THE SHORTER CATECHISM: Question 6

Question: How many persons are there in the Godhead?

Answer: 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. (1 John 5:7, Matt. 28:19)

Herman Bavinck claims that all heresy stems from an error in the understanding of the Trinity.  At first glance this claim seems to be a bit over the top but when you reflect on the meaning of heresy and the central role the Trinity plays in all of Christian doctrine from creation, revelation and salvation, you must conclude that Bavinck is correct.  Heresy goes beyond mere error or denominational doctrinal disputes.  Michael Horton defines heresy as, “any teaching that directly contradicts the clear and direct witness of the Scriptures on a point of salvific importance.”  Heresy strikes at the fundamental and nothing can be more fundamental that the nature of God as revealed in the Bible.

Often in discussions about the Trinity the focus remains on what I think of as the “oncologic necessity” for the trinity or the “by good and necessary consequence” argument.  The Bible reveals that there is one true and living God (Deut 6:4) but the Bile reveals the Father (Matt 7:11),the Son (John 1:1, 20:28, Rom 9:5, Phil 2:6 etc.), and the Holy Spirit (Ex 17:7; Act 5:3, 4) describing each of them in the role of God or accomplishing actions that only God can accomplish.  As is often pointed out in these discussions these three persons the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are one God, this is plainly revealed in the whole council of God.  All rejections of this revelation boil down to 3 reasons, (1) a rejection of Scriptural revelation including the introduction of new and contrary “revelation” (2) the claim that the word Trinity not in the Bible and thus cannot be true or (3) the concept of the Trinity is incomprehensible and this is an adoption of philosophy (Greek) as if the fact that something is not completely understood means that it cannot be true.

Rather than focus on the dispute of the existence of the trinity from this ontological (who God is) point I would like to look at the Trinity in the economic (what God does) since and see how the Trinity is revealed in the works God does in revelation, creation, salvation and worship.  By understanding the work that each person of the Trinity does in these four critical areas we can better understand why the doctrine of the Trinity is not only true “by good and necessary consequence” but is necessary in the accomplishment of the work of God.

God reveals himself in many ways in the bible but his Trinitarian nature comes forth readily.  God is not an abstract principal but a person who acts, He reveals Himself by speaking his Word (Gen 1:3, Ex 3:4, Isa 1:2 etc.).  This Word is not a sound but as we see in creation a force or an action in and of itself (Psalm 33:6, 9).  We can only understand Gods revelation the power of his Spirit (1 Cor 2:10-12).  The incarnation itself the greatest act of Revelation is a threefold act the Father, the Son, and the Spirit.

Only buy adopting the Triune God of the Bible can creation be logically explained, focusing on what God has revealed in his Scripture we see the each person in the Trinity performing and part in creation, the Father is the author of creation (1 Cor 8:6), the Son the Word is the force of creation as well as upholding creation (Gen 1:3, Psalm, 33:6, 9; 147:18) the Holy Spirit is immanent in creation (Gen 1:2, Psalm 33:6).

While each person of the Trinity has a role in all of the works of God, no other work is as explicitly triune as salvation.  The Father is explicit in the action of election giving to the Son (Matt 11:27; Luke 10:22).  The Son functions as a mediator, an atoning sacrifice and the source of grace in redemption (Matt 1:21; 1 Cor 1:30; 1 Pet 1:2 etc).  The Holy Spirit act in our regeneration, sanctification and bring our union with Christ (John 3:5; Rom 5:5 1 Pet 1:2 etc).  A denial of the trinity is in fact denial of efficacy of Jesus Christ’s sacrifice and substitutionary atonement, it is a denial of the regeneration of the Holy Spirit and most shockingly denial of the Trinity brings into question the ability of the Father in fulfilling his own promised salvation.

While God working in our worship is a concept foreign to some evangelicals this has more to do with church education than the Testimony of God.  Worship is to be given to God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit (2CO 13:14).  The central part of Reformed worship is the sermon because “faith comes by hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” the Holy Spirits role is clear bringing this faith to the elect of the father.  The meaditorial role of Christ makes worship of the Father possible.  Clearly all three persons of the Trinity are active in our worship.

I think that Bavinck was correct in saying “The confession of the Trinity is the heartbeat of the Christian religion.  All error is traceable to a departure from this doctrine…” as can be seen by the heresy of groups that deny the Trinity thru history, Arianism, Sabellianism, Nestorianism, Polytheism etc. Today weather it is Jehovah’s Witnesses, oneness Pentecostals, or Mormons a heretical view of God ultimately results in denial of the revealed will of God and the gospel.

~ by gundek on June 27, 2009.