Write an essay on The significance of belief in God as Trinity for Christian life and ministry.

• This paper deals with the consideration of the topic, “The significance of belief in God as Trinity for Christian life and ministry”. The Trinity can be referred as the communion of three persons, the three centers of consciousness existing in union with one another and is independent of one another.
• In Christianity, God is believed to be reveled in there’re ways i.e., God as the Father, God as the Son and God as the Holy Spirit. Despite the three forms of God as He revels Himself in front of us, yet remains one God. Christianity and Christians have faith in believing in one God as they are the believer in monotheists. This belief in God as ‘Trinity’ can be referred to as the distinctive feature which marks a real difference from other religions like Judaism and Islam.
• Each of the communions is essential for the life of the others as well as life of the Trinity. The persons in the Trinity are bound to one another in agape love and thus, making them more concerned for one another (Simkins et al 2016).

• Someone wants to know about the Trinity. How to make the group understand the importance of believing in God as Trinity?
• What symbols of Trinity to be used for better understanding of its importance?
• Make the groups get a deep knowledge about the Trinity and let them provide feedback to the others as well.

• The story of the baptism of Lord Jesus is often regarded as the involvement of all the three individuals related to the Trinity which can be found in the gospels (Mathew 4, Luke 4, Mark 1, and John 1).
• Matthew (28:19) depicts Lord Jesus to be commanding His disciples to baptize ‘in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit’. These are the baptismal words that is still continued to be used when the individuals are being baptized today.
• In Corinthians (13:14), St. Paul dedicated his letter to the Christians at Corinth with the ‘grace of Lord Jesus, the fellowship of the Holy Spirit and the love of God’. These words are still being used by many Christians at present which are also known as the ‘Grace’ different form of the ‘grace’ word as used during meal (Schreiner 2013).

• Ensure the symbols of the Trinity to support the understanding rather than ending within the individuals.
• The experiences of the conversation would vary according to the individual history, historical situation and culture. But the Nicene Creed would stand as the theological norm that would help in testing the genuineness of the conversation.
• Trinity is related to God and hence, beyond the undertaking of common people. Though, teaching and explaining about the Trinity would be like trying to empty an ocean with a cup, encouraging to talk about the Trinity would be like connecting to God Himself.

• Invite the group in order to share their respective experiences of conversation and make them compare with the discussion as mentioned in the ‘Nicene Creed’.
• Though the Bible does not teach explicitly about the doctrine of the Holy Trinity, it is rather assumed as found in the gospels (Mathew 4, Luke 4, Mark 1, John 1),.
• Encourage big questions even if unable to deal with surprising questions like “Where had been Lord Jesus, the Son when God created the world?’
• Encourage ‘God talk’ throughout the curriculum including the isometric patterns, mini beats, talk of the Trinity and the creator.
• Not to suggest God to be separable into parts.
• Do not allow the symbols to resemble there thinking that God is inanimate or as a triangle.
• Open discussions even if uncertain about one’s own knowledge.
• Ask the individual to read the Nicene Creed and identify the meaning of the Trinity.
• Talk about the Christian idea about the Trinity.

• The Council of Nicaea (325 AD) has defined the belief in the statement of the faith in the Trinity which is still repeated by most of the Christians at present (Koenig and Al Shohaib 2014)
• According to the Creed:
• God is the creator. He is regarded as the Father, the almighty who is the maker of earth and heaven.
• In Christianity, Lord Jesus has been considered both divine and human. The Christians believe that Lord Jesus incardinated as a human on the earth to experience the daily lives and sufferings of common people. Thus, Lord Jesus is referred to as the Son of God by the Christians.
• Christians assume that the Holy Spirit is the power of God which the common people experience in their daily lives. Thus, they refer to God as the Holy Spirit who is the giver of life.

• What is the significance of the Nicene Creed?
• What is the significance of the Trinity?
• What do they teach about Trinity?
• Describe the characteristics of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit (Hyde 2014).

• Belief is having faith in God which had two elements:
• Being convinced of the truth.
• Believing in seizing the truth.
• Believing is not exactly the same as faith. For the belief to be faith, it must believe in what is certainly true. The scriptures give various examples stating that belief in God is alone required for there is no time to wait for the evidence collection to wait for the certainty. As for example, ‘Peter walking on the water’ – as depicted by God, does not require any evidence to trust, as God wants us to just believe in Him. Thus, our belief turns into trust in the moments of our weaknesses which is what makes us strong.
• Mat (24:4-5; NIV): As told by Lord Jesus, ‘Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming them to be the Christ’. Jesus further confirms, ‘I am the Christ and will deceive many’.
• John (20: 25 – 28; NIV): Jesus is seen to be telling Thomas, one of his disciples, ‘Put your finger here and see my hands’. Lord tells him to  reach his hands and put it into the Lord’s side. He also tells him to stop doubting and believe in Him. Jesus further says, ’because you have seen me, you have believed. Those are blessed who have not seen me and still have believed’.  
• John (20: 31; NIV) depicts that we should believe in Jesus as the Christ, who is the Son of God. It also depict that just by believing in Him may put life in His name.

• Eze (13:6; NIV): Belief is detached from truth and is not faith. Thus, believing in what is not related to God is not true. Believing in the word of our own imagination or even the word of Satan is a pure deception. Calling this deception as faith does not make it one.
• Rom (4:16; Phi): The whole thing is matter of faith and belief on the man’s part and generosity on God. He gives the security of His promise to all men who believe in Him.

• Ask questions about the Faith and belief.
• Ensure that the group is able to identify the difference between belief and deception.
• Encourage big questions even if unable to deal with surprising questions like “Where had been Lord Jesus, the Son when God created the world?’
• Encourage ‘God talk’ throughout the curriculum including the isometric patterns, mini beats, talk of the Trinity and the creator (Reamer 2013).

• In the New Testament, all the Christians are required to be baptized.
• Vital part to connect with the God in Acts (as mentioned in 10 of 14 passages)
• Baptism is considered to be a part of the ‘Great Commission’ which helps in commanding the baptism but does not mention about the belief and faith (Matthew 28.19 – 20).
• In New Treatment, Christianity is the part of believing in God and baptism is the part of being deducted towards Him. These result in creating two aspects of differences in the opinions:
• Protestants teach us to become Christians by faith and belief.
• Catholics teach us to become Christians by baptism. From the point of view of the Catholics, baptism is referred to as the sacrament that conveys ‘grace’ to people without any requirements of having belief and faith in the participants. There is no such dichotomy as evident in the New Testament (Argyle and Beit-Hallahmi 2014).
• The legacy of Christendom depicts that we are being exposed to many baptized individuals who are non believers in God i.e., people who got baptized as babies but have no exposure to the Christian faith and belief.
• It is important to have a visible response on the outside in response to the gospel (including baptism) and not as a substitute of inner visible response but as a confirmation of faith and belief of it within an individual.

• Ask simple question about the baptism creed.
• Ask questions about the Trinity.
• Ask questions about the statements and promises of the belief.
• Act out the baptism with the Trinitarian words while pouring water.
• Make sure to understand the meaning of the Trinity symbol and word related to the Baptism while hanging a banner beside the front of the church.
• Ask the group to discuss about the plenary questions and provide feedback to others.
• Receiving Holy Spirit (Acts 1.38, 19, 5-6): occasion for Spirit baptism.
• Read Migliore (2004:282): ‘Baptism marks the beginning of the journey of belief and discipleship lasting through the life of an individual’ (Yadon 2014).

• Higton (2008: 142): ‘The Church is presented in the Acts as the community of those on whom the Spirit has been poured onto the hands of Lord Jesus. This initiation is presented by the receiving of the Holy Spirit in the name of Lord Jesus’ (Quash 2014).
• Discussed in 7 out of the 14 passages of the Acts (8.14- 17: 19.1- 7). Receiving the Spirit at the time of baptism (Rom 8.9). In Acts, the Sprit is expected to come before baptism (10.44: 11.15) or after the baptism (2.38).
• Matthew (1: 18): ‘Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. Mother Mary was found to be with child form the Holy Spirit’.
• John (14:26): ‘But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, who will be sent by the Father, will teach you all the things’. In this example, there has been evidence that the Holy Spirit is a Person who is being identified as the ‘Helper’.
• Acts (1:8): ‘You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you’. Here, Lord Jesus has been named by the pronoun ‘the Holy Spirit’ as He is there source of the power. This, he would be giving the very power of God to the apostle which would come upon those who believe in there Son of God.
• Matthew (28: 19): ‘Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, of the Son and the Holy Spirit’. This context did not mention about the water baptism but a spiritual one rather. Lord Jesus is commanding to go make disciples in all nations and baptize them into the name of all Three Persons identified as the Trinity.

• How do HHhh
• How do you relate it with the Trinity?
• What is the significance of the Trinity of God?
• Act out the baptism with the Trinitarian words while pouring water
• Receiving Hoy Spirit (Acts 1.38, 19, 5-6): occasion for Spirit baptism.

 Conclusion

• All the Three Persons of the Trinity of God has been identified.
• Identified the steps influencing the belief of the individuals related to the Trinity of God.
• Identified the belief of the people in the Trinity of God through the conversation and discussions.
• Looked at the steps involved with the awareness of the significance of the Trinity of God in the individuals.
• Identified various steps to understand the significance of believing God as Trinity for Christian life.

References

Argyle, M. and Beit-Hallahmi, B., 2014. The psychology of religious behaviour, belief and experience. Routledge.

Bates, M.W., 2015. The Birth of the Trinity: Jesus, God, and Spirit in New Testament and Early Christian Interpretations of the Old Testament. OUP Oxford.

Bullis, R.K., 2013. Spirituality in social work practice. Taylor & Francis.

Hyde, M.R., 2014. Exploring the Nicene Creed. Lulu. com.

Knott, K., 2015. The location of religion: A spatial analysis. Routledge.

Koenig, H.G. and Al Shohaib, S., 2014. Christian Beliefs, Practices, and Values. In Health and Well-Being in Islamic Societies (pp. 57-80). Springer International Publishing.

Maxwell, J.C. ed., 2014. NIV, The Maxwell Leadership Bible, eBook. Thomas Nelson Inc.

McGoldrick, M., Preto, N.A.G. and Carter, B.A., 2015. The Expanding Family Life Cycle: Individual, Family, and Social Perspectives. Pearson.

Pargament, K.I. and Lomax, J.W., 2013. Understanding and addressing religion among people with mental illness. World Psychiatry, 12(1), pp.26-32.

Quash, B., 2014. Found Theology: History, Imagination and the Holy Spirit. A&C Black.

Reamer, F.G., 2013. Social work values and ethics. Columbia University Press.

Schreiner, T.R., 2013. The king in his beauty: a biblical theology of the Old and New Testaments. Baker Books.

Simkins, R.A., Cameron, M.G., O’Keefe, J.J. and Harmless, W.S., 2016. Bibliographies for Theology: New Testament: The Gospels.

Yadon, J., 2014. The Emergence of Believer’s Baptism as a Political Event.

Young, C.S. and Young, J.S., 2014. Integrating spirituality and religion into counseling: A guide to competent practice. John Wiley & Sons.