God in Three Persons

Q. 6. How many persons are there in the Godhead?
A. 6. There are three persons in the Godhead; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost; and these three are one God the same in substance, equal in power and glory.(1)

(1) I John 5:7; Matt. 28:19.

We come now to the question in the Shorter Catechism that has caused all kinds of confusion, or more accurately, the doctrine presented in this question has brought this confusion. The formulation of this doctrine (along with those espoused in the previous questions) predates the Westminstarian explanation by over one thousand years. We find this teaching in such statements as the Apostles' Creed and the Nicene Creed. This is what has come to be known as the doctrine of the Trinity.

The word "Trinity" or "Triune" is not found in Scripture, but the concept certainly is. As this question shows us, in the Godhead there are three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (or Ghost if you prefer the olde English of the 17th century). The formulation of this doctrine as we understand it today - and have understood it for centuries - did take time to develop. Its formulation and expression came about due to heresies concerning God that crept into the Church even in her early days. Unfortunately, such heresies are still with us today.

This doctrine is difficult to comprehend. As we saw before, there is but one God. Nevertheless, this one God is God in three persons. There have been all manner of attempts at creating analogies to help people understand this truth: the clover, the three states of water, the egg, the bike wheel, etc. When it comes to understanding the doctrine of the Trinity and you are tempted to think of an analogy to help you understand....... don't. Please, just don't. Such analogies inevitably lead to one of the heresies this doctrine's formulation was intended to combat. It is even more tempting to rely on such analogies when teaching the Trinity to children. However, given the fact that we as adults cannot fully comprehend what it means for God to be Triune, it is better to teach our children in humility by reminding them that we do not fully understand it either, but we believe it because God teaches it in His word.

There is one true God in three persons and each of these three persons is God. They are the same God  or as the catechism, the same in substance. They are not parts of God. There are not three Gods. To say that each person is the same in substance means that each of the three persons is the same God and each person is rightly worshipped and glorified as God. The Father is God; the Son is God; the Spirit is God. The doctrine of the Trinity (along with the doctrine of the incarnation of Christ) is not a mystery for us to solve, but rather a mystery for us to receive and believe.