Beliefs & Teachings about the Trinity (AQA GCSE Religious Studies B): Revision Note
Exam code: 8063
What is the Trinity?
The Trinity is the belief that God is Three-in-One
God the Creator and Father
Jesus as the Son of God
Holy Spirit as the Spirit of God at work in the world
All are worshipped and acknowledged as separate persons of the one God
The Catechism of the Catholic Church says that belief in the Trinity is the “central mystery of Christian faith and life”
It states that this is not the worship of three gods but one
“The Trinity is One. We do not confess three Gods, but one God in three persons.”
(Catechism of the Catholic Church, 253)
This belief is also referred to as “Triune God,” implying that there are three persons within the one God
Scriptural origins of belief in the Trinity
Christian beliefs about the Trinity come from books in the Bible: particularly Deuteronomy, Matthew’s gospel and St Paul’s letter to the Galatians
Deuteronomy
This Old Testament book contains the great Jewish statement of faith in God, the Shema
“Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone” (Deuteronomy 6:4)
This shows the importance of believing in only one God for Jews. Christians also share this belief
Jesus referred to this passage when asked about which commandment is the most important
However, while Christians believe in the Trinity, Jews do not accept that God can exist as three persons in one
Matthew 3:16–17
Matthew’s gospel contains an account of Jesus’s baptism, which shows the co-existence of the three persons of the Trinity
“And when Jesus had been baptised, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.’” (Matthew 3:16–17)
The story shows God as the:
Father, in the voice from heaven
Son, in the person of Jesus — God calls Jesus “my Son, the Beloved”
Spirit, represented by the dove coming down from God the Father to Jesus
Galatians 4:6
St Paul wrote about the Trinity to the Galatians
“And because you are children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’” (Galatians 4:6)
This shows that God sends the Spirit of his Son (Jesus) into the hearts of believers to fill them with grace
This phrase also shows that there are three persons: God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit
Interpretations of Genesis 1 and the Nicene Creed
Genesis 1
Christians believe that the Genesis story of creation shows evidence of the Holy Trinity, as all three persons shared in the act of creation
“In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. Then God said, ‘Let there be light’ and there was light.” (Genesis 1:1–3)
The account shows God as the:
Father, the voice that creates
Son because God created by speaking or through his Word. Jesus is understood to be the Word of God
Spirit, the “wind from God” that swept over the waters. This is the Hebrew word “ruach”, which is also translated as “breath” or “spirit”
The Nicene Creed
The Nicene Creed is the Catholic statement of faith, setting out what Catholics believe about the Trinity’s three members
The Nicene Creed says that:
God the Father is the almighty, the creator of all things
God the Son
Is the “only begotten Son of God”, meaning he has always existed; he is eternal (like God the Father)
Is consubstantial with the Father
Took on human nature
Suffered and died as a human being
Rose again and ascended to heaven, where he is “seated at the right hand of the Father”
God the Holy Spirit
Is “the Lord, the giver of life”, giving life to all things
“Proceeds from the Father and the Son”, meaning that he comes from both the Father and the Son and unites them in love
Is equal in power and glory to the Father and the Son
Inspires people to know God’s will
Belief in the Trinity in Catholic life today
Catholics believe that the Trinity’s life is evident in the Church today
The Holy Spirit pours God the Father and Son’s love into the Church
This love enters the hearts of all believers and is known as grace
It inspires Catholics to pass on this love to others
In 2005, Pope Benedict explained this in writing
“The entire activity of the Church is an expression of a love that seeks the integral good of man” (Deus Caritas Est 19)
Understanding of mission and evangelism
Mission and evangelism are two ways in which the Church aims to share God’s love in the world today
Mission means “sending people out”
Missionaries go out into the world and share God’s love through their actions
They show care for others and explain that the motivation behind their actions is to love others as God has loved them
For example, people might work for charitable organisations, such as CAFOD
These people are following the command:
“Those who love God must love their brothers and sisters too” (1 John 4:21)
Evangelism means preaching the gospel or the good news about Jesus
Evangelists go out into the world to preach and teach, sharing the gospel message with others, even if it is at great cost to themselves
Evangelists want to influence people to listen to the gospel in the hope that it will help them experience God’s love and perhaps lead them to be baptised and follow the Christian message themselves
These people are following Jesus’s final instructions to his disciples
“Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you.’” (Matthew 28:18–20)
While missionaries share God’s love mainly through their actions, evangelists share God’s love mainly through their words
Worked Example
Give two ways in which the Trinity is shown at Jesus’s baptism.
[2 marks]
Answer:
One way is that God the Father speaks from heaven. [1 mark]
Another way is that God the Son is present in the person of Jesus, whom God calls “my Son”. [1 mark]
Examiner Tips and Tricks
You are expected to not only know what the Trinity is but also how belief in the Trinity influences the way Christians lead their lives.
For example, a 4-mark question might ask you to:
Explain two ways in which belief in the Trinity influences Christians today.
Use what you have learned about mission and evangelism to answer this question. Write one supported statement about mission and one about evangelism to ensure you gain all four marks.
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