The Trinity
The Trinity is foundational to understanding who God is and how he acts. At the heart of the Trinity is shared essence and relational dynamic—three Persons in perfect unity, living and acting in love. By exploring their essence, interactions, and distinct roles, we gain insight into the God who created, redeemed, and sustains all history.
God’s Essence: Truth, Goodness, and Beauty (TGB)
The shared essence of the Trinity is Truth, Goodness, and Beauty (TGB)—a perfect, indivisible unity. Truth reflects the foundation of reality, God’s unchanging nature as the source of all that is true. Goodness embodies the intrinsic moral and purposeful rightness of God’s being, revealing the perfection of his character and purposes. Beauty expresses the harmony of relationship, seen in God’s creativity, relational wholeness, and the flourishing of life. Together, these qualities form a single essence, eternally shared among the three Persons of the Trinity. This essence is not divided or partitioned but fully and infinitely present in each Person, encompassing who God is and how he acts.
Three Persons Interacting with Shared Essence
The three Persons of the Trinity—Father, Son, and Spirit—are fully united in their shared essence of TGB and fully distinct in their relational interactions. Their unity is not a blending or loss of individuality but a perfect harmony in which each Person enables the others to experience the fullness of TGB. This interaction is characterized by love, the giving of self for the benefit of relationship. Before creation, the Trinity existed in atemporal perfection, with each Person engaging relationally in the fullness of TGB within their shared essence. With the introduction of time and creation, their relational roles extended into purposeful actions, reflecting the same love dynamic. These Persons can be understood through their relational expressions as the Enactor, Word, and Breath, terms that describe their unique roles in amplifying the shared essence of TGB.
The Relational Roles: Enactor, Word, and Breath
The three Persons of the Trinity engage their shared essence in distinct ways, not through division but through relational expression. The Enactor (traditionally the Father) initiates actions, bringing shared TGB into purposeful ideas and plans. The Word (traditionally the Son) enacts those ideas, giving them form and coherence in action. The Breath (traditionally the Spirit) sustains and beautifies, animating those expressions with relational energy and life. These roles can be seen across all periods of history. Before creation, the Enactor initiated the plan of creation, the Word gave it form, and the Breath infused it with life. In cursed creation, the Enactor initiated redemption, the Word embodied it through the incarnation, and the Breath applied it in believers. In restored creation, the Enactor declares restoration, the Word enacts renewal, and the Breath sustains the perfected relationship. Through these roles, the Trinity’s essence of TGB is fully expressed in love and action.
Final Thought
The Trinity is not merely a theological concept but the foundation of love and relationship. By understanding the three Persons’ shared essence and relational roles, we see how God’s eternal nature flows into his activity in creation, redemption, and restoration. The Enactor, Word, and Breath invite us into the beauty of their perfect unity—a love that transforms all history and all who believe.