Condensed Theology

A Primer in Systematic Theology

Theology Proper: The Doctrine of God

What does the Bible teach about God?

Where Were Going

Twelve lectures covering four subjects:
The existence of God The attributes of God God as Trinity Gods works of creation & providence

God as Trinity

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.

Seeds of the Trinity in the Old Testament

Old Testament Seeds

The doctrine of the Trinity is not as explicit in the Old Testament as it is in the New Testament The Old Testament gradually unfolds the doctrine of the Trinity

Old Testament Seeds

A Threefold Cause

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 the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters. Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light. Ps 33:6: By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, And by the breath of His mouth all their host.

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, And delivered them from their destructions. Hag 2:5-6: 'As for the promise which I made you when you came out of Egypt, My Spirit is abiding in your midst; do not fear!' "For thus says the LORD of hosts, Once more in a little while, I am going to shake the heavens and the earth, the sea also and the dry land.

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 the days of old. But they rebelled And grieved His Holy Spirit; Therefore He turned Himself to become their enemy, He fought against them. Then His people remembered the days of old, of Moses. Where is He who brought them up out of the sea with the shepherds 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 right hand of Moses, Who divided the waters before them to make for Himself an everlasting name.

Old Testament Seeds

The Angel of the Lord

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 a messenger of Yahweh There are nearly an equal number of texts which blur the distinction between the Lord and this angel such that they are identified with one another

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 you will bear a son; And you shall call his name Ishmael, Because the LORD has given heed to your affliction. He will be a wild donkey of a man, His hand will be against everyone, And everyone's hand will be against him; And he will live 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 I even remained alive here after seeing Him?"

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 way and to bring you into the place which I have prepared. Be on your guard before him and obey his voice; do not be rebellious toward him, for he will not pardon your transgression, since My name is in him. But if you truly obey his voice and do all that I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries.

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 he said, "I brought you up out of Egypt and led you into the land which I have sworn to your fathers; and I said, 'I will never break My covenant with you, and as for you, you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall tear down their altars.' But you have not obeyed Me; what is this you have done?

Historical Denials of the Trinitarian Propositions

Historical Denials of the Trinity

Throughout the history of the church, one or more of the three Trinitarian propositions have been denied In addition, these denials have resurfaced outside of orthodox Christianity in a variety of cults, non-Christian religions, and professing evangelical (mainly Charismatic) churches.

Historical Denials of the Trinitarian Propositions

There Is Not Only One God

Historical Denials: There Is Not Only One God

Tritheism (late 4th cent. AD)
Identified with the Cappadocian Fathers: Basil of Caesarea, Gregory of Nazianzus, and Gregory of Nyssa. Imagine three human beings, each is distinct, but they share a common humanity. So it is with the Trinity. There are three distinct persons, yet they share a common divinity.

Historical Denials of the Trinitarian Propositions

God Does Not Exist in Three Persons

Historical Denials: God Does Not Exist in Three Persons

Sabellianism (2nd-3rd cent. AD)
The distinctions of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are absorbed into one divine being. Two types of Sabellianism
Modalistic Monarchianism (monarchia = a single principle of authority) Dynamic Monarchianism, or Samosatianism for its chief exponent, Paul of Samosata, bishop of Antioch

Historical Denials: God Does Not Exist in Three Persons

Sabellianism (2nd-3rd cent. AD)
Modalistic Monarchianism
Sometimes called Modalism, this position suggests that the three persons are three modes of God revealing himself either in succession throughout redemption history, or with respect to different activities in redemption history. A form of Modalism is called Patripassianism, which teaches that the Father in the form/mode of the Son suffered on the cross.

Historical Denials: God Does Not Exist in Three Persons

Sabellianism (2nd-3rd cent. AD)
Dynamic Monarchianism/Samosatianism
The Word, the divine Logos, though divine and consubstantial with the Father is not personal; Rather, the Word is simply the impersonal rational power of God. The Spirit is defined simply as the grace of the Father

Historical Denials of the Trinitarian Propositions

Each Person Is Not Fully God

Historical Denials: Each Person Is Not Fully God

Dynamic Monarchianism (3rd quarter of the 3rd cent. AD)
The impersonal Word of God, the divine Logos, penetrated the man Jesus more and more, divinized him so much that Jesus became worthy of divine honor, though not God in the strict sense of the word.

Historical Denials: Each Person Is Not Fully God

Arianism (4th cent. AD)
The Father alone is God, absolutely The Son and the Spirit are created by the Father before the creation of the world The Son is the highest created being They are only called God as an honorific, in much the same way as magistrates and judges were called gods in the Old Testament

Historical Denials: Each Person Is Not Fully God

Arianism (4th cent. AD)
Five additional heresies have been influenced by Arianism:
Subordinationism: Here, the Son is subordinate to the Father not in terms of role and relationship, but in the sense that the Son received his divinity from the Father through some kind of communion.

Historical Denials: Each Person Is Not Fully God

Arianism (4th cent. AD)
Five additional heresies have been influenced by Arianism:
Adoptionism: This position suggests that Jesus became Christ at his baptism, and was adopted by the 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.

Historical Denials: Each Person Is Not Fully God

Arianism (4th cent. AD)
Five additional heresies have been influenced by Arianism:
Socinianism (late 16th, early 17th cent. AD): The Son is a holy human being who was created by God through immediate supernatural conception, but did not exist until that conception. The purpose for his creation was to teach mankind a new law. After completing that task, he was elevated to a position in heaven, where he became a partaker of divine grace. The Holy Spirit is no more than divine power.

Historical Denials of the Trinitarian Propositions

The Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creedal Rejoinder (381 AD)

Historical Denials: The Nicene Creed

We believe in one God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.

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 of God, light of light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father by whom all things were made; who for us men, and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary, and was made man, and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate. He suffered 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 shall come again with glory to judge both the quick and the dead, whose kingdom shall have no end.

Historical Denials Put to Rest: The Nicene Creed

And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified, who spoke by the prophets. And we believe one holy catholic and apostolic church. We acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins. And we look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

Historical Denials of the Trinitarian Propositions

The Resurgence of the Early Church Heresies

The Resurgence of Heresies

The resurgence of Tritheism:
Mormonism: There are three gods, separate in personality, united in purpose, plan, and attributes of perfection. Like the Arians, Mormons teach that Jesus was created. And like the Semi-Arians and Subordinationists, they also teach that the son is divinely subordinate to the Father.

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 Gods operation.

The Resurgence of Heresies

The resurgence of Arianism:
Socinianism (late 16th, early 17th cent. AD): The Son is a holy human being who was created by God through immediate supernatural conception, but did not exist until that conception. Unitarianism (still in existence: www.biblicalunitarian.com): The Unitarians believe that the Holy Spirit is another name for God the Father (like Dynamic Modalism, a form of Sabellianism, as well) Jehovahs Witnesses: Jesus is not one God with the Father; the Holy Spirit is Gods active force in the world; Jesus was created.

The Resurgence of Heresies

The resurgence of Adoptionism: This position suggests that Jesus became Christ at his baptism, and was adopted by the Father after his death.
Benny Hinn, Kenneth Copeland, the Dakes Study Bible.

The Vital Significance of the Doctrine of the Trinity

Whats at stake?

Whats at Stake?
THE CHRISTIAN FAITH ITSELF! The doctrine of the Trinity is not an area that we might call a non-essential, an area in which we ought to show doctrinal latitude. Christianity stands or falls on its truth.

Whats at Stake?
First of all, we should say that if the Bible teaches the doctrine of the Trinity, then it is of supreme importance because 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 to God (Rom 11:36), then we can say that the universe can only 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 if God is not God, then nothing is certain.

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 in the 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 and after!). 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 Gods saving work on behalf of his people.

Whats at Stake?
Take the second member of the Trinity as an example:
If Jesus is not fully God and merely a creature, how could he bear in himself the full weight of the wrath of God for sin in three hours on the cross? Could any creature save us? The atonement is meaningless.

Whats at Stake?
Take the second member of the Trinity as an example:
If Jesus is not fully God and merely a creature, how could we trust him for salvation? Could we depend on any creature for salvation? Justification by faith alone is meaningless.

Whats at Stake?
Take the second member of the Trinity as an example:
If Jesus is not fully God and merely a creature, then Christianity is an idolatrous religion; for we are commanded and commended for worshipping the Lord Jesus Christ (cf. Rev 5:12-14).

Whats at Stake?
Take the second member of the Trinity as an example:
If Jesus is not fully God and merely a creature, then salvation is not of God alone. We would then be exalting the creature over the creator.

Whats at Stake?
THE CHRISTIAN FAITH ITSELF! The doctrine of the Trinity is not an area that we might call a nonessential, an area in which we ought to show doctrinal latitude. Our existence and our salvation stands or falls on the doctrine of the Trinity.