The Trinity

Christianity is unique in its claim of its doctrine of God among all religions of the world. It upholds both the plurality and the unity of God. Its emphasis on the plurality of God is contrasted among world religions, which are monotheistic such as Islam and Judaism. Its emphasis on the unity of God is also in sharp contrast against polytheism such as Hinduism and ancient Egyptian and Greek religions . 

However, its concept of plurality is limited to the affirmation that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are God. This is one among the three foundational truths of the biblical doctrine of Trinity. The second foundation is its claim that there is only one true and living God. And the third foundation is the conviction that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are distinct from each other. This is the summary of Christianity’s doctrine of biblical Trinity.

At the outset, we should be reminded that in discussing this doctrine, we have to accept the finiteness of human reason and vocabulary and that we are entering the realm of mystery. By mystery, I mean, that we cannot explain everything that surrounds the doctrine of Trinity. 

During Calvin’s days, the most difficult area in explaining this doctrine is in defining the meaning of the word “person.” In our days, the simplistic understanding of such a word is automatically associated or used synonymously with the word “man.” And since the designation “man” can only apply to the Second Person and not to the Father and to the Holy Spirit, it is improper therefore to designate each Person in the Godhead as “Person.” This is how one contemporary objection to the doctrine of Trinity reasons out. 

Such an objection is a result of a misunderstanding or ignorance of the word “Person” as used in the context of the historical formulation of the doctrine. Calvin asserts that the reason why the orthodox was compelled to use technical terms to explain the doctrine of Trinity, which includes the word “Person” was due to the necessity of times and to distinguish the doctrine from “Arianism” and “Sabellianism.”

In defining the word “Person,” Calvin begins by expounding the meaning of the apostle pertaining to the Son as “the express image of his person” (referring to God without qualification) in Hebrews 1:3. Here, the first word that he used is “subsistence” to distinguish the Father from the Son. He denied the tendency to understand that by this expression people would think that there is a threefold God or the essence of God is divided into three persons. Other words used by Calvin to explain the distinction in the Godhead are “hypostasis” and “person.” He testified that the Latins used the word “Persona,” while the Greeks employed “hypostasis.” But both mean the same thing. And the most literal English translation of those words is “subsistence.”

One remarkable truth advanced by both Benjamin B. Warfield and Louis Berkhof is the idea that the revelation of the doctrine of Trinity is inseparable with the historical development of redemptive process. By these they mean that understanding the doctrine of Trinity is closely associated with the unveiling of the plan of salvation realized in the coming of the Son in human flesh and in the dwelling of the Holy Spirit in the Church. Since this is the case, in finding the biblical warrant for the doctrine of Trinity, we are to look for biblical passages that clearly state the Divinity of both Christ and the Holy Spirit.

Robert L. Reymond explained that the Deity of Christ is supported by following evidences: the prophecy in the Old Testament concerning the coming of the divine Messiah; Jesus’ personal testimony to his own deity; his acts of forgiving people, answering prayers, receiving men’s praise, and becoming an object of people’s faith; his divine attributes such as all-knowing, all-powerful, and everywhere present; the testimony of the apostle Paul concerning Jesus as Lord, as the source of blessing for the church together with the Father, and Jesus’ pre-existence; and other testimonies by James, the writer of Hebrews, Peter, Mark, Matthew, Luke, Jude, and John. 

Similar affirmations could also be ascribed to the Holy Spirit proving that He is a Divine Person. His personality is attested by the fact that He possesses qualities that are only applicable to a person such as knowledge, power, and will. The Holy Spirit is also actively involved in personal acts such as teaching, guiding, speaking, revealing, comforting, and loving. His divinity is proven by his possession of divine attributes similar to that of the Father and of the Son, his direct designation as God, and his works that could only be ascribed to God such as creating, regenerating, giving life, inspiring the Scriptures, convicting men of sin, and producing the character of Christ in the believer. 

In concluding this article on the Trinity, it is good to be reminded by the words of Gregory Nanzianzen. He said: “I cannot think of the unity without being irradiated by the Trinity. I cannot distinguish between the Trinity without being carried up to the unity.” 

Sources: 

Beviridge, Henry. trans. 1989. Institutes of the Christian Religion. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.

Reymond, Robert L. 1998. A New Systematic Theology of the Christian Faith. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers.