Benchmark - Trinitarian Theology - Google Docs

.pdf

School

Grand Canyon University *

*We aren’t endorsed by this school

Course

201

Subject

Philosophy

Date

Apr 3, 2024

Type

pdf

Pages

8

Uploaded by DrBookMandrill30

Benchmark - Trinitarian Theology Ellen E. Joseph College of Theology, Grand Canyon University HTH-201: Christian Theology I Ryan Brandt February 19, 2023
Introduction Though Christianity is deeply intuitive and complex it is undoubtable that the faith holds its foundations in God as the centrality of the gospel; a gospel in which is all encompassing of God and from God himself. Thus, in the absence of deep knowledge and understanding of God and who He is, one cannot come to have a significantly profound comprehension of the gospels (Bird, 2022). One can extract from the gospels that the one true God is a Triune God: the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit acting as three separate persons in one being. Therefore, "integrity of the gospel is fatally compromised if either the Son or the Spirit is not fully God. If the Son was not God, he could neither reveal the Father nor atone for our sin. If the Spirit was not God, he could unite us neither to the Father and Son nor one another. The gospel, then, requires a triune God'' (Vanhoozer, 2005). Because each is wholly divine, salvation is accessible and achievable to all of humanity. Without God, the trinity, the gospel simply put would be impossible. Both the doctrine conveyed in scripture, and the Nicene Creed portray God as three persons that share glory, authority, and full divinity; acting as one being. Old Testament Theology: Creation and Forgiveness From the earliest point recorded in the Bible (Genesis 1), God is established as the ultimate and only creator of the universe. It is evident that the foundations of Christianity are deeply rooted in God's revelation as the creator of all. It is important to understand that creation is an act of God solitarily. Thus, He brings the world into existence ex nihilo, out of nothing, for none other than his own glory. The Apostle Paul illustrates this picture of God as the Creator of all things through his writings in Colossians, “For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things
were created through him and for him” ( The Holy Bible, American Standard Version , 2020, Colossians 1:16). The Apostle Paul's words depict the one true God as the sustainer and creator of everything in existence. In the Old Testament God is depicted as the creator of the universe and who has complete authorship over it. This illustration of God being the omnipotent creator and sustainer who existed before the universe was a complete censure against polytheism. Arnold, B. T. & Beyer, B. E (2015) further explains that the creation narrative in the Old Testament generates a model of who God is and thus allows it possible to receive the remainder of the Bible's content and meaning. Through the uncovering of God as the only creator of the universe, readers can find that this account as well marks God as the sole redeemer of the universe; thus, only through Him is there, the forgiveness of sins and redemption of humanity. When sin first made its way into the world, God responded with an immediate plan of redemption for His creation. To further self-demonstrate that He is the one and only God, God continually sets himself apart. In the Old Testament, He specifically focuses on the stark differences between Him and the sinful idols of the nations. Biblically readers can see this demonstration of self-revelation through that of the exodus out of Egypt by the Israelites. Succeeding the exodus and a long duration of roaming in the wilderness afterwards, God gave the Israelites His aid in obtaining the entrance to the promised land through God's conquering of the Israelites enemies. This acted as a demonstration to both the Israelites and the rest of humanity that God was and is the sovereign ruler of all. However, Even through seeing His undeniable supremacy, the Isralites gave way to a cycle of rebellion, repentance, and reconciliation (Bird, 2020). Because death was the punishment for sin in the Old Testament, the sole way of forgiveness for the people of Israel was through sacrificial offerings that are brought to God. In this process of forgiveness, the wrongdoer would offer an
Your preview ends here
Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version
  • Access to all documents
  • Unlimited textbook solutions
  • 24/7 expert homework help