The Trinity: What is Three in One? Part Two

The Trinity: What is Three in One? Part Two

This is part two of a two part series on the Trinity.

In my previous post, I talked about why it’s important for Christians to know the Biblical basis for the doctrine of the Trinity, for the idea that God is one in essence and three in person. I discussed what it means that God is three in person. Now, let’s look into what it means that God is one in essence—a more complex topic.

Dr. Scott Horrell’s research suggests three Biblical truths that teach us that the Trinity is one in essence. Each truth alone isn’t enough to justify the phrase “one in essence,” but taken together they make a good case.

First, one essence means that the members of the Trinity share the same attributes. In many passages throughout the New Testament, the Father, Son, and Spirit are described as omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, holy, just, merciful, and all the other attributes of God. For many theologians, shared attributes is all that “oneness” is. But Dr. Horrell argues that this alone isn’t enough to distinguish Trinity from tritheism. For example, three separate gods could each hypothetically be perfectly omniscient.

Second, one essence means that the members of the Trinity “mutually indwell” one another. In , Jesus says that anyone who has seen him has seen the Father, because he is in the Father and the Father is in him. Furthermore, he says that when he acts, it’s not just him, but also the Father acting. A similar mutual indwelling is suggested by the theme of Jesus’ relationship to the Spirit throughout John. So mutual indwelling can be summarized as the members of the Trinity each indwelling the others, so that when one acts, all are in some sense acting.

Third, one essence means that the very existence of the members of the Trinity is connected. The Bible suggests that the Son is eternally begotten by the Father (), and that the Spirit eternally proceeds from the Father ()—and, in some views, from the Son as well (). The nuances of what these terms mean have been explored by many theologians, but the upshot is that the members of the Trinity aren’t independent. The Son and Spirit’s existence is connected to the Father’s. It’s not that the Son and Spirit began existing at some moment in time; all of them existed from eternity past. But they did not exist in a disconnected way, but a connected way. We can’t fully understand this connection, because the Bible doesn’t go into it. We just have to affirm what the Bible does reveal: that there is a connection.

When added together, these three Biblical concepts seem to justify saying that God is “one in essence.” So the next time someone asks you to explain the Trinity, you can humbly say you don’t understand it fully, but you do know what the Bible teaches about it. You can say that God is three in the sense that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have real relationships with one another. And you can say that these three are one in the sense that they have a very close connection of essence: the same attributes, indwelling, and a connected existence.

Like what you see or have something to add? Feel free to leave a comment or join in the conversation with the author below. We want to hear your comments and questions!
Keep up to date with TMT!
Like our facebook page: facebook.com/twominutetheology or follow us on twitter: @tmtheology!

Two Minute Theology sometimes includes Affiliate Links when discussing products in order to support the site.

If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”

Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves. (ESV)

14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 1:18

18 No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known. (ESV)

And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” (ESV)

26 “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. (ESV)