Scripture Meditation: Hilary of Poitiers on Scripture and the Trinity

Hilary of Poitiers (d. 367), known as the "Athanasius of the West" for his defense of Trinitarian theology, taught that Scripture meditation leads to encounter with the triune God. He wrote in "On the Trinity": "For He whom we can only know through His own utterances is a fitting witness concerning Himself." Hilary insisted that we cannot think rightly about God apart from Scripture, and we cannot read Scripture rightly apart from the illumination of the Holy Spirit.

Hilary modeled a distinctive approach: reading Scripture prayerfully while attending to what it reveals about the nature of God. Every narrative, every psalm, every prophecy is a window into the character of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Practical application: Read a familiar Bible story and ask: "What does this reveal about God the Father's character? About the Son's? About the Spirit's work?" Hilary teaches that Trinitarian reading of Scripture prevents us from reducing God to a single attribute and keeps our meditation rich, varied, and surprising.