Church History

Trinitarian Churches' Teachings Concerning the Personality and the Presence of God.

Churches

A. Presbyterian

Web Site of the Grace Presbyterian Church
"CHAPTER II. Of God, and of the Holy Trinity.

I. There is but one only living and true God, who is infinite in being and perfection, a most pure spirit,
invisible, without body, parts, or passions, immutable, immense, eternal, incomprehensible, almighty, most

III. In the unity of the Godhead there be three Persons of one substance, power, and eternity: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost. The Father is of none, neither begotten nor proceeding; the Son is eternally begotten of the Father; the Holy Ghost eternally proceeding from the Father and the Son.
 

B. Baptist

Baptist Confession of Faith Web Site of Truth for Eternity Ministries is the outreach ministry of the Reformed Baptist Church of Grand Rapids, MI; 3181 Bradford NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49506.
"Chapter 2: Of God and of the Holy Trinity
1._____The Lord our God is but one only living and true God; whose subsistence is in and of himself, infinite in being and perfection; whose essence cannot be comprehended by any but himself; a most pure spirit, invisible, without body, parts, or passions, who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; "

C. Seventh-day Adventists

1. 1980 Fundamental Beliefs of Seventh-day Adventists, # 2
“There is one God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, a unity of three co-eternal Persons. God is immortal, all-powerful, all-knowing, above all, and ever present. He is infinite and beyond human comprehension, yet known through His self-revelation. He is forever worthy of worship, adoration, and service by the whole creation.” Seventh-day Adventists Believe p. 16

“God is omnipresent (Ps 139:7-12; Heb 4:13), transcending all space. Yet He is fully present in every part of space. He is eternal (Ps 90:2; Rev 1:8), exceeding the limits of time, yet is fully present in every moment of time.” Seventh-day Adventists Believe p. 20

E. Orthodox Catholic

ORTHODOX CONFESSION OF FAITH OF THE CATHOLIC AND APOSTOLIC EASTERN CHURCH
Peter Mohila, Metropolitan of Kiev (1633-47) translated by Ronald Peter Popivchak - Copyright 1975, Rev. Ronald Peter Popivchak, All Rights Reserved. These pages are hosted by Dr. Kent L. Norman with the written permission of Rev. Ronald Peter Popivchak.
"Q. 12. Which are the divine personal attributes?
R. …And so the holy apostolic orthodox-catholic Church teaches the belief and confession in one God in the most Holy Trinity, concerning which the First Council at Nicaea and the Second Ecumenical Council, Constantinople, the first in the city of that name, spoke.
Q. 13. Which are the divine attributes of essence?
R. The divine attributes of essence are those which conform equally to God the Father as well as to the Son and the Holy Spirit: that God is eternal, that he is without beginning and end, that he is good, that he is the creator and governor, present everywhere and filling all things, uncircumscribible.
Q. 15. If God is uncircumscribed and everywhere, how can he be said to be in heaven and particularly in certain other places?
R. It is not as if heaven or Sion or any other place circumscribes the immaterial and incorporeal divinity, because God has no place, but is unto himself a place."

F. Roman Catholic

This statement of beliefs, was quoted by James White, in an article previously given in this study. For ease of reference and comparison we give it here again.
Catholic Catechism Abridged by the Rt. Rev. John Dubois, Bishop of New York. Page 5.
"Ques. Where is God?
Ans. God is everywhere.
Q. Does God see and know all things?
A. Yes, he does know and see all things.
Q. Has God any body?
A. No; God has no body, he is a pure Spirit.
Q. Are there more Gods than one?
A. No; there is but one God.
Q. Are there more persons than one in God?
A. Yes; in God there are three persons.
Q. Which are they? A. God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Ghost.
Q. Are there not three Gods?
A. No; the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, are all but one and the same God."

G. Methodist

This statement of beliefs was also quoted in the same article by James White previously quoted in this study, and is given here for ease of reference and comparison.

The first article of the Methodist Religion, p. 8.
"There is but one living and true God, everlasting, without body or parts, of infinite power, wisdom and goodness: the maker and preserver of all things, visible and invisible. And in unity of this God-head, there are three persons of one substance, power and eternity; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost."

H. Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

Confession of Faith of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Here follows the official text as it appears in the Constitution of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
"This church confesses the Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
This church accepts the Apostles', Nicene, and Athanasian Creeds as true declarations of the faith of this church."


I. Athanasian Creed

…And in this Trinity, no one is before or after, greater or less than the other; but all three persons are in themselves, co-eternal and coequal; and so we must worship the Trinity in unity and the one God in three persons. Whoever wants to be saved should think thus about the Trinity.