1. The Holy Trinity
FATHER
SON
SPIRIT
GOD
Three Persons, One God

2. Triune God Three “Persons” / One God God, the Father
Same substance or essence
consubstantial
Distinct “persons”
communion of persons
God, the Father
Creator, source of life
God, the Son, Jesus
Savior, Redeemer of humankind
God, the Spirit
Sanctifier, makes us holy

3. One God
“Hear O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One” (Shema, Deut: 6:4)
“Which is the first of all commandments?” Jesus replies “Hear O Israel, the Lord our God is Lord alone! You shall love the Lord your God…” (Mk. 12:28-30)
“I believe in one God…”
Apostles Creed
Nicene Creed

4. Creed Statement of belief Apostles Creed Nicene Creed
Comes from the apostles
Nicene Creed
Revised and proclaimed at the Council of Nicea
Expanded the statements in the Apostles Creed
Response to heresy
The deliberate contradiction of the teaching of the Church
Person who claims or teaches a heresy is a heretic

5. God, the Father We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty,
Maker of all that is, seen and unseen.

6. God the Father Eternal source of all that exists All powerful
Visible and invisible
All powerful
Desires a loving relationship with His creation
Jesus reveals God
Filial
Invites us to call God “father” also, making us adopted sons and daughters.
Intimate
Complete knowledge of God the Father
God has no gender
Neither male nor female

7. God, the Son
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, consubstantial, of one Being with the Father. Through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven: and conceived by the Holy Spirit he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and was made man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with 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.

8. God the Son Assumed a human nature for our salvation
To save us by reconciling us with God
To share His divine love with us
To model holiness for us
Enable us to share in His divine nature
Jesus is truly God, Jesus is truly human
“Hypostatic Union”
Jesus is THE Christ

9. God the Holy Spirit
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.

10. God, the Holy Spirit Active since the time of creation
Promised by the Son
Helps, empowers and strengthens us for holiness
Fully revealed at Pentecost

11. The Trinity Revealed in Scripture
Creation Story
“a mighty wind swept over the waters
Blew into his nostrils the breath of life
Luke 10: 21
“he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit”
John 14:9
Whoever has seen me has seen the Father
John 17: 11
“…so that may be one as we are one”
Matthew 28:19
Go baptize…In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit
The Trinity Revealed in Scripture

12. The Church, God Visible to Us
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

13. The Church is Trinitarian
Trinitarianism
Belief that God is three persons
Confusing and mysterious
Monotheistic and Trinitarian?
Who are the three persons?
Are they a unit or united?
Are they different from each other?
The central mystery of our faith
It can only be revealed fully to us by God
It is a dogma of our faith

14. Doctrine Dogma A doctrine is an official teaching of the church.
A dogma is a doctrine that is central to our faith.
A dogma is a doctrine; a doctrine is not always a dogma

15. Why did it develop? To articulate the doctrine of the Trinity
Formulate words that correctly expressed the Church’s doctrine
As a response to challenges to the faith
Several heresies and wrong ideas about Jesus had begun to appear and they needed to be addressed

16. Early Christological Heresies
Jesus is only human
Arianism:
Arius claimed Jesus was a higher form of human but not divine and not pre-existent
Nestorianism
Nestorius claimed Jesus was two different persons, one human, one divine
Mary is NOT the Mother of God
Jesus is only divine
Docetism
Jesus was disguised as a human. “God in a human suit”, therefore he only appeared to suffer and die
Monophysitism
Jesus’ divine nature absorbed the human an at the end he was only divine
Gnosticism
Salvation was only available to those who had secret knowledge from God or his agent

17. Church Response
A clear teaching on the Incarnation written with concise language
Conceived by the Holy Spirit (divinity)
Born of the Virgin Mary (humanity)
The clear teaching of the Incarnation led to the clear and concise wording of the doctrine on the Trinity

18. How? Ecumenical Councils Church Fathers Philosophy: “Love of Wisdom”
Gatherings of the Catholic bishops, called by the Pope to discuss and resolve issues and problems facing the Church
Church Fathers
Teachers and writers of the early Church, usually bishops; Their teachings are witness to the apostolic tradition
Philosophy: “Love of Wisdom”
Using human logic to succinctly express the teachings of the Church
Substance – consubstantial, speaks to the unity of the persons
Person- speaks to their distinctness
Relation- explains the distinction

19. Ecumenical Councils
From 325AD – 787 AD seven councils were convened to respond to the heresies of Jesus’ nature and the Trinity
325 AD Council of Nicea
Nicene Creed- expansion of Apostles Creed- consubstantial with the Father
381 AD Council of Constantinople
Added clauses about the Holy Spirit to the Nicene Creed
431 AD Council of Ephesus
Declared Mary the “Mother of God”, Theotokos
451 AD Council of Chalcedon
Jesus is 100% human and 100% divine
Consubstantial with the Father and US

20. Genesis 18: 1-15
“The Promise of Isaac”