Questioning the Trinity
The doctrine of the Trinity is one of the most widely held beliefs in mainstream Christianity. Ask most believers, and they will affirm it without hesitation: God is one, yet three persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—co-equal, co-eternal, and of one essence. But ask for an explanation, and things get complicated.
Many who advocate for the Trinity find themselves in a difficult position when challenged to articulate it. They believe it because they have been told it is true, not necessarily because they have examined the Scriptures and reached that conclusion themselves. This can often result in a kind of intellectual retreat—a “foetal position” response—where believers acknowledge they can’t explain it, but insist it must be accepted on faith.
But why does this happen? Why do those who firmly hold to this doctrine struggle to explain it? And what does this say about the doctrine itself?
The Common Response: “It’s a Mystery”
One of the most frequent defences of the Trinity is that it is beyond human understanding. “It’s a mystery,” people say. “We aren’t meant to fully comprehend it.”
While there’s no question that some aspects of God’s nature may be beyond human grasp, this reasoning raises a key concern: If God wants us to know Him, why would He define Himself in a way that is impossible to explain? The Bible consistently portrays God as desiring to be understood. Scripture is full of passages that describe His character, His purpose, and His expectations in clear and straightforward terms. The message of salvation is simple enough for a child to grasp. So why, when it comes to the nature of God Himself, should we accept a doctrine that is so confusing that even its strongest proponents admit they don’t understand it?
Deflection Tactics and False Psychology
Because the Trinity is difficult to explain, discussions about it often take on a defensive tone. Those who challenge it are frequently met with responses designed to shift the focus away from the question itself.
For example:
- Appeal to Church Authority: “This is what the church has always taught, so who are we to question it?”
- Emotional Deflection: “Are you saying all the great theologians throughout history were wrong?”
- Intimidation by Complexity: “You just don’t understand theology well enough to grasp it.”
- Shaming the Questioner: “Denying the Trinity is heresy. You’re treading dangerous ground.”
These tactics reveal something important: Many who believe in the Trinity are uncomfortable discussing it at a theological level. If the doctrine were clear and biblically straightforward, there would be no need for such evasive strategies. The very fact that these deflections exist suggests that, deep down, many believers recognize the difficulty—but instead of questioning the doctrine, they retreat into positions that protect them from having to think about it too deeply.
The Clarity of a Biblical Unitarian View
In contrast, the Christadelphian (or broader biblical unitarian) perspective presents a straightforward, consistent understanding of God:
- God is one individual being, the Father (Deuteronomy 6:4, 1 Corinthians 8:6).
- Jesus is the Son of God, not God Himself (Luke 1:35, John 20:17).
- The Holy Spirit is not a separate person but the power of God at work (Luke 1:35, Acts 2:17-18).
This perspective does not require intellectual gymnastics or theological paradoxes. It aligns with the way God speaks of Himself throughout the Bible and avoids the need for appeals to mystery or tradition.
Why This Matters
Some may argue that this is just a theological debate that doesn’t impact day-to-day faith. But understanding God’s true nature is not a trivial issue. It affects how we relate to Him, how we pray, and how we understand the role of Jesus.
The Trinitarian position requires believers to accept something that they cannot fully explain—something that was not clearly taught by Jesus or the apostles but instead developed over centuries of church councils and philosophical debates. In contrast, a biblical unitarian understanding allows believers to read the Bible and simply take God at His word without theological complexity or contradiction.
So the question is this: Should we accept a doctrine simply because we’ve been told to, even if it doesn’t make sense? Or should we be willing to examine Scripture for ourselves, asking whether God has truly revealed Himself in a way that requires no confusion or mystery?
A Call to Re-examine Beliefs
If you’ve ever felt uneasy about the Trinity but were told that questioning it was dangerous or heretical, you’re not alone. Many sincere believers have struggled with it. But God invites us to seek Him with an open heart and mind (Acts 17:11, Proverbs 2:3-5). Faith should be built on conviction, not fear—on understanding, not blind acceptance.
So perhaps the real question isn’t whether the Trinity can be explained—but whether it was ever meant to be believed in the first place.
