SO MANY THREES

I was thinking of all the many groups of threes in Scripture. “The purpose of my instruction is that all believers would be filled with love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and genuine faith.” (1 Timothy 1:5)

Sometimes in scripture it is more than just three phrases but also three times. For example: John 21:15-17, Jesus told Peter three times: “Feed my sheep.” Then in Acts of the Apostles 10:13-15, Peter was told and shown three times in a vision by a voice from the sky (heavens) “that what God has called clean do not call unclean.” (This is only a couple of several threes that Peter had to deal with; like when this vision was over the Holy Spirit told him three men were waiting outside to see him 10:19). Or Daniel 8:17-19, when the angel told Daniel three times in a vision about “the goat and a ram and horns in a battle.”
What does it mean when something is repeated three times? It means something is emphasized three times more than saying it once would be.

More common perhaps could be 1 Corinthians 13:13: “faith, hope and love.” Or 2 John 1:3: “Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us.” And, Jude 1:11 “To those who have been called, loved and kept in Jesus Christ.” Add Jude 1:2:”May mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you.” Or, Romans 12:12 “Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; persevere in prayer.”

And what a way to sign off on a letter:
“May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” (2 Corinthians 13:14) The Big Three.

“Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” Jesus