Exposition by Max A Forsythe
Question 6:
Q: How many persons are there in the Godhead?
A: There are three persons in the Godhead; the Father, the Son, and the Holy
Ghost; and these three are one God, the same in substance, equal in power and glory.
Years ago when I tried to start a Presbyterian Church in America mission in Logan County, we had a visitor who appeared most interested until she looked at the Trinity title on our old blue hymnals. She claimed that she was not into polytheism and decided that she could do better than hang around with us. I never figured out if she had been influenced by an Apostolic or Unitarian background. These are two organizations which follow the Jewish sect in their denial of one of the most essential doctrines hammered out by the early Church Fathers and Councils.
Yes, doctrine does divide and even though very many people rightly observe that the word Trinity is not in the Scriptures, this is an essential doctrine that we dare not shy away from. The essential text in this matter is found in Luke 3: 21-22. This passage reminds me of a confusing fall that I once experienced at school. There were two students, one in the morning and another in the afternoon that I simply could not get their names right after six weeks of school. I was always calling them by the wrong name and they were beginning to get irritated. One day, I was in the cafeteria at an odd moment and there they both were - they were identical twins and I had never ever even thought that that might be the source of my misnomer problem.
On another occasion, I had advance warning that two twins were going to try to confuse me! It was the Sunday that I first met Ro, who tried to pass herself off as Maxine. When she did, I said as loud as I could "Maxine, what have you done with your hair, you look at least ten years younger." That brought Maxine around the corner in a hurry! You certainly become a believer in identical twins when you see them both at the same time!
In that sense, our Luke passage should settle the Trinitarian doctrine for all time! Here in two verses we see he Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit all at once in the same place. This is why the Church has had to believe in the triune nature of our Godhead. Watson would help us shape this doctrine: 'The three persons in the blessed Trinity are distinguished, but not divided; three substances, but one essence. This is a divine riddle, where one makes three, and three make one." But, the Scriptures carefully teach this doctrine emphasizing that there is a unity of essence in the three persons. In John 10:30 Jesus says: "I and the Father are one." Then in John 14:16 Jesus promises the disciples that "the Father ... will give you another Counselor" [of the exact same type as himself] as the Greek words insist.
Of course it took a long controversy and an essential Council of the Church to establish this doctrinal oneness or essence as a necessary belief for those who would call themselves Christian. Once again, we see that doctrine divides people into various camps. And very many people wonder how we can ever sort these things out? Well creative minds may want to know, but creative minds are very seldom willing to submit their curiosity to the revealed wisdom of our Triune God. And this is where people go astray theologically, when they want to believe something that makes sense to them rather than making sense with Scripture! Of course, we do have the gathered wisdom of all the Apostles, Fathers and Doctors of Christ's Church whose teachings we must weigh very carefully whenever we turn to God's revelation record.
The written texts of the Apostles all agree in the Triune nature of our Godhead:
Luke 3: 21-22, Matthew 3: 13-17, John 1: 31-34 & Mark 1:9-11 all carefully record the baptismal observations with which we began our proofing.
John 15:26 matter of factly observes that "When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me."
Paul in 2 Corinthians 13:14 invokes a triune blessing "May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all."
Matthew 28:19 sends the Church out to baptize "in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit"
And even though modern authors do not use our theme verse in 1 John 5:7 today, the textus receptus witness cannot be ignored. Even without that verse, there is no danger in misunderstanding the revealed triune nature of our God, if we would but believe the revelation record of the Scriptures! And believing is where the problem is for very many in every age. As one popular scandal sheet advertises "Enquiring minds want to know!" Everyone wants to understand the mystery and every theologian tries to explain this doctrine as carefully and easily as possible.
However, no similitude as Watson calls it can completely explain the complexities of the Trinity! Several weeks ago, when we were discussing the concept of the Trinity at Bible Study, we considered the threefold nature of water and St Patrick's Three Leaf Clover. Yet neither of those examples is just right. Some would explain it by means of a person's various roles where a man can be a Father and a Son at the one and same time and give the duality of his love to everyone concerned. Even Thomas Watson's tries to simplify the doctrine for us. "in the body of the sun, there are the substance of the sun, the beams, and the heat; the beams are begotten of the sun, the heat proceeds both from the sun and the beams; but these three, though different, are not divided; they all three make but one sun: so in the blessed Trinity, the Son is begotten of the Father, the Holy Ghost proceeds from both; yet though they are three distinct persons, they are but one God."
Another commentator described what this doctrine accomplishes for us. God the Father loved us, God the Son died for us, and God the Spirit brings us to a certain knowledge of the Father's love and the Son's sacrifice for us. Were it not for the revealed fact of our Triune God, our whole system of doctrine would be out of synch with reality. How should we be saved unless the Holy Spirit would convict us of sin and point us to the Son? How should we be saved unless Christ has died for our sins? And finally how should we be saved unless the righteous and holy Father had a plan of salvation established for us before time which by His providence has been worked out? As we gather around our Lord's table today, let us better appreciate the awesome doctrine which our Triune God has revealed and put into effect for our salvation.
Resources Used:
Hodge, A.A. The Confession of Faith.
(PCA) The Confession of Faith: The Shorter Catechism.
Watson, Thomas. A Body of Divinity, 10 Commandments & Lord's Prayer
Places Preached:
Christ Covenant REFORMED (Presbyterian Church in America)
Box 132049 -- Columbus, OH 43213-8049
WSC006 02 Jun 96
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