One week after celebrating the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the band of disciples at Pentecost, the Western Church has appropriately focused on the doctrine of the Holy Trinity. There are several New Testament texts (such as Matthew 3:16-17, Matthew 28:19, Ephesians 2:18, 2 Corinthians 13: 14, 1 Peter 1:2) which express a Trinitarian understanding of God's revelation to humanity. Today's Gospel from John 3 refers to the three divine persons working to bring new and eternal life.
Over time, the implications of such Scriptural teachings developed in the life and thought of the Christian Church. Notably, belief in the Holy Trinity was expressed in the ancient baptismal questions about God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. These questions and answers became the basis for creeds similar to the Apostles' Creed. As misunderstandings arose in the Church, the doctrine was more deliberately expressed in many Christian texts including the Nicene Creed, the Athanasian Creed (Quicunque vult), and hymns such as the Gloria Patri, the Gloria in excelsis, and the Te Deum.
Perceiving and confessing the doctrine of the Trinity is a gift of divine grace. Although we can use metaphors from nature and employ reason to talk about the Triune God, a personal appreciation of this uniquely Christian teaching can only come as the Holy Spirit pours divine grace into our hearts and minds.
In affirming the importance of the doctrine of the Trinity, all believers do not need to focus on abstract philosophical discussions. Nevertheless, Christians do need to affirm or confess this basic doctrine. The doctrine of the Trinity is a central and scripturally based Christian belief that is deeply rooted in the experience of redemption and in Christian prayer and worship. At various moments, we focus upon one or the other divine Person, but there is a constant interaction of the three Persons as we consider revelation, justification, sanctification, and salvation. "Praise God from whom all blessings flow,... Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost."
