James Deitsch October 14, 2011

The Doctrine of the Blessed Trinity

The Holy Trinity is one of the doctrines that seems to have little or no mention in the Sacred Scriptures. It is true that the word Trinity is not mentioned in the Bible. However, if looked at closely, the Bible reveals very explicit hints at the doctrine in both the New and Old Testaments. The Trinity is believed by Catholics, Anglicans, and most Protestants. The Old Testament does not have as many references to three separate persons in God as the New Testament does. If examined more closely, there are several hints that there are deeper secrets to God s nature than at first meets the eye. For instance, in the book of Genesis, God says, Behold, Adam is become as one of Us. There is a reference to the Spirit of God during the story of creation. The Book of Psalms says, Thou art my Son, this day I have begotten thee. This is a foretaste of the relationship between Jesus and his Father, which is explained fully in the New Testament. In the New Testament, there are many passages that tell us that God has more than one person in Him. In Galatians, it is said that the greatest mystery of the Godhead was only revealed when God sent His Son. The mystery referenced here is the Mystery of the Most Blessed Trinity. The Spirit of God descended on Jesus at His baptism in the River Jordan, and the Spirit of God then made reference to Jesus being God s most beloved Son. At the Last Supper, Jesus says to His Apostles, I will ask the Father, and He will send you another Paraclete, that He may be with you forever, the Spirit of Truth. St. Peter asks Ananias why he has lied to the Holy Ghost. The Holy Spirit is the part of the trinity most often criticized, but, if examined closely, the evidence is most definitely there. The Church, therefore, teaches that the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God. The Trinity is the main part of all creeds, and the Athanasian Creed asserts it quite clearly: That we worship one God in the Trinity, and the Trinity in Unity, neither confounding the Persons nor dividing the Substance. The Athanasian Creed was written to dispute the heresy of Macedonius, who asserted that the Holy Spirit was not God, but merely a servant of the Son. Macedonius arrived at this conclusion by trying to use his human reason to explain the Trinity. Human reason cannot hope to fully understand the Mystery of the Most Blessed Trinity. However, we also cannot refute this Mystery. People who doubt the Trinity are usually misinformed. One person does NOT equal three persons, and one God does NOT equal three gods. A commonly used explanation of the Trinity is that one times one times one is still one, just as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit combined are all one. The Mystery of the Most Blessed Trinity is the principal doctrine in Christianity. The importance of the Trinity cannot be overstated. The Incarnation is a doctrine which would not be possible without the Trinity. All sacraments are administered in the name of the Trinity, and all prayers begin and end with the Sign of the Cross, the most basic prayer, which is based on the Trinity. When a priest administers last rights, he says, Though he/she has sinned, he/she did not deny the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. If the Trinity is the final thing all souls hear before dying, it has to be a very important doctrine.