Honestly to admit, I personally did not know the Trinity until 2070 BS [My conversion date: 2064 Chaitra 20] when I was preparing for my SLC Examination! I had hard times understanding this controversial topic. It took many efforts, research and prayer to get the doctrine of Trinity. Later, the more I studied this, the more it brought be closer to God and understand him deeply. Thanks to God, my family and church members for guidance.
We need to understand that God is One but is triune in existence i.e. God is One Being eternally existing in three distinct Persons or who manifests himself in three persons.
The trinity nature or existence of God is beyond our understanding. Here, my concern is not just on the trinity. People may feel it difficult to believe Jesus as God in flesh. It is because, God sent Jesus into the mortal world. It seems a kind of polytheism. It is true that Father, Son and Holy Spirit are indeed distinct persons. However, they co-exist as one God. They work in unity.
Let us go through an analogy:
- We have a candle but we have many rooms in darkness. We first light the candle we had. Then, we bring several candles to fill remaining rooms with light. We can light all the candles with the same flame possessed by the first one! Flame gave flames. One in nature. It is the same way, how God’s spirit really works. Though He is one, his spirit dwells in every one of us and lead us to the path of light.
- /p/ is a sound or say phoneme. Let us take three distinct words: pot, spot and top. These all words bear the same sound in initial, middle and at last position respectively. Yet, the sound /p/ in ‘pot’ is aspirated and denoted as [ph], the sound /p/ in ‘spot’ is unaspirated and denoted as [p=] and the same sound in ‘top’ doesn’t explode and denoted as [p0]. All these three allophones form the phoneme /p/[i]. They are distinct member of sound /p/. Yet, the sound is one. The similar situation can be considered for one God who is the unity of three distinct persons fully divine!
- A progression can be in all three distinct progression i.e. A.P., G.P. and H.P. if a=b=c. Yet, the progression is one and a, b and c in it are equal. Likewise, Father, Son and Holy Spirit are equal though distinct but is one God.
- When we see a house from far distance, we can just measure it with our finger. We visualize its physical appearance. However, when we go inside that house, it appears bigger and bigger. We see many rooms in it. Each rooms are distinct but is a personal home for the one who use it. Likewise, when we see God from far distance, we do consider his oneness and try to measure with human mind. Nevertheless, when we get into his nature, we find three distinct persons within Him who are fully God. Thus, God appears complex![ii]
- Modern android cell phones are very common. I have only one. When I need to make a call, it becomes really a cell phone. When I get bored, I play music and it turns to music player or say we play radio. If we wish to take a picture, we use camera within cell phone. Three distinct functions but is one cell phone. We know that we do receive call even when we use camera! (Not in case of flight mode). Hence, three persons in one Godhead have three different functions and yet they do not act as barrier to other.
- Newton’s first law is the definition of force, second law is the measurement of that force and third law is the property of the force. [iii]Yet first and third laws are derived from second law. Likewise, Jesus, who is Son of God, revealed God the Father and granted the coming of Spirit for those who accept and receive him. In this way, one can understand God and can experience him through his spirit.
- A line can be drawn in one dimension, a square with such four lines in two dimension and a cube with same twelve lines in three dimension. Here, a line is common in all three dimension though they are distinct.[iv] No matter if, we worship all three persons, but we are referring same God.
- In parallel circuit, currents and resistance can be different but voltage across the resistances is same. Though three persons are different, the same God remains through them.
- An electron and a beta particle are essentially the same. An electron of nuclear origin is called a beta particle. Likewise, God and Jesus are essentially the same; however, God in human manifestation is Jesus.
- Light acts as both wave as well as particle nature. As a wave, it exhibits reflection, refraction, diffraction and polarization. As a particle, it exhibits photoelectric effect. In similar manner, Jesus is a human as well as God. As a human, he born, lived and died, and faced every temptations as we do face in our life. As a God, he exhibit miracles, forgave sins, spoke with authority, lived a sinless life and resurrected after death.
Additional analogies [10/1/2021, 11:14 pm]
Gospel (created on 15th Jan, 2021):
Gospel is only One. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John unite to form that Gospel yet they are distinct from one another. They are fully Gospel by themselves as well but Gospel is only One. They are Same Gospel and is One is Goal. Take away one, Gospel becomes incomplete. They are distinct in their purpose and roles yet they are One in power, authority and trustworthiness. They are four and yet Gospel is One.
Instagram page analogy:
A conversation model created on 28th August, 2021:
critic: Trinity doesn't make sense at all! How can three persons be distinct and again One God?
Me: Ok listen friend, I have one ministry on insta.
critic: ok! Then?
Me: I invited two friends who have one and same motive and goal but for different works and yet to work together.
critic: Okay! Go on...
Me: I gave them the id and pw to log in. They joined the page. All we three are admins of the page.
critic: ok and ?
Me: Tell me, how many insta pages we formed?
critic: The page is just One ofc!
Me: And how many admins run it?
critic: Three!
Me: Are we three admins same persons?
critic: No not!!! You three are different persons!
Me: What about our motive, purpose, goal and roles?
critic: You all have one motive, purpose and goal but you all have different roles.
Me: Can we all run the page simultaneously?
critic: ofc you can!
Me: So, each of us aren't running 1/3 of the insta page right ?
critic: yup!!! Each one of you run the whole page.
Me: What about features and setting?
critic: Since you all have common goal, purpose and motives, its sure you first discuss together before you engineer your page's setting!
Me: But our works are different on the page right ? Like I give ideas on resources, another friend prepares core contents and third one prepares posts. Yet we work together. We honour each other, love one another. right?
critic: Yes yes!
Me: But we all three are unity yes?
critic: yup!
Me: despite unity, there is subbordinism in roles. Like one of my friend becomes head and that doesn't demean two of us right?
critic: ohh yes yes!
Me: So, what's your issue with trinity nature of God then?
critic: wait! what?
Blog post and labels analogy:
I have written one blog post and included three different labels on it. Now at the blog, if I click any of the three labels, the same blog opens. The labels are distinct in its own identity and function but they have same essence and attributes i.e. the same post. Just because labels are three doesn't mean there are three posts but the post is only one. All the labels aren't parts of the blog but each label reaches the whole post. None labels are subordinate to each other by essence but they are by their identity. The labels unite together to the same blog post.
Weakness: The post still remains even if we remove one label away. The analogy is within the premise of only one blog post. [6/6/2022]
There
can be several other analogies and I have listed very few just to generalize triune
nature of God. Hence, the trinity is logical. However, of course! I agree your objection! No analogies can
make it clear to us…All of above analogies have defects in a certain way but they can be used as a kind of bridge to conceive trinity or understanding divine nature of Jesus.
God Bless!
Note: Above two illustration are mere modification of original figure. I tried to make a bird's eye view on the trinity. The first one is Photoshop and the next is hand drawn.
References:
[i] B. R. Bajracharya, The Essence of Spoken English: Designed for non-native speakers of English, especially for those of SAARC countries, (Harsha Press, 1st edition, 2011), 2-3
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