Trinity to be a Christian.  The elements of the differing opinions seem to include whether or not:

1. one must use the word «Trinity» to describe the Christian God,
2. one must use the word «person» to describe the members of the Godhead,
3. one must believe all the planks of the doctrine of the Trinity,
4. one may be ignorant of a portion of the doctrine of the Trinity without denying it outright,
5. one may deny one of the planks of the doctrine of the Trinity and still be saved,
6. one may deny any or all of the planks of the doctrine of the Trinity and still be saved, though on his way to a full and Biblical knowledge of God.

I seem to have run the gamut of these six points as I transitioned from my Baptist upbringing to Oneness Pentecostalism and then on to a thoroughly Trinitarian, Reformed, and Charismatic family of churches.  

The doctrine of the Trinity forms the foundation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  For this reason, nearly every heretical movement in the history of Christianity has denied one aspect of the doctrine of the Trinity and as a result has denied the Gospel, as well.  As the Holy Spirit opened up the Scriptures to me in regard to the truth of each component of the doctrine of the Trinity, I could more clearly see the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the profound love the Father has for the elect.  As a part of my testimony of returning to belief in the Jesus of Scripture, I cannot overstate the centrality of the doctrine of the Trinity to the Gospel and thus salvation.

The three planks of the doctrine of the Trinity come from the Bible:

1. There is one God.
2. The Father is God.  The Son is God.  The Holy Spirit is God.
3. The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit have enjoyed a relationship from all eternity as distinct persons.

Which of these three truths can a person not know and still be saved?  Which of these three truths can a person deny outright and still be saved?  

From Scripture, we learn that Jesus' identity as God forms part of the message that births us anew.  The “I AM” references of Jesus in the Gospel of John show that Jesus claimed to be God.  Jesus connected belief in Him as the “I AM” with forgiveness of sins saying, “I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins.” (John 8:24 ESV)  Jesus said to the Samaritan woman at the well of Jacob, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that says to you, Give Me to drink; you would have asked of Him, and He would have given you living water.” (John 4:10)  Jesus later confirms his identity to the Samaritan woman using an “I AM” in response to her statement about the Messiah.  (v15)  

The Samaritan woman didn’t have living water to drink until she understood, to some degree, that Jesus is God.  And when she believed this, she went and shared it with her whole town.  

It seems then, that belief in Jesus as the Messiah who is also God forms part of the Good News.  Who has come to save us?  An angel?  A god?  A simple prophet?  NO!  Emmanuel has come!  God with us!  

The other parts of the Doctrine of the Trinity will be examined yet, stay tuned.