Part I: Encountering the Godhead
“Much modern theology presupposes the deistic assumption that the first step is to prove God exists. No, the biblical question is what kind of God exists?”
Hauerwas & Willimon – Resident Aliens
I’ll start by asking a question: When you think about God, what is the first thing that comes to mind? The primary purpose of this discussion is to preview the relevant biblical passages relating to the nature of God, and to examine those passages that speak to the issue of God as Trinity.
It is important to understand from the outset that the doctrine of the Trinity is not clearly revealed in Scripture, but it is definitely suggested. This is why it is so important to study the biblical data bearing upon the doctrine.
There are three separate, but interrelated, types of evidence:
a.) Evidence for the unity of God – that God is one.
b.) Evidence that there are three persons who are God.
c.) Indications of the three-in-oneness of God.
a.) God is One
The religion of the ancient Hebrews was certainly Monotheistic in nature – that is, it maintained the worship of only one God. For example, the Ten Commandments begins with the statement, “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the
The teaching surrounding the oneness of God is not restricted to the OT:
1.) James 2:19 - “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that – and shudder.”
2.) 1 Cor. 8:4, 6 – “So then, about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that an idol is nothing at all in the world and that there is no God but one . . . yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live.”
3.) 1 Tim. 2:5-6 – “For there is one God…”
All this evidence would no doubt lead us to believe that there is but one God – with no divisions and/or rivals. The question then is what moved the Church beyond this evidence? The deity of God the Father is scarcely in dispute. Somewhat more problematic is the idea of Jesus’ deity.
b.) Three Persons who are God
Jesus as God
A key reference to the deity of Jesus is found in Philippians 2:5-11. Verse 6 makes this statement, “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped.” Two statements in particular point us in the direction of Jesus’ divine status: “Being in very nature God,” and “equality with God.”
The first statement affirms that Jesus is fully God. His nature, or form, is divine, that is, He has the sum of those qualities that make God specifically God. They are resident within Him. Therefore, equality with God (the one God) is something Jesus always possessed, from all eternity. Hence, He is God.
Another passage that claims Jesus’ divine status is Hebrews 1:3, “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.”
As in the previous passage, here there are two statements that stand out.
1.) “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory” – This means that as the brilliance of the sun is inseparable from the sun itself, so the Son’s radiance is inseparable from deity, for He Himself is God.
2.) “The exact representation of his being” – Jesus is not merely an image or reflection of God. Because the Son himself is God, He is the absolutely authentic representation of God’s being.
The idea of representation is likewise found in Colossians 1:15 – “He (Christ) is the image of the invisible God.” The image shares perfectly and equally in the thing it represents.
This description of Jesus echoes statements in John’s Gospel, particularly in chapter 1.
a.) John 1:1-2 – “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.” This says two things about Jesus: He was with God and at the same time was God. The verse teaches some kind of distinction within God.
b.) John 1:14 – “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
c.) John 1:18 – “No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known.”
All three passages state that there is only one God (Shema), but that in this one God lies some kind of distinction. This distinction states that the Word, identified as Jesus, is divine, and is co-equal and co-eternal with the one God.
As we conclude the section on Jesus’ deity, we would do well to return to Paul’s Colossian letter and refer to two statements that serve as a summary of all we have affirmed up to this point concerning Jesus’ divine status.
1.) 1:19 – “For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him.”
2.) 2:9 – “For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form.”
All the fullness of God meant the totality of God with all his powers and attributes. The final conclusion: Jesus is God.
Holy Spirit as God
On a number of occasions, the Holy Spirit is used interchangeably with references to God. For instance, in Acts 5:3-4, lying to the Holy Spirit is equated with lying to God.
The Holy Spirit is also described as having the qualities and performing the works of God. Passages such as these clearly indicate such to be true: John 3:8; 16:8-11; 1 Cor. 12:4-11.
c.) God’s Three-in-Oneness
On the surface, these two lines of evidence – God’s oneness and threeness – seem contradictory. As we will find out, the contradiction is only apparent.
1.) The first indication of God’s three-in-oneness is found in the noun used to speak of the God of Israel, elohim. When used in reference to
Gen. 1:26 – “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, in our likeness.’”
Gen. 11:7 – “Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.”
Isa. 6:8 – “Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’”
It seems that something is being affirmed here about the nature of God – He is an organism, that is, a unity of distinct parts.
2.) In several places in Scripture the three persons are linked together in unity and apparent equality.
Matt. 28:19 – “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” A few comments pertaining to this verse: notice the “name” is singular although there are three persons included; there is also no suggestion of inferiority or subordination. The Church has used this model for hundreds of years as a baptismal formula.
Another direct linking of the three names in unity and equality is Paul’s benediction in 2 Cor. 13:14 – “May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”
In both the Gospels and various NT letters, we find linkages of the three persons.
Matt. 3:16-17 – Jesus’ baptism – all three persons are present (Spirit descending, Jesus being baptized, Father speaking). There is unity, yet obvious distinction.
Matt. 12:28 – Jesus relates his doing miracles to the power of the Holy Spirit and indicates this is evidence that the
Luke 1:35 – Mary is informed that her child will be called holy, the Son of God, because the Holy Spirit will come upon her.
Luke 24:49 – Jesus will send the promise of the Father, the Holy Spirit, upon His disciples.
Acts 2:33, 38 – Peter’s post-Pentecost message links the three persons.
Romans 15:16 – Paul speaks of his own ministry and links the involvement of the three persons.
1 Cor. 12:4-6 – Paul speaks of the conferring of special endowments upon believers in the Body of Christ.
2 Cor. 1:21-22 – Paul relates the process of salvation to the three persons of the Trinity.
Galatians 4:6 – Speaking of salvation Paul links the three persons.
1 Peter 1:1-2 – Peter addresses the recipients of his epistle in Trinitarian terms.
Jude 20-21 – Jude urged his readers in the faith and referred to all three persons in the Godhead.
It is John’s Gospel where the strongest evidence of a co-equal Trinity is found. For example, 1:33-34; 14:16, 26; 16:13-15; 20:21-22 – here the three-fold formula is used again and again.
The relationship and working of the three persons comes through repeatedly. The Son is sent by the Father (14:24) and comes forth from Him (16:28). The Spirit is given by the Father (14:16), sent from the Father (14:26), and proceeds from the Father (15:26).
Yet, the Son is closely involved in the coming of the Spirit: He prays for his coming (14:16); the Father sends the Spirit in the Son’s name (14:26); the Son will send the Spirit from the Father (15:26); the Son must go away so that he can send the Spirit (16:7).
The Spirit’s ministry is understood as a continuation and elaboration of that of the Son. He will bring to remembrance what the Son has said (14:26); he will bear witness to the Son (15:26); he will declare what he hears from the Son, thus glorifying the Son (16:13-14).
Other passages in John stress the closeness and unity between the Father and the Son – 10:30; 14:9; 17:21.
Conclusion:
Based on the data examined, we have come to the following conclusions: although the doctrine of Trinity is not expressly asserted, the Scriptures, particularly the NT, contains so many suggestions of the deity and unity of the three persons that we can understand why the church formulated this doctrine, and conclude that they were right in doing so.
We end in the same way we began, by asking the question: When you think about God, what is the first thing that comes to mind?
I hope you will learn to think of God in the way we have discussed. That God is sovereign, but not solitary. God is not simply a unity, but a triunity. He is differentiated within Himself. He not only exists, but also coexists as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
This distinction refers not only to dimensions of His activity, but also to the inner life of God. It signifies one God in three modes of existence – Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and each one of these participates in the activity of the other.
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Part II: Engaging the Scriptures
An unknown writer said, "This Book is the mind of God, the state of man, the way of salvation, the doom of sinners, and the happiness of believers. Its doctrines are holy, its precepts are binding; its histories are true, and its decisions are immutable. Read it to be wise, believe it to be safe, practice it to be holy. It contains light to direct you, food to support you, and comfort to cheer you. It is the traveler's map, the pilgrim's staff, the pilot's compass, the soldier's sword, and the Christian's character. Here paradise is restored, heaven opened, and the gates of hell disclosed. Christ is its grand subject, our good its design, and the glory of God its end. It should fill the memory, rule the heart, and guide the feet. Read it slowly, frequently, prayerfully. It is a mine of wealth, a paradise of glory, and a river of pleasure. Follow its precepts and it will lead you to
Our Statement of Fundamental and Essential Truths says this about the Scriptures: “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is infallible, absolutely supreme and sufficient in authority in all matters of faith and practice.”
This statement will guide as we engage the Scriptures in a three-fold way: its position, purpose and practice.
The Position of Scripture
The position of Scripture speaks of its place in our lives, and essentially determines how we view the Bible and how we read it. For instance, if I believe the Bible to be just another piece of literature, though maybe special in what it communicates, but nothing more, and certainly not in any way divine, such a view will dramatically affect my reading of it. What I want to establish in part one is the divine origin of the biblical writings and thereby lay an understanding of why the Scriptures are unique; they are unique precisely because they were written in a unique way.
The first part of the Statement of Truths makes this claim about the writing of the Scriptures: “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God…” This sentence focuses our attention, not on issues relating to the purpose or practice of Scripture, but on the process of writing. How the Scriptures came into being. It doesn’t provide us with complete details, but only with the general method in which the Scriptures were originally composed.
God-Breathed
There are a number of passages that help us to understand something of this process. The first is 2 Timothy 3:16. The verse says a number of things about Scripture, but at this point only the first sentence is applicable. “All Scripture is God-breathed.” The “all” here speaks of both the OT and NT, and is equally applied to both. It is important to understand that because it clearly teaches that all of Scripture, both OT and NT alike, are equally authoritative, because both have been written in the same way. The circumstances surrounding the writing of each book is different (Paul’s letter, Psalms, Gospel’s, Isaiah, etc), but the way in which they were composed is generally the same.
What they have in common is seen in the second aspect of the verse, “God-breathed.” From the beginning, such a statement makes a great deal of difference to the way in which we perceive the Bible. We can immediately make the claim that whatever else we believe about the Bible, this much is certain: God was intimately involved in its composition. This is very significant. Not only does it lend a great deal of authority to the text itself as a God ordained document, but it also demands that we take it very seriously. God is speaking through its pages. As the writer indicated at the beginning, “this book is the mind of God.”
“God-breathed” is an interesting statement to say the least. It demands much more consideration than what we can devote to it here and now, but we can and should take the time to understand its most basic intentions.
First, Paul affirmed God’s active involvement in the writing of Scripture. That “all Scripture is God breathed” indicates that fact clearly. But, what else does “God-breathed” mean? It refers to the idea that the writers were breathed into by the Spirit. They were quickened, made alive and informed by the Holy Spirit. This is where we apply the term inspired. To be inspired is to be breathed upon by God. Millard Erickson speaks of inspiration as “a reference to anything which moves or excites a person.” It is the force behind an action; the reason why an action is taken.
For example, if I asked someone a question as to why they decided to sponsor a child through Worldvision, they would more than likely reply in a manner similar to this: I watched a program on television regarding children in
The rabbinical teaching relating to this was that the Spirit of God rested on and in the prophets and spoke through them, so that their words did not come from themselves but from the mouth of God; they spoke and wrote in the Holy Spirit (Rogers 506). So when we read this declaration it tells us something of the divine origin of the Bible. Human beings were involved in the process of writing, a fact we will look at later in more detail, but what they wrote was inspired by God; the words originated in God and was breathed into them and so they wrote. God superintended over the entire project from beginning to end. “All Scripture is God breathed.”
A similar theme is found in 2 Peter 1:20-21, “Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”
The most simplistic interpretation of this passage teaches that all Scripture had its origin in God. God is the ultimate source of what was written, as we have already established. However, Peter introduced something more in this passage relating specifically to how the books were written.
“Men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” What does this mean? In the production of Scripture both God and man were active participants. God was the source of the content of Scripture, so that what it says is what God has said. But the human author also actively spoke; they were more than recorders (NIV comments). This idea of dual authorship can also be found in certain OT texts.
2 Samuel 23:2, “The Spirit of the Lord spoke to me; his word was on my tongue.”
Jeremiah 1:7, 9, “You must . . . say whatever I command you . . . Now, I have put my words in your mouth.”
The conclusion: Men spoke, but God so worked in them so that what they said was His word (EBC). They were under the power of the Holy Spirit. Peter said it this way, “They were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”
One final comment is important here. The verb translated as “carried along” is instructive. It was used of a ship being carried along by the wind (cf. Acts 27:15, 17 – Paul’s ship was “driven along” by the wind). “The metaphor here is of prophets raising their sails, the Holy Spirit filling them and carrying their craft along in the direction He wished. Men spoke; God spoke” (
Our conclusion relating to the position of Scripture is clear. First, that “all Scripture is God-breathed” means that God is the origin and source of the writings. Secondly, though the Scriptures find there origin in God, God decided that He would speak through human beings, “men spoke from God.” Humans were quite involved in the process of writing and their role should never be downplayed or denied, and understanding this helps us as we seek to accurately interpret the Bible (culture, geography, etc). But, when all is said and done, what makes the Scriptures authoritative is not the human side of the document, but its divine origin. We pay careful attention to and heed what we see in Scripture precisely because we believe that through its witness, God speaks!
The Purpose of Scripture
Based in the conclusion that the Bible’s origin is divine, that the source is found ultimately in God, this automatically gives it an authority not found in any other piece of literature. Of no other book can it be said its origin is found in God. Because such can be said about the Bible means that we must pay careful attention to understand its purpose.
It is at this point where we pick up on the Statement of Truths regarding the Scriptures: “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is infallible, absolutely supreme and sufficient in authority in all matters of faith.” In this section we begin to see the purpose of Scripture; that is, what it’s meant to accomplish; what its intentions are, the reason for Scripture.
To start we will go back to 2 Timothy 3:16, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
The most important word here is “useful.” It can also mean that which is profitable and holds tremendous value. The Scriptures have there source in God and are therefore useful, profitable and valuable. They have a practical purpose.
The primary purpose is manifold: “teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.” “Teaching” is a general term and includes all instruction relating to the Bible. “Rebuking” conveys the idea of proving, convicting, and reproof. The word was used in relation to refuting error and rebuking sin. “Correcting” literally means a restoration to an upright position, an upright state; setting up on ones feet. The word “training” came to refer to instruction and discipline. The final purpose we see highlighted here is found in the words “thoroughly equipped” and “for every good work.” The idea is that the Christian is completely outfit, fully furnished, and thereby able to meet all demands. The word was used of documents – or of a wagon or rescue boat – which were completely outfitted, or a machine sold in good condition; capable of performing the service expected (
In Romans 15:4, Paul picks up on the purpose of Scripture yet again, and communicates a similar message to that found in 2 Timothy 3:16.
“For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”
Paul’s message both here and in 2 Timothy 3:16 is clear: All of Scripture, which includes the OT and NT, is equally authoritative, and was written primarily to “teach us;” that is, to instruct us in the faith and encourage us to hold fast to the hope we have in Christ. “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is infallible, absolutely supreme and sufficient in authority in all matters of faith.”
The Practice of Scripture
The final section in the Statement of Fundamental and Essential Truths intentionally ends on a practical note. It laid a foundation of the position of Scripture, how it came to be; moved on to speak of its primary purpose, as a guide to instruct us in the faith; and now concludes by pointing us in the direction of response, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is infallible, absolutely supreme and sufficient in authority in all matters of faith and practice.”
In the October issue of the Testimony, Irving Whitt wrote about this very topic. In it he relates the issue of belief, defined as what we believe to be true, and how that ought to impact our living. He writes that if we really believe something to be true, than we should “act on what we really believe.” He asks the question, “is belief mental assent alone, or does it necessitate action?” Quoting Donald Miller he states, “What I believe is not what I say I believe; what I believe is what I do.” Whitt concludes his article this way: “I hope we can agree on this much. If I believe it, it has ramifications for my life. It has implications for stewardship of my time and resources. If I believe it, I will live differently. If all Christians really, really believed it they would change the world.” I agree!
It is absolutely vital to believe rightly and accurately about God and His relationship to the world. And, because it can only be said that the Bible is a divinely inspired book, that it alone has this unique quality, then we conclude that it should be “absolutely supreme and sufficient in authority in all matters of faith.”
However, as Whitt has made abundantly clear, if we really believe it, then we must “act on what we really believe.” That is, we must walk in the truth. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus asked His disciples this poignant question, “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” (Luke 6:46). James, echoing Jesus’ sermon gave this challenge, “Do not merely listen to the word, and deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”
The challenge is clear: Right belief must lead to right living; for to truly believe is to do. This is what it means to engage the Scriptures.
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Part III: Enjoying the Journey
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“No one in Scripture who was greatly used of God experienced a life free of hardship” (Greg Foley – 50 Plus – Pg. 4).
- “Abraham left home on what was thought to be a fool’s errand. Moses was the object of ridicule. Ruth was reduced to beggary. David was hunted as a criminal. Jeremiah nearly perished neck deep in a mud-filled dungeon. Hosea was shamed by a faithless wife. Mary was considered a loose woman. Jesus was considered a lunatic by his family. Paul’s physical suffering seemed to be endless.”
- “Life is not a fairy tale. There is no happily ever after until the hereafter.”
The Spirit and Suffering in Luke/Acts – by Martin Mittelstadt, Enrich
· He observes that Luke, in both his gospel account and the Acts record, is a story not of persistent triumph, but of consistent conflict, opposition, and persecution of God’s agents.
· The Spirit is seen as the empowering agent, the One who anoints and divinely enables for the task of missions.
· Yet, the empowering of the Spirit is not the means to experience constant blessing (in a North American sense). More often than not, to be empowered by the Spirit for ministry brings with it varying levels and degrees of opposition.
· What proves to be a powerful testimony of Jesus’ disciples in Acts is that they were faithful to the task of preaching the gospel, even in the face of intense opposition and persecution. It encourages the same response of us.
Survey
1. Luke 2:25-35 – Simeon’s Preview of the Gospel Message
“This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in
Jesus, who brings salvation and is received by many, will also be rejected, which will lead to opposition and, in turn, suffering and persecution.
2. Luke 4:1-13 – Jesus’ Desert Temptations
“Jesus, full of the Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil” (4:1).
3. Luke 4:16-30 – Jesus in
Here we see the first explicit example of Simeon’s forecast of acceptance and rejection.
4. Luke 12:1-12 – Jesus Prepares His Disciples
For Luke’s readers, all of this serves to place the disciples in continuity with Jesus, their Master and Lord.
5. Acts 3-5 – The Apostles Meet Resistance
6. Acts 6-7 – Stephen, the First Christian Martyr
Here we see a witness of Jesus Christ, one who was not a part of the twelve. The opposition experienced by Jesus and His disciples has extended to others.
Stephen advances the idea of Spirit enablement and suffering in three ways:
a. The opposition continues and intensifies.
b. Stephan’s death mirrors Jesus’ death, and reveals that Jesus is still being rejected.
c. Stephan’s speech roots rejection in salvation history.
7. Acts 20 - Paul – Spirit led Witness
Paul’s story is not only one of remarkable missionary success, but also one of immense difficulty as he is consistently rejected, abused, beaten, and often has to flee for his life.
Acts 9:16 – “I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”
Observations
1.) When empowered by the Spirit (Acts 2), the life of a witness becomes continuous with the life and suffering of Jesus.
· Luke calls his readers to a life characterized by perseverance and commitment.
· While many passages in Acts depict the triumph of the church over its adversaries (4:32-37; 9:31; 12:25; 16:5), many other passages speak to the opposite effect.
· The pattern is of positive response on the one hand, and rejection on the other.
· Both threads belong to the story, and to eliminate either is to miss something essential.
2.) Here we see a call for the church to see that suffering due to opposition is a constant in Luke.
· Luke is interested in depicting the church as triumphant on many occasions, but the story is not one of persistent triumph.
· It is not accidental that all of the characters in Luke-Acts suffer on account of “the Name” and their proclamation of it.
· God will not allow the gospel to be overcome, but its rejection is as inevitable as the numerous moments of triumph.
· Pentecostal triumphalism is only one side of the coin and represents only one side of Luke’s story.
· Suffering accompanies serious ministry and the expansion of the gospel.
Life Lessons
1.) Contemporary Pentecostals should learn from the struggles recorded in Luke-Acts to have patience and faithfulness in a world we do not control while maintaining trust in God’s power.
· Jurgen Moltmann: “Participation in the apostolic mission of Christ leads inescapably into tribulation, contradiction and suffering.”
· Pentecostals have found this lesson difficult to accept.
North American Pentecostalism:
· In an increasingly secular society, Pentecostals must be alert to the possibility of adopting such a perspective as their own.
· “Since Pentecostal Christians expect ‘the blessing of God,’ suffering seems to infringe on this right to happiness, causing an increasing gap between the success and suffering connected with God and/or godliness.”
· Pentecostals have a theology of glory, but not a theology of the cross.
· We concentrate on the triumphs of Easter and Pentecost and often forget that both can only come by the way of the cross.
· Modern, North American Pentecostalism seems not to relate all that well to the kind of conflict, resistance and opposition so evident in the early church.
· We’ve made Spirit baptism out to be a means to an economic end; it gives personal power, not for mission, but for personal success and power.
· Such an idea is far removed from the pages of Luke-Acts where Pentecostals find their reason for existence.
Global Pentecostalism:
· Due to the intense persecution and opposition experienced by many Christians worldwide, they tend to read Luke-Acts in a very different way when compared to those in the West.
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