TRIUNITY IN THE NT
In the New Testament the doctrine of the triunity of God unfolds into a clear pattern of truth that has energized the Church through nineteen centuries of time.
1. At the outset it is important to note that the doctrine of triunity is based squarely upon the Old Testament doctrine of the unity of God. This can be seen in a text like Mark 12:28-29. In response to a question concerning the first and great commandment, Christ answered: "The first of all the commandments is, Hear, 0 Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment." It was the teaching on the unity of God that safeguarded men from the errors of polytheism which were so prevalent. The New Testament writers came from a Jewish background and environment, so this teaching confirmed them in the faith they held. This becomes the beginning point, the fixed star to guide them in their theology.
2. It will be seen by examining the New Testament records that three persons appear and each one is regarded as God. One is called "God the Father" (John 6:27). Another is called "the Son of God" (Heb. 1:8). And a third is called "the Holy Spirit...God" (Acts 5:3-4).
3. Moreover, each of these three persons is clearly distinguished 'From the other two. In passages where they appear together, this distinction is clear. In the angelic announcement to Mary there is the Holy Ghost, and the Highest, and the holy thing (Luke 1:35). In the upper room Christ prays to the Father to send another Comforter (John 14:16, 26; 15:26). At His baptism in Jordan the three persons are distinctive: Christ is in the water; the Spirit descends like a dove; and the voice of the Father is heard (Matt. 3:16-17).
4. But it must be carefully noted that these three persons are set forth as one God. Christ declares, "I and my Father are one" (John 10:30). The Father and the Spirit are set forth as one in 1 Cor. 3:16, 17, when it speaks of "the temple of God" and "the Spirit of God." Or, as in 1 Cor. 2:11 when it speaks of "the things of God" and "the Spirit of God." In a remarkable passage all three persons are declared to be one, when Christ asserts that "If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him" (John 14:23). This had reference to that time when the Holy Spirit would make His dwelling with the believer,
5. In addition to the above notations, the equality of these three persons in being, power, and glory is attested. Each is called God (John 6:27; Heb.1:8; Acts 5:3-4). They are associated in such a way as to demonstrate their equality, such as in the baptismal formula (Matt. 28:19), and in the benediction (2 Cor. 13:14).
There seems to be no fixed numerical order that might even intimate differentiation (2 Thess. 2:13, 14; Eph. 4:4-6; 5:18-20; 1 Cor. 12:4-6; 1 Pet. 1:2-3; Jude 20-21). Equality of the persons gave freedom to believers to express other ideas in the order of importance.
6. Certain distinctions of priority and subordination exist among the persons of the Godhead, but these concern their respective functions. The names "Son of God" and "Spirit of God" do not imply inequality. A son partakes of the same nature as the father and is therefore equal. When Christ claimed to be the Son, the Jews understood that He was making Himself equal with God (John 5:18). And even among men, the spirit is the highest part, so also the Spirit of God (1 Cor. 2:10-11). With courage and clarity Christ made it clear to the Jews that "All men should honor the Son even as they honor the Father" (John 5:23). Even though Christ said that "the Father is greater than I" (John 14:28), this had reference to position, not nature.
The distinctions existing between the persons of the Godhead concern what they do and not what they are. In the work of the Godhead, the Father is first, the Son is second, and the Spirit is third. This is suggested by the prepositions used in the original text. According to 1 Cor. 8:6 the Father is said to be the source or origin of all things and the preposition "of" or "out of" is used. The Son is set forth as the channel "by" or "through" which they come into being. And in Eph. 2:18 the Spirit is depicted as the agent "by" or "in" which things are accomplished. In this same verse the Father is made the final goal, the One "to" or "unto" whom they come. But care must be taken not to press this arrangement too far. For God is declared to be the Savior in the sense of being the source of salvation (1 Tim. 2:3), while Christ is also declared to be the Savior in the sense of being the channel (Tit. 1:4).
In the work of the Godhead, the Son is subordinate to the Father, and the Spirit to the Father and the Son. The Scriptures declare that the Father sends the Son (1 John 4:10), and that the Father sends the Spirit (John 14:26), and that the Son sends the Spirit (John 15:26). But even this subordination is voluntary and not compulsory. In order to carry out the scheme of redemption, it was necessary for the Son to offer Himself in voluntary commitment for the task of redeeming men. But in the absolute philosophical sense it was not necessary. However, order and arrangement in the Godhead provides for perfect harmony and efficiency in the functioning of the divine economy.
In the unfolding of the doctrine of the triunity of God, certain intellectual problems appear. But these problems are not insuperable to the heart that is exercised by faith. Nor are these problems peculiar to the doctrine of the Trinity. There is no article of the Christian faith that is not attended by problems. But in no case do the problems hinder the exercise of faith. At this point we call three such problems to your attention.
1. There is the alleged numerical contradiction in that God is both one and three. How can this be? The answer is that God is not one and three in the same sense. The doctrine of the triunity of God does not teach that there are three persons united in one person, or three beings in one being, or neither three Gods in one God, nor that God merely manifests Himself in three different ways. It does teach that there are three eternal distinctions in one being. Or, to put it another way, there are three eternal persons in one substance. This means that God is one in substance. God's nature as displayed by His attributes has been the burden of this entire treatise. Each person of the Godhead, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit share alike in this nature. But God is three in the sense of personality. In this respect, these distinctions of person are so clear that personal pronouns are used for each, and there is a clear reciprocation of duty and performance among them.
The basic problem is twofold: the fact that there is no exact analogy in the world of sense experience, and the fact that human language means different things to different people and is constantly in a state of change. The history of the doctrine of the Trinity reveals this fact. This may account for the fact that God wisely incorporated the truth in the word of God without employing specific terms such as trinity, person, and substance. In the Eastern Church where Greek was the language, one set of terms grew up. In the Western Church where Latin was used, it was necessary to employ a different set of terms. And in every period since, and in every place, it has been necessary to re-examine and re-define terms to make them conform to the facts in the Bible.
Many illustrations have been employed to convey the truth of this great doctrine to the minds of men. This is known as the law of apperception in teaching that is, moving from the known to the unknown. Augustine used the tree and spoke of the root, trunk and branches. Luther employed the flower: form, substance, fragrance. Another used space: length, breadth, and height. Still another pointed to the sun: light, heat, rainbow; another to light: light, heat, rays; another, personality: self, disposition, will; another, self-consciousness: I (self), I know (the knower), and myself (the known). In the area of mathematics the triangle has been used. The area enclosed represents the substance of God. Each side is equal, representing the three persons in God. And each side possesses the whole area.
But there is a grave peril in all illustrations. There is the attempt to use that which is created and finite to represent the creator who is infinite and incomprehensible. The result can well be that the unity of God is lost and the thinker moves in the direction of three Gods, or on the other hand, there is the loss of the three personalities and one moves in the direction of Unitarianism. The latter is the most prevalent. At this point the second commandment should be observed: "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image" (Exod. 20:4). Better by far to accept by faith what has been revealed in the word of God.
If there is any adequate illustration for this great truth, it is to be found in John 17:11: "that they may be one as we are." The pronoun "they" refers to the Church and this prayer was answered on the day of Pentecost. It was then that all three persons of the Godhead came to take up their residence in the Church when the Holy Spirit came (John 14:23). The Holy Spirit came into each one and they became one body, because they possessed the same spiritual essence as the persons of the Godhead even though they were separate individuals (1 Cor. 12:13). However, no one has ever solved this problem rationally. All such proposals have ended in heresy.
2. A second problem suggests itself in the fact that the Trinity was not fully revealed in the Old Testament. The only adequate answer is that this was not God's plan. If there is any explanation it lies in the fact that the tendency to idolatry and polytheism was so prevalent that the lesson on divine unity must be indelibly impressed upon men. Even this emphasis was ignored and there were many relapses. And again, the full revelation of the Trinity in words had to wait upon the revelation in deeds.
3. A very practical problem has occurred to many saints. Since the three persons of the Godhead are equal, why is it not perfectly proper to pray to any one of them? The answer is just as clear. It is proper, depending on the circumstances. Stephen prayed to Christ (Acts 7:59). The benediction of 2 Cor. 13:14, making reference to "the communion of the Holy Ghost" suggests that there is a common sharing and reciprocation with the Holy Spirit, and this may be what was transpiring when Paul and Barnabas were selected by the Holy Spirit for missionary work (Acts 13:1-4). But the normal and general pattern of prayer is suggested in Eph. 2:18, "For through Him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father." This means coming to the Father (Matt. 6:9), through the Son (John 14:13-14; 16:23-24), in the person of the Holy Spirit (Jude 20).
In concluding the discussion on the triunity of God, certain practical values deriving from this doctrine should be called to the attention of the reader.
1. Without the plurality of persons in the Godhead, it would be impossible for there to be a God of eternal love. Love requires an object, and before creation there was no object to be loved unless it is found in God. But love of self is not love in the highest sense. So with a society of persons in the Godhead, God is sufficient in Himself to be a God of eternal love (Jer. 31:3). The Father loves the Son (John 3:35; 5:20; 17:24) and the Spirit (1 John 4:8). The Son loves the Father (John 14:31), and the Spirit (Matt. 22:37; with 5:17). And the Spirit loves both the Father and the Son (Rom. 15:30 with Gal. 5:22).
2. Without a triunity of persons in the Godhead there could be no final and complete revelation of God. If Jesus is not God, then we have no perfect revelation of God (John 1:18). And if the Spirit is not God, then even the revelation in the Bible concerning Christ is without perfect illumination which alone comes from the Spirit (1 Cor. 2:10-13), who alone is qualified to interpret and explain the meaning of the written revelation.
3. Without a triunity of persons in the Godhead, there could be no salvation in the Christian sense of that term. Only God can make an atonement for sin, and this atonement must also constitute a transaction between members of the Godhead. Moreover, only God in the person of the Son could leave heaven and come to earth to die for sin (Phil. 2:5-8). And only God in the person of the Spirit could share His life with men (John 14:16-17).
4. Without a triunity of persons in the Godhead there could be no such thing as a genuinely personal God. Personality cannot exist in the highest sense apart from a society of persons. If an individual were the only person in the universe, he would not be a complete personality in the fullest sense of that term. So the triunity of God constitutes a society of persons and provides the metaphysical basis for human personality (Gen. 1:26-27).
5. Without a triunity of persons in the Godhead there could be no foundation for the social life of mankind. To realize all the social relationships possible there must be at least three persons. There must be an I, a you, and a he. This will provide for what the I does to you; what the you and I do to him; and what all three do together. It is therefore evident that human life and institutions are built squarely upon the divine society: the family, the state, the church (Eph. 5:22-32; 1 Cor. 11:1-16).
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