You and I live
in a three-dimensional world. All physical objects have a certain height,
width, and depth. One person can look like someone else, or behave like someone
else, or even sound like someone else. But a person cannot actually be the same
as another person. They are distinct individuals.
God lives
without the limitations of a three-dimensional universe. He is infinitely more
complex than we are. If we were to use math, it would not be, 1+1+1=3 to
describe a triune God. It would be 1x1x1=1. The term: "Tri" meaning three,
and "Unity" meaning one, Tri+Unity = Trinity. It is a way of
acknowledging that God is yet three "Persons" who have the same
essence of deity.
The Trinity is an
essential doctrine to the Christian faith. It is so important that to deny the Trinity
is to deny Christianity. Yet, the Trinity is mysterious. The word Trinity is
not in the scriptures, but is a word used to describe the three in one God
revealed in the Bible.
1. God is three persons: Then
Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan River. He came to John, wanting John to
baptize him. But John tried to stop him. John said, “Why do you
come to me to be baptized? I should be baptized by you!” Jesus
answered, “Let it be this way for now. We should do whatever God says is
right.” Then John agreed. So Jesus was baptized. As soon as he
came up out of the water, the sky opened, and he saw God’s Spirit coming down
on him like a dove. A voice from heaven said, “This is my Son,
the one I love. I am very pleased with Him.” (Mathew 3:13-17, ERV)
2.
Each person is fully
God:
Peter said,
“Ananias, why did you let Satan fill your mind with such an idea? You kept part
of the money for yourself and lied about it to the Holy Spirit. Before
you sold the field it belonged to you, right? And even after you sold it, you
could have used the money any way you wanted. How could you even think of doing
such a thing? You lied to God, not to us.” (Acts 5:3-4, ERV)
3.
There is one God: Jesus answered, “The most important command
is this: ‘People of Israel listen! The Lord our God is the only Lord. (Mark 12:29, ERV)
Imperfect
human illustrations for the Trinity are water (liquid, ice, and steam); sun (light,
heat, and radiation); the egg (shell, yellow, and yolk); a
three-leaf clover; a man (son,
husband, and father); and a woman (daughter, wife, and mother).[i] The Trinity is a mystery that cannot be fully comprehended. God is
much bigger and greater than our finite minds can ever comprehend.
“The Holy Trinity doesn't need our permission to carry on in their
endlessly resourceful work of making all things new. That we are invited to
catch even a glimpse of the splendor is grace. All of it, every breath and
every second is grace.” (Rachel Held Evans) [ii]
[i] Believe it or not the church I attend in central Ohio
is a great example of the Trinity. CenterPoint has three campuses (Gahanna,
Westerville, and Lewis Center) that make up the church as a whole. My family
attends the Gahanna campus.
[ii] Sources used:
·
“4 Bad Analogies for the
Trinity” by Justin Deeter
·
“Can You Explain the
Trinity?” (https://www.everystudent.com/forum/trinity.html)
For a unique viewpoint
of the Trinity, see the 2017 movie, The
Shack, or the book the movie is based on by William P. Young.
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