3 November 2025Trinity

Three ways to define the Unity of God

essence, fellowship or action

There are at least three orthodox strategies to explain HOW there is BOTH one God AND there is the Father, the Son and the Spirit who are all God.

However, I wonder if the criticisms between proponents of each, may sometimes get a little out of hand....

The Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed lays out the basic features of a Biblically consistent Christian Faith - and those who pursue these three different strategies all seem to hold firmly to this Creedal summary of the Bible's teaching.

I'll summarise the three positions briefly again:

1. The word "God" refers to the divine essence - and the three Persons fully share in this essence, and so each is fully and equally divine.

2. The word "God" refers to the Trinity as a whole - the communion of the Three - and so we can use the word "God" to refer to the whole Trinity as well as to each Person.

3. The word "God" refers to the Father - so the Son and the Spirit are called "God" because the Son is eternally begotten from the Father and the Spirit is eternally breathed out by the Father.

There are all kinds of philosophical and theological criticisms that are made between the followers of these three "Trinitarian tribes".

Tensions and weaknesses are pointed out.

Biblical arguments are presented between the "tribes".

However, although I recognise these critiques, as far as I can see all these Trinitarian tribes fully and faithfully hold to the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creeds.

(Now, there are those who conduct careful "theological archeology" in order to show what different theologians from the 4th century intended by the language of the two Creeds - but even this is done from within these different "tribal" perspectives - all three claiming that their strategy is faithful to what the Creeds intended. I don't wish to adjudicate that "theological archeology" in this post - but simply to note that it is something that is contested by all three positions...)

There may well be important philosophical questions to resolve between these three "Trinitarian tribes" - not to mention many theological and Biblical questions too.

However, as I listen to the proponents of each, they are all deeply committed to the content of the Creeds - there is One God - Father, Son and Spirit; the Son is begotten not created; eternally begotten of the Father etc. etc.

Found this helpful? The Bible School Show subscription opens Theology Volumes 2-6 and Church History

Subscribe — £6/month

The Bible School Show subscription opens Theology Volumes 2–6 and Church History. Use the email address you sign in with.

Book by Book

The joy of meeting Jesus in the whole Bible

About

Book by Book makes studying whole books of the Bible straightforward, revealing Jesus' presence throughout.

© 2026 Book by Book. All rights reserved.