I. 4. The Trinity

I. Theology Proper


4. The Trinity

In our study of the essence of God, we are reminded that God used the Scripture to reveal Himself to us, but only in finite doses. Were God to choose to reveal the entirety of His essence to us, we would cease to be carnal and finite, and would esteem ourselves higher than we ought. However, since God ordained that we only catch a glimpse of His nature, subduing us to finiteness, we are in no danger of comprehending His entire essence (nature, substance). Let us therefore strive to know Him to the greatest extent possible, for it is through the knowledge of Him that we are made alive, daily, into the spiritual world, which is the only world of true longevity and eternal import. 

We have learned of God’s love, goodness, wrath, justice, omnipotence, etc, but we would be remiss if we did not study deeper, with the intent to understand His divine essence and person of the trinity. God is not one God with three personalities, three gods with one head, or two gods with a third tacked on at the creation of the world. The doctrine of the trinity has been debated by some of the greatest minds of history. Men who try to rationalize God and understand Him will fight and produce derision in the church. History reveals this to us. When we consider the hidden mysteries of Scripture, we should be very careful and cautious not to overstep the bounds of the truth revealed to us in scripture and attempt to add on to the inspired Word of God. For how can the human mind which cannot even fully understand a created star we call the sun, or articulate the production of the human body dare to attempt to rationally comprehend the Creator? Let us leave to God the knowledge of Himself in its entirety and simply study and comprehend that part of Him that He chose to reveal to us. He is sovereign, let us not attempt to rationalize anything He did not provide for in His Holy Word.

In this study, we will look at the (1.) person of God, (2.) the Son of God, (3.) The Holy Spirit, (4.) and the unity of the Trinity as a single unit.

The ὺπόστασις of God-

The relationship between the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit is expressed in the greek word ὺπόστασις (hypostasis). This relationship is referred to as the hypostatic union. Hypostasis can be translated as subsistence. Therefore, the hypostatic union is a union of 3 subsistences. Heb 1:3 says that Jesus is the “express image of His person” or “exact imprint of His nature,” and is the “brightness of His (the Father’s) glory.” From this we can infer that there is a proper hypostasis or subsistence of the Father that shines through the Son. Again we can infer that there is a subsistence (hypostasis) of the Son which distinguishes Him from the Father. Also, the Holy Spirit possess his own hypostasis, separate from the Father or the Son. This is not therefore a distinction of essence (nature or being) of God, for that would be multiplying and subtracting some of God from each subsistence. Therefore, it is key to understand that the Greek word hypostasis is the same as the Latin persona (person) and the english subsistence. All this can be explained in the teaching of the Greek church of the πρόσωπα (prosopa) (aspects) of God. God is one, having but one nature and set of attributes applied to three prosopa (aspects).

The Son of God-

The divinity of Christ has been debated over for centuries. The fourth century church started to loose their strict interpretation of Scripture, falling into apathy and heresy on every point of doctrine. Arius led the world into a great debate over the deity of Christ, saying that the word λόγος (logos) (word) was a created being and therefore NOT hypostatic with the Father. The word he used to describe this union was ὸμοιουσιος (homoiousios) meaning similar substance. The true doctrine was upheld by Athanasius alone which led to this era being called Athanasius Against the World. The true doctrine was separated from the false by one iota (the greek letter “I”). Ὸμοουσιος (homoousios) was the true doctrine which meant same substance. So, the substance of Christ is truly the same as that of God the Father, being truly consubstantial with the Father in a hypostatic union.

Jesus existed before His earthly manifestation because 1 Pet 1:11 says that the Spirit of Christ in-dwelt the Old Testament writers. Jesus is the word (or command) of the Father (Heb 1:2). He is eternal in essence (same as the father) (James 1:17). For God is not changing. John 17:5 also implies Jesus’ eternity. The Father operates through the Son. We will further explore Christ’s person in the following studies of the Divinity of Christ.

The Holy Spirit-

The Holy Spirit plays many roles in our lives and in scripture so that the best way to understand and define Him is by experience and practicality in Scripture and our own lives. We know the sinfulness of man, and we also know of the grace given directly to us for good works. We therefore know that the Spirit is at work in us creating Christ-likeness. 1 Cor 12:11 attributes these works of growth and spiritual gifts to the actions of the Spirit who is also the author of these gifts since he “apportions to each one individually as he wills.” Paul tells us that the Spirit dwells in us (1 Cor 3:16).The direct relationship between the Father and the Spirit is seen also in Isaiah 63:10. God was grieved and so Isaiah’s Holy Spirit was grieved. They are both deity seeing and grieving over the same things. We will further explore the Spirit’s person in following studies.

The Unity of the Trinity-

The unity of the essence of God in three persons is something the scriptures teach on the whole in its canon. There are no specific passages that describe and help us understand the trinity as an end in itself. Deut 6:4, Isaiah 44:6, and James 2:19 all say that God is one. He is not polytheistic. Throughout the Bible the same amount of worship and adoration is ascribed to each person of the trinity. It is not more evident that the Father is God, or the Son is God, nor is the deity of the Spirit more clearly revealed than that of the Father or Son. The Father says I, the Son says I, the Spirit says I. The Father is first, Son second and Spirit third. The Son is of the Father, and the Spirit is of the Father and Son. The Father sends the Son, and the Father and Son send the Spirit. The Father operates through the Son, and the Father and Son operate through the Spirit. The opposite of these statements is never found. The Son never sends the Father, nor does the Spirit work through the Father. Therefore, the Holy Trinity is a subordination of the persons as to the mode of subsistence and operation.

To say that this doctrine is incomprehensible is true, but it is also true of redemption, omniscience or any other doctrine. So, let us always imagine the trinity as unified in One God, but at the same time acknowledge their separate persons. God is more glorified because He is more familiar to us in three persons versus one. He does not share glory, so glorying in the Spirit is glorying in the Father as well. Jesus is the manifestation of the Father. Let us look to Him and His life in a different light- the light of the true trinity being and acting and existing in one essence, joined in a hypostatic union. This God-man is who God ordained we look to for our earthly minds to comprehend. He is the WORD of the Father. Let us not be as the Arians and refute the deity of Christ because we can not rationally understand Him. In the same way let us not forget that the Spirit lives in us. He IS the EXACT essence of the Father, in us. Tap into that strength. Let us also not forget that we serve ONE God, with ONE essence, with ONE mission. Three persons + one essence = Trinity.

Blogging for His glory, Adam Setser