God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit

Introduction and Scripture

Matthew 3:13–17 NIV

Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented. As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”

Pray.

Nicene Creed:

We believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, begotten from the Father before all ages, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made; of the same essence as the Father. Through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven; he became incarnate by the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary, and was made human. He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate; he suffered and was buried. The third day he rose again, according to the Scriptures. He ascended to heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again with glory to judge the living and the dead. His kingdom will never end. And we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life. He proceeds from the Father and the Son, and with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified. He spoke through the prophets. We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic church. We affirm one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look forward to the resurrection of the dead, and to life in the world to come. Amen.

Introduction: The Mystery of the Trinity

The doctrine of the Trinity is at the heart of Christian faith. While the word "Trinity" does not appear in Scripture, the concept is woven throughout both the Old and New Testaments. The early church wrestled with how to articulate this mystery, and through the wisdom of faithful theologians, we have received a doctrine that is both logically sound and spiritually vital.

The Trinity affirms that God is one in essence and three in persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This is not a contradiction but a divine mystery, one that has been faithfully preserved and taught from the earliest days of the Church.

I. The Philosophical and Theological Foundations of the Trinity

One God: Monotheism

Absolute and perfect God.

Deuteronomy 6:4 NIV

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.

Christ followers and the early church continue to emphasize the one God.

Two Processions:

Thomas Aquinas: Two great spiritual acts… intellect and will (knowledge and Will)

St. Agustine calls this (mind) and (Self-knowledge)

The Father is the one who knows

The Son is the one who is known

The first procession is the image of the Son.

Second Procession is the Holy Spirit from the Father and the Son:

St. Augustine calls this amor sui…. self-love shared between the father and the son

Three Persons:

distinguishable persons, 1 essence. This is the heart of the mystery.

They exists precisely as a relations.

St. Augustine…why do we call them Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? So we can have something to say when asked.

Four Immanent Relations:

Father to the Son: Active Generation

Son to the Father: Passive Generation

Father and the Son: Active Spiration (Breathed the Spirit)

Spirit from the Father and the Son: Passive Spiration

Have I lost you yet?!

II. Getting it right is important

Throughout church history, various heresies have threatened a proper understanding of the Trinity. These errors continue to surface today and pose real dangers to Christian belief and practice.

1. Arianism: Denying the Full Divinity of Christ

Arianism, taught by Arius in the 4th century, held that Jesus was a created being, not co-eternal with the Father. This belief undermines the doctrine of salvation because only a fully divine Christ can atone for sin. Today, similar views persist in groups like Jehovah’s Witnesses and some liberal theological circles.

Why is this dangerous? If Christ is not fully God, then His sacrifice is insufficient to save us, and we lose the assurance of salvation.

2. Modalism: Confusing the Persons of the Trinity

Modalism (or Sabellianism) teaches that God is one person who appears in different modes—sometimes as the Father, sometimes as the Son, and sometimes as the Spirit. This denies the true relational nature of the Trinity.

Why is this dangerous? If God is only one person appearing in different forms, then Jesus’ prayers to the Father and the sending of the Spirit become meaningless. It also disrupts the relational foundation of the Christian faith.

3. Tritheism: Dividing God into Three Separate Beings

Tritheism sees the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as three separate gods rather than one being in three persons. While few explicitly hold this view, some mistakenly think of the Trinity as a divine committee rather than a unity.

Why is this dangerous? This leads to polytheism, undermining the monotheistic foundation of Christianity and distorting our understanding of God's unity.

4. Subordinationism: Making the Son and Spirit Lesser than the Father

This view suggests that while Jesus and the Holy Spirit are divine, they are not equal to the Father in authority or nature. Some modern expressions of this idea try to justify hierarchical relationships in human society by appealing to an eternal subordination of the Son.

Why is this dangerous? If Christ is less than the Father, it contradicts Scripture and leads to an unbalanced theology of authority and submission in Christian life.

Biblical Trinitarian Salvation

God sends his image. Eternal word of God comes in the flesh, preaching, teaching, healing, reconciling. God shows reminders in Jesus that he is greater than storms, more powerful than evil, death. That he can forgive sins (or in other words, bring people back from their separation from God). The Father sends the son way out. All the way to the furthest place to the point that the Son even reflects the abandonment of Psalm 22…My God, My God, why have your forsaken me?

Meaning when you run from the Father, you are running towards the Son, ready to bring you home. The love of God the Father and God the Son, is God the Holy Spirit. As Jesus comes back to the Father he is reconciling all things.

III. The Practical Necessity of the Trinity

1. The Trinity Grounds Our Salvation

Our redemption is a Trinitarian work:

The Father sends the Son (John 3:16).

The Son dies for our sins and rises again (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).

The Holy Spirit applies this salvation, regenerating and sanctifying us (Titus 3:5).

Without the Trinity, salvation falls apart. A non-Trinitarian God cannot send the Son or give the Spirit.

2. The Trinity Models Perfect Community

Human relationships are often fractured by selfishness and division. The Trinity presents a perfect model of love, unity, and mutual glorification. In John 17, Jesus prays for His followers to be one as He and the Father are one. The unity of the Trinity teaches us how to live in love and humility with others.

3. The Trinity Gives Us Confidence in Prayer

We pray to the Father, who loves us.

We pray through the Son, our mediator (Hebrews 4:14-16).

We pray in the Spirit, who intercedes for us (Romans 8:26-27).

Our prayers are powerful because they are held within the triune love of God.

4. The Trinity Strengthens Our Mission

We are now caught up in this mission. We are a part of the victory of Christ and the work of the Spirit in the world of reconciliation and bringing all things unto him.

Conclusion: Living in the Power of the Trinity

The doctrine of the Trinity is not just a puzzle to be solved but a reality to be lived. When we embrace the Trinity:

We worship rightly, acknowledging God as He has revealed Himself.

We love deeply, reflecting the self-giving love within the Trinity.

We serve faithfully, empowered by the Spirit for the mission of Christ.

May we grow in our understanding of this divine mystery and live in the fullness of our triune God. Amen.