1 John 5:7
7 For there are three that bear witness in heaven, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and these three are one
Reflection: Question #6, A Mystery, Part 2
Written By: Pastor Jesse Caro
Question: How many persons are there in the Godhead?
Answer: There are three persons in the Godhead, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one God, the same in substance, equal in power and glory.
This great mystery… how God can be three persons, and One God… was discussed during the period of the early church. Different “Councils” were gathered to have week-long theological debates and discussions, with the brightest church leaders, bishops, and theologians of the day. The most important, perhaps, was the Council of Nicaea, (AD 325) convened by the Roman Emperor Constantine. The theological discussion was the nature of Christ: was he divine?! Now, as a matter of common sense, if one could determine that Jesus was in fact God, then it is an easy step to conclude that 1) Jesus and the Father are separate in person and that 2) the Trinity is an obvious next logical step.
I appreciate that brilliant minds have throughout history taken up the challenge of understanding difficult theological ideas. What I find interesting, and beneficial, about the doctrine of the Trinity, is that God has made clear for us how he functions. Let us take prayer as an example. We pray to the Father (“our Father, who art in Heaven.”). We are not taught to pray to Jesus or the Spirit. We pray to the Father. We pray to him “in the name of Jesus.” That is, Jesus (according to the book of Hebrews) intercedes for us. He is our mediator. Think of it this way… Jesus delivers the message to the Father. What is the Spirit’s role. He gives us the words and empowers our prayers. At least for me, how God manages his roles in prayer helps me appreciate the Trinity. To put it another way, I think the Trinity helps us understand all that God does on our behalf… and how he does it. I hope this was beneficial for you today!
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank you for hearing our prayers. May we, your people, appreciate these doctrines, even when they are confusing. May they bring us to a place of awe and of worship!
