The Trinity of God is not
understood by many. The fact that Christianity is a monotheistic religion (as
is Judaism and Islam) is a mystery to many, especially since we refer to God as
one (in essence) but three (hypostases). There have been many explanations of
what the Trinity is. Here, Dumitru Staniloae explains the Triunie God as God of
True Reason, claiming:
“It can be said that the Triune
God is also the God of true Reason, understood as the force of goodness and
harmony…it is St. Maximus the Confessor who develops this idea. A monopersonal
god would not give himself as the model and power behind harmony. He would not
have anyone equal with himself who could draw near to humans, fulfilling the
role of mediator between God and men, and among men themselves. St. Maximus the
Confessor present the preincarnate Son of God as the Reason according to which
everything was created, and the incarnate Christ as the one who once again
brings harmony to creation, and between creation and God. This is because true
Reason is one with love; and a monopersonal god would not have love as the
power to create the world and as the purpose of creation. The world is created
by the incarnate Son of God to receive Him into it. For all love comes from
Him, in all the stages through which men have to pass during their lifetimes,
so that in Him all may love the Father and thus love each other”[1].
Saint Maximus the Confessor,
Questions to Thalassius, in Filocalia states that, “Christ Jesus, the Word of
God, as the Maker [Creator] of all, also made the natural law [i.e., the law of
natural harmony]. And as the Cause and Giver of laws He gave, certainly, both
the law written in letters and the law of the Spirit, which is to say, the law
of grace [of the gospel]. For the ‘end of the law’, which is to say, the
written law, understood spirituality, ‘is Christ’ [Rom 10:4]. So if in Christ
as Maker [Creator], as Cause and Giver of laws, and as Redeemer, the natural
law, the written law, and the law of grace are brought together, this adds truth
to the words of the holy Apostle that God will judge the secrets of men
according to His gospel [cf. Rom 2:16], which is to say that He judges
according to the good news that He brings”[2].
[1]
Staniloae, Dumitru, The Holy Trinity – In
the Beginning There was Love, (Brookline, Holy Cross Orthodox Press, 2012),
p. 8
[2]
Maximus the Confessor, Questions to
Thalassius 13(Patrologia Graeca [PG] 90:296), in Filocalia, trans. Dumitru
Staniloae, 2nd ed. (Bucharest: Humanitas, 1999), 3:63
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