There are three Persons in the Godhead, namely God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, co-equal, consubstantial, and co-eternal, a dynamic interpenetrating community, indivisible yet distinct; for there is only one God not three gods. In love, the inimitable Triune God has revealed Himself to humanity through His Son, Spirit, and Word.
Within the Holy Trinity there is order in relationship without inequality of being: all are worthy of praise and embody the fullness of deity. The Father is not the Son: as the Origin, He neither proceeds from the Son nor is He begotten. Out of nothing He created all things seen and unseen to the praise of His glory. The Son is not the Father: He is the eternally begotten Logos of the Father. He is the exact imprint of the Father, radiating the glory of God and upholding all things by the word of His power. In perfect obedience He willfully became man. Being born of a virgin, He suffered, died, and was buried. Having overcome death, He forever sits at the right hand of the Father where He constantly lives to intercede for all the saints. He will return again and none will escape His judgment. The Holy Spirit is neither the Father nor the Son: He eternally proceeds from the Father and the Son. He delights in the Father and the Son, making them known to man and is the Spirit of God in the life of the faithful. To the unregenerate He mercifully convicts of sin, righteousness, and judgment. He is to be worshiped and glorified with the Father and the Son.
Therefore, each Person of the Godhead is fully God, equal in all things yet the Lord our God, the Lord is One: all-powerful, immutable, and all knowing from everlasting to everlasting. It is this great mystery, which is Trinity that the historical and catholic orthodox faith professes.
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6 comments:
Nice work, Michael. Well-thought intellectually and well-intended devotionally.
AFFIRMATIONS:
Great job stressing the full divinity of each Person of the Godhead. Good emphasis on the true distinction of each Person of the Godhead, as well. Appropriate blend of classical Trinitarian language with a contemporary language expression. Necessary denial of Tri-theism, too. Worshipful conclusion with the emphasis that the Trinity is ultimately a revealed mystery apprehended through faith.
CONSIDERATIONS:
Capitalize “Person” and all divine pronouns (He, Him, His).
Maybe make clearer “order of relationship” without “inequality of being (i.e., dignity of worth, fullness of divinity.)”
Emphasize that the Son is the Logos of God, the perfect, outshining Word/Idea of the Father.
Emphasize that the Spirit is the Love of God, the perfect, proceeding Affection/Admiration of the Father for the Son and the Son for the Father.
Emphasize the living community of the Godhead; that is, the perechoresis (or dynamic interpenetration) of each of the three Persons.
Stress the monotheism - oneness of God - more fully and clearly at the beginning of your definition. With this, stress that God has revealed His unique Being to humanity through His Son, Spirit, and Word.
Hope this helps.
Glory to the One-in-Three,
Kenny
Great feedback! Thanks Kenny.
mv
Your a wonderful writer and I love you and I hope you get an A on your project.
Love,
Veronica
Michael,
You are especially gifted in bringing a contemporary, straightforward explanation to the profound mystery of the Person of God as Trinity.
Any comments I might have are intended purely to stretch you a bit as profs at the seminary have been known to eat these documents for lunch.
As you share that, "the inimitable Triune God has revealed Himself to humanity through His Son, Spirit, and Word", I was curious as to how the three avenues of revelation (Son, Spirit, Word) were concluded. The sentence has the potential to imply that "Son, Spirit and Word" are not Triune God (given the logical deduction and grammatical structure that "Triune God", and "Himself" are one in the same. If the commentary on His revelation was intended to demonstrate the triunity of God, you might consider replacing "Word", with "Father"...as "Word" and/or Logos is generally accepted as reference to the Son). One might understand the sentence communicates Triune God revealing Himself in Jesus, The Spirit of God, and Jesus...which although true, is a bit redundant.
Triune God has revealed Himself (and His glory) in relationship, humanity (having been made in the image of God), in creation (as we see in St. Francis of Assisi's embracing "brother moon", etc). However, for the purpose of your work, the brevity you have chosen works well.
You might consider a slight revision with regard to Who it was who created "all things seen and unseen". It appears as though your work indicates emphatically that the Father created all things. Although the Father did indeed create all things, it may be said that Jesus, the "Logos" was co-creator ("All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made, that was made"...John 1:3 NKJV) A parallel concept not mentioned in your work is that of the resurrection...as it is written that the Father raised the Son from the dead. It is likewise written that the Son raised Himself from the dead. The area of overlap in purpose might be expanded on within your work.
I appreciate the inclusion of the professions of "historical and catholic orthodox faith" as the modern church cannot operate independent from orthodox confession. However, increased clarity may be warranted with regard to the reference of the "historical and catholic orthodox faith". Is this a reference to Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodox? Is the reference that of the catholic (universal) body of Christ? The inclusion of "historical", "catholic", and "orthodox" (in the same sentence) holds the potential for misunderstanding.
Lastly, although nonacademic in orientation and less significant, the sterility of the last sentence might be understood to imply that the profession is that of "the historical and catholic orthodox faith" (whomever exactly that is understood to be), and less your own. How might the profession be conveyed as equally your's?
May His Glory be your delight,
Dave
Dave,
great feedback! I will definitely integrate it for better clarity and understanding; one of my goals is to have this be very clear to all who would read it.
appreciate you brother.
mv
Hi Michael.
Your remarks are exactly right. All the more important in a day when many try to argue for an egalitarian Godhead where the Father might be the Holy Spirit in another universe. Equality and taxis/order seems revealed in all that God has revealed. Nicely articulated in every aspect. Positively creedal.
Scott Horrell
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