Why the Doctrine of the Trinity and the Deity of Christ is Important to Christians - Part 1

The doctrine of the Trinity is an essential aspect of the Christian faith, and it provides a framework for understanding God's nature, the work of salvation, and the importance of the Holy Spirit in the believer's life. The doctrine teaches that one God exists eternally in three distinct persons: the Father, the Son (Jesus Christ), and the Holy Spirit. This doctrine is based on the teachings of the Bible, and the early Christian Church developed it in response to various heresies that denied the unity or divinity of Christ.

One may ask: Why is the doctrine of the Trinity so crucial to orthodox Christianity that the church fathers spent an enormous amount of time and energy on it? Or why is the doctrine of the Trinity so important for the ordinary Christian? The doctrine of the Trinity is crucial to Christianity because we can never distinguish between genuine Christianity and counterfeit Christianity or cult if we have a faulty understanding of who God is. The doctrine is so important to Christians because it reflects the Biblical teaching of God's nature: The Trinity is the best explanation of the biblical revelation of God as one God in three persons.

The Bible teaches that there is one God (Deuteronomy 6:4), yet it also speaks of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as distinct persons (Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14). There are also instances in the Bible that God speaks in plural terms (Genesis 1:26, Genesis 3:22, Genesis 11:7). The doctrine of the Trinity affirms the deity of Christ because it teaches that Jesus Christ is fully God, which is critical to the Christian faith.

Further, the doctrine helps Christians understand God's nature as immanent (present in the world) and transcendent (beyond the world). It also helps explain how God can be personal (relational) and infinite (unlimited). Christians who believe in the Trinity often find themselves moved to worship God in a deeper and more meaningful way: The three persons of the Trinity are worthy of worship, and we praise each person of the Trinity for their unique role in the work of redemption.

Without this belief, Christianity would be reduced to a mere moral philosophy rather than a religion that offers salvation through faith in a divine savior. Furthermore, the doctrine highlights the importance of the Holy Spirit: The Holy Spirit is not an impersonal force but a distinct person who is fully God. The Trinity affirms the importance of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer and the work of God in the world. It also preserves the unity of God: The Trinity affirms that there is only one God, even though there are three distinct persons.

A better understanding of the doctrine of the trinity guards against polytheism, the belief in many gods prevalent in the ancient world. Finally, it provides a framework for understanding salvation: The work of salvation is attributed to all three persons of the Trinity. The Father sends the Son to die for our sins, the Son provides the means of salvation, and the Holy Spirit applies the work of salvation to our lives.

While the Trinity is a fundamental concept in Christianity, misunderstandings have led to many false and heretical teachings throughout history. One common misunderstanding about the Trinity is the belief that each person of the Trinity is a separate God. This is known as "tritheism" and is considered a heresy by orthodox Christians. The Trinity teaches that there is only one God, not three, and that each person of the Trinity is distinct but not separate from the others.

Another misunderstanding is the belief that Jesus is a created being and not equal to the Father. This is known as Arianism and was condemned as a heresy by the early Church. The doctrine of the Trinity teaches that Jesus is fully God and equal to the Father and that he has always existed as the eternal Son of God.

Unitarianism is yet another heresy that stems from a misunderstanding of the Trinity. Unitarians believe that God is one person, not three and that Jesus was a prophet or teacher but not divine. This denies the divinity of Jesus and the Holy Spirit, a central tenet of Christian theology.

Oneness Pentecostalism is another false teaching that is based on a misunderstanding of the Trinity. Oneness Pentecostals believe that only one person in the Godhead appears in different modes (modalism) or manifestations but is not three distinct persons. This view denies the distinct personhood of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and is therefore considered a heresy by orthodox Christians. Many false and heretical teachings have arisen throughout history due to a misunderstanding of the doctrine of the Trinity. Christians need to study and understand this central doctrine of their faith to avoid falling into error and accurately convey the truth of the gospel to others.

But despite its importance to Christianity, it is a Christian doctrine that is difficult to understand and explicate. The orthodox Christian belief in the Trinity poses a major logical problem for many Christians and non-Christians. The doctrine of the Trinity states that God exists in three Persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and each one is distinct from one another; the Father is not the Son, and the Holy Spirit is not the Father or Son, but at the same time each person is God: The Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God. Nevertheless, there is only one God.

The main issue in the doctrine of the Trinity is about the deity of Christ. In other words, what conception of God do we get if we take the view that Jesus Christ is God, just as the Father and the Holy Spirit are God?

Before the Council of Nicea, some subordinationist’s views were acceptable. The subordinationist view of the deity of Christ was one of the positions in the debate over the doctrine of the Trinity, but it was ultimately rejected by the Church in favor of the view that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit were co-equal and co-eternal. Subordinationism is a theological view prevalent in the early Christian Church and was one of the positions in the debate over the doctrine of the Trinity. Subordinationists believed that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit were all divine, but the Son and the Holy Spirit were subordinate to the Father regarding their statuses or ranks. This meant that the Father was the supreme and eternal God, while the Son and Holy Spirit were created beings inferior to the Father in their nature and power.

The subordinationist view was based on certain biblical passages that suggest that the Son and the Holy Spirit were subordinate to the Father. For example, in John 14:28, Jesus says, "The Father is greater than I," which was interpreted by subordinationists to mean that Jesus was subordinate to the Father. Similarly, in 1 Corinthians 15:27-28, Paul says that "God has put all things under [Christ's] feet," but also says that "when all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him." This was interpreted to mean that Christ was subordinate to the Father.

However, the subordinationist’s view was challenged by other theologians who believed that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit were all co-equal and co-eternal. This view became dominant in the Church and was expressed in the Nicene Creed, which affirmed that the Son was "begotten, not made, of one substance with the Father." This meant that the Son was not a created being but was co-equal and co-eternal with the Father.

Other Christian leaders believed Christ was a mediator between the creator and the created order. He was considered to stand between the creator and Creation. So, the subordinationist’s view, commonly held in the years before the Arian controversy, was that the eternal Word (Christ) was the mediator or intermediary between God and Creation – lower than God but higher than every creature.

But Arius, a cultured and ascetic presbyter (256-336 AD) and a popular preacher in populous Alexander, a suburb of Baucalis, began to question both the deification of Christ and the intermediary view. He asked the crucial question: If Christ is not a creator, then isn't he part of the Creation? He answered that Christ was created. He disagreed with his boss, Alexander's teaching that Jesus, the Son of God, had existed eternally, being "generated" eternally by the Father. Arius argued that "there was a time when the Son was not." He maintained that Christ must be numbered among the created beings — highly exalted but a creation.

Alexander defended his position, and it was not long before Arius was declared a heretic in a local council in 321. Alexander assembled a council of Egyptian bishops in 320, which deposed Arius as a heretic. Arius, however, stood his ground, went to Palestine, and sought support from other Eastern bishops. The Arian controversy generated a theological heat that was not good for the Church and the empire and therefore needed to be settled immediately. The Emperor intervened and instituted the Council of Nicea to resolve the controversy.

The orthodox group was led by Hosius of Cordova, Alexander of Alexandria, and his brilliant and energetic young deacon, Athanasius, in the Council of Nicea. They argued that Christ was the same substance (Homo-ousios) as the Father; thus, Christ has eternally shared in one essence with God. All the bishops signed the Creed that resulted from the Nicene, except Arius and two bishops. It stated:

"We believe … in the one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, begotten from the Father, only-begotten, that is, from the substance of the Father, God from God, light from light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one substance, ( Homoousisios) with the Father, through whom all things are made. "

Overall, the doctrine of the Trinity is essential to the Christian faith, as it provides a framework for understanding God's nature, His work of salvation, and our response to Him in worship and devotion.