Egg, water and the Trinity?

The analogy of the egg or water is a useful starting point in a discussion of the Trinity, but as with all analogies, they are ultimately inadequate in describing the nature accurately of the Divine Being; who is one in essence (undivided and eternally existing), and yet three subsistences (each of which possesses the fullness of the divine being co-equally and co-eternally).

God’s oneness and threeness are all parts of his ‘essence’, that which makes a being precisely what it is and not something else. Equally, God has three subsistences, which can be understood as ‘essence in existence’, each subsistence being a distinct instance of a given essence. Or more simply put, God is the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, but the Father is not the Son (and vice versa), nor is the Son the Holy Spirit ( and vice versa), and nor is the Father the Holy Spirit ( and vice versa). They are distinguished intrinsically and not individually. They exist only in relation to each other. The Father generates the Son, and the Son is begotten of the Father. The Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son (as per the Western view of the Intrinsic Relationship).

There is a clear distinction of the three and yet they are unified in terms of their activity. The actions of God can be done by all three persons.

Attribute or Activity: Father/Son/Holy Spirit

Eternality: Ps. 90:2 /John 1:2; Rev. 1:8, 17 /Heb. 9:14
Omniscience: Jer. 17:10 /Rev. 2:23 /1 Cor. 2:11
Omnipresence: Jer. 23:24 /Matt. 18:20 /Ps. 139:7
Truth: John 7:28 /Rev. 3:7 /1 John 5:6
Creation of the world: Ps. 102:25/ Col. 1:16 /Gen. 1:2; Job 26: 13
Creation of humanity: Gen. 2:7 /Col. 1:16 /Job 33:4
Baptism of Christ: Matt. 3:17 /Matt. 3:16/ Matt. 3:16
Death of Christ: Heb. 9:14/ Heb. 9:14 /Heb. 9:14


Therefore the Unity in the Trinity is a result of the activities of each person. As Gregory of Nyssa aptly states in Trinity,
The holy Trinity works every activity according to the manner stated, not divided according to the manner stated, not divided according to the number of the hypostases [subsistences], but one certain motion and disposition of goodwill occurs, proceeding from the Father through the Son to the Spirit.

And illustrates this in relation to the activity of divine oversight,
Thus we are not able to name as three those who bring to bear on us and all creation jointly and inseparably this divine power and activity of oversight….The principle of the power of oversight and beholding in Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is one. It starts off from the Father as from a spring; it is effected by the Son, and by the power of the Spirit it completes its grace.

Correspondingly, our knowledge of the Trinity is not the result of a separate apprehension of the Father, then Son, then Holy Spirit. We apprehend God as one in three persons. We pray to the Father in the name of the Son, by the power of the Holy Spirit.

This is why all analogies are inadequate, as it is impossible to describe the fullness of the uncreated creator with analogies from creation. The example of the egg falls short, as the shell, white, and yolk must each contain the fullness of the egg in themselves, which they do not. Equally the example of water is inadequate as water cannot be liquid, solid and gas all at the same time.