In attempts at explaining the Trinity, several illustrations have been used, but each has its problems. The shamrock has been mocked as picturing a three-headed God, one person with three minds. The parts of an egg, the shell, white and yolk are distinct, but they are also very different from each other. As water is transformed from liquid to ice and then to steam, it is still composed of the very same particles of matter, the same H2O molecules. Others have also pointed out that, except in elaborate laboratory experiments, any given temperature produces only one of these at a time - hardly an apt illustration of three distinct personalities.

The following explanation seems to demonstrate the unity of the Triune God while also illustrating the individuality of its three members.

Air is a mixture of molecules of nitrogen, oxygen, and minute amounts of other gases that surrounds the earth and forms its atmosphere. These elements are called gases. Wind is the movement of these molecules of gases, all at once and all together. From soft zephyrs to mighty tornadoes, whether caressing or crushing, it is one air, one wind composed of infinite numbers of molecules of all the different gases. These diverse elements all have the same vapor-like state, and they move as one in perfect unison, invisibly flowing in all directions. Yet each has its different function, and together they are constantly doing all manner of work on the earth. Each interacts in different ways with the varied forms of nature. Oxygen gives breath to every plant, and creature on earth and in the sea. Nitrogen fertilizes the plant life, and carbon-dioxide is essential to its production of food. Each of these elements is air-borne, yet together, they compose the air, the wind, purifying, pollinating, pruning, combining to form rain and snow, sleet and hail.

In scripture, the Holy Spirit is often typified by the wind; but God the Father is also Spirit, and the Son is a Quickening Spirit as well. Together, they are the Spirit Wind, individual personalities performing distinct spiritual tasks. The Father in the Son, the Son in the Father, the Holy Spirit going forth from and with the Father and the Son, invisibly moving about and above and beyond the universe, sustaining and maintaining it, restraining sin, dispensing judgment, creating life, both physical and spiritual.

Individually, they are each one omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent. Each would be infinitely capable of doing it all alone, yet they are one breath, one wind, one Spirit, one Triune God. Of course, to truly become the Son of Man, our Lord had to forget his all-knowing omniscience, surrender his all-powerful omnipotence, and draw down from his everywhere-existent omnipresence to exist in only one place at a time, beginning with his conception in an ovum of his virgin mother and continuing until his glorious resurrection and glorification, when he was restored to the glory he had with the Father before he came into the world.

While on the earth, Jesus Christ did nothing on his own, moving in obedience to the father’s commands and in the power of the Holy Spirit. Since he has been glorified, his body sits at the right hand of God, but his Spirit is again omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent, For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily (Colossians 2:9).

In the one test tube at the exact same micro-second, the bottom of the tube will freeze, the middle of the tube will remain liquid, and the top of the tube will puff into steam. Water exists in three separate states (solid, liquid, gas) simultaneously within the 1 test tube. I’m sure there is a weakness in this analogy somewhere due to using natural things to illustrate the divine nature. But if water can co-exist in 3 different states simultaneously, it shouldn’t be a problem for the Creator of the universe (God).

A few years ago, my wife bought a candle for the sofa table. As I sat in the darkened room, lighted only by this candle, my attention was drawn to the Trinity. True, there is not a suitable comparison to the Trinity in our natural world, but this was enlightening and edifying for me.

This candle was only one candle, but it had three wicks. It occured to me that when we lit the first wick, we had light and heat. As we lit successive wicks, we had nothing different than we had with lighting the first, but we did reach the intended fullness of effect. The three wicks were fully separate and distinct in operation, but totally united in purpose. There was absolutely no conflict between the three wicks of the one candle. The weakness in this analogy is that, with the candle, each of the wicks had the same function. With the Trinity, the roles of each member is different, but remaining in unity and blended in purpose to achieve the intended fullness of effect.