Introduction
The doctrine of the Trinity is one of the most controversial aspects of the Christian faith. People from other religions tend to confuse it with polytheism. Moreover, even Christians who believe in the one God in three forms often stumble in their explanation. To understand the doctrine, it is essential to entrust it to God and seek His guidance to gain spiritual insight (Coakley, 2013). Otherwise, theology will be at risk of becoming a mere human persuasion strategy. Since starting this course, my understanding of the Trinity has been challenged, prompting me to read Scripture with an open mind and attempt to establish the truth from the Bible.
The Biblical Trinity
Right from the book of Genesis, the Bible introduces a triune God who uses the pronoun “us” and, in some cases, makes it singular. For instance, in the first account of creation, God says, “Let us make man (“Doctrine of the Trinity, 2023). Surprisingly, the following verse in the same chapter states that God created man in His own image.
The question that it raises is whether the Almighty was talking to another being, then the human would have the image of two entities. The fact that people reflect the image of God is evidence of the Trinity. The first chapter of the Gospel of John takes the reader back to the beginning and emphasizes that everything was created through the word, which is God.
The problem I have observed among people who claim faith in a triune God is that they apportion different traits to each of God’s heads to distinguish them. For instance, there is a temptation to view Jesus Christ as loving, albeit with some limitations, and God the Father as all-powerful. Such an interpretation is wrong as it strips God of his glory and nature while advancing the error of polytheism.
Notably, “trinity does, in fact, all three persons involved in it, even if it may be ‘appropriate’ or helpful to associate that act with one specific person” (McGrath, 2017, p.133). It can be deduced from the statement that for God to be indeed one, He has to have all the characteristics, whether as the Spirit, Son, or Yahweh. Coakley’s theology is consistent with this stance.
Coakley’s Trinity Doctrine
However, the surprising thing is that Coakley bases her doctrine of the Trinity on prayer and sexuality. Communion with God is understandable when writing about Him. However, I was unwilling to readily accept the aspect of eros love and gaining oneness with God. She argues that “whatever is true divinely, ontologically of the Son, is true also of the Father and Spirit-otherwise the persons are divided.” (Coakley, 2013, p.14). The statement is self-explanatory, and many Christians would accept it as accurate.
However, to expound on the Trinitarian person, she introduces the phrase “Spirit’s proerotic,” which, among other things, chastens the human lust to possess, control, and abuse (Coakley, 2013, p.15). Moreover, she claims that God’s highest expression of love towards the Israelites is found in the Song of Solomon. Reading the book and trying to understand her perspective gave me a paradigm shift and motivation to read and seek the truth.
Connection Between the Trinity and Sexuality
The Nazarene manual of human sexuality was instrumental in my understanding of the connection between human sexuality and the Trinity. One of the core beliefs is that human sexuality is an expression of the holiness and beauty of the Creator and that it should be lived out in a holy covenantal union between a man and a woman (Church of the Nazarene, 2017). As the man sleeps with his wife, they become one, which is a mystery that points to divinity.
Speaking of marriage, Coakley explains that the same spirit inflames the heart with love and imparts the much-neglected gift of self-control (Coakley, 2013, p.16). The church is the bride of Jesus Christ, and the groom continually expresses agape love. People can learn to express their purpose for sexuality from the sacrifice of Jesus and the devotion of the Church.
It is firmly established that Jesus is a part of a Divine fellowship, which is impossible for us to comprehend and is nonetheless relevant to know. The early-century interpretation of Jesus is that He is fully human and God (“Doctrine of the Trinity,” 2023). Understanding the relationships of the Godhead helps us gain insight into the union of two heterosexual couples who have vowed to love each other for life. The problem is that people have deviated from the initial plan for the creation and perverted their lives with immorality.
Conclusion
In conclusion, throughout the course, my understanding of Trinity has been challenged, leading me to be more open-minded while reading the Bible to establish the truth. One of the greatest lessons that I have learned is that in an endeavor to understand God, it is crucial to seek his permission prayerfully, lest we turn theology into mere human persuasion. Furthermore, I now realize that all three beings in the Godhead have the exact attributes and power. I may never fully understand everything about the Trinity. Still, the insights that I have garnered so far give me a thirst to continue learning and accepting the guidance of the Holy Spirit, who is to reveal all things.
References
Church of the Nazarene. (2017). Nazarene statement on human sexuality.
Coakley, S. (2013). God, sexuality, and the self. Cambridge University Press.
Coakley, S. (2014). God Sexuality and the self. YouTube.
Doctrine of the trinity: Christian beliefs. (2023).
McGrath, A. E. (2017). Theology: The basics. John Wiley & Sons.