Christianity, Judaism and Islam are all considered monotheistic religions, that is, they believe there is only one true God. However, Christianity proclaims the Godhead is a Trinity, consisting of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. How can we reconcile this apparent discrepancy? The Hebrew Bible, which Christians call the Old Testament, clearly states:

“ Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: 

And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.” (Deuteronomy 6:4, 5)

However, the Hebrew Bible also says that when God created mankind, he said:

“ And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.” (Genesis 1:26, 27)

You will notice that this is the first implication of God’s Trinitarian nature. And he refers to mankind as both him and them. It seems apparent to me this indicates the Godhead has both masculine and feminine attributes and that to complete the image of God requires both male and female humans. You can begin to sense this when you read that after God created the first man, Adam, he then took one of Adam’s ribs and used it to fashion a woman. And Adam said:

“ This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.”  (Genesis 2:23, 24)

This clearly says the female was taken out of the original male and when male and female are joined (married) they become one flesh. This became painfully evident to me when my wife of 53 years passed away in 2017. I felt that a large part of me had been ripped away, leaving a gaping wound. It took a while for that wound to heal and the scar it left is still painful.

A clear image of the Trinity began to emerge when Jesus was incarnated in human flesh. Jesus often spoke of his Father in heaven (e.g., Matthew 7:21; 10:32, 333; 11:27; 12:50; 16:17; 18:10, etc.) The implication was that he was the Son of God.

Later, when he proclaimed:

“I and my Father are one.” (John 10:30)

The Jews picked up stones to stone him. And when he asked why, they replied:

“The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God. (John 10:33)

When the time neared in which he would be arrested and bound over for trial, leading to his death, Jesus lifted up his eyes to heaven and said:

“Father, the hour is come, glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee.” John 17:1

He continued:

“And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. 

Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.” (John 17:11)

And:

“Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;

That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be

one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. (John 17: 20. 21)

Shortly before that, Jesus had spoken to his disciples about the third facet of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, saying:

“ If ye love me, keep my commandments. 

 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever; 

The Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. 

 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. 

Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more: but ye see me: Because I live, ye shall live also. 

At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.”  (John 14: 15-20)

The clear implication of all this is that the three aspects of the Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) are one Trinitarian God. And furthermore that the disciples of the Son (male and female) will become one with them, a perfect marriage.

The Apostle Paul speaks of this in his instructions to husbands:

“So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. 

For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: 

For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. 

 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto hiswife, and they two shall be one flesh. 

 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.” (I Corinthians 5:28-32)

And later Paul says:

“Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.” (I Corinthians 12.27)

The Book of Revelation speaks of the marriage of Christ and his church:

“ Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. 

Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. 

And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.

…Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb.” (Revelation 19:6-9)

The theological term Perichoresis describes the relationship of the Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) as cleaving to one another such that they have their being in each other without any coalescence or commingling. Once again the analogy of male and female marriage is evoked. Perichoresis has also called the Dance of Love, with the three Persons of the Trinity in a dynamic, interactive, loving and serving relationship, which is the model for human relationships, marriage in particular. So we are invited to join with the Trinity in this Dance of Love. This is the destiny that God offers to us all, the ultimate unity.