The Trinity Messages Part 1 By Lehman Strauss Lehman Strauss: Today I want to bring the first of a series of studies on a difficult and controversial subject. Namely the doctrine of the Trinity. Now, I want to say at the outset that I'm not making any attempt to prove the existence of God. The scriptures themselves never attempt to prove God's existence, but throughout they always assume or affirm it. The opening statement in the Bible says in unmistakable clarity, "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." Genesis 1:1. God's existence is the necessary ground and condition of the existence of everything else. The knowledge of God's existence is universal because God himself has put the evidence of this basic and essential truth in every man. God is moreover, God is knowable. Romans 1:19 says, "Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them, for God hath shown it unto them." And also in Romans 1:21, "They knew God." inasmuch as belief in God's existence is both universal and necessary, I believe that it is intuitive and accepted by the unprejudiced mind. In this brief series, I would like to set forth as clearly as possible those foundational truths concerning the doctrine of the Trinity. Now my chief concern will be the scriptural evidence on which the doctrine rests. Here the finite comes to grips with the infinite. Therefore, its depth is immeasurable. It's our intention to avoid speculation, but hope that under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we shall be enabled to set forth some of what the Bible teaches. Actually, the word Trinity does not appear in the Bible. The Greek word was used by Theophilus, the Bishop of Antioch, back as early as 168-183 A.D. and always applied to the Godhead. Later in A.D. 220, Strauss — The Trinity Messages Pt. 1 Tertullian reportedly used the Latin term to define and describe the tri-personal existence of God. The Athanasian Creed contains their statement on the Trinity as follows, "We worship one God in Trinity and Trinity in unity, neither confounding the person nor separating the substance." The Westminster shorter catechism says, "There are three persons within the Godhead, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. And these three are one God, the same in substance, equal in power and glory". The Augsburg confession, one of the older Protestant creeds, has this to say, "There is one divine essence which is called and is God eternal, without body, Indivisible of infinite power, Wisdom, goodness. The creator and preserver of all things visible and invisible. And yet there are three persons of the same essence and power, who also are coeternal, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit". Now, I will not attempt to escape from the fact that the doctrine of the Trinity in some of its aspects is a mystery. But does not the human mind see mystery in everything that is in the realm of the supernatural and miraculous? Indeed, this is a distinctive feature in Christianity. Paul wrote by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, "But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the world unto our glory, which none of the princes of this world knew. For had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory. But as it is written, eye hath not seen nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his spirit; for the spirit searcheth all things yea, the deep things of God." 1 Corinthians 2:7-10. Christianity is a supernatural faith which contains many mysteries. Deep secrets known only to God until he saw fit to reveal them to his own children through his word. A few of these hitherto unrevealed truths are the mystery of the incarnation. 1Timothy 3:16, the mystery of the Rapture of the Church. 1 Corinthians 15: 51 and 52, the Mystery of Lawlessness. 2 Thessalonians 2:7, the 2 of 8 Strauss — The Trinity Messages Pt. 1 Mystery of Babylon. Revelation 4:48. Explain any of these mysteries to a rationalist or an atheist whose mind is prejudiced, and it will not make sense to him. The doctrine of the Trinity is indeed a mystery to the uninitiated. That is, to those who have not been born again and are not children of God. I do not expect that such a person would be interested in studying Bible doctrines. I assume, therefore, that the majority of those of you listening to my voice are confirmed theists. That is, you are people who believe in the existence of God. But not all persons who believe in the existence of God will accept what the Bible teaches about the plurality of persons in the Godhead. The Christian doctrine of the Trinity is strongly denied by many who hold to theism. Their common objection is that the Trinity involves tri-theism, a belief in three gods, or, as the sect of Jehovah's Witnesses rudely put it, a three headed god. On the contrary, the fact of the matter is that the biblical doctrine of the Trinity stands opposed to the idea of three gods. That there is one God is one of the major teachings of the Old Testament. Deuteronomy 6:4 says, "Hear Oh Israel, the Lord, our God is one Lord." God is spirit Therefore, he does not consist of parts nor is he susceptible to any such division. There are many things in the world which are true and important, but which cannot be fully understood. Electricity was discovered by man. It is important, and the electricity is here to stay. But the real nature of electricity is not fully understood. Now, does its existence depend upon man's understanding of it? Of course not. God exists in three persons, but the existence of a tri- personal God is not dependent upon man's understanding of that God. In almost every area of our existence, we are called upon to accept facts which cannot be fully explained. Shall we lay aside the doctrine of the Trinity merely because man's finite mind cannot fully understand it? This is unthinkable. The doctrine of the Trinity lies in the very heart of Christian truth. It is the center from which all tenets of our faith radiate. If we entertain wrong ideas of the nature of the 3 of 8 Strauss — The Trinity Messages Pt. 1 Supreme Being, Our entire theology is imperiled. The doctrine of the Trinity is but one of the many-sided facets of the nature of the only true and living God. It's important to see in the fact that throughout the history of the Christian church, it has been believed and confessed. And whenever it has been abandoned, further apostasy has followed. Any departure from the doctrine of the Trinity is an apostatizing from the faith according to 1 Timothy 4:1. Therefore, we must consider it of prime importance. I have learned that many cast off the whole history of redemption for no other reason than because they have not attained to a conception of the Trinity. The importance of the doctrine of the Trinity is evidenced by its necessary relation to the work of God in creation and redemption. It is not possible to place in true perspective the work of God, the Father, God, the Son, and God, the Holy Spirit Apart from the Trinitarian system of theology. Every religious or theological system which denies the Trinity has failed to give the Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit their proper place in the divine plan of salvation. And history proves that all such systems tend to drift away from the Bible as the final authority. Each person in the Godhead must be seen as he is presented in scripture. One organized group, which call themselves the Jesus Only Group, have certainly made a mistake. Now I'm not bringing into question their motives or intentions, but I state unhesitating that even such a system is woefully lacking and therefore must be, to say the least, a superficial system. Any theological system which detracts from either of the three person, the Godhead, the place given to them in the scripture is a perversion of the historical Christian position as recorded in the Bible. The doctrine of the Trinity is important because of the influence of the extreme liberal theology of Unitarianism. This man-centered religious philosophy was prompted by Jonathan Mayhew and William Channing in the 18th century. These men believed that their own reason was the 4 of 8 Strauss — The Trinity Messages Pt. 1 final court of appeal for everything associated with religion. And this led them to reject the teachings in the Bible, which were not compatible with human reason. Their influence led many members of the Congregational Church in New England to become antique Trinitarian in their belief. The Unitarians are unable to accept what the Bible teaches about the Trinity simply because they do not accept the Bible itself. As read a recent as 1960 Mr. Mendelssohn, who was minister of the Arlington Street Church in Boston, published his book entitled "Why I am a Unitarian". On page 34, he said, "Churches, Bibles, and creeds are the creation of men who once exercised their freedom to create".