We
Orthodox Christians believe in a Trinitarian God. God is not an
isolated being, but communion and love. He is Father, Son and Holy
Spirit; He is not one Person but three. Between the Father, Son and Holy
Spirit there exists a pre-eternal communion of love. This does not
imply, however, that we Christians believe in three Gods, but in One.
There is but one divine essence and it is indivisible. This is why we
speak of one God in Trinity. The unique source of the one divine essence
is the Father. He it is who transmits pre-eternally, (icpoai-ωρίως) i.e.
without beginning, existence to the Son through pre-eternal
generation, and to the Holy Spirit, through pre-eternal procession.
Here
we must note that in the Orthodox Church "procession" is contrasted
to "sending". The Holy Spirit proceeds pre-eternally from the Father
alone. "In time" (temporally) He is sent from the Son for the salvation
of man. In other words a distinction is made between the pre-eternal
transmission of the divine essence from the Father, and the Divine
Economy, i.e. the mystery of man's salvation (John 15,26). The Orthodox
Church does not accept the so-called "Filioque", the teaching that the
Holy Spirit proceeds "and from the Son".
Our
faith in the Triune God is not a man-made discovery, but revelation
from God. He who is unapproachable for man, reveals Himself to man and
becomes approachable.
Already
in the Old Testament the Triune God appears as the Creator of man and
the entire world. He is created not by the Father alone, but from the
Father through the Son and is perfected "in the Holy Spirit", with
one will and one energy. "In the beginning God created the Heaven and
the earth...and the spirit of God was moving over the face of the
water", the Old Testament tells us characteristically, using in
Hebrew the word Elohim for God, which is a plural form. And for
the creation of man God spoke and said: "let us make man according to
our image and likeness" (Gen. 1,26).
We
confess that there is only one will and one energy for the three
Persons of the Holy Trinity. The Father wills and acts those things
which the Son and the Holy Spirit will and act. Many passages in Holy
Scripture manifest the unity of will and energy of the divine Persons
which make up the One and Trinitarian God. That is why they are
characterized as "Lord" (Kyrios), "The Lord God" or even " The Lord
Pantocrator" (Almighty). These characteristics are at times attributed
to the Father, at other times to the Son and at other times to the Holy
Spirit. Thus, the "Lord" whom Isaiah saw (Isaiah 6,1-10) is,
according to John 12,36-41, the Son, while according to Acts 28,25-27,
the Holy Spirit.
This
Trinitarian faith is expressed by Orthodox Christians by the manner
in which they baptize and in the way they glorify God: they are
baptized "in the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit" (Mtth.
28,19) and they glorify the Triune God: "glory to the Father, Son and
Holy Spirit". Orthodox Christians then are baptized in the way that
they believe and glorify God: in harmony with their Trinitarian faith.
The three Persons of the Holy Trinity are not separated, neither are
they confused; they exist one in the other (perichoresis); i.e.
each one of the divine persons is always within each of the other
two. There where the Father is, is also the Son and the Holy Spirit.
And wherever the Son is, there also is the Father and the Holy Spirit.
Where the Holy Spirit is, there also are the Father and the Son.
As
we have mentioned, there is only one source which pre-eternally
provides the divine essence: the Father. That which has been revealed to
us concerning the distinction of the divine persons is the manner in
which the divine essence is imparted: to the Son: through pre-eternal
generation; the Father pre-eternally begets the Son; to the Holy
Spirit: through pre-eternal procession; the Holy Spirit pre-eternally
proceeds from the Father.
This
divine revelation of the Triune God was given for man's salvation and
not in order to satisfy his curiosity. According to the Christian
teaching, man was created according to God's image. Knowing therefore
that God is a communion of persons, man delves into the knowledge of his
own nature; he realizes that he also is not condemned to isolation,
but created for communion and love. If God, who is man's archetype,
were not Triune, then man could never realize that which he so deeply
desires: communion and love. His entire life would be without any
release. This is why we declare that our faith in the Holy Trinity
constitutes man's only hope: "we have found true faith in worshipping
the Trinity undivided; for the Trinity has saved us" epigrammatically
states one of the hymns of the Divine Liturgy.
In
regard to this faith, the Orthodox Christian does not try to convince
others with logical arguments so that they will accept it. For should
he do so, he is obliged to move about in the field of purely human
searching and not on the level of God's revelation.
Addressing
himself to the Corinthians, St. Paul underlines: "God has revealed
[these things] to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches
everything, even the depths of God...So also no one comprehends God
except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the
world, but the Spirit which is from God, that we might understand the
gifts bestowed upon us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by
human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths
to those who possess the Spirit. The unspiritual man does not receive
the gifts of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is
not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. The
spiritual man judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no
one." (I Cor. 2, 10-15).
In unity with the Trinitarian faith the Orthodox Church chants:
"Come, Ο ye peoples, let us worship the Godhead of three Hypostases:
the Son in the Father, with the Holy Spirit; for the Father timelessly begat the Son,
Who
is co-eternal and of one throne; and the Holy Spirit was in the
Father, glorified with the Son; one Might, one Essence, one
Godhead, which we all worship saying:
Holy God,
Who didst create all things through the Son, with the cooperation of the Holy Spirit.
Holy Mighty,
through Whom we have known the Father,
and through Whom the Holy Spirit came to the world.
Holy Immortal, the Comforting Spirit,
Who proceedest from the Father and resteth in the Son. Ο Holy Trinity, glory be to Thee
(the Doxastikon of Pentecost Vespers).
Translated by Rev. Stephen Avramides
ATHENS 2001
God the Holy Trinity: ‘The Lover of Mankind’
The second session of The Way that was held on 2 September
focused on God the Holy Trinity as the ‘Lover of Mankind’. The talk was
given by Father Demetrios Bathrellos who began by noting that the
doctrine of the Trinity is often seen as confusing and difficult. Yet,
the question of God is the single most important question that we can
ask, and the answer that we give to it determines our present and our
future.
Believe in God is difficult for some people today. God does not
impose His presence and we need eyes of faith to see Him. Moreover,
people also have false ideas of God and so we also need to understand
what the Christian Church understands when it speaks of God.
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| The Lord & the saints (click here) |
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We believe that there is one God. But God is not impersonal; rather,
He is three persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. These
persons are not part of God but are fully God; they are distinct, but
never divided from one another.
Therefore from the beginning, in His very being, God is personal and
relates in love. He is a God of love, a God of love and communion. It is
this love that comes down to us, and in which we are called to share.
The Fathers of the Church and the Ecumenical Councils used the terms
‘nature’ and ‘essence’ to refer to the oneness of God and the terms
‘person’ and ‘hypostasis’ to refer to the persons of the Father, the Son
and the Holy Spirit. The former signifies what somebody is, whereas the
latter signifies who somebody is. This fact that the Christian God is a
community of persons is just as important as the fact that He is one
God.
We can know God because He has revealed Himself out of love. He
reveals Himself through creation, through human rationality, and through
our conscience. However, our alienation from God has obscured our
spiritual vision so that we may find it difficult to ‘see’ God, or even
to believe that He exists.
Therefore God chose to reveal Himself to the
people of Israel, even though this was still in a partial way. His final
and complete revelation occurred when God the Father sent His Son in the Spirit to become man. We know
God in Jesus Christ. No one has access to God the Father except through
the Son [cf. John 14:6]. Great efforts have been made by religions and
philosophers to conceive God and relate with Him. They are not always
fully wrong, but they are at best incomplete, unsatisfactory, and
misleading. They mainly represent man’s effort to reach the heavens. But
even the most skilful and well-trained human being cannot jump that
high.
We know God the Father through His Son Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ
lives and acts in the Church, which Saint Paul call’s the Body of
Christ. Through the Holy Spirit He removes our spiritual blindness so
that we can see reality as it really is.
Having a reliable knowledge of God is of great importance, for our
view of God shapes our own identity. Our knowledge of God is not simply
theoretical, but is also a result of our communion and relationship with
Him. However, our knowledge of God is not exhaustive and can never be
fully expressed in language, and this stops us reducing God to an idol
who we can fully understand.
We know that God is love, and this is true not only of the
relationship of love that exists between the Father, the Son and the
Holy Spirit, but it is also true of God’s relationship with us. God is
the ‘Lover of Mankind’.
Father Bathrellos discussed several characteristics of God’s love. It
is a free and creative love that respects our personhood and wants to
give us life full of life, joy, peace and love. It is immeasurable and
unconditional, totally unselfish and forgiving. He recalled the example
of the parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32) which shows us how
God always treats us as His children. God’s love is personal, caring and
providential, but it also respects our freedom and God does not impose
His love on us. It is also a teaching and correcting love and is not
devoid of justice. It is a loving justice that permits those who have
rejected Him to be separated from Him.
God’s love is humble and sacrificial and we see this in the way He
took on human flesh and became what we are in order to make us what He
is.
He died on the cross out of love for His executioners too, whom He
had forgiven. Yet His perfect and sacrificial love proved eventually
victorious. It brought about life. It led to the resurrection and opened
the doors of everlasting life to the whole world.
The question can be raised of where God is when we suffer. How can He allow suffering in the world.
Suffering came as a result of misused human freedom and much,
although not all, suffering is the result of human freedom. For
Christians, God’s involvement in our suffering is that
Jesus Christ suffered and died on the cross. Although He alone was
sinless, innocent and holy, He shared our suffering to the full. For our
sins He paid the price.
We may experience much suffering, but God is with us when we suffer.
We can endure the Cross because we know that God is with us, and
ultimately we need to see the Cross in the light of the Resurrection.
“Likewise, only in the Kingdom of God will the mystery of human pain and
suffering be fully understood and answered.”
Icon of the Holy Trinity
The Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic, Greek Orthodox Church in Greenville, South Carolina
How can God be shown in an icon? "God is
Spirit" says John. Through the incarnation God " became flesh and dwelt
among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of
the Father, full of grace and truth" (Jn 1:14). The Father, whom none
has seen, revealed himself in the Son. Jesus says, "He who has seen me
has seen the Father" (Jn 14.9)
Humankind is capable of apprehending a
vision of the image of the invisible God because he is created in the
"Image of God." The Church Fathers saw the nature of our created image
not as something static but as a living relationship. Any vision of God
is a personal, immediate knowledge of God between creator and creature.
It is of necessity the expression of a loving inward communion that is
only possible for the Son and the Father. For us this perfect vision is
not possible. The Church holds that the only possible image we have of
the incarnate God, is the Son. But he is invisible in his divine nature
without beginning even though he came to us as a mortal, born of a
virgin mother. So even the image of the Son is only a limited view of
God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Any image or icon can only point us
to what is not seen.
In the Old Testament we had prefiguations
of God through the visions of the Prophets of Elias, Isaiah, and Daniel.
Among these images that were given to us was the one given to Abraham
and recorded by Moses. God appeared to Abraham at the oak of Mambre in
the form of three men. This image which has become the main icon of the Holy
Trinity is no manifestation of the infinite, but a prophetic vision of
this mystery which has been revealed over time though the development of
iconography.
The earliest depiction of this event found
in Genesis 18 is a 4th century fresco found in the Via Latina
Catacomb.It shows Abraham sitting under a tree greeting three youths
standing in front of him on a raised platform with his raised hand. To
his right is a calf suggesting his yet to come hospitality. The youth
represent angels as early depictions of angels were as beardless youths.
The three are similar in size and clothed alike. There is not real
distinction among them. Clearly this image in an interpretation of this scene from the Old Testament.
We have from the 5th century a magnificent
mosaic from the Saint Maria Maggiore in Rome. Abraham greets three
youths on his knees. They now have halos or nimbi indicating a radiant
light of glory around them. The one in the center is enclosed in a
mandorla. Below they sit at a table and Abraham and Sarah are providing
them hospitality. There is a bowl in front of the table for washing and
on the table are three loaves of bread. Abraham is offering them a
whole calf. Again an interpretation of the Biblical event.
Another
early mosaic is found in San Vitale, Ravenna. Here one angel is
pointing to the calf that Abraham holds and the other points to the
bread. The one on the left holds his hand in blessing. This shows a
network of relationships. This form remained unchanged for many
centuries.
In the Eastern church a new iconographic
type appeared around the year 1000. The image contains Abraham and Sarah
and the three angels seated at the table. The guests no longer sit side
by side but
are group around a semicircular table. The middle angel is
distinguished from the others and carries a scroll in his left hand
while blessing with his right. The nimbus about his head has a cross
clearly symbolizing Christ. This type is begun to be referred to as the
Holy Trinity and was Christ centered. The image to the right is from a
11th century Greek psalter.
In the 14th century we have the well known
iconographer Theophanes the Greek who painted many icons in Russia. He
did the iconography in the church of the Transfiguration of Christ in
Novgorod. This fresco
of the trinity shows the familiar arrangement. The center angel appears
more prominent. He bears a cross nimbus and carries along with his
staff a large scroll. clearly symbolizing Christ.
In the late Byzantine period another
interpretation appeared. An example comes from the Athonite Monastery of
Vatopedi. It is more elaborate . The angels sit around a richly
decorated table. The central angel has his head turned to the side with
the head inclined slightly. His hand is no longer raised in blessing but
now makes a gesture towards the vessel in front of him. He still has
the cross nimbus. Abraham and Sarah are inserted between the angels with
an attitude of reverence. The two side angels have clear gestures. One
on the left blesses the table and the one on the right reaches for piece
of bread. We also see in the background a house and a tree from the
Biblical narrative.
This form is commonly seen in current
iconography in the Greek Orthodox Churches. Shown below is a recent copy
of this form of icon. Here there is no cross in the nimbus of the
central angel and they appear equal in size. The table is clearly a
dinning table fixed with food.
Saint Andrew Rublev Icon of the Holy Trinity
These series of icons shown above form the
background for the development of one the most famous icons of the
Trinity by the Russian iconographer Saint Andrew Rublev.
There was no fixed form for the Trinity at the time of Rublev in the
15th century. This left painters freedom in their interpretation. He was
aware of the transition from Christ centered icons of the Trinity
toward a more theologically correct trinitarian view.
Year 1411 or 1425-27
Type Tempera
Dimensions 142 cm × 114 cm (56 in × 45 in)
Location Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow
Saint Andrew introduced definite changes to
the pattern that immediately preceded him. The central angel no longer
looks at the beholder but at an angle to the left. The angel on the left
and the right cross each other so the center of gravity moves from the
central angel to one on the left. The angels are of equal size. He give
the central angel clothing characteristic of Christ and makes the
clothing of the other two unique. The hand are no longer pointing to
objects on the table which is smaller and there is now room only for a
chalice in its middle containing the sacrificial lamb. Their gestures do
not relate to food as in earlier icons but to one another. They
represent three separate distinct persons who in intimate relation with
each other.
The angel on the left is clothed in a pale
pink cloak with brown and blue-green highlights. The one in the center
is clothed in the customary colors of Christ. A dark red robe and blue
cloak. The one on the right has a green cloak. The clear and precise
colors of the central angel are contrasted with the soft hues of the
other two. The colors seem to blend and harmonize unifying the three
figures giving them a tranquil joyfulness. Just as in so many other
icons, gold indicates the value of the image and draws us into the
Kingdom of Heaven. It is as if the entire scene were suffused with
light. Fitting because of the subject – no less than God himself – the
same God who dwells in light unapproachable, the same God who dwells in
the Kingdom of Heaven.
The table no longer looks like a dinning
table but is a cube clearly recognizable as an altar with an opening for
the relics. The hosts Abraham and Sarah are no longer in the picture.
He
uses the biblical background but relates it to the three figures. The
angel on the left is coordinated with the house, the one in the middle
with a tree and the one on the right with a rock. These relationships
become symbolic.
Over the head of the Father who is on the
left is the house of the Father. It is the goal of our journey. It is
the beginning and end of our lives. Its roof is golden. Its door is
always open for the traveler. It has a tower, and its window is always
open so that the Father can incessantly scan the roads for a glimpse of a
returning prodigal.
He is vested in a blue undergarment which
depicts his divine celestial nature. His fatherly authority is seen in
his entire appearance. His head is not bowed and he is looking at the
other two angels. His whole demeanor - the expression on his face, the
placement of his hands, the way he is sitting - all speaks of his
fatherly dignity.
Behind the center angle who symbolizes
christ is a great tree that spreads its shade in heat of the day. It is
no ordinary tree. It stands above the Son
in the picture, and stands above the altar-table where the lamb lies
within the chalice. Because of the sacrifice this tree grows. The tree
of death has been transformed into a tree of life for us.
The Son has the deepest colors; a thick
heavy garment of the reddish-brown of blood earth and a cloak of the
blue of heaven. In his person he unites heaven and earth, the two
natures are present in him, and over his right shoulder (the Government
shall be upon his shoulder) there is a band of gold shot through the
earthly garment, as his divinity suffuses and transfigures his earthly
being. He is inclined towards the first angel, as though deep in
conversation.
The
angel on the right symbolizes the Holy Spirit. His green mantle of the
Spirit, scintillating with light, is another of Rublev’s achievements.
Green belongs to the Spirit because the Spirit is the source of life. On
the Feast of Pentecost, Eastern Orthodox churches are decorated with
greenery, boughs and branches, and worshippers will wear green clothing.
The Orthodox prayer to the Holy Spirit begins, "O Heavenly King,
Comforter, the Spirit of Truth, Who art everywhere present and fillest
all things, Treasury of blessings and Giver of Life…"
This sense of the Spirit as the source of
life, everywhere present, filling all things, contributes to one of the
distinct feaatures of Orthodox theology. That is, it is intimately bound
up with daily life. There is no such thing as theology which is purely
intellectual. If theology doesn't change you, if it doesn’t flood you
with light, it’s not worth your time.
This icon is appreciated for its
simplicity. Saint Andrew was successful at advancing the iconographic
tradition of the Church adding depth and bringing greater clarity to a
doctrine that is forever mystically clothed.
Henry Nouwen, the great spiritual writer from Notre Dame, notes:
“Andrei Rublev painted this icon not only to share the
fruits of his own meditation on the mystery of the Holy Trinity but also
to offer his fellow monks a way to keep their hearts centered on God
while living in the midst of political unrest. The more we look at this
holy image with the eyes of faith, the more we come to realize that is
painted not as a lovely decoration for a convent church, nor as a
helpful explanation of a difficult doctrine, but as a holy place to
enter and stay within. As we place ourselves in front of the icon in
prayer, we come to experience a gentle invitation to participate in an
intimate table conversation that is taking place between the three
divine angels and to join them at the table. The movement from the
Father toward the Son and the movement of both Son and Spirit toward the
Father become a movement in which the one who prays is lifted up and
held secure. Through the contemplation of this icon we come to see with
our own inner eyes that all the engagements in this world can bear fruit
only when they take place within the divine circle. We can be involved
in struggles for justice and actions for peace. We can be part of the
ambiguities of family and community life. We can study, teach, write,
and hold a regular job. We can do all of this without ever having to
leave the house of love… Rublev's icon gives us a glimpse of the house
of perfect love.”
Abraham and Sarah from Genesis 18:
"The Lord appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre, as
he sat at the entrance of his tent in the heat of the day. He looked up
and saw three men/angels standing near him. When he saw them, he ran
from the tent entrance to meet them and bowed down to the ground. He
said, “My lord, if I find favor with you, do not pass by your servant.
Let a little water be brought and wash your feet. Rest yourselves under
the tree. Let me bring a little bread, that you may refresh yourselves
and after that you may pass on—since you have come to your servant.” So
they said, “Do as you have said.” And Abraham hastened into the tent to
Sarah and said, Make ready quickly three measures of choice flour, knead
it and make cakes.” Abraham ran to the herd and took a calf, tender and
good, and gave it to the servant, who hastened to prepare it. Then he
took curds and milk and the calf that he had prepared, and set it before
them; and he stood by them under the tree while they ate."
