Can one plus one plus one equal one?

For years, theologians and the people in the pews have taught, debated, denied and struggled with the concept of the Trinity. How can there be One God yet three are called God? We come up with illustrations, like the three parts of an egg (inadequate in my mind), or H₂O being ice, water and steam (better). Another is that my husband is a father, a son and an uncle; the same person with three titles, but that isn’t quite it either.

The Bible does not get into a detailed explanation of how this works, it just declares it. The Hebrew people understood God is one. He revealed it to them; it was not something they came up with themselves. While they resisted God and His rule over them, they still let it be known that they were worshipers of the one true God. He is their Creator who gave them His Law, who led them and who eventually allowed them to be in bondage in Babylon. It was in this pagan place where they finally became so disgusted with idols and idolatry that they never dabbled in it again.

Their monotheism or belief in only one God stood out from all other societies. It was so strong that when Jesus came, they could not accept His claim to deity as anything but blasphemy and therefore crucified Him. But Jesus was not lying or insane. He was God in human flesh. Even though the New Testament church supported monotheism, God’s people understood more about God and found no other explanation of what He revealed to them except that He is three persons yet one God.

Therefore, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that “an idol has no real existence,” and that “there is no God but one.” For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth—as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”— yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist. (1 Corinthians 8:4–6)

For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. (1 Timothy 2:5–6)

These verses and many others support the OT revelation of one God. While the Father and the Son are often the focus, the Holy Spirit is also included as the third person of this Triune being . . .

There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. (Ephesians 4:4–6)

^^^^^^^^^^

Lord Jesus, I cannot explain even to my own mind the idea of three equaling one. However, knowing You is not about mere human logic and never has been. Instead, knowing You is by revelation. You reveal yourself to me as a triune God. When Jesus came into my living room and into my life, that was the first truth that was firmly placed in my understanding. By faith, I know it is true — Jesus is fully God. The evidence is in Your Word but without any explanation except this description of faith:

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible. (Hebrews 11:1–3)

You have convinced me of that which I cannot see, just like You convinced the people of old. I know You created all things, regardless of anything that appears otherwise. I know that You are God, even though I cannot figure out how that works or makes sense. Faith makes sense, not because I can make sense of everything but because You have proven yourself worthy my total trust!

When “You” equals “We”

Pronouns make a difference in understanding what someone is saying. Mistakes are obvious to a grammar student in sentences like, “George and me like her” or “Ask a working woman who does more of the housework: her or her husband?"

But the pronouns used in the Bible need greater discernment. Most Christians do not realize that the singular form of “you” is not in most of the New Testament. When Paul says, “But that is not the way you learned Christ!” (Ephesians 4:20) he is using the plural form and means the entire body of believers in the church he is writing to. This gives emphasis to what the church is and how we are to be unified.

This comes out when Paul says “we” — as he does in these verses . . .

“And (Jesus) gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.” (Ephesians 4:11–14)

I can take this personally and say that God gave certain gifted people His church to bring me into the knowledge of Christ and to maturity. However, if I think plural and about the entire Body of Christ as I read it, I cannot allow myself to be a loner; I’m in the Body and all of us are in this process together.

Chambers says redemption was God’s plan to put the entire human race back into the relationship God designed it to be in. The Church is a spiritual society that must not focus on for the development of its own organization, or its own denomination, and perhaps even its own local body. Maturity is about corporate life as well as in individual life.

Jesus Christ sent apostles and teachers for corporate life. While I must work out my own salvation, it is not for me, but for the glory of God and the building up of the Body of Christ. My relationship to Him is essential for I am of no use to His church if I am living for myself, just as a local church is of no use in the larger secular community if it is only concerned about itself.

It would be amazing if all humanity thought of this kind of unity. The songs sing it, but the news shows that it is not happening anywhere near one-hundred percent. We say we are one big family, but we don’t act like it. We say love makes the world go around, but the love part is often missing also.

I’m thinking ‘loving family’ in the sense that none of its members whine or hurt each other, but each one cares for, sacrifices for, and shares with each other. This family is not constantly criticizing, but encouraging. It fails at times but keeps trying. It looks for good and encourages righteousness.

The Body of Christ is a family, and because it is His Body, any division is dividing Christ, a horrifying thought. As a small member of a larger and living organism, I’m increasingly concerned that I (the individual) am working with you ( the Body) to keep ourselves fit for the task that God has given us.

The Lord says, “There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” (Ephesians 4:4–6) How can we make that truth more evident?