sorry for such a long post. I have seen many questions asked about the trinity and I hopes this helps.THE TRINITY: Yahweh is the TRIUNE God"University" = unity plus diversity. Conceived for the USA seal in 1776, "E Pluribus Unum" = out of many (diversity), one. The philosopher's dream is for a proper mankind is "unity in diversity". We have an example in the divine realm in Christianity in the Divine Trinity (not the Satanic trinity). Our God exists simultaneously as 3 persons, all 3 of whom are in constant existence...having always been in constant existence (never created). The first indication is in Genesis in 1:1 with "God" being the plural name Elohim and then Genesis 1:26, "Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, in our likeness'..." Both Elohim and Adonai, in Hebrew, are examples of "compound unity" names...indicating "several or many in one". Take the verse Deuteronomy 6:4 where Moses said, "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our GOD is one LORD." In Hebrew it is, "Shema Israel, Adonai Elohenu, Adonai, Echad." The Jews call this verse the SHEMA. The SHEMA shows us that God, Elohim, is a UNITY in PLURALITY. The Hebrew word Elohim is a plural form, being a UNITY in PLURALITY. The "ELOHENU" of the SHEMA is "our God" and is a plural word form. The "Adonai," The Lord, is also a plural word. So the SHEMA clearly identifies God as a plural unity. The final word in the SHEMA is Echad and this settles it once and for all because Echad is a "compound unity" meaning "several or many in one." Yachid is another Hebrew word for "one" and it means "an absolute, indivisible unity." Because yachid is used hundreds of times in the Hebrew of the Old Testament Bible, it is never used to describe the "oneness" of God...echad is used. We must keep clearly in mind that Moses was, himself, one of the great men of the entire history of mankind...surely with intellect and knowledge on a par with the greatest minds of human history. He was given personal instruction by God; so, it is inconceivable that Moses was simply careless in his choice of words. The word "Trinity" is never used in the Bible, and the doctrine of trinitarianism is never explicitly taught in the Bible (the Holy Scriptures). The doctrine is put fourth through correlating Biblical themes and evidence. The emperor Constantine called a council of 318 bishops at Nicaea in 325AD to hammer out church variations of the doctrine of the Trinity...(unfortunately, the effort was marred by political pressure by Constantine) the result being a 316 to 2 vote in favor of the Athanasian position that God and Jesus are of one substance (resulting in the Niceen Creed...affirmed/ratified at council of Rome in 341 & council of Constantinople of 381). God variously exists/functions as The Father, The Son (Jesus), and The Holy Spirit (The Holy Ghost). As to Jesus, The Savior: a savior not quite God would be like a bridge broken at its farther end, and one not quite human like a bridge broken at its beginning. So, pay close attention! Essential elements of the Trinity are: God is one (Christianity is not polytheistic). Each of the 3 within the "Godhead" is deity...not created. The one-ness of God and the three-ness of God are not contradictory. The Trinity (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) is eternal. Each of the 3 is of the same/equal essence, none being superior or inferior to another. Each person of the Trinity is different in function and personhood, not one person with 3 modes. God did not become incarnate, Jesus did; so we don't thank the Father for dying on the Cross. Jesus was begotten but not created. Jesus, fully God, became incarnate (John 1:14...the Word became flesh) as fully human (body, soul, & spirit...otherwise he would not be an actual redeemable human & could not have qualified as The Redeemer). Jesus the God-man: exactly how he was both God and man...how the two natures were existing in one person...is not yet a clear thing in my mind (a "mystery") the FATHER the SON the HOLY SpiritName Yahweh ; "I AM" Jesus of Nazareth Holy Spirit as to:divine essencethe FATHER: each same...He is the Head; God is "one"the SON: each same...was a man for 30+ years & God is the Head of Jesus;God is "one"...Jesus is God (Isaiah 9:6; John 1:1; Romans 1:5; Hebrews 1:8)the HOLY Spirit: each same...H. S. not man-like, came like a rushing wind;God is "one"as to a vineyard example (John 15:1-8)the FATHER: is the gardener who prunesthe SON: the main vine [the true vine] (people are the branches) the HOLY Spirit: not mentionedas to:fundamental rolesthe FATHER: has The Will, the agendathe SON: is perfectly obedient; to the mission, shepherd, and be The Head of believers.the HOLY Spirit: is perfectly obedient; is enabler of persons to become (say "yes") and be believers; is a promise of the Father (Luke 24); is a gift to every believer (Acts 2:38)as to presence in the lives of God's chosen peoplethe FATHER:BC: present but spoke thru prophetsAD: present but speaks thru The Word, prayer, circumstances, and the churchthe SON:BC: present but not realized & not incarnateAD: has all authority on heaven and earth and is the Head of The Churchthe HOLY Spirit:BC: did not indwell all of the chosen; He only came upon especially chosen individuals for God's purposesAD: He indwells each believer (by doing so He baptizes & causes the new birth) and is the agent by whom God "speaks"as to: the truth of a person's profession of Christian faiththe FATHER: simply desires (and set the way) for all to be saved and "draws" toward saving beliefthe SON:died to cancel sin for all & to redeem all; is author of one's faith; convicts of need to say "yes" to Jesus belief; only one knowing sincerity of profession(Matthew 5:21)the HOLY Spirit: enables to say "yes" to salvationas to: eternalitythe FATHER: yes, Psalms 90:2the SON: yes, John 1:2 Revelations 1:8, 1:17the HOLY Spirit: yes, Hebrews 9:14as to: powerthe FATHER: yes, equal: I Peter 1:5the SON: yes, equal: 2 Corinthians 12:9the HOLY Spirit: yes, equal: Romans 15:19as to the WAYS of Godthe FATHER: as to the WAYS of Godthe SON: lived the example and spoke of the ways of Godthe HOLY Spirit: instructs one as to the ways of Godas to the believer's intimate relationship with Jesusthe FATHER: wills itthe SON: desires it for you and leads into knowledge of itthe HOLY Spirit: enables the believer into the relationship and as to the mind of Christas to: holinessthe FATHER: equal, Revelations 15:4the SON: equal, Acts 3:14the HOLY Spirit: equal, Acts 1:8as to: lovethe FATHER: originator of love; His nature is love; possesses the will to extend love; is love I John 4:16the SON: is the embodiment of love on earth & commands & leads to love of othersthe HOLY Spirit: the conduit for pouring out love into the believer's heartRomans 8:26-28 & works to enable love for othersas to: omnisciencethe FATHER: yes, total, 100% Jeremiah 17:10the SON: yes, 99.99999% Revelations 2:23 (Jesus doesn't know the time of His return...only the Father knows); John 14:28; Mark 13:32; John 5:19; & I Corinthians 15:28)the HOLY Spirit: yes, 99.99999% I Corinthians 2:11 (only the Father knows the time of Christ's return)as to: benevolence the FATHER: thru it, God leads man toward repentance, toward "belief"Romans 2:4the SON: thru God's benevolence, Jesus cleanses believer, Ephesians 5:25the HOLY Spirit: thru God's benevolence, the Spirit instructs and enables the believer, Nehemiah 9:20as to: creation of the worldthe FATHER: He conceived it and created it Gen.. 1:1the SON: He was there from the beginning John 1:1-3, 10the HOLY Spirit: hovered over it at beginning Gen.. 1:2as to: creation of Manthe FATHER: formed the man Genesis 2:7 the SON: created man and man created for him Colossians 1:the HOLY Spirit: his breath gives man life Job 33:4 as to: death of Christthe FATHER: He conceived of and engineered the plan and agreed that such way was the only sufficient offset for the sins of mankindthe SON: He agreed to come to earth as a man, to play the role, to live and speak THE TRUTH, to be the Light of the world, and to undergo the details of all of the prophesies and suffer the death.the HOLY Spirit: He came 50 days later, at Pentecost, to indwell believers therefrom, on into all the future ages Acts 2:1as to:Sinthe FATHER: declared and defined sinthe SON: came to reveal sinthe HOLY Spirit: is always busy among people, and thru people and other means, urging the conviction of sin within the mind of a person (that person becomes CONVINCED...convicted)"shouts" a warning to the believer about to fall off courseas to redemption of mankindthe FATHER: willed the processthe SON: willingly came, fully as a man, as the Father's obedient servant to accomplish The Father's willthe HOLY Spirit: came onto Jesus (as enablement ?...John 5:19) at his baptism (Mark 1:9)as to salvation of an individual, rolethe FATHER: designates/foreknowledges The Electthe SON: paid the redemption price and "knocks on the door"...is the invitation to make a choice...for the "yes" hearer to say "yes"the HOLY Spirit: LEADS individual to Jesus:works thru those used to carry the Gospel that the message be conveyed...quickens the mind and spirit of the "hearer"...enables the "yes" hearer to hear..."saves" the "yes" hearer by enabling him to say yesas to prayerthe FATHER: loves, solicits, receives itthe SON: intercedes for the believer in behalf of it, as requestedthe HOLY Spirit: aids the believer in discerning what, how, and why to pray;will intercede for believer, as asked,when believer does not know how or what to pray; our helper in prayer.as to vengeancethe FATHER: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. Romans 12:19the SON: is a shield from it for the believerthe HOLY Spirit: no roleas to Judgmentthe FATHER: authority and measurer of proper appeasementthe SON: passes all final judgment (John 5:22 & 27)the HOLY Spirit: no roleas to spiritual giftsthe FATHER: no rolethe SON: no rolethe HOLY Spirit: distributes the particular gifts to particular believersas to the believer's glorification of Godthe FATHER: He desires it, receives it,and loves itthe SON: He intercedes and delivers it (John 15:5)the HOLY Spirit: He infuses the power to do so, originating in Jesus, into the believer (Philippians 4:13)as to God speaking to believersthe FATHER: He "speaks"the SON: He is the interceding linkthe HOLY Spirit: He resides within the believer and gives the message through The Word (scripture), prayer, circumstances, and the Church.as to knowing the will of God for yourselfthe FATHER: He "wills" that you know itthe SON: He loves you toward desiring to know itthe HOLY Spirit: He guides and enables you into seeing, hearing, understanding what God's will is & what the mind of Christ is as to God's willas to doing the will of God for yourselfthe FATHER: it is His will that you come to know itthe SON: He loves you toward desiring to do itthe HOLY Spirit: He enables you to say "yes" in your decision to do it and enables you to do it.as to:the local churchthe FATHER: has His will for itthe SON: is the Head of itthe HOLY Spirit: manifests himself as the enabler within each believer for actions and experiences toward the common good of "the body of believers"...the church I Corinthians 12 Acts 2:38as to: Resurrection from deaththe FATHER: He wills that the children of God come to Him and His kingdom after their death (has possibly willed that all come to Him)the SON: He is the actual mechanism for the resurrection of God's children (John 11:25)the HOLY Spirit: