View
218
Download
0
Category
Preview:
Citation preview
8/6/2019 Condensed Theology Lecture 17
1/48
Condensed Theology
A Primer in Systematic Theology
8/6/2019 Condensed Theology Lecture 17
2/48
Theology Proper:
The Doctrine of God
What does the Bible teach about
God?
8/6/2019 Condensed Theology Lecture 17
3/48
Where Were Going
Twelve lectures covering four subjects:
The existence of God
The attributes of God God as Trinity
Gods works of creation & providence
8/6/2019 Condensed Theology Lecture 17
4/48
God as Trinity
8/6/2019 Condensed Theology Lecture 17
5/48
God as Trinity: The Propositions
1. There is only one true and living God.
2. God exists in three persons.
3. The three persons are each fully God.
8/6/2019 Condensed Theology Lecture 17
6/48
8/6/2019 Condensed Theology Lecture 17
7/48
Old Testament Seeds
The doctrine of the Trinity is not as explicitin the Old Testament as it is in the New
Testament The Old Testament gradually unfolds the
doctrine of the Trinity
8/6/2019 Condensed Theology Lecture 17
8/48
Old Testament Seeds
A Threefold Cause
8/6/2019 Condensed Theology Lecture 17
9/48
Old Testament Seeds:
A Threefold Cause Of Creation
God creates by his word and his Spirit
Gen 1:2: The earth was formless and void,and darkness was over the surface of thedeep, and the Spirit of God was moving overthe surface of the waters. Then God said, "Letthere be light"; and there was light.
Ps 33:6: By the word of the LORD theheavens were made, And by the breath of Hismouth all their host.
8/6/2019 Condensed Theology Lecture 17
10/48
Old Testament Seeds:
A Threefold Cause Of Redemption
God saves by his word and his Spirit
Ps 107:20: He sent His word and healed them, Anddelivered them from their destructions.
Hag 2:5-6: 'As for the promise which I made youwhen you came out of Egypt, My Spirit is abiding inyour midst; do not fear!' "For thus says the LORD of
hosts, Once more in a little while, I am going to shakethe heavens and the earth, the sea also and the dryland.
8/6/2019 Condensed Theology Lecture 17
11/48
Old Testament Seeds:
A Threefold Cause Of Redemption
God saves by his word and his Spirit Isa 63:9-12: In all their affliction He was afflicted, And the angel
of His presence saved them; In His love and in His mercy He
redeemed them, And He lifted them and carried them all thedays of old. But they rebelled And grieved His Holy Spirit;Therefore He turned Himself to become their enemy, He foughtagainst them. Then His people remembered the days of old, ofMoses. Where is He who brought them up out of the sea with theshepherds of His flock? Where is He who put His Holy Spirit in
the midst of them, Who caused His glorious arm to go at the righthand of Moses, Who divided the waters before them to make forHimself an everlasting name.
8/6/2019 Condensed Theology Lecture 17
12/48
Old Testament Seeds
The Angel of the Lord
8/6/2019 Condensed Theology Lecture 17
13/48
Old Testament Seeds:
The Angel of the Lord Although there are many passages in the
Old Testament that describe the angel of
the Lord as nothing more (or less) than amessenger of Yahweh
There are nearly an equal number of textswhich blur the distinction between the Lord
and this angel such that they are identifiedwith one another
8/6/2019 Condensed Theology Lecture 17
14/48
Old Testament Seeds:
The Angel of the Lord Gen 16:11-13: The angel of the LORD said to
her further, "Behold, you are with child, And youwill bear a son; And you shall call his name
Ishmael, Because the LORD has given heed toyour affliction. He will be a wild donkey of a man,His hand will be against everyone, Andeveryone's hand will be against him; And he willlive to the east of all his brothers." Then she
called the name of the LORD who spoke to her,"You are a God who sees"; for she said, "Have Ieven remained alive here after seeing Him?"
8/6/2019 Condensed Theology Lecture 17
15/48
Old Testament Seeds:
The Angel of the Lord Exod 23:20-22: Behold, I am going to send an
angel before you to guard you along the wayand to bring you into the place which I have
prepared. Be on your guard before him andobey his voice; do not be rebellious toward him,for he will not pardon your transgression, sinceMy name is in him. But if you truly obey his voice
and do all that I say, then I will be an enemy toyour enemies and an adversary to youradversaries.
8/6/2019 Condensed Theology Lecture 17
16/48
Old Testament Seeds:
The Angel of the Lord Judg 2:1-2: Now the angel of the LORD
came up from Gilgal to Bochim. And hesaid, "I brought you up out of Egypt and
led you into the land which I have sworn toyour fathers; and I said, 'I will never breakMy covenant with you, and as for you, youshall make no covenant with the
inhabitants of this land; you shall teardown their altars.' But you have notobeyed Me; what is this you have done?
8/6/2019 Condensed Theology Lecture 17
17/48
8/6/2019 Condensed Theology Lecture 17
18/48
Historical Denials of the Trinity
Throughout the history of the church, oneor more of the three Trinitarianpropositions have been denied
In addition, these denials have resurfacedoutside of orthodox Christianity in a varietyof cults, non-Christian religions, and
professing evangelical (mainlyCharismatic) churches.
8/6/2019 Condensed Theology Lecture 17
19/48
8/6/2019 Condensed Theology Lecture 17
20/48
Historical Denials:
There Is Not Only One God Tritheism (late 4th cent. AD)
Identified with the Cappadocian Fathers: Basilof Caesarea, Gregory of Nazianzus, andGregory of Nyssa.
Imagine three human beings, each is distinct,but they share a common humanity.
So it is with the Trinity. There are threedistinct persons, yet they share a commondivinity.
8/6/2019 Condensed Theology Lecture 17
21/48
Historical Denials of the
Trinitarian Propositions
God Does Not Exist in Three
Persons
8/6/2019 Condensed Theology Lecture 17
22/48
8/6/2019 Condensed Theology Lecture 17
23/48
Historical Denials: God Does Not
Exist in Three Persons Sabellianism (2nd-3rd cent. AD)
Modalistic Monarchianism
Sometimes called Modalism, this position suggeststhat the three persons are three modes of Godrevealing himself either in succession throughoutredemption history, or with respect to differentactivities in redemption history.
A form of Modalism is called Patripassianism,which teaches that the Father in the form/mode ofthe Son suffered on the cross.
8/6/2019 Condensed Theology Lecture 17
24/48
Historical Denials: God Does Not
Exist in Three Persons Sabellianism (2nd-3rd cent. AD)
Dynamic Monarchianism/Samosatianism
The Word, the divine Logos, though divine andconsubstantial with the Father is not personal;
Rather, the Word is simply the impersonal rationalpower of God.
The Spirit is defined simply as the grace of the
Father
8/6/2019 Condensed Theology Lecture 17
25/48
Historical Denials of the
Trinitarian Propositions
Each Person Is Not Fully God
8/6/2019 Condensed Theology Lecture 17
26/48
Historical Denials:
Each Person Is Not Fully God Dynamic Monarchianism (3rd quarter of the
3rd cent. AD)
The impersonal Word of God, the divineLogos, penetrated the man Jesus more andmore, divinized him so much that Jesusbecame worthy of divine honor, though notGod in the strict sense of the word.
8/6/2019 Condensed Theology Lecture 17
27/48
8/6/2019 Condensed Theology Lecture 17
28/48
8/6/2019 Condensed Theology Lecture 17
29/48
Historical Denials:
Each Person Is Not Fully God Arianism (4th cent. AD)
Five additional heresies have been influencedby Arianism:
Adoptionism: This position suggests that Jesusbecame Christ at his baptism, and was adopted bythe Father after his death.
Semi-Arianism: Christ is of a similar essence with
the Father, but divinely subordinate to him. Macedonianism (Pneumamatomachism): The Holy
Spirit is a created being.
8/6/2019 Condensed Theology Lecture 17
30/48
Historical Denials:
Each Person Is Not Fully God Arianism (4th cent. AD)
Five additional heresies have been influencedby Arianism:
Socinianism (late 16th, early 17th cent. AD): TheSon is a holy human being who was created byGod through immediate supernatural conception,but did not exist until that conception. The purposefor his creation was to teach mankind a new law.
After completing that task, he was elevated to aposition in heaven, where he became a partaker ofdivine grace.
The Holy Spirit is no more than divine power.
8/6/2019 Condensed Theology Lecture 17
31/48
Historical Denials of the
Trinitarian Propositions
The Niceno-ConstantinopolitanCreedal Rejoinder
(381 AD)
8/6/2019 Condensed Theology Lecture 17
32/48
8/6/2019 Condensed Theology Lecture 17
33/48
Historical Denials Put to Rest:
The Nicene Creed And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of
God, begotten of the Father before all worlds, God ofGod, light of light, very God of very God, begotten, notmade, being of one substance with the Father by whom
all things were made; who for us men, and for oursalvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnateby the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary, and was made man,and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate. Hesuffered and was buried, and the third day he rose again
according to the Scriptures, and ascended into heaven,and sits on the right hand of the Father. And he shallcome again with glory to judge both the quick and thedead, whose kingdom shall have no end.
8/6/2019 Condensed Theology Lecture 17
34/48
Historical Denials Put to Rest:
The Nicene Creed And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and giver
of life, who proceeds from the Father andthe Son, who with the Father and the Son
together is worshipped and glorified, whospoke by the prophets. And we believeone holy catholic and apostolic church.We acknowledge one baptism for the
remission of sins. And we look for theresurrection of the dead, and the life of theworld to come. Amen.
8/6/2019 Condensed Theology Lecture 17
35/48
8/6/2019 Condensed Theology Lecture 17
36/48
The Resurgence of Heresies
The resurgence of Tritheism:
Mormonism: There are three gods, separatein personality, united in purpose, plan, andattributes of perfection. Like the Arians,Mormons teach that Jesus was created. Andlike the Semi-Arians and Subordinationists,they also teach that the son is divinely
subordinate to the Father.
8/6/2019 Condensed Theology Lecture 17
37/48
The Resurgence of Heresies
The resurgence of Sabellianism:
Oneness Pentecostalism (early 20th century):Jesus is the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.Father, Son, and Spirit are modes of Godsoperation.
8/6/2019 Condensed Theology Lecture 17
38/48
The Resurgence of Heresies
The resurgence of Arianism: Socinianism (late 16 th, early 17th cent. AD): The Son
is a holy human being who was created by Godthrough immediate supernatural conception, but did
not exist until that conception. Unitarianism (still in existence:
www.biblicalunitarian.com): The Unitarians believethat the Holy Spirit is another name for God theFather (like Dynamic Modalism, a form ofSabellianism, as well)
Jehovahs Witnesses: Jesus is not one God with theFather; the Holy Spirit is Gods active force in theworld; Jesus was created.
8/6/2019 Condensed Theology Lecture 17
39/48
8/6/2019 Condensed Theology Lecture 17
40/48
8/6/2019 Condensed Theology Lecture 17
41/48
Whats at Stake?
THE CHRISTIANFAITH ITSELF!
The doctrine of the
Trinity is not an areathat we might call anon-essential, anarea in which weought to show
doctrinal latitude. Christianity stands or
falls on its truth.
8/6/2019 Condensed Theology Lecture 17
42/48
Whats at Stake?
First of all, we should say that if the Bible teaches thedoctrine of the Trinity, then it is of supreme importancebecause it concerns the nature of God himself.
Put differently, since God is triune and since the universe
can only be properly be understood with reference toGod (Rom 11:36), then we can say that the universe canonly be properly understood with reference to the Trinity.
In other words, since nothing makes sense without God,nothing makes sense without the Trinity.
Thus we can say that our very existence is at stake; for ifGod is not God, then nothing is certain.
8/6/2019 Condensed Theology Lecture 17
43/48
Whats at Stake?
Second, we have no salvation apart from the doctrine of the Trinity.
Each of the members of the Godhead plays an irreplaceable role inthe salvation of men and women.
The Father chooses a people for himself and sends the eternal Son
to accomplish redemption for them. The eternal Son submits to the Father by becoming obedient to the
point of death, even death on the cross (and everything before andafter!).
God the Holy Spirit applies the work of redemption to those whom
the Father has chosen to send the Son. Thus we can say that our salvation is at stake; for if God is not the
triune God, then there is no choosing or sending or applying Godssaving work on behalf of his people.
8/6/2019 Condensed Theology Lecture 17
44/48
8/6/2019 Condensed Theology Lecture 17
45/48
8/6/2019 Condensed Theology Lecture 17
46/48
Whats at Stake?
Take the second member of the Trinity asan example:
If Jesus is not fully God and merely acreature, then Christianity is an idolatrousreligion; for we are commanded andcommended for worshipping the Lord JesusChrist (cf. Rev 5:12-14).
8/6/2019 Condensed Theology Lecture 17
47/48
8/6/2019 Condensed Theology Lecture 17
48/48
Whats at Stake?
THE CHRISTIAN FAITHITSELF!
The doctrine of the Trinityis not an area that we
might call a non-essential, an area inwhich we ought to showdoctrinal latitude.
Our existence and our
salvation stands or fallson the doctrine of theTrinity.
Recommended