The philosophical theories about the Trinity in this article are derived from the Athanasian Creed as well as the works of Saint Augustine of Hippo and Dr. Nathan R. Wood.
THE HISTORIC DOCTRINE OF THE TRINITY
(According to the Athanasian Creed)
So many people in our churches hear about the Trinity doctrine but they do not know how to describe it according the Bible and historic creeds. Many people confuse the Trinity with either modalism or tritheism. Deceptive cults that deny the Trinity take advantage of such ignorance and confusion to pull people out of the church and into their cult.
God is three distinct Persons sharing the exactly same divine nature (eternal, uncreated, almighty, incomprehensible). There are three Persons in one God, and one God in three Persons. Since God is tri-personal, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are the same God, but not same Person. Everyone is to worship and serve the three Persons as one God, not three Gods. There is an extremely delicate balance when it comes to describing the Trinity. If we describe the Persons of the Trinity as being too indistinct from each other, then we fall into the realm of the heresy of modalism (oneness theology/Sabellianism). However, if we describe the Persons of the Trinity as being too distinct and separate from each other, then we fall into the realm of either tritheism (three gods) or arianism (Father is God/Jesus is a created being/Holy Spirit is a force), both of which are heresies.
During the 4th Century A.D., the theologian Athanasius successfully refuted a heretic named Arius, who claimed that Jesus was a created being inferior to God and that the Holy Spirit is impersonal. Around 500 AD, the Church created a creed that goes more in depth on the Trinity than the Nicene Creed. The Creed was named in honor of Athanasius. Articles 3 thru 28 of the Athanasian Creed are quoted below:
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"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. The Father incomprehensible, the Son incomprehensible, and the Holy Spirit incomprehensible. The Father eternal, the Son eternal, and the Holy Spirit eternal. And yet they are not three eternals but one eternal. As also there are not three uncreated nor three incomprehensible, but one uncreated and one incomprehensible. So likewise the Father is almighty, the Son almighty, and the Holy Spirit almighty. And yet they are not three almighties, but one Almighty. So the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God; and yet they are not three Gods, but one God. So likewise the Father is Lord, the Son Lord, and the Holy Spirit Lord; and yet they are not three Lords but one Lord. For like as we are compelled by the Christian verity to acknowledge every Person by himself to be God and Lord; so are we forbidden by the Catholic religion to say; there are three Gods or three Lords. The Father is made of none, neither created nor begotten. The Son is of the Father alone; not made nor created, but begotten. The Holy Spirit is of the Father and of the Son; neither made, nor created, nor begotten, but proceeding. So there is one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons; one Holy Spirit, not three Holy Spirits. And in this Trinity none is afore or after another; none is greater or less than another. But the whole three persons are coeternal, and coequal. So that in all things, as aforesaid, the Unity in Trinity and the Trinity in Unity is to be worshipped. He therefore that will be saved, let him thus think of the Trinity." --- ATHANASIAN CREED, Articles 3 thru 28
A website to the full Athanasian Creed is found here:
GOD AND THE CONCEPTS OF LOVE AND THE TRINITY
The Unitarian God is a God of unity without diversity, while a polytheistic existence of multiple gods, like that of Hinduism or Greek Mythology, inevitably leads to diversity without unity. The notion that God has both diversity and unity is clear. The theologian Saint Augustine of Hippo, around 410 A.D., vividly described the correlation between the concepts of love and the Trinity. The Bible presents a God who did not need to create any beings to experience love, communion and fellowship (Acts 17:25; Psalm 50:9-13; Isaiah 40:13, 14, 28). The unique God of the Bible is complete in Himself, existing as three Persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, separate and distinct, yet at the same time, eternally one God. They loved and communed and fellowshipped with each other and took counsel together before the universe, angels, or humans were brought into existence. The Trinitarian notion is that God must have both unity and diversity of Persons in order to be complete in Himself, totally self-sufficient and having no need of, or dependency on, created things. The Allah of Islam, the Jehovah of Jehovah's Witnesses and Jews, and the single Jesus of the Modalists, for instance, is incomplete in Himself, unable to experience love, fellowship and communion in eternity past before creating beings with whom He could have these experiences. The Bible says that "God is love" (1 John 4:8, 16), but the Unitarian God of Islam, Judaism, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and Modalists could not be "love" in and of Himself—for whom could He love when He was totally alone before creation, especially when we consider the nature of love itself? (1 Corinthians 8:1; 13:1-7; Colossians 3:14; 1 John 4:18).
If the argument of Unitarians is true, then we would have no choice but to conclude that there was a time in eternity past when God was without love, or that there was a time in eternity past when God’s love was completely dead, inactive, or inexpressible, and therefore God changed in His fundamental attributes. However, the Bible clearly says God does not change, that He is immutable (Psalm 102:25-27; Malachi 3:6; James 1:17). Trinitarians believe what applies to human relationships could also apply to the triune Godhead (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12), that it makes perfect sense for God to be a plurality of Persons, because without the experiences of interpersonal relations, the personal attributes of love, faith, justice, wisdom, and power are imperfect, dead, futile, and pointless.
ANALOGIES OF THE TRINITY IN GOD'S CREATION
Romans 1:20 states that the invisible attributes of Almighty God are visible in the things that are made, that even God's eternal power and Godhead are reflected by the visible creation. The term Godhead refers to all of the Creator's divine attributes, including His tri-personal nature. In 1932, Dr. Nathan R. Wood, a theological scholar, wrote a book titled "The Secret of the Universe," which gives a detailed explanation of Romans 1:20 and how it ties in with the Trinity Doctrine of historic Christianity. Dr. Wood stated that the triune nature of God is stamped on His creation in many ways. God is one in nature, but three in person; likewise, various things in Creation, such as space, light, and the human being, are one in nature but three in something else. For example, space is one in nature but three in dimension, and each dimension of space is separate and distinct, yet each dimension is space by nature. Likewise each of the three Persons of the Godhead, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit is Almighty God, and bears all the nature of God. There are so many "trinities" in creation that reflect our Lord's Godhead that it can hardly be coincidence.
1.) – UNIVERSE = Space, Matter, & Time (3 Fabrics)
2.) – SPACE = Length, Width, & Depth (3 Dimensions)
3.) – MATTER = Solid, Liquid, & Gas (3 States) plasma is ionized gas
4.) – TIME = Past, Present, & Future (3 Periods)
5.) – ENERGY = Potential Energy, Kenetic Energy, & Radiant Energy (3 Phases)
6.) – ATOM = Protons, Neutrons, & Electrons (3 subatomic particles)
7.) – LIGHT = Red, Green, & Blue (3 Primary Colors of Light)
8.) – EARTH = Lithosphere (land), Hydrosphere (water), & Atmosphere (air) (3 Spheres)
9.) – BODY = Flesh, Blood, & Bone (3 Tissues)
10.) – HUMAN BEING = Body, Soul, & Spirit (3 Trichotoms) a trichotomy
11.) – PERSONALITY = Id, Ego, & Super Ego (3 Consciences)
12.) – GOD = Father, Son, & Holy Spirit (3 Persons) a Holy Trinity
The Trinity Doctrine has been one of the central doctrines of the historic Christian church for many centuries, and has been described in the Nicene Creed and the Athanasian Creed. A growing number of professed Christians in our modern era are beginning to renounce, or at least question, the Trinity Doctrine partly because of the extraordinary amount of "mystery" and "confusion" surrounding it, despite the many biblical proof texts used to validate it. Although no finite human mind is able to comprehend 100% of the infinite God in His attributes, the Trinity can be at least partially explained, both philosophically and biblically.
The Trinity - Creation Studies Institute
God's Divine Nature Revealed: Romans 1:20 - Institute for Creation Research
Another Look at the Trinity
