Hello Beloved,

As we enter a new year and a new decade, I will begin a new set of articles to help you grow in your understanding of Biblical doctrine. Many of you have made positive comments about this strategy over the past couple of years, and so I have decided to continue this year by overviewing the doctrine of God, otherwise known as Theology Proper. We will begin by considering the doctrine of the Trinity.

Simply put, the orthodox understanding of the Trinity is that God is one in essence yet three in person. The Scripture clearly communicates that God is one in unity such that His divine nature is undivided and indivisible (Deuteronomy 4:35, 39; 6:4); further, God is unique (2 Samuel 7:22), for only He knows the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:9-10).

God also reveals Himself through Scripture in three distinct persons. The Father is called God (Matthew 6:9), the Son is called God (John 1:1, Philippians 2:6-8, Colossians 1:15, and Hebrews 1:3), and the Spirit is called God (Acts 5:3-4). Jesus exhibits the various attributes of deity such as eternity (Isaiah 9:6), self-existence (John 1:4), omniscience (all-knowing; Colossians 2:3), immutability (unchangeable; Hebrews 13:8), and He is the Creator (John 1:3,10). The Spirit exhibits the attributes of deity in His titles such as eternal Spirit (Hebrews 9:14), the Spirit of life (Romans 8:2), the Holy Spirit (Matthew 1:20), the Spirit of truth (John 14:17), the Spirit of grace (Hebrews 10:29), and the Comforter (John 14:16 and 26). The Son is distinct from the Father and the Spirit, in that He called God His Father (Matthew 24:36), the Father sent the Son (John 5:36), and that God is called the God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 15:6). The Spirit is distinct from the Father and the Son in that He is sent by God the Father (John 14:26), He glorifies Christ (John 16:13-15), He prays to the Father (Romans 8:26, 27), and He is referred to in distinction from God (Romans 15:13).

Therefore, God is one in essence yet He exists as a Godhead of three persons. Each person of the Godhead is co-equal, co-eternal, and co-substantial, possessing the divine essence simultaneously. They all participate in divine acts such as creation and redemption (Genesis 1, John 1:1,3; Ephesians 1). However, they all have distinct roles such as in the case of our salvation. The Father ordained our salvation and sent His son into the world (Ephesians 1:4, John 3:16, Galatians 4:4), the Son obeyed the Father and redeemed us through His death on the cross (John 6:38; Hebrews 10:5-7; Ephesians 1:7), and the Spirit, who was sent from the Father and the Son, regenerated us or made us spiritually alive in Christ (Ephesians 1:13; 2:4, John 3:5; 14:26; 16:7).

As the Creed of Constantinople from 381 states:

We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.

And [we believe] in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one being with the Father. Through him all things were made. For us, humans, and for our salvation, he came down from heaven, was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary, and became fully human. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate. He suffered death and was buried. He rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.

And [we believe] in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father, who in unity with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets. [We believe] in one holy universal and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.

Until next time, this is Pastor Daniel writing, “May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.”