Understanding the Concept of the Trinity

If a person is talking about a three-leaf clover, they aren't talking about three clovers. They are talking about one clover with three leaves. If a Christian is talking about the three-person God - they aren't talking about three gods. They are talking about one God with three persons. The Biblical example of the Trinity is in Genesis 40:9 "a vine was before me; 10 And in the vine were three branches: and it was as though it budded, and her blossoms shot forth; and the clusters thereof brought forth ripe grapes." God is like one grapevine with three branches. God is not like three separate grapevines.

A grapevine with three branches produces fruit that all have the same flavor and the juice from each fruit is the same. You can go to any branch and eat the fruit and it will be the same as the fruit anywhere on the grapevine. Hence God is one. There is no difference in the fruit produced by any of the three persons or three “branches” of the single vine of the Trinity.

Conversely, three separate grapevines will produce fruits with different flavors and the juice from the fruits will all be different.

J. Clontz – Editor of the Comprehensive New Testament