THE TRINITY - Dr. Jeremy Simpson I want to give you a few thoughts about a doctrine that no one really understands. I’m writing of the Trinity. All Christians believe the doctrine of the Trinity. If you do not believe this—that is, if you have come to a settled conclusion that the doctrine of the Trinity is not true—you are not a Christian at all. You are in fact a heretic. Those words may sound harsh, but they represent the judgment of the church across the centuries. Christians in every land unite in proclaiming that our God eternally exists as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Those who deny that truth place themselves outside the pale of Christian orthodoxy. Having said that, I admit that no one fully understands it. It is a mystery and a paradox. Yet I believe it is true. I can think of at least three reasons for believing in the Trinity. 1. The Bible teaches this doctrine. 2. Christians everywhere have always believed it. 3. No other explanation makes sense. Someone has said it this way: If you try to explain the Trinity, you will lose your mind. But if you deny it, you will lose your soul. We believe in one living and true God who is the Creator of heaven and earth; who is eternal, almighty, unchangeable, infinitely powerful, wise, just and holy. We believe that the one God eternally exists in three Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; and that these three are one God, co-equal and co-eternal, having precisely the same nature and attributes, and worthy of precisely the same worship, confidence, and obedience. These beliefs are biblically founded in the following verses. Matthew 3:16, 17; Matthew 28:19, 20; Mark 12:29; John 1:14; Acts 5:3, 4; II Corinthians 13:14. Even though the preceding doctrinal statement is biblically accurate, I understand that it can seem very intimidating. Let me break it down into six smaller statements: 1. One God and One Only 2. Exists in three Persons 3. Equal and Eternal 4. Worthy of equal praise and worship 5. Distinct yet acting in unity 6. Constituting the one true God of the Bible As you might imagine, the early church struggled mightily over this doctrine. They eventually reduced their belief in the Trinity to two short statements. They concluded that God is … One in Essence Three in Person When we say these things we mean that the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God, but they are not three gods but only one God. The Father is not the Son, the Son is not the Spirit, the Spirit is not the Father, but each is God individually and yet they are together the one true God of the Bible. Have you ever seen the word "Godhead?" Theologians sometimes use that term when they want to refer to God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit as three divine Persons in one God. At this point I think we should acknowledge the chief objection to the doctrine of the Trinity, which is that it is absurd. Sometimes the Jehovah’s Witnesses (who pointedly deny the Trinity) ridicule it with this little equation: 1 + 1 + 1 = 3. In their minds Christians worship three Gods, not one. The answer is quite simple. The doctrine of the Trinity is not absurd if that’s what the Bible teaches. Furthermore, there is more than one way to play with equations. You could also say it this way: 1 x 1 x 1 = 1! There are a number of ways to illustrate the trinity. They all are useful as long as you remember they are only illustrations. For water can exist as solid, liquid, or steam. An egg is made up of a shell, the egg white, and the yolk. All three are needed for an egg to be complete. One of the more interesting illustrations note the different roles a person can play. I am a father, a son and a husband at one and the same time. Yet I am only one person. My personal favorite illustration comes from noted scientist Dr. Henry Morris. He notes that the entire universe is trinitarian by design. The universe consists of three things: matter, space, and time. Take away any one of those three and the universe would cease to exist. But each one of those is itself a trinity. Matter = mass + energy + motion Space = length + height + breadth Time = past + present + future Thus the whole universe witnesses to the character of the God who made it (Psalm 19:1).
Posted on: Sat, 03 Aug 2013 14:59:08 +0000
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