The Trinity is the most relevant and important belief that Christians hold. The mission work of St. Patrick shows us why.

The legend of St. Patrick says that he used the three leaf clover to explain the Trinity to the people of Ireland. As the clover has three distinct leaves but is only one piece of clover so also God has three distinct persons while remaining one God.

Many Christians think that the Trinity is an esoteric bit of doctrine more suited to the advanced study of mature believers than a necessary component of evangelism.

But Patrick, speaking to un-churched, illiterate pagans who had never even seen a bible, thought it important to talk to them about the Trinity. Why?

Because there is no other way to correctly understand who Jesus is! If we tell un-believers that he is the “Son of God,” what does that phrase mean? Biblically speaking it means that he is the one who is the second person of the Triune God, the Son who has lived forever in joyful, open communion with the Father and the Spirit.

Likewise, if we tell the un-churched that Jesus is incarnate – that the Son of God exists now as the Son of Man without ceasing to be God or ceasing to be human, how do we explain what that means? Biblically speaking it means that humanity is now included and adopted into the life of the Trinity. The Son has taken humanity up into the relationship he has with the Father and the Spirit.

Any evangelism that fails to explain this adoption of humanity into the Triune life of the Father, Son and Spirit is failing to express the full truth of the gospel.

In this neo-reformation that we are experiencing we find the Spirit restoring to the Church the reality that the Trinity is the gospel!

Jesus reveals to us that he is in the Father, and we are in him, and he is in us (John 14:20.) This is the good news that we are called to believe and to announce to the world.