“God in three persons, blessed Trinity”
— Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty
The mystery of the Trinity has challenged believers since the beginning of Christianity. Even though not directly named as such in scripture, the reality of the Trinity is present in many examples in scripture. Because it is a complex doctrine with many facets, worship pastors must be informed of the subject and look for ways to provide clarity or teaching on the Trinity to their congregations.
Many try to describe the Trinity through metaphors and examples to explain the mystery of it, but this often falls short and possibly encourages incorrect thinking on the matter. Metaphors to describe the Trinity are much like a child preparing breakfast for their parents; it’s not the perfect rendition of the intended meal, but the best the child can do with their limited abilities. One heretical belief concerning the Trinity is called Modalism, which claims that God is one person who reveals himself as three distinct modes in various points in history. A metaphor that could lead someone to reach this faulty conclusion is presenting God as one person wearing three different masks; the mask of the Father in the Old Testament, the mask of the Son in the Gospels, and then the mask of the Spirit beginning at Pentecost.
Scripture clearly and logically proves, however, that this heretical belief is false. A simple reading of Matthew 3:16–17 proves that God can be present simultaneously as three persons, and all are God.
“And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” — Matthew 3:16–17 (ESV)
In this scripture passage, we see God presented in three persons interacting with each other. Is this above our understanding of how this truly works? Yes, however, we know that God’s ways are higher than our ways and his thoughts are indeed higher than our thoughts (Isaiah 55:9).
The other important teaching regarding the Trinity is that the three persons of God are first and foremost One God. This teaching is foundational to monotheism and must not be neglected either. One of the oldest and clearest scripture to demonstrate this is Deuteronomy 6:4 “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.” (ESV). It could be easy to drift into incorrect thinking in this manner, but we must remember that God is three persons, one God, inseparable and sharing the same essence.
Even with the complexity of understanding that the Trinity brings to the table, it is still necessary for worship pastors to help congregations know the truth of the Trinity. While skilled teachers often utilize metaphors to help their students unlock understanding, in the case of teaching the Trinity, I believe that it is better to stay away from metaphors that will never entirely give an accurate picture. Instead, it would be wise to concentrate on creeds and confessions that have been solidified over time, like the Apostle’s Creed or the Nicene Creed. These creeds help solidify knowledge in the worshiper, giving them a foundational framework to organize Trinitarian Worship properly.
There are many other opportunities to incorporate a trinitarian emphasis in our corporate worship. Our prayers should be Trinitarian. We pray to the Father, by the Spirit, in the name of Jesus. It’s important that our prayers during the worship service reflect this pattern of understanding, especially so that we do not confuse the congregation or unintentionally lean towards Modalism. Historically, our baptisms are done in “the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19). This is Trinitarian in practice. In closing, it is essential to remember that as long as the worship pastor is intentional, there are many opportunities to place emphasis on the Trinity.
