Sermon Tone Analysis

! What The Bible Teaches \\ Unit 1 \\ Who is God?

!  

! Lesson 4 \\ How Can I Understand the Trinity?

 

 

 

accepting the existence of God.

logical arguments for His existence

why men fail to accept His existence.

personal relationship God desires

General and Special Revelation

a gap -- attributes or characteristics.

demonstrate that the God of Scripture (Specific Revelation) has these attributes.

However, this presents a problem, for a close examination of the Bible will show that God (the Father), Jesus (the Son), and the Holy Spirit all possess Godly attributes.

Does this mean there are three Gods in Scripture?

Isaiah 46:9 (NKJV) \\ 9 Remember the former things of old, For I /am/ God, and /there is/ no other; /I am/ God, and /there is/ none like Me,

 

The basis of monotheism is that God is one.

a tri-unity or trinity.

How can God be one yet three?

How can I understand the Trinity?

Is it possible to understand the Trinity; or are you just called upon to accept the teaching by faith?

The importance of roles and relationships – major point of the Trinity??  The Trinity teaches us that one’s role in life, one’s possessions, one place in the organization have no bearing upon who a person is.

Fixed Order:

 

*Of the FATHER*

*1 Corinthians 8:6*

6 But to us there is but one God, the Father, *of whom are all things,* and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.

*Through the SON*

*John 3:17*

17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

*By the HOLY SPIRIT*

*Ephesians 3:5*

5 Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;

*Unto the FATHER*

*Ephesians 2:18*

18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit *unto the Father.

*

 

 

God’s “oneness” describes His being or essence.

all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-present.

love, grace, mercy, righteousness, and justice.

God’s “threeness,” His tri-unity or Trinity, covers His relational aspects.

This “threeness” is defined as a “Person.”  a tri-personality.

“person” is a living being who possesses will, intellect, and emotion.

A person means one who an identity completely distinct from other persons.

This deals with subsistence, essence.

It is all a mystery!

 

*1 Corinthians 4:1*

Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the *mysteries* of God.

God=s existence is assumed

* *

*The Trinity *C Latin meaning threeness

Tertullian (c.

155‑220) coined the term "Trinity" to describe this early Christian belief that God is a "tri‑unity" (Kroeger, p. 1079).

three Persons does not make God a tri-Being.

He is a single being.

There are not three Gods, but One.

He is of one essence.

As such, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit:

 

* Are eternal and equal to the other Persons

* Possess the same divine substance or essence

* Are not created in any way

* Are not three separate Gods

* Are not three modes of existence

* Each one is actually God all of the time

 

No other religion or worldview holds a Trinitarian concept of God.

 

!!!!! God is One

 

Deuteronomy 6:4 (NKJV) \\ 4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord /is/ one!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Exodus 20:3 (NKJV) \\ 3 “You shall have no other gods before Me.

Deuteronomy 4:35 (NKJV) \\ 35 To you it was shown, that you might know that the Lord Himself /is/ God; /there is/ none other besides Him.

Deuteronomy 32:39 (NKJV) \\ 39 ‘Now see that I, /even/ I, /am/ He, And /there is/ no God besides Me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; Nor /is there any/ who can deliver from My hand.

 

 

1 Corinthians 8:4-6 (NKJV) \\ 4 Therefore concerning the eating of things offered to idols, we know that an idol /is/ nothing in the world, and that /there is/ no other God but one.

5 For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many gods and many lords), 6 yet for us /there is/ one God, the Father, of whom /are/ all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom /are/ all things, and through whom we /live./

Ephesians 4:6 (NKJV) \\ 6 one God and Father of all, who /is/ above all, and through all, and in you all.

James 2:19 (NKJV) \\ 19 You believe that there is one God.

You do well.

Even the demons believe—and tremble!

 

!!!!! Three are God

 

What you need to focus on is that the Bible teaches that

 

God is one

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all God

 

accept that the Trinity is the truth of the Bible based on faith.

This doctrine we call the Trinity is merely a short-hand description to explain how each of these relationships can be God.

Each Person of the Trinity is called God.

 

God the Father

 

1 Corinthians 8:6 (NKJV) \\ 6 yet for us /there is/ one God, the Father, of whom /are/ all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom /are/ all things, and through whom we /live./

/ /

epistles refer to “God our~/the Father” (Rom 1:7; Gal 1:1; 1 Peter 1:2).

Jesus refers to God as “Father” in John 6:27 (see also John 17:1-3).

Jesus, God the Son

 

John 1:1 (NKJV) \\ 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

à1:14

 

Titus 2:13 (NKJV) \\ 13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,

 

Romans 9:5 (NKJV) \\ 5 of whom /are/ the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ /came,/ who is over all, /the/ eternally blessed God.

Amen.

See also Rev 1:8, 17; 22:13.

God the Holy Spirit

 

Acts 5:1-4 (NKJV) \\ 1 But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession. 2 And he kept back /part/ of the proceeds, his wife also being aware /of it,/ and brought a certain part and laid /it/ at the apostles’ feet.

3 But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back /part/ of the price of the land for yourself?

4 While it remained, was it not your own?

And after it was sold, was it not in your own control?

Why have you conceived this thing in your heart?

You have not lied to men but to God.”

 

!!!!! Three-in-oneness

 

We must “tie” the three divine Persons together

 

1 Corinthians 12:4-6 (NKJV) \\ 4 There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.

5 There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord.

6 And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all.

This passage refers to the Holy Spirit, Jesus (“the Lord”) and God the Father (“same God”).

This is the weakest of the four passages.