Trinity
Is Oneness Pentecostalism the same as Sabellianism/Modalism?
When T.D. Jakes was labeled a “modalist” (e.g. C. Michael Patton’s “T.D. Jakes Not Modalist?”) it came to the surprise of some Oneness Pentecostals that their theology proper was equated with that particular ancient heresy. Why? Well, while many Oneness Pentecostals explain their view of God using terminology and word-pictures that are essentially descriptions of [...]
Is T.D. Jakes a Trinitarian?
I have friends who are Oneness Pentecostals and many more friends who are Trinitarians. It has been an interesting day since T.D. Jakes appeared at an event called “The Elephant Room” (i.e. MMA for evangelicals) where he was asked about his understanding of the doctrine of the Trinity. Many of my friends and acquaintances in [...]
It’s not your creed. It’s the creed of the church.
A few days ago I wrote a short piece asking whether or not rejection of the doctrine of the Trinity is the rejection of the Gospel (see “Is rejection of the doctrine of the Trinity a rejection of the Gospel?”). Many people commented sharing a range of opinions. Most of the comments made points worth [...]
Is rejection of the doctrine of the Trinity a rejection of the Gospel?
Yesterday Marc Cortez wrote a post titled “Carson and Keller on Confessionalism, Boundaries, and the Gospel” wherein he discusses an article written by D.A. Carson and Tim Keller titled “Reflections on Confessionalism, Boundaries, and Discipline”. In Carson and Keller’s article they explained why The Gospel Coalition affirms certain doctrines that may create an “in” and [...]
Embrace the tension. It’s what we Christians do.
I’ve had some good conversations the last couple days since arriving in San Diego, CA. One topic that has been addressed twice already is that of Calvinism. I used to think of myself as a Calvinist until the Calvinist told me that I didn’t belong. Prior to that, I thought of myself as an Arminian, but [...]
Sundays in the Fourth Gospel: The Oneness of the Son and the Father
John 10:30 I and the Father are one. John 10:30 is a used by many groups to support their theology and one over which exegetes have spilled much ink. Arians, modalists, Trinitarians, and others have all appealed to this verse to support their theology. Generally, the Arian understanding is that the oneness of the Son [...]
A Few Reasons I am No Longer a Oneness Pentecostal
Shortly after my conversion to Christ in 2002 in the charismatic movement of the Catholic church, I became affiliated with the United Pentecostal Church International (UPCI), a Oneness Pentecostal group that broke away from the Assemblies of God over the New Issue of baptism, which ultimately led to the denial of the doctrine of the [...]
The Trinity around the Blogosphere
As Joel Watts has noted, there has been a lot of discussion around the blogosphere sparked by Roger Olson’s recent post on the essentials of Christianity (see here) where he stated that he is “not certain” if a Christian must believe the doctrine of the Trinity. Similarly, Miroslav Volf has noted in a recent interview [...]
Miroslav Volf on the Trinity
Earlier this month I discussed an article written by Miroslav Volf indicating that he thinks Christians and Muslims worship the same god (see here). One of the concerns that I had with such a broad statement is that it must take into account the reality that while both religions are monotheistic, Christianity is distinctly Trinitarian. [...]
Pondering the Trinity as an Act of Worship
The doctrine of the Trinity is one of those teachings that can be absolutely mind boggling. Many errors, and even heresies, appear to be the result of people trying to bring down the mystery of the Christian God to containable insights into the divine that any human could have reasoned without God revealing himself. That being [...]
The Trinity is a Mystery!
Rodney Thomas of the blog Political Jesus said this the other day: “I believe in the Trinity, but I don’t feel the need to use the doctrine to beat the heads of others who have difficulty reconciling it with the biblical witness. It’s not as if we can completely grasp God in the first place, and [...]
Basil the Great: The Difference Between οὐσία and ὑπόστασις
Today the eastern church remembers Basil the Great, Archbishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia (329-379). I was introduced to his writings about a year ago. I found his magisterial work On the Holy Spirit to be very influential in my thinking regarding the deity of the Holy Spirit. What I will share here, in his honor, [...]
Sunday Quote: I Am
In an argument with “the Jews” of his day, Jesus uttered these words: Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, before Abraham was, I am.” (John 8:58 NRSV) As I sat in on a the SBL Development of Early Trinitarian Theology program yesterday, there was some discussion on this verse. Just like in [...]
Sunday Quote: The Extent of God’s Love
I found this perspective on God’s love quite interesting: If we were to take all the love in every heart of everyone on earth, and add it to all the love of all those who ever existed throughout history, then add the love of all saints in heaven, and all the angels, seraphim and cherubim, [...]
Book Contest Winner for Fred Sanders’ The Deep Things of God
A couple of weeks ago we announced that we have a signed copy of Fred Sanders’ new book on the Trinity–The Deep Things of God: How the Trinity Changes Everything–that we are giving away. We want to thank all those who spread the word via your own blog, Facebook, and/or Twitter. Since the book is [...]
Book Contest: The Deep Things of God: How the Trinity Changes Everything by Fred Sanders
We have obtained a signed copy of The Deep Things of God: How the Trinity Changes Everything by Fred Sanders and we are going to give it away. The blurb on the book is as follows: A specialist in the doctrine of the Trinity explains how the gospel is inherently Trinitarian, and how this adds [...]
Sunday Quote: Paul’s Doxologies
I found myself thinking on what Ben Witherington III wrote: Paul is quite happy to speak about Christ assuming a variety of functions previously predicated only of Yahweh in the Old Testament. Though Paul did not articulate a full trinitarian theology, the raw stuff of trinitarian thinking surfaces again and again in his letters, especially [...]
“Let Us Make”: Five Primary Options for Genesis 1.26a
Genesis 1.26a has been problematic for readers of Scripture for some time. It reads as follows: Then God said, “Let us make man in our own image, according to our likeness… וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים נַֽעֲשֶׂה אָדָם בְּצַלְמֵנוּ כִּדְמוּתֵנוּ Over the last several years I have read five primary opinions on this text (and I sure there [...]
Wednesdays with Wright: Monotheism in Second Temple Judaism
Since there have been a few conversations on this blog in recent weeks regarding the doctrine of God it is only fitting that this week’s quotation from N.T. Wright be related somehow. It is a short paragraph from an essay titled “Jesus and the Identity of God” (find here). If you need more context I [...]
Is Trinitarian-Oneness Dialog Profitable?
The Society of Pentecostal Studies sponsored a Trinitarian-Oneness dialog from 2002-2007. When it was all said and done notable religious historian Daniel Ramirez of the University of Michigan (then of Arizona State University) told me he did not think it was very profitable. He gave his reasons publically in “A Historian’s Response: Final Report of [...]
Ask Bruce Ware
Dr. Bruce Ware of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary is here at Western Seminary teaching a course on the doctrine of the Trinity. Marc Cortez has secured a lunch meeting with him for all of us Th.M. students. I intend on being there but I am not sure if I will contribute much to the conversation [...]
Sunday Quote: Douglas McCready on the Risk of Oversimplifying Doctrine
Today at lunch my wife and I were discussing the differences between Trinitarian and Oneness (Pentecostal) approaches to God. At one point she asked me if I thought that the Oneness view was an attempt to make things too simple that lead to making erroneous statements. In fact, I think this may be one of the [...]
2010 Trinity Blogging Summit
Nick Norelli has posted all the papers for the 2010 Trinity Blogging Summit. This year JohnDave and I both contributed. To see the list of article go here.
Prayers for Trinity Sunday
In celebration of Trinity Sunday I want to quote three prayers: The first is from the Catholic liturgy: Father, you sent your Word to bring us truth and your Spirit to make us holy. Through them we come to know the mystery of your life. Help us to worship you, one God in three Persons, [...]
Fully Trinitarian; Fully Embracing Pentecost
I read this great quote from Steve Farmer today: “I love that Pentecost is followed by Trinity Sunday. We’re often not Trinitarian, because we don’t fully embrace Pentecost.” It is no coincidence in my mind that Pentecost Sunday is followed by Trinity Sunday. We can fully appreciate the Triune God only when we acknowledge that [...]
Origen: Heretic or Great Theologian?
As aforementioned, several of my classmates have been posting papers related to theologians that we discussed in our Greek Fathers class at Western Seminary (see here). My classmate Billy Cash has written his paper on Origen. He discusses the “subordinationist” perspective of Origen that was used later by groups like the Arians. He concludes that [...]
Introduction to the ‘Letters to Serapion on the Holy Spirit’
I wrote an introduction to Athanasius’ Letters to Serapion on the Holy Spirit for my final paper in a recent class on the Greek Fathers. It has been posted over at the Western Seminary ThM program blog Scientia et Sapienta here. By the way, this will be very similar to the paper I will be [...]
One Operation of the Triune God
The more I study Trinitarian theology from a patristic perspective the more I am impressed with the precise descriptions given to us from these great theologians. In previous years it has been difficult for me to wrestle with the doctrine of the Trinity through the lens of what is commonly called “social Trinitarianism”. I confess [...]
Athanasius on the Unity of the Trinity
I have been reading through Athanasius’ Letters to Serapion on the Holy Spirit (trans. C.R.B. Shapland, p. 94). It is evident that Athanasius strongly emphasized the unity of the Trinity. He writes the following, “For the holy and blessed Triad is indivisible and one in itself. When mention is made of the Father, there is [...]
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