Doctrine 3 Flashcards
Unity - Shared Essence
Three, yet One All are personal All are eternal All are holy All are love All are personal
Clues to the Trinity
Creation - the world
Humanity - made in the image of God
The Written Word
We believe
that there are three persons in the Godhead-the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, undivided in essence and co-equal in power and glory.
NT Teaching of Trinity
Jesus Baptism - Matthew 3:16-17
Ascension (sending the Holy Spirit) - Acts 2:33
Repentance Formula
Spiritual Gifting - 1 Corinthians 12:4-6
3 Fold Formula in John’s Writings
John 14: 16, 26
John 20: 21-22
I John 4:2, 13-14
Progressive Revelation …
through time God revealed more of Himself to His people. God the Father God the Son God the Holy Spirit All Within the Bible
1 Corinthians 12:4-6
There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men.
Churches History Path to the Trinity Doctrine -
1st Century
"In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit Didache (AD 35-60) Clement of Rome (AD 70) Barnabas (AD 75) Hermas (AD 78 - 85)
Ignatius - 2nd Century
AD 100 - 120
affirmed that Jesus was before the Incarnation.
Justin Martyr - 2nd Century
AD 114 - 168
trinitarian formula required for all baptisms
Irenaeus - 2nd Century
AD 115 - 190 - disciple of Apostle John
The Divinity of Christ is critical to our need of Salvation
Athenagoras - 2nd Century
The doctrine of the eternity of the Logos, the co-inherence of the Father and Son, the union of the Father and Son, and the work of the Logos in creation.
Theophilus - 2nd Century
AD 150 - 181
first ancient father to use the word “Trinity”
Cappadocian Fathers - 4th Century
defined how God can be at the same time One and Three
dealt with the issue of Subordinationism.
Augustine of Hippo - 4th Century
concentrated his efforts on how God is “undivided in essence”
“elohim”
is a plural noun in Hebrew (appears over 217 times) Genesis 1:26 Genesis 3:22 Genesis 11:7 Genesis 18 Isaiah 6:8
Genesis 1:26
Let US make man
Genesis 3:22
The man has now become like one of US
Genesis 11:7
Let US go down
Genesis 18
Abraham’s visit
“The Lord appeared to Abraham. When Abraham looks up, he sees three men. Abraham says My Lord but the following verse is plural.
Isaiah 6:8
I heard THE voice of the Lord saying, who will go for US
There is one God
but with three persons:
Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Each is God
This is logically inconsistent yet necessary for faith to make sense.
There is one Divine
Being yet there eternally exists three distinct identities. All is God yet each one is not the same as the other two.
This is logically inconsistent yet necessary for faith to make sense.
The Bible commands worship of only one God
Exodus 20:3
You shall have no other gods before me.
The Bible commands worship of only one God
Deuteronomy 6:4-5
Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.
The Bible commands worship of only one God
Isaiah 42:8
I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not give my glory to another or my praise to idols.
Jesus receives worship and He doesn’t refuse.
John 20:27-29
Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!” Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have seen and yet have believed.”
But wait
John 14:26
But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
But wait
John 14:16
And I will ask the Father and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever…
But wait
Acts 13:1-2
While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.
God called
Abraham, Isaiah, Jeremiah
Jesus called
His Disciples
Holy Spirit calls
Barnabas and Paul
But wait
Ephesians 4:4-6
There is one body and one Spirit – just as you were called to one hope when you were called – one Lord, one faith, one baptism; One God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
Unique Characteristics
1 John 1:2
Self Existence/Eternal/Independent/Simplicity
The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us.
Unique Characteristics
Hebrews 9:14
Self Existence/Eternal/Independent/Simplicity
How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!
Unique Characteristics
John 4:24
Spiritual
God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.
How Can We Know About the Trinity?
Morality, Reason, Desire
Model of the Trinity
Transcendent God
God in the Flesh (human face)
Immanent God present and active in creation;.
Heresy
a doctrinal view that deviates from the truth, a false teaching.
Old Testament: Tools of Their Trade
False Visions Idolatries Speak Deceit False Dreams Divinations Delusions Vain Comfort
Purpose: Lead people away from God
New Testament Tools of Their Trade
Deceive Preach a false christ Perform great signs and wonders secretly introduce heresy Deny the Lord who redeemed them Behavior that denies and disrespects the truth Greed Arise from within Stories
Acts 20:32
Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.
1 Timothy 4:15-16
Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.
Titus 1:8-9
He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.
Titus 2:1
You must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine.
Know the Plan
Trinity exists and involved with salvation watch doctrine Teach sound doctrine Patience Careful Instruction Hold firmly to the truth
Heresies
forced universal formalization of beliefs.
Dynamic (Monarchianism)
Theodotus (AD190)
Paul of Samosata (AD 250)
Both did not last long
Theodotus (AD 190)
Jesus was an ordinary man when the Spirit came upon him at his baptism
Paul of Samosata (AD 250)
The word was not Jesus rather God’s commands to the man Jesus. There was a force in Jesus but God was not present with him.
Modalism (Monoarchianism)
God projects himself in three ways, or modes
loses ‘personhood’ of each
denies relationship between three distinct persons
Tritheism
Three Separate Gods
Different characteristics, desires and objectives
Denies unity of the Godhead
Mormonism
Subordinationism
Father eternally superior to the son and the Spirit (Hierarchy)
Misinterpretation of monotheism
Denies co-equality of the Godhead (Jesus is not the same nature)
Socianism (1500’s)
It denies the simplicity of God’s unity
denies the incarnation of the deity of Christ as well as Christ’s pre-exisitence. he was a deified man and was to be adored as such.
As a result of not being Divine Jesus’ sacrifice was not efficacious; that is, it did not result in redemption of people who would trust in it.
Instead it was an example of self sacrifice.
