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What is Meant by the Triune God?
Part 2 on the Apostles Creed
by Ronald Boelte
See also:
If you look in the Catechism on page 104, there is the Question:
"Who is the only true God?" The answer they give is: "The
only true God is the triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, three
distinct persons in one divine being (the Holy Trinity). While this
statement in itself is not proof that the God we worship is the only true
God, this statement is backed up by the Bible. However; the first thing we
have to assume is that the Bible is the true Word of God. Then we can look
at the Words of Scripture to see what it tells us about the God we
worship. This week we will bring out many of the scripture verses that
help us to see what we confess about our God and why we say this God is a
Trinity (Triune).
While the word triune is not found in the Bible. we still
believe as Christians that the Scriptures clearly point to one true God
and that this one true God has three distinct persons
which we call the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Triune simply stated means
[three in one] and yet it is not three gods we worship but one God. Often
to help people better understand what we are saying. we use the example of
the equilateral triangle. This triangle has three equal sides and yet it
is not three triangles but one triangle and yet we can turn it in any
direction and it still looks the same but is still has three sides.
Another example that has been used is the egg to help bring some
understanding to the trinity. As we look at an egg we see its shape that
is defined by the shell and yet if we look inside we see also the egg
white and the yolk. Three different parts but still one egg. While these
examples are not perfect in explaining our God they can help us see in a
little bit how our God can be triune and yet is One God.
So who is this God we worship, you may be asking? In the Catechism Q93
page 101-103 we are told some of the attributes that make up our
God. God is: "Spirit, eternal, unchangeable (immutable), almighty,
all powerful (omnipotent), all-knowing (omnipresent), holy, just,
faithful, good, merciful, gracious, and love." But even as we look at
all of these things, the note on the bottom of page 103 tells us that God
is really beyond our total understanding. No matter how we try we can
never fully understand everything about God. Much of it we have to accept
by faith.
As we look also into the trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, what do
we ascribe to each and yet all three are part of it. To the Father we
usually ascribe the work of creation; to the Son the work of redemption,
to the Holy Spirit the work of sanctification. We also say that the Father
has begotten the Son from eternity; the Son is begotten of the Father from
eternity; and the Holy Spirit from eternity proceeds from the Father and
the Son. What does this mean? Our God has different and unique
characteristics and work and yet Jesus says in John 10:30: "I and the
Father are one." We could go on and on but the best way is to look at
and study some of the Bible verses that help us to see our God.
 Go to Daily Meditations
(Bible readings, commentary & prayer starters for each day)
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