The Doctrine Of The Trinity - 1583 Words

Like most doctrines of the Church the doctrine of the trinity do not develop fully until there was a need to establish the orthodox view point. The Council of Nicaea determined and stated that Christ and God were separate yet unified, each fully God. This was more of a statement of belief and not theological doctrine. As heresies arouse in regard to the nature of Christ and his relationship to the Father it became more important to develop a theological doctrine that would support the not fully developed orthodox beliefs of the Church that had been taught and believed since apostolic times. This was especially the case with the heresy of Arianism which taught that the Son of God was not co-eternal and consubstantial with His Father, but†¦show more content†¦So the theology to back the Churches beliefs in the trinity fell to several important Church leaders, perhaps the most important of these were Athanasius of Alexandria, Tertullian, Irenaeus, Augustine of Hippo. It was in 325 that the Council of Nicea set out to define the relationship od the Son to the Father in response to Arianism. With the influence of Athanasius this Council affirmed the doctrine of the Trinity as orthodoxy and described Christ as, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance (homoousios) with the Father. But it wasn’t the end o the argument regarding the trinity. It was at the First Council to Constantinople in 381 to adopt the theology that we know understand as the Trinity although there were controversies surrounding the trinity into the fifth century. Our understanding of the trinity is that although there is only one God, yet, somehow, there are three Persons in God. The Father is God, the Son is God, the Holy Spirit is God, yet we do not speak of three Gods, but only one God. They have the same nature, substance, and being. Even though the Three Persons are One God, yet they are distinct: for the Father has no origin, He came from no one. But the Son is begotten, He comes from the Father alone. The Holy Spirit comes or proceeds from both the Father and the Son. These different relations of origin tell us there are three distinct Persons, who have one andShow MoreRelatedThe Doctrine Of The Trinity Essay1153 Words   |  5 PagesDoctrine of the Trinity The Trinity is a hard concept for the human minds to fully comprehend. Although the word â€Å"Trinity† is not mentioned in the Bible, there is evidence that God is three in one. Jesus’ baptism described in Matthew 3:13-17 references the Trinity. Matthew speaks of Jesus coming out of the water, the heavens opening, and describing the Spirit of God descending like a dove and a voice from heaven saying â€Å"This is my Son, whom I love.† Also, in Matthew 29:19 it says â€Å"Therefore go andRead MoreThe Doctrine Of The Trinity861 Words   |  4 PagesBefore discussing the Trinity, it is essential to first understand the Doctrine of the Trinity and what it states. Unfortunately for Christians, an exact definition for the Trinity is not provided in the Bible, actually the word ‘trinity’ is never even used in the Bible. Fortunately, however, the Bible is saturated in the belief of a Triune God. The Doctrine of the Trinity states that there is only one G od. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are all one God, but the Father is not the Son whoRead MoreThe Doctrine Of The Trinity1513 Words   |  7 PagesThe doctrine of the Trinity can be defined as the introduction to the Christian faith. For a number of years, special attention to the doctrine of the Trinity has been given by the educational theologians. The theologians have done lengthy writing on the history of the doctrine development, the relevance of the doctrine in the life of the world and the church. This doctrine was first formally and thoroughly expressed in the fourth century in reaction to alleged alterations of the Bible teachingsRead MoreThe Doctrine Of The Trinity1752 Words   |  8 Pages God as Trinity, is a fact that all orthodox Christians can attest to with absolute certainty, however if we were to ask those same people â€Å"what does that mean for us, how does that affect the way we live our lives†? I suspect, most would not have an answer. For the majority of orthodox Christians, the Trinity is an abstract theological concept, that is best left for theologians to philosophise over, and has no place in the life of the average Christian. Karl Rahner, an Austrian philosopher and theologianRead MoreThe Doctrine Of The Trinity1670 Words   |  7 PagesSince the Nicene Council church patriarchs and theologians have toiled to communicate the principle of the Trinity as a doctrine in the Christian church. Our class readings from Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, Karl Barth, and Elizabeth Tanner reveal the necessity for discussion about the trinity to evolve throughout the last 1500 years of Christian theology in order for the doctrine to be modernized to the lexical and social understanding of contemporary Christians. Although Augustine may be one of theRead MoreThe Doctrine Of The Trinity978 Words   |  4 PagesThe word Trinity cannot be found in the bible, but neither can omnipresent or omniscient; yet they all describe the Biblical expression of who God is and how he is revealed to humanity. Furthermore, the doctrine of the Trinity is so crucial to Christianity, that if it was removed Christianity would crumble and fall into cult status. Even through the doctrine of the Trinity took almost a three hundred to be formally stated at the Council of Nicea (325) and the Council of Constantople (381);1 RogerRead MoreThe Doctrine Of The Trinity1600 Words   |  7 Pages Augustine and the Trinity Introduction The doctrine of the Trinity is often viewed as an archaic and abstract theory many churches and theological study programs settled on long ago, and therefore, has little relevance to modern Christian faith. Over the past fifteen centuries, the doctrine of the Trinity has played a peripheral role in Christian theology. Formulated in Nicea (325 C.E.) and later revised in Constantinople (381 C.E.), it has been generally accepted by most Christians. However, thisRead MoreThe Doctrine Of The Trinity1236 Words   |  5 PagesThe doctrine of the trinity The doctrine of the trinity is the essence and reality of God in his deepest inner life. The trinity is the highest thing that the human brain can contemplate. The doctrine of the trinity is one of the most mysterious theologies in the Christian faith and it is the heart and soul of its teachings. In the trinity there is one true God but three persons. The father, son, and holy spirit. There are misconceptions or heresies going against this belief that there is one GodRead MoreThe Doctrine Of The Trinity1361 Words   |  6 PagesThe doctrine of the Trinity is foundational to the Christian faith. It is crucial for properly understanding what God is like, how He relates to us and how we should relate to Him. The doctrine of the Trinity explains that there is one God who eternally exists as three distinct Persons: the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In other words, God exits one in essence but three in person. The Trinity does not divide God into three parts. These definitions express th ree crucial truths: The Father, Son, andRead MoreThe Doctrine Of The Trinity9485 Words   |  38 Pages THE DOCTRINE OF THE TRINITY: Instructor: Lisa Nichols Hickman – hickmanl@duq.edu Director: Father Radu Bordeianu, Ph.D. Course Description: At the center of the Christian faith is a mystery. This mystery has everything to do with the identity of God, the nature of Christian community, the salvation history and our understanding of Christology. This is the mystery of the Trinity – how is the Godhead fully three persons, and yet one nature? Theophilus was the first to name the ‘triad’ nature