The Trinity

Question 1

The Trinity

Answer 1

The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are three distinct persons
There is only one God
Necessary to define the relationship between the 3 persons
Each person is fully God - they co-exist

Question 2

Biblical Testimony

Answer 2

1. Tertullian (3 CE)

2. Nicene Creed (325 CE)

Question 3

Adoptionism

Answer 3

Jesus is an ordinary man who became Son of God at his baptism

Question 4

Arianism

Answer 4

Jesus is the highest being but not made of the same substance as God

Question 5

Sabellianism

Answer 5

Jesus is divine; not human

Question 6

What’s the best known definition of the Trinitarian Doctrine?

Answer 6

Athanasian Creed

Question 7

Where does the word ‘Trinity’ doesn’t appear in the Bible?

Answer 7

It doesn’t

Question 8

Genesis 1:1

Answer 8

God is referred to as Elohim (plural noun)

Question 9

John 1

Answer 9

‘Jesus was the word and the word was God’

Question 10

John 14:23

Answer 10

The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is linked to the indwelling of Jesus and God

Question 11

What does the Bible teach?

Answer 11

That God is one

Question 12

What happened at the Council of Constantinople (381 CE)?

Answer 12

The Nicene Creed was amended to include the Holy Spirit and God

Question 13

What happened at the Council of Toledo (589 CE)?

Answer 13

The Son was added to the Nicene Creed without the agreement of the 5 patriarchs of the Church

Question 14

Filioque Controversy

Answer 14

1. Divided the Eastern and Western Churches

2. Rome accused the Eastern Church of heresy for not accepting fiiloque

Question 15

Immanent Trinity

Answer 15

Signifies what God is (3 persons, 1 God)

Question 16

Economic Trinity

Answer 16

Signifies what God does (e.g. Holy Spirit sanctifies)

Question 17

What does Augustine believe regarding the immanent and economic trinity?

Answer 17

He doesn’t differentiate between them.

Question 18

Karl Barth

Answer 18

God has revealed himself to humans through the Son and the Holy Spirit

Question 19

Issues with Barth’s ideas

Answer 19

1. Doesn’t distinguish between the 3 persons
2. Merges the immanent and economic trinity
3. Sees the persons as an eternal repetition which destroys the eternal unity of the Godhead

Question 20

What was Friedrich Schleirmacher’s book?

Answer 20

The Christian Faith (1821)

Tried to reconcile Enlightenment theology with traditional Christian beliefs

Question 21

The monotheistic claims of the Doctrine of the Trinity

Answer 21

1. To speak of three-in-one is a logical nonsense
2. Jews and Muslims often comment that it suggests that there are 3 Gods
3. The letter ‘A’ consists of 3 lines, each line needs the others to exist as a letter
4. It’s caused confusion, argument and misunderstanding

Question 22

Is the doctrine of the Trinity necessary to understand the God of Christianity?

Answer 22

1. Some people dismiss it as an abstract belief that makes no sense
2. Karen Kilby, ‘the doctrine of the trinity so easily appears to be an intellectual puzzle with no relevance to the faith of most Christians’
3. It’s the only way in which Christians can make sense of the content and teaching of the Bible
4. Plays a central part in worship