The answer
It may have been contradictory had we spoken of three gods. However, there are Three Hypostases in One God.
Oneness is an issue, and Trinity is another one. God is one, because the divinity is one, the Divine Essence is one, and the Divine Being is one.
It is a Trinity of the Hypostases, not a Trinity of beings or essences. When we make the Sign of the Cross, we call to mind the Three Hypostases: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Yet, we conclude by saying, “One God,” as an expression of the unity.
The Christian teaching on the Trinity and the Oneness can be summarised characteristically in the expression “Three in One.” This cannot be extended to any other triadic form. By saying that the Three are One, we do not mean that the Father is the Son is the Holy Spirit, or else the distinction of the Trinity is lost. What we do mean is that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are one in divinity, in nature, and in essence. It may be likened to the fire, which is flame, light, and heat. We cannot say that the flame is the light, or that the light is the heat. However, the three are one, and the fire, with its flame, light, and heat, are one entity.
His Holiness Pope Tawadros II
Pope Tawadros II, My Faith: A Series of Dialogues on the Creed (Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate, 2014), 28–29.
The pages in the book (28–29)
