The Trinity: Do Christians Worship Three Gods?

One of the most confusing aspects of Christianity for people -- even for members of the Christian faith -- is the concept of the trinity; A God who is three entities in one: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. For a monotheistic belief, it doesn't always really seem that monotheistic. I wanted to write a bit about it, hopefully to clarify a bit or, at the very least, to provoke some thought.

What is the Trinity?

Often, people get really confused in attempting to fully grasp this, which is quite honestly impossible. There can be confusion about who to pray to or "who does what." These questions ultimately reflect, however, a misunderstanding of the oneness of God. I like to explain it this way: I have a mind, emotions, and a body that I use to interact with people. Say, for instance, someone were to ask me to help them with something. I would have an emotional response, out of caring or compassion for that person, which would drive me to want to help them. I would then have a mental process, thinking about how exactly to help them, and then I would act upon it, physically, with my body. These are separate parts of myself, but they are all Emily.

The word "trinity" is never actually used in the Bible, but it is very evident, throughout it, that God exists in this way. From the very beginning, in Genesis 1:26, God says, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness..."such dialogue continues, later, in Chapter Three, with God referring to himself/themselves as "us." Several passages in the New Testament, as well, describe the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit all being present at the time of creation. In letters to the early church, a trinitarian formula quickly emerged. For example, Paul would greet churches with the love of God the Father, the grace of Jesus, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus explains, in John 14, the unity and the love of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. I would highly recommend reading this chapter to see what he says about it, in his own words. It's only a page, but it says a lot. Jesus states, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known the Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him."(v.6-7)

Philip, his disciple, responds by saying, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us."(v.8) and Jesus asks, "Have I not been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say 'Show us the Father'? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?...The Father who dwells in me does his works..." (v.9-10). He goes on to comfort his disciples by saying that once he leaves them, the Father will send The Helper to them--a spirit to dwell within them and unify them with the Father and with himself.

After the death, Resurrection, and ascension of Jesus, The Holy Spirit fills all who follow Jesus and believe his teachings. His followers who had known him personally recognize the Holy Spirit as his own. Permanently dwelling within them, the Holy Spirit brings them together and helps them understand how they are to live, while also preforming miracles and various works.

The main story that carries throughout the entire Bible is about God's desire to be in relationship and unity with mankind, bringing Heaven and Earth together. He is, by nature, extremely relational, as that is how he exists as these three beings in one. When he says, "Let us make man in our own image, after our likeness," his desire is for mankind to live in the same complete love and unity as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, which is the story of the Bible and what is ultimately achieved, through salvation in Jesus Christ and the ministry of the Holy Spirit. The love that they have for each other is so powerful and beyond human capacity that they actually exist as one God and function in complete cooperation, without competition.

So then, who are the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit?

The Father:

To start off, God the Father is not an old man who sits in the clouds. In fact, God the Father is not a man at all, but rather a spiritual being, without a physical form, who is reflected, through men and women, in the complexity of both masculinity and femininity. The term,"Father" is used to describe both the loving and caring nature of God, and the strength, security, and authority that would have been associated primarily with a Father figure at the time of the writing of scripture. The Father expresses the perfect will and heart of God in full glory and power.

He is known in the Old Testament and reveals himself to chosen people, such as Moses, through manifestation of the Holy Spirit, in ways that could be seen, felt, or experienced, such as a fire or prophetic words.

The Son:

To start off here, Jesus is not a white-clad, blue-eyed man with long silky blonde hair, staring solemnly into the heavens. He lived his life as a Galilean Jew--a carpenter, born out of wedlock. He laughed and cried, emoting like a normal human being. He was deeply compassionate and empathetic, not in any way a stoic character.

The Son exists in perfect unity with the Father from the beginning of time:

For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. - Colossians 1:16

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life,[a] and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. - John 1:1-5

The Son has always existed, and when he descended in a human body, he took the name Jesus, and that is how we know him:

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. -- John 1:14

Jesus is somehow fully God and fully Man, experiencing a very real human life. He lived a completely perfect life, never sinning, but this was not because he was somehow unable to do wrong or was exempt from temptation. That mindset that his perfection and that even his miracles can be attributed to the fact that he was God is not really accurate. He humbled and emptied himself. He, on his own, in human flesh, had the same thoughts and emotions as any other man. He was the first man in whom the Holy Spirit permanently resided and it was by that power that he did miracles. This is the same spirit that is in all who believe and follow him. Jesus says that those with the Spirit can do the same things that he did and even greater.

After the death and resurrection of Christ, he ascended to the "right hand of the Father" in his resurrected body, in which he still resides. It was a permanent transformation that happened. The Son will always be a man.

Jesus is the perfect imprint of the Father, united in the same Spirit, the Holy Spirit. He is the example of what mankind was supposed to be, in the image of God. Through his sacrifice, we are united to him, in this spirit, in the presence of the Father. We are included in the fellowship and love of the trinity.

The Holy Spirit:

The common misconception about the Holy Spirit is that it is a sort of mystical force or power, when the Holy Spirit is actually a person, having thoughts and emotions just as the Father and the Son do. He/she is the spirit of Jesus and unites us with both the Father and the Son. The Holy Spirit is not just for miracles or displays of the power of God or the "spirituality" of a person. Traits such as humility, generosity, wisdom, and many others can all be forms of manifestation of the spirit, and are just as spiritual as tongues or healing. To live in the spirit is a constant state of awareness of his presence. The Spirit does not come and go, but is always completely present.

The Holy Spirit is extremely humble and kind, helping us understand things that we otherwise would not. Paul even writes that having a full understanding of the Old Testament is impossible without the aid of The Holy Spirit, which is obtained through Christ (2 Corinthians 3:13-14).

Is the Trinity Patriarchal?

Again, we are talking about one being, operating in perfect unity and cooperation, without competition, but this a valid question that can come up. It can often seem to people that there is an order of power or authority: Father, Son, and then Holy Spirit; that the Father is sort of the main leader/King/power and the other two rule under him. While I don't claim to have complete insight into the cosmos and the works of God, I see multiple places in the Bible in which there seems to be mutual submission.

“...Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” - Luke 22:42

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me." - Matthew 28:18

He (The Son) is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by[ him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. - Colossians 1:15-20

They are all equally God and thus one cannot be more powerful or "more God" than the others. If there is an order of authority, and I'm not even sure if there is, it is purely out of choice and not out of status of power. They were all equally involved in creation and in the story of mankind with God. Just as parts of the body are all equally part of the same person, so is the trinity of God. In complete unity and perfect love, they are one in the same. This is a love that transcends all human capacity and is why in the end, it is awe-inspiring. This is the God that we worship.

I obviously cannot fit an entire description of the trinitarian nature of God into one blogpost, nor do I possess all knowledge about it. I simply wanted to write a little bit about it, particularly for those who are unfamiliar with the concept or are confused by it. Hopefully I did not make you more confused. I highly encourage everyone to read the Bible on their own and apply critical thinking to it, discussing it with others and being willing to learn. That's the only real way to grasp these things as your own.

Thank you so much for reading!

-- Emily Kathey

#bible #word #spiritual