wholly surrender | He must increase, but I must decrease. -John 3:30

Our Sunday School class is currently going through the Gospel of Luke, and the last couple of week we have had the opportunity to discuss the Trinity. So I thought I would share some thoughts and notes on the Trinity here for anyone else who is unsure about the accuracy and details of the Trinity.

Before we start let me give this disclaimer: An infinite God will never be fully understood by finite minds. Creation can never fully master the Creator. The point at which we fully understand God, he ceases to be Divine. So the notes that follow are simply an attempt to help shed some light on the mystery that is the Trinity.

The late St. Augustine said this about the Trinity: “If you deny the trinity you lose your soul, if you try to explain the trinity you lose your mind.”

Having said that lets see if we can keep our mind, and yet not lose our soul.

What is the Trinity?

a.  The word Trinity is not in the bible, but the concept is.

b.  Church father Tertullian was the first to use the term “Trinity”

c.  Defined: 1 God who eternally exists in 3 distinct persons Father, Son, and Spirit who are each fully and equally God.

d.  NOT 3 Gods or God manifesting himself in one of three roles.

Biblical Basis

a. One God – 1 Tim. 2:5 – For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,

(also Deut. 4:35, 32:39; Ps 86:10; Isa 43:10, 45:5; 1 Tim 1:17)

b. The Father is God – John 6:27 – “…God the Father…”

(also 1 Cor 8:6)

c. The Son is God – John 1:1, 14 – “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. . . . And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us”

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

(also John 20:28; Rom 9:5; Titus 2:13; 1 John 5:20)

d. The Spirit is God –

i. Note – the Spirit is a “he” not an “it”. Not an impersonal force, but rather a person who can be grieved (Eph 4:30), resisted Acts 7:51), and outraged (Heb 10:29).

ii. 2 Cor 3:17-18 – “Now the Lord 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. 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? . . . You have not lied to men but to God’”

e. God is Love = God is Trinity – God is a perfectly loving Trinitarian community. (1 John 4:8)

f. The 3 Persons of God are equal, but exhibit deference.

i. The 3 Persons are equal

1 Peter 1:1-2 – Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure.

(also 1Cor. 12:4-6; Eph. 4:4-6; 2Thes. 3:5; 1Pet. 1:2; 2Cor. 13:14; Jude 20-21)

ii. Jesus is under the authority of the Father

John 12:49 – “For I did not speak on My own initiative, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a commandment as to what to say and what to speak.”

(also John 3:17, 4:34, 6:38, 8:29, 12:49, 1 Cor 11:3)

iii. The Spirit is under the authority of Jesus

Matt 28:18 – And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.”

iv. Serves as an example of deference and hierarchy of authority in the family, church, marriage, angelic hosts and government.

g. Other Trinity support: Gen 1:26 – “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness’”

(also Gen. 1:1-2, 3:22, 11:6-7; Isa 48:16, 61:1; Luke 1:35; Matt 3:16-17, 28:19-20)

So I hope those notes and scriptures help anyone who is seeking more info on the Trinity, and if you are still looking for more resources I would highly recommend Mark Driscoll’s book Vintage Jesus.

–Wholly Surrender!

Posted on Tuesday, February 16th, 2010 at 5:16 pm in the category:General Reflections, Life Lessons. Comment RSS 2.0 feed. Closed.