What does it mean that the Trinity is God in three Persons?

When we talk about the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit as being “Persons,” we do not mean they are human beings or that they are like mankind in any way. In our everyday language, though, that is how the word person is often used, so it is understandable that some confusion surrounds references to the three “Persons” of the Trinity.

When we talk about God, we are using the word Person to show that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit each have personhood or personality. The personhood of the Father, Son, and Spirit can be seen in the distinct roles they have in relation to each other and the relationships that exist among them.

Each Person of the Trinity had a unique role in the salvation of mankind. Ephesians 1 says that the Father chose us (Ephesians 1:4), the Son redeemed us (Ephesians 1:7), and the Holy Spirit sealed us (Ephesians 1:13). The Holy Spirit is a Person unique from the Father or the Son: the Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son (John 15:26). The Father and the Son are also unique Persons: when Jesus prayed to the Father, He was not praying to Himself (see Luke 23:34). Each Person of the Trinity shares the same divine nature but has a distinct role. Using the word person is one of the only ways our language has to describe this concept.

All three Persons of the Trinity comprise the one, perfectly unified God. They share the same nature and essence—they are one being. They differ only in role and relationship—each Person of the Godhead is “an eternal and distinct personal expression of that one undivided divine nature” (Ware, B., “The Trinity of Persons,” 1/31/05, www.desiringgod.org/messages/the-trinity-of-persons, accessed 2/4/26).

The fact that God exists in three Persons is important for several reasons. For instance, God is love (1 John 4:8). But, in eternity past, before God created any other being, how could He have truly been love? That is, can love exist where there is no one to be loved? Because God exists in three co-equal, co-eternal Persons, love exists eternally, too. Eternal love has been expressed eternally among the Persons of the Godhead. The Father, Son, and Spirit have always loved each other; therefore, love is eternal.

God existing in three Persons is ultimately beyond our comprehension, but Scripture provides the clues that lead us to that conclusion. The triune nature of God is a biblical truth that we accept by faith.

Below is the best symbol for the Trinity we are aware of (click to expand):