1.1 ~ The Trinity

What is the Trinity?

The Trinity is unique to Christianity. It is the belief that there is only one God, yet he exists in three 'persons'. These 'persons' are: God The Father God The Son God the Holy Spirit   Each of these three persons are fully God, but not three Gods - they are one God.  

The Nicene Creed

The Nicene Creed is a statement of belief that many Christians recite in Church. It says of the Trinity: "We believe in one God, The Father, the almighty, maker of heaven and earth [...] We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father [...]  WE believe in the Holy Spirit, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son"   The Nicene Creed reveals the following about the nature of the Trinity: God the Father God the Father is the creator if the universe and is 'almighty'. This means God the Father has complete power. God the Son God the Son is Jesus Christ. Jesus is the 'Lord' mentioned in the Nicene creed and is the son of the father. God the Holy Spirit God the Holy Spirit comes from the Father and the Son. Christians believe the Holy Spirit is the 'giver of life'. This means that he is spiritually active in the world, he helps them get to know God and worship him, and he equips and empowers believers.

The persons of the Trinity

The word 'Trinity' does not appear in the Bible. However, there is one event, described in Matthew's gospel, where the persons of the Trinity do all appear together. This is when Jesus is baptised before beginning his ministry in the world: "As soon as Jesus was baptised, 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 alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, 'This is my son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.'" (Matthew 3:16-17) This is important because it shows the Trinity working together as one - Jesus is baptised to begin his work, the father speaks his approval and the Holy spirit allows Jesus to start his work. The Bible highlights the importance of each person of the Trinity and how they can be understood and worshipped by Christians today.

How the Trinity is reflected in worship

Christians use the Trinity as the guide for worship and belief. Christians believe that the Trinity displays God's loving nature, which impacts their worship. God the Father Christians believe that God the Father, as the creator, cares for all that he has made. They pray to him in the knowledge that he cares about them and is powerful,, like Jesus did in the Lord's prayer: "This, then is how you should pray: 'Our father in heaven, hallowed be your name ..." ' God the Son Christians believe that, around 5 BCE, God the Son became a human being, and was given the name Jesus. Christians believe Jesus is their saviour, friend and role model. They follow the example set by Jesus, who came into the world to teach people how to live lives of goodness, love and faith. A core belief about Jesus is that he died to take the sins from all people. Worship is therefore happy and joyful as Christians express their thanks to God the Son. God the Holy Spirit Christians believe that the Holy Spirit is their comforter and guide. They believe that the Holy Spirit lives in their hearts and enables them to live good lives; make the right decisions; praise and worship God. Charismatic churches, such as the Pentecostal Church and an increasing number of Anglican churches, will ask the Holy Spirit to enable them to worship using spiritual gifts. These church services are often less formal and involve dancing and creative expression.