Do the roles and functions of the three persons in the Holy Trinity overlap or are they very unique and distinct?
First we must consider what is true of all three persons in the Trinity: The Westminster Shorter Catechism summarises it as follows: “God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable, in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth.” What is true about God is true about each person in the Trinity. God is eternal. Therefore Father is eternal, Son is eternal, Spirit is eternal, etc. All three persons are equal (cf. John 5:17,18; 10:30) but there are functional differences: The Father is mentioned first, followed by the Son, and then the Holy Spirit. (John 14:28 “If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I.”, 16:14 “He [the Holy Spirit] shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.”, 5:19 “The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.”). This does not mean that the Holy Spirit is a lesser
Related Questions
- Why do Catholics believe that God is three Persons, called the Holy Trinity? How can God be three Persons and still be one God?
- Do the roles and functions of the three persons in the Holy Trinity overlap or are they very unique and distinct?
- What functions can be performed by people in different roles, e.g., TA, PA, Guest Instructor, etc.?
