Trinity: Three Persons

As you read through the Apostles' Creed and the Small Catechism's explanations, it becomes clear that there is more than one person carrying out the "plan of salvation."  In fact, it seems clear that there are three:  one in each article.  The first "person" is called the "Father"; the second is called "Son" and "Jesus Christ"; the third is the "Holy Spirit".

At first, you might be inclined to lump the third person (i.e., the Holy Spirit) with one of the other two (either the Father or the Son), since we tend to think of a spirit as part of a person.  But when you read what the Holy Spirit does, He clearly does different work than the other two persons.

And that is the way the Bible talks about the Holy Spirit, too.  Jesus speaks of the Holy Spirit as a third person in John 14:16-17:  "I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him.  You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you."

Later in verses 25-26, Jesus goes on: "These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you.  But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you."

Also very strong is John 17:7ff: "It is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you.  But if I go, I will send him to you.  ...  He will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.  He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you."

So there appear to be three persons involved in the work of salvation.