Scripture Readings:

Day

1 Heb 1:5-8

2 John 1:14, 18; 15:26

3 Gal 4:6; Isa. 6:3-8

4 John 12:41; Acts 28:25; 1 John 5:20; Acts 5:3-4

5 John 1:1; Isa. 9:6; John 2:24; 1 Cor. 2:10-11

6 Col. 1:16; Gen 1:2; Mt. 28:19; 2 Cor. 8:14

How doth it appear that the Son and the Holy Ghost are God equal with the Father?

__________

We can deal with knowledge of God, both general (as in nature) and special (that revealed in Scripture) without tampering with the doctrine of the Trinity. I do not think we can begin to understand God is one God and yet fully and really three persons by attempting to understand each person alone. While the proof texts seem abundantly clear as to how we could make these statements, they are not that clear to most. The reformers use some strange twists in structure of their answers to make sure they don’t step outside Scripture in answering these questions one by one. Their choice of words were to make sure of the preciseness of the statement, and not always the best grammatically. At places they seem to present two things at once that can lead to confusion to those who have not studied the Bible extensively. For example answer one appears to create an order or subjection within the Godhead, while question two a few words later declares all to be one God, and equal in all things. One could want to throw up their hands and scream, aw come on fellas be consistent, are they or are they not equal?

Of all the statements presented by the early reformers, these are perhaps the most crucial for us to understand, for it is from lack of the proper understanding of these questions that almost every heresy to ever exist was born. All ancient heresies attack the Trinity or the deity of Jesus Christ. This is one of the first issues that the Jehovah’s Witness will spring on an unwary Christian, daring them to explain why they can believe in a three headed God, and asking for the verse in the Bible where they can find the word Trinity. Of course no such verse exists, and most can’t explain the Trinity where an unbeliever can understand it. The average Christian becomes frustrated at this point and becomes angry and belligerent, or opens the gate of doubt about God in their own hearts.

First off this is an issue of faith and has nothing to do with salvation. This is not the starting place for a Gospel presentation. Our beloved TULIP does a much better job of that. This doctrine will only be received by faith and understood with the Holy Spirit providing the proper light to do so. I believe that allowing non-believers to draw us into such arguments is what Christ had in mind when he spoke of casting your pearls before swine. Arguments with non-regenerate man prove nothing and win no souls for the kingdom. This is the human side of us demanding a perfect apologetic for every verse in the Bible, when in truth not one verse can be properly understood nor applied apart from the indwelling Spirit.

In dealing with subordination within the Godhead the reformers choose to speak about "properties" that are personal to each person. This is about as clear as mud to the average person. And they leave the deity of both the Son and Spirit relying on Scripture proofs, without comment. Not a bad place to leave anything standing, and more than sufficient for this cause. However, for the believer, understanding is of the essence. I note that even Christ stopped to explain what seems most clear to His apostles when he perceived that they didn’t really understand.

Let us see if we can bring some order and clarity to the doctrine of the Trinity. I have found that Calvin’s treatment of the subject is superior as a whole to any before or after him. First and foremost the Trinity cannot be divided in anyway. God Himself declared "Hear o’ Israel, the Lord your God is one." Yet in the first verses of Genesis we find God spoken of in the plural and existing in community as we are introduced to the Word and Spirit, so we can conclude that there exists in the Godhead three persons. Over the years I have heard this spoken of as persons, personalities, and presented in a dozen different analogies, that would supposedly make sense of it all. God declares Himself to be incomprehensible, and this is one such area where our finite minds cannot come to a place of peace by using human terminology, for we have nothing that even resembles the concept. I remember vividly the triangle diagram the professor used in seminary that demonstrated that only by being inside that triangle could you see all three persons of the Trinity and from the outside, no matter where you stood, you could see no more than two of the persons. He thought he had the secret. In my mind I sat there and said, yes I can see all three, but I knew this already, and your three sided diagram only separates them, not explain the unity thereof. I have not found any attempt that completely satisfies me.

The first requirement then is faith. God has said this is the way it is, and that I can accept. However I think we need to understand it a bit better than this. That which we do not understand we are indifferent toward or ignore altogether. The doctrine of the Trinity is too central to Scripture and the Christian faith to afford either of these. Calvin chose to call the whole (unity) essence, and the three persons subsistence. This word can mean existence or maintenance of existence. He therefore says that the divine essence has existed from all eternity and within this essence we will find the three subsistences existing from all eternity. The word eternity is crucial here, for just as we can understand why it is important that God have neither beginning nor end, when we understand that the Son and Spirit are co-equal with God, they too must have this attribute. God existed before history or time in eternity and from this eternity the three were one in essence, while maintaining their personal subsistence. In this sense then we can have subordination within the Godhead; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit exercising different personalities, but ever one in unity of essence or substance and co-equal in all things. Here we rise above the Arians and the error of Sabellians, not denying the existence of the three, giving all three their distinct existence from eternity without beginning, yet not so co-mingling the three that they are one and the same in reality.

Confusing? Join the party then and know you aren’t alone. It was for this cause that Calvin tried to be so precise, and the Westminster Divines were so careful in the selection of their words. Grab the essential truth that God is one, and the Son and Spirit are co-equal to God in essence or substance, two words the early father’s used somewhat interchangeably. Where you have one of the Godhead, God exists in His glorious fullness. You cannot separate them, nor assign each a mode of operation apart from the other two. For we do not have a law giving God, a loving Son, and gift giving Spirit. The three exist in perfect unity (oneness) and while there is subordination, it is so in perfection that where the Son is, so is God and the Spirit. Thus Christ could say, "if you have seen me, you have seen the Father." Being equal to God, He could accept sacrifice and Worship, yet say "only the Father knows." Christ could say " I lay my life down and I take it up again." Yet we read elsewhere that He was raised in power and glory by the Holy Spirit. So while the fullness of the Godhead is present wherever one subsistence is, this doesn’t deny the distinct personality of either "person" of the Trinity, nor like some co-mingle the three for the cause of unity.

From this foundation I think we can perhaps grasp the simple eloquence then of the reformers, and like the leper find that the muddy waters have washed us clean. We dare to declare with the church fathers from the beginning God is one, existing in three persons, and understand what we have said. Calvin didn’t like the analogies used to demonstrate this principle, and I agree. Those outside my professor’s triangle will not understand, and those inside by faith, can accept the more technical descriptions such as those presented here. The catechism proclaims, "God is spirit and has not a body like mine." This spiritual attribute of God coupled with His incomprehensibility makes it far too deep and dark for the finite mind of man to dare take it further.

Though one of the longer chapters in the "Institutes," I recommend all read Book one, Chapter thirteen of the Institutes. It runs twenty pages in length, but well worth the time and effort. This is a crucial doctrine for understanding the rest of our Reformed faith. In holding each section here to a reasonable length, I cannot, were I ever capable, to completely articulate this doctrine. Here we find the foundation needed to understand "covenant theology."

While in the true sense of the word we can find nothing that really says covenant within the Godhead, the fact is they exist in perfect unity or agreement, that is community. It is not an economy of one. Now in any relationship we have "agreements" or things just don’t run too smoothly. Thus Christ could "submit" to the Father, even to death on the cross. The Holy Spirit though fully God could minister to the Son. How by agreement of each persons place in the relationship. While I will not put this forth as hard doctrine, or even of a necessity, I see in the study of the Godhead and the economy of heaven the shadow of all that has been revealed to man, in man, and in creation in general, to include specific commandments. God exists in community by divine agreement within the Godhead. Man exists by the grace of God in an asymmetrical covenant put in place by a superior to an inferior, that is by God to man. From the beginning in the garden we see God make an agreement with man, a covenant. We will deal with covenants later in their own place within the doctrines of the church. However I want you to begin to see how man is but a poor reflection of what has existed in heaven before the creation of the earth.

Thus it was of necessity for God to see the need of a help meet for Adam and create woman, the perfect companion for man. God existed in such an economy or community with perfect help meets for each other. As there is a natural and agreed upon subordination in the Godhead, so we see subordination in man and all of nature.

Once again we see that it is the attributes that reveal God, but now extended to reveal the Son and the Holy Ghost as also being God. In a quick aside, take a piece of paper and from memory see how many attributes of God you can list. Which of these applies only to God the Father? Of these attributes which can be seen as existing in imperfection within man? Which attributes cannot belong to man, even in shadow?

As you ponder the attributes of God, and particularly those that exist in shadow in man, pray over the fact we are created in the image of God. What does this mean to you? Can you see how understanding God and our duty to God are a necessity for understanding self?

God is three persons yet one, complete and perfect in unity, yet not co-mingling the persons. The Bible does clearly teach this, so it is truth. The inability of man to understand or perfectly articulate this in no way diminishes the Word of God. The most common error is to so distance the three that their unity is shattered. Almost as bad as dividing the Godhead is the error to assign to them such frivolous explanations as personality, or roles, but really one person. An example of this is a man can be a father, a son, and a husband. In like manner some divide the Godhead or the Trinity by mode of operation. Likewise you cannot pick things of the natural world and say this is like God, for example water which can be a gas, liquid, or solid. The three cannot exist in all three forms at the same time in perfect harmony and is equivalent to mode of operation or modalism. How about a pie which has a top, filling and shell? I can separate the parts, they are not a true unity. The three are each assigned works, attributes, and most of all worship that is proper only to God. Other errors concern the humanity of Christ, which will be covered in another lesson.

Let us revisit the word eternity. Eternity is not the mere absence of time, nor an infinite line of time stretching into the past and the future. God created time or history, and exists outside time as we know it. Everything is ever present before God, thus God is without beginning nor end, which would not be true with a time line as we understand it. God speaks most often as if everything is past tense in the words of man because it has already been spoken and thus is with God, though the manifestation in time (history) has not taken place yet. The end is thus as sure as the beginning, the same having been declared by God. The Bible says a day is with God as a thousand years and a thousand years as a day (2 Peter 3:8). Do not use this to twist prophecy or the creation story, the passage is to get us to understand God’s timing is not as ours, for all is present before God. God does not foretell the future then in the sense of a prophet, but as one who has already been there, and this translates to language that is "past tense" to man.

Then we can see how the reformers could say that the Son was eternally begotten of the Father and the Spirit proceeds eternally from the father and Son. This is the way it was, is, and shall be, for God does not change. The wording was chosen through much debate and prayer by our esteemed fathers that the eternal attribute not be removed in trying to put in the place the agreement of subordination that exists in the Godhead. They avoid the word subordination because they wanted to be careful not to infringe on either person being fully God. They use these words then to distinguish the properties of the three persons of the Godhead. This wording too being carefully chosen so they did not enter the error of modalism.

As you can see it is no easy task to choose from among human words to describe that which is supernatural having no equivalent in the visible world. By the time of the reformation all known heresies were in existence and the fathers went to great lengths then in choosing words that would give no appearance to accepting the errors existent, nor creating new ones in the process of trying to define the proper biblical doctrine.

Sadly for such a crucial area of our beliefs, we too must leave much in shadow, or more properly to the mystery of God. But then if it all fit man’s conception and rationalizations, we would have no need for faith, and no need of God. God is spirit and has not a body like mine is a good answer, for He has nothing else exactly like mine either, everything being complete or perfect in every way we can imagine. Thus faith is needed not only for salvation but our understanding of God, and ultimately our own being and duty to the Creator. Thus it is written in the Holy Writ we cannot please Him without faith.

For further thought: How would you describe the Trinity to a nonbeliever? Can you think of terms that fit the Scripture better than those presented in the questions formed by the reformers of the 17^th century used here?

For further study: Considering the difficulty in expressing the properties of the three persons of the Godhead, how would you now add the "human nature" of Christ to the divine family? What distinctions that we normally apply to the Trinity are also proper with respect to Christ and his human nature?

__________

[1] For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son? And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him. {again...: or, when he bringeth again} And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire. {And of: Gr. And unto} But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. {righteousness: Gr. rightness, or, straightness} (Hebrews 1:5-8 AV)

[2] And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. (John 1:14 AV)

No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him. (John 1:18 AV)

[3] But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me: (John 15:26 AV)

And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. (Galatians 4:6 AV)

[4] And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. {one...: Heb. this cried to this} {the whole...: Heb. his glory is the fulness of the whole earth} And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. {door: Heb. thresholds} Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts. {undone: Heb. cut off} Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: {having...: Heb. and in his hand a live coal} And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged. {laid...: Heb. caused it to touch} Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me. {Here...: Heb. behold me} (Isaiah 6:3-8 AV)

These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory, and spake of him. (John 12:41 AV)

And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed, after that Paul had spoken one word, Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias the prophet unto our fathers, (Acts 28:25 AV)

And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life. (1 John 5:20 AV)

But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? {to lie to: or, to deceive} Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. (Acts 5:3-4 AV)

[5] In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1 AV)

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6 AV)

But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men, (John 2:24 AV)

But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. (1 Corinthians 2:10-11 AV)

[6] For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: (Colossians 1:16 AV)

And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. (Genesis 1:2 AV)

[7] Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: {teach...: or, make disciples, or, Christians of all nations} (Matthew 28:19 AV)

But by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may be a supply for their want, that their abundance also may be a supply for your want: that there may be equality: (2 Corinthians 8:14 AV)