We went to Bethel in our rotation this week and Bret Nicholson, former pastor at Bethel but now a pastor at One Life, was the guest speaker! It was great.
He had a couple great lines in there. Here we go
”the trinity is an observation, not an invention.”
This means that even though the word “Trinity” isn’t in the bible, you can also observe that there is this thing that God is, and as we try to wrap our human minds around the concept of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit being separate in persons but one in essence, we use the word “Trinity” to describe that 3-in-1 thing that God is. Which brings us to the next quote I had to write down.
”Essence is the thing about a thing that makes it that thing”
The thing that makes God God is something that Jesus, The Father, and the Holy Spirit all possess as Their (His) same essence. Part of that Essence is that there is only one, and not multiple, but here are three different entities, or historically “persons”, who have the same singular essence. It’s hard to not get close to some heresy when you talk about the Trinity. As soon as you cross some cultural lines or someone understands something you don’t say as something they think you said, it can get dicey fast.
It’s better to make the discussion more devotional than apologetic. I’m not prepared for an argument today.
Meditate on that business about God’s essence. What makes God God? Or to keep my grammar alerts quiet, what makes Yahweh God? What are His qualities. What are the things that make Him who He is? The word for all of the persons of God sharing that same essence is Consubstantial. That’s a fifty cent word. It’s another way of saying what Jesus said Himself when Philip asked Jesus to “show us the Father” .
John 14:7–10 (ESV)
7 If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”
8 Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works.
Every thing you ever wanted to know about God you can see in Jesus. Which brings us to the last quote.
”Jesus is God’s ultimate communication. God didn’t give us a perfect argument, He gave us a perfect man.”
This is a great elaboration on Hebrews 1:1
Hebrews 1:1–3 (ESV)
1 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. 3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
God has loved the people He has made ever since the beginning when He made them. He has sent all kinds of messages to them. Prophets, angels, and natural creation are all pointing us to have faith in Him and to serve Him. Finally, He sent His Son to bring us that message.
