New Testament Basis for the Trinitarian

Doctrine II

New Testament Basis for the Trinitarian

Doctrine IITriadic Formulas in the New Testament

& Re-reading the Old Testament

Narrative of Salvation: Triadic character of God's saving

action

Narrative of Salvation: Triadic character of God's saving

action

The Christian message is essentially a narration. There is an understanding of God which this narrative of God's saving action presents.

This action involves not only God, Ho Theos/ the Father, but also the Son of God and the Holy Spirit. This triadic character of God's action is evident in key pivotal moments of the narrative.

At the beginning of the story: Infancy narrative (Luke 1,35)

The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.

During the beginning of Jesus' ministry: baptism in the Jordan (Mt 3:16-17; Mk 1:10-11; Lk 3:21-22)

The heavens open - the Holy Spirit descends upon Jesus in the form of a dove - the voice of God (the Father) is heard as saying: "This is my beloved Son".

At the last Supper in John's gospel

Jesus promises his disciples that on the achievement of his own work the Father will send the Holy Spirit upon them

The understanding of God which the narrative of salvation present and witnesses to: God here means Yahweh, the one, true, God of Israel. But this one God has now in these final events of salvation disclosed himself as the Father of the Son, Jesus Christ, and the Sender of the Spirit.

For Christian faith this triadic reference is essential to the understanding of God whose saving action in Christ and in the Spirit is the foundation of that faith.

Triadic FormulasTriadic Formulas There is evidence of a slow

development of understanding that Jesus Christ, the Father and the Spirit are equally God. Indications of this understanding appear here and there in "triadic formulas."

Mt 28: 19Mt 28: 19“Go, therefore, make disciples of all the nations… baptize

them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. “

This baptismal formula is explicitly Trinitarian. This is not an ipsisimma verba Jesu. It represents the doctrinal crystallization of the community of the evangelist which had reflected deeply on the meaning of the most important rite in the early Church, baptism.

The name represents the person, so being baptized in the name of the Father, the So nand the Holy Spirit means introducing those who are baptized into the communion of these three Persons and entrusting them to their special protection.

2 Cor 13:132 Cor 13:13“The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of

God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”

This triadic formula, still widely used in the liturgy, undoubtedly had its place in the celebrations of the early Church.

This formula looks forward to the doctrine of the Trinity, and its frequent use in the liturgy undoubtedly hastened the formulation of that doctrine.

2 Thessalonians 2:13-142 Thessalonians 2:13-14

“But we feel that we must be continually thanking God for you, brothers from who the Lord loves, because God chose you from the beginning to be saved by the sanctifying Spirit and by faith in the Truth. Through the Good News that we brought he called you to this so that we should share the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

In Paul’s mind everything in built around the three sources of grace & salvation: the Father, the Son & the Holy Spirit.

1 Cor 12:4-61 Cor 12:4-6There is a variety of gifts but always the same Spirit;

there are all sorts of services to be done, but always to the same Lord; working in all sorts of different ways in different people, it is the same God who is working in all of them.

The context is ecclesial. It is impossible to speak of the life of the community without invoking the three living principles behind all Christian innovations: The Father, Son and the Holy Spirit.

This is not an overt Trinitarian doctrine, but paves the way for its emergence in the future.

There are other significant Pauline texts which, while not directly trinitarian in themselves, yet indicate trinitarian thought that was later to be developed. (Gal 3:11-14, Gal 4:6, 2 Cor 1:21-22, 2 Cor 3:3. Rom 14:17-18, Rom 15:16, Rom 15:30, Phil 3:3, Eph 2:18, Ep 2:20-22, Eph 3:14-17).

Other Pauline Triadic TextsOther Pauline Triadic Texts Galatians 3:11-14: “The Law will not justify anyone in

the sight of God … Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law… so that through faith we might receive the promised Spirit.”

Galatians 4:6 : “The proof that you are sons is that God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts: The Spirit cries ”Abba, Father.”

2 Corinthians 1:21-22: “It is God himself who assures us all, and you, of our standing in Christ, and has annointed us, marking us with his seal and giving us the pledge, the Spirit, that we carry in our hearts.”

Romans 14:17-18 “The kingdom of God does not mean eating or drinking this or that, it means righteousness and peace and joy brought by the Holy Spirit. If you serve Christ in this way you will please God and be respected by them.”

Ephesians 2:18 “Through him [Christ] both of us have in the one Spirit our way to come to the Father.”

Ephesians 2:20-22 “You are part of a building that has the apostles and prophets for its foundations, and Jesus Christ himself for its main cornerstone. As every structure is aligned on him, all grow into the one holy temple in the Lord; and you too, in him, are being built into a house where God lives, in the Spirit.”

Ephesians 3:14-17 “This, then, is what I pray, kneeling before the Father, from whom every family, whether spiritual or natural, takes its name: Out of his infinite glory, may he give you the power through his Spirit for your hidden self to grow strong, so that Christ may live in our hearts.”

Christian Re-reading of the Old TestamentChristian Re-reading of the Old Testament

Presupposition: if the one true God is the Trinity of Persons, then any historical revelation of God implies a revelation of the Trinity.

In the OT there are intimations or vestiges of the tri-personal nature of the mystery of God.

Rublev’s Icon of the TrinityRublev’s Icon of the Trinity

The three men who appeared to Abraham at the Oak of Mamre can be regarded as a foreshadowing the Trinity

Personification of Yahweh as foreshadowing Trinitarian Revelation in NT

Personification of Yahweh as foreshadowing Trinitarian Revelation in NT

Divine wisdom (Prov 1:20-23, 8; 9:1-6) (In the NT wisdom =Jesus)

Associated with Wisdom is the personification of the word of God -- Dabar Yahweh. (Dabar = Jesus)

The spirit of God (Ruah Yahweh). God’s presence in creation and history. (Ruah = Holy Spirit)

Next meeting: Early Efforts at understanding the Truth about the Trinity: Heresies

Next meeting: Early Efforts at understanding the Truth about the Trinity: Heresies

Leonardo Boff, Trinity & Society, 43-50