Condensed Theology, Lecture 16: Theology, God as Trinity: Each Person Fully God

8/14/2019 Condensed Theology, Lecture 16: Theology, God as Trinity: Each Person Fully God

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Condensed Theology

A Primer in Systematic Theology


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Theology Proper:

The Doctrine of God

What does the Bible teach about

God?


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Where Were Going

Twelve lectures covering four subjects:

The existence of God

The attributes of God God as Trinity

Gods works of creation & providence


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God as Trinity


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God as Trinity: Preliminaries

The Bible nowhere uses the word Trinity.

So there is no way that anyone can cite a

singular text of Scripture to prove theTrinity;

Rather, to speak about the doctrine of theTrinity is to speak summarily about threeinterrelating doctrines that may be set forthin the following propositions:


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1. There is only one true and living God.

2. God exists in three persons.

3. The three persons are each fully God.


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Each of the propositions may bedemonstrated from Scripture.

Taken together, these three propositionshave come to be known as the doctrine ofthe Trinity:

The one God exists in three fully divinepersons.


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Proposition 1

There is only one true and living

God


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Proposition 1: Only One God

Deut 6:4: Hear, O Israel! The LORD is ourGod, the LORD is one!

Isa 45:21: Declare and set forth your case;

Indeed, let them consult together. Who hasannounced this from of old? Who has longsince declared it? Is it not I, the LORD? Andthere is no other God besides Me, A righteousGod and a Savior; There is none except Me.

1 Cor 8:4: Therefore concerning the eating ofthings sacrificed to idols, we know that there isno such thing as an idol in the world, and thatthere is no God but one.


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Is it really necessaryin a discussion of theTrinity to say that

there is only one trueand living God?

You bet!


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There are two reasons to say that there isonly one true and living God in adiscussion of the Trinity: First, the Bible teaches that God exists in

three persons (Prop. 2).

Second, the Bible teaches that the threepersons are each fully God (Prop. 3).

From these two propositions alone wemay conclude that there are threeChristian gods; thus denying monotheism.


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Proposition 2

God exists in three persons


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Proposition 2:

God in Three Persons There are three persons who make up the

Godhead: Father Son Holy Spirit

Matt 28:19: Go therefore and make disciples ofall the nations, baptizing them in the name of theFather and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

2 Cor 13:14: The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,and the love of God, and the fellowship of theHoly Spirit, be with you all.


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Proposition 2:

God in Three Persons To understand this proposition more clearly, we

can formulate it in this way:

The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are one God;

yet The Father is not the Son

And neither the Father nor the Son is the Holy Spirit

To say that the Father is not the Son and that

neither the Father nor the Son is the Holy Spiritindicates that there are genuine distinctionswithin the Godhead.


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Proposition 2: God in Three

Persons Is it really necessary

to say that the Fatheris not the Son and

that neither the Fathernor the Son is theHoly Spirit?

Absolutely!


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Proposition 2:

God in Three Persons There are two reasons to say that the Father is

not the Son and that neither the Father nor theSon is the Holy Spirit: First, as we have seen, the Bible teaches that God is

one (Prop. 1). Second, the Bible teaches that the Father is God, the

Son is God, and the Spirit is God (Prop. 3).

From these two propositions alone we mayconclude that the language of Father, Son, and

Spirit are simply different modes or expressionsor behaviors of the one God; thus denying thatGod exists in three distinct self-conscious egos.


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Proposition 2:

God in Three Persons The Father is not the Son

John 1:1-2, 14: In the beginning was the Word, andthe Word was with God, and the Word was God. Hewas in the beginning with God.14And the Word

became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw Hisglory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father,full of grace and truth.

John 17:1, 24: Jesus spoke these things; and liftingup His eyes to heaven, He said, Father, the hour hascome; glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify

You.24Father, I desire that they also, whom Youhave given Me, be with Me where I am, so that theymay see My glory which You have given Me, for Youloved Me before the foundation of the world.


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Proposition 2:

God in Three Persons Neither the Father nor the Son is the Holy

Spirit

Acts 10:38: You know of Jesus ofNazareth, how God anointed Him with theHoly Spirit and with power, and how Hewent about doing good and healing all who

were oppressed by the devil, for God waswith Him.


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Proposition 2:

God in Three Persons The distinction between the Father, Son,

and Holy Spirit, evident in the previousScriptures, indicates differences in role

and relationship. These differences are most apparent to us

in what has come to be known as theeconomy of the Trinity, or the Economic

Trinity, where economy refers to theactivities of the different members of theGodhead with respect to creation andredemption.


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Proposition 2:

God in Three Persons The Son is subordinate to the Father in

role and relationship

1 Cor 11:3: But I want you to understand that Christis the head of every man, and the man is the head ofa woman, and God is the head of Christ.

Like a human father and son relationship,

the Heavenly Father directs, guides, leads,and commands while the Eternal Son,submits, follows, and obeys.


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Proposition 2:

God in Three Persons The Holy Spirit is subordinate to the Father and

the Son in role and relationship

John 14:26: But the Helper, the Holy Spirit,whom the Father will send in My name

John 15:26: When the Helper comes, whom I willsend to you from the Father

The Holy Spirit is the Fathers and Sons agentin carrying out their purposes in creation andredemption.


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Proposition 2:

God in Three Persons The roles and relationships of the members of

the Godhead are depicted below. The Holy Spirit is subordinate in role and in

relationship to the Father and the Son. The Son is subordinate in role and in relationship tothe Father.

Father

Son

Holy Spirit


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Distinctive Persons with

Distinctive Roles

The Ontological Trinity


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Proposition 2:

God in Three Persons Summary of Economic Trinity:

The distinction between the Father, Son, andHoly Spirit indicates differences in role and

relationship. These differences are most apparent to us in

what has come to be known as the economyof the Trinity, or the Economic Trinity, where

economy refers to the activities of the differentmembers of the Godhead with respect tocreation and redemption.


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Proposition 2:

God in Three Persons In addition, the differences in role and

relationship are not arbitrary or artificial or

even a product of the members activities; Rather, the differences in role and

relationship exemplified by the EconomicTrinity flow from the differences in role and

relationship that inhere in God as God.


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Proposition 2:

God in Three Persons In other words, God has always

existed as three persons, eternally,

before creation and redemption. This is what has come to be known

as the Ontological Trinity, or the

ontology of the Trinity, whereontology refers to the being of God.


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Proposition 2:

God in Three Persons We can say that the tri-personality of

God is an eternal, ontological reality

for the following reasons: God is immutable (he cannot change).

Therefore if he exists now as Father,

Son, and Holy Spirit, he has alwaysexisted as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.


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Proposition 2:

God in Three Persons We can say that the tri-personality of God

is an eternal, ontological reality for the

following reasons: The Father and the Son acted together as

Father and Son before time began. Eph 1:3: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus

Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the

heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him beforethe foundation of the world, that we would be holy andblameless before Him.

See also John 3:17; Gal 4:4


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Conclusion to

the First Lecture on the Trinity


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Conclusion to Lecture 1

Proposition 1: There is only one true andliving God.

Proposition 2: God exists in three persons. The persons are self-conscious egos.

The persons have different roles andrelationships in the very being of God (the

Ontological Trinity) that work themselves outin the activity of God (the Economic Trinity).


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Proposition 3: Each Fully God

When we say that each person of theTrinity is fully God, we mean that eachmember possesses full deity;

That is, each member possesses all theattributes of the one true and living God.


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Put negatively, to assert that eachmember of the Trinity is fully God is not tosay that each member is divine (tritheism);

Rather, it means that each of the membersare of one essence with the other (Greek:homoousios= of the same nature orsubstance).

Thus each of the persons is essentiallyidentical, not simply similar.


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One of the upshots of the membersidentity in nature is that we can say thatthe attributes of God apply equally to each

member of the Trinity. For example, since God is omniscient,

then the Father is omniscient, the Son isomniscient, and the Holy Spirit isomniscient; a fact that, incidentally, is well-attested in the Scriptures.


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So when we say that each member of theGodhead is fully God, we mean that eachmember possesses full deity and does notlack any of the divine attributes.


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Is it really necessaryin a discussion of theTrinity to say that

each of the persons isfully God?

Without question!


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There are two reasons to say that each personof the Trinity is fully God: First, the Bible teaches that there is only one true and

living God (Prop. 1).

Second, the Bible teaches that God exists in threepersons (Prop. 2).

From these two propositions alone we mayconclude that the three persons have attributesunique to themselves that make up the one God,

that each person is merely an ingredient in therecipe that is God, thus denying the full deity ofeach member.


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The Father is God

The divinity of the Father is so well attested inScripture that the Arians (4th century ad), whodenied the divinity of Jesus, concluded thatthe Father aloneis God.

We will give a small sample.


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The Father is God God the Father

Gal 1:1: Paul, an apostle (not sent from men

nor through the agency of man, but throughJesus Christ and God the Father, who raisedHim from the dead).

See also Eph 6:23; Phil 2:11; Col 3:17; 1

Thess 1:1; 2 Thess 1:2; 1 Tim 1:2; 2 Tim 1:2;Titus 1:4; 1 Pet 1:2; 2 Pet 1:17; 2 John 1:3;Jude 1:1.


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The Father is God

God our Father

Rom 1:7: to all who are beloved of God inRome, called as saints: Grace to you andpeace from God our Father and the LordJesus Christ.

See also 1 Cor 1:3; 2 Cor 1:2; Gal 1:3; Eph1:2; Phil 1:2; Col 1:2; 2 Thess 1:1; 2:16; Phlm1:3


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The Father is God

Our Father who is in heaven; Heavenly Father

Matt 6:9: Pray, then, in this way: Our Father who is

in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.Matt 6:14: For if you forgive others for their

transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgiveyou.

See also Matt 5:16, 45, 48; 6:1, 14, 26, 32; 7:11, 21;10:32-33; 12:50; 15:13; 16:17; 18:10, 14, 19, 35; 23:9;Mark 11:25-26; Luke 11:13.


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The Son is God

We will address the deity of Jesus Christ inmore detail when we come to our lectures on

Christology;

But for now, make note of the followingimportant texts


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The Son is God

Isa 9:6-7: For a child will be born to us, a son will begiven to us; And the government will rest on His

shoulders; And His name will be called WonderfulCounselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince ofPeace. There will be no end to the increase of Hisgovernment or of peace, On the throne of David andover his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with

justice and righteousness From then on andforevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts willaccomplish this.


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The Son is God

John 1:1, 14, 18: In the beginning was theWord, and the Word was with God, and the

Word was God. 14And the Word becameflesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw Hisglory, glory as of the only begotten from theFather, full of grace and truth. 18No one has

seen God at any time; the only begotten Godwho is in the bosom of the Father, He hasexplained Him.


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The Son is GodJohn 20:26-29: After eight days His disciples were

again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, thedoors having been shut, and stood in their midst and

said, "Peace be with you." Then He said to Thomas,"Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; andreach here your hand and put it into My side; and donot be unbelieving, but believing." Thomas answeredand said to Him, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus said to

him, "Because you have seen Me, have youbelieved? Blessed are they who did not see, and yetbelieved."


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The Son is God

Heb 1:8-9: But of the Son He says, "Your throne, OGod, is forever and ever, and the righteous scepter is

the scepter of his kingdom. You have lovedrighteousness and hated lawlessness; therefore god,your god, has anointed you with the oil of gladnessabove your companions.

John 5:18: For this reason therefore the Jews were

seeking all the more to kill Him, because He not onlywas breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling GodHis own Father, making Himself equal with God.


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The Son is God

Titus 2:13: ...looking for the blessed hopeand the appearing of the glory of our great

God and Savior, Christ Jesus.

2 Pet 1:1: Simon Peter, a bond-servant andapostle of Jesus Christ, To those who havereceived a faith of the same kind as ours, bythe righteousness of our God and Savior,Jesus Christ.


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The Holy Spirit is God

John 3:5-7: Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say toyou, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he

cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which isborn of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of theSpirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I said to you,'You must be born again.

1 John 3:9: No one who is born of God practices sin,

because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin,because he is born of God.


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Ps 139:1, 7-8: O LORD, You have searchedme and known me. 7Where can I go from

Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Yourpresence? 8If I ascend to heaven, You arethere; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, Youare there.


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Acts 5:3-4: But Peter said, "Ananias, why hasSatan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit

and to keep back some of the price of theland? While it remained unsold, did it notremain your own? And after it was sold, was itnot under your control? Why is it that you

have conceived this deed in your heart? Youhave not lied to men but to God."


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The Holy Spirit is GodActs 28:25-26: And when they did not agree with one

another, they began leaving after Paul had spokenone parting word, "The Holy Spirit rightly spoke

through Isaiah the prophet to your fathers, saying, 'Goto this people and say, You will keep on hearing, butwill not understand...

Isa 6:8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying,"Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?" Then I

said, "Here am I. Send me!" He said, "Go, and tell thispeople: 'Keep on listening, but do not perceive; Keepon looking, but do not understand.'


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Matt 28:19: Go therefore and make disciples of allthe nations, baptizing them in the name [singular] of

the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.1 Cor 12:4-6, 11: Now there are varieties of gifts, but

the same Spirit. And there are varieties of ministries,and the same Lord. There are varieties of effects, butthe same God who works all things in all persons.

11But one and the same Spirit works all these things,distributing to each one individually just as He wills.


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The Holy Spirit is God Therefore the Holy Spirit is personal.

He is a he and not simply a vivid way of

refering to the power of God (John 14:26;15:26; 16:13-14).

The Holy Spirit is not a force, but a divineperson, capabable of all the divine attributes

of personality, such as intellect (1 Cor 2:10-13), emotions (Eph 4:30), and will (1 Cor12:11).


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If the Holy Spirit were not personal, certainpassages of Scripture would become absurd;

for example: Acts 10:38: You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how

God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit [power?]and with power, and how He went about doing

good and healing all who were oppressed by thedevil, for God was with Him.

See also Luke 4:14; Rom 15:13; 1 Cor 2:4.


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Conclusion


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Conclusion

Proposition 1: There is only one true andliving God.

Proposition 2: God exists in three persons. The persons are self-conscious egos.

The persons have different roles andrelationships in the very being of God (the

Ontological Trinity) that work themselves outin the activity of God (the Economic Trinity).


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Conclusion

Proposition 3: The three persons are eachfully God.

The Father is God

The Son is God



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Conclusion

Taken together these three propositionsare known as the doctrine of the Trinity.


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Next time on

Condensed Theology


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Next Time on

Condensed Theology Seeds of Trinitarian theology from the Old

Testament

Historical denials of one or more of theTrinitarian propositions

Whats at stake in the doctrine of theTrinity

Condensed Theology, Lecture 16: Theology, God as Trinity: Each Person Fully God

Documents

Transcript of Condensed Theology, Lecture 16: Theology, God as Trinity: Each Person Fully God