STUDY (PART 1 - WHO IS GOD?) “Sound doctrine, in accordance with the gospel.” (1Tim1:10-11) by Steven Rodrigue Section 2 - The and The Hypostatic Union

- THE TRINITY: While the word Trinity is not found in the , it was first used by Tertullian (c.155-230), an early father, to express the Scriptural truth that God exists as One, in essence, yet also as Three, in persons. This truth, while impossible for any finite man to fully comprehend, must be nonetheless accepted and embraced, because Scripture affirms it. - There is only one true God: Scripture teaches that the God of the Bible is not only “the true God,” (Jer10:10) but “the only true God.” (Jn17:3) Any other supposed gods, are not really gods at all, but false gods. OT & NT agree: - : “ , and there is no other, besides me there is no God.” (Isa45:5) “The Lord is God in above and on the earth beneath; there is no other.” (Deut4:39) - : “There is no God but one.” (1Cor8:4) “There is one God.” (1Tim2:5) “There is one God, and there is no other but He.” (Mk12:32NKJV) - Other so-called gods: All other powerful beings (angels, demons, etc.), while they may be supernatural, are merely the result of God’s creation, not other gods. In fact, these so-called gods which other nations worship, are actually demons, deceiving men to believe that they are true gods. “The things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God.” (1Cor10:20NKJV) himself, while greatly powerful, when compared to God, is like holding a burning matchstick next to the sun. - God is one in essence: The word one comes from the Hebrew word ‘echad, which often refers to a unity of more than one person.16 “A man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one (‘echad) flesh.” (Gen2:24) God exists as one in essence, and therefore, one being. “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one (‘echad).” (Deut6:4) Even the demons recognize God is one: “You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe - and shudder!” (Jas2:19) To be even more precise, essence is what you are.1 God’s essence includes all aspects of His divine nature (power, wisdom, beauty, etc). In this sense, “God is one.” (Gal3:20) We should not think of God as consisting of anything other than divinity. The substance of God is God, not a bunch of ingredients that taken together yield deity.1 - God is three in person: By person we mean someone who has a distinct center of consciousness. The distinction between persons is not a difference of being, but of relationships. By person, we mean someone that regards themself as “I," and others as "you." While essence is what you are, person is who you are. Each person of the Trinity has all the attributes of God, none having any attribute that’s not possessed by the others. This plurality of God in persons is displayed clearly throughout the Bible: - Old Testament: The word Elohim, used for 2,570 times in the Old Testament for God, literally means “the powerful ones,” and Adonai, used

- All Bible verses are from the ESV unless otherwise indicated - Page 1 THE GOSPEL STUDY (PART 1 - WHO IS GOD?) “Sound doctrine, in accordance with the gospel.” (1Tim1:10-11) by Steven Rodrigue 449 times, means “my lords.”11 God says, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.” (Gen1:26) God is speaking: “The LORD GOD has sent me, and his Spirit.” (Isa48:16) Note all three distinct persons! - New Testament: “When Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.’” (Mt3:16-17) All three persons of God are interacting at once, defeating the heresy of modalism (which says God is one person, playing three roles). “The grace of the Lord Jesus and the love of God and the fellowship of the be with you all.” (2Cor13:14) - Each person is fully God: The Trinity does not divide God into three parts. When we speak of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit together we are not speaking of any greater being than when we speak of the Father alone, the Son alone, or the Holy Spirit alone.3 The Bible ascribes the fullness of deity to each individual person of the Trinity: - : “There is one God, the Father, from whom are all things.” (1Cor8:6) “One God and Father of all.” (Eph4:6) “Grace to you and peace from God our Father.” (Phil1:2) - : Thomas calls Jesus, “My Lord and my God!” (Jn20:28) “Our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.” (Tit2:13) The Father says, “But of the Son he says, ‘Your throne, O God, is forever and ever.’” (Heb1:8) - Problem passage: Jesus is referred to as the “first born of all creation.” (Col1:15) However, “first born” (prototokos) does not mean that Christ was created. In Scripture it could either mean, “the first born Child,” or it often meant, “one who possessed priority.”11 Many translations read, “the firstborn over all creation,” a concept Paul supports three verses later by saying, “that in everything he might be preeminent.” (Col1:18) - God the Holy Spirit: “Why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit…? You have not lied to man but to God.” (Acts5:3-4) Christians are “God’s temple,” (1Cor3:16) and “a temple of the Holy Spirit.” (1Cor6:19) - God exists as three persons in one essence: We need to realize that we are talking about one what and three who’s. The one what is the Being or essence of God; the three who’s are the Father, Son, and Spirit.2 “The Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world,” (1Jn4:14) demonstrates that the Father is not the same as the Son He sends. “The Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name,” (Jn14:26) demonstrates that the Holy Spirit is distinct from the Father and Son who send Him. Jesus prays to the Father for believers, “that they may be one even as we are one.” (Jn 17:22) The phrase “we are one,” is a great Trinitarian verse, demonstrating the idea of a plurality of persons within the unity of divine essence.4 Jesus is described as being with God, “the Word was with God,” and simultaneously being God, “and the Word was God.” (Jn1:1) “Go therefore and make disciples of all

- All Bible verses are from the ESV unless otherwise indicated - Page 2 THE GOSPEL STUDY (PART 1 - WHO IS GOD?) “Sound doctrine, in accordance with the gospel.” (1Tim1:10-11) by Steven Rodrigue nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” (Matt 28:19) Notice that name is singular and yet it is ascribed to three different persons. The verse does not say in the names of the Father, Son, and Spirit, but in their one Name, because the Three are One.16 The God of the Scriptures exists simultaneously as three distinct and equal persons who are one in their divine essence, who dwell in perfect equality and unity, each of whom are fully God, none of whom are the other.

An accurate representation of the Trinity:

Bible verses describing Personhood and Deity within the Trinity:

- All Bible verses are from the ESV unless otherwise indicated - Page 3 THE GOSPEL STUDY (PART 1 - WHO IS GOD?) “Sound doctrine, in accordance with the gospel.” (1Tim1:10-11) by Steven Rodrigue - THE HYPOSTATIC UNION: This term refers to the union of Christ’s divine nature, with a human nature, occurring at His birth, called the (lat. in carne, “in flesh”). “The Word became flesh.” (Jn1:14) “God was manifested in the flesh.” (1Tim3:16NKJV) “Jesus Christ has come in the flesh.” (1Jn4:2) As the union of the soul and body constitutes a man one person, so the union of the Son of God with our nature constitutes Him one person.5 - Christ is two in nature: Christ took on all attributes of humanity, yet without sin, while simultaneously remaining fully God with respect to His divine nature. They do not alter one another’s essential properties and neither do they mix together into a mysterious third kind of nature.1 Remaining what he was, he became what he was not.6 Jesus is called Immanuel, which means, “God (divine) with us (man).” (Mt1:23) “According to the flesh, Christ came… the eternally blessed God.” (Rom9:5NKJV) Two natures, one being (essence): - Divine nature: “In him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily.” (Col2:9) Jesus was still fully God after becoming man. Eternality: “Jesus Christ… who is and who was and who is to come.” (Rev1:1,8) Creator: “All things were created through him and for him.” (Col1:16) Omniscience: “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did.” (Jn4:29) “We know that you know all things.” (Jn16:30) Omnipresence: “Where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” (Mt18:20) Omnipotence: “He upholds the universe by the word of his power.” (Heb1:3) Self- Existent: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.” (Jn14:6) Sovereign: “He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.” (Phil3:21NKJV) Immutable: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (Heb13:8) - Human nature: Jesus’ divine implies He in no way gave up His divine attributes to become a man. Christ was not now God minus some elements of his deity, but God plus all that He had made His own by taking manhood to himself.7 Body: “A spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” (Lk24:39) He “grew,” (Lk2:40) and was “wearied from His journey.” (Jn 4:6NKJV) Emotions: “He marveled,” (Mt8:10) said, “my soul troubled,” (Jn12:27) “had compassion,” (Lk7:13) and, “.” (Jn11:35) Mind: “Jesus increased in wisdom,” (Lk2:52) and “learned obedience through what he suffered.” (Heb 5:8) Will: “I have come.. not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me.” (Jn6:38) - Christ is one in person: Jesus speaks of Himself as “I,” not “we,” implying a single consciousness, therefore, one person. “There is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” (1Tim2:5) While remaining distinct, the two natures are united together in such a way so as to be one Person.1 “There is one God, the Father… and one Lord, Jesus Christ.” (1Cor8:6) - Christ is one person, two natures: Jesus is acknowledged in two natures, inconfusedly, unchangeably, indivisibly, inseparably; the distinction of natures being by no means taken away by the union, but rather the property of each nature being preserved, and concurring in one Person and one Subsistence.9

- All Bible verses are from the ESV unless otherwise indicated - Page 4 THE GOSPEL STUDY (PART 1 - WHO IS GOD?) “Sound doctrine, in accordance with the gospel.” (1Tim1:10-11) by Steven Rodrigue “Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.’” (Jn8:58) He does not say, “Before Abraham was, my divine nature existed,” because he is free to talk about anything done by his divine nature alone or his human nature alone as something he did.3 The properties of both natures are so ascribed to the person, that it is proper to affirm any of them as being of Him.8 What this means, in simple terms, is that if there is something only one of Christ's natures did, He can still say, "I did it."1 These natures are distinguishable, but not separable. Let’s look at two examples: - Omniscience: “Concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” (Mk13:32) Yet we read, “Lord, you know everything.” (Jn21:17) Jesus does not know all things within His human mind, but does know all things within His divine mind. Thus, Christ himself both knew and did not know when he would return.1 His divine omniscience did not communicate this knowledge to His human nature, from which He was speaking. - Mortality: “Christ died for us,” (Rom5:8) yet, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (Heb13:8) How then could men have “crucified the Lord of glory”? (1Cor2:8) Even though Jesus’s divine nature did not die, we can still say that the Person of Christ experienced death because of the union of the two natures in the one Person.1 - Gospel implications: Jesus must be a true man because the justice of God requires that the same human nature which has sinned should pay for sin.13 He must be a righteous man because one who himself is a sinner he cannot pay for others. He must also be true God so that, by the power of his divinity, he might bear the weight of God’s anger in his humanity and earn for us and restore to us righteousness and life.13 - Jesus had to be Man: Jesus had to be a man in order to live in the place of man. The had to be truly human in order to suffer and sympathize.15 - To suffer (in our place): “It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins,” (Heb10:4) so Jesus, “had to be made like his brothers in every respect, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.” (Heb2:17) Only a human can substitute for human lives.17 Note the connection between his humanity and his ability to suffer in our place. “Christ also suffered once for sins.. being put to death in the flesh.” (1Pet3:18) He had to “act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.” (Heb5:1) “Since the children share in flesh and blood, he likewise shared in their humanity, so that through death he could destroy the one who holds the power of death.” (Heb2:14NKJV) - To sympathize (our weaknesses): Because men must face God’s laws, “God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law.” (Gal 4:4-5) As man, “he can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is beset with weakness.” (Heb5:2) To avoid a sin nature:

- All Bible verses are from the ESV unless otherwise indicated - Page 5 THE GOSPEL STUDY (PART 1 - WHO IS GOD?) “Sound doctrine, in accordance with the gospel.” (1Tim1:10-11) by Steven Rodrigue “That which is conceived in her [Mary] is of the Holy Spirit.” (Mt1:20) Could Christ sin, if “God cannot be tempted with evil”? (Jas1:13) While it was a theoretical possibility for Christ, being man, to have sinned, it was an actual impossibility, being also God.11 How then can Christ “sympathize with our weaknesses”? (Heb 4:15) Jesus “was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin,” (Heb 4:15) which means He never gave in to temptation. Only a person who has resisted temptation has felt the full weight of temptation.12 Only such a truly human Mediator, who had experimental knowledge of the woes of mankind and rose superior to all temptations, could enter sympathetically into all the experiences, the trials, and the temptations of man.14 - Jesus had to be God: Jesus had to be God in order to perfectly obey God’s standard, and to bear the infinite punishment we could not bear. The Redeemer had to be truly divine in order to satisfy and secure.15 - To satisfy (God’s wrath): There is no way any mere human could bear and fully satisfy God’s wrath. By nature, this wrath is infinite in quality.15 Hell is an “everlasting destruction,” (2Thes1:9) and since only God is “from everlasting to everlasting,” (Ps90:2) only God can take the wrath of God and survive.17 In order to bear the weight of wrath, it is essential that the Savior be divine.15 Furthermore, Old Testament law required a spotless sacrifice to be offered for sin: “You shall not sacrifice to the LORD your God an ox or a sheep in which is a blemish, any defect whatever, for that is an abomination to the LORD your God.” (Deut17:1) In order to satisfy this wrath, he had to offer a sacrifice of such a value that God would be pleased to accept it.15 “The precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.” (1Pet1:19) “My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” (Mt3:17) - To secure (our righteousness): “You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Mt5:48) Since “no one does good, not even one,” (Rom 3:12) it was necessary for the one who would live in our place to be “without sin,” (Heb4:15) and who can say “I always do the things that are pleasing to him [the Father].” (Jn8:29) “Not having a righteousness of [our] own,” we must depend upon “the righteousness from God that depends on faith,” (Phil3:9) a faith that Christ as God, has secured righteousness for us: “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2Cor5:21) - References: 1John Piper; 2James White; 3Wayne Grudem; 4John Gill; 5Charles Hodge; 6Gregory of Naziansen; 7J.I. Packer; 8John Flavel; 9Chalcedonian ; 10Matt Slick; 11The Program; 12Bridges/ Bevington; 13Heidelberg Catechism; 14Louis Berkhof; 15Erik Raymond; 16Paul Washer; 17Shai Linne

- All Bible verses are from the ESV unless otherwise indicated - Page 6 THE GOSPEL STUDY (PART 1 - WHO IS GOD?) “Sound doctrine, in accordance with the gospel.” (1Tim1:10-11) by Steven Rodrigue

An accurate representation of the Trinity, including the Hypostatic Union:

Bible verses describing the Divinity and Humanity of Christ:

- All Bible verses are from the ESV unless otherwise indicated - Page 7