THEO 525_ Final Research Paper

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Jan 9, 2024

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LIBERTY UNIVERSITY RAWLINGS SCHOOL OF DIVINITY The Trinity Submitted to Dr. Larry McDonald In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the completion of THEO 525-D01 Systematic Theology I by Marshai Taylor-Aulton December 12, 2023 Contents
Introduction……………………………………………………………………………… 2 Historical Background of the Doctrine of the Trinity…..………………..…………… ..... 3 Explanation of the Trinity…………………………….…………….…………….………5 Critique of the Trinity………………………………………………………………… .... 10 The View of the Trinity from the Old and New Testament Perspective…...…………….12 Contemporary Challenges in the Church…………………………………………...……14 Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………..15 Bibliography……………………………………………………………………………...17 Thesis 1
The Trinity is a Christian stance as monotheistic that comes with a position of believing that the Godhead is seen as a single entity with a shared core, while encompassing well-defined responsibilities and assignments. Introduction To begin, as the reader of this paper may not know what the term “doctrine” is defined as, this section will give a brief depiction of what doctrine means in the Christian theology study. The term Doctrine , according to Walter Elwell, in his book Entry for Doctrine: Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, is defined as an “act of teaching or that which is taught…Christianity is a religion founded on a message of good news rooted in the significance of the life of Jesus Christ. In scripture, then, doctrine refers to the entire body of essential theological truths that define and describe that message.” 1 There have been many illustrations that are commonly utilized to aid in depicting the doctrine of the Trinity, despite the inherent challenge of fully illuminating this concept. One example is in James Boice’ book “Foundations of the Christian Faith: A Comprehensive and Readable Theology”, where he gives an illustration that references light, heat, and air. He highlights the distinct nature of these three elements, each following its unique laws and being subject to individual study. 2 Applied to a human hand, light facilitates visibility, heat is situated between the fingers, and air envelops it. The presence of all three elements is essential for the existence of a hand, illustrating their distinct yet interconnected nature. This illustration aligns with biblical parallels, where the Bible represents God as light (1 John 1:5), heat (Hebrews 12:29), and air (John 3:8). Essentially, the doctrine of the Trinity affirms the existence of one 1 Elwell, Walter A. "Entry for 'Doctrine'". "Evangelical Dictionary of Theology". 1997. 2 James Montgomery Boice, Foundations of the Christian Faith: A Comprehensive & Readable Theology (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2019), 111-112. 2
God who eternally manifests as three distinct persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Historical Background of the Doctrine of the Trinity The doctrine of the Trinity is a foundational concept in Christian theology that encloses the complex understanding of God as a triune being: The Father, The Son, and Holy Spirit. These interrelated roles and unity serve as the main ingredient for comprehending the nature of God, the redemption of humanity through Jesus Christ, and the transformative work of the Holy Spirit within the Christian faith. When delving into the historical origins of the doctrine of the Trinity, one cannot overlook the pivotal figure of Tertullian. Tertullian was known as a Roman lawyer and an early convert to Christianity. Tertullian employed his legal sharp-wittedness to articulate a captivating defense of the Trinity in his renowned treatise "Against Praxus. " This work, a response to critics challenging the oneness of God, marked a significant milestone as the first piece of literature to introduce the term “Trinity”, thereby providing a contextual framework for understanding the Godhead. The influence of Tertullian's doctrinal contribution extended to the Council of Nicaea, assembled by Constantine to establish doctrinal uniformity amid theological controversies. Contrary to a common misconception, the council's goal was not to create the doctrine of the deity of Christ, but to discern and attest what the scriptures proclaimed about Christ, aiming to distinguish truth from the prevalent heresies that plagued the post-apostolic era. Following the apostles' passing, the early Christian community wrestled with questions about the identity of Christ—was He merely human or the incarnation of God in flesh? Among the lies that spread throughout the 2nd century church was “Jesus being all God and only appearing to be human, this heresy is referred to as docetism. This is an example of an error that led the empire to want a 3
general understanding of what the Bible said about Christ.” 3 The uprise of heresies, such as docetism, which asserted that Jesus only appeared human but was entirely divine, emphasized the need for a comprehensive understanding of Christ's nature. The Council of Nicaea played a crucial role in addressing these doctrinal disagreements and establishing a foundation for Orthodox Christian belief. Additionally, the influence of Judaism on the early Christian church and its leaders cannot be overstated. During the Second Temple Period, there was a recognition of a collection of significant Jewish writings that paved the way for a canon. “By the end of the Second Temple Period there was already an acknowledgement of a collection of important books in Judaism that paved the way for a canon. As early as the prologue to the Greek translation of Ecclesiasticus in the second century bce, one could speak of ‘the Law, the prophets and other writings’, words prefiguring the rabbinic division of the Hebrew Bible. It is likely that Christians had respect for the Jewish ‘scriptures’ (1 Cor. 15:3–4), as much as Jews had. R. Aqiba is said to have called the Song of Songs ‘The holy of holies’ (m.Yadayim 3.5), indicating deep respect for even those writings that do not fall under the categories of ‘Law’ or ‘Prophets.” 4 Hostility towards Christianity was matched by treatment of the Samaritans (cf. Targum Ps.-Jonathan on Genesis 35), an opposition that would have been exacerbated by the Samaritan religious revival in the fourth century (MacDonald 1964: 36–40). One aspect of their polemic is found in the Eighteen Benedictions, where the twelfth benediction contains a curse on heretics (minim). This has been shown to be intimately connected with the theme of redemption in the prayer and the desire for a unified, pure nation (Horbury 1998a: 8). It is disputed when this 3 http://faculty.washington.edu/ewebb/heresies.htm 4 Esler, P.F. (Ed.). (2017). The Early Christian World (2nd ed.). Routledge, 86. 4
denunciation of heretics was actually James K. Aitken, 88 applied to Christians (the medieval Palestinian, but not the Babylonian, manuscripts actually name the ‘notzerim’), opinions ranging over centuries, but the mood and content is fitting for Judaism as early as the first century. Horbury indicates that by the time of Justin Martyr in the second century,] Christians were probably envisaged (1998b: 306). Certainly, a spirit of exclusivism and opposition to heretics or sinners was a part of Judaism from the time of the rise of Christianity, and with messianic hopes and longing for redemption it was natural for Christianity to adopt a similar ethos” 5 In essence, the historical trajectory of the doctrine of the Trinity intertwines together the groundwork and contributions of Tertullian, the deliberations of the Council of Nicaea, and the contextual influence of Judaism, shaping the foundational beliefs that continue to define orthodox Christian theology. Explanation of the Trinity The Father Kevin Giles, in his book Jesus and the Father states, “God the Father has always been the Father and has always related to the Son as a father relates to his son. The [divine] Father has greater authority. He has a leadership role among all members of the Trinity that the Son and the Holy Spirit do not have. Bruce Ware similarly states, “clearly a central part of the notion of the father is that of fatherly authority. This indicates, he says, that within the immanent Trinity there is an eternal relationship of authority and obedience. The father has authority over the son.” 6 Understanding God as a Father, who is all knowing, and has full knowledge of every 5 Ibid., 87 6 Giles, Kevin N.. Jesus and the Father : Modern Evangelicals Reinvent the Doctrine of the Trinity . Grand Rapids: HarperCollins Christian Publishing, 2006, 179. 5
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