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Basic Theology: The Trinity Part 2 – DTS032
God is a personal God with personal distinctions. The biblical writers have no problem describing Him and interacting with Him in this way. We are the ones who have problems with the idea.
In Genesis 18 describes a meeting between Yaweh and Abraham. Three men appeared near the great trees of Mamre, and Abraham recognizes the Lord. The text shows that it is Yaweh speaking, Yaweh who stays with Abraham as he pleads for Sodom, Yaweh who goes down to Sodom, and Yaweh who rains down burning sulfur from heaven in Genesis 19:24. The man in front of Abraham is addressed as God, speaks as God, and yet it is also God who goes down to the city and it is God who rains down fire from heaven.
Obviously a distinction in persons is being made without extra comment from the biblical author, yet only one God is named. So the personal distinctions of God are not a New Testament novelty. We have many other examples. In Genesis 31:11-13, the angel calls Himself God. Exodus 3:2-4 describes the angel of the Lord appearing to Abraham in the burning bush while the Lord speaks. In Joshua 5:13-15, the commander of the army of Yaweh stands before Joshua, and in Joshua 6:2 that commander’s words are Yaweh’s words. In Zechariah 4:6, the angel of Yaweh again speaks as Yaweh Himself.
Personal distinctions in the Godhead have been a part of Old Testament theology all along. The Jews gave up that theology when Christians used it to defend their faith, and when the Jews rejected that gospel, they were blinded. Early Christians have no problem with the unity of God or the personal distinctions of the Old Testament. Deuteronomy 6:4-5 is clear that there is only one God. Isaiah 45:5-6, Isaiah 45:14, and Isaiah 46:9 are clear that there is only one God. In the New Testament this is reflected again. 1 Corinthians 8:4-6, Ephesians 4:3-6, and James 2:19 all affirm the Old Testament teaching of the oneness of God while recognizing personal distinctions.
Ultimately, the problem people have with the Trinity is not God’s oneness or God’s complexity, but the incarnation — God in the flesh. Jews accuse Christians of being polytheistic when Christians argue that Jesus, the man from Nazareth, is part of the Trinity. Jesus is the stumbling block. Yet Jesus did claim to be God in
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By L. Russ Bush IIIGod is a personal God with personal distinctions. The biblical writers have no problem describing Him and interacting with Him in this way. We are the ones who have problems with the idea.
In Genesis 18 describes a meeting between Yaweh and Abraham. Three men appeared near the great trees of Mamre, and Abraham recognizes the Lord. The text shows that it is Yaweh speaking, Yaweh who stays with Abraham as he pleads for Sodom, Yaweh who goes down to Sodom, and Yaweh who rains down burning sulfur from heaven in Genesis 19:24. The man in front of Abraham is addressed as God, speaks as God, and yet it is also God who goes down to the city and it is God who rains down fire from heaven.
Obviously a distinction in persons is being made without extra comment from the biblical author, yet only one God is named. So the personal distinctions of God are not a New Testament novelty. We have many other examples. In Genesis 31:11-13, the angel calls Himself God. Exodus 3:2-4 describes the angel of the Lord appearing to Abraham in the burning bush while the Lord speaks. In Joshua 5:13-15, the commander of the army of Yaweh stands before Joshua, and in Joshua 6:2 that commander’s words are Yaweh’s words. In Zechariah 4:6, the angel of Yaweh again speaks as Yaweh Himself.
Personal distinctions in the Godhead have been a part of Old Testament theology all along. The Jews gave up that theology when Christians used it to defend their faith, and when the Jews rejected that gospel, they were blinded. Early Christians have no problem with the unity of God or the personal distinctions of the Old Testament. Deuteronomy 6:4-5 is clear that there is only one God. Isaiah 45:5-6, Isaiah 45:14, and Isaiah 46:9 are clear that there is only one God. In the New Testament this is reflected again. 1 Corinthians 8:4-6, Ephesians 4:3-6, and James 2:19 all affirm the Old Testament teaching of the oneness of God while recognizing personal distinctions.
Ultimately, the problem people have with the Trinity is not God’s oneness or God’s complexity, but the incarnation — God in the flesh. Jews accuse Christians of being polytheistic when Christians argue that Jesus, the man from Nazareth, is part of the Trinity. Jesus is the stumbling block. Yet Jesus did claim to be God in