Thoeolgical Research--Part 1

Theological research is not hair-splitting. Why do religionists call the desire for research into the depths of Biblical evidence unprofitable for the spiritual life? The only answer is that it is another tactic of Satan. Satan wants to deceive, and deception is difficult in the light of knowledge. The more knowledge one has on a given subject, the less likely he is to be deceived. There can be no worthier object of mental application than the words in Hebrews 13:20 and 21—“…the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen” (NASB Update).

Christians must learn to distinguish the works of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Unless this is learned, the confession of the Trinity is meaningless. Paul’s statement in Romans 11:33, “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God…,” is like a traveler who has reached the summit of a mountain ascent and turns to contemplate the things he beheld on the way up. Although it was beyond his ability to comprehend, Paul gave some important distinctions in the Godhead. The apostle closes the great doctrinal section by saying in Romans 11:36, “For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen” (NASB Update). If the Persons of the Godhead existed independently, such cooperation would be impossible. The Father’s love and purpose are the origin of all things. The Son’s mediation and rule are the continuance and direction of the saints. The Spirit’s agency concludes all things to the end designed.

If there is no Trinity in the Divine nature, then Fatherhood in God had a beginning and will have an ending. Sonship, therefore, is not a perfection but an imperfection, because it exists only for a temporary purpose. The same can be said of the Holy Spirit. However, since Fatherly giving and filial receiving are external in God, then the law of love requires of us conformity to God in both these respects as the highest dignity of our being. The reciprocation of affection dates before time.

A human father may be both father and son at the same time, but a Divine Person cannot be both. A human person may be a son and not a father, but he may become a father subsequently. No change can take place in the Godhead. That destroys immutability. The three Persons of the Godhead are co-eternal; they exist side by side, but not independently or separately.

There are many passages of Scripture in the New Testament which bring together Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. There are three words that will help us to understand—as much as is possible with finite minds—the infinite doctrine of the Trinity:

1. Tri-unity—This means that there are within the Godhead three personal consciousnesses sharing the same basic quality of Being. I John 5:7-12 says, “For there are three that testify: the Spirit and the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement. If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater; for the testimony of God is this, that He has testified concerning His Son. The one who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself; the one who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has given concerning His Son. And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life” (NASB Update). 2. Unity—This means one in three, but not one in three Gods. These three are brought together many times in the Scriptures—the Father originates, the Son provides, and the Spirit applies. The Father is Deity invisible; the Son is Deity manifested; the Spirit is Deity who applies. 3. Equality—Each member of the Godhead is co-equal and co-eternal with the others. The Father is God (Rom. 1:7); the Son is God (Heb. 1:8); and the Spirit is God (Acts 5:3, 4).

The word “trinity” is illustrated many ways. In our personality, there is a trinity consisting of body, soul, and spirit (I Thess. 5:23). In mathematics, we have 1 x 1 x 1= 1, but do not get carried away too much with realms outside of the Divine Triunity. Apart from grace, one could easily slip into the heresy of Sabellianism. Sabellius was a third century Roman theologian who taught that there is one Divine essence, and the Father, the Logos, and the Holy Spirit are three different manifestations of the one God. Paul knew what he was saying in Galatians 2:20—“I have been crucified [perfect passive indicative of the Greek verb sustauroo] with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me” (NASB Update). Substitute the word “manifestation” every time reference is made to Christ in this great testimony, and see how it sounds.

There are three crosses that we are to bear. (1) The first represents what Christ did for us—“I have been crucified with Christ.” (2) The second represents what Christ is doing for us—“it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.” (3) The third is practical—“the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God.” This third cross is the one you take up in witnessing for Christ.

There are three unions in Christ, answering to the three unions of the Godhead. They are union of election by the Father, union of representation by the Son, and union of regeneration by the Spirit. The term “unity” is not easy to explain. It may mean the numerical basis of calculation, or the contrast between one thing and two or more things of the same kind. If used in the sense of a unit, it is clear that everything is made up of many parts, possesses many qualities, and stands in various relations. However, if in itself, there is only one thing, it may be associated with many other things. Paul gives a great statement by inspiration in I Corinthians 8:2-7—“If anyone supposes that he knows anything, he has not yet known as he ought to know; but if anyone loves God, he is known by Him. Therefore concerning the eating of things sacrificed to idols, we know that there is no such thing as an idol in the world, and that there is no God but one. For even if there are so-called gods whether in heaven or on earth, as indeed there are many gods and many lords, yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him. However not all men have this knowledge; but some, being accustomed to the idol until now, eat food as if it were sacrificed to an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled” (NASB Update). There is a special subsisting between Christians and the “one God” and “one Lord.” Paul does not address the relationship in this passage like he does in other Epistles.

The one true and living God will not share His glory with other gods. In Isaiah 42:5 and 8, Isaiah said, “Thus says God the LORD, Who created the heavens and stretched them out…I am the LORD, that is My name; I will not give My glory to another, Nor My praise to graven images” (NASB Update). A small school boy, having heard his parents reading the Bible at home, made a great statement one day in class, when the discussion arose about “Who is the true God?” He said, “There is room for only one God, because He fills heaven and earth.” The salvation of God’s chosen ones is wrapped up in the doctrine of the Trinity.

After stating the proposition of one God, Paul included Jesus Christ in the one God. Plurality of the Godhead is not a plurality of essence, but a plurality of distinctions. The three Persons are neither three Gods nor three parts of God. It is not a relation of mutual exclusiveness, but a mutual inclusiveness. No person in the Godhead is or can be without the others. The undivided essence of the Godhead belongs equally to each Person—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It is preferable to speak of the personality of the essence rather than the Person of the essence, because the essence is not one Person but three Persons. Essence cannot be one Person and three Persons, if employed in one signification; but essence can be three Persons and one personal Being.

There is only one way that leads to salvation, and that is the way of Divine election. Since there is no “before” and “after” with God the Father, it was a “completed act” when God chose some sheep in Christ and passed by all the others. This took place before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1:4). The Son of God not only redeemed the ones that the Father gave Him in the eternal covenant of grace (Heb. 13:20), but Paul assured the sheep that what Christ had started in them would be perfected by Christ (Phil. 1:6). Completing the Godhead’s work in the salvation of the sheep, the Holy Spirit not only regenerates the chosen sheep, but He remains in them as Teacher and Intercessor until their perfection (I John 2:26-29; Rom. 8:26).

NOTE: Read John 17. Especially note the seven references to Divine election—to God giving some to Christ (vv. 2, 6 [2 times], 9, 11, 12, 24).