Implication of Christian doctrine of Trinity

The doctrine of the Trinity is central to Christianity. God is one, but he eternally subsists in three persons: The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. This is a great divine mystery, and it is beyond human comprehension. The Bible presents this undeniable mysterious truth about God. God is One. Deuteronomy 6:4 says, “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is One.” God commanded the people through Moses: “Acknowledge and take to heart this day that the LORD is God in heaven above and on the earth below. There is no other” (Deuteronomy 4:39). Throughout the entire Bible there are many references to the fact of the Oneness of God. Through his prophets, time and again, God declared, “The truth of his oneness and uniqueness.” He said through Isaiah. “I am the LORD, and there is no other.” But the thought remains that God is one, but he eternally exists in three persons.

The word ‘Trinity’ is not found in the Bible. But it is implied in many places, both in the Old Testament and also, more clearly so, in the New Testament. We get the Latin word ‘trinities’ to mean ‘trinity’ as used first by church father Tertullian. This word means ‘three-fold’ or “three in one”. The Bible teaches that the one true God exists as a trinity: as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The Bible teaches God is one in essence and divine nature, but he exists from eternity in three distinguishable persons relating to one another in an unbroken relationship. God is one, and his divine nature is undivided and is also indivisible. The New Testament teaches equally on the divinity of all the three persons in the Trinity. However, the doctrine of the Trinity is more clearly taught in the New Testament than it is in the Old. We can find that the persons of the Trinity are mentioned together in the New Testament several times. This is taught during the baptism of Jesus (Matthew 3:16), in the Great Commission of Jesus to his followers (Matthew 28:19), in the coming of the Holy Spirit (in John 14:16), and in the Apostolic benediction (2 Corinthians 13:14).

The Athanasian Creed declares, 'The Catholic faith is that we venerate one God in Trinity and Trinity in unity, neither confounding the persons nor separating the substance.' The Person of the Father is one, of the Son another, and of the Holy Spirit another. But the divinity of the Father, Son and Spirit is one; their glory is equal and co-eternal with their majesty. The Father is neither made nor created but begotten; the Son is from the Father alone, not made nor created but begotten. The Holy Spirit is from the Father and the Son, not made, nor created, nor begotten, but proceeds. Therefore, there is one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons; one Spirit, not three Spirits... But all three Persons are co-eternal and co-equal, so that in all things both a Trinity and a Unity are to be worshipped.”

Let us now turn to the issue of the practical value or time implication of the Christian doctrine of the Trinity. Christianity talks of God, who is not merely a God of the philosophers. He is the God of love, the salvation of fallen man from sin. Our God is not a God who sits on a throne in heaven and who does not have anything to do with the life of sinful man. Right after the fall of man because of sin, God promised his salvation for him through his only begotten, sinless Son through whom he gave mankind the Gospel of salvation from sin. In due course the Son came to the world as the saviour of the world from the bondage of sin and eternal damnation. The Son came to fulfil that mission of God the Father for human salvation.

God, the Eternal Spirit-Being, accomplished all that is required for salvation from sin through His spirit. This is how we can understand the final and perfect revelation of God for his ultimate purpose of human salvation from eternal condemnation. Trinity clearly portrays God as a personal God, who reconciled alienated creation to himself in and through the life and sacrificial death of his only sinless Son. The final and perfect revelation of God comes into our view in this Trinitarian faith. Paul, the apostle, wrote in his famous epistle to the Church at Ephesus, 'Praise be to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.' For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—to be praise of his glorious grace, which he has given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins in accordance with the grace of God that he lavished on us, wisdom and understanding. And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment--- to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ” (Ephesians 1:3-10).
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The writer is a Christian Theology teacher and Church leader