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I just read a bit of Saint Augustine’s defense of the Holy Trinity, and wrote down some notes. I don’t know whether or not these are correct, and I don’t want to fall into heresy, so I’m posting them here for any corrections, speculations, or just a general discussion on the Holy Trinity. Here are the notes that I took down:
There is only one God, the one Lord, and every other so-called “god” and “lord” is false, an idol. The Divinity of God – what God is – is His Being. In other words, God is God; His Being or Essence is His Godhood, His being the Lord, His Divinity. Now, in this one God are three Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
The Father is named “Father” because He is the Father of the Son. The Son is named “Son” because He is the Son of the Father (He is begotten of the Father). The Holy Spirit is named “Holy Spirit” because He is the Spirit of the Father and of the Son. This is the relationship of the Persons to Each Other. Now, the Holy Spirit is the Love of the Father for the Son and the Love of the Son for the Father – not bouncing back and forth from one Person to another but rather stretching out from the Father to the Son and from the Son to the Father, for God is utterly simple. (Now, in regards to the procession of the Holy Spirit, one might ask what Love the Spirit gets in return. Well, God Himself is Love, and the Holy Spirit is God, as are the Father and the Son, so the Holy Spirit, I dare to say, receives in return the Father and the Son)
By “Persons” is meant Substances: that which is the source of something’s being. For example, from wisdom comes being wise. So from the three Substances of God come His Essence, e.g., from the three Persons come God. Now, because it is that from the Persons come God, than it is they each must be God Himself: the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God.
Being each the one God, all three Persons are equal in everything that is Divine, since there is nothing greater than God and God cannot be less than God. So each of the three Persons is equal in Glory, in Nature, in Power, in Knowledge, in Work, in Eternity, in Infinity, and in Perfection.
Now, because God is one in Being yet three in Substance, that is, because God is one God yet in Him are three Divine Persons, some people believe that the Persons do not have the same Work or the same Nature, as if to say there is diversity in the absolutely one God. But, because He is one, absolutely one, more simple than our minds can even begin to comprehend (indeed, the closed image of God’s simplicity that we can think of is the image of a circle), than it must follow that the Persons have the same Work and the same Nature. They co-operate with each other in the Works of Creation, Redemption, and Sanctification, that is, the Father is the One Who causes the Work to be, the Son is the One through the Father causes the Work to be, and the Holy Spirit is the One in Whom the Father causes the Work to be. They are co-equal in everything because they are God.
Now, the Persons, in God, are distinguished from Each Other not in the Divinity but in the Substance, that is, they are only distinct from Each Other in regards to their relations with Each Other. The three Persons are not Each Other in regards to their relationship with Each Other: the Father is not the Son nor the Holy Spirit, the Son is not the Father nor the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit is not the Father nor the Son.
However, because each of the Persons is God, they are the same in Nature, in the Godhood. So, in regards to the Divinity, the Father is the Son and the Holy Spirit, the Son is the Father and the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit is the Father and the Son. (This may confuse some people, but a good way to remember it is in the saying “One in Essence, three in Substance”). From this realization that each of the Persons is the same in Nature, that is, each of the Persons is God, it logically concludes that the three Persons are in Each Other: the Father is in the Son and in the Holy Spirit, the Son is in the Father and in the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit is in the Father and in the Son.
Bur is God in God than? Since each of the three Persons is God, is God in God? God is not in Himself but is only He Himself; He is absolutely simple and there is no God but Him. The three Substances in God are the source of the Being of God and, hence, are God Himself, since God is His own Being (for He is simple, one). But God is not in God – He is only Himself and He is entirely and totally everything that He is, no more and no less.
Finally, because each of the Persons is God, than God is utterly one is Substance. The Persons are only distinct in their relationship to Each Other, so in regards to the Substances, they are one, and this is in keeping with Their being in Each Other. So God is one in Essence, Nature, and Substance, yet in Him is three distinct Persons: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
There is only one God, the one Lord, and every other so-called “god” and “lord” is false, an idol. The Divinity of God – what God is – is His Being. In other words, God is God; His Being or Essence is His Godhood, His being the Lord, His Divinity. Now, in this one God are three Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
The Father is named “Father” because He is the Father of the Son. The Son is named “Son” because He is the Son of the Father (He is begotten of the Father). The Holy Spirit is named “Holy Spirit” because He is the Spirit of the Father and of the Son. This is the relationship of the Persons to Each Other. Now, the Holy Spirit is the Love of the Father for the Son and the Love of the Son for the Father – not bouncing back and forth from one Person to another but rather stretching out from the Father to the Son and from the Son to the Father, for God is utterly simple. (Now, in regards to the procession of the Holy Spirit, one might ask what Love the Spirit gets in return. Well, God Himself is Love, and the Holy Spirit is God, as are the Father and the Son, so the Holy Spirit, I dare to say, receives in return the Father and the Son)
By “Persons” is meant Substances: that which is the source of something’s being. For example, from wisdom comes being wise. So from the three Substances of God come His Essence, e.g., from the three Persons come God. Now, because it is that from the Persons come God, than it is they each must be God Himself: the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God.
Being each the one God, all three Persons are equal in everything that is Divine, since there is nothing greater than God and God cannot be less than God. So each of the three Persons is equal in Glory, in Nature, in Power, in Knowledge, in Work, in Eternity, in Infinity, and in Perfection.
Now, because God is one in Being yet three in Substance, that is, because God is one God yet in Him are three Divine Persons, some people believe that the Persons do not have the same Work or the same Nature, as if to say there is diversity in the absolutely one God. But, because He is one, absolutely one, more simple than our minds can even begin to comprehend (indeed, the closed image of God’s simplicity that we can think of is the image of a circle), than it must follow that the Persons have the same Work and the same Nature. They co-operate with each other in the Works of Creation, Redemption, and Sanctification, that is, the Father is the One Who causes the Work to be, the Son is the One through the Father causes the Work to be, and the Holy Spirit is the One in Whom the Father causes the Work to be. They are co-equal in everything because they are God.
Now, the Persons, in God, are distinguished from Each Other not in the Divinity but in the Substance, that is, they are only distinct from Each Other in regards to their relations with Each Other. The three Persons are not Each Other in regards to their relationship with Each Other: the Father is not the Son nor the Holy Spirit, the Son is not the Father nor the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit is not the Father nor the Son.
However, because each of the Persons is God, they are the same in Nature, in the Godhood. So, in regards to the Divinity, the Father is the Son and the Holy Spirit, the Son is the Father and the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit is the Father and the Son. (This may confuse some people, but a good way to remember it is in the saying “One in Essence, three in Substance”). From this realization that each of the Persons is the same in Nature, that is, each of the Persons is God, it logically concludes that the three Persons are in Each Other: the Father is in the Son and in the Holy Spirit, the Son is in the Father and in the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit is in the Father and in the Son.
Bur is God in God than? Since each of the three Persons is God, is God in God? God is not in Himself but is only He Himself; He is absolutely simple and there is no God but Him. The three Substances in God are the source of the Being of God and, hence, are God Himself, since God is His own Being (for He is simple, one). But God is not in God – He is only Himself and He is entirely and totally everything that He is, no more and no less.
Finally, because each of the Persons is God, than God is utterly one is Substance. The Persons are only distinct in their relationship to Each Other, so in regards to the Substances, they are one, and this is in keeping with Their being in Each Other. So God is one in Essence, Nature, and Substance, yet in Him is three distinct Persons: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.