An astonishing research report from the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University reveals that only 16% of all self-identified Christians believe in the Trinity as defined in the Bible. It gets worse… According to the survey, only 53% of self-identified Christians believe that the supreme deity portrayed in the Bible (i.e., God or Yahweh) exists and affects people’s lives. Only 78% of those individuals believe in the existence and influence of Jesus Christ. And less than half as many (30%) believe in the living presence and power of the Holy Spirit. The bottom line is that only 16% of self-identified Christians believe in the existence and influence of all three persons of the Trinity. You read that correctly… a stomach-turning 84% of people who call themselves Christians in America do not believe in the foundational doctrine of the Triune God… that of the Trinity. This is only slightly more than all adults (including non-Christians) surveyed, among whom 89% don’t believe in the existence and influence of the Trinity. Shockingly, among those who identified as Catholics a stunning 91% stated they do not believe in the doctrine of the Trinity… far worse than that of the general population. One has to wonder if the Catholic religion’s over-emphasis on Mary is at the root of this disturbing statistic… Although the specific word “Trinity” is not found in the Bible, it is a central doctrine of the Christian faith. It holds that the God of the Bible is three distinct but inseparable and equal persons in one. The Trinity is referenced in the first sentence of the first chapter of Genesis, the first book of the Bible…
The Hebrew word used here for “God” is Elohim… Elohim is a plural noun… not one, but more than one in one. Again… three distinct but inseparable and equal persons in one God. Other Bible passages also refer to the Trinity…
Why then, are so many people rejecting this fundamental biblical teaching or are at least totally ignorant of it?
Sadly, even among self-identified Christians who claim to possess a biblical worldview, only 62% believe in the existence and influence of all three persons of the Trinity… So, What is the Trinity? The three persons of the Trinity are God the Father who is the creator of all things; Jesus Christ, the divine Son of God, the redeemer of humanity; and the Holy Spirit, who is an advocate and helper. The three persons are equal… one God in essence but distinct in their roles.
Let me point out that the doctrine of the Trinity might be accepted by an individual, but it is not fully understood by them… as it is certainly one of the “mysteries of the faith.” However, there is a difference between believing in and totally understanding the Trinity and rejecting it. But the problem runs even deeper… Survey director George Barna warns, “We know from our national worldview tracking studies that most Americans are uninformed about the many essential biblical teachings, ranging from the Ten Commandments and the Trinity to matters related to repentance, salvation, the chief purpose of life, and divine measures of success.” Why? With all the smoke machines, skits, light shows, hip-hop music, and staged drone camera flights over their buildings… too many “pastors” don’t seem to have any time left to teach the truth of the Trinity or the Gospel. Sadly, this has become commonplace in an increasing number of Christian churches that promote social justice, acceptance of same-sex marriages, and “unity” over biblical doctrine. Avoid such so-called churches… We may earn a commission on any links on this page… |