THE TRINITY

One of the mysteries of the Bible and in Christianity as a whole is the doctrine of the Trinity.  This doctrine teaches that God is comprised of three persons; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, but still considered one God.  People have tried to make some comparisons to things they understand to explain this mystery, for instance, a three-leaf clover (three leaves but one plant), using water in its three forms: liquid, ice, and steam, or the egg; outer shell, whites, and yolk.  But none of these can adequately explain the doctrine of the Trinity.

Many say there's no such thing as the Trinity because the word "Trinity" doesn't appear in the Bible.  But just because "Trinity" isn't found in Scripture doesn't mean the idea isn't there.  Let's look in the first book of the Bible, Genesis.  When we go to the first chapter where it speaks of creation, we find in verse 26, on the sixth day, God said,

"Let US make man in OUR image," (bold emphasis mine). 

Some may say this could be referring to angels, but angels are created beings like humans are, but aren't human.

Then when we get to chapter 3 of Genesis, after Adam and Eve sinned, hid themselves from God, then was confronted by God, in verse 22 we read,

"Then the LORD God said, 'Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil.'"  It was then that God cast Adam and Eve out of the Garden.

So, we see here that God Himself speaks of Himself as plural, but yet He is still one God.

Later in Scripture, we're introduced to the word "Elohim".  This word in Hebrew is a word that denotes plurality.  In the Shema, found in Deuteronomy 6:4-9, it starts out with, "Hear O Israel, the LORD our God, the Lord is one."  Even the early Israelites understood God was three persons in one God.

Scholars and would-be scholars for centuries have tried to understand this mystery of the Trinity, but the Bible says that His thoughts are not our thoughts, and His ways are not our ways.  In other words, there are things we will never understand or figure out about God because our finite minds can't comprehend them, at least not while we're on this earth.  As it says in 1 Corinthians 13, "now we see through a glass darkly, but then face to face."  Imagine looking through a small window into a dark room.  We may see a little of what's in there because of the light coming in from where we are, but most of the room is dark and we can't tell what's in there, but when the light is switched on from the inside, the whole room is illuminated.  Here on earth, just looking into the Word, there are things we can't comprehend, but when we leave this earth and enter heaven, we'll then be "face to face" with our Creator and He can shine a light on those mysteries.

There are four essential affirmations about The Triune God (from the ESV Study Bible):
1. There is one and only one true and living God.
2. This one God eternally exists in three persons-God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
3. These three persons are completely equal in attributes, each with the same divine nature.
4. While each person is fully and completely God, the persons are not identical.

Each of the Godhead is a participant in our salvation.  Paraphrasing what I've heard concerning the Godhead and salvation:  God executed the plan of salvation, Jesus carried out that plan (death on cross), and the Holy Spirit brings those who would be saved to salvation.  The same God, but each Person plays a different role in saving God's Elect.

There are countless books, papers, and journals over the centuries written about the Trinity, but none of them has successfully explained how Three can be One, but that's what makes God who He is.  If we as finite creatures could figure God out, then He wouldn't be God.  We're mere specks compared to the Holy, Infinite, All-Powerful God, Creator of the universe.  We should strive to learn all we can but understand we will NEVER come to the end of knowledge when it comes to God.  Knowledge of God is a vast, deep, ocean of information that we'll never plumb the depths of.