ST: Lesson 6 part 3

Divine Name Revelation

  • Discussion of the divine name Yahweh (Tetragrammaton, YHWH) and its profound significance in biblical texts, revealing God's self-existence and covenant faithfulness.

    • Key texts include Exodus 3:14, Exodus 7-14, and Exodus 34:6.

    • Exodus 3:14: God reveals His name as "I AM WHO I AM" (LXX: "Ego eimi ho on"), signifying His eternal self-existence (aseity) and sovereign presence. This is not merely a name but a declaration of His being, demonstrating His unchanging nature and His commitment to His covenant people.

    • Exodus 7-14: Here, God demonstrates the power and implications of His name (Yahweh) through His mighty acts of salvation, judgment, and liberation of Israel from Egypt. These events served to prove His unique identity and sovereignty to both Israel and Egypt.

    • Exodus 34:6: This passage further reveals God's character alongside His name, describing Him as "The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness." This adds a moral and relational dimension to the divine name.

Relative Names of God

  • Examination of relative names God uses to describe Himself, such as "The Lord is my shepherd," "Creator," or "King."

  • These names are called "relative" because they presuppose and define relationships between God and other entities or individuals:

    • "Creator" presupposes an inherent relationship between the one who creates and the creature that is made, highlighting God's ultimate origin and authority over all existence.

    • "King" indicates a sovereign relationship between the divine ruler and His subjects, emphasizing His governance and reign.

    • "Shepherd" (e.g., in Psalm 23) illustrates God's tender care, guidance, and provision for His people.

    • Other examples include "Judge" (relationship with those He judges) or "Savior" (relationship with those He saves). These names reveal how God interacts with His creation and humanity, defining His roles and His character in relation to us.

Personal Names of the Trinity

  • Introduction of the personal names of the Trinity—Father, Son, and Spirit. Unlike relative names, these names highlight intrinsic, internal relationships within God's own being (immanent Trinity) rather than merely relationships external to Him (economic Trinity).

  • The doctrine of the Trinity reveals that God’s personal names signify eternal, internal relations among the Father, Son, and Spirit, defining who God is in Himself.

  • Distinction between transitive acts and immanent acts:

    • Transitive acts: Actions whose effects extend outside the agent, impacting something external. Example: Building a house results in a structure physically separate from the builder.

    • Immanent acts: Actions that remain internal to the agent, without an external product. Example: Thinking about a favorite vacation; the thought process and its content remain within the mind of the thinker. Within God, the relationships of Father generating the Son, and the Spirit proceeding from the Father (and Son), are immanent acts, foundational to His eternal identity.

Relationship Dynamics within the Trinity

  • Relationships such as Father and Son are unique, internal, and eternal within the Godhead. This contrasts with created relationships, which are temporal and contingent upon existence.

  • Scriptural analogy from 1 Corinthians 2:11 serves to explain the intrinsic unity and distinctness:

    • “Who knows a person's thoughts except the spirit of that person which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.” This verse illustrates the Spirit's intimate and constitutive knowledge of God, implying an internal, personal, and reciprocal relationship within the divine being.

Revelation in the New Testament

  • Just as in Exodus God had to reveal His name for understanding and covenant establishment, so too in the New Testament, God must reveal Himself as triune for humanity to truly know Him.

    • Analogous pattern seen in naming God in the New Testament; God names Himself as Father, Son, and Spirit, and this self-naming is foundational to Christian understanding and identity.

  • Following God's self-naming, God's people then also reflect this name in their declarations, worship, and baptismal confessions, affirming the triune nature of God.

Example of Mark 1

  • The biblical narrative, particularly in Mark's Gospel, conveys profound theological doctrines in a manner that "shows" rather than explicitly "tells" or defines them discursively.

    • Example: The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ is implicitly compared to the creation narrative in Genesis via its opening phrase, "The beginning of the gospel…" (Mark 1:1). This narrative emphasizes a new beginning in God’s redemptive history, a new creation inaugurated by Jesus.

Thematic Connections in Mark's Gospel

  • Mark's Gospel makes clear references to Old Testament themes, indicating a new Exodus event and the fulfillment of prophesies:

    • The preaching of John the Baptist is presented as the fulfillment of prophesies related to the new presence of God and the preparation for the Messiah. John's role is directly linked to Isaiah 40:3 and Malachi 3:1.

    • John the Baptist is portrayed as the "voice in the wilderness preparing the way of the Lord" ("kurios" referring to Yahweh), signaling the imminent return and redemptive work of God Himself.

  • Jesus is depicted as Yahweh returning to liberate from captivity, but this liberation is not from an earthly Pharaoh; rather, it is from the spiritual bondage of sin and the curse of the law, bringing about radical spiritual freedom and a new covenant.

Prosopological Exegesis

  • Concept defined: Prosopological exegesis is a method of biblical interpretation that analyzes distinct "personae" or unnamed speakers/figures within biblical texts to clarify their identities and roles, especially in passages where divine figures interact.

  • This method has a significant impact on Trinitarian theology by emphasizing the distinct interaction and speech of Father, Son, and Spirit within Scripture.

    • Mark’s Gospel exemplifies this through the intertwining speech of God (the Father from heaven), Jesus (the Son), and the active presence of the Spirit, vividly depicting the interactive communion of the Trinity.

Baptism of Jesus and Triune Revelation

  • Jesus’ baptism (Mark 1:9-11) is a critical moment for understanding the Trinity, often referred to as a "theophany" where all three persons are distinctly manifested:

    • Mark 1:10-11 describes the heavens being torn open, the Spirit descending "like a dove" upon Jesus, and a voice from heaven declaring, "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased."

    • The use of second-person language ("You are my beloved Son") by God the Father emphasizes the direct, personal, and unique relationship between the Father and Jesus the Son, a relationship unveiled for humanity.

    • This event serves as the inauguration of Jesus' public ministry and a clear divine affirmation of His unique identity and mission.

Theological Implications of Sonship

  • The title "beloved Son" signifies a unique, eternal, and divine filial relationship within the Trinity, denoting Jesus' divine nature and His intimate connection with the Father, not merely an adopted or exemplary human.

  • The distinct persons (Father, Son, Spirit) are revealed as active participants, affirming their communal relationship and the unified mission of God in salvation history.

  • This narrative acts as a crucial paradigm for understanding who God is in His triune being and that the profound, eternal relationship is inherently and solely between these divine persons.

The Authority of Jesus in Relation to the Trinity

  • The teaching through Psalm 110:1 and the questions posed by Jesus regarding his authority in Mark 12:35-37:

    • Jesus quotes Psalm 110:1: "The Lord said to my Lord, 'Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet.'" By asking how the Messiah can be David's son if David calls him "Lord" ("Adonai" of Yahweh), Jesus highlights His own divine status and authority, transcending mere earthly lineage. He asserts His shared rule alongside God the Father, calling attention to His divine sovereignty and pre-existence.

Continuous Theme of Authority

  • The discussion in Mark about authority consistently points to the acknowledgment that Jesus, as the divine Son, possesses inherent authority and the right to demand worship, just like God the Father. This authority is not delegated but fundamental to His divine identity.

  • This Trinitarian relationship fortifies the understanding of authority and identity within the Godhead, demonstrating a unified yet distinct divine operation.

First Corinthians 8 and Trinitarian Confession

  • First Corinthians 8:4-6 serves as a foundational, proto-Trinitarian confession in early Christian worship and theology:

    • It begins with a declaration of strict Jewish monotheism, connecting to Deuteronomy 6:4 (the Shema): "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one." This affirms that Christians believe in one God.

    • It then uniquely states: "yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist." This statement distinguishes the Father and Jesus as Lord ("kurios"), integrating Jesus into the unique identity of Israel's God while maintaining the oneness of God. This passage reveals an early implicit Trinitarian pattern, where Jesus is accorded divine status and agency alongside the Father within a monotheistic framework, combating polytheism and idolatry by focusing worship on the Father and the Son.

Causal Relations in God and Creation

  • Paul’s language in Romans 11:36 powerfully illustrates the Trinitarian causal relationships of God within creation and providence:

    • "For from Him, through Him, and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen." This verse speaks to:

      • From Him: Signifies God the Father as the ultimate source, origin, and ground of all existence.

      • Through Him: Points to the agency of God the Son (and Spirit) as the instruments or mediators through whom creation came into being and is sustained.

      • To Him: Indicates God as the ultimate purpose, goal, and end of all things, to whom all glory redounds.

  • These causal relations distinguish and represent how God's triune nature interfaces with and acts upon creation, revealing the comprehensive involvement of the Father, Son, and Spirit in every aspect of existence.

Conclusion

  • Emphasizing the profound significance and communion offered through the understanding and experience of the Trinity:

    • The Gospel’s ultimate intention is to foster deep, redemptive relationships among believers and with God Himself, initiated by the divine self-disclosure at Jesus' baptism and continually affirmed through the church's recognition, confession, and worship of these divine names. This understanding leads to a richer theological comprehension and a deeper spiritual experience.

  • The importance of participating in the fellowship (koino
    \bar{n}ia) of the triune God is not merely a doctrinal point but a core, transformative aspect of Christian identity, existential purpose, and worship, shaping the very life of the church and individual believers.