The Trinity
Who is God? The Bible Says:
“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. (Deuteronomy 6:4).
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, (Matthew 28:18-19).
On May 31st, we celebrated Trinity Sunday. As part of our service, we confessed the Athanasian Creed. This is often done once a year on Trinity Sunday. In my opinion, the Athanasian Creed is the best summary of what the Bible teaches concerning the Trinity. It’s concisely stated and adequately responds against many heresies of the times, which happen to be the heresies of our day also.
As a Church, we’ve agreed to stand on the truths contained in Scripture, expressed in the three Universal Creeds. Not only are these summaries in our Constitution, but these are held across denominational lines. And it’s good to keep these summaries before us!
The Creed says,
And the catholic faith is this, that we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity; Neither confounding the Persons, nor dividing the Substance.
From the jump, let’s recognize that the word “catholic” simply means “universal.” Another way to say this is: “And the Christian faith is this.” It’s the same thing. We can debate with our brothers and sisters in the Roman Catholic Church on this matter, but from our standpoint; “Rome is not alone.” However, this is a topic for another day.
Concerning the Trinity, it is imperative that we recognize that our God is One in Essence, and Three in person. Let us say no more and let us say no less. Friends, our human minds can’t fully comprehend the “one Uncreated and one Incomprehensible” God. Our attempts to explain Him, by illustrating Him as an egg, or a cloverleaf, or a form of water, etc., are not only faulty – such explanations are dangerous and heretical. We’re far better off being familiar with the Athanasian Creed.
These summaries are invaluable for the Church today. We’d do well to read them, treasure them, and regularly consult these universally agreed upon statements of Biblical truth. And let’s recognize that our minds can’t fully comprehend the Triune God of Scripture; and that’s okay. But this is “Who” He says He is: One in Essence, Three in Person.
For there is one Person of the Father, another of the Son, and another of the Holy Ghost. But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost is all one: the glory equal, the majesty coeternal.
May the Triune God Bless you, even today!
In Christ,
Pr. Alex
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