The Divine Trinity

The Rosary Light & Life ^ | By Father Paul A. Duffner, O.P.

[JMJ333]

[JMJ333]

"The Substance of the Trinity is, so to say, a common Essence in that which is distinct, an incomprehensible, ineffable Substance. We hold the distinction, not the confusion of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; a distinction without separation; a distinction without plurality; and thus we believe in Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as each existing from and to eternity in this divine and wonderful Mystery: not in two Fathers, nor in two Sons, nor in two Spirits. For there is one God, the Father, of Whom are all things, and we in Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by Whom are all things, and we by Him.' There is One born of the Father, the Lord Jesus, and therefore He is the Only-begotten. There is also One Holy Spirit,' as the same Apostle hath said. So we believe,so we read, so we hold. We know the fact of distinction, we know nothing of the hidden mysteries; we pry not into the causes, but keep the outward signs vouchsafed unto us."
Ambrose,On the Christian Faith,8:92(A.D. 380)

[JMJ333]

"All those Catholic expounders of the divine Scriptures, both Old and New, whom I have been able to read, who have written before me concerning the Trinity, Who is God, have purposed to teach, according to the Scriptures, this doctrine, that the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit intimate a divine unity of one and the same substance in an indivisible equality; and therefore that they are not three Gods, but one God: although the Father hath begotten the Son, and so He who is the Father is not the Son; and the Son is begotten by the Father, and so He who is the Son is not the Father; and the Holy Spirit is neither the Father nor the Son, but only the Spirit of the Father and of the Son, Himself also co-equal with the Father and the Son, and pertaining to the unity of the Trinity.

Yet not that this Trinity was born of the Virgin Mary, and crucified under Pontius Pilate, and roseburied,, again the third day, and ascended into heaven, but only the Son. Nor, again, that this Trinity descended in the form of a dove upon Jesus when He was baptized; nor that, on the day of Pentecost, after the ascension of the Lord, when there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind,' the same Trinity sat upon each of them with cloven tongues like as of fire,' but only the Holy Spirit. Nor yet that this Trinity said from heaven, Thou art my Son,' whether when He was baptized by John, or when the three disciples were with Him in the mount, or when the voice sounded, saying, I have both glorified it,and will glorify it again;' but that it was a word of the Father only, spoken to the Son; although the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, as they are indivisible, so work indivisibly. This is also my faith, since it is the Catholic faith." Augustine,On the Trinity,I:4,7(A.D. 416)

[JMJ333]

Thank you. =)

[JMJ333]

*

[american colleen]

What a comfort it should be in times of distress, when the future looks bleak, when temptation increases, when sickness or injury is our lot, to know that we are sustained by the wisdom, love and power of God Himself. But this peace of mind and heart presupposes a deep faith that makes us aware of these truths, a trust that never doubts that God knows best, and a love that always says "yes" to God's dealing with us.

How blessed we are!

What a lovely thread, thank you!

[JMJ333]

You're welcome! Good to see you.

[Salvation]

Trinity bump!

[JMJ333]

Thanks! I have been thinking about this subject quite a bit after a debate last week on the subject and the argument presented was that they had a different interpretation of the bible. But as I pointed out, the Bible is not a catechism or a full-scale theological treatise. If look at the 27 books of the New Testament You won’t find any that spell out the elements of the faith the way catechisms do or even the way the ancient creeds did. Those 27 books were written **for the most part** as provisional documents addressed to particular audiences for particular purposes. Most of the epistles were written to local churches that were experiencing moral and/or doctrinal problems.

[Salvation]

References of the Apostles' Creed and the Nicene Creed. Most have to do with scholars, teachers and doctors of the church, but there are some Biblical references.

I believe in God the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary
Under Pontius Pilate He was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again.
He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting.
Amen.

The Nicene Creed

We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God,
begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father.
Through him all things were made.
For us men and for our salvation, he came down from heaven:
by the power of the Holy Spirit he was born of the Virgin Mary, and became man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered died and was buried.
On the third day he rose again in fulfillment of the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
With the Father and the Son he is worshipped and glorified.
He has spoken through the Prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come.
Amen.

   ENDNOTES

   1 DV 2; cf. Col 1:15; I Tim 1:17; Ex 33:11; Jn 15:14-15; Bar 3:38 (Vulg.).
   2 Cf. DV 5.

   3 Cf. Rom 1:5; 16:26.

   4 Heb 11:8; cf. Gen 12:1-4.

   5 Cf. Gen 23:4.

   6 Cf. Heb 11:17.

   7 Heb 11:1.

   8 Rom 4:3; cf. Gen 15:6.
   9 Rom 4:11, 18; 4:20; cf. Gen 15:5.

   10 Heb 11:2, 39.

   11 Heb 11:40; 12:2.
   12 Lk 1:37-38; cf. Gen 18:14.

   13 Lk 1:45.

   14 Cf. Lk 1:48.

   15 Cf. Lk 2:35.

   16 2 Tim 1:12.

   17 Cf. Jer 17:5-6; Pss 40:5; 146:3-4.

   18 Mk 1:11; cf. 9:7

   19 Jn 14:1.

   20 Jn 1:18.

   21 Jn 6:46; cf. Mt 11:27.

   22 I Cor 12:3.

   23 I Cor 2:10-11.

   24 Mt 16:17; cf. Gal 1:15; Mt 11:25.

   25 DV 5; cf. DS 377; 3010.

   26 Dei Filius: 3: DS 3008.

   27 St. Thomas Aquinas, STh II-II, 2, 9; cf Dei Filius 3; DS 3010.

   28 Dei Filius: 3 DS 3008.

   29 Dei Filius: 3 DS 3009.

   30 Dei Filius: 3: DS 3008-3010; Cf. Mk 16 20; Heb 2:4.

   31 St. Thomas Aquinas, STh II-II 171, 5, obj. 3.

   32 John Henry Cardinal Newman, Apologia pro vita sua (London Longman,
   1878) 239.

   33 St. Anselm, Prosl. prooem. PL 153 225A.

   34 Eph 1:18.

   35 DV 5.

   36 St. Augustine, Sermo 43, 7, 9: PL 38, 257-258.

   37 Dei Filius 4: DS 3017.

   38 GS 36 # 1.
   39 DH 10; cf. CIC, can. 748 # 2.

   40 DH 11.

   41 DH 11; cf. Jn 18:37; 12:32.

   42 Cf. Mk 16:16; Jn 3:36; 6:40 et al.

   43 Dei Filius 3: DS 3012; cf. Mt 10:22; 24: 13 and Heb 11:6; Council of
   Trent: DS 1532.

   44 1 Tim 1:18-19.

   45 Cf. Mk 9:24; Lk 17:5; 22:32

   46 Gal 5:6; Rom 15:13; cf. Jas 2:14-26.

   47 1 Cor 13:12; I Jn 3:2.

   48 St. Basil De Spiritu Sancto 15, 36: PG 32, 132; cf. St. Thomas Aquinas,
   STh II-II, 4, 1.

   49 2 Cor 5:7.

   50 l Cor 13:12.

   51 Rom 4:18.

   52 LG 58; John Paul II, RMat 18.

   53 Heb 12:1-2. Article 2

   54 Roman Ritual, Rite of Baptism of Adults.

   55 Faustus of Riez, De Spiritu Sancto 1, 2: PL 62, II.

   56 St. Thomas Aquinas, STh II-II, 1,2, ad 2.

   57 I Tim 3:15; Jude 3.

   58 Cf. Eph 4:4-6.

   59 St. Irenaeus, Adv. haeres. I, 10, 1-2: PG 7/1, 549-552.

   60 St. Irenaeus, Adv. haeres. I, 10, 1-2: PG 7/1, 552-553.

   61 St. Irenaeus, Adv. haeres. 5, 20, I: PG 7/2, 1177.
   62 St. Irenaeus, Adv. haeres. 3, 24, I: PG 7/1, 966.

[Salvation]

II. "I KNOW WHOM I HAVE BELIEVED"[16]

To believe in God alone

150 Faith is first of all a personal adherence of man to God. At the same time, and inseparably, it is a free assent to the whole truth that God has revealed. As personal adherence to God and assent to his truth, Christian faith differs from our faith in any human person. It is right and just to entrust oneself wholly to God and to believe absolutely what he says. It would be futile and false to place such faith in a creature.[17]

To believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God

151 For a Christian, believing in God cannot be separated from believing in the One he sent, his "beloved Son", in whom the Father is "well pleased"; God tells us to listen to him.[18] The Lord himself said to his disciples: "Believe in God, believe also in me."[19] We can believe in Jesus Christ because he is himself God, the Word made flesh: "No one has ever seen God; the only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has made him known."[20] Because he "has seen the Father", Jesus Christ is the only one who knows him and can reveal him.[21]

To believe in the Holy Spirit

152 One cannot believe in Jesus Christ without sharing in his Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit who reveals to men who Jesus is. For "no one can say "Jesus is Lord", except by the Holy Spirit",[22] who "searches everything, even the depths of God. . No one comprehends the thoughts of God, except the Spirit of God."[23] Only God knows God completely: we believe in the Holy Spirit because he is God.

The Church never ceases to proclaim her faith in one only God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

[Salvation]

19 Jn 14:1. 20 Jn 1:18.

21 Jn 6:46; cf. Mt 11:27.

22 I Cor 12:3.

23 I Cor 2:10-11.

[JMJ333]

"Jesus Christ . . . was with the Father before the beginning of time, and in the end was revealed. . . . Jesus Christ . . . came forth from one Father and is with and has gone to one [Father]. . . . There is one God, who has manifested himself by Jesus Christ his Son, who is his eternal Word, not proceeding forth from silence, and who in all things pleased him that sent him" Ignatius of Antioch (Letter to the Magnesians 6–8 [A.D. 110].

[Salvation]

Actually the footnotes under the Creeds are the correct references. Sorry.

[JMJ333]

And further, my brethren, if the Lord [Jesus] endured to suffer for our soul, he being the Lord of all the world, to whom God said at the foundation of the world, ‘Let us make man after our image, and after our likeness,’ understand how it was that he endured to suffer at the hand of men" Letter of Barnabas 5 [A.D. 74].

And the early Christians were quick to recognize heresies. Anyone that taught the contradiction the historic faith of the Church, was quickly excommunicated.

[JMJ333]

No problem. =)

[Salvation]

The Trinity

[Salvation]

God in Three Persons