Saint Patrick and the Trinity
One God, three persons, and a whole lot of mystery.
In the year 432, a man named Patrick arrived on the Emerald Isle to spread the gospel of Christ. We know Patrick as “Saint Patrick” today, and we celebrate the day of his death on March 17. You would be forgiven in thinking that Patrick is the patron saint of green beer and drunken revelry, but it isn’t so. Today, I’d like to honor his struggle to communicate the mystery of the trinity to the pagan people of Ireland.
I chose to title this Substack “Simple Christianity” when I started writing in early 2023. My reasoning is that I firmly believe that the important core of Christianity is simple and understandable by any one. Jesus chose twelve blue-collar disciples for his ministry, for instance. These were unlearned men, and yet they took the gospel to the nations.
The trinity is one of those topics that is a big exception to that idea of simplicity. People of all sorts have struggled to make sense of it for thousands of years because it’s beyond our human experience. My goal today is to try to explain it, but in the end, I won’t be able to. Nobody has before me, and they were certainly more learned than I am, so I don’t feel so bad.
Saint Patrick and the Clover
After arriving in Ireland, Patrick had gone to Connaught and was meeting with two of King Laoghaire’s daughters, Ethne and Fedelm. He was trying to communicate the idea of the trinity to them, and he was struggling. They just couldn’t understand what seemed like a contradiction. Patrick noticed some clover. It’s very common in Ireland. He plucked a bit of it and called attention to the clover’s three leaves. While each stalk “is clover,” the stalk has three leaves. The leaves “are clover,” too, and yet each leaf is distinct. Eventually, Ethne and Fedelm converted to Christianity, but King Laoghaire did not.
While the idea of the trinity is still mysterious, a crack had been opened and the Irish could begin to understand.
As we’ll see, Patrick’s analogy between the trinity and a clover is not perfect, but it helps.
What is the Trinity?
It’s easy to express the idea of the trinity, but difficult to understand it. We communicate the idea as follows:
There is one God.
God exists in distinct three persons — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
That’s it.
Now the confusion starts.
Does that mean three gods? No. One God.
Is Jesus just one-third of God? No. He’s fully God. And so are the Father and Holy Spirit.
So, three gods? No. One God.
Okay, one God, so Jesus is the same as (identical to) the Father? No. Jesus is distinct from the Father, as is the Holy Spirit distinct from the Father and the Son.
Then, one God that appears in three different forms, like liquid water, steam, and ice? No. Again, the three persons are distinct and yet wholly “God.”
You can loop around in that for a long time. As the shampoo bottles used to say, “Lather, rinse, repeat.”
Part of our problem is that we have overloaded the word “God” to mean both the whole trinity (the “Godhead”) and to mean the Father. In this discussion, I’m going to separate those two uses to avoid as much self-induced confusion as possible. When I say “God,” I’m going to be talking about the Godhead. When I say “Father,” I’m distinctly referencing the person of the Father. Ditto with Son and Holy Spirit.
What the Bible Says About the Trinity
The Bible never uses the word “trinity.”
Whoa! Stop right there. If the Bible doesn’t talk about the trinity, does that mean it’s false?
No, the Bible doesn’t say the word “trinity,” but it talks a lot about the two statements that we used to define the trinity, previously. Early theologians coined the word “trinity” to label the concept described those two statements.
Let’s dig into the first statement: There is one God.
The Old Testament makes it very clear that Judaism is monotheistic. One of the earliest creeds in Judaism is the “Shema,” the first part of which occurs in Deuteronomy 6. Specifically, we’ll look at verse 4.
4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.[a]
That’s Moses speaking there.
Next, there’s the 10 Commandments, which are laid out in both Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5. The first commandment is
3 “You shall have no other gods before[a] me.
There is one God that shall be worshipped by Israel — Yahweh. No others are permitted.
How about 2 Samuel 7:22:
22 Therefore you are great, O Lord God. For there is none like you, and there is no God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears.
And just so you don’t think it’s an Old Testament thing, let’s look at a couple statements from the New Testament. How about James 2:19?
19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!
Jesus himself repeats the Shema and affirms the singularity of God in Mark 12.
28 And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” 29 Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
And more (not exhaustive):
Deuteronomy 4:35
Deuteronomy 32:39
1 Chronicles 17:20
Psalm 83:18
Psalm 86:10
Isaiah 43:10
Isaiah 44:6
Isaiah 45:18
1 Corinthians 8:4
Ephesians 4:6
So, pretty conclusive. Both the OT and the NT firmly say that there is one God.
Now, let’s dig into the second statement: God exists in three distinct persons — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Let’s start in the beginning.
26 Then God said, “Let us make man[a] in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
Notice that God says “Let us make man in our image…” That’s a not a typo or a mistranslation. God specifically uses two plural forms, “us” and “our,” to refer to himself. He specifically does not say, “Let me make man in my image…”
While this doesn’t call out the Son and Holy Spirit by name, it certainly provides the first indication that there is more than one person involved in the Godhead.
Next, let’s look at the baptism of Jesus. This incident is recorded in all four gospels.
13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. 14 John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15 But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented.16 And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him,[a] and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; 17 and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son,[b] with whom I am well pleased.”
9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son;[a] with you I am well pleased.”
21 Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened, 22 and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son;[a] with you I am well pleased.”[b]
32 And John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. 33 I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son[a] of God.”
In these passages, we see all three distinct persons of God acting distinctly:
The Son is getting baptized.
The Holy Spirit descends on him in the form of a dove.
The Father says “This is my beloved Son with whom I am well-pleased.”
They are separate and distinct. Jesus doesn’t say, “I’m pleased with myself,” and the Bible doesn’t say that Jesus descended on himself.
In John 16, Jesus and the disciples are in the Upper Room and Jesus is telling them about sending the Holy Spirit to them once he ascends.
5 But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ 6 But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. 7 Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. 8 And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; 10 concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; 11 concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
12 “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14 He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 15 All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.
Jesus refers to the Father and the Holy Spirit distinctly in this passage.
The Father sent the Son.
The Son will send the Holy Spirit (who Jesus calls the “Helper” and the “Spirit of truth”) to the disciples.
Jesus goes to the Father.
Each person is distinct.
In John 17, Jesus prays to the Father. Here’s the whole chapter.
17 When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, 2 since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. 3 And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. 4 I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. 5 And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.
6 “I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. 7 Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you.8 For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. 9 I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. 10 All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. 11 And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. 12 While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.13 But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. 14 I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15 I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.[a] 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them[b] in the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. 19 And for their sake I consecrate myself,[c] that they also may be sanctified[d] in truth.
20 “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, 21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, 23 I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. 24 Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. 25 O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. 26 I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”
Notice all the language that confirms that the Son and the Father are different. In verses 1 and 2, Jesus says, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him.”
The persons are distinct. Jesus doesn’t pray to himself and he specifically says that the Father has sent him. He doesn’t say “I sent myself to glorify myself.”
In Matthew 26, Jesus is in the Garden of Gethsemane, praying.
39 And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”
Here, Jesus is praying to the Father and makes a distinction between his own will and that of the Father.
Then, let’s look at one of the most famous prayers in the Bible, Luke 23:34. Jesus is hanging on the cross.
34 And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”[a]And they cast lots to divide his garments.
Jesus doesn’t say, “I forgive them.” Rather, he asks the Father to forgive his executioners.
And there are many more examples that make it clear that the persons of the trinity are quite distinct (see Matthew 26, for instance).
Now, let’s bring it full circle. While the members of the trinity refer to themselves quite distinctly, Jesus also repeatedly makes it clear that he is God.
Look at John 10:22-39.
22 At that time the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. It was winter,23 and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the colonnade of Solomon. 24 So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” 25 Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name bear witness about me, 26 but you do not believe because you are not among my sheep. 27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me,[a]is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”
31 The Jews picked up stones again to stone him. 32 Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone me?” 33 The Jews answered him, “It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God.” 34 Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I said, you are gods’? 35 If he called them gods to whom the word of God came—and Scripture cannot be broken— 36 do you say of him whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? 37 If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me; 38 but if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.” 39 Again they sought to arrest him, but he escaped from their hands.
In verses 25 through 29, Jesus talks about himself and the Father very distinctly. Then, in verse 30, Jesus says “I and the Father are one.” And there’s no doubt about what he said because in verse 31 the Jews picked up stones to stone him for blasphemy. Claiming to be God was a capital crime at that time. And Jesus makes it clear that he hasn’t misspoken. He doesn’t beg for their forgiveness for claiming to be God. In verses 34 through 38, he doubles down and tells the Jews why they should believe him.
After Jesus is arrested, he appears before the Sanhedrin, the assembly of Jewish religious leaders.
Mark 14 records the scene this way.
60 And the high priest stood up in the midst and asked Jesus, “Have you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you?”[a] 61 But he remained silent and made no answer. Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” 62 And Jesus said, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.” 63 And the high priest tore his garments and said, “What further witnesses do we need? 64 You have heard his blasphemy. What is your decision?” And they all condemned him as deserving death.
Here, in verse 62, Jesus makes it clear that he is both the promised Messiah and he also uses the distinct name of God that God tells Moses in Exodus 3:14 — “I AM.” Like the Jews in John 10, the high priest here in Mark 14 reacts the same way and tears his clothes and accuses Jesus of blasphemy. Everyone in the room agrees and they all condemn Jesus as a result.
And we could go on and on and on showing verses that both show that God is one and yet three distinct persons.
I’m well past 3000 words in this article at this point, so let’s wrap it up.
The Mystery of the Trinity
While the word “trinity” doesn’t appear in the Bible, it’s crystal clear from verse after verse after verse that the doctrine of the trinity is justified. It’s not a figment of anybody’s imagination. It’s true.
The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all distinct, and yet they are one.
Our human experience can’t reconcile this. A human is just one person. That’s true for every human we’ve ever met.
God is not a human, though. And God has revealed himself as one God in three persons.
If that doesn’t make sense, then you’re in good company. Christians throughout time have struggled with it, too. Theologians have come up with numerous analogies, all lacking.
I suspect that Patrick’s three-leafed clover is about as good of an analogy as we’re going to get in this lifetime. Even still, Patrick wasn’t able to convince King Laoghaire of it.
Happy Saint Patrick’s Day! Don’t forget to wear your green.
Today’s Prayer
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, creators of all things, you have told us that you are both three and one. Help us to become comfortable with that mystery until we meet you in heaven and understand more then. Thank you for the godly men and women throughout history who have struggled to explain this to us and remain true to your word. Thank you for Patrick and his clover. Amen.
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Practically every heresy or false teaching has arisen from an attempt to "protect" a truth but ended in an unfortunate heap in a ditch. This article was well done! And I'm one who has tried to explain the Trinity to a seven year old girl.
That's a quite good and deep explanation of the Trinity with great backup of Bible passages. This essay could easily be turned into a lengthy Bible study in of itself. Thanks for sharing.