The Trinity Pt 1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oh_sJs_BDDQ

Lecture Notes:

I. Importance of the Trinity

A.   Trinity in prayer

B.    Trinity in marital and family relationships

C.    Trinity in theology

II. Scriptural Reference of the Trinity (Triadic Statements)

A-D. Triadic Statements

E.   Deity of Jesus

F.   Deity of the Holy Spirit

III. God’s Plurality in Scripture

IV. Theophany / Christophany

V.  Trinitarian Table

Augustine of Hippo (354-430). Perhaps antiquity's greatest theologian within Christianity. Augustine coined the use of the term “person” when referring to the manifestations of the Trinity.

To communicate that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all distinctive, while sharing the same divine essence.

1-    God is the same in essence as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God is undivided

2-    The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all fully God, yet distinct existing simultaneously.

I.      Importance of the Trinity

A.   Trinity in Prayer

a.   To the Father

i.  John 15:16 (ESV) “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.”

ii.  Matthew 6:9 (ESV) “Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.”

b.  In the name of the Son

i.   Hebrews 4:14–16 (ESV) “Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace.

ii. 1 Timothy 2:5 (ESV) “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.”

c. Through the power of the Holy Spirit

i. Romans 8:26-27 (ESV) “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.”

ii.  Ephesians 6:18 (ESV) “Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints.”

iii.  Jude 1:20 (ESV) “But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit.”

B.    Hierarchy of marital and family relationships (Complementarianism vs. Egalitarianism)

The Son subordinate to the Father: Luke 22:42, John 5:36, John 20:21, and 1 John 4:14.

The Holy Spirit subordinate to the Son: John 14:16, 14:26, 15:26, 16:7, and especially John 16:13-14.

a.     Complementarianism is the position that God has made men and women equal in personhood and value, but different in their practiced gender roles; these differences in gender roles are designed to complement each other. Further reading can be found at The Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood (CBMW.org), specifically in the Danvers Statement. https://cbmw.org/about/danvers-statement/

b.     Egalitarianism is the opposing position that there are no gender distinctions. Gender roles are seen as interchangeable are equally satisfied by either male or female. Further information can be found at Christians for Biblical Equality (CBE / cbeinternational.org), specifically in the Statement on Men, Women, and Biblical Equality. https://www.cbeinternational.org/sites/default/files/english_3.pdf

C.    Theological Understanding – Our understanding of God’s relationship to humanity revolves around a trinitarian understanding.

a.     Creation

 i.     Genesis 1:1-2; John 1:1-4; Colossians 1:15-17

b.     Consummation

i.     The Holy Spirit speaks Revelation 2 – 3. The Holy Spirit works “seven spirits of God" are mentioned in Revelation 1:4; 3:1; 4:5; and 5:6. The Holy Spirit’s invitation Revelation 22:17.

c.     Atonement. The trinity is required for atonement.

i.     Fully God. The sacrifice on the cross needed to be (1) perfect and (2) eternal. As fully God, undiminished deity, Jesus served as a type of eternal sacrifice, dying once and for all time. A perfect human could not have paid the price of sin and satisfied God’s wrath and the eternality of Hell, this is because man is a finite being and Jesus is an infinite being.

ii.     Jesus, The Son of God. The other nature of Christ was fully human, qualifying him as an eligible sacrifice. His eligibility is also substantiated by the fact that he was tempted in every way we are and yet did not sin (Hebrews 4:15). It is important to note that James 1:13 tells us that God cannot be tempted by evil; however, Jesus was tempted by evil in Luke 4 and Matthew 4. The explanation is Jesus existence of two natures, undiminished deity and perfect humanity.

iii.     The Power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit was active throughout the entire atonement process; from his earthly conception (Luke 1:35), to his empowerment to work miracles (Matthew 12:28; Luke 4:18; Acts 10:38), to his crucifixion (Hebrews 9:14).

II.    Scriptural references of Trinity (Triadic Statements)

A.   Great Commission – Matthew 28:18 (ESV) - Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name [singular] of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

B.    Benediction to the Corinthians – 2 Corinthians 13:14 (ESV) “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”

C.    Ephesians 1 – Entire chapter

D.   Ephesians 4:4-6 “ESV) “There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”

E.    Deity of Jesus

i.  John 8:58 – “Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am”

ii.  John 10:30 – “I and the Father are one.”

F.    Deity of the Holy Spirit

i.  Acts 5:3-4 (ESV) “But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land? 4 While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to man but to God.””

ii. 1 Corinthians 3:16-17(ESV) “Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple.”

iii. 2 Corinthians 3:16-18 (ESV) “But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. Now the Lord[d] is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”

III.   God’s Plurality in Scripture

God is not himself a plurality, he is not one among many, "The Lord our God is one Lord" (Deuteronomy 6:4). Rather God’s plurality is expressed in the trinitarian expressions of scripture.

A.   Gen. 1:26, "Then God said, 'Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.'"

B.    Gen. 3:22, "Then the Lord God said, 'Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil; and now, lest he stretch out his hand, and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever -'"

C.    Gen. 11:7, "Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech."

D.   Gen. 19:24, "Then the Lord [YHWH] rained on Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord [YHWH] out of heaven." YHWH indicates a plural from of “Elohim” meaning God.

E.    *Psalm 45:6-7, "Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of uprightness is the scepter of Thy kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated wickedness; Therefore God, Thy God, has anointed Thee."

*Also referenced the NT in Heb. 1:8, "But of the Son He [God] says, “Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever, And the righteous scepter is the scepter of His kingdom." Both the Hebrew translations (Psalms 45:6-7) and Greek (Hebrews 1:8) have been properly translated as seen from the many Bible versions that support this grammatical read.

F.    Amos 4:10-11 I have sent among you the pestilence after the manner of Egypt: your young men have I slain with the sword, and have taken away your horses; and I have made the stink of your camps to come up unto your nostrils: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD. I have overthrown some of you, as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and ye were as a firebrand plucked out of the burning: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD.

IV.  Theophany / Christophany. Manifestations of God in tangible form.

A.   Gen. 17:1, "Now when Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, "I am God Almighty; walk before Me, and be blameless."

B.    Gen. 18:1, "Now the LORD appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, while he was sitting at the tent door in the heat of the day."

C.    Ex. 6:2-3, "God spoke further to Moses and said to him, ‘I am the LORD; and I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name LORD I did not make myself known to them.'"

D.   Exodus 24:9-11, "Then Moses went up with Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and they saw the God of Israel; and under His feet there appeared to be a pavement of sapphire, as clear as the sky itself.  Yet He did not stretch out His hand against the nobles of the sons of Israel; and they beheld God, and they ate and drank."

E.    Exodus 33:11, "Thus the LORD used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend..."

F.    Num. 12:6-8, "He [God] said, "Hear now My words: If there is a prophet among you, I, the LORD, shall make Myself known to him in a vision. I shall speak with him in a dream. Not so, with My servant Moses, He is faithful in all My household; with him I speak mouth to mouth, even openly, and not in dark sayings, and he beholds the form of the LORD..."

G.   Acts 7:2, "And he [Stephen] said, "Hear me, brethren and fathers!  The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran...."

V.    Trinitarian Table

	FATHER	SON	HOLY SPIRIT
Called God	Phil. 1:2	John 1:1.14: Col. 2:9	Acts 5:3-4 Job 33:4
Creator	Isaiah 64:8	John 1:3, Col. 1:15-17	Job 33:4, 26:13
Resurrects	1 Thess. 1:10	John 2:19, 10:17	Rom. 8:11
Indwells	2 Cor. 6:16	Col. 1:27	John 14:17
Everywhere	1 Kings 8:27	Matt 28:20	Psalm 139:7-10
All knowing	1 John 3:20	John 16:30, 21:17	1 Cor. 2:10,11
Sanctifies	1 Thess. 5:23	Heb. 2:11	1 Peter. 1:2
Life giver	Gen. 2:7 John 5:21	John 1:3, 5:21	2 Cor. 3:6,8
Fellowship	1 John 1:3	1 Cor. 1:19	2 Cor. 13:14, Phil. 2:1
Eternal	Psalm 90:2	Micah 5:1,2	Rom. 8:11, Heb 9:14
A Will	Luke 22:42	Luke 22:42	1 Cor. 12:11
Speaks	Matt. 3:17; Luke 9:25	Luke 5:20, 7:48	Acts 8:29, 11:12, 13:2
Love	John 3:16	Eph. 5:25	Rom. 15:30
Searches the Heart	Jer. 17:10	Rev. 2:20	1 Cor. 2:10
Gives Joy	Ecclesiastes 2:26	John 15:11	John 14:7