Lecture Three—Trinitarianism or Theology Proper

Trinitarianism refers to the study of the triune God. It often includes such topics as rational arguments for the existence of God, the attributes of God, the Names of God, the trinity, and the decree or plan of God. IA. Rational Arguments for the Existence of God12 1B. Introduction 1C. A Scriptural Perspective Regarding Argumentation for God’s Existence 2C. Arguments and the Issue of Incontrovertible Proof 1D. The Nature of Inductive Argumentation 2D. Most “Proofs” Are Person-Relative 3C. The Importance and Place of Rational Arguments 1D. In Salvation 2D. In Christian Growth 2B. The Argument from Creation 1C. Definition 2C. Variations and Proponents 3C. Problems and Solutions 3B. The Argument from Design 1C. Definition 2C. Variations and Proponents 3C. Problems and Solutions 4B. The Argument from Being 1C. Definition 2C. Variations and Proponents 3C. Problems and Solutions 5B. The Argument from Morality 1C. Definition and Clarification 2C. Variations and Proponents 3C. Problems and Solutions IIA. The Attributes of God 1B. Definition of Attribute and Relationship to God’s Essence 2B. Classifications of Attributes 1C. Strengths and Weaknesses with the Principle of “Classification” 2C. Certain Schemes 3B. Certain Incommunicable Attributes 1C. Self-Existence 2C. Immutability 3C. Infinity 4C. Unity 4B. Certain Communicable Attributes 1C. Spirituality 2C. Intellectual Attributes 3C. Moral Attributes 4C. Sovereignty and Power IIIA. The Names of God God has revealed himself in many ways throughout history, now recorded for us in Scripture—a living, inspired record of his disclosures about who he is, his purposes, plan, character and will. On many occasions he has given us a name by which he has unveiled his nature and by which we are subsequently to understand him. Some of these names include: Yahweh (the self-existent one)13; Yahweh Shalom (Yahweh is peace); Yahweh Maccaddeshem (Yahweh your sanctifier); Yahweh Raah (Yahweh is my shepherd); Yahweh Shammah (Yahweh who is present); Yahweh Rapha (Yahweh who heals); Yahweh Elohim (Yahweh, the mighty one); Adonai (Lord or Master); Elohim (The mighty or majestic one); El Olam (The mighty one, eternal); El Elyon (The most high mighty one); El Roi (The mighty one who sees); El Shaddai (Almighty God); Yeshua (Jesus; God saves); Christos (Christ; Messiah, Anointed one); Kurios (Lord); Soter (Savior), Abba (Father), and Theos (God). IVA. The Trinity of God 1B. Definition 2B. Certain Erroneous Conceptions of the Trinity 1C. Tri-Theism 2C. Modalism 3B. Biblical Evidence for the Doctrine 1C. The Numerical Unity of God 2C. Evidence from the Old and New Testaments 3C. The Father Is God 1D. He Is Called God 2D. He Does the Works of God 3D. He Is Not the Son nor the Spirit 3C. The Son is God 1D. He Is Called God 2D. He Does the Works of God 3D. He Is Not the Father nor the Spirit 4C. The Spirit Is God 1D. He Is Called God 2D. He Does the Works of God 3D. He Is Not the Son nor the Father VA. The Plan and Providence of God 1B. Definition of “The Plan of God” One of the best statements of the “plan” of God or as is sometimes referred to as the decree of God, is that found in the Westminster Shorter Catechism: “The decrees of God are his eternal purpose, according to the counsel of his will, whereby, for his own glory, he hath foreordained whatsoever comes to pass” (Q.7). This doctrine can be seen in several places including most notably, Ephesians 1:11: “in whom we also were called, having been foreordained according to the plan of him who works out all things in conformity with the counsel of his will.” 2B. Explanation of the “Will of God” 1C. The Character of God 2C. The Complete Plan of God and the Moral Will of God Expressed in Commandments 3C. Foreknowledge and Predestination 4C. The Prohibition in the Garden of Eden and God’s Eternal Plan to Save 5C. The Eternal Covenant Regarding Christ’s Salvific Work 1D. 1 Peter 1:20 2D. Hebrews 13:20 6C. Acts 2:22-24 3B. The Order of the Decrees Regarding Salvation 1C. The Importance of the Issue 2C. The Various Schemes 4B. The Outworking of the Plan in History through Certain Primary Redemptive Covenants 1C. The Abrahamic Covenant—Genesis 12:1-3 2C. The Davidic Covenant—2 Samuel 7:12-16 3C. The New Covenant—Jeremiah 31:31-33 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12 For the relative importance, place, efficacy, and value of rational argumentation for God’s existence, see C. Stephen Evans, Philosophy of Religion, Contours of Christian Philosophy, ed. C. S. Evans (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1982), 31-76. 13 The difficulties in establishing the proper meaning of Yahweh are many and varied. Attempts to discover its meaning along the lines of comparative philology are tenuous at best, but so also with an examination of the verbal root. Its usage in Exodus 3:14 has generally been argued to suggest something along the line of God’s self-existence or at least the One who had been with the nation of Israel since the patriarchs.