Trinity as concept
With the Trinity to my discovery seemingly emerging as the sole truth to the Trinitarians among the plenty of faith explanations in different Christian religions, paraphrased as assessed even in the early Christian faith, though the Godhead maybe be fused as one or are distinguished apart, herein God is manifested as an undivided unity in a threefold nature of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit being of equal substance and are tangible wherefore are called persons.
Though truth is sizeable, if we contemplate what enlightenment we may derive by reading the scriptures asking that we may be inspired by the Holy Spirit, the Trinity is still a mystery where its divine truth are taken as sacred and are beyond our human understanding, even if we struggle our differences in our religious beliefs whether in theological or philosophical arguments.
God being “love” exists as one who loves that one who is loved, and with the result of their love to each other, manifesting as the Spirit Paraclete, that though He was hovering in the face of the waters in the creation, in the time right for God He then took the form of a flesh and is molded with body, soul and spirit just like us who are patterned to the image and likeness of this God who is the only begotten Son in body form.
Even Paul when he came to the disciples in Corinth did not become a proud witness in such a way that he may speak, he instead communicates not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, as he humbly declares to the Corinthians his testimony about God (I Corinthians 2:1). Paul worded his speech in imitation of the Master who having humbled himself (Philippians 2:8), was inclined to empty himself taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance (Philippians 2:7), obedient to death, even death on the cross (Philippians 2:8).
Though we don’t see the word Trinity in the Bible, the Trinity is present in the expressed image of the person of Christ, he having the spirit of the Father present as the spirit Holy Ghost in the body of Jesus. The Trinity was first used by St. Theophilus of Antioch in his book ‘Epistle to Antolycus’ in A.D. 180 with the Trinity having the Greek Word “triados” and the Latin word “trinitas” reiterated also in the magazine ‘Know the Truth’.
It says in the magazine that those who worked behind the creation of the canonical book ‘Bible’ believed and accepted ‘The Trinity’ as God’s revealed truth handed over to them by the apostles. Likewise we believe that the Trinity was biblically viewed as one who having this concept as balanced proves that while there is unity, it also shows distinctiveness among the three persons.
Though the Old Testament shows some features that are related to the ones that can be found in the New Testament, it does not mean that the Godhead is knowable from the Old Testament. The Trinity has opened to us an explanation which attests that the Triune God has distinguishing features, which we can find in the New Testament, yet does not infringe the concept of the oneness of God in the Old Testament. St. Theophilus in his work ‘Modesty’ wrote: “Trinity of the one Divinity; Father, Son and Holy Spirit” (chapter 22).
To explain the Trinity in four types of passages, we have Matthew 28:19, 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. As we continue in the next scripture text, it is said, “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with all of you (2 Corinthians 13:13). Moreover, Peter as the apostle of Jesus Christ in his greetings to the chosen sojourners of the dispersion in
Pontus ,
Galatia , Cappadocia, Asia, and
Bithynia , said, “in the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification by the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling with the blood of Jesus Christ: may grace and peace be yours in abundance (1 Peter 1:1-2).” And the fourth type of passage was one that which John did greet the seven churches of
Asia : “Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne (Revelation 1:4).
These four passages supports the Trinitarian doctrine with the clearest scriptural reference in the fashion that which each person of the Godhead is distinguished from each other yet they closely relate in their inner relationship being One God in undivided unity.
In reference to the document provided by a fellow Trinitarian church as it is documented by Jerry M. Henry, I Peter 1:2 shows that the Trinitarian formula is followed with allusion to each person of the Godhead. The scattered Christians are reminded through reference to the Trinity that their election (foreknowledge of the Father) and redemption (the sanctifying work of the Spirit) should lead them to the holy living obedience for the Son.
He also explained that though the New Testament depict evidences for asserting the truth about the Trinity presented in a systematic form, the scattered segment from various writers that appear throughout the New Testament reflect a seemingly accepted understanding that exists without a full-length discussion. It is embedded in the framework of the Christian experience and simply assumed as true. He further emphasized that the New Testament writers focus on statements drawn from the obvious existence of the Trinitarian experience as opposed to a detailed exposition.
-Jyotisman Nearu Upendra
