“I am the LORD, and there is no other; apart from Me there is no God.” — Isaiah 45:5 (BSB)
“Now this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent.” — John 17:3 (BSB)
“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” — Matthew 28:19 (BSB)
“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with all of you.” — 2 Corinthians 13:14 (BSB)
God is one in essence and three in person: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. This mystery—known as the Holy Trinity—is revealed progressively throughout Scripture and fully in the New Testament. Jesus commissions His Church to baptize “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19), affirming the equality and unity of the three Persons. Each is fully God, co-eternal, and co-equal, and yet there is but one God.
Anglicans express this doctrine clearly in the Thirty-Nine Articles, particularly Article I: “There is but one living and true God… and in unity of this Godhead there be three Persons, of one substance, power, and eternity.” The Book of Common Prayer likewise includes the Nicene and Athanasian Creeds, both of which safeguard this essential doctrine. The Christian life is rooted in knowing and worshiping this one true God in Trinity.
The Rt. Rev. Stephen Neill once wrote, “To say that God is Trinity is not to offer a puzzle but to describe the love at the heart of reality.” The Triune God exists in eternal relationship—Father loving the Son in the Spirit—and invites us into that fellowship through Christ. God is both infinite and intimate: transcendent over creation, yet personally near to all who call upon Him. He is not unknowable, but has made Himself known in His Word and supremely in Jesus Christ.
Knowing who God is shapes every part of life. As J.I. Packer said, “The most important thing about you is what you think of when you think of God.” To know God truly—as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—is to be drawn into worship, humility, obedience, and joy. The Triune God is not only the source of all being but the goal of all existence. We were made to glorify Him and enjoy Him forever.
Irenaeus affirms the unity of God and the distinct roles of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
St. Tertullian (c. 155–220 AD) declared: “We define that there are two, the Father and the Son, and with the Holy Spirit even three, yet not three gods, but one.” — Against Praxeas, 2
Tertullian helped formulate the language of Trinity to protect both the unity and distinctions within the Godhead.
St. Athanasius (c. 296–373 AD) stated: “We worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity; neither confounding the Persons nor dividing the Substance.” — Athanasian Creed
Athanasius firmly defended the doctrine of the Trinity as essential to the Christian faith.
St. Gregory Nazianzen (c. 329–390 AD) preached: “No sooner do I conceive of the One than I am illumined by the splendor of the Three; no sooner do I distinguish them than I am carried back to the One.” — Oration 40.41
Gregory beautifully expressed the mystery and wonder of the Triune God.
St. Augustine of Hippo (354–430 AD) wrote: “God is not called Trinity because He is triply great, but because He is three Persons in one divine essence.” — On the Trinity, 5.8
Augustine articulated a rich theology of the Trinity, defending the unity and equality of the divine Persons.
An Anglican Catechism (Expanded) offers over 350+ Scripture-based answers to the core truths of the Christian faith. Each entry includes biblical texts, theological insight, and reflections from historic and contemporary Anglican voices. Rooted in the classical tradition, it is designed for teaching, discipleship, and spiritual formation.
An Ancient Worship Movement invites readers into the rich, historic worship of the early Church rediscovered through the Anglican tradition. This book calls believers into a deeper, Spirit-filled encounter with Christ through timeless practices.
St. Thomas Church
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Abbotsford, BC,
V2T 7A2, Canada
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St. Thomas Church is a Church planting movement in ancient tradition.
