“There are one body and a single Spirit–just the way you were called for the one hope that is your call-” Ephesians 4-4
The Doctrine of the Trinity refers to the belief that God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are three distinct divine persons who are all one God. We know that God is all-revealing, so we do not know everything. The Trinity’s meaning is significant to modern-day life, according many theologians. This doctrine is not found in scripture but there are numerous scriptures that refer to it. Because God’s transcendence can only be understood by God, it is difficult for us to comprehend or understand the trinity. This is why the doctrine raises questions about Christianity. Rausch 59 states that the Trinity is at the core of Christian faith. Understanding and believing in God the Father, God the Son, and God Holy Spirit as three separate entities is essential to fully understand the Trinity. The common question asked is: How is there three Gods? Many Old Testament scriptures refer to multiple persons within the Godhead. Psalm 45,6-7, and Isaiah 6,8, both refer to the Godhead in three parts. They do not explicitly state it, but they are the foundation of the plurality God. The Doctrine of the Trinity can’t be found in scriptures. But it can be found in it. Many scriptures found in the New Testament confirm that early Christians knew something about God’s work being done through Christ and his Spirit. Matthew 28.19 Jesus instructs disciples to baptize persons “in name of God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit”(Rausch 61). This clearly shows that the Godhead includes the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. These three persons are not independent, but together form the Godhead.
William C. Placher’s Article “Three In One” explains how traditional Trinitarian terminology doesn’t reflect the Trinity’s relationship. These terms were designed to keep God’s mystery alive. He also discusses the relationship between Immanent Trinity (the inner divine life of God) and Economic Trinity (the economic view of the trinity). The Immanent Trinity is focused on the inner divine life and divinity of God, while the Economic Trinity focuses upon the triune God. Rausch further explains how Karl Rahner maintained that the immanent trinity and the economic trinity are inseparable. Placher adds that the doctrine of Trinity is about believing that God is truly like Jesus.
I do not understand the origins of trinity. It is the foundation of two major creeds: the Apostles’ creed and The Nicene Creed. Both have their own ways of looking at the Trinity. However, they all affirm Jesus to be God. The doctrine of Trinity causes confusion in my mind. The East wanted to emphasize that Holy Spirit is a gift of the Father and the Father alone. The West churches incorporated the creed into the East churches’ creed, but without consent of the East churches. (Rausch 65). There are many ways that the trinity could influence our lives today. “Relationality is atthe very heart of God’s mystery” (Rausch67). This is why the trinity is so difficult to understand.
Growing up, I assumed that the Trinity was simply God the Father, God God The Son, and Holy Spirit. It’s actually much more complicated than that. Through the class discussion and readings, I have learned to question my beliefs. Although I have heard other perspectives on the trinity, I was so ensconced in my beliefs that I didn’t question them until now. Before I opened my mind to new ideas, I wasn’t able to understand the things I was reading. These articles can help you understand the meaning of life such as God is love and trusting God’s revelation. The Doctrine and the Trinity is the foundation of all three essential elements of life today. John 3:16 says that God is love. Proverbs 3:16 teaches us to trust God completely and not rely on ourselves. This is enough to make us believe that God knows better than we do. Numerous scriptures point out the diversity, yet unity, of human beings. Although we all share the same God-given image, our lives are different. This doctrine is something I’ve been reading and discussing, and I still don’t fully understand or justify. But, it seems to me that this is the divine mystery we are constantly contemplating.
Throughout all the articles, the one thing that stood out to my attention was “God is within all; all are in God”, which can be found in the article by. That one quote summarizes a lot my questions about Trinity. I will never forget that, even though they are three, their uniqueness is what makes them distinct.
