The word “trinity” does not appear in the Bible. However, what the word “trinity” represents is taught abundantly throughout the Bible. “Trinity” refers to the three Divine persons in the one Godhead (Acts 17:29; Romans 1:20; Colossians 2:9). Sometimes, the individual Persons of the Godhead appear in a single verse of Scripture (Matthew 3:16-17; 28:19). Usually, though, one or two persons of the Godhead may appear in a biblical passage (Matthew 17:1-5).
Each Divine Person of the Godhead is equal to every other Person in the Godhead. Nevertheless, each Person of the Godhead occupies specific roles. Each Person of the Godhead (i.e., God-the-Father, God-the-Son [Jesus Christ] and God-the-Holy Spirit) has distinctly different functions. In concert, the three Members of the Godhead participate in such a way as to interact in an organized fashion as one God or Godhead. God exhibits unity not paralleled on earth by humans.
There is only one humanity, but there are billions of persons who comprise that one humanity. There is only one God or Godhead, but there are three Divine Persons who comprise that one Godhead—or possess the qualities and attributes of God or Deity.
Other studies can concentrate on the sundry activities of the Persons of the Godhead. Herein, we want to consider human activity toward the Godhead. Particularly, how ought we mortals act in worship respecting the Godhead?
Observations of late discern what appears to be a twisting of the Trinity respecting mankind’s worship of God. This is apparent in primarily two areas: (1) prayers and (2) singing. The underlying reasons for infractions in this twisting of the Trinity are: (1) carelessness, (2) not knowing any better, or (3) voluntary disregard for the instructive nature of New Testament Scripture—indifference to biblical authority.
Often today one hears a brother offering prayer at the Lord’s Table where the prayer is worded in a faulty manner respecting to whom the prayer is offered. The prayer may begin by thanking “the Lord” for giving His Son on Calvary’s cross, and yet before the prayer ends, “the Lord” turns out to be a reference to “Jesus.” The absurdity is thanking Jesus for sending Jesus to die on the cross for us. Or, another brother will apparently be praying to the Father, but then thank Him for dying on the cross. Not infrequently, prayers led at the Lord’s Table are indicative of grave carelessness, lack of proper reflection and a lack of understanding either the Lord’s Supper or the subject of worshipping God.
In addition, poetic license cannot conceal deliberate efforts to sideline the Father and in His place purposely and directly worship Jesus Christ through worshipful singing. Up to half of the songs in a contemporary worship assembly and perhaps nearly all of the singing in youth settings (e.g., camp songs, devotionals) sing lively lyrics specifically to Jesus Christ. Doubtlessly, the mass of brethren doesn’t know any better, but they know what they like. Yet, many others surely know better, but they purposely overlook biblical instruction about Christian worship.
There is a difference between singing songs about Jesus versus singing worshipful songs to Jesus. “Christ the Lord Is Risen Today,” “O How I Love Jesus” and “Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus” are about Christ. Songs such as “You Are My King,” “Lord I Life Your Name on High,” “Here I Am to Worship,” “You Are My All in All” and “Jesus You’re the One” are examples of songs to Christ.
Regarding worship of God, it is a biblically established fact that mortals ought to worship one particular Person of the Godhead—God-the-Father. The role or function of God-the-Father includes being the recipient of worship. It does not lie within the authority or prerogative of mere humans to reassign the role of the Father to another or to others, irrespective of the fact that both Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit share the attributes and essence of being God. It matters not that Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit are worthy to be worshipped, but it does matter that the Bible calls upon mortals to worship the Father.
The Heavenly Father is supposed to be the object of our worship, through the mediatorship (1 Timothy 2:5) and function as High Priest (Hebrews 8:3) of Jesus Christ. Our Lord Himself specifically instructed His apostles to pray to “Our Father in Heaven” (Matthew 6:9). Christ Himself prayed to the Father (Matthew 26:39, 42). Jesus expected mankind to pray to the Father (Matthew 6:5; 7:11; John 15:16; 16:23-24, 26). Likewise, the apostle Paul expected Christians to pray to the Father (Romans 8:15; Galatians 4:6). Furthermore, the apostle Paul said that he prayed thankful prayers to “God through Jesus Christ” (Romans 1:8). Moreover, Paul was accustomed to “giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5:20). The same apostle instructed the Colossians, “And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him” (Colossians 3:17).
This topic of whether it is permissible to worship Jesus Christ instead of the Father, whether it is through prayer or singing, has been addressed before in the pages of Gospel Gazette Online. Here are a few of those links.
https://www.gospelgazette.com/gazette/2003/may/page20.htm
https://www.gospelgazette.com/gazette/2009/feb/page16.html
https://www.gospelgazette.com/gazette/2014/oct/page15.html
https://www.gospelgazette.com/gazette/2013/oct/page16.html
https://www.gospelgazette.com/gazette/2007/jun/page20.htm#answer3
https://www.gospelgazette.com/gazette/2016/aug/page13.html
Especially we who purport to respect Bible authority and regard valid biblical interpretation ought to worship our Heavenly Father according to biblical instructions. Let’s have neither a twisted view nor practice regarding the roles or functions of various Persons of the Godhead.
