Three Co-equal Persons?

Abstract

Scripture and Spirit of Prophecy reveal distinct differences in how the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are persons. While all three bear witness, only the Father and Son possess physical form and personhood in the bodily sense. The Holy Spirit, though a divine person in terms of bearing witness and searching the mind of God, exists fundamentally differently - as a spirit without flesh and bones. This biblical evidence challenges the common assertion of three co-equal persons.

Often it is stated that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are three co-equal persons¹. Let’s explore inspired data to examine that claim.

What do you mean by the term ‘person’?

The source of confusion is found in our understanding of the words. It is fair to ask what one means by the term ‘person’. Instead of jumping to uninspired sources like dictionaries, let’s look at the inspiration first.

The personality of the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit has a personality, else He could not bear witness to our spirits and with our spirits that we are the children of God. He must also be a divine person, else He could not search out the secrets which lie hidden in the mind of God. “For what man knoweth the things of a man save the spirit of man, which is in him; even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.” [1 Corinthians 2:11.]. {EGW; 21LtMs, Ms 20, 1906, par. 32}

What is the meaning behind the word ‘person’ in this quote? Ellen White gives us the reasons why the Holy Spirit is a person. This WHY is the underlying understanding of the word person, applied.

Therefore, the understanding of the personality of the Holy Spirit is based on the quality to bear witness.

Is this quality also applicable to the Father and the Son? Absolutely!

For this reason, many people conclude that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are three co-equal persons. But in order to be truly co-equal, they should bear all qualities of a person in an equal way. Bearing witness is only one quality which would make one a person; how about others?

The personality of the Father and the Son

In Ellen White’s vision regarding the personality of God, she asked Jesus if His Father was a person. By what specific quality did she imply in her question?

“I have often seen the lovely Jesus, that He is a person. I asked Him if His Father was a person, and had a form like Himself. Said Jesus, ‘I am the express image of My Father’s person!’ [Hebrews 1:3.]. {EGW; 18LtMs, Lt 253, 1903, par. 12}

I saw a throne, and on it sat the Father and the Son. I gazed on Jesus’ countenance and admired His lovely person. The Father’s person I could not behold, for a cloud of glorious light covered Him. I asked Jesus if His Father had a form like Himself. He said He had, but I could not behold it, for said He, “If you should once behold the glory of His person, you would cease to exist.” {EGW; EW 54.2; 1882}

Sister White established the fact that Jesus is a person by merely looking at His countenance, His outward physical form. But the Father’s outward physical form she could not see, so she wondered if the Father was also a person, just as Jesus was - meaning does the Father have “a form like Himself”? Obviously, the quality by which the Father and the Son are persons is the outward physical form of a person.

Does the Holy Spirit have a physical form of a person?

The Bible gives us the straight answer:

Luke 24:36-40 - KJV

36. And as they [disciples] thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.
37. But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit.
38. And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts?
39. Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.
40. And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet.

In this instance, Jesus showed Himself in His glorified resurrected body. See 1 Corinthians 15:44 - there is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. Christ made a stark contrast between His spiritual body and a spirit. The difference is an outward physical body. It can be touched, handled, seen, while the spirit has no flesh and bones.

People who assume ontological equality of Christ and the Holy Spirit protest that this spirit here is not a reference to the Holy Spirit. This would imply that the Holy Spirit is NOT “a spirit”. But let John remove any doubt and bring harmony to the Scriptures. Speaking of the same event:

John 20:19-22 - KJV

19. Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.
20. And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord.
21. Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.
22. And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:

What Jesus breathed onto His disciples was not someone who could be handled and seen. And it is clearly spoken of as the Holy Spirit. The nature of the Holy Spirit is a mystery, but it has been revealed to us that the Holy Spirit is a spirit. It has no flesh nor bones.

Therefore, in regard to the outward physical form of a person, the Holy Spirit does not fill that checkbox:

Does this negate the fact that the Holy Spirit is a person? No! It just means that the Holy Spirit is a person in a different way than the Father and the Son. Therefore They are not co-equal persons. The mismatch is in their personality.

The bodily form of a Holy Spirit

Luke 3:22 - KJV 22. And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.

See also Acts 2:3. In the given verses, it is revealed that the Holy Spirit appeared in a bodily shape of a dove or tongues of fire. But this is not sufficient reasoning that the bodily form of a dove makes the Holy Spirit a person - because it would make Him a dove. When talking about the Father and the Son, we are talking about a bodily form of a person. Also, the bodily shape of a dove seen at Christ’s baptism was an emblem of God’s glory which came from the throne of God. See holy-spirit-like-dove for detailed information.

Conclusion

The inspired evidence demonstrates that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are not three co-equal persons as commonly taught. While they are all being persons, their personhood/personalities manifests differently. The Father and Son share the quality of physical form and bodily presence, while the Holy Spirit, though fully divine and personal in function, exists as a spirit without physical form. This fundamental distinction in their nature reveals that traditional trinitarian concepts of three co-equal persons cannot be supported by Scripture.