Shepherds College: Systematic Theology 2025-2026, Session 4

Shepherds College: Session: 4, 30 September 2025 Psalm 131 (ESV) 131 A Song of Ascents. Of David. 1 O Lord, my heart is not lifted up; my eyes are not raised too high; I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me. 2 But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me. 3 O Israel, hope in the Lord from this time forth and forevermore. The problem of the Enlightenment, rationalism, empiricism, and modernism. "As the product of the self-revelation of God, the Trinitarian formulation is not intended to exhaust his incomprehensible nature. Objections to the doctrine come from a rationalism that insists on dissolving this mystery into human understanding, i.e., by thinking of the oneness and threeness in mathematical terms and human personality. Attempts have been made to draw analogies of the Trinity from nature and the constitution of man. The most notable of these is Augustine's trinity of lover, the object of love, and the love that binds the two together. While this argues strongly for a plurality within God if he is eternally a God of love apart from creation, it along with all other suggestions from the creaturely realm proves finally inadequate to explain the divine being."1 Genesis 1:26 Deuteronomy 6:4 Psalm 45:6-7 Psalm 110:1 Matthew 3:16-17 Matthew 28:19 1 Corinthians 12:4-6 2 Corinthians 13:14 1 Peter 1:2 The Doctrine of the Trinity The doctrine of the Trinity in the Old Testament "Although the Trinity finds its 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. So also do the identity of the angel of the Lord as God (Exod. 3:2-6; Judg. 13:21-22) and the hypostatization of the Word (Ps. 33:6; 107:20) and Spirit (Gen. 1:2; Isa. 63:10). The Word is not simply communication about God, nor is the Spirit merely divine power. They are rather the acting God himself."2 Essential points to understanding the doctrine 1. The oneness of God: Deuteronomy 6:4; Mark 12:29 Luke 18:19 John 8:41 Acts 3:13 Acts 4:24 Acts 17:24 Romans 3:30 1 Corinthians 8:4 1 Corinthians 8:6 Galatians 3:20 Ephesians 4:6 1 Timothy 2:5 James 2:19 2. The deity of the Father 3. The deity of the Son 4. The deity of the Holy Spirit 5. The distinct personality of the Father 6. The distinct personality of the Son 7. The distinct personality of the Holy Spirit 8. The monarchy of the Father 9. The eternal generation of the Son 10. The eternal generation of the Holy Spirit.3 Concepts Hypostatic Union: The unity of Christ is the doctrine that Jesus, although he possesses two distinct and complete natures-he is simultaneously fully God and fully man-is nevertheless one integral person, God the Son incarnate. "It is true, the will of God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, is but one. It is a natural property, and where there is but one nature there is but one will: but in respect of their distinct personal actings, this will is appropriated to them respectively, so that the will of the Father and the will of the Son may be considered [distinctly] in this business; which though essentially one and the same, yet in their distinct personality it is distinctly considered, as the will of the Father and the will of the Son. Notwithstanding the unity of essence that is between the Father and the Son, yet is the work distinctly carried on by them; so that the same God judges and becomes surety, satisfieth and is satisfied, in these distinct persons."4 Errors we face 1. Denial of the Trinity: Deism, Unitarianism, Islam, Mormonism 2. Modalism: United Pentecostal Church, T. D. Jakes, Joyce Meyers. 3. Tritheism 4. Arianism 5. Denial of the personality of the Holy Spirit: Jehovah's Witnesses John 14:16 John 14:26 John 15:26 John 16:7 The Names of God in Scripture The names of God are the descriptive appellations, designations, and titles he assigns to himself in the Bible, and therefore reveal the fitting ways in which we should think of him and call upon him. (1) Proper names: El, Yahweh, Adonai, Theos, Kurios (God). (2) Personal names: Father, Abba, Son, Jesus, Holy Spirit. (3) Titles: Creator, Messiah/Christ, Paraclete/Comforter. (4) Essential names: Light, Love, Spirit. (5) Descriptive names: Rock, Ba'al, Master, Rabboni, Shepherd. (6) Attributes: names of virtues or characteristics of the triune God-head.5 Yahweh יהוה 5330 God θεός 1755 God אֱלֹהִים 996 Lord κύριος 873 Lord God יהוה אֱלֹהִים 749 Sovereign God אָדוֹן אֲנִי יהוה 298 Lord of Hosts יהוה צָבָא 259 Lord אָדוֹן אֲנִי 133 Lord, the God of Israel יהוה אֱלֹהִים יִשְׂרָאֵל 119 God of Israel אֱלֹהִים יִשְׂרָאֵל 83 Most High ὕψιστος 61 God אֱלוֹהַּ 47 Almighty שַׁדַּי 41 Almighty παντοκράτωρ 35 Most High עֶלְיוֹן 32 Lord God κύριος ὁ θεός 31 Holy One of Israel קָדוֹשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל 30 Spirit of the Lord רוּחַ יהוה 27 Master δεσπότης 24 Lord יָהּ 22 God of Jacob אֱלֹהִים יַעֲקֹב 19 Lord God of hosts יהוה אֱלֹהִים צָבָא 19 God of Israel θεός Ἰσραήλ 16 God of the living θεός ζάω 15 the God of Abraham אֱלֹהִים אַבְרָהָם 14 God of heaven אֱלֹהִים הַ שָׁמַ֫יִם 12 living God אֱלֹהִים חַי 12 God of heaven אֱלָהּ שְׁמַ֫יִן 11 Holy ἅγιος 11 Lord Almighty κύριος παντοκράτωρ 11 Lord אָדוֹן 10 Holy One קָדוֹשׁ 8 the God of Isaac אֱלֹהִים יִצְחָק 7 God Most High θεός ὁ ὕψιστος 7 God Almighty אֵל שַׁדַּי 6 The God of the Hebrews אֱלֹהִים הַ עִבְרִי 6 God Most High אֵל עֶלְיוֹן 5 the Mighty One of Jacob אָבִיר יַעֲקֹב 5 God of our fathers θεός ὁ πατήρ ἐγώ 5 Most High God ὕψιστος θεός 5 God of peace θεός ὁ εἰρήνη 5 King of glory מֶ֫לֶךְ הַ כָּבוֹד 4 Rock צוּר 3 the god of the land אֱלֹהִים הַ אֶ֫רֶץ 3 Lord God יָהּ יהוה 3 the God of truth אֱלֹהִים אָמֵן 3 God of hosts אֱלֹהִים הַ צָבָא 3 God of Israel אֱלָהּ יִשְׂרָאֵל 3 Mighty God אֵל גִּבּוֹר 2 living God אֵל חַי 2 God of hosts אֱלֹהִים צָבָא 2 God of vengeance אֵל נְקָמָה 2 living God אֱלָהּ חַי 2 Most High עֶלְיוֹן 2 Almighty God παντοκράτωρ θεός 2 Majesty μεγαλωσύνη 2 God of Seeing אֵל רֳאִי 1 Everlasting God אֵל עוֹלָם 1 Fear of Isaac פַּ֫חַד יִצְחָק 1 I Am אֶהְיֶה 1 Holy One of Jacob קָדוֹשׁ יַעֲקֹב 1 Lord God יָהּ אֱלֹהִים 1 Spirit of God רוּחַ אֱלוֹהַּ 1 Blessed εὐλογητός 1 Holy One ὅσιος 1 God θεῖος 1 Holy Spirit Spirit πνεῦμα 149 Holy Spirit ἅγιος πνεῦμα 22 Spirit of God πνεῦμα θεός 10 Spirit of the Lord רוּחַ יהוה 4 Helper παράκλητος 3 Spirit of grace πνεῦμα ὁ χάρις 1 Spirit of Christ πνεῦμα Χριστός 1 Jesus Jesus Ἰησοῦς 625 Lord κύριος 284 Christ Χριστός 269 Jesus Christ Ἰησοῦς Χριστός 97 Christ Jesus Χριστός Ἰησοῦς 89 Son of Man υἱός ὁ ἄνθρωπος 81 Our Lord Jesus Christ κύριος ἐγώ Ἰησοῦς Χριστός 40 Son of God υἱός ὁ θεός 35 Lord Jesus κύριος Ἰησοῦς 30 Our Lord κύριος ἐγώ 25 Lord Jesus Christ κύριος Ἰησοῦς Χριστός 22 Our Lord Jesus κύριος ἐγώ Ἰησοῦς 10 Jesus of Nazareth Ἰησοῦς ὁ Ναζωραῖος 9 God θεός 6 the Holy one of God ὁ ἅγιος ὁ θεός 3 Jesus of Nazareth Ἰησοῦς Ναζαρηνός 2 Jesus of Nazareth Ἰησοῦς ὁ Ναζαρηνός 2 Son of Man υἱός ἄνθρωπος 2 Jesus Christ of Nazareth Ἰησοῦς Χριστός ὁ Ναζωραῖος 2 Master δεσπότης 2 Immanuel Ἐμμανουήλ 1 Christ the Lord Χριστός κύριος 1 Son of Man υἱός μέν ὁ ἄνθρωπος 1 Messiah Μεσσίας 1 Lord Christ κύριος Χριστός 1 Lord God κύριος ὁ θεός 1 Almighty παντοκράτωρ 1 1 Walter A. Elwell, Evangelical Dictionary of Theology: Second Edition (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2001), 503. 2 Walter A. Elwell, Evangelical Dictionary of Theology: Second Edition (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2001), 503. 3 Rob Ventura, ed., A New Exposition of the London Baptist Confession of Faith of 1689 (Ross-shire, Scotland: Mentor, 2022). 4 John Owen, The Works of John Owen (Edinburgh: Banner of Truth Trust, 1976), 12:497. This is found in "Vindication of the Gospel," Chapter 27. 5 Gerard Van Groningen, "God, Names Of," in Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1988), 881. --------------- ------------------------------------------------------------ --------------- ------------------------------------------------------------ 2