Christianity Explained
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What is God Like?
Picture, Hand in a Cloud
God is not a 'Super-human' - He's different From Us. God is described throughout the Bible, but in different ways at different times. The early Christians had to come to terms with what that means and decided that, whilst there is only one God, he has characteristics different from humans; like three 'persons' but united in one being, three separate 'persons' in perfect agreement or love with each other. A difficult concept to grasp but, like the best scientific theories that have stood the test of time, until someone comes up with a better description that meets all the facts, that is what we believe 'in faith'. (Return to top)
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Trinity?
Is this the way you repay the Lord... is he not your Father, your creator? (Deut 32:6).

You are my Son, whom I love (Mark 1:11).

And the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters (Genesis 1:1).

To explain all these differences, it occurred to the early Christian thinkers that there are three 'parts' of God compared to a human being, which together make up the single whole. (Return to top)		  

Picture, PArents and Child
The word Trinity comes from the Latin 'Trinitas' meaning 'threefold' and refers to the essence of the one and only God as having three 'parts'. The Christian idea of one God as 'Trinity' can be one of the most difficult things for people to understand, because of it some suggest that Christians believe in three Gods, but Christians most definitely believe that there is only one God. However, it's reasonable to ask, "What is God like?" (Return to top)

The word 'Trinity' itself is not found in the Bible, but the Bible does describe the concept if we look - There is one, and only one God but:

1) He is described as 'Father', eg: on several occasions Jesus refers to his 'Father in Heaven'.

2) Jesus is described as God's Son, eg: when he was baptised and came up out of the water a voice was heard from heaven saying 'This is my Son'.

3) God's Spirit is described separately, eg: Jesus said he had to return to heaven in order to send the Spirit, who would 'Lead you into all truth'. (Return to top)
God The Father
Jesus referred to the Father many times:

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. (Mat 6:9).

Father forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing (Luke 23:34).

Don't you know me.... anyone who has seen me has seen the Father (John 14:9).

I am in the Father and the Father is in me (John 14:9). (Return to top)		  

Picture, God The Father
In many religions the supreme being or god is seen as being like a 'Father', since fathers (and mothers) create their offspring and protect them as their family. The Christian understanding of God is that he decided to create the universe and humanity to be in a loving relationship with him, consequently he loves and protects us like a father loves and protects their child. (Return to top)

Christians therefore consider it right to call God 'Father' and associate the Father particularly with the original and ongoing act of creation. Jesus often spoke of, and prayed to, his 'Father in heaven' as separate from himself, so that Christians understand God the Father and God the Son (Jesus) to be separate 'parts' of God. For instance, when talking to his disciples about when the end of the world will come, Jesus replied, "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father" (Matthew 24:36). (Return to top)
God The Son
Jesus said:
No one knows the Son except the Father (Mat 11:27).

No-one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels... nor the Son (Mark 13:32).

John The Baptist said:
I have seen and testify that this is the Son of God (John 1:34). (Return to top)		  

Clip Art of Jesus
Christians believe that God created the universe and humanity to be in a perfect relationship with him, and that he gave us freewill so we can freely chose to accept that relationship. Unfortunately, because of that freewill, we choose the easy option and so fail to live up to God's standard, and that creates a rift or separation between God and us much like the rift between a parent and their naughty child. (Return to top)

However, God loves us so much that he wants to correct that rift and re-instate the relationship. Unfortunately humanity has never been good enough, God alone is good enough to make good the rift, so he had to come to earth himself in the form of a Son, Jesus Christ. (Return to top)

The Bible, tells us that God himself called Jesus 'my Son' (You are my Son whom I love - Mark 1:11) and his immediate followers recognised him as such (Then those who were in the boat worshipped him, "Truly you are the Son of God" - Matthew 14:32). Christians associate the Son particularly with salvation - that is, saving us from the inevitable outcome of separation from God because of the rift caused by our disobedience, which we call 'sin'. (Return to top)
God The Holy Spirit
At the creation of the earth, "The Spirit of God was hovering over the waters" Genesis 1:2).

Jesus said "How much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit" (Luke 11:13).

"You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you... and be my witnesses! (Acts 1:8).
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Clip Art, Dove
The Holy Spirit is referred to throughout The Bible, both in the Old and New Testaments, and is often depicted as a dove. In the Old Testament he tends to be given for a specific purpose and may be taken away when that purpose is completed, eg: God gave his Spirit to 72 elders to enable them to prophesy on a particular occasion (Numbers 11:25). Or it may be given to a chosen individual, eg: when God chose Saul to be king of Israel (1 Samuel 10:10). But in the New Testament, after Jesus had made good the rift between God and sinful humanity, the Holy Spirit is 'poured out' on all who believe (Acts 4:31). (Return to top)

Christians associate the Holy Spirit particularly with continuing to interface between God and humanity to this day, assisting us by comforting, teaching, leading, inspiring and interpreting God's wishes and words. Some of the ways in which the Holy Spirit helps today is described in the Section 'The Fruits of the Spirit', click here. (Return to top)
Inevitable Conclusion
The Christian concept of Trinity maintains that all three parts are equally important, no part is more important than another, all three parts are God so all are of the same 'substance', all three parts are eternal - they have and always will exist, no one part created the other, or is more or less important than the other. (Return to top)  

Logo, Triquetr Figure
Christians believe that God has always existed and always will - he has no beginning and no end. No-one can prove that, we can only accept it 'in faith'. He made the infinitely large universe and everything in it including you and me to live in perfect relationship with him. Clever human scientists can now create new elements in tiny quantities in an Atomic Particle Accelerator, but they need that large machine and huge amounts of energy to do it; we still can't create something from nothing, as God did when he created the universe. (Return to top)

It's clear from this and similar arguments that God is infinitely more clever than humans. That's understandable - after all God is not human, he's God - and we only have our limited human brainpower and language to describe him. It doesn't seem right to describe God as 'it' or 'thing'; the highest intelligence described by our language is the 'person', so God is described as 'three persons in one God' - Trinity. (Return to top)