“The God Who is 3-in-1”
(Selected Scriptures)
The Greenhouse ~ Trinity Sunday
Our passages today are merely a few of the many in Scripture that reveal a profound truth about our God—He is Trinity, 3-in-1. One of the most important passages in the Hebrew Bible, a passage repeated at least twice daily in prayer by the Jewish people of Jesus’ day, was Deuteronomy 6:4-9, known as the Shema. Among many other important truths of this passage is the clear declaration that YHWH, the covenant God of Israel (and as we see in Genesis 1-2, the God of the whole world) is one. There are no other gods like Him—YHWH alone has always existed and alone is the creator of all things.
Yet we find in the New Testament a startling reality. Jesus says “I and the Father are one,” or “he who has seen me has seen the Father.” In our passage in Matthew 28, disciples are to baptize in the name (singular) of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. But if God is one, then to attribute the divine name of YHWH to the Son or Spirit seems problematic. Indeed, that is how many Jews of the day viewed it. When Jesus says in John 8, “Before Abraham was, I am,” they picked up stones to stone Him. But what Scripture reveals is something unexpected, yet beautiful. And, in fact, completely consistent with and even echoed in the Old Testament, thought its truth was not yet revealed. The Son and Spirit are not other gods, but rather distinct yet inseparable persons within God.
The teaching of Scripture, exposited and solidified in the Nicene Creed, makes clear that we worship one God who eternally exists in three persons. Using the language of Scripture, the Church has historically affirmed that the Father is unbegotten, the Son is eternally begotten, and the Spirit proceeds from the Father (and the Son).[1] Thousands of pages have been written since exploring this mystery. More can be said, but much is left to discover in the coming kingdom when we see God as He truly is.
But what is lost for many in the Church today is the significance of this doctrine. In fact, it has been so largely ignored that studies show an alarming number of Christians don’t even know these basics of the Trinity. We must do better. Imagine someone you love deeply, but that you don’t even bother to get to know at the most basic level! We worship a God we can never fully know, but somehow many of us don’t try hard to even begin. I fear that many who do begin simply skip the Trinity because they find it too difficult, or worse, unessential.
But the Trinity is monumentally essential—it is the doctrine that sets Christianity apart from all other religions. Much can be said, but I am only going to focus on one point. First John 4:8 says, “God is love.” Not just that God loves, which He certainly does, but that God is love. In order for God to be love, He must have an object of His love. But if the only object of that love was outside Himself, then He would be dependent on something else. But God was not alone. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have eternally overflowed in love for one another! And in the overflow of this love, the Triune God created a world and a creature in His image. He didn’t have to do so; He chose to do so. Simply put, God does not need you. Yet here you are; you exist. That means that God wants you. And here the doctrine of the Trinity gives each one of us the most profoundly good news about who we are: you are not a thing to be used, but a person who is loved. The doctrine of the Trinity is not for professional theologians and academic institutions, though they should certainly study it there. The doctrine of the Trinity is for you, for me, for each human being so that they can be assured that they are loved. What better truth is there than that?
[1]The Western church accepts the “and the Son” (filioque) phrase, whereas the Eastern church does not. A good place to start if you wish to explore more is this article from The Gospel Coalition: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/a-pastoral-case-for-the-filioque-clause/.
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