One of the more confusing and mysterious bits of Christian orthodoxy is the doctrine of the Trinity. On this point Muslims and others accuse Christians of being polytheistic. Errors in this doctrine have led to numerous heretical beliefs and even heretical denominations such as Oneness Pentecostals who disavow the Trinity.
Sabellius said there was no actual Trinity. He said that God showed himself in the three different persons singularly. In other words, they were modes that God revealed himself as but they did not simultaneously exist. We call this Modalism. Modalism can’t survive first contact with scripture however, as at the baptism of Jesus by his cousin John in the Jordan river had all three present. “And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”” (Matt. 3:16-17)
Others claim that Jesus never said he was God, that it was merely mythology instilled in later years. That doesn’t survive first contact with the Bible, notably Christ’s own words in the Gospels. John 14 is a remarkable discourse in the revelation of the Trinity. Here Jesus tells his disciples if they have seen Him, they have seen the Father. If they know Him, they know the Father. Not only knowledge and sight, but Christ says that the Father is in Him, and he is in the Father. These are not things men or angels can accomplish. Who can abide in the Father but God himself? He goes on to promise the Spirit of truth who will be with them forever. Only God can promise eternity.
Arius claimed the Son, Jesus, was created by God. How can God be one (Deut. 6:4) and yet the Son be the firstborn? (Col. 1:15) The objections were numerous, from which many heresies flow forth. Mormonism, for example, is an anti-trinitarian heresy as their faith teaches Jesus was a man who became God. Their heresy abounds, and the fundamental lack of understanding of the Trinity, of God as he has revealed himself, is at the center.
The Church catholic (catholic meaning universal, not papists) went through much debate on this subject before the Doctrine was fully distilled. We can today see this and say, if it is not perfectly spelled out in the Bible why do we believe it? Bavinck says, “Scripture alone does not provide a fully developed trinitarian dogma but gives us its essential ingredients.” (Bavinck, Reformed Dogmatics, Vol 2. Page 257.) Indeed, Scripture is replete with references to the divine nature of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. This is undeniable. The debates centered around what they were; modes, independent gods, creatures, etc.
(I am skipping through a LOT of history and debate here, by necessity. This is a rich doctrine to mine. I highly recommend you read up on it. I intend to read more.)
Eventually the Church landed on the Athanasian creed as a formulation of the Doctrine of the trinity. Here is part of the creed:
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.
For there is one person of the Father, another of the Son, and another of the Holy Spirit.
But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit is all one, the glory equal, the majesty coeternal.
Such as the Father is, such is the Son, and such is the Holy Spirit.
The Father uncreated, the Son uncreated, and the Holy Spirit uncreated.
We arrive here, in the post. I have made a poor case for the Trinity as an argument, yet I don’t think I have to convince you of it. God is three persons. “We must not lose sight of the important point: In the dogma of the Trinity the word “person” simply means that the three persons in the divine being are not “modes” but have a distinct existence of their own.” (Bavinck again, Page 258) God is triune. He is eternally so.
Where does that leave you and I? We are to worship God in spirit and in truth. (John 4:24) We cannot choose a God of our own making, crafted in our image. Good effort and sincerity isn’t enough. Truth matters. To bludgeon the Mormons a bit more, they are often sincere folks. However, they are sincerely going to hell. They do not worship the one true God. Same with Muslims. Same with Jews.
God is trinitarian. Father, Son, Holy Spirit. The same essence, different persons. Eternal. Uncreated.
We are separated from the Father by sin. Jesus atoned for that sin on the cross. The Holy Spirit regenerates us whereby we believe in Christ and are united again to the Father. Salvation is trinitarian because God is trinitarian.
To end on a light note, watch this video on the Trinity.
