· Theology Proper ·

Lecture Twenty Seven:  The Doctrine of the Trinity I

TH330 Systematic Theology I · Moody Bible Institute · Dr. Richard M. Weber

I. Introduction

II. The Importance of the Doctrine of the Trinity

III. The Progressive Revelation of the Doctrine of the Trinity

Progressive rev…God revealed Himself through time, ie moses didn’t have as much revelation as Paul did. As we move through that revelation the doctrine of the trinity becomes more clear throughout the OT and into the NT.

A. The Partial Revelation of the Trinity in the Old Testament

“Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, in our likeness…”  (Gen 1:26)

“And the Lord said, ‘The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil…” (Gen 3:22)

“[God said], ‘Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.’” (Gen 11:7)

“Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send?  And who will go for us?’” (Isa 6:8)

“Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom.  You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.” (Ps 45:6-7)

“But about the Son he says, ‘Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever, and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom.  You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.’” (Heb 1:8)

“The Lord says to my Lord:  ‘Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.’” (Ps 110:1)

“While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, ‘What do you think about the Christ?  Whose son is he?’  ‘The son of David,’ they replied.  He said to them, ‘How is it then that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls him “Lord”?  For he says, “The Lord said to my Lord:  ‘Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet.’”  If then David calls him “Lord,” how can he be his son?’  No one could say a word in reply and from that day on no one dared to ask him any more questions.” (Matt 22:41-46)

“Yet they rebelled and grieved [God’s] Holy Spirit.  So he turned and became their enemy and he himself fought against them.” (Isa 63:10)

“See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me.  Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come.’ says the Lord Almighty.” (Mal 3:1)

“[The Lord says,] ‘Yet I will show love to the house of Judah; and I will save them – not by bow, sword or battle, or by horses and horsemen, but by the Lord their God.’” (Hos 1:7)

“Come near me and listen to this:  ‘From the first announcement I have not spoken in secret; at the time it happens, I am there.’  And now the Sovereign Lord has sent me, with his Spirit.” (Isa 48:16)

WE have reference that the very nature of the Lord is in the angel of the Lord.

“There the angel of the Lord appeared to [Moses] in flames of fire from within a bush.  Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up.  So Moses thought, ‘I will go over and see this strange sight – why the bush does not burn up.’  When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, ‘Moses!  Moses!’  And Moses said, ‘Here I am.’  ‘Do not come any closer,’ God said.  ‘Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.’  Then he said, ‘I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.’  At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.” (Ex 3:2-6)

“See, I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared.  Pay attention to him and listen to what he says.  Do not rebel against him; he will not forgive your rebellion, since my Name is in him.  If you listen carefully to what he says and do all that I say, I will be an enemy to your enemies and will oppose those who oppose you.” (Ex 23:20-22)

“The angel of the Lord said to Balaam, ‘Go with the men, but speak only what I tell you’ … [But later, Balaam says] ‘Can I say just anything?  I must speak only what God puts in my mouth.’” (N um 22:35-38)

“The angel of the Lord went up from Gilgal to Bokim and said, ‘I brought you up out of Egypt and led you into the land that I swore to give your forefathers.  I said, “I will never break my covenant with you, and you shall not make a covenant with the people of this land, but you shall break down their altars.”’” (Judg 2:1-2)

Cf. Gen 16:13; Judg 6:11

B. The More Complete Revelation of the Trinity in the New Testament

“As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water.  At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him.  And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.’” (Matt 3:16-17)

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…” (Matt 28:19)

“There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit.  There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord.  There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men.” (1 Cor 12:4-6)

“May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” (2 Cor 13:14)

“There is one body and one Spirit – just as you were called to one hope when you were called – one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” (Eph 4:4-6)

“[To God’s elect], who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood.” (1 Pet 1:2)

“But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit.  Keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.” (Jude 20-21)

IV. The Doctrine of the Trinity

“God eternally exists as three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and each person is fully God, and there is one God.”  (Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology, 226)

A. There is One God (UNITY)

“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.  You shall have no other gods before me [or besides me]” (Ex 20:2-3)

There is no one that can compete with God.

Before me = al panai, “to my face”

“You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.” (Ex 20:4)

“He [God] is the only member of an unique class”

“Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.  Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” (Deut 6:4-5; Cf. Ex 15:11; 1 Ki 8:60; Isa 45:5-6, 21-22; 34:6-8)

“You shall fear the Lord your God; you shall serve him, and swear by his name.” (Deut 6:13)

“You shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the peoples who are round about you.” (Deut 6:14)

-God again is unique and there are not to be any other gods before Him.

“[T]here is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith.” (Rom 3:30)

“We know that an idol is nothing at all in the world, and that there is … but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.” (1 Cor 8:4-6)

“There is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus…” (1 Tim 2:5)

“You believe that there is one God.  Good!  Even the demons believe that – and shudder.” (James 2:19)

there has to be more to your faith than monotheism.