A5.1 – FACTS ABOUT THE TRINITY

1. The word ‘Trinity’ came from the Latin word ‘trinitas’ which means ‘threeness.’ Trinity means the union of three Divine Persons: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, 2 Thes 2:13-14
2. Sabellianism teaches that the Trinity is a mere different mode of manifestations of One Personality in three ways. That is, God the Father progressively revealed Himself to become God the Son and later to God the Holy Spirit. This is not true because at the transfiguration of God the Son, God the Father spoke while God the Holy Spirit came on Him, Matt 17:1-5
3. Tritheism teaches that there are three gods. This is not true because though there are three Personalities in the Godhead (God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit), yet, there is only one God, the same in substance equal in power and glory, Dt 6:4-5
4. Illustrating the Trinity with any of the following can be misleading, Gen 11:7-8

a) A three-leaf clover flowering plant

b) Three states of water: liquid, vapour and solid ice

c) Threefold nature of man: body, soul and spirit

d) Three parts of an egg: shell, white and yolk

e) Threefold dimension of a book: height, width and length

f) A triangle: each of the tips representing each member of the Trinity

g) Three nature of light:

.i)  Chemical rays – rays that are invisible and can neither be felt nor seen

ii)  Light rays – rays that are seen but cannot be felt

iii)  Heat rays – rays that are felt but never seen

The truth is that there is only One God. But in the unity of the Godhead, there are three eternal and co-equal Persons, the same in substance but distinct in subsistence.