The analogy presented here—comparing the doctrine of the Trinity to the discovery of bacteria or the cosmos—aims to defend the legitimacy of Trinitarian theology by suggesting that the concept always existed but was only later defined. However, this comparison fails to hold when applied to divine revelation and apostolic doctrine. Bacteria and galaxies are part of the created, observable universe, whose existence is independent of human awareness. In contrast, the doctrine of God—particularly how He reveals Himself—is not discovered through scientific observation but is received through divine revelation (Deuteronomy 29:29; 1 Corinthians 2:10).
The claim that the Trinity “always existed” may sound reasonable from a post-Nicene perspective, but it must be tested against Scripture and early apostolic teaching. The Bible doesn’t describe God as “three persons” in “one essence.” This terminology originated centuries after Christ, particularly in the 4th century with the Nicene and Athanasian Creeds. To argue that the apostles held a Trinitarian understanding but lacked the terminology is a claim without textual evidence. The apostolic writings—especially the Book of Acts and the epistles—consistently present God as one (Deuteronomy 6:4), with Jesus being the full manifestation of the invisible God (Colossians 2:9; John 14:9), and the Holy Ghost being His Spirit, not a separate person.
Thus, saying the Trinity “existed but was unnamed” conflates definition with divine revelation. The apostles did not preach or baptize in a Trinitarian formula—they baptized in the name of Jesus Christ (Acts 2:38), understanding Him as the full embodiment of the Father’s power and the sender of the Holy Ghost. The early church understood God as indivisible, not divided into three persons.
In conclusion, unlike bacteria or galaxies, God’s nature is not discovered but revealed. And what He revealed through Jesus and the apostles is a Oneness—that the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily in Christ (Colossians 2:9). The Trinity is not a rediscovery of ancient truth; it is a post-biblical theological construct that departs from the simplicity and clarity of apostolic doctrine.