There are many ways in which Christianity express the concept of God or God’s nature.One of these is the centre and focus of the Christian faith i.e God as the Holy Trinity.
The term, trinity is derived from the number three and reference to the Holy Trinity explains that God is one and in His unity known in three persons. The doctrine of the Holy Trinity defines God as one and known in the persons of the Father (creator) Son (Jesus, the Saviour) and the Holy Spirit (The Spirit of God and God’s power to sustain the Church and the Universe in His goodness).
Many observers or peoples of different faiths may think and wonder how is it possible that Christians make such assertion. From a religious experience perspective, you can only keep a certain concept of God only through what you know of Him in a relationship.
God was known by the people of the Old Testament in an obscure way. This was because they belonged to an age in history of salvation which only witnessed the initial stage of God’s revelation to humanity. The fundamental basis about God who revealed himself to Abraham, Moses, Isaac and the prophets in the Old Testament was that He was and is one God who wanted to be worshipped alone.
The Christian faith affirm this oneness of God and had take on board what is the first commandment of God. The formula of faith in the Holy Trinity is the fundamental basis of being a Christian. Without it one’s Christianity is doubtful. The Creed of the Apostles begins with “I believe in One God creator of Heaven and earth” and does not dispute what is in the Old Testament. The creed just like the creed of Nicea continue to affirm, “I believe in Jesus Christ the only son of God born of the Virgin Mary suffered under Pontius Pilate, died and was buried, rose again on the third day”.
The third affirmation state “I believe in the Holy Spirit, The Holy Catholic Church, the Communion of Saints, the forgiveness of sins, the Resurrection of the body and life everlasting”.
The Christian focus on the Holy Trinity does not say that God is made up of three gods, no this is not what the Christian faith teaches rather God is one and He is experienced and known as Creator, Saviour and Sustainer of the life in Him, the Church and the whole universe. In the New Testament of the Bible, the revelation of Jesus Christ to humanity brings to light a fullness of revelation of who God is. Jesus Christ is revealed as God’s only begotten son who allowed the out pouring and presence of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God on the Pentecost event and to the whole world until now. What Jesus Christ revealed in the New Testament wasn’t a new development about God. It was what has always been and has been unknown to humanity. God ever before the days of Abraham, Isaac Moses and the great prophets had always been the Trinity and all His life and action has always been Trinitarian in pattern.
Otherwise we as Christians we would not believe and have hope in a God who created the world, who would save it in Jesus Christ and sustain it by the power of his Holy Spirit.
In the New Testament, when Jesus Christ was mandating his disciples to go and claim the world for God, he initiated the apostles in the Trinitarian knowledge and life in God: “Go therefore, make disciples of all nations, baptise them in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (Matt. 28:19)
