Lesson 3 Gods presence (part 2)

Relationship of the Spirit to the father and Son

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Trinitarian in Paul time The Spirit and the Father The Spirit and Christ The Father, Son and Spirit

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It was too early for Paul to discuss the concept of Trinity. No explicit Trinitarian exposition What about any latent Trinitarianism in Pauls letters?

Indwelt by 1. The Spirit of God 2. The Spirit of Christ 3. And Christ himself Seems they are interchangeable! ? God=Spirit=Son ? Implies : a muddy idea of Trinity? Oh, poor Paul

This relationship between the Spirit and God the Father is the primary relationship in Paul's understanding. God the Father is the primary reality. He initiates. Functional subordinationism to the Father. Look at 2 passages:

The analogy: Paul uses human interior consciousness to insist that the Spirit alone knows the mind of God. Human: only our own spirit knows our own mind. Paul's concern in this analogy: the Spirit as the source of (our own understanding of the cross as) God's wisdom. v. 10 God has revealed to us by his Spirit

Paul's analogy calls to attention the closest relationship between God and the Spirit. The Spirit alone searches all thing even the depths of God. He uses the language of Jewish apocalypse Daniel2: 22-23He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him. I thank and praise you, God of my ancestors: You have given me wisdom and power, you have made known to me what we asked of you, you have made known to us the dream of the king.

so what is the relationship between the Spirit and the Father?

The Spirit knows the Father's mind

The effectiveness of the Spirit's intercession lies precisely in the fact that God, who searches our hearts, likewise knows the mind of the Spirit. Their relationships: The Spirit knows the mind of God And God knows the mind of the Spirit. But they are distinct beings. (v.27)

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the Spirit bears witness the Spirit is clearly distinct from God the Father yet he is at the same time both the interior expression of the unseen God's personality and the visible manifestation of God's activity in the world there is then the distinction but at the same time the closest kind of relationship

The Spirit is truly God in action. He is neither simply a kind of outworking of God's own personality nor is the Spirit all there is to say about God. The Spirit is distinct and yet ultimately one with God. Mini-conclusion : A primitive concept of Trinity.

The coming of Christ marked our understanding of God. The coming of Christ also marked our understanding of the H.S. (Spirit of Christ) Spirit of YHWH Spirit of Christ Day of YHWH Day of our Lord J.C. Invisible Visible

1 Cor.15:45 So it is written: The first man Adam became a living being; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. 2 Cor.3:17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 2 Cor.3:18 And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lords glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. The Lord =The Spirit (on experience level)

2 Corinthians 3:17 & 18 a) "The Lord is the Spirit (They are close as ONE) b) "And where the Spirit of the Lord" (They are 2)

Galatians 4:4-6 God sent his Son God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts. The Spirit is in our hearts NOT the Son. They have different identities

Rom. 8:26-27 -the Spirit interceding for us in our hearts Rom. 8:34 - Christ interceding for us in heaven
Spirit in our hearts but the risen Lord in heaven. (although God is omnipresence, we are talking about the identify here.)

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The concept of Trinity was too early for Paul to discuss . In Pauls letter, the Spirit has a close relationship with Father and Son. They all have separate identity