THE MEANING OF TRINITY

Many are wondering, "Do Christians believe in one God? Or do they believe in three gods? And if they believe in one God, then what is the meaning of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit?
Because of their misunderstanding, some people accuse Christians of Polytheism. They do so by thinking that the term "Trinity" means three gods. This is not true, for Christianity rejects any kind of polytheism.
Athanasius stood contra mundum ("against the world") in defense of the biblical doctrine of Christ. He opposed Arius when it seemed all the world would follow Arius's heresy.
We acknowledge the Trinity, holy and perfect, to consist of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. In this Trinity there is no intrusion of any alien element or of anything from outside, nor is the Trinity a blend of creative and created being. It is a wholly creative and energizing reality, self-consistent and undivided in its active power, for the Father makes all things through the Word and in the Holy Spirit, and in this way the unity of the holy Trinity is preserved. Accordingly, in the Church, one God is preached, one God who is above all things and through all things and in all things. God is above all things as Father, for he is principle and source; he is through all things through the Word; and he is in all things in the Holy Spirit.
Athanasius's work remains even today the definitive statement of orthodox Trinitarianism.
Writing to the Corinthians about spiritual matters, Paul traces all reality back to one God, the Father, saying: Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of service but the same Lord; and there are varieties of working, but it is the same God who inspires them all in everyone.
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The divinity and nature of Christ
The Divinity of Christ is one of the most important and vital subjects in the Christian doctrine. Many heresies rose against it in various eras, and the Church confronted them and replied to them.
The Lord Jesus Christ is God Himself, the Incarnate Logos Who took to Himself a perfect manhood. His Divine nature is one with his human nature yet without mingling, confusion or alteration; a complete Hypostatic Union. Words are inadequate to describe this union. It was said, that without controversy, "Great is the mystery of godliness, God was manifest in the flesh. " (1 Tim. 3:16)

There are two most influential Christian theologians we can learn from:
- St. Augustine and St. John Chrysostom.
- St. Augustine is one of the most influential and important Christian thinkers of all time. In addition to reprinting his most popular two works--the Confessions and the City of God--these volumes also contain other noteworthy and important works of St. Augustine, such as On the Holy Trinity, Christian Doctrine, and others.
- St. John Chrysostom was an eloquent speaker and well-loved Christian clergyman. St. John took a more literal interpretation of Scripture, and much of his work focused on practical aspects of Christianity, particularly what is now called social justice. He advocated for the poor, and challenged abuses of authority. This particular volume contains Augustine's On the Holy Trinity and treatises on morality and doctrine. The Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers is comprehensive in scope, and provide keen translations of instructive and illuminating texts from some of the greatest theologians of the Christian church. These spiritually enlightening texts have aided Christians for over a thousand years, and remain instructive and fruitful even today!
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St. Augustine searches for an analogy to help his listeners comprehend the oneness of the Trinity but the distinct works of each Person (though it’s important to remember that all Trinitarian analogies fall short). He talks about the mind's ability to remember, to understand, and to will.

- When you remember a story, you had to have understood the words that were being said and you need to will yourself to recall that story.

- When you seek to understand a concept, you have to remember what the concept is and will yourself to understand it.

- When you will or desire something, you must understand what you are willing, and you must remember what you are willing.

Thus, while a certain act like remembering might be more visible or tangible, it necessarily depends on understanding and will.As these acts can never be fully separated, so too with God: “The divine Persons are also inseparable in what they do. But within the single divine operation each shows forth what is proper to him in the Trinity, especially in the divine missions of the Son's Incarnation and the gift of the Holy Spirit”

. While we might see the work of the Father, Son, or Holy Spirit more distinctly in particular situations (the Father in Creation, the Son on the Cross, the Spirit at Pentecost), you can never divorce one from the other: “Because it does not divide the divine unity, the real distinction of the Persons from one another residsolely in the relationships which relate them to one another”. The Father reveals the Son, the Son reveals the Father, and the Father and the Son are revealed by the Holy Spirit.Though the mystery is difficult to comprehend, and requires an act of faith to believe it, we should be thankful that we live in an age where we have concrete doctrine (or teaching) on the Trinity. There was a time when many theologians argued over what we should or should not believe—whether or not Jesus and the Holy Spirit were divine, whether or not the Holy Spirit could be included in the Trinity . . . and so on. It sounds exhausting! I’m just grateful that now, rather than having to formulate a teaching, we have the privilege of trying to understand one that has been revealed to us by God and developed by many holy people over many years.
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