In the baptism of Christ we see the Father speaking from heaven, Christ is on earth and the Holy Spirit came down in the form of a dove. Does this not prove plainly the presence of three different persons, or the trinity?

Answer

The answer to this is very simple. If we do not add to the scripture we will not be confused. Here is the account in the Bible:

Matthew 3:16

And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him

Mark 1:10

And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him

Luke 3:21, 22

Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened, And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.

John 1:32

And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.

A few facts we learn from these accounts are:

1. It is the Spirit of God. It was the Spirit of someone, namely God.
2. Its descent was like a dove.
3. Its shape was like a dove.
4. Its called an “it” by John

Do these facts support the conclusion that the Holy Spirit is a different person separate to God? John certainly would not have used “it” to refer to a divine being. The Holy Spirit is actually possessed by God (it is the Spirit of God).

“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound” Isaiah 61:1; Luke 4:18

Jesus said these words after the wilderness experience. They were a direct fulfillment of the prophecies of the Old Testament regarding the descent of the Spirit:

Isaiah 11:2

“And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD;”

Isaiah 42:1

“Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.”

To any honest reader it is a very simple and plain fact. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of the Lord, it’s His own Spirit and not someone else called “the Spirit of the Lord”. Many people falsely believe that “Spirit of the Lord”, “Spirit of God”, “Holy Spirit”, “Holy Ghost” etc. are proper names. They are not. They actually describe whose Spirit it is, and what kind of Spirit it is. It belongs to the LORD and it is Holy because it belongs to someone Holy.

That is why Jesus was able to say

John 10:37, 38

“If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him.”

How was the Father in Christ?

The answer is found in all the verses mentioned above. The Father was in Jesus by His Spirit. And it is thus that Jesus will be in us (John 14:20), by His Spirit.

If we can understand the above clearly we will be able to understand the scriptures better. This conclusion is confirmed when we examine the comments on this incident from the Spirit of Prophecy:

“Never before had angels listened to such a prayer as Christ offered at his baptism, and they were solicitous to be the bearers of the message from the Father to his Son. But, no; direct from the Father issues the light of his glory. The heavens were opened, and beams of glory rested upon the Son of God, and assumed the form of a dove, in appearance like burnished gold. The dove-like form was emblematical of the meekness and gentleness of Christ.” {2SP 60, 61}1877

“Never before have the angels listened to such a prayer. They are eager to bear to their loved Commander a message of assurance and comfort. But no; the Father Himself will answer the petition of His Son. Direct from the throne issue the beams of His glory. The heavens are opened, and upon the Saviour's head descends a dovelike form of purest light,--fit emblem of Him, the meek and lowly One. Of the vast throng at the Jordan, few except John discerned the heavenly vision. Yet the solemnity of the divine Presence rested upon the assembly. The people stood silently gazing upon Christ. His form was bathed in the light that ever surrounds the throne of God. His upturned face was glorified as they had never before seen the face of man. From the open heavens a voice was heard saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."”{DA 112}1898

According to the above, we are told that it was a dovelike light that descended upon the Savior’s head and it was the “glory” of “the Father Himself”, not a third being called the ‘God Holy Spirit.’

If the baptismal account of Jesus proves anything it is that there is a Father in heaven, His Son Jesus Christ, and their Spirit. Exactly what the Spirit of the Lord revealed through the Spirit of Prophecy:

“They have one God and one Saviour; and one Spiritthe Spirit of Christis to bring unity into their ranks.” {9T 189}