Doctrine of the Holy Trinity – 8 April 2022, Anno Domini

   

I

N the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. 2 Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. 3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. 4 And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.   (Isaiah 6:1-4)

 

            The material universe is a pattern for that which exists in the spiritual realm of the Almighty. The Old Testament gives many types, shadows, and metaphors of the physical world that are foreshadows of the spiritual truths related in the New Testament. These are reflected from Genesis 1 to Revelations 22:21. The Doctrine of the Trinity is a mystery of great beauty which is alluded to in the very first verse of the Holy Bible – in the beginning GOD! Though the study of the Trinity is quite extensive, I will relate some of those points in Scripture regarding the Trinity as well as His witness in the physical sciences involved in Creation.  In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. (Gen 1:1-2) The Hebrew word for ‘God’ is Elohim – a singular/plural for which there is no English equivalent. (see Gen 1:26) The Godhead is ONE and yet, plural. 

 

            The doctrine of the Trinity means that there is one God who eternally exists as three distinct Persons — the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Stated differently, God is one in essence and three in person. These definitions express three crucial truths: (1) the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinct Persons, (2) each Person is fully God, (3) there is only one God.

 

            Let us examine, first, the BEGINNING. When growing up, all things began at the beginning of time.’ This is one aspect of Creation that so often goes unnoticed – TIME had a beginning. Before time, there was Eternity Past; and after time, there will remain Eternity future. There is a Trinity of the Godhead, Father, son, and Holy Ghost. There is also a Trinity in all things physical in the Universe. Time itself is three-dimensional: past, present, and future. The Universe is comprised of three-dimensionality – SPACE, TIME MATTER (which includes energy – a product of matter).

 

            There is a wonderful book – The Trinity in the Universe - by Dr. Nathan Wood (Dean of Gordon College of Theology and Harvard graduate) written in scientific terms to illustrate the evidences in the physical Creation of the Trinity. In his book, Dr, Wood points out the trinitarian ‘threeness’ of all that exists in Time, Space, and Matter. There can exist no space without the three dimensions of width, height and depth. Nothing material can exist without those three dimensions. In our limited reach, these three dimensions are measured in absolute values, but in God’s mind, these dimensions are infinite in all directions because God encompasses all of reality. Like the Trinity, God is not God if we dismiss either Person of the Godhead. Each dimension of the Godhead identifies God as One. In order for matter to exist, there must be three dimensions. If only one, we have a line only. If only two, we have a plane with no substance. But when we have three, we have identified space. 

 

            Matter being limited in space, the dimensions by which we measure a material object is three dimensions of limited value. Dr. Wood points out in a very amazing way how the entire material Universe is a physical pattern of the spiritual nature of the Triune God. 

 

            Looking back at Genesis 1 & 2, we see the singular/plural nature of the God of Creation. Gid the Father is a prime nature of Creation, and the Holy Spirit is present as well – the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. God spoke and it was made. By what means did the Father Speak? He spoke through His Word, the SON! How do we find the evidence of the Son in Creation? Recall John 1:1-4: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. Our Lord Jesus is the WORD Incarnate!

 

            As the Eastern Church declares, the Trisagion – HOLY, HOLY, HOLY – represents the three distinct Persons of the Godhead as well as the Oneness thereof in Unity. This is also revealed in the baptismal formula provided in Matthew 28:19 as well as the Three-Person Presence at the baptism of Christ – the Voice of the FATHER from Heaven, the SPIRIT of God descending as a Dove, and the SON whose baptism was performed.