The word “Godhead” in some English translations of the Bible is misleading, since people often equate it with the word “Trinity.”  The word “Trinity” never occurs in any English translation of the Bible, Apocrypha, OT Pseudepigrapha, Philo, Josephus, or Apostolic Fathers (early 2^nd century).  It occurs one time in the Sibylline Oracles Prologue 1:16, “the divine trinity, the source of life” (SBP 1:16 OPE), a collection of post-biblical prophecies dating between the 2^nd to 7^th centuries AD)

The earliest recorded use of the word "trinity" (in Latin & Greek) in Christian theology was in the late 2nd century by Theophilus of Antioch in his work To Autolycus. Here, Theophilus used the Greek word trias or triados to refer to (1) God, (2) his word (logos), and (3) his wisdom (sophia). This doctrine developed during centuries 2-4 in response to “heresies” like

1. Arianism (was Christ divine?),
2. Sabellianism (God is one, not three persons), and
3. Adoptionism (Jesus adopted divine at baptism). 

The Trinity became official church doctrine at the Council of Nicea in 325 AD.  (For a decent intro article on this, go here.)  Some 50 years later the term “canonized” was first used for a list of 27 accepted NT books.  (A lot was starting to theologically gel in the 4th century AD). 

The English word “Godhead” (which originally meant something like "the state, quality, or essence of being divine or God") occurs in older translations for the following texts:

1. Acts 17:29  “we ought not to think that the Godhead (theion) is like unto gold . . .”
2. Rom. 1:20  “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead (theiotētos); so that they are without excuse.”
3. Col. 2:9  “For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead (theiotētos) bodily.”

Eventually, these came to be read by some to imply the fully developed Doctrine of the Trinity, even though the word, text, and context do not.  (Which means it is easy to read the Doctrine of the Trinity anachronistically back into biblical texts.) 

The Greek words being translated by “Godhead” actually just mean, quite generally, “the quality or characteristic(s) pert. to deity, divinity, divine nature, divineness ” (BDAG).  

1. For example, Josephus has 1 example:  “he procured the belief of their truth, and the opinion of [a sort of] divinity for himself among the multitude.” (Ant. 10:268 JOS).
2. Also, Philo has 1 example:  “[God] breathed into him [the man] from above of his own divinity.”  (Det. 1:86 PHE). 

Newer translations no longer use the word “Godhead.”  The Greek word being translated does not imply any kind of number, or group, or collection of persons.

Here’s a bare list of occurrences of the word “Godhead” in English translations (from BibleWorks):

 Interesting that YLT, all by itself and alone, has “Godhead” in Psa 8:5, instead of “angels”: 

“What is man that Thou rememberest him? The son of man that Thou inspectest him? And causest him to lack a little of Godhead” (YLT Psa 8:5)

There are a number of texts that are deemed relevant for this topic. This does not mean that they all exactly match or that there can properly be called a Doctrine of the Trinity in the NT.  Although people do this all the time, it is not a legitimate process simply to add all the texts together and come up with a doctrine that can then be placed over the whole Bible to make it agree with that “doctrine.”

1. it is not legit to say that the Bible teaches a developed Doctrine of the Trinity. 
2. It is legit to say that some NT documents talk about Father, Son Jesus, and Holy Spirit.  The idea of God the Father, Jesus as son, and the Holy Spirit shows up in several places (like Mt 28:19, 2Cor 13:14, Eph 1 and 4:4–6, 1Pt 1:2, and Rev 1:4–6).  
3. It is legit to say that some NT documents appear to represent a subordinationist view of the relationship of the Father and the Son. (Ephesians, John 14:28; 1Cor 15:24-28; Heb 5:8).
4. It is also legit to say that the developed Doctrine of the Trinity became official in the 4^th Century AD and is essentially accepted by the Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant churches (with some variations in nuance).  Certainly, a number of Christian groups identify themselves as non-trinitarian.  (Unitarian Universalism, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Oneness Pentecostals, Christadelphians, Binitarians, Unity Church, The Way International, Arianism.)

I myself am not a classical Trinitarian.  However, I don't identify with any of the groups in #4.  I am a monotheist who has minimalist trinitarian (small "t") sympathies, insisting that biblical texts always be allowed to stand on their own two feet in what they do and don't proclaim.  I certainly believe in the one God of Dt 6:4-9:  "Hear, O Israel: the LORD (KURIOS) our God, the LORD is one." I also accept and celebrate Paul's statement in Phil 2 that the divine name, KURIOS, the name above every name, has been lavished upon Jesus.  With this as anchor, I deal with all remaining texts as I come to them.  For me, these are living, breathing texts worthy of deep study. 

So then, I'm comfortable to allow NT texts—most of which are practical, "occasional" expressions of faith in specific circumstances—to NOT be forced into line based on a later developed doctrine being forced back onto those texts.

Gary D. Collier