The Doctrine of the Trinity

The Doctrine of the Trinity

Definition: "within the nature of the One True God, there simultaneously exists three eternal Persons, namely, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit; all three are co-equals in the attributes of the Divine Nature."

The doctrine of the Trinity often mentioned and referred to as mysterious, is a concept viewed as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit as being God. Those Christians who support the theory of the Trinity is known as Trinitarianism. The Latin word trinitas, meaning "three-ness or three are one", refers to the three personalities by which the Scriptures describe God. The Trinity has opposing beliefs being that of Binitarianism (the belief of two persons, deities, and aspects), Unitarianism (one deity, person, aspect), Modalism (Oneness with God), and the Godhead, of the Latter Day Saints. Designed in the second century, the doctrine received final approval in the fourth century. The first time in which it was denoted to be used in Christian writing, was around 180 A.D. by Theophilus of Antioch who referred to "God, his Word, and his Wisdom." Tertullian regarded it as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit in approximately 200 A.D.

Looked upon as a mystery, the doctrine of the Trinity is known as such within the realms of the Christianity for various reasons. Foremost, it is unscriptured, undocumented within the Bible, only conferred to through references in few biblical verses. Mentioned in creeds, it is a difficult concept for many to grasp, as is the principal of God. The ability of most Christians to comprehend God alone goes beyond the idea of explanation of a triune Godhead, to which many are minutely conscious of.

The Father and Son are of equal components in the Gospel of John. The function of the Holy Spirit is that of the supporter of believers in the Trinity. All three, however, are not only individualized, but also unified in one as being God, coequal and coeternal. They do not individually reflect each other, for example, the Father is not the Son, as the Holy Spirit is not the Father, etc. Although Jesus, the Son of God took on the human form, he attained two intangible forms as different wills. Generated by the Father, is the Son, and the Holy Spirit is advanced through the Father and through the Son together. However, the Father is "neither begotten nor proceeds." From the Latin filioque, meaning "of the Son", would come the filioque clause, which in the Eastern Orthodox, comprises intense error or heresy. This would go to question the love between the Father and the Holy Spirit; would it not be possible for the same perfect love to exist between them as would between the Divine Father and the Son? The Holy Spirit is a projection of the love that is ever present between the Father and the Son, and is that which make the co-equality.

Because there's always been love from God and always maintained a complete well-balanced spiritual union within the Trinity, God did not create man due to any insufficiency, but rather to confer his love upon. God states in Genesis 1:26 "Let us make man in our image." The Greek word perichoresis, meaning "going around, envelopment" describes the relationship of the specific divine person. When referring to Trinitarian Christians, St. Paul identified the Church as "the body of Christ" and its members as "the members of Christ." When God designed mankind, humanity was created for the principle of reproducing God. In the words of the Bible, humanity is "created in the image and likeness of God" which is an analogy often used to describe the human nature and the Divine Essence of the Divine Persons. The variation of the idea of salvation associated with Christ is essentially obtained from the doctrine of the Trinity.

Although the Trinity doctrine is not scriptural, it is surprising to many Christians that the term does not emerge in the New Testament. It is not a Biblical Doctrine. In later works of certain creeds, the doctrine of the Trinity can be identified in the canon. There are Biblical verses identified as directly supporting the Trinity.

* Matthew 28:19 "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."

* 2 Corinthians 13:14 "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with all of you."

* 1 John 5:7 "For there are three that bear in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one."

* Luke 1:35 "The