DB_The Trinity

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Arkansas Tech University *

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Philosophy

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Dec 6, 2023

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According to Jerry M. Henry, Trinity is defined as “The Theological term used to define God as an undivided unity expressed in the threefold nature of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.” 1 While the canon of scripture is absent of explicit teachings regarding the trinitarian view of God, the triune nature of God existing equally but separately in three distinct persons is implied throughout the Bible. 2 In fact, understanding the triune nature of God is foundational to the Christian faith, necessary in the work of discipleship, and crucial to the complete understanding of the scriptures. Regarding the biblical revelation of the Trinity, R.L. Saucy observes, “Although the Trinity finds is clearest evidence in the New Testament, suggestions of a fullness of plurality are already found in the Old Testament revelation of God. The Plural form of the name of God (Elohim) as well as the use of plural pronouns (Gen. 1:26; 11:7) point in this direction.” 3 One God reveals himself as creator and sustainer of the world, the savior of mankind from the peril of sin as God the son, and the guiding and enlightening helper to His followers as God the Spirit. God is one, and the Son and the Spirit are also fully God, distinct in roles, but equal in power. God the Father is the primary subject of the Bible, who is present at the beginning of time (Gen. 1:1), and later within the last chapter of Revelation, referred to as the “Alpha and Omega” or beginning and the end (Rev. 22:13) giving the understanding that He alone is the author and sustainer of all that we see within the world. Nothing exists apart from Him, yet everything exists because He allows it. God the Son exists as the person of Jesus Christ, a divine mystery known theologically as the hypostatic union, or “The two natures ( dyo physes ) of deity and humanity in one hypostasis or person of Jesus Christ.” 4 Jesus Christ, the Son of God, presents as the spotless lamb of God, capable of providing propitiation for the sinfulness of God’s people. Jesus set aside his God nature to experience the fullness of humanity yet living a perfect and sinless life on earth. Ultimately, he would provide atonement for the sins of those who would acknowledge Him as God and trust Him for salvation. God the Spirit is the third person of God with both attributes and actions associated with that personhood. According to Elmer Towns, the personality of the Holy Spirit implies intellect, emotion or sensibility, and volition or willpower. And He empowers God’s people by teaching, testifying, guiding, speaking, enlightening, striving, commanding, interceding, sending, calling, comforting, and working.” 5 These things embraced within the understanding of the trinitarian nature of God leave the finite human mind incapable of providing an appropriate analogy for the Godhead that 1 Jerry M. Henry, “Trinity,” in Holman Bible Dictionary: The Complete Guide to Everything you Need to Know About the Bible , eds., Marsha A. Ellis Smith, Forrest W. Jackson, Phil Logan, Chris Church, and Trent C. Butler. (Nashville: Holman, 1991), 1372. 2 Millard J. Erickson, Christian Theology , 3rd ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2013), 291. 3 R.L. Saucy, “Son of God,” in Evangelical Dictionary of Theology second edition , ed. Walter Elwell. (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2001), 503. 4 C. Blaising, “Hypostatic Union,” in Evangelical Dictionary of Theology second edition , ed. Walter Elwell. (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2001), 583. 5 Elmer Towns, Theology for today, eds. Michele Baird, Maureen Staudt, and Michael Stranz. (Mason: Cengage, 2008), 266.
completely removes the humanness of boundaries and struggle. While certain analogies may be helpful in developing an understanding of how one entity may be represented as three, any analogy man comes up with will always fall short of a theological understanding of the Trinity.
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