THE TRINITY
THE TRINITY
CLASS OVERVIEW
WEEK 1 – THE TRINITY DEFINED
WEEK 2 – WHAT THE TRINITY IS NOT
WEEK 3 – PATTERNS IN SCRIPTURE
WEEK 4 – STILL MORE PATTERNS
WEEK 5 – A RELATIONAL LOVE
WEEK 6 – A WAY FOR US
WEEK 7 – REVIEW, Q&A
THE TRINITY
THESIS
IF WE ARE TO LOVE THE LORD OUR GOD WITH ALL OUR HEART, OUR MIND AND OUR STRENGTH THEN WE MUST LOVE HIM FOR WHO HE HAS REVEALED HIMSELF TO BE.
OUR GOD IS ONE IN THREE PERSONS; FATHER, SON AND HOLY SPIRIT…��AND HE IS PERFECT IN LOVE.
THE TRINITY
THE TRINITY
Review: What is the love of God like?
THE TRINITY
Strong's Concordance
agapé: love, goodwill
Original Word: ἀγάπη, ης, ἡ�Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine�Transliteration: agapé�Phonetic Spelling: (ag-ah'-pay)�Definition: love, goodwill�Usage: love, benevolence, good will, esteem; plur: love-feasts.
THE TRINITY
HELPS Word-studies
26 agápē – properly, love which centers in moral preference. So too in secular ancient Greek, 26 (agápē) focuses on preference; likewise the verb form (25 /agapáō) in antiquity meant "to prefer" (TDNT, 7). In the NT, 26 (agápē) typically refers to divine love (= what God prefers).
�
THE TRINITY
So God’s “agape” love is “other centered benevolence”.
THE TRINITY
If God IS (a state of being) “agape” love (1 John 4:8), what implications does this have for his character or make up?
THE TRINITY
IT MEANS HIS “AGAPE” LOVE IS…
THE TRINITY
IT MEANS HIS “AGAPE” LOVE IS…
“And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.” - John 17:5
THE TRINITY
IT MEANS HIS “AGAPE” LOVE IS…
“8For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. 9For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” – Isaiah 55:8-9
THE TRINITY
IT MEANS HIS “AGAPE” LOVE IS…
“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love (agape).” – John 15:9
THE TRINITY
What the Trinity is not...
THE TRINITY IS NOT
...taught that the three persons of the Trinity as different “modes” of the Godhead. Adherants believed that Father, Son and Holy Spirit are not distinct personalities, but different modes of God's self-revelation. A typical modalist approach is to regard God as the Father in creation, the Son in redemption, and the Spirit in sanctification. In other words, God exists as Father, Son and Spirit in different eras, but never as triune. Stemming from Modalism, Patripassianism believed that the Father suffered as the Son.
Modalism (i.e. Sabellianism, Noetianism and Patripassianism)�
...Tritheism confesses the Father, Son and Holy Spirit as three independent divine beings; three separate gods who share the 'same substance'. This is a common mistake because of misunderstanding of the use of the term 'persons' in defining the Trinity.
Tritheism�
THE TRINITY IS NOT
THE TRINITY IS NOT
...taught that the preexistent Christ was the first and greatest of God’s creatures but denied his fully divine status. The Arian controversy was of major importance in the development of Christology during the fourth century and was addressed definitely in the Nicene Creed.
Arianism�
...taught that Jesus Christ as a purely divine being who only had the “appearance” of being human. Regarding his suffering, some versions taught that Jesus’ divinity abandoned or left him upon the cross while other claimed that he only appeared to suffer (much like he only appeared to be human).
Docetism�
THE TRINITY IS NOT
...taught that while Jesus was endowed with particular charismatic gifts which distinguished him from other humans but nonetheless regarded Him as a purely human figure.
Ebionitism�
THE TRINITY IS NOT
...that that the Holy Spirit is a created being.
Macedonianism�
THE TRINITY IS NOT
...taught that Jesus was born totally human and only later was “adopted” – either at his baptism or at his resurrection – by God in a special (i.e. divine) way.
Adoptionism�
THE TRINITY IS NOT
...taught that Father, Son and Holy Spirit together are components of the one God. This led them to believe that each of the persons of the Trinity is only part God, only becoming fully God when they come together.
Partialism�
THE TRINITY IS NOT
…Unitarian Christians affirm the unitary nature of God as the singular and unique creator of the universe, believe that Jesus Christ was inspired by God in his moral teachings and that he is the savior of humankind, but he is not equal to God himself.
Unitarianism�
THE TRINITY IS NOT
THE TRINITY
What do all of these Trinitarian heresies have in common?
THE TRINITY
They lack his perfect love.
THE TRINITY
THE FATHER IS GOD
BIBLEVERSEAADFKAODKFNADSKL;FADKSFKALDFJAKL’FDKLAFLKDSJFLSDJAFKLADSJFLKASJKLDSJIODSVAKLDVNLKDASJVKLASDJVKLADSVKLDSJVAKL’JVKDLSJA’FKDSJFAKLSDJFKLDAKASJ’KFSDJAFKLJDSKLF;AJSKLFJSKL;FJASDKLFJAS;KLFJKLASDJFK;LAJSDFKJA;SDKFJAK;SDLJFAKLDSJF;KALSDJFKLA;DJSFKLAJDFKL;AJDSKFJADSK;FJA;DSKLJFADSKJFAKSDJF;KAJDSFKAJDS;KFJAS;DKFJA;DSKJFAK;DSJFA;KDJSFA;KDJFKDA;SJFKADJS;FKAJDS;ADFADSFADSFADSFADSFADSFADSFADSFADSFADSFASDFASKSDJKLSAJ;FKSDF;ASJDFKDSJ;KF;JADSKJF;AKDFAD;FJKAJDS;FKA
THE TRINITY
“Whosoever will be saved, before all things it is necessary that he hold the Catholic faith. Which faith unless every one do keep whole and undefiled, without doubt he shall perish everlastingly. And the Catholic faith is this: that we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity; neither confounding the Persons, nor dividing the Essence. For there is one Person of the Father; another of the Son; and another of the Holy Ghost. But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, is all one; the Glory equal, the Majesty coeternal…” – Athanasian Creed,
THE TRINITY
THERE IS ONE GOD
BODYAFASDKLFJADSLKJASKLJDKLFJ;ASKLDFJKADSF;JKADSJF;KADSJFKADSJFKLADJSF;KADJSFKJASD;KFJADSK;FJADSKFJ;AKDSJF;AKDSJFLKA;JFDSKLJFA;KDSJFKASJD;FKJASD;KFJADSKJF;AKDJFKADSJFKADSJFKAJ;FDJSFKJSDF;KAJDS;FKJADKFJADSJF;KAJSDF;KJA;KFJA;SDKFJA;KSDJF;AKSDJF;KAJDS;FKJADS;KJASDK;FJADS;KFJAKDS;FJADSKFJA;DSFJA;KDSJF;AKSDJF;AKDSJF;KASDJF;LAKSDJFK;ADSJFKASJD;FKAJSDF;KDSAJFKLJASDKFJSA;KDFJDSKAJF;ASKDFJ;AKSDJFKADSJF;KDSJF;AKJDSF;KLASDJF;KALSDJF;KAJSDF;KAJD;FKADSJFA;KF
THE TRINITY
THERE IS ONE GOD
BODYAFASDKLFJADSLKJASKLJDKLFJ;ASKLDFJKADSF;JKADSJF;KADSJFKADSJFKLADJSF;KADJSFKJASD;KFJADSK;FJADSKFJ;AKDSJF;AKDSJFLKA;JFDSKLJFA;KDSJFKASJD;FKJASD;KFJADSKJF;AKDJFKADSJFKADSJFKAJ;FDJSFKJSDF;KAJDS;FKJADKFJADSJF;KAJSDF;KJA;KFJA;SDKFJA;KSDJF;AKSDJF;KAJDS;FKJADS;KJASDK;FJADS;KFJAKDS;FJADSKFJA;DSFJA;KDSJF;AKSDJF;AKDSJF;KASDJF;LAKSDJFK;ADSJFKASJD;FKAJSDF;KDSAJFKLJASDKFJSA;KDFJDSKAJF;ASKDFJ;AKSDJFKADSJF;KDSJF;AKJDSF;KLASDJF;KALSDJF;KAJSDF;KAJD;FKADSJFA;KF
THE TRINITY
HEADER
THE TRINITY
HEADER
KSDJF;LKSJDFLAKJFLKDSJF;KALSJDF;KAJDK;AFJKLSADJF;KASDJFKASDJF;LKASDJLKASD;JFKLADSJFAKL;SDJFKLDSJFKLADS;JFLKDSJV;AKDSJKDSANV;LKDVJKLDAJV;LDSKVANV;IVJASDLKFJKALDS;JVKA;VKLDMALKDJSFKLAJDS;VLKAJ;DKVJADSKLFJ;KDSJVDKASLVJ;KLDSJV;ALKSDJV;KADMS;CKAEMVKL;ASDJFKVJADS;KVJA;SDKVJKL;ADSJ;ALKDSJV;KLDFJADK;SLACJ;KDJCV;KDSAJVA;CKDJC;KALDSJV;KLAJDSS;KLVJAD;KVJ;KDAJVA;DKJVKCALDS;SJC;KAJDSK;VJADS;VKADJSFKLAJDK;CAJD;KVJADSKV;JADS;KFJA;DKFJA;DSLKVCJ;AKDSJ;VKFAJDS;LKDAJC;AKSDJ;FKAJD;CKAJD;KLFJADSKJCAKJC
THE TRINITY
HEADER
THE TRINITY
HEADER
BIBLEVERSEAADFKAODKFNADSKL;FADKSFKALDFJAKL’FDKLAFLKDSJFLSDJAFKLADSJFLKASJKLDSJIODSVAKLDVNLKDASJVKLASDJVKLADSVKLDSJVAKL’JVKDLSJA’FKDSJFAKLSDJFKLDAKASJ’KFSDJAFKLJDSKLF;AJSKLFJSKL;FJASDKLFJAS;KLFJKLASDJFK;LAJSDFKJA;SDKFJAK;SDLJFAKLDSJF;KALSDJFKLA;DJSFKLAJDFKL;AJDSKFJADSK;FJA;DSKLJFADSKJFAKSDJF;KAJDSFKAJDS;KFJAS;DKFJA;DSKJFAK;DSJFA;KDJSFA;KDJFKDA;SJFKADJS;FKAJDS;ADFADSFADSFADSFADSFADSFADSFADSFADSFADSFASDFASKSDJKLSAJ;FKSDF;ASJDFKDSJ;KF;JADSKJF;AKDFAD;FJKAJDS;FKA
THE TRINITY
HEADER
BIBLEVERSEAADFKAODKFNADSKL;FADKSFKALDFJAKL’FDKLAFLKDSJFLSDJAFKLADSJFLKASJKLDSJIODSVAKLDVNLKDASJVKLASDJVKLADSVKLDSJVAKL’JVKDLSJA’FKDSJFAKLSDJFKLDAKASJ’KFSDJAFKLJDSKLF;AJSKLFJSKL;FJASDKLFJAS;KLFJKLASDJFK;LAJSDFKJA;SDKFJAK;SDLJFAKLDSJF;KALSDJFKLA;DJSFKLAJDFKL;AJDSKFJADSK;FJA;DSKLJFADSKJFAKSDJF;KAJDSFKAJDS;KFJAS;DKFJA;DSKJFAK;DSJFA;KDJSFA;KDJFKDA;SJFKADJS;FKAJDS;ADFADSFADSFADSFADSFADSFADSFADSFADSFADSFASDFASKSDJKLSAJ;FKSDF;ASJDFKDSJ;KF;JADSKJF;AKDFAD;FJKAJDS;FKA