Rev. Troy Lynn Pritt May 30, 2010 Page 1

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1 Rev. Troy Lynn Pritt May 30, 2010 Page 1 THE HOLY TRINITY "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, (Matthew 28:19 NKJV) There is a dizzying variety of gods and goddesses and other objects of worship among the religions of the world. The spirits of forces of nature, the spirits of various creatures, various gods and goddesses who had human traits or were a combination of human and animal and believed to have greatly superior powers were and are worshiped and appeased to bring peace, victory in war, fertility, prosperity, and general good luck. In one way or another these gods were manipulated to serve the needs of man. Images were made of these gods so that their presence could be taken to places convenient to man. All of these gods were products of man s imagination. There must be a god so what is he like? Their answers took a thousand forms. The true God has been revealing Himself to man since Creation. However, the sin of man caused him to reject the truth. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man-- and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. (Romans 1:18-23 NKJV) In this passage Paul asserts that from the very beginning men have known that the true God is invisible, that He is eternal, powerful, and a Godhead that is He is a person, not a force in nature or a spirit in some animal. To the Jews He revealed much more about Himself. It was Jesus who revealed God is one God in three Persons, a Holy Trinity.

2 Rev. Troy Lynn Pritt May 30, 2010 Page 2 1.The Persons of the Trinity Appear Separately in the Old Testament. God is referred to as our Father in a couple of the Psalms and Malachi A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows, Is God in His holy habitation. (Psalms 68:5 NKJV) He shall cry to Me, 'You are my Father, My God, and the rock of my salvation.' (Psalms 89:26 NKJV) Have we not all one Father? Has not one God created us? Why do we deal treacherously with one another By profaning the covenant of the fathers? (Malachi 2:10 NKJV) The only clear reference to the son of God is in Daniel: "Look!" he answered, "I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God." (Daniel 3:25 NKJV) There is an extended reference to the Son of God in Proverbs which was not discernible until the Gospel of John was written. In the beginning of the Gospel of John In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. (John 1:1-3 NKJV) The Greek word translated Word is logov. In the Septuagint Greek translation of the Old Testament, the name Wisdom in Proverbs is translated logov. Knowing this Proverbs 8 is very similar to John 1. "The LORD possessed me at the beginning of His way, Before His works of old. I have been established from everlasting, From the beginning, before there was ever an earth. When there were no depths I was brought forth, When there were no fountains abounding with water. Before the mountains were settled, Before the hills, I was brought forth; While as yet He had not made the earth or the fields, Or the primeval dust of the world. When He prepared the heavens, I was there, When He drew a circle on the face of the deep, When He established the clouds above, When He strengthened the fountains of the deep, When He assigned to the sea its limit, So that the waters would not transgress His command, When He marked out the foundations of the earth, Then I was beside Him as a master craftsman; And I was daily His delight, Rejoicing always before Him, (Proverbs 8:22-30) Wisdom in Proverbs and the Word in the Gospel of John are the same. The appearances of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament are many and varied. In the very beginning of the Bible we read:

3 Rev. Troy Lynn Pritt May 30, 2010 Page 3 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. (Genesis 1:1-2 NKJV) The Spirit was active in moving and inspiring prophecy: Now these are the last words of David. Thus says David the son of Jesse; Thus says the man raised up on high, The anointed of the God of Jacob, And the sweet psalmist of Israel: "The Spirit of the LORD spoke by me, And His word was on my tongue. (2 Samuel 23:1-2 NKJV) Then the Spirit took me up and brought me in a vision by the Spirit of God into Chaldea, to those in captivity. And the vision that I had seen went up from me. (Ezekiel 11:24) Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king spoke, and said to Daniel, "Are you that Daniel who is one of the captives from Judah, whom my father the king brought from Judah? "I have heard of you, that the Spirit of God is in you, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in you. (Daniel 5:13-14 NKJV) The Spirit was active in guiding leaders to do God s will Now these are the last words of David. Thus says David the son of Jesse; Thus says the man raised up on high, The anointed of the God of Jacob, And the sweet psalmist of Israel: "The Spirit of the LORD spoke by me, And His word was on my tongue. (2 Samuel 23:1-2 NKJV) Even though these persons of the Godhead appeared in a few places in the Old Testament, they were thought of as different forms of the one God, much like ice, water, and vapor are different forms of the same thing. The concept of persons in the Godhead interacting with one another was not known. 2. When Jesus Came, He Revealed The One God Is Three Persons. In His Nativity God the Father sent His only begotten Son into the world. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mary so that He could come into the world in human form. At the Baptism of Jesus the Spirit descended from heaven as a dove and the Father spoke from heaven, This is my beloved Son in whom I am well-pleased. Throughout the ministry of Jesus there is interaction between Jesus, the Son of God, and His Father, and with the Spirit. At the Last Supper Jesus instructed His disciples-

4 Rev. Troy Lynn Pritt May 30, 2010 Page 4 "Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. (John 16:7) "I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you. (John 16:12-15 NKJV) "In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I shall pray the Father for you; for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came forth from God. I came forth from the Father and have come into the world. Again, I leave the world and go to the Father." (John 16:26-28 NKJV) As Jesus was about to leave the world and ascend into heaven, He gave final instructions to His disciples, one of which was to baptize in the names of the Trinity: "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, (Matthew 28:19 NKJV) In the early church the blessing of the apostles at the end of their epistles and at the end of worship services was the names of the Trinity The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen. (2 Corinthians 13:14 NKJV) Chapter II Of God, and of the Holy Trinity 1. There is but one only living and true God, who is infinite in being and perfection, a most pure spirit, invisible, without body, parts, or passions, immutable, immense, eternal, incomprehensible, almighty, most wise, most holy, most free, most absolute, working all things according to the counsel of his own immutable and most righteous will, for his own glory, most loving, gracious, merciful, long-suffering, abundant in goodness and truth, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin, the rewarder of them that diligently seek him; and withal most just and terrible in his judgments, hating all sin, and who will by no means clear the guilty. 3.In the unity of the Godhead there be three Persons of one substance, power, and eternity: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost. The Father is of none, neither begotten nor proceeding; the Son is eternally begotten of the Father, the Holy Ghost eternally proceeding from the Father and the Son. from the Westminster Confession of Faith

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