7 Reflections on the Trinity

“And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” Mat 3:16-18

Introduction

The word “Trinity” itself does not appear in the Bible but rather, the doctrine of the Trinity is a progressive revelation throughout Scripture. It is hinted at in the Old Testament and solidified in the New Testament. It was then formulated into a creed (The Nicene Creed) by the early Church. The term “Trinity” was coined by Tertullian (A.D. 165-220).

When, Polycarp, the disciple of John the Apostle was martyred in 155 A.D. he said these words: 

“I glorify you, through the eternal and heavenly High Priest, Jesus Christ, your beloved Son, through whom to you, with him and the Holy Spirit, be glory both now and for the ages to come.”

The teaching of the Trinity is often seen as too complicated or even as a hindrance to telling others about the Christian faith. But when we think like this, we miss not only the foundation of our faith but also its beating heart.

One of the most important things we know about God is that He is love. He doesn’t just have love – He is love! However, as author Michael Reeves puts it, “…the truth is that God is love because God is a Trinity.”  

Reeves further explains:

“Father", (Jesus) says, “you have loved me before the creation of the world.” (John 17:24) 

And that is the God revealed by Jesus Christ. 

Before he ever created, before he ever ruled the world, before anything else, this God was a Father loving His Son (*a love we would later get to join into) ...

When you start with the Jesus of the Bible, it is a triune God you get. The Trinity then, is not the product of abstract speculation: when you proclaim Jesus, the Spirit-anointed Son of the Father, you proclaim the triune God."

What Is the Trinity?

The teaching of the triune nature of God is unique amongst all the world religions. All three main branches of the Christian Church (Roman Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant – including Evangelicals) agree on and hold tightly to this doctrine of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

But before we go any further let’s learn what the Bible teaches about the Trinity. We’ll start with one theologian’s concise but effective definition:

“God eternally exists as three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and each person is fully God, and there is one God.”

 

Now let’s break that down:

God Is Three Persons

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” Mat 28:19    

Each Person Is Fully God

The Father – 1st Person of the Trinity “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name…” Matthew 6:9

The Son – 2nd Person of the Trinity “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”  John 1:1 

This particular teaching – that Jesus is uncreated and fully God – is often attacked. There are many other Scripture passages that teach that Jesus is fully God but that is another blog altogether! 

The Holy Spirit – 3rd Person of the Trinity “You have not lied to man but to God.”  Acts 5:3-5

There Is One God

“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” Deuteronomy 6:4-5 (Jesus reiterates this in Mark 12:29 and so does Paul in 1 Corinthians 8:5-6)

The Relationships of the Trinity

It’s very important to understand that Jesus and the Holy Spirit were not made or created! The real difference between the 3 Persons of the Trinity is not their eternal nature or deity but in how they relate to each other. 

The Father is eternal (Psalm 90:2)

The Son is eternally begotten of the Father (John 3:16)

The Holy Spirit eternally proceeds from the Father and the Son (John 15:26) 

We can use the sun as a bit of an illustration. Light comes from the sun (like Jesus comes from the Father), and heat comes from both the sun and light (like the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son)!

The true doctrine stresses the diversity of the Persons of the Trinity and the unity of God’s one essence.

Since we our made in the image of our triune God, we too thrive on healthy relationships in unity. 

 

“No sooner do I conceive of the One than I am illuminated by the splendour of the Three; no sooner do I distinguish them than I am carried back to the One… When I contemplate the Three together, I see but one torch, and cannot divide or measure out the undivided light.” Gregory of Nazianzus

What the Trinity Is Not

In seeking to understand more of what the Trinity is, it is helpful to understand what it is not. 

Here are three of the main errors that have been taught about the Trinity over the centuries:

Modalism claims that there is one Person who appears to us in three “modes”. One example is that the Father is the mode of God in the OT, the Son is the mode of God in the Gospels and the Holy Spirit is the mode of God in the here and now. But we clearly see all the three Persons of the Trinity in one place at one time in our text for today. Jesus also converses with his Father (see John 17). 

Arianism denies the full deity (or Godhood) of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit claiming they were created beings, made in time and space. This type of teaching is seen in Jehovah Witness’ doctrine. 

Tritheism claims there are three individual gods. This is basically polytheism and it is what some accuse Christians of teaching. But we remember the clear teaching that God is one. As Jesus said, “I and my Father are one.” (John 10:30)

What Is the Nicene Creed?

The Nicene Creed of the 4th century is perhaps the most important creed of the Church. 

A church creed is kind of like a statement of faith but from early Christianity (roughly the first 500 years).  It articulates what the Scriptures teach and is agreed upon across a wide variety of Christian churches. 

The Nicene Creed was undertaken when many church leaders came together in 325 A.D. at the lakeside town of Nicaea in modern day Turkey. There were a few leaders who were questioning the reality of the Trinity and whether Jesus was fully God (specifically a bishop named Arius). There were also those who strongly upheld the Trinity as taught in Scripture (like the great theologian, Athanasius) 

 After the meeting of Nicaea, the matter was settled with a vast majority agreeing that the teaching of the Trinity was in line with Scripture and that Jesus was indeed fully God incarnated in the flesh*. The Nicene creed is still held by all the major branches of Christianity of today.

Let’s read how these early Christian leaders summed up the Trinity in the Nicene Creed. Here are three portions:

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

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one being with the Father. Through him all things were made… 

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. With the Father and the Son he is worshipped and glorified. He has spoken through the Prophets…”

Can We Fully Explain the Trinity? 

The short answer is no. 

No analogy we come up with will fully explain the deep and mysterious truth of the Trinity. After all, God is infinite and we are not.   

We’ve all probably heard of the egg analogy (It is a shell, a white and a yolk but one egg).  There is also the analogy of water. It can come in 3 states while still being the same essence – Liquid, Solid (ice) and Gas (steam).   What is really interesting is that all three of these states can exist at one time – this is called the Triple point of water.  These analogies can be helpful but they still fall far short of fully describing the Trinity.

However, in his great work, Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis had an interesting illustration to help us begin to understand what we cannot understand. 

“You know that in space you can move in three ways – to left or right, backwards or forwards, up or down. Every direction is either one of these three or a compromise between them. They are called the three Dimensions. Now notice this. If you are using only one dimension, you could draw only a straight line. If you are using two, you could draw a figure: say, a square. And a square is made up of four straight lines. Now a step further. If you have three dimensions, you can then build what we call a solid body: say, a cube – a thing like a dice or a lump of sugar. And a cube is made up of six squares.

In other words, as you advance to more real and more complicated levels, you do not leave behind you the things you found on the simpler levels: you still have them, but combined in new ways – in ways you could not imagine if you knew only the simpler levels…”

“In God’s dimension, so to speak, you find a being who is three Persons while remaining one Being, just as a cube is six squares while remaining one cube.” 

The Trinity and the Gospel

As we mentioned at the beginning, the Biblical statement “God is love” (1 John 4:8 &16) takes on a whole new meaning when we think of Him as a Trinity. God did not need humans to love or to love him – The Father, Son and Holy Spirit had already always loved each other. Then, out of an abundant overflow of that love, God decided to create us so that – astonishingly – we could partake in that sacred and beautiful love. 

We strayed from that love and begin to love ourselves instead of God. But God did not end it there – His abounding Trinitarian love redeemed us as well. This is seen in the gospel, and, when it comes to the gospel, we see again all three Persons of the Trinity playing crucial roles. 

“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” Galatians 4:4-7

The Father sent the Son into the world to redeem mankind and later raised Him from the dead. 

The Son obeyed the Father, putting aside some of His divine rights but none of His divine essence. He died on the cross for our sins and rose again. 

The Holy Spirit was sent by both the Father and the Son to ignite the Church and indwell Christians and empower them to live for God and enjoy Him.

In other words, the Father purposed redemption, the Son accomplished it and the Holy Spirit applies it to us personally.

So, once again we see that the triune nature of God is not only the foundation of our faith – it is the beating heart of it. 

Nicky Cruz, a former New York City gang leader who came to Christ, once said this:

“I have always believed in the doctrine of the Trinity but I had never experienced God personally as Three-in-One.  It was merely a doctrine in which I believed, but now it has become a truth of everyday life… The Trinity is not just a doctrine to be believed but an experience to be lived out.” 

I hope and pray we can begin to experience, enjoy and wonder in awe at the reality of the Trinity. 

“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”  2 Corinthians 13:14

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*Although this period of time during the making of the Nicene Creed was marked by political – and even religious -unrest (and Constantine wanted some type of unifying creed), the wording of the creed was formed from the teaching of the New Testament and is now universally accepted by the Church. 

Scholar, Michael F. Bird, confirms this, “In other words, (*the creeds of Nicaea and Constantinople) of the fourth century are not purely politically driven and radically innovative statements of faith. They are, instead, contextualized clarification of New Testament teaching.”

Sources & Further Reading

The Bible

“Delighting in the Trinity” by Michael Reeves / IVP Academic

“The Trinity: An Introduction” by Scott R. Swain / Crossway

“The Deep Things of God: How the Trinity Changes Everything” by Fred Sanders / Crossway

“Is Jesus Truly God?” by Greg Lanier / Crossway 

“How God Became Jesus: The Real Origins of Belief in Jesus’ Divine Nature” by Michael F. Bird etc. / Zondervan

“Theological Retrieval for Evangelicals” by Gavin Ortlund / Crossway

“Historical Theology” by Gregg R.  Allison / Zondervan 

“Systematic Theology” by Wayne Grudem / Zondervan*

(*Note although I use Grudem’s Systematic Theology I do not subscribe to his doctrine of EFS or Eternal Functional Subordination of Jesus to the Father.  It is very important to maintain the equality of all three Persons of the Trinity.)

What is the Law of Christ?

Introduction

We’ve heard of the law of Moses (famously summarized in the 10 commandments) but what is the law of Christ?

The term is found twice in the New Testament. 1 Corinthians 9:20-21 teaches us that while we are not under the Law of Moses we are indeed under the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2 simply says, “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” 

The Role of Moses’ Law

There are many debates about how much the Law of Moses applies to Christians today. Some scholars divide Moses’ law into 3 parts – Moral (e.g. the Ten Commandments), Ceremonial (e.g. animal sacrifices etc.) and Civil (e.g. rules concerning the nation of Israel).  This is a helpful framework and, while it is obvious from the New Testament that the ceremonial and civil laws no longer apply to us, where does the moral law fit in?  

There are at least two views on that subject. One view states that the moral law is still applicable to us. The second declares that none of the Mosaic law is applicable to us but rather the law of Christ. Jesus simply states, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” (Matthew 5:17). 

It is imperative to understand, that whatever of Moses’ Law (or Christ’s law for that matter) applies to us today, it can in no way offer us justification or righteousness before God.  Romans 10:4 declares, “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.”  And 2 Corinthians 5:21 reminds us that only by faith in Jesus can we be made righteous before a holy God. 

Definitions

If you take the second view of the moral law (which I myself lean towards) then we still need to define what the law of Christ is. Yes, Jesus came to fulfill the law of Moses but He did not abolish it. There are still rules that apply to the Christian! 

Bible Commentator, William MacDonald, defines it this way, “The Law of Christ includes all the commandments of the Lord Jesus for His people found in the New Testament.” Scholar, Douglas Moo, similarly writes, “The Law of Christ is Paul’s way of stating the demand of God that is binding on Christians since the coming of Christ.” 

The Law of Christ

So, the law of Christ seems to be the rule of life that He and the Apostles laid down for Christians. Among other rules given in the New Testament, nine of the Ten Commandments are re-iterated. Only the keeping of the Sabbath is left open for debate. Douglas Moo explains, “The OT Law is not to be abandoned… but interpreted and applied in light of its fulfillment by Christ.”

On one hand, the law of Christ is more intense than the Old Testament Law. For an example read the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus says such things as, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you…” (Matthew 5:43-44). On the other hand, John can say, “…His commandments are not burdensome.” (1 John 5:3). 

Love Fulfills the Law

The Law of Christ is also deeply connected to love: 

“And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:37-40). 

Jesus later tells His disciples, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” (John 13:34). Finally, Paul, in full agreement, joyfully says, “…love is the fulfilling of the law.” (see Romans 13:8-10, see also James 2:8). 

To fulfill the law is no longer a grievous thing and it is no longer a thing we do in our own strength. We are motivated by love, empowered by grace and energized by the Holy Spirit! 

Conclusion

In conclusion, the law of Christ (as defined by MacDonald and Moo) is what we are to obey today as followers of Christ and we do so in love and by love. The law of Moses was our guardian to bring us to Christ but, to paraphrase Moo, we are no longer bound to the law of Moses, we are bound to Christ, the fulfiller of the law. 

5 Thoughts on God and Suffering

I attempt to write this humbly, because I know I do not have all the answers to the question of why an all powerful and loving God allows suffering. I also know there are many people who have suffered things far greater than I. 

But, as a wise man once said, even though not everything about God makes sense to me, without God nothing makes sense at all. 

My experience of his sovereignty, love and comfort, inspire me to write about the topic, if only briefly and non-exhaustively.  Amidst the chaos and confusion that sometimes accompanies our journey here on earth, I have found these 5 things to provide consolation and assurance to me. They help me make sense of it all. 

1. Our very sense of justice is based on belief in a good God.

In Genesis 18:25, Abraham says to God, “Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?”. Of course, the answer is yes. But where did Abraham get the idea of justice in the first place?

Without a good God at the helm, we have no basis for believing in justice or that there is such a thing as right or wrong. The question arises, can we even call suffering a “bad” thing? C.S. Lewis encountered this idea as he slowly turned from atheism to Christianity. 

“My argument against God was that the universe seemed so cruel and unjust. But how had I got this idea of “just” and “unjust”? … What was I comparing this universe with when I called it unjust? Of course I could have given up my idea of justice by saying it was nothing but a private idea of my own. But if I did that, then my argument against Gd collapsed too – for the argument depended on saying that the world was really unjust, not simply that it did not happen to please my private fancies… Consequently atheism turns out to be too simple.” 

The point being that without God we cannot even discern between what is just and what is not. The fact that we have a sense of justice about suffering at all - actually points us toward belief in a good God who gives us a moral standard.  

2. Human free will must be taken into account. 

In Deuteronomy 30:19, God says to His Children:

“I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live…” 

Although there are debates about free will , most will agree that it is true that God is all powerful and in control (in other words, He is sovereign). Nevertheless, the Scriptures also tell us that, in His great sovereignty, He gave human beings a free will.  We can blame God for that decision I suppose, but we cannot blame Him for the choices humanity makes with this gift. 

So much (though not all) human suffering is caused by other humans and their disastrous choices. Our own suffering is even sometimes due to our own decisions. Sin and the rebellion of humanity is deep and wide and the effects of it are seen throughout history and the world today. 

Christianity also recognizes the existence of a spiritual enemy; namely, Satan and his demons. They cause much harm to the human race and we are told to put on spiritual armor in order to resist their attacks (Ephesians 6). 

3. God offers meaning to our suffering. 

In John chapter 9, Jesus heals a man who was born blind. His disciples ask him if it was the man’s fault or his parent’s fault that he was born blind. Jesus responds, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.” Jesus was saying that this particular suffering was not due to bad choices by humans but rather it was allowed by God for some greater purpose. 

If you are a parent, you know the difficulty of allowing your child to experience pain for her future happiness or greater good. This can happen when your child needs a needle, or goes to the dentist, or gets grounded in order to learn important lessons. God is our Father, and in many cases, our suffering can be just like this. This is where the child needs to trust the parent that they have their very best in mind for them. We also know that we can learn things through suffering that we never could have without it. 

1 Peter 1:7 reminds us that the trial of our faith is, “more precious than gold”. 

We may not always see the meaning or purpose in our suffering, but Christ says its there –  trust Him with that. 

4. God partakes in our suffering.

John 1:14 tells us that, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”  

One of the most awe-inspiring things to me about the Gospel, is that God, in the person of Jesus, entered into our pain and suffering in a profound way through the incarnation and the cross. Is God sympathetic to our pain? Is He compassionate about our suffering? Absolutely! But He is more than just that.  

He is deeply empathetic, because he cared so much that he became human with us. He didn’t just walk a mile in our shoes, he spent 33 years in them and then died an agonizing death on the cross. Hebrews tell us that he “in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.”   There was no imperative for him to do this. He did it because he loves us. 

As the songwriter has said:

“Who is God that He would take our frame

The artisan inside the paint?

Or breathe the very air His breath sustains

The architect inside the plan?”

In the same way that Jesus entered into our suffering and helps us, he also asks his followers to help others who suffer. 

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” 1 Corinthians 1:3-4

5. God gives us hope in our suffering

A peak into the book of Revelations describes a part of Heaven that Christians will know personally in the future:

“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” Revelation 21:4

Tim Keller, in his fascinating book “The Reason for God”, writes: “Embracing the Christian doctrines of the incarnation and Cross brings profound consolation in the face of suffering. (but) the doctrine of the resurrection can instill us with powerful hope.” 

There is comfort and meaning in our suffering even in this life, but God does not stop there. He gives us hope for the future as well. As Jesus was resurrected to new life, so the Scriptures teach that we will one day live a new life in the new heavens and the new earth spoke of in Revelation. 

Conclusion

Keller also recounts this passage from Tolkien’s great work:

“Just after the climax of The Lord of the Rings, Sam Gamgee discovers that his friend Gandalf was not dead (as he thought) but alive. He cries, “I thought you were dead! But then I thought I was dead myself! Is everything sad going to come untrue?” The answer of Christianity to that question is – yes. Everything sad is going to come untrue and it will somehow be greater for having once been broken and lost.”

Human suffering is real and, at times, almost inconceivable. I do not make light of it nor try to offer patronizing advice. I wrote this because this is what I have learned so far in my life about God and suffering and I want to share some of that hope, meaning and empowerment with you. 

5 Notes on Joanna (the Disciple of Jesus)

Intro

We first read of Joanna in Luke 8:1-3. We learn that she was healed by Jesus (of what we do not know), that she was the wife of Chuza who was the manager of Herod’s household (Herod was ruler over Galilee), and that she provided for the practical needs of the ministry of Jesus and his other disciples. 

Her name is of Hebrew origin (meaning “Yahweh is a gracious giver”) but in the Greek format, suggesting she was perhaps a daughter of Hellenistic Jews. 

A Woman of Prominence in Society

As the wife of Herod’s household manager (similar to a CFO), she would have been both wealthy and well connected. In first century Palestine, it would be no little scandal that she followed Jesus and his largely peasant group – all while unchaperoned! It appeared that she was humbled by Jesus’ grace toward her and no longer cared much of what others thought of her. 

Interestingly, tradition tells the tale that Herod, who had beheaded John the Baptist, buried his head in a dung heap. Joanna is said to have retrieved John’s head and to have buried it on the Mount of Olives. 

A Witness of the Crucifixion

Although she is not specifically named as being at the crucifixion of Jesus, it is likely she was among the company of women following Jesus to Calvary (Luke 23:27). Remember that she was a member of Herod’s court and that Herod had just finished mocking Jesus and sending him back to Pilate to die. The bravery Joanna showed in doing this is remarkable. 

A Witness of the Resurrection

In Luke 24:1-10, we see that the author mentions Joanna as one of the very first witnesses to Jesus’ resurrection. This was both an honour and a surprise. A women’s testimony in first century Palestine was not given much credence, yet the Lord chose these women to be his first post-resurrection encounter. As usual, Jesus was honouring and respecting women in a society that didn’t.

Joanna and Junia

In Romans 16:7, Paul mentions his “kinsmen and fellow prisoners” Andronicus and Junia. Evangelical Scholar, Richard Bauckham, believes that Joanna and Junia are one and the same person; Junia being the Latin form of Joanna. This makes sense since Paul goes on to say that “they were in Christ before me”.  It is worth noting that Joanna started out as prominent in Herod’s court yet gave it all up for Jesus. Now, in Paul’s epistle, we see she is prominent among the apostles.  

This reminds me of missionary, Jim Elliot’s, quote:

“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” 

Joanna remains a vivid reminder of courage, generosity and devoted love for Christ. 

Endgame: The Avengers and the Gospel

My kids have recently become interested in Marvel movies – specifically the Infinity Saga. With Christmas break upon us, we have decided to watch Infinity War and Endgame. These movies, of course, are not perfect Christian entertainment – they have unnecessary swearing and some violence etc., but I also have found that they can offer some interesting insights into the Gospel (especially for kids).  

So please humour me as I try to identify a couple of these insights. 

I’ve always been struck with the way Dr. Strange uses the Time stone to look into the future and see millions of possible outcomes for the Infinity War against Thanos (whose name likely comes from the Greek mythological “Thanatos” who was the personification of death).  After looking into the future, Strange tells his fellow avengers that out of the multitude of potential results there is only one in which they win and Thanos is defeated.  Only one. 

While this analogy will obviously break down at points, it makes me think of how God sees all the future, sees all the possible outcomes, and knows which one is for the best for everyone involved.  Despite tremendous pain and suffering from Thanos’ snap (that eliminates half of all living creatures), Dr. Strange decided to give him the Time stone anyway because it was the only way to win in the endgame.  While God does not cause evil (free will does that), God has infinitely more wisdom than any Marvel character when he allows pain and suffering to happen in our lives. 

It is also true that both Natasha (Black Widow) and Tony (Ironman) sacrificed their lives to win this war with Thanos. You probably see where I’m going with this. In the war against Death and the Devil, Christ sacrificed his life to gain victory for all of us. 

“O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”  1 Corinthians 15:55-57

Please know that I am not trying to Christianise the Avengers. I am trying though to use secular poets and storytellers to convey Gospel truth (similarly to what Paul did in Acts 17 at Mars Hill).  While Marvel movies have definitely gone down hill recently, the Infinity Saga survives as some great story telling.

God bless.