One of the more perplexing concepts for Christians is the notion of the Trinity. For many, this "doctrine" (if that's what you must call it) is a marginal issue that is to be dealt with after all the
important ones are mastered, and even then it is more of an inconvenience imposed on them by dogmatic tradition. Granted, most Christians would never say such a thing, yet I am confident that is truly where many of them are. There are many contributing factors to this situation, none of which I am concerned with here. But this is where I believe we are, and relegating the Trinity to the margin is a sad state of affairs.
Who God is means
everything. Our prevailing notion of the nature of God frames all the structures of our thoughts and beliefs. Who you think God is will touch every subsequent belief, bar none. This isn't just true of Christianity, but of any worldview. Whatever is most ultimate in your system of belief will determine how you view everything else. Nothing is left untouched.
It is in this vein of thought that I want to bring the Trinity back to the center. As we do that, what shall we say? Shall we say God is One in three Persons? Or shall we say God is three Persons who are One? Maybe this doesn't trouble you or seem significant. But I find it very significant.
We're not just splitting theological hairs here. And I suppose that ultimately both ways of stating it are true. But do these two options have any implications for all the rest of our Christian belief?
Those who say that God is One God in three Persons always tend to emphasize the "oneness" of God over and above His threeness. This usually lies in a preexisting commitment to some static philosophical notion of oneness. They point to the emphatic teaching in the Old Testament that there is one God as opposed to many. But I would like to advocate for an alternative.
Let's not begin our view of God with any preconceived notions of static being. What is being anyway? Is being something static that we have to somehow divide in order to make room for the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? Can this lead anywhere other than an inescapable modalism? Maybe being isn't something that precedes a communion of Persons. Perhaps being is
constituted by a communion of Persons. Perhaps we could think of being
as communion. When we begin our view of being as communion, suddenly
personhood is not the key to God’s division,
but to His unity. Rather than being forced to figure out how on earth we make room for distinction in our Platonic oneness, let's allow God's tri-personhood to be the
key to just what exactly His oneness is. Rather than saying, "How on earth can one be three?" let us say, "Communion is how the three are one."
When we start to think this way, suddenly things are put into a new perspective. It all starts to make sense. There was never a time when God was not a Trinity of three Persons. God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have always been three Persons who in their inner communion of self-giving holy love are One. This does not diminish God's oneness, but clarifies, makes sense of, and (in my estimation) glorifies it. Suddenly both the Old and New Testaments make more sense. Yes, in the Old Testament God is fighting for the reorientation of the minds of the Hebrews toward monotheism within a pagan culture. But Jesus, in his glorious incarnate life, makes clear to us just what exactly the oneness of God is. It is not static impersonal being divided by three, but rather a dynamic interrelated loving communion of three divine Persons. This rules out any notion of tritheism or modalism. He is three Persons who are One. Bless His holy name!
What is the orienting center of all your Christian beliefs? What is your base truth? What is your
dogma? What is ultimate reality? If it is static divided oneness then I challenge you to consider reorienting your mind and follow that change to its logical conclusions. I believe your life just might be changed. Take the red pill and see just how deep the rabbit-hole goes.
To my cherished readers,
One of the more perplexing concepts for Christians is the notion of the Trinity. For many, this "doctrine" (if that's what you must call it) is a marginal issue that is to be dealt with after all the important ones are mastered, and even then it is more of an inconvenience imposed on them by dogmatic tradition. Granted, most Christians would never say such a thing, yet I am confident that is truly where many of them are. There are many contributing factors to this situation, none of which I am concerned with here. But this is where I believe we are, and relegating the Trinity to the margin is a sad state of affairs.
