Reflections on MYC 2022
At the heart of the Christian message is a supremely unique belief that has no parallels in any ancient religions or modern philosophies. Despite not being explicitly set out in the Bible, it was nevertheless formulated by Christians as early as the 2nd century eventually becoming the impetus that united the church. Unlikely as it was, it emerged as the early Christians sought to understand the relationship between Jesus and God. This belief has stood unchanged, though not unchallenged, ever since as the doctrine of the Trinity.
The God of the Bible is a Triune God
Believing in God as one has its roots as far back as the time of Abraham and is still represented by the two major religions today of Islam and Judaism. Believing that God is a plurality or that there are many gods has been the prevailing worldview all throughout ancient history and today is represented by the many pluralistic religions such as Hinduism. The doctrine of the Trinity stands in absolute opposition to both by claiming the God is both one and three. It states that the God of the Bible exists as one being in three distinct persons – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Each of whom are distinct from the other but are individually fully God.
How and why such is the case is beyond our scope here. Suffice to say that the doctrine of the Trinity is not a model Christians invented and subsequently imposed on to the text of the Bible. Rather it resulted as Christians tried to make sense of the different ways the Bible speaks of God:
The Father as God
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (Phil 1:2)
Jesus as God
…waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. (Titus 2:13)
The Holy Spirit as God
But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land? While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to man but to God.” (Acts 5:3-4)
It is summarised in the great commission, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…” (Matt. 28:19).
It is not a contradiction
Key to the doctrine of the Trinity is recognising the difference between nature and person. According to the Trinity, God is one and three at the same time but not in the same way. God is one in nature/essence but three in persons. We must never blend the persons nor divide the essence. A helpful starting point would be to consider Jesus Himself.
As Christians we believe that Jesus is both fully God and fully man. Yet this is no contradiction as we recognise that in the one person of Jesus exists two natures. Following these categories, the Trinity simply states that God is one nature in three persons.
In illustrating this, I often rely on a good friend of mine. She is by far the most knowledgeable person I know, which unsurprisingly means our conversations are rather short-lived and one-sided. Still, I can’t imagine going back to a time before our first interaction. Odds are that you know her too, particularly if you own an iPhone. Yes, I’m talking about Siri.
You might laugh or roll your eyes at the dad-joke-ness of the illustration (those at MYC surely did, though in my defence I am a dad). But consider the veracity of the statements. It is not entirely inaccurate to describe Siri in the way that I did. In fact, even after realising the switcheroo, our understanding of the relationship still stands. Obviously I’m not drawing any parallels between that which I keep in my pocket and the God of the universe. To do so would be silly. My point here is to illustrate that the categories of nature/person already exist and furthermore, we understand it instinctively.
It’s more important than you realize
The Christian life is filled with up and down moments as anyone can testify. But it is never shallow if we understood even a little of the Trinity and its implications. In John 17, we get a glimpse into the inner workings of the Trinity before anything else even existed. There Jesus prayed,
“ Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.” (John 17:24)
God’s eternal love for His Son lies at the heart of the Trinity, and accordingly everything else. The conviction that God is love necessitates a triune God, for love can’t exist where God is mono-polar. Love by definition implies a lover and one who is loved.
In the Trinity we see the love of God the Father for Jesus His Son. This love existed before the foundation of the world. In other words, before God created us. The implications are staggering as it means God did not create us to get or receive love, or even to give and bestow love since within the Trinity perfect love already exists. Rather God created us to share in the love that already was. Consider the question of what it means to be a Christian. It is not simply about forgiveness of sins or justification by faith. It is being brought into God’s eternal love for His Son. A fully paid-for ticket to heaven is nothing compared to the richness and depth of the gospel that flows from the Trinity in defining the Christian life. This cosmic vision of an eternal reality is only possible if we rightly understand and appreciate the doctrine of the Trinity.
Some reflection questions
What drove Jesus to cry out “my God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Is it simply sin or is something more profound taking place?
How is saying God loves Jesus a better comfort than saying God loves me?