| From
the Church on the Hill
by D. Eric Williams Pastor, Cottonwood Community Church The orthodox position concerning the Trinity is that God is one God (Deut. 6:4), in three persons (Matt. 28:19). In other words, the Divine Being is of one indivisible essence and yet three individual subsistences (having real being or existence). Thereby the whole undivided essence of God belongs equally to each of the three persons in the Godhead. The divine essence is not separated into three portions and doled out to the three persons in the Godhead, rather, the essence of God with all of its attributes and perfection is altogether present in each one of the three persons of the Trinity. In the older Testament the doctrine of Trinity is suggested but not fully developed. We find a hint at the very beginning of Scripture when the Creator says “let us make man in our image according to our likeness” (Gen. 1:26, italics added; in this passage, e?lo?hi?ym [god], is the plural form). Obviously this is not a complete development of the doctrine; it does preset the idea of plurality in the Godhead but almost as an aside. Hence, the Bible does not argue in favor of Trinity as an abstraction but presents the Trinitarian Godhead as a living relationship among the persons of the Deity. This relationship is revealed in the works of creation and providence and especially in the work of redemption. For example, the Angel of Yahweh (preincarnate Christ), identified as a separate person and as God Himself, leads the people of God, brings the law to them and acts as Judge (Gen. 16:7-13, 18:1-21, Ex. 13:21, 14:19-24, 23:20-21, Num. 20:16, Is. 63:9, Acts 7:38,53). When we encounter the teaching of Jesus Christ and his apostles, we are introduced to a more complete doctrine of Trinity. The older Testament reveals Yahweh as the redeemer and savior (Job 19:25-27, Ps. 78:35, 106:21, Is. 41:14, 43:3,11,14, 47:4, 49:7,26, 60:16, Jer. 14:3, 50:14, Hos. 13:3); the New Testament reveals that it is Jesus Christ who is the redeemer and savior of mankind (Matt. 1:21, Lk. 1:76-79, 2:17, Jn. 4:42, Acts 5:3, Gal. 3:13, 4:5, Phil.3:30, Titus 2:13-14). Throughout the old covenant it is God who dwells among his people and in the hearts of those who are joined to him(Ps. 74:2, 135:21, Is. 8:18, 57:15, Ezk. 36:27, 43:7-9, Joel 3:17,21, Zech. 2:10-11). The New Testament represents the Holy Spirit as dwelling with and in the covenant community of God (Jn. 7:38-39, Acts 2:4, Rm. 8:9-11, 1 Cor. 3:16, Gal. 4:6, Eph. 2:22). Furthermore, the New Testament informs us that God is the one who sent his Son into the world and that the Father and the Son both send the Holy Spirit. The New Testament reveals an intimate relationship between the Father and the Son and a like intimacy of God’s people with him through the agency of the Holy Spirit. When Jesus Christ was baptized there was a representation of each member of the Trinity and this reality is confirmed by Christ’s command to baptize in “the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matt. 28:19). Indeed the reality of the Trinity is assumed throughout the newer Testament: consider 1 Corinthians 12:4–6 (identifying “the Lord” with Jesus Christ), 2 Corinthians 13:14 and 1 Peter 1:2. Next week: Humanity, Deity, Spirit. |
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