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  "path": "/2026/06/01/mystery-of-god-three-and-one/",
  "publishedAt": "2026-06-01T14:23:32.000Z",
  "site": "https://juicyecumenism.com",
  "tags": [
    "Theology",
    "Ryan N. Danker",
    "John Wesley Institute",
    "here",
    "consider a gift today here",
    "The Mystery of God: Three and One",
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  "textContent": "_“The knowledge of the Three-One God is interwoven with all true Christian faith, with all vital religion.”_ -John Wesley\n\nThere are many “quotes” misattributed to historical figures. And it’s often these quotes that people put on memes or t-shirts. They become part of the legend.\n\nThe most famous one for Wesley—he never said it, sorry— is without a doubt: “do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.”\n\nIt’s a lovely call to a Christlike life! And we should actually carry it out, even if Wesley never said it.\n\nBut another misquote is appropriate for this Sunday, Trinity Sunday. It’s attributed to St. Augustine of Hippo, the fourth century intellectual powerhouse. I wish he had said it, but he didn’t. The quote is: “If you deny the Trinity, you’ll lose your soul. But if you try to understand the Trinity, you’ll lose your mind.”\n\nTrinity Sunday, always the Sunday following Pentecost, is a unique moment in the Christian calendar when we celebrate a doctrine. Or in this case, a dogma.\n\nIt’s fitting that we celebrate it, however, as the doctrine of the Trinity acknowledges the full revelation of God in Jesus Christ. With his passion and resurrection, the full divinity of Jesus was revealed. Only as fully man could the cross address human sin and brokenness. But only as fully God could the man Jesus have accomplished this victory!\n\nLikewise, the promised Comforter, the Holy Spirit, was poured out at Pentecost, communicating the love of the Father and the victory of the Son. This is something only God can do.\n\nThe doctrine is both straightforward and a great mystery. God is three, yet one. He is not a committee, but a unity revealed as three Persons. Each Person of the Trinity is co-eternal, worthy of our praise and love. In fact, this unity of Persons is love itself.\n\nWe can dive into the doctrine, and many of the great thinkers have, including St. Augustine. Yet we can never fully know the innerworkings of God. What we can know is what He has revealed to us.\n\nMetaphors are often problematic here because God is like none other. Hopefully, you won’t hear metaphors in church this week about God being a three-leaf clover, or water in different forms, or the worst I’ve ever heard, God is like Neapolitan ice cream! These all fall into heresy, even if not intentionally so.\n\nWhat we know about God is that the Father, the Word, and the Spirit are one and in that unity of love, God—the Word, sent by the Father, through the Spirit—has come to us fully and finally in the person of Jesus. He has made Himself known. And the revealed doctrine of the Trinity is truly a revelation of love; a love that from eternity has existed in God because it is His very nature. That love will never cease to seek out and save the lost.\n\nSo, Happy Trinity Sunday, everyone!\n\n* * *\n\n_Ryan N. Danker is director of the_ John Wesley Institute_, Washington, DC_.  _This is adapted from a weekly JWI newsletter that can be subscribed to_ here_._\n\n**P.S.** A special thank you to all of you that support this ministry. We rely on donors just like you. Please consider a gift today here on our secure donation page or contact me directly if you would like to discuss other giving options. Thank you for your support!\n\nThe post The Mystery of God: Three and One appeared first on Juicy Ecumenism.",
  "title": "The Mystery of God: Three and One"
}