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
Review
THE TRINITY
THE TRINITY
GOD IS ONE
“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.” – Deuteronomy 6:4
THE TRINITY
THE FATHER, SON AND SPIRIT ARE THREE DIFFERENT PERSONS
“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.” – John 13:20
THE TRINITY
GOD IS LOVE
“Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.” – 1 John 4:8
THE TRINITY
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).
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THE TRINITY
What the Trinity is not...
THE TRINITY IS NOT
ANYTHING CONTRARY TO WHAT THE SCRIPTURES HAVE REVEALED HIM TO BE
THE TRINITY
Let’s pray.
THE TRINITY
Trinitarian distinctions and why they matter...
THE TRINITY
ON TRINITARIAN DISTINCTIONS:
“In the first three centuries of the church there was probably no greater doctrinal argument than that over the “substance” of Christ as he related to the Father. Trinitarians argued that the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, while three separate persons were all a part of the same substance or essence, something called “homoousios”…
THE TRINITY
ON TRINITARIAN DISTINCTIONS:
“…Arianism as it was called argued that God was not Triune but that the Son was “begotten” of the Father and thus the Son and the Holy Spirit were all of their own individual substance or essence or “heteroousios”. Therefore Jesus Christ was a created being and not eternally God.
Around the same time another theological camp came forth called Semi-Arianism that would agree with Arianism that the Son was not “of the same substance” (homoousios) or the Father but they would go on to say that the Son was of a “of a similar substance” (homoiousios). So similar but still different…
THE TRINITY
ON TRINITARIAN DISTINCTIONS:
“…In time, Arianism and it’s brother Semi-Arianism would assume the label of heresy and Trinitarianism would win the day becoming orthodoxy.
What’s the significance of this? Well the significance I’d like to point out is that distinctions matter. Even very particular distinctions. The Trinity is a great mystery. The human mind isn’t capable of fully understanding the paradoxical character of the Triune God. All we’re capable of knowing are the things we do know. Namely, God is one in three persons; Father, Son and Holy Spirit…”
THE TRINITY
ON TRINITARIAN DISTINCTIONS:
“…The Father is God, the Son is God, the Spirit is God. The Father is not the Son nor the Spirit; the Son is not the Father nor the Spirit and the Spirit is not the Father nor the Son. God is the uncreated reality of Truth. This is what we can know about God’s character. How this is possible we can not understand, nonetheless it is so…”
THE TRINITY
ON TRINITARIAN DISTINCTIONS:
“…These distinction are of great significance. If we don’t acknowledge them then we don’t acknowledge God for who his is or has revealed himself to be. We’ve in effect, created a false god, one that does not exist and we have profaned the true living God in ascribing to his character things that he himself does not reveal to us as pertaining to his character.
Distinctions, even the most minute, have very serious implications, especially as they pertain to the nature and being of the Holy Trinity.”
THE TRINITY
A about that Passport…
THE TRINITY
THE PASSPORT & KYLE
PASSPORT | KYLE |
a document | a person |
a verification device | the verifier |
not a living thing | a living being |
a testimony | the person testifying |
THE TRINITY
THE TRINITY
What of the Scriptures?
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The Trinity and The Scriptures, Another Distinction
THE TRINITY
THE TRINITY
THE SCRIPTURES ARE:
THE TRINITY
So, what are the Scriptures?
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THE SCRIPTURES ARE GOD’S OWN TESTIMONY
THE TRINITY
THE SCRIPTURES ARE GOD’S OWN TESTIMONY
�“39You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness (“testify” in the KJV) about me, …“- John 5:39
THE TRINITY
THE SCRIPTURES ARE GOD’S OWN TESTIMONY
�“16All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,…” – 2 Timothy 3:16
THE TRINITY
Strong's Concordance
theopneustos: God-breathed, i.e. inspired by God
Original Word: θεόπνευστος, ον�Part of Speech: Adjective�Transliteration: theopneustos�Phonetic Spelling: (theh-op'-nyoo-stos)�Definition: God-breathed, inspired by God�Usage: God-breathed, inspired by God, due to the inspiration of God.
THE TRINITY
2315 theópneustos (from 2316 /theós, "God" and 4154 /pnéō, "breathe out") – properly, God-breathed, referring to the divine inspiration (inbreathing) of Scripture (used only in 2 Tim 3:16).
2315 /theópneustos ("God-breathed"), likely a term coined by Paul, "expresses the sacred nature of the Scriptures (their divine origin) and their power to sanctify believers" (C. Spicq, 2, 193).
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THE TRINITY
THE SCRIPTURES ARE GOD’S OWN TESTIMONY
�“20knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. 21For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” – 2 Peter 1:20-21
THE TRINITY
THE PASSPORT & THE SCRIPTURES
PASSPORT | SCRIPTURE |
not a living thing | not a living thing |
a created thing | a created thing |
a verification device | a verification device |
a testimony | a testimony |
THE TRINITY
THE SCRIPTURES ARE NOT A LIVING THING
�“12For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. …” – Hebrews 4:12-13
THE TRINITY
THE SCRIPTURES ARE NOT A LIVING THING
�“12For the word (Logos) of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. …13And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” – Hebrews 4:12-13
THE TRINITY
The “graphe”, the “Logos” and the “rhema”…
THE TRINITY
THE GRAPHE, THE LOGOS & THE RHEMA
LOGOS |
Strong’s Word: 3056 |
Eng. Trans. “Word” |
The “Divine Expression”, ie “Christ” |
GRAPHE |
Strong’s Word: 1124 |
Eng. Trans. = “Scripture” |
The Holy Scripture, ie “The Bible” |
RHEMA |
Strong’s Word: 4487 |
Eng. Trans. “word” |
“a living voice”, ie the Holy Spirit |
THE TRINITY
Strong's Concordance
logos: a word (as embodying an idea), a statement, a speech
Original Word: λόγος, ου, ὁ�Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine�Transliteration: logos�Phonetic Spelling: (log'-os)�Definition: a word (as embodying an idea), a statement, a speech�Usage: a word, speech, divine utterance, analogy.
THE LOGOS
THE TRINITY
HELPS Word-studies
3056 lógos (from 3004 /légō, "speaking to a conclusion") – a word, being the expression of a thought; a saying. 3056 /lógos ("word") is preeminently used of Christ (Jn 1:1), expressing the thoughts of the Father through the Spirit.
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THE LOGOS
THE TRINITY
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
a word, the Word From lego; something said (including the thought); by implication, a topic (subject of discourse), also reasoning (the mental faculty) or motive; by extension, a computation; specially, (with the article in John) the Divine Expression (i.e. Christ)�
THE LOGOS
THE TRINITY
Strong's Concordance
rhéma: a word, by impl. a matter
Original Word: ῥῆμα, ατος, τό�Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter�Transliteration: rhéma�Phonetic Spelling: (hray'-mah)�Definition: a word, by implication a matter�Usage: a thing spoken, (a) a word or saying of any kind, as command, report, promise, (b) a thing, matter, business.
THE RHEMA
THE TRINITY
HELPS Word-studies
4487 rhḗma (from 4483 /rhéō, "to speak") – a spoken word, made "by the living voice" (J. Thayer). 4487 /rhḗma ("spoken-word") is commonly used in the NT (and in LXX) for the Lord speaking His dynamic, living word in a believer to inbirth faith ("His inwrought persuasion").
THE RHEMA
THE TRINITY
HELPS Word-studies
Ro 10:17: "So faith proceeds from (spiritual) hearing; moreover this hearing (is consummated) through a rhēma-word (4487 /rhḗma) from Christ" (Gk text).
[See also Gal 3:2,5 which refers to "the hearing of faith" (Gk text) – i.e. a spiritual hearing that goes with the divine inbirthing of faith.]
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THE RHEMA
THE TRINITY
Strong's Concordance
graphé: a writing, scripture
Original Word: γραφή, ῆς, ἡ�Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine�Transliteration: graphé�Phonetic Spelling: (graf-ay')�Definition: a writing, scripture�Usage: (a) a writing, (b) a passage of scripture; plur: the scriptures.
THE GRAPHE
THE TRINITY
HELPS Word-studies
1124 graphḗ – properly, writing. 1124 (graphḗ) is used 51 times in the NT – always of holy Scripture, i.e. the inspired, inerrant writings of the Bible (the 66 books of Scripture, 39 in Hebrew, 27 in Greek).
THE GRAPHE
THE TRINITY
HELPS Word-studies
[The NT generally uses 1124 (graphḗ) for the Hebrew Scriptures (the OT) – but see also 2 Tim 3:16 and 2 Pet 3:16. 1124 (graphḗ) was used for the Hebrew Scriptures as early as Aristeas (about 130 bc; so MM).]
THE GRAPHE
THE TRINITY
So again, what are the Scriptures?
THE TRINITY
�“39You search the Scriptures (graphe) because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness (“testify” in the KJV) about me, …“- John 5:39
THE SCRIPTURES ARE NOT A LIVING THING
THE TRINITY
�“39You search the Scriptures (graphe) because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness (“testify” in the KJV) about me,... 40yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.”- John 5:39-40
THE SCRIPTURES ARE NOT A LIVING THING
THE TRINITY
�“39You search the Scriptures (graphe) because you think that in them you have eternal life (zoe); and it is they that bear witness (“testify” in the KJV) about me, 40yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life (zoe).” - John 5:39-40
IT IS THE SPIRIT… THAT IS LIFE
THE TRINITY
�“63It is the Spirit who gives life (zoe); the flesh is no help at all. The words (rhema) that I have spoken to you are spirit and life (zoe). ” - John 6:63
IT IS THE SPIRIT… THAT IS LIFE
THE TRINITY
THE PASSPORT & KYLE
PASSPORT | KYLE |
a document | a person |
a verification device | the verifier |
not a living thing | a living being |
a testimony | the person testifying |
THE TRINITY
THE SCRIPTURES & THE TRINITY
SCRIPTURE | THE TRINITY |
a letter | a person(s) |
a verification device | the verifier |
a created thing | uncreated |
not a living thing | life itself |
a testimony | the person testifying |
THE TRINITY
SAID ANOTHER WAY…
THE TRINITY
“To Know the Lord and make Him Known”
THE TRINITY
�“1When 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, 2since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. 3And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. 4I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. 5And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.” – John 17:1-3
KNOWING CHRIST IS ETERNAL LIFE
THE TRINITY
Strong's Concordance
ginóskó: to come to know, recognize, perceive
Original Word: γινώσκω�Part of Speech: Verb�Transliteration: ginóskó�Phonetic Spelling: (ghin-oce'-ko)�Definition: to come to know, recognize, perceive�Usage: I am taking in knowledge, come to know, learn; aor: I ascertained, realized.
THE TRINITY
HELPS Word-studies
1097 ginṓskō – properly, to know, especially through personal experience (first-hand acquaintance). 1097 /ginṓskō ("experientially know") is used for example in Lk 1:34, "And Mary [a virgin] said to the angel, 'How will this be since I do not know (1097 /ginṓskō = sexual intimacy) a man?'"
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THE TRINITY
�“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’” – Matthew 7:21-23
KNOWING CHRIST IS ETERNAL LIFE
THE TRINITY
Distinctions Matter
THE TRINITY
Do you know “of” God? Or do you KNOW God?
THE TRINITY
THE FATHER IS GOD
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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
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THE TRINITY
THERE IS ONE GOD
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THE TRINITY
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THE TRINITY
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THE TRINITY
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THE TRINITY
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