Holy Trinity? Holy Cow!

Introduction

Today marks Holy Trinity Sunday—it’s a time that we celebrate the Theology of the Trinity. It’s a rather curious thing, actually—it’s the only major church festival of the year that celebrates a doctrine of the church rather than a great event like Christ’s birth or Christ’s ascension.

It’s also an ancient festival--Pope Gregory IX instituted Trinity Sunday in 828 CE. And yet for as long as we have had this theology and this festival, I would imagine most people sitting in the pews on Sundays would be hard-pressed to explain the Trinity if asked.

But today… today we celebrate the idea, the concept, the very theology of the Trinity. And on top of that… it’s a festival that has been around for quite some time. Pope Gregory IX instituted Trinity Sunday in 828 CE.

Martin Luther was even credited with saying "To try to deny the Trinity endangers your salvation, to try to comprehend the Trinity endangers your sanity."

Martin Luther

God’s Triune Purpose

The Trinity: Who’s on First?

We strongly hold that Trinitarianism is a biblically-based doctrine. We dogmatically proclaim that understanding and believing in biblical Trinitarianism is crucially important to understanding God, salvation, and the ongoing work of God in the lives of believers. At the same time, there have been godly men, genuine followers of Christ, who have had some disagreements with aspects of Trinitarianism or even simple misunderstandings. If we poll the congregation to describe the Trinity—I would imagine there would be many different answers and most answers would include a good heresy or two. But it is important to remember that we are not saved by having perfect doctrine. Rather, we are saved by is our perfect Savior ().

The Trinity is a mystery that is impossible to solve. And as we try to ‘solve’ the riddle of the Trinity, we often run into a bit of confusion! Do you remember the famous Abbot and Costello skit "Who's on First?" Someone wrote a similar skit on the subject of the Trinity that begins this way: When you come to church you need to know the key players . . . you know, the ones who are worthy of honor and praise.

We can wrestle with Christ’s hypostatic union of being both fully man and fully divine—how the Son who is God can speak

The New Revised Standard Version Nicodemus Visits Jesus

16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.

Honor and praise huh? Well who are they?

But why the Trinity? Why does God have to make things complicated? Why does our Christian Church have to be the odd duck in Monotheistic religions by having this language about One-in-Three and Three-in-One.

O.K., now listen closely. There is one God.

One God. That seems easy enough. What do you call this one God?

This one God is called, "God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit."

Now wait just a minute. You told me that there is only one God.

That's right!

So which is it?

So which is what?

Which name do you use for this one God?

The name I gave you.

But you gave me three names.

That's right.

What's right?

God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.

So you have three Gods?

No, one God.

So which is it?

Which is what?

Father, Son or Holy Spirit?

Yes!

Yes to what?

That's God's name.

Which God?

Our one God.

Why did you give three names.

Because they aren't the same.

But you just told me there is one God. So which is it?

Which is what?

Which name is the name of your God?

I told you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit

But that is three.

Yes, but it's only one.

(Mickey Anders, The Trinity - Dancing Sarah's Circle)

The Difficulty

Why does God have to be so confusing by revealing Godself not just as the “Great I Am” but as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit?