The Trinity: What Is It? – Larry Neff lifehopeandtruth.com

The doctrine of the Trinity, a core belief of the Roman Catholic Church and most Protestant denominations, is considered essential to the Christian faith by many. However, its origins and scriptural support raise important questions. The Trinity is not found in the Bible but was a concept developed over centuries. Around A.D. 180, Theophilus of Antioch first mentioned the term, though his description of “God, His Word, and His wisdom” was far from later Trinitarian teachings. By the early third century, Tertullian introduced the phrase “three persons, one essence,” with “persons” referring to roles or “masks.”

The doctrine took shape at the Council of Nicaea in A.D. 325, where Athanasius’ view that Jesus was equal to the Father prevailed over Arius’ argument that Christ was created. Further refinements occurred later, primarily to counter Arian beliefs. By the late fourth century, the doctrine of “one God in three Persons” became widely accepted, though earlier Christian writers had no concept of this formulation.

In short, while the Trinity is a widely accepted Christian doctrine, the Apostolic Fathers had no such perspective (New Catholic Encyclopedia, 1967), and its origins lie more in church history than in scripture.

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