THE DOCTRINE OF THE TRINITY (THE GODHEAD): Understanding the Three Divine Persons in Heaven (1 John 5:7)

The doctrine of the Trinity — or the Godhead — teaches that within the one true, living God exists three distinct, co-equal, and co-eternal divine persons: the Father, the Word (the Son), and the Holy Spirit. This mystery of divine plurality within divine unity is affirmed in 1 John 5:7, which declares:

"For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one."

While this revelation was not fully preached or openly revealed during the era of the patriarchs of Israel, traces and foreshadowings of this divine truth were already present in the Old Testament narrative. A profound example is found in Genesis 18:1-5, when Abraham encountered three men near the oaks of Mamre.

Scripture records:

"And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day; and he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him..." (Genesis 18:1-2)

Recognizing their divine nature, Abraham bowed down to the ground and addressed them as "My Lord" in the singular form — a subtle yet powerful indication of the plurality within the Godhead. Though three appeared, Abraham spoke to them as one divine being, prefiguring the Christian doctrine of one God in three persons.

Further glimpses of the Godhead in the Old Testament:

• In Genesis 1:26, God says, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness,” suggesting a divine plurality.

• Isaiah 48:16 reveals a triune presence: “And now the Lord GOD, and his Spirit, hath sent me.” Here, the speaker identifies himself alongside both the Lord God and His Spirit.

Though fully articulated in the New Testament, the Trinity is embedded throughout the biblical narrative — culminating in Christ’s command in Matthew 28:19:

“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.”

In conclusion:
The appearance of the three men to Abraham was not a mere happenstance but a divine manifestation, an Old Testament theophany symbolizing the eternal reality of the Godhead. While the fullness of the Trinity would be explicitly revealed through the incarnation of Jesus Christ and the coming of the Holy Spirit, its shadows and signs were present long before — testifying to the unchanging, triune nature of God through all ages.

Shalom,
Dr. Maxwell Shimba
Shimba Theological Institute