Basic Theology: What We Believe & Why We Believe It

6 The Triunity of God

The doctrine of the Trinity is given to us in Scripture, not in formulated definition, but in
fragmentary allusions; when we assembled the [scattered fragments] into their organic unity, we are
not passing from Scripture, but entering more thoroughly into the meaning of Scripture. We may
state the doctrine in technical terms, supplied by philosophical reflection; but the doctrine stated is a
genuinely Scriptural doctrine. B. B. Warfield (1851-1921)

The _____________________________________________ of God Types of Religious Belief

God is the __________________________ God. Animism: A living power or
soul exists in and empowers
o Ex. 20:3; Deut. 4:35, 39; 32:39; Is. 45:14; 46:9; 1 Cor. 8:4-6; everything, even inanimate
Eph. 4:6; 2 Tim. 2:5 objects

Polytheism: The worship of

God is the _______________________________ God. many gods

o Deut. 6:4; Jas. 2:19 Henotheism: The worship

of one god out of many gods
The _____________________________________________ of God Monotheism: The belief
that there is only one god
Possible Hints in the Old Testament:

o ___________________________ pronouns and verbs (Gen. 1:26; 3:22; 11:7; Isa. 6:8)

o The ___________________________ of the Lord (Gen. 16:7-13; 18:1-21; 19:1-28; Mal. 3:1)

o Distinction of Persons (Gen. 19:24; Hos. 1:7; Isa. 48:16; 59:20-21; 63:9-10)

o The ___________________________ of God (Prov. 8:12-31)

Explicit Teaching in the New Testament:

o The ___________________________ is God (Jn. 6:27; 1 Pet. 1:2).

o The ___________________________ is God (Jn. 1:1; 10:30; 20:28; Heb. 1:3).

Jesus has the ________________________________ of God (Mt. 9:4; 28:18-20;

Jn. 8:58).

Jesus performs the ________________________________ of God (Mk. 2:1-12; Jn. 1:3;

5:27; 12:9; Col. 1:16-17).

o The ___________________________ is God (Acts 5:3-4; 1 Cor. 3:16-17)

The Spirit has the ________________________________ of God (1 Cor. 2:10; 6:19).

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 Basic Theology: What We Believe & Why We Believe It

The Spirit performs the ________________________________ of God (Jn. 3:5-6, 8;

16:8-11; 1 Cor. 12:4-11).

o All three are associated together as God (Mt. 3:16-17; 28:19; 2 Cor. 13:14).

The ______________________________: A Definition

There is one only and true God, but in
the unity of the Godhead there are
God is one in ____________________________ and three in three coeternal and coequal Persons,
the same in substance but distinct in
______________________________. subsistenence.

o The Trinity is not _________________________. Benjamin B. Warfield (1851-1921)

The Father is eternally the Father; the Son

is eternally the Son; the Spirit is eternally the Spirit.

They have distinct _________________________________ (Jn. 4:34; 5:30; 6:38; 14:26;

15:26; 17:4).

They have distinct _________________________________.1

The Father elects (1 Pet. 1:2), loves (Jn. 3:16), gives good gifts (Jas. 1:17).

The Son suffers (Mk. 8:31), redeems (1 Pet. 1:18), & sustains (Heb. 1:3).

The Spirit regenerates (Tit. 3:5), energizes (Acts 1:8), and sanctifies
(Gal. 5:22ff).

o The Trinity is not ____________________-theism or ____________________-theism.

The Father, Son, and Spirit have always been God. There was never a time
when any Person of the Trinity was not God or began to be God.

There is no God before or behind the Trinity. God is the Father, Son, and
Holy Spirit.

The Father, Son and Spirit, while distinct

persons, are absolutely inseparable from each
other. Not confused, but undividable. They are
who they are together. They always are
together, and thus they always work together.

Michael Reeves, Delighting in the Trinity

1
The following examples are from Basic Theology by Charles Ryrie, p. 62.

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 Basic Theology: What We Believe & Why We Believe It

Illustrations of the Trinity:

The Shield of the Trinity

IS
T

IS
O
N

NO
IS

T
IS IS

IS NOT

o Problem: It can give the impression that God is composed of three parts
(partialism) or exists behind three representations of himself (modalism).

Water/Ice/Steam
o Triple point = under the right conditions, water can actually exist as a liquid,
solid, and gas at the same time
o Problem: Its modalism. Ultimately, it is just H2O manifested in a different way.

Sun/Light/Heat
o No one has seen the sun (Father), but we can experience and learn about the it
through its light (Son) and power (Spirit).
o Problem: Its Arianism. The light and heat are not of the same substance as the sun,
but are creations of it, but the Son and the Spirit are not creations of the Father, but
coequal and coeternal with him.

Shamrock
o The three persons of the Trinity are one God just as the three leaves of a shamrock
are actually one leaf.
o Problem: Its partialism, the belief that God is the sum of his parts, that he is
somehow 1/3 Father, 1/3 Son, and 1/3 Spirit.

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 Basic Theology: What We Believe & Why We Believe It

Memory Verses:
Matthew 3:16-17 Matthew 28:19-20 2 Corinthians 13:14

Suggested Reading:
Reeves, Michael. Delighting in the Trinity: An Introduction to the Christian Faith. Downers Grove,
IL: InterVarsity Press, 2012. 135 pp.

Bibliography:
Brannan, Rick. Historic Creeds and Confessions. Electronic ed. Oak Harbor: Lexham Press, 1997.

Erickson, Millard J. Christian Theology. 3rd Edition. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2013.

*Ryrie, Charles C. Basic Theology: A Popular Systematic Guide to Understanding Biblical Truth.
Chicago: Moody Press, 1999.

Sproul, R. C. What Is the Trinity?. The Crucial Questions Series. Orlando, FL: Reformation
Trust, 2011.

Warfield, Benjamin B. The Works of Benjamin B. Warfield. Vol. 2: Biblical Doctrines. Bellingham,
WA: Logos Bible Software, 2008.

The Athanasian Creed or Quicunque Vult (c. 6th Century)2

Whosoever will be saved, before all things it is necessary that he hold the catholic faith;
Which faith except every one do keep whole and undefiled, without doubt he shall perish
everlastingly.

And the catholic faith is this: That we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity;
Neither confounding the persons nor dividing the substance. For there is one person of the
Father, another of the Son, and another of the Holy Spirit.

But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit is all one, the glory equal, the
majesty coeternal. Such as the Father is, such is the Son, and such is the Holy Spirit. The
Father uncreated, the Son uncreated, and the Holy Spirit uncreated. The Father
incomprehensible, the Son incomprehensible, and the Holy Spirit incomprehensible. The
Father eternal, the Son eternal, and the Holy Spirit eternal. And yet they are not three eternals
but one eternal. As also there are not three uncreated nor three incomprehensible, but one
uncreated and one incomprehensible. So likewise the Father is almighty, the Son almighty,
and the Holy Spirit almighty. And yet they are not three almighties, but one almighty. So the
Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God; And yet they are not three Gods, but
one God. So likewise the Father is Lord, the Son Lord, and the Holy Spirit Lord; And yet they
are not three Lords but one Lord. For like as we are compelled by the Christian verity to
2
From Rick Brannans Historic Creeds and Confessions.

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 Basic Theology: What We Believe & Why We Believe It

acknowledge every Person by himself to be God and Lord; So are we forbidden by the catholic
religion to say; There are three Gods or three Lords. The Father is made of none, neither
created nor begotten. The Son is of the Father alone; not made nor created, but begotten. The
Holy Spirit is of the Father and of the Son; neither made, nor created, nor begotten, but
proceeding. So there is one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons; one Holy
Spirit, not three Holy Spirits. And in this Trinity none is afore or after another; none is greater
or less than another. But the whole three persons are coeternal, and coequal. So that in all
things, as aforesaid, the Unity in Trinity and the Trinity in Unity is to be worshipped. He
therefore that will be saved must thus think of the Trinity.

Furthermore it is necessary to everlasting salvation that he also believe rightly the incarnation
of our Lord Jesus Christ. For the right faith is that we believe and confess that our Lord Jesus
Christ, the Son of God, is God and man. God of the substance of the Father, begotten before
the worlds; and man of substance of His mother, born in the world. Perfect God and perfect
man, of a reasonable soul and human flesh subsisting. Equal to the Father as touching His
Godhead, and inferior to the Father as touching His manhood. Who, although He is God and
man, yet He is not two, but one Christ. One, not by conversion of the Godhead into flesh, but
by taking of that manhood into God. One altogether, not by confusion of substance, but by
unity of person. For as the reasonable soul and flesh is one man, so God and man is one
Christ; Who suffered for our salvation, descended into hell, rose again the third day from the
dead; He ascended into heaven, He sits on the right hand of the Father, God, Almighty; From
thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead. At whose coming all men shall rise
again with their bodies; and shall give account of their own works. And they that have done
good shall go into life everlasting and they that have done evil into everlasting fire.

This is the catholic faith, which except a man believe faithfully he cannot be saved.

2015 Community Bible Church | 201 Whittier Ave., Dunellen, NJ 08812 | www.communitybiblechurchnj.com