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MAKING SENSE OF THE TRINITY, Preface and Intro Introduction and Background: Millard Erickson What are people’s impressions of the Trinity?

1. What is it? 2. How does it affect our lives? 3. What makes you believe it?

Why study the Trinity?

1. Any consequences of just lumping it all together and saying “God did it”? a. OT folk seemed to not be too concerned with it, or at least left the Trinity poorly

defined. b. Early church took a while to work through the intricacies of it, but they began to

recognize that this was one of the defining differences between Judaism and Christianity!

c. Today, it also separates us from: i. Monotheism: Judaism, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Islam ii. Polytheism: Hinduism (devas) iii. Pantheism: New age religions (God is all), Christian Science

2. This doctrine, and our view of it, affects our view of God and other doctrines! a. Example: Equality of Father, Son and Holy Spirit

i. If Jesus was all human, then somehow God had to have forced the crucifixion (God is in control of His creation, no?). Wouldn’t that be unfair, if Jesus was all human?

3. Better understanding of doctrine drives our doxology. The more aware of who our Creator is, what has been done for us, the more we will be motivated in our worship.

This book will try to lay out the facts relative to the Trinity, and clarify as much as possible the grayer areas in relation to the Trinity. 3 sections:

1. Is the doctrine of the Trinity Biblical? a. Do we see it in the Bible? b. History, etc.

2. Does the doctrine of the Trinity make sense? a. Logical contradictions? 3 in 1, yet 1? b. God gave us rationality, apologetic capabilities. Do we need to abandon those

gifts to believe in the Trinity? 3. Does the doctrine of the Trinity make any difference?

a. So what? b. Any application for our lives?

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Unraveling the mystery: We can continue to build the case surrounding this mystery, but we will likely not understand it all in our lifetimes.

1. It makes sense that we will not understand every aspect of the Creator of ourselves – He is greater than us! We, as imperfect beings in the Christian faith on this earth, will have important questions with no firm answers.

a. An open question can have an answer we don’t know about presently. 2. Faith definition: Belief in the EVIDENCE of things unseen, not the lack of evidence!

At the end of the day, what we believe does require some faith, and the doctrine of the Trinity is one of them.

a. Do you have doubts? That is OK! Doubt comes from a mind that thinks it should believe. Different than unbelief!

3. Mystery? Yes. Truth? Yes. Both can be true! 4. We don’t have all the answers, but they are coming. It is important to not let small

variations in interpretations divide us. Pray for unity in interpretation and understanding the character of our Creator!

a. 1 Cor. 13: 8-13: Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

b. 1 Peter 3: 8-12: Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. For "Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit; let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.

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MAKING SENSE OF THE TRINITY, Chapter 1: Is the Doctrine of the Trinity Biblical?

Triunity: the doctrine that affirms the oneness of God, made up of three parts who are also God. 1. Officially endorsed during the Nicene Council ~ 325AD, in response to confusion and the

resultant varying doctrines regarding the Trinity that were spreading. NOTE: the notion of the Trinity had existed well before then (at least 160-200 years earlier in writings we have today), making the resultant creed more a clarification than a doctrinal change.

2. Correct doctrines are built on the belief that the Scriptures are true and inspired by God. If we see evidence of the Trinity in ‘God breathed’ Scripture, we have good reason to believe it. The opposite is also true, though: if we don’t see it in Scripture, we must critically evaluate any such doctrine, and question the current understanding and doctrine.

3. Today’s class will review some of the Scripture that points to both the oneness of God and the three parts that make up ‘God’.

Evidence to be reviewed: Scripturally, we will review 2 sets of evidence that point to the Trinity.

1. The Bible teaches God is One. 2. The Bible also points to 3 unique, divine beings that make up God.

Unity of God (God is One)

1. (OT) Deuteronomy 6:1-8 “Now this is the commandment, the statutes and the rules that the Lord your God commanded me to teach you, that you may do them in the land to which you are going over, to possess it, that you may fear the Lord your God, you and your son and your son's son, by keeping all his statutes and his commandments, which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be long. Hear therefore, O Israel, and be careful to do them, that it may go well with you, and that you may multiply greatly, as the Lord, the God of your fathers, has promised you, in a land flowing with milk and honey. Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.

a. Some translations are The Lord our God, the Lord is one Lord. b. Lord = Yahweh = Almighty God; by definition of Almighty, there can be only one.

2. Deuteronomy 5:6,7 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me.

a. Remember the setting for Deuteronomy: about to enter Promised Land, Moses soon to die, a cry for the Israelites to recognize who God was and how to act accordingly.

3. (NT) James 2:19 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!

a. Demons even have faith that God is one – they act on that faith and shudder! The evidence was and is there!

4. 1 Timothy 2:1-6 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.

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5. Many other Scriptural passages point to a single Godhead; these are but a few. Taken alone, we risk heading toward monotheism. However, the Bible also identifies 3 beings with divine properties, and we must absorb ALL of the evidence to come to a correct conclusion.

Deity of the 3 (that make up God) 1. Father (already discussed oneness, here is deity evidence):

a. (OT) Malachi 2:10 Have we not all one Father? Has not one God created us? Why then are we faithless to one another, profaning the covenant of our fathers?

b. (NT) Matthew 6:25-33 Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? [7] 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

c. Name equality: God = Father 2. Jesus, the Son of God:

a. (OT, prophecies) Isaiah 9:6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

i. The Saviour coming is God! b. (NT witnesses) Phillipians 2:5-11 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

i. ‘in the form’ = morphé = THE SAME AS, not just similar to. c. Hebrews 1:1-2 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 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. 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. d. (NT self proclamation) John 20:27-29 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

i. Admonition, yes, but don’t miss the CONFIRMATION! e. Mark 2: 8-10 when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, “Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question these things in your hearts? Which is

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easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic— “I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.” And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”

i. God is the only one who can forgive sins! He was clearly indicating that fact to the scribes present.

f. Matt. 26:63-65 And the high priest said to him, “I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.” Jesus said to him, “You have said so. But I telyou, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.” Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “He has uttered blasphemy. What further witnesses do we need? “

i. The high priest’s actions indicate the affirmation of Jesus’ response 3. Holy Spirit

a. Discussed and referred to less directly than Father and Son, to be sure. The name was often listed synonymously with God, though, as Jesus the Son was also listed. Verbage in the Old Testament often is “Spirit of God”, or “Spirit of the Lord”, but further clarity is given in the New Testament regarding the activities and characteristics of the Holy Spirit. b. Acts 5:1-5 But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, and with his wife's knowledge he kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostles' feet. 3 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 men but to God.” 5 When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and breathed his last. And great fear came upon all who heard of it. The young men rose and wrapped him up and carried him out and buried him. After an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. And Peter said to her, “Tell me whether you sold the land for so much.” And she said, “Yes, for so much.” But Peter said to her, “How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.” Immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. When the young men came in they found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband.

i. Holy Spirit is more than a person! Clearly, the Holy Spirit played a role in the awareness of Ananias and Sapphira’s attempts to deceive God. No mention that Ananias actually lied to Peter like his wife did, but Peter knew!

c. 1 Corinthians 3: 16 Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?

i. Spirit is part of God…. d. Properties of God: omniscience, wisdom

i. 1 Corinthians 2:9-13 “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”— these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. 11 For who knows a person's thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. 13 And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.

e. Properties of God: eternal, working on our conscience i. Hebrews 9:14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit

offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.

f. Properties of God: ability to redeem

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i. Titus 3:4-6 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior.

g. Properties of God: Direction giving i. 2 Peter 1:21 For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke

from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. 1. HS enables the prophet’s 100% batting average, with His omniscience!

Summary: 1. Scripture indicates the oneness of God, that there is no room for others to be worshipped. 2. Scripture indicates 3 divine beings at work in the lives of man, from creation to today. 3. How to reconcile these apparent contradictions? Stay tuned for next week’s discussion on how

these three can be one!

MAKING SENSE OF THE TRINITY, Chapter 1, Part 2: Is the Doctrine of the Trinity Biblical?

Last Week: We demonstrated that the Bible points to a Single God (“One God”), and that it also points to 3 unique, divine beings that are God. These statements point us toward the doctrine of a “Triune God”, three Gods in One. Discussion for this week: Can we see confirmation of this conclusion in the Bible that further affirms the discrete passages discussed last week, among others? To really embrace this doctrine, it would be preferred to see confirmation of our doctrine as underlying throughout the Bible.

1. There is no passage in today’s accepted translations of the Bible that expressly confirms the doctrine of the Trinity.

a. Notes on method of translations for today’s Bible and textual criticism, comparison to any other ancient document set (600 of Iliad, existing copies 500 yrs older than original vs. over 5000 of NT, existing copies within 100 years of original.).

b. While a passage does not exist explicitly stating the doctrine of the Trinity, the doctrine is implicitly stated throughout the Bible. A little deduction can reveal much in our study.

The Old Testament is less direct than the NT, as we might expect, but there are some interesting points seen here.

1. The presence of plurals a. The use of the term Elohim (Hebrew name for God). This term is a plural, but also was

used in reference to majesty (‘plural of majesty’) and its many facets. Not direct proof of a trinity, but interesting that the common reference to God is multiple in form.

b. Genesis 1:26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

i. Said = singular (pointing to the one saying it), our is obviously plural! The writer does not use ‘plural of majesty’ in referring to God, at which point it makes sense that God is truly using our as a multiple, or plural.

ii. OT Jewish commentators have tried to eliminate or the verse, demonstrating a recognition of the use of plural here and a discomfort with it. Textual criticism does not allow for this arbitrary deletion or modification.

c. Genesis 3:22 Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil”.

i. Same trouble with OT Jewish commentators d. Other passages: Gen. 11 (Tower of Babel), Gen. 18 (Lot and Abraham, Sodom and

Gomorrah) e. Isaiah 6:8 “And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will

go for us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.” And he said, “Go…” 2. The term Unity clarified

a. Deuteronomy 6: 4-5 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.”

i. This Hebrew word for ‘one’ = ehad, which also means a unity of several components. Traditional word for ‘one’ = yahid, which just means unique.

ii. Ehad is also used in Genesis 2:24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

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The New Testament; more direct, but still implied 1. Baptism

a. Matthew 28:16-20 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.

i. ‘name’ is singular, but 3 are clearly mentioned, and in equal status to each other.

2. Paul’s writings a. 2 Corinthians 13:14 Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another,

agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the saints greet you. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

i. Again; 3 unique beings working together, in apparent equal status. b. 2 Corinthians 1:21-22 And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has

anointed us, and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.

c. Note the work of all 3 in the salvation process. They appear inseparable; the 3 work together inseparably.

d. Ephesians 2:11-22 Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands— remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

e. Ephesians 3: 14-20 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

f. Paul clearly sees the triunity of God 3. Other NT authors

a. Hebrews 10:26-30 For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of

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judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has spurned the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? For we know him who said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.” It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

i. The teamwork of the Godhead works both ways! b. Acts 20:28 Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy

Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.

c. Look for the trend of responsibilities/activities of each member of the Trinity! Discussed later.

d. Again, each member of the Trinity is involved in the salvation/sanctification process. If YOU are saved, you have been affected by, and interacted with, each member of this Godhead!

4. Structure of Paul’s Writings a. We can see the Trinity outlined in order of some of Paul’s writings b. (GOD) Romans 1:18-3:20 (1:18-23) For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against

all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

c. (JESUS) Romans 3:21-8:1 (5:8-11) but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

d. (SPIRIT) Romans 8:2-30 (8:9-11) You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

e. Similar Triadic patterns appear in 1 Corinthians and Galatians. This was no accident! 5. Relationship of Jesus in the Trinity

a. It is clear that the 3 members are ‘tied at the hip’, and Jesus’ teachings also confirm this, not just Paul and other witnesses. Read the book of John!

b. Trouble with deciding between Jesus, the incredible man and sacrifice, and Jesus, divine being who came to earth as a human and is a member of the Trinity? Read No Doubt About It.

c. John 10:22-30 At that time the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the colonnade of Solomon. So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name bear witness about me, but you do not believe because you are not part of my flock. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and

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they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. I and the Father are one.”

d. John 14:15-24 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.” Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?” Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father's who sent me.

The doctrine of the Trinity is an underlying theme in much of Scripture. While not explicitly stated, it is perhaps even more than implied, it is assumed as a known in many passages. We see strong statements indicating the unity of God, that there are 3 divine beings that make up the one God, and that they are woven tightly together, enabling our magnificent creation, salvation, and ability to worship Him. Amazing. Next week: read Chapter 2, Does the Doctrine of the Trinity Make Sense?

MAKING SENSE OF THE TRINITY, Chapter 2, Part 1: Does the Doctrine of the Trinity Make Sense?

Last Week/Chapter: We demonstrated that the Bible points to the doctrine of the Trinity, through explicit and implied passages/structure in Scripture. Discussion for this week: We find ourselves in an apparent contradiction. We have affirmed the oneness of God, as well as three that are identified as God; the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Does this doctrine make any sense logically? Does it need to make sense logically? What logical contradictions do we live with in our lives, that we do not seek to solve? Logic Progression:

1. God is infinite. We are finite, particularly in our cognitive abilities (our brain). However… 2. “Let us make man in our image”. We are supplied with the tools to enable our search out our

Creator. Logic would be one of those tools. 3. Our daily life does not work well with logical contradictions. Rational thought demands the

elimination of all apparent contradictions. 4. A Contradiction: 2 statements about the same object that conflict with each other, both in

time and in the particular aspect being discussed. Stated another way: the law of non-contradiction states that something cannot be true and false at the same time and the same way. This law drives all rational thought, and cannot be ignored for convenience sake.

5. The Trinity would be a contradiction if God the Three were the same, in the same sense (or same respect, same way), as God is One. We have observed that there are three persons, or divine beings, that make up one essence we call God. God is one in essence, made up of 3 divine persons. God is one ‘what’, made up of three ‘who’s’.

a. Some Models, or Analogies, to help in this understanding: 1. Remember, any good analogy should represent unity, features that cannot be

separated, yet show a pluralism 2. 13 . 1 x 1 x 1 = 1. Triune, and no more complex than ‘one’. 3. Triangle. 3 unique corners, inseparable from one another.

6. Recognize that the Bible is a record, a love letter, between ‘persons’. We were created to have a relationship with God, and to worship as a result of that relationship. The driving force behind God’s actions in the Bible is LOVE, which is a personal, social type of activity.

a. God is love, exists from before time, and is spirit 1. John 4:21-26 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when

neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things.” Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am he.”

2. 1 John 4:17-19 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. So we have come to know and to

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believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. We love because he first loved us.

3. That love binds the Trinity together in perfect harmony and unison! Love does bind persons, and is God’s ultimate tool in interactions with us!

4. Interesting logical conclusion: God is love; love requires a source and receiver of that love; He existed before the creation of the universe. If this is true, it is logical to assume that God was able to love before creating the universe. At the very least, the Trinity had the ability to show love to each other. If there was only one, who would be the love target?

a. As well, that love of self is necessary. If there was no love internal to God, we would not experience it, and perhaps would not be here! This is also mirrored in other caregiver/receiver relationships. The caregiver must take care of themselves.

b. Leviticus 19:9-18 When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge, neither shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest. And you shall not strip your vineyard bare, neither shall you gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am the Lord your God. You shall not steal; you shall not deal falsely; you shall not lie to one another. You shall not swear by my name falsely, and so profane the name of your God: I am the Lord. You shall not oppress your neighbor or rob him. The wages of a hired servant shall not remain with you all night until the morning. You shall not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block before the blind, but you shall fear your God: I am the Lord. You shall do no injustice in court. You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor. You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not stand up against the life of your neighbor: I am the Lord. You shall not hate your brother in your heart, but you shall reason frankly with your neighbor, lest you incur sin because of him. 18 You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.

i. The instruction is to do as God does – love yourself, but love others just as much!

5. Remember that the love we feel and demonstrate today between ourselves is only a finite version of the love God has for us as well as the love that exists between members of the Trinity.

i. Sin is not a barrier to openness and oneness for the Trinity; it is for us. Think of pride and selfishness, and how it affects relationships of love around you today. As well, God’s concern for us is infinitely greater than our concern for others around us.

ii. Separation in space is not applicable with the Trinity. Experiences of one are known and understood by each omniscient, omnipresent other member of the Trinity. Not so in human relationships. Add to that to complications of communication between humans that does not exist in the Trinity.

iii. We are bound by physics – space, time. God created physics, and transcends those limitations!

Does this make any sense? Thoughts? Questions?

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Awareness and ability to understand the basics of the Trinity helps to discern half truths, that can often be deceiving and confusing!

1. Pantheism, where everything is spiritual and nothing is real 2. questions regarding deity of Christ (JW)

a. Jesus wouldn’t be able to bear the sins of humanity (or at least ‘volunteer’ for the job!)

3. “dynamic monarchianism”, where God the Father is the originator of all, and most supreme, and Jesus was a created creature

a. John 8:58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” b. John 17:5 When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and

said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.

4. Oneness Theology, where God became Son became Holy Spirit a. Dispelled at Jesus’ baptism: Luke 3:21-22 Now when all the people were baptized, and

when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

b. Instances where Jesus prayed to God. Summary: While recognizing we are finite, and God is infinite, we can see that this mystery of the Trinity can make some rational sense. It is bigger than our finite selves, but that which we can understand is logical! This is a God given gift, the mind and intellect, and it helps in our pursuit of our Creator. Next week: The functions and further interaction of the Trinity, and starting into Chapter 3: Does the Doctrine of the Trinity Make any Difference?

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MAKING SENSE OF THE TRINITY, Chapter 2, Part 2: Does the Doctrine of the Trinity Make Sense? And Chapter 3, Part 1: Does it Make any Difference?

Last Week/Chapter: We saw that the Trinity makes rational sense. The Trinity is bigger than any of us, but that which we can grasp makes sense, is logical. God is one ‘what’, made up of three ‘who’s’. God is love, a personal and social activity, representing more than simply spirit. That love drives God’s activities, and His commands are clear that love should drive our activities, as well. Discussion for this week: The separate or combined functional activities of the Trinity, and determine what difference understanding the nature of the Trinity should actually make in our lives. Completing Chapter 2: The Functional Activities of the Trinity

1. Perichoresis – the term used to define the relationship God/Trinity has within itself. Remember omnipresence, omniscience, omnipotence? Each member of the Trinity has these properties, so each member effectively ‘mutually indwells’ the other member. No lost communications, or frame of reference, no anticipation or guess work. They are all referencing the same data and goals!

a. Result, in discussing functional activities: No matter the activity by any member of the Trinity, there is involvement by all Three. It has to be this way logically, and we see it backed up in Scripture.

b. While Jesus the Son died on the cross, redeeming us and atoning for our sins (atoning = taking our sins so we can be reconciled to God), the Father and Holy Spirit had involvement of Jesus’ experience on earth, including His death and resurrection!

i. John 3:16-17 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

ii. Luke 4:14-21 And Jesus returned [from being tempted in the desert] in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and a report about him went out through all the surrounding country. And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all. And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.” And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

c. While sanctification seems to be primarily a work of the Holy Spirit, creation and enabling the primary function of the Father, and redemption the primary function of the Son, all are involved in the other’s primary activities. The works are perfected in all three’s involvement.

d. Again, while the scope of all this is beyond our comprehension, what we see makes sense, is logical, and that love and indwelling inside the Trinity is also conveyed to us, His creation!

e. Remember that we live with truths every day, where we cannot comprehend the scope of it all. Economies, culture, physics: we know they exist, and much of the structure and functionality, properties, but cannot explain everything. The same is true here; recognize and act on the truths we know, trusting God for further understanding to come both in this life and the next.

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Chapter 3: Does the Doctrine of the Trinity Make any Difference? 1. So we know it is true, we see it makes some rational sense. Does it matter to our faith? Will

it/should it make any difference in our lives, how we interact with others? Is this something we can act on?

2. Some say it makes no difference in pursuing the Trinity; Karl Rahner states that Christians are effectively mere monotheists. God as ‘Three in One’ is no different to us than God as One as seen by our daily actions. Do we live this way?

a. We need to recognize that Rahner is right on some respects, but also be aware that his statements are more a reflection of what he sees in Christians, not necessarily what ‘should be’, or how God would have us act and be.

i. The Christian experience is not about ME – it is about our almighty Creator and Redeemer. Part of the choices the Trinity gives us is how to respond and what to become like. Those choices include whether or not we align ourselves with his character.

b. Official Theology vs. Unofficial Theology, what we say vs. our actions. i. They should be the same!

Being aware of the makeup of the Trinity (its form, character, and activities) is important in at least 2 areas: The Christian religious structure as a whole, and the day to day practice of the Christian life. 1. The Christian religious structure, and how an awareness of the Trinity makes a difference

a. The problem of sin: how an all powerful God who could prevent sin from existing could also be all loving and allow it to exist.

i. Knowing the Trinity’s structure and activities helps soften this conflict 1. The second person of the Trinity (Jesus) acted to take these sins on

Himself. 2. Remember

a. All for one, and one for all. What Jesus experienced, all members of the Trinity experienced! Pain, suffering, death.

b. Jesus is on equal footing with God and Holy Spirit; this was not a forced action by God onto a created being! God took the sins of the world on Himself!

c. John 10:17-18 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.

3. So while the Trinity does allow for sin, the stress of God and sin is reduced significantly, knowing that same God provided a release from the bondage of that sin.

4. As well, further moral tension is relieved knowing God did not coerce another created being into being the sin sacrifice, substitute.

5. See how an awareness of the Trinity can help? b. Distinguishing Christianity from other religions

i. Awareness of the Trinity (God is one essence, made up of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit who existed before the creation of the universe) separates us from:

1. Monotheists – Judaism. The Trinity is made up of three divine beings. 2. Polytheists – Hinduism, Buddhism. The Trinity makes up One God. 3. Ideological pluralism – all religions are equally valid by this belief, but

there is no other religion claiming the Trinity in its belief structure! 2. Christianity is fundamentally different from other religions, largely because of the doctrine of

the Trinity and its involvement in human history. It is important to be aware of! Next week: How awareness of the doctrine of the Trinity affects the day to day life of the Christian. P. 77 to the end.

MAKING SENSE OF THE TRINITY, Chapter 3, Part 2: Does it Make any Difference?

Last Week: We saw the Trinity affects the religious structure that we worship in day to day, by helping with the great mystery of sin, and differentiating Christianity from other religions in the world. Discussion for this week: In what areas of our individual lives, particularly in our practice of the Christian life of prayer and praise, can awareness of the Trinity make a difference? Prayer and Praise

1. Definition of Prayer: a. Greek origin: to speak to, or make requests of, God (technically, a divine being) b. Hebrew origin: to judge oneself (introspection, one of the acute results of prayer!)

2. To whom should we direct our prayers? a. OT primarily addresses the Father, but NT certainly addresses more b. While there are no direct commands to pray to members of the Trinity other than the

Father (Matthew 6), there are clear examples that address more than just the Father (Acts 7).

i. Matthew 6:1-14 “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. “Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

ii. Certainly, the Father seems to be focal point of prayer, as the creator and sustainer of all, but remember perichoresis! The Three are all together. As well, we see examples of prayer to Jesus.

iii. Acts 7:58-60 Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

iv. 2 Corinthians 1:1a-2 To the church of God that is at Corinth, with all the saints who are in the whole of Achaia: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

v. Philippians 1:1a-2 To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

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vi. John 14:8-14 Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves. “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.

c. While Jesus was on the earth, people made requests of Him, and praised Him, recognizing who He was. This was prayer! Remember the definition of prayer. We can easily infer this is an example we need to continue today.

d. What about the Holy Spirit? No real mention of prayer directed to the Holy Spirit. Some points:

i. The special age of the Holy Spirit, post resurrection and ascension of Christ, was really starting at the point of authorship of many of these NT books.

ii. One of the Holy Spirit’s functions is the breathing of the Scriptures through people. Could this weigh into the absence of Holy Spirit praise and prayer discussion?

iii. Arianism heresy (belief that Jesus was created by the Father, and the Holy Spirit was lower than the Father and the Son) promoted the push to clarify the Holy Spirit’s position biblically, with Basil’s book ‘On the Holy Spirit” around 375 AD. While real recognition of the Holy Spirit as an equal member of the Trinity that can be prayed to and worshiped existed in circles since the New Testament was written, this book supplied clarity that became widely recognized, and it hinged largely on Jesus’ words at the point of his ascension to heaven from earth.

iv. Matthew 28:18-20 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

1. Take the alternative to a divine Holy Spirit to an extreme: Wouldn’t it seem odd to baptize people in the name of the Father, Son and Paul?

2. Baptism is an outward sign of worship and submission, to God the three in one.

v. Don’t forget pericherosis! While there is no direct command to worship/pray to the Holy Spirit, there is ample evidence of the divinity and love nature of the Holy Spirit, and the pericherosis forces us to recognize the Holy Spirit’s activities are woven tightly into the Father’s and Son’s activities.

vi. Activities of the Holy Spirit: 1. Conscience: John 16:4-15 “I did not say these things to you from the

beginning, because I was with you. But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth,

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for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

2. Sanctifies: Romans 8:1-17 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you. So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

a. Setting your mind, focusing – prayer 3. Empowers: Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has

come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.

4. Inspires: 2 Peter 1:19-21 And we have something more sure, the prophetic word, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

Summary: When we pray, we pray to a Triune God, God who is three in one. It is appropriate to direct certain requests and praises to one member of that Trinity, and recognize all three members will be involved in the delivery of the answer, or the receipt of the praise! Next week: How awareness of the doctrine of the Trinity affects our relationships with one another.

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MAKING SENSE OF THE TRINITY, Chapter 3, Part 3: Does it Make any Difference?

Last Week(s): We have seen the effect awareness of the Trinity has on the structure of the Christian church, and how it can affect our prayer/praise life. Discussion for this week: In what areas of our individual lives, particularly in our relationships with each other, can awareness of the Trinity make a difference? Trinitiy’s Example of Relationships: Genesis 1:26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.”

1. We have discussed: a. The Godhead expects us to love one another, as the members of the Godhead love each

other. b. The Godhead is in perfect unity and equality between each member

i. Father/Son name refers more to the likeness and equality of each other than a potential senior/junior relationship.

ii. John 5:2-18 Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Aramaic called Bethesda, which has five roofed colonnades. 3 In these lay a multitude of invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed. One man was there who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?” The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me.” Jesus said to him, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked. Now that day was the Sabbath. So the Jews said to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath, and it is not lawful for you to take up your bed.” But he answered them, “The man who healed me, that man said to me, ‘Take up your bed, and walk.’” They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Take up your bed and walk’?” Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, as there was a crowd in the place. Afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you.” The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had healed him. And this was why the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because he was doing these things on the Sabbath. But Jesus answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.” This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.

c. The internal relationship of the Godhead, as well as His relationship with us, is more than spiritual. It is relational, interactive.

d. Each member of the Trinity relies on the other, serve each other, and are serviced by each other. ‘Joined at the hip’

e. The Godhead is at work with his creation, each and every day f. The Godhead teaches, coerces, encourages continual improvement g. We are the created, God is the creator

2. These features are to be emulated, copied, sought after in our own lives a. Look at the Ten Commandments, the flow of the Old Testament, Jesus’ exhortations

and example on the cross b. All of these actions, exhortations, relationships, ‘state of being’ are originated in the

Trinity! c. God’s love internally and externally for us is a model in how to relate to each other.

Emulating that model forces us to treat others as equal, with full respect, knowing that person is as important to God as we are.

i. How do we act in the church today that condones inequality? 1. Who preaches/teaches? How these decisions are made, by whom?

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2. Who we listen to? 3. Who we socialize with? 4. Who we admire for their job inside and outside the church? 5. Do we perceive or assume intellectual inequality? 6. Do we perceive or assume spiritual inequality? 7. How do we treat the lost, in or out of church? Shouldn’t they just ‘get it’?

a. Are they drawn to us due to our treatment of them? 8. How about our spouses? 9. Others?

ii. How can we avoid the perception and activities around inequality? 1. Is every Christian indwelled by the Holy Spirit? 2. How should that affect our interactions? 3. Do we still need leaders? 4. Can we separate the apparent importance of the role from the equality of

the person in Christ? 5. Can we separate mental/physical gifting from spiritual equality, and act

accordingly? d. 1 John 4:17-19 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever

loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. We love because he first loved us.

e. Luke 15:1-7 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” So he told them this parable: “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.

i. The Godhead loves the lost – shouldn’t we? f. James 2:1-7 My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus

Christ, the Lord of glory. For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court? Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called?

Making Sense of the Trinity, by Millard Erickson / Chapter 3, Does it make any difference, Part 3.docx P a g e | 3

g. 1 Corinthians 12:4-21 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills. For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.

i. Everyone’s job in Christ is equally important, as is their equality in the eyes of God. So should they be in our eyes!

ii. Would Pastor Ed’s preaching and embrace of all who attend be as believable without the work of the people setting up tea time, and the people who welcome newcomers? One works with the other!

iii. Book example: “There shall be one master, but we are all brothers (and sisters).”

h. Matthew 23:1-11 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat, so practice and observe whatever they tell you—but not what they do. For they preach, but do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others. But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers. And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ. The greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

i. The Trinity helped us with our heavy burden of sin, by Jesus’ incarnation as a man, death on the cross, and resurrection, and the consequent redemption of our sin! Treating ALL of us as worthy of equal love, respect, and saving.

ii. That is a love and respect worth duplicating in our lives, with each other!