Introduction
The Christian faith today is based and founded on the Holy Trinity doctrine. The trinity assists believers (Christians) to have a proper understanding of whom God is in terms of his nature, how they should relate to Him, and the way that God relates to them. The Holy Trinity was passed to other parts of the world, but it originated from Babylon before spreading to other parts. It implies that Christians believe in God existence as one, but He exists in three different forms; God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, and God the Father. We only have one God at the same instance, but we see Him as three in person. Hence the development and the origin of the topic of the Holy Trinity have been an issue of debate for many scholars and theologians. This paper shall give an insight into the holy trinity development and what it means in modern society.
The idea of the Holy Trinity in the Christians’ beliefs began just like an argument and an idea that afterward was taken in as the cornerstone of a believer’s life. The idea originated from distinct sources like God’s interaction with Christians in Churches and the scriptures. The idea was also based on people who loved to understand who God was true. Nevertheless, the idea of the Holy Trinity came across disputes and controversies by many religious leaders and scholars for many centuries.
God as Triune and Origin of the Idea of the Trinity
The idea of the Holy Trinity generally originated from the revelation based on the scripture that describes God as a being who exists in three different forms in most places. It has clearly been outlined in the Bible up to Revelation from Genesis. For example, Jesus Christ was in Gods form and at the mention of the name Jesus, in earth and heaven and even under the earth every knee shall bo;w, and every tongue confesses that Jesus Christ is the Lord, to the glory of God who is the father ((Philippians 2.5-11). Hence because of the repeated mention of the idea of Son, Holy Spirit, and Father in many parts of the Bible, the early Christians were interested in comprehending God as three different persons (Jagodziński, 2019). Additionally, research indicates that the concept originated from the reflection of the Church on their experience about God in Jesus, taken as a divine Being and the spirit of God’s presence.
Moreover, the early leaders in Christianity played a role in the idea of the Trinity via the preachings and the teachings. For instance, a bishop of Lyons called Irenaeus (A.D. c130-c200) explained that God who is the Father is invisible, not created, mot contained, and the one who created the world at the same time God the Son took his place as a person to bring unity between humanity and God. While at the same time, the Holy Spirit intervened between God and human beings and encouraged believers to abstain from sins. As per Alister McGrath, the Holy Trinity idea is founded on the intricate people life experience of redemption through Jesus. Hence, the Trinity is in charge of accounting for each of these experiences.
Christ is fully divine and fully human.
Many people perceive that the Nicaea council created the Holy Trinity in 325 C.E., but it is incorrect since the council only concluded that Christ was the same as God. Because of this kind of declaration, it founded the Trinitarian theology. Nevertheless, since the affirmation failed to mention the Holy Spirit in the third position, the Trinity was not established as a triune Godhead. Though there was a religious debate that was furious because of the idea that Jesus is God, all the church leaders were summoned to Nicaea by Constantine, who was the Roman emperor. The main agenda was to intervene between the proposers and the supporters of Jesus being God (Henderson & Kirkpatrick, 2016).
Regardless of Constantine not being a believer, he supported the people who believed that Jesus was God. Because of this, many individuals came to support the idea of the Holy Trinity. The argument lasted for many years until Theodosius, a Roman emperor, voted against them by founding the Council of Nicaea creed. It resulted in an agreement of placing the Holy Spirit on the same level as Christ and God. For the last time, the concept of the Holy Trinity was developed as a result of the agreement. The Holy Trinity was created into set creeds after several years. But it took many years from the time of Christ for the Holy Trinity to be accepted widely into the Christians’ beliefs. During the Scholasticism time, it was the period that the Holy Trinity developed fully. During this period, elaborate explanations were given founded on psychological and philosophical proof.
Additionally, the Holy Trinity development went on through the Athanasius, who formulated the Athanasian Creed. The creed supported the idea that we worship only one Supreme God in the Trinity. The Son is God, the Holy Spirit is God, and the Father is God, but they are one God (Barker, 2019). Hence, the Holy Trinity was widely accepted globally as Christian religion went on spreading. The challenges that people faced in creating the Holy Trinity led to some individuals having a strong base in worshiping God because of these persecutions.
Importance of Holy Trinity to Christians Today
The Holy Trinity concept creates a critical connection with the style God is portrayed in the Old Testament, experienced and known. Today Christians use the Holy Trinity in studying the scriptures to create a relationship to both the New Testament and Old Testament. It places confidence in Christians that the same God who is in the New Testament is the same in the Hebrew Scriptures. Moreover, the Holy Trinity emphasizes the need for reconciliation of God and humanity. It is achieved through forgiveness and repentance of sins.
Also, understanding the Holy Trinity indicates how the three individuals of the Trinity relate. Some people view the Son as more powerful than the Holy Spirit and the Father as superior to the Son. But the Holy Trinity teaching is against it and perceives them to be equal. Hence, understanding the Holy Trinity is critical to every Christian today. The concept is also important since it is one God who is beyond the understanding of a human being and lives as a God’s spirit and Christ’s Spirit.
The Holy Trinity is critical to Christians since it gives them an insight into the way God operates in their lives. God the Son was sent by God the Father through human birth. For a human to achieve redemption, God the Son died on the cross and rose again. Also, the Holy Spirit was sent by God the Son to guide them and change their lives. Hence the entire three members in the Trinity play a huge role in the salvation of every Christian.
Implications of the Holy Trinity Today
Inter-Faith Conversation
The way individuals relate to each other has been greatly influenced by the style in which individuals relate to one another in the community in conversations. Many religions have voiced their debates on the Holy Trinity doctrine. Among these religions is Islam, which is completely against the belief in the Holy Trinity despite them worshiping the same God as Christians. Strict monotheistic worship is emphasized strictly in the Quran. Because of this, there have been different debates about people’s faith in God.
Human Relationship
Like the way people relate to others’ marriages and friendships, human relations are impacted by the Holy Trinity to members of society. Since the image of God as the supreme sole creator of the whole world illustrates that there shall be times that the Holy Trinity will be shaped into the cosmos substructure. Moreover, holiness is linked with the Holy Trinity that has assisted in shaping relationships like marriages in todays world. Humanities are also encouraged to live in harmony and love, increasing their bond in their attachments and relationships.
Politics and Liberation Theology
There have also been impacts that have been experienced that are both social and political due to the Holy Trinity belief through liberation that has been done politically (Vegel, 2018). The Trinity supports harmony and peace in politics despite the disparity in religious beliefs for different people. In theology liberation, the Holy Trinity believes has impacted the nature of people in the community. Hence, it is evident that the Holy Spirit doctrine has a huge impact on the life of a Christian today.
Conclusion
In a nutshell, the Holy Spirit doctrine can be taken as the Christian faith in God. It is evident from the arguments that God exists in three different forms. Hence, the Holy Trinity doctrine gives a hermeneutical explanation for the correct comprehension of the New and the Old Testament. Moreover, the Holy Spirit is critical in the current life. Lastly, comprehending the doctrine of the Holy Trinity has assisted in shaping the life of every Christian.
Reference
Barker, K. (2019). The Athanasian Creed and the Ground of Salvation (Doctoral dissertation, Regent University).
Henderson, D.E. and Kirkpatrick, F., 2016. Constantine and the Council of Nicaea: Defining orthodoxy and heresy in Christianity, 325 CE. UNC Press Books.
Jagodziński, M. (2019). The Father in the Communion of the Holy Trinity. Teologia w Polsce, 13(1), 5-17.
Vegel, Z. (2018). Liberation Theology: A Critical Analysis. Kairos: Evangelical Journal of Theology, 12(1), 81-91.
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