Trinity Introduction
Notes
Transcript
Intro: Over recent years we have used the summer series to dive deeper into a topic than we can in the course of a sermon. For example, we spent a whole month on the study of FELLOWSHIP. We mention fellowship, and as we preach on it we have an expectation that you have a biblical understanding of what it is and can even defend why we need it.
This year Pastor Fil and I have decided to take a more complicated subject. At times it is incomprehensible and is therefore often misunderstood. However, This subject is vital to Christianity and an essential belief for everyone who seeks salvation through Jesus Christ.
Today we begin with our topic on the trinity. We want to define it and understand what it is - even if it is hard to wrap our minds around such a concept. This series is also designed to help us defend this basic teaching of our church and Christianity itself.
We Will focus our study of the Trinity from its mentions and implications in the very first book of the Bible. Genesis is a book written by Moses, probably near the end of his life and during the wilderness wanderings. What Moses wrote is as inspired of God, word for word, as any New Testament book. It proves that in part by showing us glimpses of the trinity that would not be common knowledge.
Trinity Defined: The eternal united three personsages God as Father, Son and Spirit.
Trinity Defined: The eternal united three personsages God as Father, Son and Spirit.
Why study this?
Why study this?
The study of the Trinity has been expressed throughout history as a study of “God as God is” and “very God of very God”. While that may not expand your understanding, I pray that it expands your view of it’s importance.
In theological terms, this is God in His essence.
The Trinity can be hard to understand because God is, in this aspect, different than anything created.
Because God can be so hard to comprehend, our Church documents open our description of Him with these words:
“We believe in one God, the Creator of Heaven and Earth, manifesting Himself in three coexistent persons, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, equal in power and glory and executing distinct and harmonious offices in the great work of redemption…”
Martin Luther said, “If people are not instructed and grounded in this [Trinity] correctly, the other [doctrines] cannot be treated purely and fruitfully.”
What is the study of the Trinity?
What is the study of the Trinity?
Essential elements of the Trinity:
Historic Creeds and Confessions Athanasian Creed
That we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity; Neither confounding the persons nor dividing the substance. For there is one person of the Father, another of the Son, and another of the Holy Spirit.
So, There is unity of SUBSTANCE, shared attributes and more.
Every person of the Godhead has the attributes of the other two. Every one is holy, just, loving, … Every one is all knowing, all powerful, and always present. They are not the same thing, or different modes, or personalities of one God. They are three sharing all attributes and relating as one!
There is also PERSONAGE of duties, roles, and personality.
The Father is not the Son, nor is He the Spirit. One is not the other even though, as we said, they are of one substance. Each has a role. We do not believe they are 3 gods in one Godhead. We believe they are 1 God and function in all aspects as three persons of one Godhead. They are also not 3 generations of the God family. They all existed in eternity past and always will exist as one.
No, there is not a perfect example in all of creation that explains this. People have tried, but every illustration is woefully short!
Trans: As every great Christian theologian has said, We can only listen to what God makes known of Himself and believe what He reveals.
The First Declaration
The First Declaration
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
Morphology of the word: God is the word Elohim.
Noun
Masculine - not misogynistic, just fact of how God describes Himself.
Plural
Absolute
Elohim is used in Deut 6.4 when He says, "the Lord our God, The Lord is one" “One” is singular, but the word “God” = Elohim has the same morphology as in Gen 1.1.
What difference does this make?
He is a noun - He can relate to others and others can relate to Him.
He is masculine - Teaching anything else is against our Faith. He is not a sexual being, but He is also not female, or any label degenerate people want to put on Him.
He is Plural. From the first instance He refers to Himself as such. We must believe how He describes Himself.
He is Absolute. Stands alone and independent. While we have more to this verse, it well could have ended here. The verb that follows explains in more detail. Every other word in this sentence is Absolutely dependant on God being there.
First Example:
First Example:
The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.
While we often refer to the Trinity and think of an order, Father Son, Spirit, the Bible first referred the Spirit!
God here is still Elohim. We see a reference to a part of that plural. and a seperate task He was performing. It was not the Father who was hovering. That was a task for the Holy Spirit.
We believe that the Holy Spirit is a divine person possessing all the attributes of personality and of deity. He is equal with the Father, and with the Son and is of the same nature.
Conclusion: Have confidence in the Faith.
Conclusion: Have confidence in the Faith.
It holds together well. God knows who He is. He knows what He is doing .
We will see in another sermon that He does not change, so He has always been and always will be the Trinity - one in essence and 3 in personage.
Q1. Do we accept the implications of believing “Every Word of God”?
Q2. Are we willing to let God be more than we, or anyone else, can totally figure out?
Q3. Is there one point in today’s message that was new and interesting to you that you could explain with someone else?