The Greek word apologia means "to give a reasoned defense for what you believe to be true." It is used 19 times in the new Testament. 1 Peter 3:15 (Amplified) is one such instance.

"But in your hearts set Christ apart as holy [and acknowledge Him] as Lord. Always be ready to give a logical defense (apologia) to anyone who asks you to account for the hope that is in you, but do it courteously and respectfully"

We, as followers of Christ, are mandated to defend our faith in every area. This section is dedicated to answering the questions of many as to the authenticity of our faith as Christians. Though it will not give detailed answers, it will attempt to convey some core truths about Christianity.

How can God be one God, yet three persons?

In Christianity, God is a Trinity. This means that God is three Persons in one God (“Tri” meaning three and “unity” meaning one), not three Gods. Although the concept of the Trinity is not specifically stated in the Bible, the scriptures clearly point to this truth. The doctrine of the Trinity states that in the one God is the person of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Each is not the same person as the other; yet they are not three Gods but one. Let us look to the scriptures for clarification.

There is only one God: (1 Corinthians 8:4) “there is no God but one.” In (Deuteronomy 6:4) Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one!” In (Isaiah 45:5), God Himself attests to His singularity saying “I am Jehovah, and there is no one else; Besides Me there is no God.”

There are more than one Persons comprising this one God: God testifies to His plurality and singularity at the same time in (Genesis 1:26) when He said “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness,” then in verse 27, it says, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him”, and again to His plurality in (Isaiah 6:8) when He said “Whom shall I send? Who will go for Us?”

There are three Persons comprising this one God, the Father, Son and Holy Ghost: In the New Testament the Lord gave His Apostles the great commission, commanding them to “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 18:19). He did not command them to baptize in the “names” but in the “name” of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost.

Each of these three Persons is God: From Scripture we see that -

The Father is God: “one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” (Ephesians 4:6). We can also see that -

The Son is God: “In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God….The word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. (John 1:1,14), speaking of the Son. Many more truths concerning the Son being God is detailed in the article named “Was Jesus Christ God?” Finally we see that -

The Holy Spirit is God: “Then Peter said, "Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? You have not lied to men but to God.” (Acts 5:3,4)

In addition to being called God, there are many more scriptures that point to each of these three Persons having the same nature - the nature of God; omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent, eternal, and creator - for example the omniscience of the Father (1 John 3:20), of the Son (John 16:30, 21:17) and of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 2:10,11).

These three Persons coexist simultaneously and eternally, yet they are three distinct Persons: This can be evidenced at the baptism of Jesus Christ where they were each present and functioning as separate Persons. Jesus Christ, the Son, was the one being baptized by John the Baptist. After He was baptized, “He saw the Spirit of God (The Holy Spirit) descending like a dove and lighting on him.” (Matthew 3:16). Then the Father spoke “And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased." (Matthew 3:17).

These three distinct Persons are one God: The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are one God, for they indwell each other.

The Father and the Son are one: Jesus says “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:19). “I and the Father are one." (John 10:30).

The Father and the Spirit are one: (Joel 2:27-29) records the words of God the Father: "I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh." speaking of pouring out His Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit, though a separate person, is the very Spirit of the Father. The Word of God also calls the Holy Spirit: the "Spirit of the LORD" (Isaiah 40:13), "the Spirit of God" (Genesis 1:2), and the "Spirit of the Father" (Matthew 10:20).

The Son and the Spirit are one: In John 14, verses 16 and 17 Jesus promises His disciples to ask the Father to send the Holy Spirit to them. Then in verse 18, He says He will come Himself to them, for in verse 26, the Holy Spirit will be sent in His name. In (Matthew 28:20), the Lord promises His disciples “I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.” Where the Holy Spirit is, Jesus Christ is also, for they are one God.

The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are three distinct Persons but one God in essence. (1 John 5:7 NKJV) says “For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word (the Son - John 1:1,14), and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one.”

The Trinity is similar in analogy to the nature of time. Time is past, present, and future. The past is not the same as the present, which is not the same as the future. But, there are not three times. There is only one thing called time. It is also the same as Love. For there to be love, there has to be a lover, a loved one, and a spirit of love which flows from one to the other, for love to be complete. It is also similar to the substance of water which contains the same molecular structure, but can exist as Solid, Liquid or Gas. The closest analogy is love.

Let me be clear in saying that the Trinity is a still very much a great mystery, but clearly scripture shows that the Trinity is a fact.