Should We Use Analogies to Describe the Trinity?

In Christian circles, analogies are often used to describe the Trinity. But are they accurate? Today, Michael Reeves examines how Scripture challenges and deepens our understanding of our triune God.

NATHAN W. BINGHAM: This week on the Ask Ligonier podcast, we are joined by Dr. Michael Reeves who is president and professor of theology at Union School of Theology. And we're recording live from Ligonier's 2024 National Conference. Dr. Reeves, should we use analogies to describe the Trinity? Why or why not?

DR. MICHAEL REEVES: It is very popular in Christian circles to use analogies for the Trinity, and it’s understandable why it is, because many Christians feel the Trinity otherwise is so incomprehensible: “I want something simple that is just a picture so I can get it.” And so, the classic sort of analogies you hear are: “God is like H2O—water, ice, steam. God is like a shamrock or clover leaf—three bits sticking out of the one leaf.” So, I do understand that’s made things quite simple, and we can picture this. The problem with analogies though is, amusing though they can sometimes be—God being like a three-headed giant or streaky bacon—it can fix in someone’s mind, but they’re usually far more distorting than revealing.

So, take the H2O example. That suggests that, at some point, God is icy, and then changes into a different being, a different mode to become the Son—ice to water, Father to Son—and then on to becoming steamy and spiritual. And that idea that ice is not water at the same time—there are different states, and they can’t be in the two states at the same time—that would suggest that the Father becomes the Son and is not anymore the Father. The entire logic of the gospel falls apart if that’s the case because if God is a one-time Father and then becomes Son, then if I’m adopted in the Son, there’s no Father for me to call Abba. And if he’s Father at that time, there’s no Son for me to be adopted in. And the shamrock illustration suggests that we have really a biological oddity—this thing called God divided three ways, which is not what we’re talking about in the Trinity. We’re talking about three persons, not one thing split into three portions.

Now people could be disappointed by that, thinking, “But they make it so simple.” Actually, it is far better to go to Scripture and see how the Trinity is spoken of there, for the reason Christians believe in the Trinity is not because of H2O, shamrock leaves, streaky bacon, but because of Jesus Christ.

In John 20:31, John says he writes the things of his gospel “so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” That invitation to believe in Jesus is an invitation to a Trinitarian faith, for Jesus is the Christ, the Anointed One, the One anointed with the Spirit, the Son of God; God is His Father. So, you’re immediately being told about a triune God.

And when you watch the Trinity in action in Scripture, that’s telling you truth. So, a good place to go, particularly if you do want a really simple picture of the Trinity, you can explain to your kids, I’d say go, for example, to the baptism of Jesus, and there we see the three persons of the Trinity relating for our salvation (see Matt. 3:13–17). We see the Son there, standing in the water, and then the Father from heaven addressing Him, saying, “You are my beloved Son, in whom I’m well pleased.” And what have I missed out so far? The Spirit resting on the Son in bodily form like a dove, just as the Father declares those words of love. And you see, that’s the God we’re talking about. The God—that’s true of Him in eternity, and we are watching that in history at that moment, that God is a Father loving His Son as He pours out His Spirit on Him.

And there’s a picture you can give to your kids, but it’s straight from Scripture. That’s the way to go: not manmade human analogies, but Scripture’s own clear, beautiful revelation of a God who outside of Scripture will seem weird; once revealed in Scripture, you see who this God is. He’s good news.