God & The Trinity

Rev. Christopher J. RespassAntioch Bible Institute (Fall 2014)Major Bible Themes, Lesson 5

Existence of GodIII. Unity of God. A. The Bible emphasizes that God is one

1. Exod. 20:3: “You shall have no other gods before me.”

2. Deut 6:4-“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.”

3. Isa. 44:6-”Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: “I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god.”

4. John 10:30: I and the Father are one

Existence of GodB. The Bible also reveals that God is one, yet three (3) persons.

1. John 1:1-2 (Father & Jesus)“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was

with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God”

2. John 14:26 (Father, Son, Holy Spirit)“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father

will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you”

Existence of God

3. Matthew 28:19 (Father, Son, Holy Spirit)“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations,

baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”

Existence of GodC. The Bible emphasizes that each person of the Godhead is fully God.

1. Father (Gen. 1:1): “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.”

2. Son (Heb. 1-3a) ; “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. 3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power….”

Existence of God3. Holy Spirit (Acts 5:3-4): 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.”

From these passages and others, we conclude that God is a triune God—one God existing as 3 persons.

Existence of GodConclusion

1. God is a triune God (i.e., trinity)—one God existing as 3 persons.

2. The Godhead exists in community (Father, Son, Spirit)

The Trinity (Triune God)Q: What does it mean to say that God is One, yet He exists as Three persons?

1. It means that there are three persons, but one essence.

a. “Persons” have personality (i.e., they have attributes and capacities.

b. In the Trinity we see1. 1st Person: Father2. 2nd Person: Son3. 3rd Person: Holy Spirit

The Trinity (Triune God)c. One “Essence” means that each member of

the Trinity is equal in substance and worthy of adoration. In other words, each person of the Godhead is fully God.

The Trinity (Triune God)2. As the Triune Godhead, they operate in community (i.e., with each other). But they have different functions, roles and responsibilities in their divine community.

a. Doctrine of Procession1. Father sends the Son (John 3:16)2. Son sends the Holy Spirit (John 14:26, 16:7)3. Holy Spirit indwells believers, yet sends no one.

The Trinity (Triune God)Q: What is the role of God the Father?

Q: What is the role of God the Son?

Q: What is the role of God the Holy Spirit?

What the Trinity is NOT1. Tritheism: 3 separate and distinct, unrelated

gods who are not unified. Gods. This position holds that God is 3 persons, and each is fully god.

problem: pantheistic, possibility of divided loyalties, unhealthy focus of one person and never

understand the divine unity of the Godhead.

What the Trinity is NOT2. Modalism (Modes of Existence): One God manifesting himself in three ways. This is heresy focuses solely on the oneness of God and misses the 3-personhood of God. This is also know as Sabellianism or “Modalistic Monarchianism.” The United Pentecostal Church holds to this erroneous belief.

Problem: deny evidence of trinity at baptism

Potential support (John 10:30; John 14:8-9)

What the Trinity is NOT

What the Trinity is NOT3. Arianism: This heresy holds that God is supreme and Jesus, though higher than all other creation, was himself created by God. Prior to his creation, Jesus was not preexistent.

Problem: denies the deity of Jesus (i.e., that he is of the same nature of God).

What the Trinity is NOTNicene Creed (325 AD): “We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God Begotten of the father, the only begotten; that is, of the essence of the Father, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten not made, being of one substance with the Father.”

The Trinity (Triune God)Related heresies: Subordinationism: Jesus is eternal, but lower than that Father;

Adoptionism (Jesus was born an ordinary man and God the Father, adopted him and bestowed upon him supernatural power).

Groups who accept and practice the heresy of Arianism: Jehovah’s Witnesses

QUESTIONS

Home Work

Chapter 6 God The Father