The Orthodox Pages
ASK AN ORTHODOX PRIEST |
||||
Back |
|
|||
|
Hi Pater Can you please explain the trinity ?
Answer to Question 362
You asked for it so here goes:
THE HOLY TRINITY
According to the teaching of Holy Scripture and the faith of the Orthodox
Church, the one True God is triune, the Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy
Spirit. This does not mean that there are three gods; there is but one
God, one God in three persons or hypostases. One God who is discerned in
three persons and in each person, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit
are wholly and entirely God and not part of the one Godhead. The Father is
totally God. The Son is totally God. The Holy Spirit is totally God. A
monad according to His unique and indivisible essence and a trinity
according to His hypostases which are distinguished one from another, but
inseparably united and indivisible, and the three possessing one essence,
one will, and one energy. The Three Persons of the Holy trinity have the
same opinion, make the same decision, and put forth the same energy and
action. The source of the river is the Father from whom proceeds the Holy Spirit.
The river is the Son, who sends the Holy Spirit after His voluntary
sacrifice on the cross and His glorious Resurrection. The water of the
river that we drink is the Holy Spirit who distributes grace and gifts. So
the three Persons of the Holy Trinity are indivisible as this comparison
shows: the source, the river, the water; all three are of the same
essence, like the river’s water. The sun is a great fiery star in the galaxy, and although scientist have a fairly good idea of what it is made of, no man can ever reach the surface of dig into its surface to discover its substance. Here on earth we see the sun as a round body in the sky, but more that just this, it gives out rays of light and heat. Here therefore we have three characters and at the same time one sun. We do not say we have three suns: we have only one sun of which its substance [essence] is beyond our reach. This same rule applies to God. We do not have three gods: we have only one God because the three Persons of God, while still keeping their individual characters, are consubstantial [identical or of one substance] in that they are united in the one nature [essence], which again is inaccessible to all creation.
|
|