II. THE TRIUNE GOD
(adapted from The Genevan Confession [1536])
God Is One
We believe that there is only one God, Whom we are both to worship and serve, and in Whom we are to put all our confidence and hope: having this assurance that in Him alone is contained all wisdom, power, justice, goodness and mercy. And since He is invisible, incorporeal, immense, eternal and Creator of all things both visible and invisible, He is to be served in spirit and in truth.
Therefore we think it an abomination to put our confidence and hope in any created thing to worship anything else than Him, whether angels or any other creatures, and to recognise any other Savior of our souls than Him alone, whether saints or men living upon earth.
Likewise, we think it an abomination to offer the service, which ought to be rendered to Him, in mere external ceremonies or empty religious observance, as if He took pleasure in such things (Hebrews 11:6); or to make an image to represent His divinity or any other image for adoration (Exodus 20:1-6; Isaiah 43:11; 44:6-8; 45:5, 18,21; 46:9; Zechariah 14:9; Malachi 2: 10; Matthew 23:9; Mark 12:32; John 4:24; Romans 1:18-23; 1 Corinthians 8:4-6; Ephesians 4:5-6; 1 Timothy 2:5; James 2:19; Revelation 22:8,9).
God Is Three.
Notwithstanding, we believe that in this one and indivisible God are three persons, (not three titles or offices or relationships to humanity, nor three successive roles played by one person, nor three gods in a cluster) inseparably and without confusion distinguished as Father, Son and Holy Spirit so, as the Father has begotten the Son from eternity, the Son is begotten by an inexplicable mysterious way; and the Holy Spirit truly proceeds from Them both, and the same is from eternity—each is to be worshipped with both.
Thus there are not three gods but three persons, consubstantial, coeternal
and coequal. These three persons are distinct from one another; and with respect to order, the one preceding the other yet without any inequality. For according to the nature or essence they are so joined together that they are one God, and the divine nature is common to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:16,17; 28:19,20; John 5:31,36,37; 8:13-18; 10:30; 15:26; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Hebrews 1:1-3).
In short, we receive the Apostles’ Creed, the Nicene and the Athanasian
Creeds because it delivers to us the true faith. Therefore we reject the teaching of the Jews and Moslems that there is only one person in one God. We also reject
the teaching that "Father," "Son" and "Spirit" refer only to three offices,
roles, or relationships to humanity played by one person and thus blaspheme the
other persons in the Trinity. We also reject all heresies that teach that there is
something/someone created and subservient, or subordinate to another in the
Trinity, and that there is something/someone unequal in it, a greater or a lesser.