What is your understanding concerning the Triune God?

Question:

What is your understanding concerning the Triune God?

Answer:

The concept of the Trinity is one that can’t be answered in a few short paragraphs but I will provide a brief initial response and at a later date post more on my web site on this important and oft misunderstood and underappreciated doctrine. Firstly, we must define the term Trinity as it comes from the Latin “Trinitas” which means three in one. The word Trinity was first found in a reference text in the writings of Theopolius of Antioch in AD 180. We see expansion of usage of this term by Tertullian in AD 200 when he accurately refers to “tres personae, una substantia” (three persons, one nature/substance). The value in understanding the textual usage in history is because some have incorrectly claimed the Trinity is a recent invention of Christians.

Additionally, as we look to the Trinity it is important to understand the Trinity as one and not three. Often the term Trinity is mistaken for tritheism where one mistakes it for stating there are three Gods (as the Muslims mistakenly understand Christianity). Another common mistake is that of understanding God playing 3 roles which is referred to as Modalism (or oneness theology)  –  God does not change roles (Malachi 3:6).

Muslims often vacillate between tritheism and modalism or even Arianism. Arianism is an ancient theological error that appeared around the year 320.  It taught that God could not appear on the earth because he was too pure, that Jesus was not eternal and was created out …