About Trinity

Concept of Trinity

The true church teaches that Trinity exist as a single personality as God, but receives worship as separate personality.

Let us see how the Angels are worshipping the Trinity separately and singularly.

See Revelation 4:8, Revelation 4:11, Revelation 5:11-12, Revelation 7:11

“Holy, holy, holy,
Lord God Almighty,
Who was and is and is to come!”

“You are worthy, O Lord,
To receive glory and honor and power;
For You created all things,
And by Your will they exist and were created.”

“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain
To receive power and riches and wisdom,
And strength and honor and glory and blessing!”

“Blessing and honor and glory and power
Be to Him who sits on the throne,
And to the Lamb, forever and ever!”

“Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom,
Thanksgiving and honor and power and might,
Be to our God forever and ever.
Amen.”

It is difficult to understand whether Angels, Elders, and Living creatures are worshipping Yeshuwa (The Son), or Abon (The Father), or Ruho (The Holy Spirit).

Let us go little deeper and see how the Holy Church worships our Lord separately and singularly..

The One True God (The Trinity)

Glory be to Him who is invisible, mysterious and beyond human thoughts, mind and comprehension. He, who is self existent, self sufficient, maker and author of all things visible and invisible and has no beginning and will continue without end; the eternal, everlasting and the incomprehensible one true God, one nature, one authority and one will of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. There is not in Him a name without a person and no person is younger or older than the other person, neither is there any transformation or alteration of one person is another in greatness and smallness.

No name or person is younger or separated from the divine substance. Whenever the Father is mentioned, the Son and the Spirit are of Him, and whenever the Son is mentioned, the Father and the Spirit are acknowledged in Him, and whenever the Spirit is mentioned the Father and the Son are included.

The Father begets and is not begotten. The Son is begotten and does not beget. The Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and takes from the Son and is consubstantial and co-essential with the Father.

O God, invisible, inscrutable, eternal and immeasurable, You are conceivable in the oneness of essence and are apparent in three Holy persons, who are understood in 3 characteristic attributes by all rational beings and are acknowledged one God in three worshipped persons; a perfect Trinity of three perfect persons; Father, Son and Holy Spirit; one sublime essence, one eternal nature, one true God.

O God the Father, You were pleased to restore man who was created in Your own image, and who by his free will slid into idolatry; You sent Your Word and Your Son for our reformation. When He became man without any alteration, He explained to us the ineffability of the Godhead, and announced to us the unknown things and the hidden secrets of Your wisdom in that he knows You and in that he is of You.

He informed us about the third light of the Godhead who is the person of the Holy Spirit, who proceeds from You, O Father, in an indescribable manner. The Spirit of truth, the Spirit of wisdom, the Spirit of might, the Spirit of knowledge, the perfecter Spirit, the performer Spirit, the non-quantitative Spirit, the affectionate Spirit, the Spirit that guides the teachers; the beneficent Spirit, the powerful Spirit, the almighty Spirit, the Spirit that is simple in His nature and manifold in His operation, who is the source of divine gifts and is consubstantial with You and with Your only begotten Son, the Spirit who spoke in the law through the prophets and the disciples, who is near to all and fills all, who effects sanctification with authority, and not entreatingly, upon those with whom He is pleased.

For You reign over us, O God, the Father and Lord of all, with Your only begotten Son, who quickens all, and Your Holy Spirit the most blessed, worshipped, life-giving and consubstantial with You, now and forever. Amen

Yeshuwa Messiah (The Son )

Christ our God, the enlightening brilliance of conceptual light, who with the Father and the Holy Spirit, is majestically blessed and sanctified by the heavenly hosts, who took flesh upon his own will and lived amongst us; who was born of a virgin in order to fulfill all the things by which we were redeemed, namely, birth, baptism, crucifixion, death and resurrection.

When He determined to ascend to his Father, He gathered His apostles on the Mount of Olives and by laying on them His holy hands, He blessed them and granted to them the abundant priestly gifts.

He breathed on them the Holy Spirit, saying: “Remain in Jerusalem until I send you the Holy Spirit from my Father and He will enlighten you and grant you the wisdom of His abundant gifts; but if I do not go away, the comforter will not come to you”.

When He had assured His disciples of these promises, He ascended to heaven with a shout of joy and sat gloriously on the throne at his Father’s right hand. And when the day of Pentecost was fulfilled, the Holy Spirit descended upon them. He bestowed on them divine gifts, adorned them with divine wisdom, enlightened them with spiritual doctrines and enriched them with tongues of all the nations.

Bestow upon Your Holy church peace and tranquility that proceeds from You. Visit, O Lord, by Your mercies, the sick, the oppressed as well as those who have asked and are asking the prayers of our humble selves. By Your loving kindness, grant rest and make good commemoration to our parents, brethren, teachers and all the faithful departed. Together with them, we offer glory and thanksgiving to You and to Your Father and to your Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen

Ruho (The Holy Spirit )

Glory be to the Lord, the Holy Spirit, who proceeds from the invisible Father and takes from the adorable Son; who performs all that He wills and works all things by His mighty power; who, from ancient times, spoke by the prophets the things to come and the mysteries; who, at last, proclaimed by the apostles the hidden secrets and the concealed knowledge, who, in the likeness of fiery tongues, descended in holiness upon them and filled them completely with wisdom and understanding.

O God, the Comforter, the sanctifier of Churches, the perfector of all the divine ministries, the giver of priesthood, the performer of baptism, the consecrator of all sacraments, and the absolver of sins, the Spirit, who searches in the depths of thoughts, who declares hidden things, who proclaims things to come, and who performs marvelous miracles. The Holy Spirit, who is the receiver and not the giver, the perfector who does not need to be perfected; who declares but cannot Himself be expressed in words; the sanctifier who needs no sanctification, the deifying, who has no need to be deified.

The Spirit, who moves on His own accord; the Spirit who possess His own authority and power; the Spirit who is glorified in His own glory; the Spirit who is exalted in His supreme site of dignity; the Spirit, who is light and the giver of light. The Spirit of grace and the fount of goodness. The upright Spirit; the majestic Spirit, the Spirit who is Lord, the Spirit of Sonship, the Spirit of truth, the Spirit of wisdom, the Spirit of understanding, the Spirit of knowledge. The Spirit of piety, the Spirit who prepares temples for Himself, the Spirit who guides, the Spirit who operates as He wills, and wills as it is meet, the Spirit who distributes gifts to everyone. The Spirit of consolation, the Spirit of royalty, the Spirit of mighty deeds, the Spirit of perfection, the Spirit of accomplishment, the Spirit who exceeds in quality, the Spirit who is beyond quantity.

The Spirit who loves mankind, the Spirit who fulfills the prophets, the Spirit who perfects the apostles, the Spirit, who fortifies the martyrs, the Spirit who adorns the temples, the Spirit who pours forth doctrines on teachers, the Spirit who makes the simple wise. The beneficent Spirit, the omnipotent Spirit, the Spirit by whom the Father is known, the Spirit by whom the Son is believed, the Spirit who alone is worshipped with the Father and the Son, the Spirit who possesses all the Father’s attributes except Fatherhood, the Spirit who owns all the Son’s qualities other than birth and incarnation.

There everlasting Spirit, who is not less in age than the Father, the eternal Spirit, who is not younger than the Son, the Spirit who has neither beginning nor end, and is neither precedent to the Father nor more ancient than the Son. We pray You, O God, the comforter Spirit, by this sweet incense, beseeching the abundance of Your incomprehensible richness, that You be pleased to renew un to us Your divine gifts, and to rest upon us as You did upon the holy disciples in the upper room; divide among us Your heavenly presents, fill us with your divine wisdom and with the doctrines of Your divine mysteries, make us temples for the dwelling of Your glory, grant us to drink to the full from the abundance of Your grace, satisfy us with the sublime richness of Your bright light, grant to us that we live to You and yield ourselves to You that we may, in purity and holiness, worship You, O God, the Comforter Spirit. Through You and by You we worship the invisible Father, from whom You proceed, and the Son of whom You take, now and forever. Amen

Nicene Creed

The first ecumenical synod at Nicea in A.D. 325 formulated the fundamental beliefs of all Christians in what has since been known as the Nicene creed. The second and third synods at Constantinople and Ephesus expanded this statement of faith. To this day, this remains the creed of the Syriac Orthodox Church.

It is believed by the Syriacs that there was the presence of Holy Spirit in the Nicene creed. There were 318 bishops but 319 chairs, however when all bishops sat down, there was no empty chair. The Nicene creed was led by Eustathius of Antioch, our 23rd Patriarch and Athanasius, Patriarch of Alexandria.

The Nicene Creed About the Trinity
THE FATHER: We believe in One God( Exodus), The Father (Mathew 5) Almighty (John 10:29), Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible (Genesis). THE SON: And in One Lord (1 Cor 8:6), Yeshuwa Messiah, the Only-Begotten Son of God (John 3:16, Mat 3:17, 16:16, 17:5, John 5:32, 5:37, Rom 1:5), Who was begotten of the Father before all worlds (Colo 1:15, 17). Light of Light (John 8:12, 1:8), True God of True God (1 John 5:20), begotten and not made (John 1:14), and being of one substance with His Father (Colo 1:15, Phili 2:6, 2 Cor 4:4, Ebr 1:13); by Whom all things were made (John 1:3, 1 Cor 8:6, Colo 1:16); Who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven (Mat 1:21, Luk 2:11, John 4:42, Phili 2:6-8, 2 Cor 8:9, John 3:13) and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit and of the Virgin Mary, Mother of God (Luke 1:43). And He became man (Luke 1:35, 43, Isaiah 7:14, Ebr 2:18, 4:15, John 19:5, Mat 8:20, 11:19, 13:54, Luke 8:25, 23:50, 53, Mark 10:45) , and was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate (Mat 27:17, 26:35, 50, 59, 60), and He suffered, died, and was buried (1 Pet 3:18, 2:21, 4:1, Rom 6:1, Colo 1:20), and on the third day He rose according to His will (Mat 28:6,7). And ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of His Father (Acts 1:9, 7:55, 56, 1 John 2:2). And He will come again with great glory to judge both the living and the dead(Mat 16:2, 2 Peter 3:13-16, Acts 10:42, 2 Tim 4:1), and His kingdom shall have no end (Luke 1., 12:32, Rom 14:17). THE HOLY SPIRIT: And we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of life to all (John 6:63, Rom 8:11), Who proceeds from the Father (John 14:16, 26, 15:26), Who together with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified (John 16:14), Who spoke through the Prophets and Apostles (2 Peter 1:21, Mat 10:20, Acts 16:6, 28:26, 27, 5:3). And in one Holy Catholic (Universal) and Apostolic Church (Mat 16). We confess one baptism (Acts 2:38, 22:16) for the remission of sins. And we look for the resurrection of the dead (Mat, 1 Thess), and the new life in the world to come (1 Themo ). Amen.

The Nicene Creed About the Trinity

THE FATHER: We believe in One God( Exodus), The Father (Mathew 5) Almighty (John 10:29), Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible (Genesis).

THE SON: And in One Lord (1 Cor 8:6), Yeshuwa Messiah, the Only-Begotten Son of God (John 3:16, Mat 3:17, 16:16, 17:5, John 5:32, 5:37, Rom 1:5), Who was begotten of the Father before all worlds (Colo 1:15, 17). Light of Light (John 8:12, 1:8), True God of True God (1 John 5:20), begotten and not made (John 1:14), and being of one substance with His Father (Colo 1:15, Phili 2:6, 2 Cor 4:4, Ebr 1:13); by Whom all things were made (John 1:3, 1 Cor 8:6, Colo 1:16); Who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven (Mat 1:21, Luk 2:11, John 4:42, Phili 2:6-8, 2 Cor 8:9, John 3:13) and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit and of the Virgin Mary, Mother of God (Luke 1:43). And He became man (Luke 1:35, 43, Isaiah 7:14, Ebr 2:18, 4:15, John 19:5, Mat 8:20, 11:19, 13:54, Luke 8:25, 23:50, 53, Mark 10:45) , and was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate (Mat 27:17, 26:35, 50, 59, 60), and He suffered, died, and was buried (1 Pet 3:18, 2:21, 4:1, Rom 6:1, Colo 1:20), and on the third day He rose according to His will (Mat 28:6,7). And ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of His Father (Acts 1:9, 7:55, 56, 1 John 2:2). And He will come again with great glory to judge both the living and the dead(Mat 16:2, 2 Peter 3:13-16, Acts 10:42, 2 Tim 4:1), and His kingdom shall have no end (Luke 1., 12:32, Rom 14:17).

THE HOLY SPIRIT: And we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of life to all (John 6:63, Rom 8:11), Who proceeds from the Father (John 14:16, 26, 15:26), Who together with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified (John 16:14), Who spoke through the Prophets and Apostles (2 Peter 1:21, Mat 10:20, Acts 16:6, 28:26, 27, 5:3). And in one Holy Catholic (Universal) and Apostolic Church (Mat 16).

We confess one baptism (Acts 2:38, 22:16) for the remission of sins. And we look for the resurrection of the dead (Mat, 1 Thess), and the new life in the world to come (1 Themo ). Amen.

Faith And Doctrine

The faith of the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch is in accordance with the Nicene Creed. It believes in the Trinity, that is one God, subsisting in three separate persons called the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The three being of one Essence, of one Godhead, have one Will, one Work and one Lordship. The special aspect of the First Person is His Fatherhood, that of the Second Person His Sonship, and that of the Third Person His Procession.

The Syriac Orthodox Church believes in the mystery of Incarnation. That is, the Only Son of God, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, took to Himself a body and became man. It further believes that at the time of Annunciation, when the Angel Gabriel was sent to the Virgin Mary, the Holy Spirit came upon her and cleansed her of all natural impurity, filling her with His grace. Then the Only Son of God came down and entered her immaculate womb, and took to Himself a body through her, thus becoming a perfect Man with a perfect Soul. After nine months, He was born of her and her virginity was maintained contrary to the laws of nature. It further believes that His true Godhead and His true Manhood were in Him essentially united, He being one Lord and one Son, and that after the union took place in Him, He had but one Nature Incarnate, was one Person, had one Will and one Work. This union is marked by being a natural union of persons, free of all separateness, intermixture, confusion, mingling, change and transformation.

The Syriac Orthodox Church calls Mary as Yoldath aloho, 'Bearer of God', because she gave birth to Christ, God truly incarnate.

The Syriac Orthodox Church believes that the death of Christ was the separation of His soul from His body, but His deity did not at any time leave either His body or His soul. It further believes that by His death for us, He conferred upon us salvation from eternal death and reconciliation with His Heavenly Father.

The Syriac Orthodox Church believes that the Holy Spirit is the Third Person of the Holy Trinity, the Spirit of Truth, proceeding from the Father. The Holy Spirit is equal with the Father and the Son. (Note. The word for 'spirit' in Syriac, ruho (which is also the word for 'wind'), is grammatically feminine. Holy Spirit is referred to with the feminine pronoun in almost all early Syriac writings, though later writings refer to it in the masculine.)

Concerning the Church, the Syriac Orthodox Church believes the Church is the body of true believers in Christ, and that the Head of the Church is Our Lord God Jesus Christ. The Chief Bishop of the Syriac Orthodox Church is the Patriarch of Antioch.

With regards to Sacraments, the Syriac Orthodox Church believes that the Holy Sacraments are tangible signs designated by the Lord Christ to proclaim divine grace, which He gave for our sanctification.

The Sacraments of the Church are: Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Repentance, the Priesthood, Anointing of the Sick, and Marriage. Holy Sacraments are offered by the Bishops and the Priests. Only believers can receive the Sacraments. All but four of the Sacraments are essential for salvation: Baptism, Confirmation, Repentance and Eucharist. Of the sacraments, Baptism, Confirmation and the Priesthood may be received only once.

The Syriac Orthodox Church conforms to the teachings of the Three Ecumenical Councils of Nicea (A.D. 325), Constantinople (A.D. 381) and Ephesus (A.D. 431). It rejects the Council of Chalcedon (A.D. 451).