Study Notes on the Doctrine of Trinity and the Person of Christ

Lecture 2 Part I: THE TRINITY

1. Essential Affirmations of the Trinity

  • There is one and only one true and living God.

  • This one God exists in three Co-eternal Persons:
      - God the Father
      - God the Son
      - God the Holy Spirit

  • These three Persons are:
      - Completely co-equal in attributes.
      - Co-substantial (each with the same divine nature).

  • Each person is fully and completely God, yet the persons are not identical:
      - Differences are found in their relationships and the roles they play in fulfilling their unified purpose.

2. Biblical Passages Proving the Trinity

  • The concept of the Trinity is biblical but the term ‘Trinity’ is not used in scripture.

2.1 Element #1: Monotheism

  • The Bible affirms that there is only one God from Genesis to Revelation:
      - Deuteronomy 6:4: “Listen, Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.” (Shema)
      - Isaiah: Speaks on monotheism (Is 43:10; 44:6; 45:5).
      - Jesus: References this belief in Mark 12:29.

2.2 Element #2: Distinction Among Persons

  • The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are interpersonally distinct:
      - Example: At Jesus’s baptism, the Holy Spirit descends on the Son while the Father says, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well-pleased.” (Luke 3:22)

2.3 Element #3: Full Divinity of All Persons

  • The Father is called God:
      - 1 Corinthians 8:6, 1 Peter 1:3: “Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

  • The Son is also identified as God:
      - John 1:1, Romans 9:5, Titus 2:13–15, Hebrews 1:8:
      - Example: Thomas calls Him, “My Lord and my God” (John 20:28).

  • The Holy Spirit is referred to as God:
      - Acts 5:1-4: Ananias and Sapphira lied to the Holy Spirit, thus calling Him God.

2.4 Conclusion of Elements

  • The distinction of the three persons, affirmation of their full divinity, and monotheism lead to the doctrine of the Trinity.

3. Further Explanation of the Trinity

  • The Trinity consists of one Being that is God, encompassing three coequal and coeternal Persons.

3.1 Definitions and Distinctions

  • One Being: Only one true God, the Creator of all things, affirms pure monotheism.

  • Unitarianism: Heresy suggesting only one Person is essential to God’s Being, while the doctrine of the Trinity affirms three distinct Persons in one God.

  • Ontology: Discussion of the nature of Being, which is eternal and omnipresent, distinguishing God’s infinite nature from human limitations.

4. Distinction Between Being and Person

  • Being: Refers to the essence or nature of what something is.

  • Person: Defines who someone is.

  • Hank Hanegraaff's Explanation: One what (the Being of God) and three whos (the three divine Persons).

  • Most cultic rejections of the Trinity fail due to misunderstanding these terms.

4.1 Relationship Among Persons

  • The Father (eternal Father) and Son (eternal Son) exist in an eternal relationship.

  • It’s crucial to recognize that one does not precede or create the other to avoid misconceptions about their nature.

  • Begetting: The term used by theologians about the Father and Son relationship, which does not imply creation or inferiority.

4.2 The Holy Spirit as a Person

  • The Holy Spirit is not merely a power but a distinct Person:
      - Exhibits intelligence (John 14:26), feelings (Isaiah 68:10; Ephesians 4:30), and will (Acts 16:7; 1 Corinthians 12:11).
      - Engaging in various roles as depicted in scripture (speaking, commanding, interceding).

5. The Conclusion on the Trinity

  • Many arguments against the Trinity focus on the Person relationships suggesting inferiority, highlighting the need for clarity in understanding the Trinity:
      - Monotheism Denial: Leads to polytheism, as in certain branches of Mormonism.
      - Equality Denial: Results in subordinationism evident in groups like Jehovah's Witnesses.
      - Modalism: Denies the unique distinctiveness of all three Persons by suggesting a single person manifests in different forms, exemplified by Oneness theology.

5.1 Importance of the Trinity

  • Without the Trinity, the gospel is compromised.

  • The interconnectedness of the Trinity is evident in gospel passages such as:
      - John 3:16: Mentions both the Father’s love and the Son.
      - Romans 3:24: Speak of justification by grace through Christ, recognizing the roles of the Father and Son.
      - Matthew 28:19: Baptizing in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

  • Christianity is fundamentally Trinitarian; the absence of this understanding leads to a less-than-unique religious experience.

6. The Person of Jesus: The Two Natures of Christ

  • Christ as One Person with Two Natures: Divine and human, a mystery of godliness (1 Tim. 3:16).

6.1 The Two Natures

  • Deity of Christ:
      - Old Testament references include Isaiah 9:6, Jeremiah 23:6, Micah 5:2, and Malachi 3:1.
      - Abundant New Testament confirmations: Matthew 11:27, John 1:1, Romans 9:5, Colossians 2:9, etc.

  • Humanity of Jesus:
      - Jesus refers to Himself as man (John 8:40); others affirm this too.
      - Essential human elements: Possesses body and soul as depicted in several gospels.
      - Interactions showing human development (Luke 2:40, 52) and sufferings (Matthew 4:2; 8:24).

6.2 Necessity of Both Natures

  • As a man, He serves as our substitute and can atone for sins.

  • As God, He provides infinite value to His sacrifice, able to endure divine wrath (Psalm 40:7-10; Romans 3:24).

6.3 Unity in Natures

  • Christ’s human nature is distinct yet united in the unchangeable Son of God.

  • Actions of Natures: Some actions attributed to one nature may contrast the other, but both natures work in unison in all Christ’s acts.

7. Errors to Watch Regarding Christ's Nature

7.1 Denial of Christ's Deity

  • Alogi, Ebionites, Socinians, Unitarians: Various groups throughout history that have conflicted with the orthodox view.

7.2 Partiality in His Natures

  • Arius: Suggested Christ was a demi-God.

  • Apollinaris: Denied Christ’s full humanity by positing divine Logos replaced human spirit.

7.3 Unity and Mixture Denial

  • Nestorians: Hypothesize a duality of Persons instead of one.

  • Monophysitism & Eutychianism: Propose admixture, thus compromising Christ's full humanity or divinity.

7.4 The Correct Position: Chalcedonian Definition

  • Affirmed at the Council of Chalcedon (451 AD), it declares:
      - One Person with two natures (fully divine and fully human), both distinct and complete, unified without confusion, change, division, or separation.

8. The Work of Christ: Fulfilling the Old Testament Types and Shadows

  • Jesus's roles encapsulated as Lawgiver, Fulfillment, and sacrificial Lamb among others.

8.1 Christ as the New Lawgiver

  • Given through Moses (Exodus 20), Jesus acts not merely as interpreter but as the divine authority imparting deeper meanings in the Sermon on the Mount.

8.2 Christ as Fulfillment of the Law

  • Jesus affirms that He does not abolish but fulfills law and prophets (Matthew 5:17).

  • Christ fulfills the law by:
      - Obeying it perfectly.
      - Illustrating types and shadows pointing to Him (Colossians 2:16-17).
      - Sacrificing Himself to satisfy the law's penalties (Galatians 3:13).

8.3 Christ as Passover Lamb

  • The Passover narrative speaks centrally to Israel’s redemption:
      - The lamb was to be without defect and its blood, an agent of salvation.

  • Jesus as the true Passover Lamb:
      - His blood shields believers from judgment, inaugurating a new exodus from sin (1 Corinthians 5:7).

8.4 Messenger and Prophet

  • Jesus as promised in Deuteronomy, revealing God perfectly in articulation of repentance and faith,
      - He is the final revelation (Hebrews 1:1-2).

8.5 High Priest Role

  • Unlike the Levitical priests, Jesus is the eternal High Priest offering Himself once and for all (Hebrews 9:12).

8.6 Kingship of Jesus

  • Proclaimed as King both at birth and during His resurrection with authority spanning the universe (John 18:36).

9. “I AM” Claims of Jesus

  • Old Testament Connection: Exodus 3:14 introduces the divine name linking to Jesus's claims through the Seven Metaphorical ‘I AM’ Statements.

  • Each claim reinforces:
      - Divine identity
      - Authority of Jesus
      - Salvific necessity to believe for salvation (John 8:24).

10. Unity of Christ’s Offices

  • Illustrative of roles as Prophet, Priest, and King, each office representing a facet of his divine ministry and culminating in the gospel message.