The Trinity in the Bible and Selected Creeds of the Church

24 Pages·2013·0.97 MB·English

by  Thomas K. Johnson

10. Jahrgang • 2013
MBS T 179
exTe
Thomas K. Johnson
The Trinity in the Bible
and Selected Creeds of
the Church: Resources
for Study
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Theological Accents
Theologische Akzente
Table of Contents
Inhaltsverzeichnis
I In the Bible .....................................................................................3
II Early Christian Creeds ....................................................................4
The Creed before the Apostles’ Creed .............................................4
The Apostles’ Creed ........................................................................4
The Nicene Creed ...........................................................................5
The Definition (or Creed) of Chalcedon .........................................6
The Athanasian Creed ....................................................................7
III The Trinity in the Medieval Reform Movements ............................8
IV The Trinity in Classical Protestant Confessions ............................10
The Augsburg Confession .............................................................10
The Thirty Nine Articles of the Anglican Church .........................11
The Second Helvetic Confession ...................................................11
The Bohemenian Confession of 1575 ............................................12
The London Baptist Confession of 1689 .......................................14
V The Doctrine of the Trinity, Recent Developments ........................15
The Amsterdam Declaration 2000 .................................................15
The Capetown Commitment of 2010 ...........................................16
Recent Mennonite Theology and Ethics .......................................17
The Filioque: A Church Dividing Issue?
An Agreed Statement, 2003 ..........................................................19
Annotation .........................................................................................21
The Author .........................................................................................22
Study Centers .....................................................................................23
Imprint ..............................................................................................24
1. Aufl. 2013
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The Trinity in the Bible and Selected Creeds of the Church: Resources for Study
The Trinity in the Bible and Selected
Creeds of the Church: Resources for Study
Thomas K. Johnson
I In the Bible
This study assumes that the classical Though the teaching about the Trinity
Christian teaching on the Trinity is comes mostly in the New Testament,
consistent with the Bible, though this there are many places where the Old
claim will not be documented at length. Testament points toward understand-
The reader who is uncertain that the ing God as a Trinity. This is sometimes
Triune nature of God is taught in the connected with descriptions of com-
Bible should carefully consider some of plexity within the Godhead, some-
the many relevant biblical texts on this times with clear distinctions between
theme. Though the technical language the work of God as Creator and as
of the classical Christian creeds is not Redeemer.
used in the Bible, this careful way of
Some of these texts are:
speaking about God flows organically
o Genesis 1:26–27
from the entire Bible. A few selected
texts which the reader may want to o Isaiah 43:10–11; 44:6; 48:16;
consider: 63:7–16
o Psalm 2
o Matthew 3:13–17; Mark 1:9–13;
o Psalm 45:6–7
Luke 3:21–22; John 1:29–34
o M atthew 28:18–20 o Psalm 110
o J ohn 1:1–18 Our understanding of the Trinity is
o John 14:16, 26; 15:26–27; John closely associated with our understand-
ing of Jesus, the Christ, who is fully
16:5–15
God and fully man, yet one Person.
o R omans 1:1–6
This classical Christian teaching is also
o 2 Corinthians 13:14
assumed in this study, though it will
o E phesians 1:3–14; 2:14–22 not be defended at length. A few bib-
o C olossians 1:15–18 lical texts the reader may wish to con-
sider on this topic, in addition to the
o 1 Peter 1:1–2
Psalms mentioned above:

Theologische AkzenTe 3
Thomas K. Johnson
o Isaiah 9:6–7 And in one Christ Jesus, the Son of
o Daniel 7:13–14 God, who became incarnate for our
salvation
o Zechariah 12:10
And in the Holy Spirit, who pro-
o Matthew 9:1–8; 11:25–30; 14:22–32
claimed the [divine] dispensations
o Mark 4:35–41
through the prophets, including the
o John 3:16–36; 5:16–27; 20:24–29 advents, the birth from a virgin, the
o Romans 5:15–17; 9:1–5 passion, the resurrection from the
dead and the bodily ascension into
o 1 Corinthians 2:6–10
heaven of the beloved Christ Jesus
o Colossians 2:9
our Lord, as well as his [future]
o Hebrews 1:1–13; 2:5–18; 4:14–16; coming from heaven in the glory of
5:7–9 the Father, when he will ‘gather all
o 1 John 1:1–4; 4:1–3 things in one,’1 And to raise up again
o 2 John 7–8 alI flesh of the whole human race, in
order that ‘every knee should bow
and every tongue confess’2 to Christ
Jesus, our Lord and God, our Sav-
II Early Christian Creeds
ior and king, according to the will
The Creed before the Apostles’ Creed of the invisible Father, and that he
should execute righteous judgment
From the early centuries of the church
toward all. That he may send ‘the
Christians used summaries of the faith
spirits of wickedness’3 and the angels
to maintain consistency of basic teaching
who transgressed and became apos-
among the churches and from generation
tates, together with the ungodly and
to generation. There were a few very simi-
unrighteous, wicked and profane
lar creeds that were slowly replaced by the
among human beings, into everlast-
‘Apostles’ Creed.’ As an example of a creed
ing fire, but in the exercise of his
of which we have a complete text that was a
grace may grant immortality to the
forerunner of the Apostles’ Creed we include
righteous and holy, and to those who
the creed of Irenaeus (130–202 AD).
have kept his commandments and
A lthough the church is dispersed
persevered in his love and may clothe
throughout the world, even to the ends
them with everlasting glory.4
of the earth, it has received this common
faith from the apostles and their disciples:
The Apostles’ Creed
[ We believe] in one God, the Father
The Apostles’ Creed was not written
Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth
by the apostles but it contains the cen-
and the sea, and everything that is in
tral elements of the gospel proclaimed
them
by the apostles and is apostolic in that
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The Trinity in the Bible and Selected Creeds of the Church: Resources for Study
sense. (We have not seen convincing H e ascended into heaven and sits
evidence for the claim, repeated occa- at the right hand of God the Father
sionally in Christian history, that there Almighty;
was a council of the apostles in the first F rom thence he shall come to judge
century which wrote this creed.) With the living and the dead.
very slight variations in wording, it has
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
been used as a simple summary of cen-
Th e Holy Catholic Church, the
tral Christian beliefs since very early
communion of the saints,
in Christian history. Almost this exact
wording has been used since about 390 Th e forgiveness of sins, the resurrec-
AD. tion of the body, and the life ever-
In early Christian history it was lasting.
recited, especially at the time of bap-
tism, as a Triune statement of faith
The Nicene Creed
which nicely explained baptism ‘in the
The ‘Nicene Creed’ contains the teach-
name of the Father and of the Son and
ing approved by the Council of Nicea
of the Holy Spirit.’ This creed is one of
in 325, but the exact wording and for-
the sources of the common Christian
mat come from the Council of Con-
way of talking about ‘Three Articles’ of
stantinople in 381. (In contrast, the
the faith, about the Father, about the
exact wording of the creed approved at
Son, and about the Holy Spirit. This
Nicea is sometimes called ‘The Creed of
outline shows how the early church
Nicea.’) For this reason it is sometimes
saw the doctrine of the Trinity as not
also called ‘The Creed of Constantino-
only central to knowing God but also
ple’ or ‘The Nicene-Constantinopolitan
the leading way to outline the entire
Creed.’ The teaching of the creeds from
faith.
Nicea and Constantinople were fully
I believe in God the Father
approved at the Council of Chalcedon
Almighty, Maker of heaven and
in 451. The text of the Nicene Creed
earth;
follows:
And in Jesus Christ his only Son,
W e believe in one God the Father
our Lord:
All-sovereign, maker of heaven and
Who was conceived by the Holy earth, and of all things visible and
Spirit, invisible;
Born of the Virgin Mary, A nd in one Lord Jesus Christ, the
Suffered under Pontius Pilate, was only-begotten Son of God, Begot-
crucified, dead, and buried; ten of the Father before all the ages,
Light of Light, true God of true God,
He descended into hell;
begotten not made, of one substance
The third day he arose again from
(homoousion) with the Father,
the dead,
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Thomas K. Johnson
through whom all things were made; human. It was adopted by the Council
who for us men and for our salvation of Chalcedon (also called the Fourth
came down from the heavens, and Ecumenical Council) in 451 AD. It
was made flesh of the Holy Spirit has been generally accepted by most
and the Virgin Mary, and became Christians except those who belong to
man, and was crucified for us under the Oriental Orthodox Churches.
Pontius Pilate, and suffered and was W e, then, following the holy
buried, and rose again on the third Fathers, all with one consent, teach
day according to the Scriptures, and people to confess one and the same
ascended into the heavens, and sits Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, the same
on the right hand of the Father, and perfect in Godhead and also perfect
comes again with glory to judge the in manhood;
living and the dead, of whose king-
t ruly God and truly man, of a rea-
dom there shall be no end;
sonable [rational] soul and body;
And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and
c onsubstantial [co-essential] with
the Life-giver, that proceeds from the
the Father according to the God-
Father,5 who with the Father and the
head, and consubstantial with us
Son is worshipped together and glo-
according to the Manhood;
rified together, who spoke through
i n all things like unto us, without
the prophets:
sin;
In one holy Catholic and Apostolic
b egotten before all ages of the Father
Church:
according to the Godhead, and in
We acknowledge one baptism unto
these latter days, for us and for our
remission of sins. We look for a res-
salvation, born of the Virgin Mary,
urrection of the dead, and the life of
the Mother of God, according to the
the age to come.6
Manhood;
o ne and the same Christ, Son,
The Definition (or Creed) of Chalcedon Lord, only begotten, to be acknowl-
This creed is often called a defini- edged in two natures, inconfusedly,
tion, not a creed, because its focus is unchangeably, indivisibly, insepara-
on defining the relation between the bly;
two natures of Christ, not on con- t he distinction of natures being by
fessing our entire trinitarian Chris- no means taken away by the union,
tian faith. It is included here because but rather the property of each
the Christian understanding of the nature being preserved, and concur-
Trinity is closely associated with the ring in one Person and one Subsis-
Christian understanding of Jesus, the tence, not parted or divided into
Christ, being both fully God and fully two persons, but one and the same
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The Trinity in the Bible and Selected Creeds of the Church: Resources for Study
Son, and only begotten God (mono- and another of the Holy Ghost.
gene theon), the Word, the Lord But the Godhead of the Father, of
Jesus Christ; the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, is
as the prophets from the beginning all one; the Glory equal, the Maj-
[have declared] concerning Him, esty coeternal. Such as the Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ Himself is; such is the Son; and such is the
has taught us, and the Creed of the Holy Ghost. The Father uncre-
holy Fathers has handed down to us. ated; the Son uncreated; and the
Holy Ghost uncreated. The Father
unlimited; the Son unlimited; and
The Athanasian Creed the Holy Ghost unlimited. The
Father eternal; the Son eternal;
This creed was named after the impor-
and the Holy Ghost eternal. And
tant pastor and writer of the fourth cen-
yet they are not three eternals; but
tury, Athanasius (293–373), but it was
one eternal. As also there are not
probably written in the fifth or sixth
three uncreated; nor three infi-
century, long after the time of Atha-
nites, but one uncreated; and one
nasius. In this text the term ‘catholic’
infinite. So likewise the Father is
refers to all those Christians who did
Almighty; the Son Almighty; and
not follow one of the important her-
the Holy Ghost Almighty. And
esies of the ancient world; the Christian
yet they are not three Almighties;
church was not yet divided between
but one Almighty. So the Father
Protestant and Roman Catholic, nor
is God; the Son is God; and the
between eastern and western churches.
Holy Ghost is God. And yet they
It has been used by many Evangelical
are not three Gods; but one God.
churches, though its didactic character
So likewise the Father is Lord; the
makes it more suitable to a classroom or
Son Lord; and the Holy Ghost
personal use than to a worship service.
Lord. And yet not three Lords;
Whosoever will be saved, before all
but one Lord. For like as we are
things it is necessary that he hold
compelled by the Christian ver-
the catholic faith. Which faith
ity; to acknowledge every Person
except every one do keep whole
by himself to be God and Lord;
and undefiled; without doubt he
So are we forbidden by the catho-
shall perish everlastingly. And the
lic religion; to say, There are three
catholic faith is this: That we wor-
Gods, or three Lords. The Father is
ship one God in Trinity, and Trin-
made of none; neither created, nor
ity in Unity; Neither confound-
begotten. The Son is of the Father
ing the Persons; nor dividing the
alone; not made, nor created; but
Essence. For there is one Person
begotten. The Holy Ghost is of
of the Father; another of the Son;
the Father and of the Son; neither
Theologische AkzenTe 7
Thomas K. Johnson
made, nor created, nor begotten; Man is one Christ; Who suffered
but proceeding. So there is one for our salvation; descended into
Father, not three Fathers; one Son, hell; rose again the third day from
not three Sons; one Holy Ghost, the dead. He ascended into heaven,
not three Holy Ghosts. And in he sitteth on the right hand of the
this Trinity none is before, or after God the Father Almighty, from
another; none is greater, or less whence he will come to judge the
than another. But the whole three quick and the dead. At whose
Persons are coeternal, and coequal. coming all men will rise again
So that in all things, as aforesaid; with their bodies; And shall give
the Unity in Trinity, and the Trin- account for their own works. And
ity in Unity, is to be worshipped. they that have done good shall
He therefore that will be saved, let go into life everlasting; and they
him thus think of the Trinity. that have done evil, into everlast-
Furthermore it is necessary to ing fire. This is the catholic faith;
everlasting salvation; that he also which except a man believe truly
believe faithfully the Incarnation and firmly, he cannot be saved.
of our Lord Jesus Christ. For the
right Faith is, that we believe and III The Trinity in the Medi-
confess; that our Lord Jesus Christ, eval Reform Movements
the Son of God, is God and Man;
While the various medieval reform
God, of the Essence of the Father;
movements within Christianity often
begotten before the worlds; and
focused on moral reforms and concerns
Man, of the Essence of his Mother,
regarding the sacraments, some of the
born in the world. Perfect God;
many movements desired to be clear
and perfect Man, of a reasonable
that their reforms were based on clas-
soul and human flesh subsisting.
sical Christian doctrine. As an example
Equal to the Father, as touching
we mention the Waldenses Confession
his Godhead; and inferior to the
of 1120. It not only explicitly affirms
Father as touching his Manhood.
the Apostles’ Creed; the fourteen arti-
Who although he is God and
cles of the Waldenses appear to be a
Man; yet he is not two, but one
development of the twelve articles of
Christ. One; not by conversion
the Apostolicum.
of the Godhead into flesh; but by
1. We believe and firmly maintain all
assumption of the Manhood by
that is contained in the twelve arti-
God. One altogether; not by con-
cles of the symbol, commonly called
fusion of Essence; but by unity of
the apostles’ creed, and we regard
Person. For as the reasonable soul
as heretical whatever is inconsistent
and flesh is one man; so God and
with the said twelve articles.
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The Trinity in the Bible and Selected Creeds of the Church: Resources for Study
2. We believe that there is one God – and priest, who died for the salva-
the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. tion of all who should believe, and
3. We acknowledge for sacred canon- rose again for their justification.
ical scriptures the books of the Holy 8 . And we also firmly believe, that
Bible. (Here follows the title of each, there is no other mediator, or advo-
exactly conformable to our received cate with God the Father, but Jesus
canon, but which it is deemed, on Christ. And as to the Virgin Mary,
that account, quite unnecessary to she was holy, humble, and full of
particularize.) grace; and this we also believe con-
4. The books above-mentioned teach cerning all other saints, namely, that
us: That there is one GOD, almighty, they are waiting in heaven for the
unbounded in wisdom, and infinite resurrection of their bodies at the
in goodness, and who, in His good- day of judgment.
ness, has made all things. For He cre- 9 . We also believe, that, after this
ated Adam after His own image and life, there are but two places – one
likeness. But through the enmity of for those that are saved, the other
the Devil, and his own disobedience, for the damned, which [two] we call
Adam fell, sin entered into the world, paradise and hell, wholly denying
and we became transgressors in and that imaginary purgatory of Anti-
by Adam. christ, invented in opposition to the
5. That Christ had been promised to truth.
the fathers who received the law, to 1 0. Moreover, we have ever regarded
the end that, knowing their sin by all the inventions of men [in the
the law, and their unrighteousness affairs of religion] as an unspeak-
and insufficiency, they might desire able abomination before God;
the coming of Christ to make satis- such as the festival days and vigils
faction for their sins, and to accom- of saints, and what is called holy-
plish the law by Himself. water, the abstaining from flesh on
6. That at the time appointed of certain days, and such like things,
the Father, Christ was born – a but above all, the masses.
time when iniquity everywhere 1 1. We hold in abhorrence all
abounded, to make it manifest that human inventions, as proceeding
it was not for the sake of any good from Antichrist, which produce
in ourselves, for all were sinners, but distress (Alluding probably to the
that He, who is true, might display voluntary penances and mortifica-
His grace and mercy towards us. tion imposed by the Catholics on
7. That Christ is our life, and truth, themselves), and are prejudicial to
and peace, and righteousness – our the liberty of the mind.
shepherd and advocate, our sacrifice
Theologische AkzenTe 9
Thomas K. Johnson
1 2 We consider the Sacraments as
The Augsburg Confession
signs of holy things, or as the visible
This was and is the primary doctrinal
emblems of invisible blessings. We
standard of the Lutheran churches,
regard it as proper and even neces-
written and officially accepted in 1530.
sary that believers use these sym-
bols or visible forms when it can be 1] Our Churches, with common
done. Notwithstanding which, we consent, do teach that the decree
maintain that believers may be saved of the Council of Nicaea concern-
without these signs, when they have ing the Unity of the Divine Essence
neither place nor opportunity of and concerning the Three Persons, is
observing them. true and to be believed without any
doubting; 2] that is to say, there is
1 3. We acknowledge no sacraments
one Divine Essence which is called
[as of divine appointment] but bap-
and which is God: eternal, with-
tism and the Lord’s supper.
out body, without parts, of infinite
1 4. We honour the secular powers,
power, wisdom, and goodness, the
with subjection, obedience, prompti-
Maker and Preserver of all things,
tude, and payment.7
visible and invisible; and 3] yet there
are three Persons, of the same essence
and power, who also are coeternal,
IV The Trinity in Classical
the Father, the Son, and the Holy
Protestant Confessions
Ghost. And the term ‘person’ 4] they
From the beginnings of Protestantism, use as the Fathers have used it, to sig-
the ancient and classical doctrine of nify, not a part or quality in another,
the Trinity was affirmed and taught as but that which subsists of itself. 5]
a central theme of the Christian faith. They condemn all heresies which
This is seen in the several branches of have sprung up against this article, as
Protestantism that developed from the the Manichaeans, who assumed two
time of the Reformation in the 16th cen- principles, one Good and the other
tury. There is overwhelming consensus Evil: also the Valentinians, Arians,
regarding the Trinity in the Protestant Eunomians, Mohammedans, and
confessions. The following selections all such. 6] They condemn also the
show that similarity among churches Samosatenes, old and new, who, con-
that had disagreements on questions tending that there is but one Person,
regarding sacraments, liturgy, and sophistically and impiously argue
other church policies. that the Word and the Holy Ghost
are not distinct Persons, but that
‘Word’ signifies a spoken word, and
‘Spirit’ signifies motion created in
things.
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