View source for Trinity

{{Infobox_Contents | 
  topic_name = Trinity |
  subtopics = [[God the Father]], [[Jesus]], [[Holy Spirit]] |
  opinion_pieces = {{short_opinions}} 
* [[Trinity (carm)]] 
* {{ebd}} |
}}

The Trinity is the unique teaching of Christianity about the three-yet-one nature of God. It is one of teachings that makes Christianity unique among other religions, and although impossible to fully comprehend, the doctrine can be summarised by the following:
* There is one and only one God
* The one God eternally exists in three distinct persons
* The Father is God, [[Jesus]], the Son is God, and the [[Holy Spirit]] are God

The word "Trinity" is not found in the [[Bible]]. It was first used in writing by [[Theophilus of Antioch]] around 180 A.D. as a way of expressing the triune (three-yet-one) nature of the one God that is revealed in the Bible, which does use the words Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

==='''Scriptural References To The Trinity'''===

A number of passages in the [[Bible]] refer directly to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

* [[Matthew 28:19]] - {{Bible verse|Matthew|28|19|lang=WEB}} 
* [[2 Corinthians 13:13]] - {{Bible verse|2 Corinthians|13|13|lang=WEB}}
* [[Luke 1:35]] - {{Bible verse|Luke|1|35|lang=WEB}}

A number of verses also show that Jesus was God.

* [[John 1:1]] and [[John 1:14]] - {{Bible verse|John|1|1|lang=WEB}} {{Bible verse|John|1|14|lang=WEB}}
* [[John 5:21]] - {{Bible verse|John|5|21|lang=WEB}}
* [[John 8]]:23-24 - {{Bible verse|John|8|23|lang=WEB}} {{Bible verse|John|8|24|lang=WEB}}
* [[John 8:58]] - {{Bible verse|John|8|58|lang=WEB}} ''([[Jesus]] is speaking in reference to when [[God]] told [[Moses]] to tell the Hebrews "I am has sent you" in [[Exodus 3:14]])
* [[John 10:30]] - {{Bible verse|John|10|30|lang=WEB}}
* [[John 10:38]] - {{Bible verse|John|10|38|lang=WEB}}
* [[1 John 5:20]] - {{Bible verse|1 John|5|20|lang=WEB}}
* [[Titus 2:13]] - {{Bible verse|titus|2|13|lang=WEB}}
* [[Colossians 2:9]] - {{Bible verse|colossians|2|9|lang=WEB}}
* [[Philippians 2]]:5-6 - {{Bible verse|philippians|2|5|lang=WEB}} {{Bible verse|philippians|2|6|lang=WEB}} 

===Etymology===

The word trinity is derived from the [[Latin]] ''tri-unitas'' which literal means "three unity".

===Difficulties in Understanding===

Throughout the history of the church objections have been raised to the teaching of the Trinity, but the doctrine has stood as a central feature of orthodox Christianity despite this.

The following folk story illustrates the difficulties in understanding the Trinity.
: ''It has been said that when the church father [[Augustine of Hippo|Augustine]] wrote a treatise about the Trinity he encountered a little boy walking along the seaside. The boy appeared to be scooping water from the sea in a little basin at the beach and Augustine asked him what he was doing. The boy answered: "I want to sccop the sea in my pond," to whicch Augustine responded: "You will never succeed." But the boy replied: "I'm doing the same thing as you: You want to understand the mystery of the triune God with your human mind."''

The teaching of the Trinity was clearly articulated in the [[Nicene Creed]] of [[325 AD]]. 

Historically many religions have been critical of the doctrine of the Trinity. The [[Quran]] has numerous quotations questioning and denying the Trinity and it is an issue that many Muslims exploring Christianity find to be barrier.

Recently numerous off-shoot religions related to Christianity have formed that deny the Trinity. These includes religions such as the [[Jehovah's Witnesses]]. 

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==Quotes==

'''[[Justin Martyr]]'''
: "We will prove that we worship him reasonably; for we have learned that he is the Son of the true God himself, that he holds a second place, and the Spirit of prophecy a third. For this they accuse us of madness, saying that we attribute to a crucified man a place second to the unchangeable and eternal God, the Creator of all things; but they are ignorant of the mystery which lies therein" ([[First Apology]] 13:5–6 [A.D. 151]).

==Links==
* [http://trinities.org/blog trinities] A blog by a Christian philosophy professor devoted to recent and past theories about the Trinity
* [http://www.catholic.com/library/Trinity.asp Early Church Fathers on the Holy Trinity]
* [http://www.mtio.com/articles/bissar107.htm One God in Three Persons], by Dr. Bill Weinrich
* [http://www.aomin.org/trinitydef.html A Brief Definition of the Trinity], by James White
* [http://www.ucg.org/booklets/WG/ Who Is God?]
* [http://biggergod.com/trinity.html Understanding The Trinity], by Matt Perman
* [http://www.theologicalstudies.org.uk/god_trinity.html The Doctrine of the Trinity]
* [http://www.jude3.net/trinitylinkindex.htm Articles On The Trinity]
* [http://homepage.mac.com/byfarthersteps/Trinity.html An Unpublished Essay on the Trinity], by [[Jonathan Edwards]]
* [http://web.archive.org/web/20031229035144/www.modernreformation.org/mr99/septoct/mr9905threeinone.html The Splendor of the Three-in-One God: The Necessity and Mystery of the Trinity], by R.S. Clark
* [http://www.gospelpedlar.com/trinity.html The Bible's Teaching About The Trinity], by James Montgomery Boice
* [http://www.alliancenet.org/partner/Article_Display_Page/0,,PTID307086|CHID581342|CIID1654148,00.html God in Three Persons], Blessed Trinity, by Michael Horton
* [http://www.tmch.net/theo4.htm The Being of God, The Character of God, The Trinity], by Paul D. Adams
* [http://reformedperspectives.org/newfiles/joh_frame/TH.Frame.Trinitarian_Analogies.html Trinitarian Analogies], by [[John Frame]]
* [http://home.earthlink.net/~calltoreformation/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/revivedtotrinitarianism.pdf Revived to Trinitarianism: The Need for Evangelicals to Believe In and Live On God] (PDF), by Jim Hamilton
* [http://www.heaven.net.nz/writings/trinity.htm The Trinity Doctrine] Heaven Net

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