Dr. Jack L. Arnold Equipping Pastors International Theology Proper. Lesson 2 THE TRINITY

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1 Dr.JackL.Arnold EquippingPastorsInternational TheologyProper Lesson 2 THE TRINITY I. INTRODUCTION A. Theword trinity doesnotoccurinthebible,butisatheologicaltermto explainthebiblicalteachingofatriunegod.thetrinitymaybedefinedas: There is only one God, but in the unity of the Godhead there are three eternal and co-equal persons, the same in substance but distinct in subsistence. (C.C. Ryrie Bible Doctrine I) II. B. Jews,MuslimsandUnitariansaccuseChristiansofbeingpolytheists(beliefin manygods).notso;christiansaremonotheists(onegod)butseeonegodand threepersonalitieswithinonegodhead.theconceptofatriunegodisfound onlyinthechristianreligion,whichmakeschristianityuniqueamongthe religionsoftheworld. C. TheTrinityhasbeenunderconstantfirefromtheinceptionoftheChristian religion.theliberal,harryemersonfosdicksaid, ThedoctrineoftheTrinityis acontradictioninarithmetic. However,thedoctrineoftheTrinityisessential tothechristianfaithandwithoutitthereisnorealchristianity. D. TheTrinityisagreatandsacredmystery,whichcouldnotbediscernedor conceivedbyman,butisadivinerevelationfromgod.hereisadeeptruth,the FatherGod,theSonGod,theHolySpiritGod;yetnotthreeGods,butoneGod. ThethreepersonsintheblessedTrinityaredistinguished,butnotdivided.This isadivineriddle,whereonemakesthreeandthreemakesone.ourfiniteminds aretotallyincapableofunderstandingthetrinitycompletely.themysteryof thetrinitymustbeacceptedonfaithbecausethebibleteachesit.the plumblineofreasonistooshorttofathomthismystery,forthetrinityof personsintheunityofessenceiswhollysupernatural.thissacreddoctrineis notagainstreasonbutaboveit.note:themysteryofthetrinityisthebest reasontobelieveitbecausenohumancouldhavedreameditup.itisnota humaninventionbutarevelationofgod. E. ChristiansbelievetheTrinitybecausetheWordofGodrevealsit,notbecause weunderstanditall.therearesomethingsthatarestillmysteriestothebiblebelievingchristian(1cor.13:12).yet,thetrinityisbasictoourchristianfaith. Asonepersonsaid, HewhowouldtrytounderstandtheTrinityfullywilllose hismind.buthewhowoulddenythetrinitywilllosehissoul. GODISAUNITY(GodisOne) A. OldTestament: Hear,OIsrael:TheLORDourGod,theLORDisone.Love thelordyourgodwithallyourheartandwithallyoursoulandwithall yourstrength. (Deut.6:4 5).ThisverseteachesusthatGodisoneinunity(cf. Ex.20:3;Deut.5:7;Isa.45:5 6,14;46:9). B. NewTestament: Sothen,abouteatingfoodsacrificedtoidols:Weknow thatanidolisnothingatallintheworldandthatthereisnogodbutone. Forevenifthereareso calledgods,whetherinheavenoronearth(as

2 indeedtherearemany gods andmany lords ),yetforusthereisbutone God,theFather,fromwhomallthingscameandforwhomwelive;and thereisbutonelord,jesuschrist,throughwhomallthingscameand throughwhomwelive. (1Cor.8:4 6).ThatGodisoneisaclearteachingofthe NewTestament(cf.Eph.4:3 6). I. GODISATRINITY(Subsistinginthreepersonalities) A. TitleofGod 1. TheFatheriscalledGod(Deut.6:3 5;John6:27). 2. TheSoniscalledGod(John1:1;Heb.1:8). 3. TheHolySpiritiscalledGod(Acts5:3 9;2Cor.3:17). B. TheAttributesofGod 1. Eternal:Father(Psa.90:2),Son(Mic.5:2),HolySpirit(Heb.9:14). 2. All powerful:father(1pet.1:5),son(2cor.12:9),holyspirit(rom.15:19). 3. All knowing:father(jer.17:10),son(john2:23 25),HolySpirit(1Cor. 2:11). 4. EverywherePresent:Father(Jer.23:24),Son(Matt.18:20),HolySpirit(Psa. 139:7). 5. Holy:Father(Rev.15:4),Son(Acts3:14),HolySpirit(Isa.6:3). C. WorksofGod 1. Creation:Father(Psa.102:25),Son(John1:1 4),HolySpirit(Job26:13;Gen. 1:2). 2. CreationofMan:Father(Gen.2:7),Son(Col.1:16),HolySpirit(Job33:4). D. OldTestament 1. Elohim: This name for God has a plural ending. This may be a plural of majesty in Hebrew but the plural in this word may contain the seed thoughts of a Trinity in the Godhead (Gen. 1:1). 2. PluralityofPersons: AndGodsaid,Letusmakemaninourimage. (Gen. 1:26)ItisnotuncommontofindthispluralityreferringtoGod(cf.Gen. 3:22;11:7;Isa.6:8). 3. Isa.63:8 10:DistinguishesbetweentheSonandtheHolySpirit. 4. Isa.48:16;44:6:DistinguishesbetweenallthreemembersoftheTrinity. 5. Isa.7:14:TheMessiahtocomeisreferredtoas Godwithus (Immanuel). 6. Psa.110:1:DistinctionismadebetweenJehovahandLord(FatherandSon). 7. Jer.23:5 6:JehovahpromisestosendtheMessiahandtheMessiah sname willbe Jehovahourrighteousness. ThismeansthattheMessiahwhom JehovahGodsendswillHimselfbeJehovahGod. 8. Isa.9:6 7.TheMessiahisactuallycalled MightyGod (cf.isa.10:20 21). 9. AngelofJehovah:TheAngelofJehovahwasdistinctfromJehovah,yet identicalwithjehovah(gen.16:10,13;ex.3:2,4).theangelofjehovahwas thepre incarnatechrist. E. NewTestament 1. Matt. 28:19: The disciples were to baptize in the name (singular) of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. God has one name but three persons. 2. 2Cor.13:14:Intheapostolicbenedictionweread, ThegraceoftheLord JesusChrist,andtheloveofGod,andthecommunionoftheHolySpirit,be withyouall. ThisisareferencetotheTrinity. 3. Matt.3:16 17:AtChrist sbaptismallthreemembersofthetrinitywereat work 4. John17:11,21 23:ChristclaimstobeonewiththeFather,sotheremustbe apluralityinthegodhead.

3 II. THETRINITYSTATEDTHEOLOGICALLY A. TrinitarianRelationships:IntheblessedTrinity,theSonisbegottenofthe Father,theHolySpiritproceedsfromboth;yetthoughtheyarethreedistinct persons,theyarebutonegod.paullittlesays, TheFather,asthefountofDeity,isfirst.Heissaidtooriginate.The Son,eternallybegottenoftheFather,issecond.Heissaidtoreveal.The Spirit,eternallyproceedingfromtheFatherandtheSon,isthird.Heissaid toexecute.thuswecansaythatcreationisfromthefather,throughthe Son,bytheHolySpirit.(KnowWhatYouBelieve) B.TheologicalThoughts 1. OnepersonoftheTrinityisnotmoreGodthananother. 2. Thethreepersonsaresounitedthatonepersonisinanother,andwith another(john17:21). 3. ThefirstpersonisGodtheFather;Heisfirstinorder,notdignity.Thereis prioritybutnotsuperiority.thereisorderbutnodegreesinthegodhead. 4. ThesecondpersonisGodtheSon,whoisbegottenoftheFatherbeforeall time.jesuschristisgod ssonbyeternalgeneration(prov.8:23 25;Psa. 2:7). 5. ThethirdpersonoftheTrinityisGodtheHolySpiritwhoproceedsfromthe FatherandtheSon(John15:23;Psa.104:30;Gal.4:6;Rom.8:9;John16:7). 6. TheSonandtheSpiritaresaidtobesubordinatetotheFather,butthisdoes notmeaninferioritybutsubordination.subordinationisamatterof relationship. III. THETRINITYINHISTORY A.Heresies 1. Sabellianism:Sabelliustaughtmodalismwhichstatesthatthereisonly onepersonofthegodheadwhoappearsatdifferenttimesinthree differentmodes,sometimesastheholyspirit,sometimesastheson,and sometimesasthefather.godassumeddifferentmodesofmanifestation toachievehispurpose.sabelliusacceptedthedeityofchristbutdenied anydistinctioninthegodhead.thisisthepositionofmanymodern day neo orthodoxtheologians.objection:whenchristwasprayinghishigh priestlyprayerinjohn17,hewasnotonlyprayingtogodthefather, buthewasalsospeakingobjectivelyofthefatherandtheholyspirit. 2. Arianism:Arius(3rdcentury)deniedthedeityofChristbecausehesaid Christwascreatedandnoteternal.Hedeniedtheeternalsonshipof Christ.HeadmittedthatChristexistedbeforethefoundationofthe worldbutdeniedhewasco eternalwiththefather.christwasthefirst createdbeingandfromhimallotherthingscameintobeing.arianism alsoteachesthatthesonbroughttheholyspiritintoexistence;thus theydenythedeityoftheholyspirit.thisisessentiallythesame positionasmoderndayjehovahwitnessesandmormons.objection: ThisviewdeniestheclearteachingoftheBibleonthedeityofChrist.

4 B. OrthodoxCreedalStatements 1. Thirty ninearticles(anglican): Thereisbutoneliving,andtrueGod, everlasting,withoutbody,parts,orpassions;ofinfinitepower,wisdom, andgoodness;themaker,andpreserverofallthingsbothvisibleand invisible.andinunityofthisgodheadtherebethreepersons,ofone substance,power,andeternity;thefather,theson,andtheholyghost. 2. WestminsterConfessionofFaith(Presbyterian): Intheunityofthe Godheadtherebethreepersons,ofonesubstance,power,andeternity: GodtheFather,GodtheSon,andGodtheHolyGhost:theFatherisof none,neitherbegotten,norproceeding;thesoniseternallybegottenof thefather;theholyghosteternallyproceedingfromthefatherandthe Son. 3. PhiladelphiaConfessionofFaith(Baptist): WebelievetheScriptures teachthatthereisone,andonlyone,livingandtruegod,aninfinite, intelligentspirit,whosenameisjehovah,themakerandsupremeruler ofheavenandearth;inexpressiblygloriousinholiness,andworthyofall possiblehonor,confidence,andlove;thatintheunityofthegodhead therearethreepersons,thefather,theson,andtheholyghost,equalin everydivineperfection,andexecutingdistinctbutharmoniousofficesin thegreatworkofredemption. IV. ILLUSTRATINGTHETRINITY A. There is no illustration that completely demonstrates the Trinity. Illustrations can be helpful, especially in teaching children, but they can be very dangerous if carried to their logical conclusions. For instance, some have compared the Trinity to a solid, liquid and gas (ice, water, and steam). All are the same substance but take different forms. Actually this illustration is more modalistic than it is Trinitarian. B. TheSun:Inthebodyofthesun,therearethesubstanceofthesun,thebeams, andtheheat;thebeamsarebegottenofthesun,theheatproceedsbothfromthe sunandthebeams;butthesethree,thoughdifferent,arenotdivided;theyall threemakebutonesun. C. Arithmetic:Oneplusoneplusoneequalsthree;butonetimesonetimesone equalsone,whichexplainsthetrinity. D. Egg:Aneggisshell,whiteandyoke,butitisstilloneegg. E. Light:Lightismadeupofthreerays:Actinic(Father) neitherseennorfelt; Luminiferous(Son) seenbutnotfelt;calirific(holyspirit) feltbutnotseen. F. Person:Apersonisbody,soulandspirit,butalloneperson. G. Time:Timeispast,presentandfuture,butoneinessence. H. Sugar:Sugarismadeupofcalcium,carbonandoxygen,butoneinsubstance. V. IMPORTANCEOFTHETRINITY A. AllthreemembersoftheTrinityaretobeequallyadoredandworshipped,for thefatherisnotmoregodthanthesonandtheholyspirit. B. AllthreemembersoftheTrinityaretobeequallyobeyed.

5 C. AllthreemembersoftheTrinityareessentialtooursalvation.Takeawaythe TrinityandweoverthrowtheBiblicalconceptofsalvation.TheFatherplans andelects(eph.1:4),thesonredeemsandsecures(eph.1:7),andtheholy Spiritregeneratesandapplies(Titus3:5).Theseactscanonlybedonebyone whoisgod.ifwedenythetrinity,thenwedenythedeityofchrist.ifchristis notgod,thenwehavenosalvationatall,foronlyonewhoisgodcandeliverus formoursins(cf.1pet.1:2;eph.2:18).