Trinity

    Trinity Sunday reveres God as Holy Trinity, even though the term Trinity does not appear in the Bible. Moreover, the biblical uses of "Father," "Son," and "Holy Spirit" do not reflect a developed trinitarian doctrine. "Although we cannot treat it as a part of the Bible, we need have no hesitation in accepting it as an accurate statement of the biblical doctrine of God set forth in language provided by the later Church." [Dentan, A First Reader In Biblical Theology, p. 160] As far as we know, Trinity was first used by Theophilus of Antioch about 180 AD.

    The Trinity has been celebrated on Trinity Sunday, the Sunday after Pentecost, since the late Middle Ages. This Principal Feast is the only day of the liturgical year that focuses upon the very Being of our majestic, sovereign and awesome God and not on particular acts of God.

    The doctrine of the Trinity has been worded in many ways, some excluded as inadequate by historic Church Councils. Each rendition tries to systematize the diverse references to God, Jesus, and the Spirit found in the New Testament. Some accepted interpretations influenced by ancient Greek philosophy are theologically complex, puzzling, and perhaps lacking.

    In more ordinary language we might reflect on the Trinity in this way: Our Triune God is the Father (loving creator of the universe), the Son (revealer of New Covenant Life), and, the Holy Spirit (provider of strength, comfort, healing and inspiration). Furthermore, it is helpful to affirm the Trinity as a poetic symbol pointing to the God we worship, the God who cannot be fully explained in precise human categories.

    Whenever total theological clarity on the Trinity eludes us, we might remember that we do not worship doctrines, anymore than we adulate portraits of cherished persons. Our personal and corporate relationship with the God of Abraham and Jesus does not depend on a finalized blueprint of God's own self-existence. Nonetheless, we continue to attempt to avoid erroneous and misleading notions.