The Doctrine Of The Trinity

Understanding the Trinity by Dr. McGrath is a book worth reading for those who want to learn more about the Trinity. Although having an apologetic formula, the message the author is trying to convey is not rooted on such. From the beginning, the author emphasizes the need for a personal encounter with God in order to validate its existence, something that can happen to anyone. McGrath further develops a number of models, which he assumes will help individuals create a conception of God. Using illustrations and models, the author tries to help the reader understand the limitations of fully understanding the nature of the divine, and the notion of Trinity.

Outline the development of the Christian doctrine of the Trinity from the New Testament Church to the Nicene Creed.

The Trinity in Christian culture is a belief that God is represented in three major forms. In various works of art to include more plainly; The Trinity by Agnolo Gaddi. God is shown in his three most popular forms. God the Father, God the Son known to be Jesus Christ, and God the Holy spirit in the form of a white dove. This painting was done between ca. 1390-1396 by has mentioned before Agnolo Gaddi. Gaddi is from Florence, Italy and is the son of Taddeo Gaddi and the grandson of Gaddo Gaddi whom are all famous painters. Agnolo Gaddi died in 1396. Before his death he is said to have done a few popular pieces to include: Virgin Mary in the Prato Cathedral, Madonna Enthroned with Saint and Angels, and Coronation of the Virgin. His final

Throughout this semester I have learned many of the different christian doctrines. Many of them were challenged and also accepted in my weekend trip throughout Saint Louis. I think one of the most important topics that was discussed during my weekend was the consideration of the Trinity. In the Christian thought the word “trinity” is a term used to talk about the Christian doctrine that God exists as a unity of three distinct persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Three of the staple thoughts include; God is three person; each person is divine; there is only one God. In their relations to one another, they are stated to be on in all else, co-equal, co-eternal and consubstantial. With these three thoughts about the Trinity you also must remember that Christianity is a monotheistic religion.

Before discussing the Trinity, it is essential to first understand the Doctrine of the Trinity and what it states. Unfortunately for Christians, an exact definition for the Trinity is not provided in the Bible, actually the word ‘trinity’ is never even used in the Bible. Fortunately, however, the Bible is saturated in the belief of a Triune God. The Doctrine of the Trinity states that there is only one God. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are all one God, but the Father is not the Son who is not the Holy Spirit. The three are “distinct, yet not divided”, “different, yet not separate”.

The Trinity consists of God, the Father, Jesus, the Son of God and the Holy Spirit. The Christian faith recognizes there is one God and He is one with His Son, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. The purpose of this essay is to describe the interrelationship of the three persons of the Trinity. This will include the concepts of the economic trinity, the essential trinity and the social trinity.

“Within the covers of the Bible are the answers for all the problems men face.” (Quotes About Christianity) This quote is from Ronald Regan, and I think it is a good representation of Christianity. Christianity is centered on the teachings and life of Jesus of Nazareth which is found in the Bible. Along with the teachings of Jesus, Christians believe in the Old Testament, that has biblical records that date back to 1500 B.C.E.. Some of these beliefs include the Holy Trinity, salvation, afterlife, and the Bible.

In Chapter III, Boff explores the efforts at understanding the truth of the Trinity. He brings up the creeds as an example to explain the Trinity at the baptismal profession of faith (p.43). He gives several reflections given by intellectuals like Justin, Clement, Athenagoras, Origen and others. Boff encourages us to look at some of the concepts from theologians who taught us to speak correctly about the divinity of Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. He also explains the concepts derived by Iraneus, Tertullian, St. Augustine, Thomas Aquinas and others.

As a result, fellowship, prayer, Bible study, worship, and most importantly salvation in its purest form can be discerned and acted upon correctly. In addition, a further understanding can be thus gained regarding the person of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. Finally, heresies and heretical groups or beliefs can lead God’s followers astray from the truth and create an improper understanding, and thus relationship with God. Positions past and present have, and are, attempting to mislead Christians about the Trinity. A skewed view of the Trinity can result in a view of God as either divinely apart from creation or simply a better version of all the best attributes of humans. Some positions even take away from the Divinity of Jesus Christ. All of these views severely diminish who God is and alters a proper and true relationship and worship. It is a necessity that these errant views be exposed as a hindrance to God in order not to mislead God’s followers. Likewise a Biblically sound explanation of the Trinity is needed. As a result, a true and pure knowledge of the concept of the Trinity is crucially needed to understand God and be obedient to the Bible.

The debate concerning the Trinity has been a constant debate throughout history. This debate has continued on through modern day. As we study the different opinions and beliefs on God the Father and His Son, we can see a pattern were the Trinity is not fully understood by many. In this paper, I will discuss The Arian Controversy. I will describe what Arius believed concerning God and His Son. Then I will share my thoughts and facts that will show what Arius taught was not correct.

In Leonardo Boff’s Liberating Design of God, Boff leans toward a unitarian view of the Christian God, who can be talked about with a trinitarian structure. When describing how the trinitarian modes of God interact, Boff accounts how “God is a coexistence of upward (the father), lateral (the Son), and depth (the Holy Spirit)” that are all “integrally present in the living experience of the believer” (Boff 391). Here, Boff refers to how the three modes of God interact within a Christian believer to compose the unitarian God that a Christian believes in. In effect, the three modes of God comprise a community that “permeates creation in its proper divine reality” (391).

Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit: one God in three persons. The three persons are distinct, yet one substance essence of nature. The Fourth Latern Council declares it is the Father who generates, the Son who is begotten, and the Holy Spirit who proceeds. Accordingly, the whole work of creation and grace is seen as a single operation common to all three divine persons, in which each shows forth what is proper to him in the Trinity, so that all things ae from the Father, through the Son and in the Holy Spirit. Included in the doctrine of the Trinity is a strict monotheism which is the teaching that there exists in all the universe a single being known as God who is

Chapter four addresses the divisions within the Corinthian church, such as jealousy, quarrelling and their defective view of the church. The apostle Paul links their view of the church to church leadership stating “If they had a true view of the church, they would have a true view of the leaders of the church” (p79). The situation was that their view was lower for the church and higher for the leaders thus they were boasting about the leaders. Paul’s view was that the Corinthian church was spoon feed Christians not maturing as they should. Paul’s reference to addressing the church as worldly did not mean they were unregenerate because they did possess the Spirit but they were not being

One of the pillars on which the Christian faith is based is the Trinity, we believe in God the Farther, Christ Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit, we believe in the Trinity of the Godhead. This pillar however has caused many debates amongst many other religions and has been rejected by most with a lot of speculation about Jesus and His followers.

Mary Ann Fatula’s The Triune God of Christian Faith provides for the reader the inner life of God as well as insight into the human reality. Fatula’s writing draws the devotional discussion of the Trinity as the present-day effect of the Trinitarian faith is called to support attempts to articulate and live the Trinitarian mystery. The Trinity in a human’s life is the content of our definition of our human meaning and for an infinite gift: love. Each of us has a desire for achieving meaning, for love, and for wholeness. Fatula in her book develops the study of the divine ‘persons’ and states the importance of understanding what it is to be truly a ‘person’ of both human and divine potential.