The History and Philosophy of ‘Trinity’ | Understanding the Trinity

The word ‘trinity’ was coined by early church fathers to explain and define the nature of God. Today, it is still recognized as one of the most important and foundational doctrines of the Christian faith. 

Those who consider themselves Trinitarians fully believe that Scripture supports this doctrine and that Scripture aligns with the Triune nature of God. 

The question is: Where does the word ‘Trinity’ come from, and why do we use it to define God?

We don’t necessarily use the word ‘Trinity’ to define God. Rather, we use the word to explain the personhood of God, whom we believe there are three.

History of the Word, ‘Trinity’

Tertullian was an African (Berber descent) church father who hailed from the province of Carthage. He was considered the father of ‘Latin Christianity’, and his work and research laid the foundation for many foundational doctrines, including the trinitarian doctrine. 

Tertullian coined the word ‘Trinity’ for two reasons:

1. He wanted to fight against Christian Gnosticism and heresy; as an avid apologist, he believed in maintaining the authenticity of the Scripture as it was taught.
2. He needed a word to describe the unique yet complex relationship among the Father, Son, and Spirit; he stated that these three persons were distinct from one another yet one God.

To explain this unique relationship, Tertullian used the Latin word ‘trinitas’ to combine what he considered the ‘substansia’ and ‘persona’ of God. 

Here is what scholars had to say about Tertullian’s use of the word ‘trinitas’ to describe the nature of God.

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Though Tertullian considered the Father to be God (Yahweh), he responded to criticism of the Modalist Praxeas that this meant that Tertullian’s Christianity was not monotheistic by noting that even though there was one God (Yahweh, who became the Father when the Son became his agent of creation), the Son could also be referred to as God, when referred to apart from the Father, because the Son, though subordinate to God, is entitled to be called God “from the unity of the Father” in regards to being formed from a portion of His substance^[b].

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Conceptualizing the Doctrine

Tertullian’s work in the early Church established a standard among Christian believers for understanding the finished work of God. 

This doctrine was already in place and had been taught for several years, but there was never a word or term to describe it. Most Christians, up until this point, had accepted this doctrine, so the idea of God’s triune nature was not unique to them.

In fact, Judaism already had a concept of God’s duality, as evidenced by the book of Daniel and its analysis of Daniel’s vision of the Son of Man who approached the Most High. 

Today, Christian theologians use the chart below to describe the nature and relationship of the persons within the Godhead. 

However, while a visual like this often gives us an idea of what we believe, wrapping our minds around it is where the issue lies.

The Purpose of the Doctrine

There are two things to consider when talking about the doctrine:

We won’t be able to explain the Trinity in a way that the logical brain can comprehend without first understanding who God is.

We need to explain how this doctrine is necessary to our understanding of salvation

In fact, I’d argue that when many people share the Gospel, they tend to exclude (not always deliberately) the role of the Father and the Spirit. Most people walk away thinking that Jesus, who, yes, is God, is the *only* person in the Godhead. They tend to neglect the true purpose of Christ’s atonement and the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives. 

This isn’t to say that they don’t know this; it is more about ensuring that those who hear the Gospel understand the trifold nature of salvation. 

The problem isn’t ‘should we believe it’, but rather ‘why we believe it’. 

Christ’s finished work rests on our understanding and acceptance of His relationship with the Father and the Spirit. Through the acceptance of Christ’s atonement, we receive the Holy Spirit, who then bridges the gap between us and the Father. 

Once we accept Christ’s work through faith, we are made joint heirs with Him through the guarantee of the Spirit. The Spirit then begins the work through us, and we rely on Him. 

It isn’t enough to simply believe in Jesus; we also need to accept the Holy Spirit. It isn’t just to believe that the Father exists, but to accept the sacrifice of His Son. 

After all, the will of the Father is that we may believe in the work of the Son, and the will of the Son is that we obey His commandments through the Spirit. The will of the Spirit is that we may get to know the Father.

The Necessity of the Triune God

The early Church immediately established a doctrine based on Scripture to ensure our salvation. 

Jesus makes Himself the ultimate ‘Gatekeeper’ for knowing the Father. However, the knowledge of Christ and the Father is revealed only through the Spirit. 

Without Yeshua, who knows who we would be worshiping? After all, YHWH’s true name was erased by the 3^rd century BCE under Babylonian rule, and Yeshua came to make the name of YHWH known to all.

It’s important that we not only understand who we worship but that we worship exactly as Christ outlined it: in Spirit and Truth. We worship YHWH in Spirit (the Holy Spirit) and in Truth (Yeshua). 

“ But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

John 4:23-24 (NKJV)

Now, these mysteries have been revealed to us—mysteries concealed from the ancient Hebrews long ago. These mysteries are now made known through Yeshua and revealed to us through the Holy Spirit.

How We Speak About God

To better understand the doctrine, we need to examine how we define God. We also need to evaluate how we speak about God. 

Our definition of God stems from the Ancient Hebrew religion. However, we should understand who God is in the context of Ancient Near Eastern religions, as this would better outline how the Hebrews defined God. 

I’ve discovered that the Hebrews didn’t opt to use a singular noun to describe their patron deity. Instead, they went with the majestic plural, ‘Elohim.’ 

The Hebrew language was gendered, and it was important to the Hebrews to describe their God as accurately as possible. They referred to Him as a Father to emphasize His nature of authority, leadership, strength, fertility (creation), and vigor (defense).

Until Next Time…

While the doctrine’s philosophy and history are easy to outline, we need to truly examine God in both historical and cultural contexts. My research led me to several areas stemming from Ugaritic texts, ancient Hebrew culture, and even North African culture.

Is there confusion surrounding the definition of God? Perhaps, as Westerners, we’ve formed our own idea of God, ignoring the true nature of God. However, when we study deeply the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, we’ll better understand the doctrine and how it applies to our faith.

Once we understand this, we can then examine the nature and person of God more closely.

Signed,

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