Campus CrossWalk Magazine: 2006 Spring Issue -- A Plurality of One: Trinitarian Implications for Christian Unity

What do water, a family, and a cube have in common? All three are used as analogies to describe the triune God. Why think about these things? Because how we understand God has profound implications for how we understand ourselves as God’s image bearers; and how we understand and seek to be the Church.

Although the term Trinity does not appear in the Bible, Scripture clearly portrays this understanding of God. See, for example, the following passages:

: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” (Matthew 28:19).; “May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all” (2 Corinthians 13:14).; “To God's elect, . . . who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance” (1 Peter 1:1-2).

A difficulty in understanding the concept of the Trinity is that of simultaneously embracing two true but apparently contradictory ideas. Focusing on the one often leads to the collapse of the other and vice versa. As a result, it is common to hear analogies being used to try to explain the triune nature of God. In this article, I will briefly explore three of these analogies; one of which I see as healthy, and the other two . . . not so much.

Water

An analogy often used to illustrate the unity of God is that of water, which can appear as liquid, solid, or gas –– three manifestations; but all are H2O.

Focusing on God’s unity over his three-ness can tend toward modalism -- the belief that God is one person revealing Himself in three modes or forms. This approach fails to adequately explain how Father, Son, and Spirit can appear simultaneously, such as takes place at the baptism of Jesus:

: “As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased’” (Matthew. 3:16).

Also, this understanding portrays God as “deceptive” on the occasions in which Jesus speaks about (or prays to) the Father; or foretells of the Father sending the Spirit (e.g. John. 14:26; 15:26) as though they are separate entities.

A Family

An analogy often used to illustrate the three-ness of God is that of a family in which three persons exist independently, but are of the same essence or family.

Focusing on God’s three-ness over his unity can tend toward tritheism –– the belief that there are three gods; Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This, of course, flies in the face of the biblical assertion that there is only one God.

: "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one” (Deuteronomy 6:4).

The above declaration of monotheism does not, however, exclude the possibility of the Trinity. The word “God” ('elohiym) in this passage is plural! While the implications of the use of this word are debatable, this could imply the Trinity (see also Genesis 1:26-27).

A Cube

An analogy used to affirm that God is both one and three.

If God is not one person manifesting himself as three (modalism), nor three gods (tritheism), then how are we to understand the triune nature of God? A way of resolving this apparent conflict is simply to affirm that God is three in a different way than God is one. A cube can be used as an analogy to help our understanding.

A cube has three dimensions: length, width and height. These three can be measured and discussed independently because they exist as discrete dimensions. However, one dimension of a cube cannot exist except when the other two dimensions are present as a part of the whole.

From the patristic period to the current day, perichoresis is a term that has been used to describe the relationship of the mutual indwelling of Father, Son, and Spirit. From the perspective of perichoresis, God is not to be perceived only as a single subject. Rather, God exists in a perfect communion of three persons who exist in mutual inherence. This perichoretic relationship affirms both individuality and mutuality at the same time.

Catherine LaCugna describes the divine relationship elegantly:

: “[P]erichoresis expressed the idea that the three divine persons mutually inhere in one another, draw life from one another, “are” what they are by relation to one another. Perichoresis means being-in-one-another, permeation without confusion. . . . While there is no blurring of the individuality of each person, there is also no separation. . . Perichoresis provides a dynamic model of persons in communion based on mutuality and interdependence” (God for Us, 1992, pp. 270-271).

In the divine relationship, Father, Son, and Spirit exist in one another, think one’s thoughts after the other, and act in total harmony.

So What?

Modern thought has promoted the notion of the autonomous, rational, self-directed individual. As image bearers of God, however, it seems to me that we ought to see ourselves first as persons in community. Accordingly, Instead of having churches that are assemblies of believers who meet for events of worship and edification (primarily rational experiences), we ought to strive for churches of people that are in continual community; where people interact holistically (rationally, relationally, emotionally, spiritually, and so on) as they live out their mutual belonging to one another and to Christ.

Is this important? Jesus said:

: “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:34-35).; “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me” (John 17:20-21).

The thrust of this article, anchored in the doctrine of the Trinity, is that passages like the above are more a call to live out who we are rather than simply commands to be obeyed . . . so that “the world may know.”

Mark Hopkins is Instructor of Leadership and Director of Distance Learning Systems and Services at Fuller Theological Seminary where he teaches and administers the M.A. in Global Leadership. Mark also preaches on occasion for the Pasadena Church of Christ in Pasadena, California.