Meaning of Trinity
The
doctrine of the Trinity is one of the most important doctrines of the Christian
faith. It answers the question: “What is God like in himself?” The biblical
teaching on the Trinity tells us that all of God’s attributes are true of all
three persons (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) for each is fully God.[1] Also theologian Wayne Grudem say “God
eternally exists as three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and each person
is fully God, and there is one God.”[2] Its means, the word “trinity” means
“tri-unity” or “three-in-oneness.” It summarizes the teaching of the Bible that
God exists as three persons, yet he is one God. In other words 'God is one but
He is in three persons'. God is revealed in three persons,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, but they are not three Gods, but one
God. The Trinity is a mystery and we cannot fully comprehend it. Also
Tertullian says about the Trinity God
Thus the connection of the
Father in the Son, and of the Son in the Paraclete, produces three coherent
Persons, who are yet distinct One from Another. These Three are, one essence,
not one Person, as it is said, "I and my Father are One," in respect
of unity of substance not singularity of number[3]
Theologian Louis Berkhof says
The Trinity is a mystery,…the sense that man cannot comprehend it and
make it intelligible. It is intelligible in some of its relations and modes of
manifestation, but unintelligible in its essential nature. The many efforts
that were made to explain the mystery were speculative rather than
theological…The real difficulty lies in the relation in which the persons in
the Godhead stand to the divine essence and to one another; and this is a
difficulty which the Church cannot remove, but only try to reduce to its proper
proportion by a proper definition of terms.[4]
We believe that the one God eternally exists in three
Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; and that these three are one
God, co-equal and co-eternal, having precisely the same nature and attributes,
and worthy of precisely the same worship, confidence, and obedience. Since the Trinity is a mystery to God, we
cannot fully understand it, but that does not mean that we cannot understand
anything about the Trinity. We may not fully know the Trinity, but we can understand
something about Him. Theologian, Wayne Grudum summarizes three things about the
Trinity[5]
:
1. God Is Three Persons
2. Each Person Is Fully God
3. There Is One God
So that our God is one God and He is in three
persons, that is, God is three persons, each person is fully God and God is
one. This is a mystery. We cannot fully understand the Trinity. Finally, it
would be good to end Paul's words to the Corinthian church. He said "For
now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part;
but then shall I know even as also I am known."[6]
Even though we do not now clearly understand the Trinity, one day we will
clearly understand Him.
[1] Dr. Rick Bartosik," The
Doctrine of God “The Trinity”," accessed date September 30, 2020,
https://www.mcchawaii.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/7-Theology-Trinity.pdf.
[2] Wayne Grudem, Systematic
Theology, 226.
[3]Jonathan McLatchie , "The Trinity Defended," accessed date September 30, 2020, http://apologeticsuk.blogspot.com/2012/01/trinity-defended.html.
About Author
Name: Sangam Shresthasthasangam333@gmail.comPhone: 9861310079Blogger: https://sangamshresth.blogspot.comB.Th., M.Div.(Running), BSW (Running) Founder of Apologetics Faith's Channel and बाइबल र यसका सत्यता, and Also Author of ख्रीष्टियान विश्वास, बाैद्धिक विश्वास ।
Reviewed by Sangam Shrestha
on
May 15, 2021
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