WSC #6 One God in Three Persons

Introduction: The importance of the doctrine of the Trinity.

I. THE TRINITY REVEALED IN SCRIPTURE
a. “Deducing” the doctrine of the Trinity
b. The Progressive revelation of the Trinity: A Biblical-Theological approach.
• OT revelation of the Trinity
• NT revelation of the Trinity

II. ONE GOD IN THREE PERSONS
a. Defining “Godhead” & “person”
b. Is the Doctrine of the Trinity contrary to reason? Is it contradictory?

“He (God) in one in substance and three in persons. While we may freely admit that this is a mystery which baffles the human mind, still it does not involve a contradiction. It would be contradictory if we were to affirm that God is both one and three in the same sense, that is, if we were to say that there is only one person in the Godhead and at the same time there are three persons in the Godhead. This would be an absurdity, but no Christian creed sets forth any such view of the matter.” J.G. Vos, The Westminster Larger Catechism: A Commentary.

c. Poor ‘Christian' illustrations – dangerously close to “Modalism”
Modalism is the false belief that God is one person who has revealed himself in three forms or modes in contrast to the doctrine of the trinity. Modalism was condemned as heresy in AD 213 & AD 262.

I. SAME IN SUBSTANCE, EQUAL IN POWER AND GLORY
a. What about John 14:26? “My Father is greater than I.” (See Philippians 2:6)
b. Ontological vs. Economic Trinity.
• “Ontos” means _______________.
“Economic” refers to _______________________