the Lord turn his face toward you and keep you; Isa. Trinity in Old and New Testament (Vos) by Fred Sanders on March 20, 2014 Gerhardus Vos (1862-1949), best known for his biblical theology, also wrote a systematic theology. You may unsubscribe from these email communications at any time. The Bible’s doctrine of the Trinity is revealed progressively. By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from HarperCollins Christian Publishing (501 Nelson Place, Nashville, TN 37214 USA) providing information about products and services of HCCP and its affiliates. This is especially clear in the New Testament, but if the New Testament is to be believed, it is also characteristic of the Old Testament, where Father and Son were speaking to and about each other in words given by the Spirit to the prophets. Literary theorist E. K. Brown has said, “There is nothing magical in reading. God the Son is speaking in this verse. Shopping. Many theologians believe passages, like this one in Numbers, demonstrate a preview of the Trinity by repeating God’s name in threes. A prime example would be Bates’s fine discussion of Ps. This plural form was often interpreted as an indication for the Trinity. When man gained a knowledge of good and evil God said, “The man is become as one of us” (Gen. 3:22). What is My Responsibility When I Become a Church Member? However, the triunity of God is taught throughout the Old Testament, even in … The plurality of God in the Old Testament In his gospel, John describes Jesus as the Word of God. Who Founded Israel and When? On What Days Did the Crucifixion and Resurrection Occur? Revealed in Creation and History Link. Evangelism – Sharing The Gospel as Jesus Commanded, Financial Giving – Bible Verses About Giving, God’s Purpose of Marriage – What the Bible Says. Dr. Fred Sanders. The doctrine of the Trinity was taught in the early church. Some have misunderstood this point and have argued that the formula of baptism “in the name of Jesus” (Acts 2:38) is different than the formula of Matthew 28:19. In the book of Proverbs, we are introduced to the wisdom of God personified as a woman. Spiritual Gifts Test – Find Your Spiritual Gifts. Is it Sinful? Your form could not be submitted. By this point in his ministry, the disciples were well aware that Jesus was God the Son. Jesus believed in and taught his disciples the doctrine of the Trinity. Towns has given theological lectures and taught intensive seminars at over 50 theological seminaries in America and abroad. If you have any questions, please review our, Fred Sanders is Professor of Theology at Biola University's Torrey Honors Institute. Two practices of the church revealed that the first Christians were trinitarians. How much of it is personification, and how much is an actual person? A rereading of Genesis 1 is in this case enriched by the knowledge that the God of the Exodus created the heavens and the earth. Is the Virgin Birth Mentioned in Scripture Prophecy? At different times, God speaks about himself using singular pronouns and at others, he opts for plural ones: Outside of the the New Testament’s revelation of the Trinity, it’s hard to make sense of the singular/plural dichotomy in these passages. There is a rich tradition of interpreting passages where God’s name is repeated three times as a trinitarian reference. Matin Calinescu situates rereading as a counter-practice against the regime of normative first reading. Allusions to the Trinity in the Old Testament In the Hebrew language, a general term used to designate God is Elohim, a plural form of El/Eloah. He has an MDiv from Asbury Theological Seminary and PhD from Graduate Theological Union. In his instruction concerning the coming of the Holy Spirit, he taught in such a way that assumes the disciples understood the doctrine of the Trinity. He holds visiting professorship rank in five seminaries. Throughout the Old Testament we catch glimpses of an agent of Yahweh who sometimes behaves as if he were the presence of the Lord, and at other times he appears to be an emissary. ‘Do not do anything to him. Angels in the Bible: What Do We Actually Know About Them? Discrediting the biblical description of marriage is an attack on the proper understanding of the Trinity. “And God said, let us make man in our image, after our likeness” (Gen. 1:26). For many Christian doctrines support can be found in both the Old and New Testaments. How Can Christian Parents Respond to a Gay Child? Life After Death – What Happens to Christians? We are not seeking anything magical, although the category of rereading might open up a relatively sober approach to the fascination with concealment that has animated much mystical interpretation of the Scriptures. 6:8). Much of the work of God is attributed to each member of the Godhead. 9. Specifically, it called for the recognition of the deity of Christ whom they crucified. The first name for God used in Scripture is Elohim. When the apostle Paul pronounced his final benediction upon the Corinthian church, he did so in the name of the three Persons of the Trinity. Jesus instructed his disciples to baptize converts “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” (Matt. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.”—Deuteronomy 6:4–5 (emphasis added). Though there are numerous examples of the Trinity, many found in the New Testament, below are a few examples of the Trinity in the Old Testament. There are points in the Old Testament where God’s very word is personified as it would be if God’s Word referenced Jesus. Where is the ‘Mark of the Beast’ Found in Scripture? . Some commentators make a lot out of the distinction between the name Elohim and the name Yahweh. Marriage in the Bible – What Marriage Is and Isn’t. We’re left wondering if this is just a way of talking about God or if it’s an agent sent from God. A piece of mine reflecting upon the doctrine of the Trinity within the Old Testament has just been posted over on the Desiring God website:. oneness of God against pagan polytheism, which denied a Trinity in either the Old Testament or the New Testament. The first is seen in the practice of greetings and benedictions. Get updates from Zondervan Academic directly in your inbox. Time Between The Second Coming And The Millennial Reign. Rereading makes possible an interpretive interplay between the text’s parts and its whole. What Were the 10 Plagues of Egypt in Exodus? One hint at the plurality and unity of the Godhead may be found in several passages where God speaks. Even today some Christians will comment, “God bless you” as they part company. Should Christians Listen to Secular Music? Critics argue that since the Trinity isn’t overtly mentioned ... To contemplate the Trinity is to lift up your heart and to “set your mind on the things above” (Col. 3:2). Those who reject the Trinity sometimes point to the Old Testament for support insisting that the doctrine is not taught there and therefore should be rejected. Rereading is, after all, one of the primary pleasures of popular reading. The Old Testament and New Testament Trinity Are the Same. Learn more in The Triune God online course. “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all” (2 Cor. In fact, the trinitarian rereading of Genesis 1 has to answer several questions: Does the extended sense of the rereading of Genesis 1 include the sense, “In the beginning, the Trinity created the heavens and the earth,” or does it rather include, “In the beginning, Jesus created the heavens and the earth,” or does it rather include, “In the beginning, God the Father created the heavens and the earth through the Son and the Spirit”? How do we read these passages in a way that will preserve their mystery and shed some light on what we learn about the godhead from the New Testament? We know it includes, “In the Beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”. It is often assumed that the doctrine of the Trinity – the idea that there is one being of God that is comprised of three eternal and co-equal divine persons (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) – is something that is revealed only in the incarnation of the Son, between the penning of the Old and New Testaments. What Does the Bible Say About Personality? The Aaronic benediction given by God for recitation by Israel’s first priest was also threefold in nature: “The Lord bless thee, and keep thee; The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee; The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace” (Num. Though three were identified, converts were baptized in the “name” singular, reflecting the unity of the Godhead. Genesis 1 says that God created the heavens and the earth. THE TRINITY is in the OLD TESTAMENT! 28:19). While it is true that the Old or New Testament neither use the word “Trinity” nor give a direct statement of the doctrine, there is ample evidence in both to support … Jesus would have had only to say something once to make it true, but the repetition of this teaching in this context suggests not only was the teaching true, but the learners (disciples) were able to relate to that truth. Rereading is the act of studying a document by reading it all the way through to the end—and once you have an understanding of the document as a whole—you read it all the way through again. What is ‘Using Fleece’ to Determine God’s Will? Did Jesus Say that the Jews were Children of the Devil? Although early Christian theologians speculated in many wayson the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, no one clearly and fully assertedthe doctrine of the Trinity as explained at the top of the main entryuntil around the end of the so-called Arian Controversy. The bulk of his study (chs. What Does the Bible Mean By ‘The Just Shall Live By Faith’? What Does the Bible Mean by ‘Greater Works’? Should Christians Drink Alcohol? God reveals his nature in part through his names. The Trinity In the Old Testament The names of God. the New Testament reveals as Jesus— can forgive sin or refuse to forgive it (Ex. More specifically, the Old Testament teaches Jehovah has a Son (Ps. What is a Congregational Church Government? Here are five quotes from the Old Testament that many scripture scholars agree are hidden references to the reality of the Blessed Trinity. Share. from Northwestern College in Minneapolis, Minnesota, a M.A. 2:5–9 and its appearance in Mark 1:11 and parallels and Heb. It’s hard to summarize exactly what that distinction is because it’s never stated as simply as “the Father is Elohim and the son is Yahweh.” Instead, it’s a witness to a diversity of naming that establishes what’s going on within one God. Why Should I Have a Relationship With God? Many theologians would suggest it does. Immersive mastery of a text opens up new interpretive possibilities in negotiating the whole dialogue, which is one of the main engines in discerning the meaning for the reader. “But when the Comforter [God the Holy Spirit] is come, whom I [God the Son] will send unto YOU from [God] the Father. This article analyzes the concept of the Trinity in the Old Testament. Does the Bible Contradict Itself at Jesus’ Tomb? Four doctoral dissertations have analyzed his contribution to religious education and evangelism. I pronounce you husband and wife together, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Missionaries to the Jews often use this verse when challenged by Jews that Christians believe in “three Gods.” Christians believe in one God in three Persons, just as the Old Testament teaches. The eye of the mind can scan the whole, ranging backward and forward in it. What do the Words ‘Selah’ and ‘Higgaion’ Mean? What is the Meaning of the Ten Virgins Parable? Some of them provide a good demonstration of the elements of trinitarianism in the Old Testament. “Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever. Like a dog with a particularly juicy bone, he returns to his chosen text again and again, worrying at it and aiming to get all the goodness out of it for the benefit of his readers.”. Much later, Michael Servetus (1511-1553) believed that the Trinity had little biblical support, and that if theology could rid itself of the Trinitarian idea, this … The Trinity in the New Testament. While most arguments for the Trinity are grounded in the New Testament, God begins revealing His triune nature in the Old Testament. “In the argument of Hebrews we see a first-century example of a Christian expositor whose instinct it was to develop his argument by focusing successively on a number of key texts, and in each case not simply to quote it and pass on, but to stay with it, exploring its wider implications, and drawing it into association with other related Old Testament ideas, so as to produce a richer and more satisfying diet of biblical theology than could be provided by a mere collection of proof-texts. Trinity is merely one of a long list of doctrines that developed between the Old Testament and the New Testaments. Therefore, this verse identifies three who are God yet it does not deny monotheism. What is only implicit in the Old Testament is explicit in the New Testament, where divinity is ascribed to Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Old Testament … How to Grow Stronger and Deeper in Faith in Jesus. In addition the Shema, there are a number of other Old and New Testament verses that proclaim that God is one (see God is One). Isaiah’s vision of God included the threefold designation, “Holy, holy, holy” (Isa. Pursue a deeper knowledge of God through self-paced college- and seminary-level online courses in Old and New Testament studies, theology, biblical Greek, and more. He is still the one true God we discover in the Jewish Shema prayer: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. from Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California.He is co-founder of Liberty University, with Jerry Falwell, in 1971, and was the only full-time teacher in the first year of Liberty’s existence. 48:16-17 "Come near to Me, hear this: I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; from the time that it was, I was there. Here are a few examples (again – there are many more! While the word Elohim has the distinct im ending that marks it as plural, Elohim seems to be an agent of singular verb actions. “For thy Maker is thine husband; the Lord of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; the God of the whole earth shall he be called” (Isa. Christian baptism was always “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” (Matt. Learn more about the doctrine of the Trinity. Or again, a reader who continues through to the end of the New Testament learns a great many surprising things about this God, and a rereading of Genesis 1 in this case is enriched by the knowledge that the God who raised Jesus from the dead created the heavens and the earth. One God and Lord, existing and ministering in three persons. Info. In the next verse the Son is more clearly identified as God. Some of them provide a good demonstration of the elements of trinitarianism in the Old Testament. Rereading is a mode of scriptural re-engagement that allows trinitarian interpretation to maintain the original meaning of the Old Testament, but also to layer onto it the insights that arise from later developments of its themes. Of course, there are more passages that mention all three Trinity members (1 Co 12:4–6; Eph 1:13–14; 4:4–6; Jude 20–21), and many more that describe the relationships between the three persons of the Trinity. Is Drinking a Sin? Engaging them with a trinitarian understanding sheds new light on their possible implications. When attempting to prepare them for their life of service after his resurrection, he told them he had asked the Father to send the Comforter, which is God the Holy Spirit. The name “Maker” (Isa. In the New Testament, Christians are given a new lens through which they see God. A lot of older theologies ask, “What is the ultimate reason why two names are given to us right at the beginning of Scripture?” Within that question is an analysis—one that relies on an assumption. He has written over 2,000 reference and/or popular articles and received six honorary doctoral degrees. What Does the Bible Mean by a “Living Sacrifice”? Christians often greeted one another in the name of the Lord. What are the Requirements for Church Membership? Before God judged at Babel, he said, “Let us go down” (Gen. 11:7). Imagine going to the Old Testament to prove the doctrine of the TRINITY! These are passages where the Lord speaks of himself or the Messiah in a repetitive, reduplicative way: The repetitive expressions of God in some Old Testament passages may point to various persons in the Trinity. Rereading can even be made to sound subversive and transgressive, as if in the high-theory war between reader and author, rereading is a matter of taking up arms in anarchic rebellion against the author. It’s easy to understand how a trinitarian theologian, informed by the New Testament, would recognize the angel of the Lord—a figure who seems to be with God and to be God— as a christological figure. What God is in His revelation in history is what God is like in His own inner-Trinitarian being. He was baptized by John the Baptist in the Jordan River (Matt. Hebrews 9:14 illustrates the cooperative efforts of each member of the Trinity in the atonement: God the Son offered his blood through God the Holy Spirit to God the Father for our salvation. Why Did Jesus Leave Heaven and Become Man? The name “Maker” (Isa. This personification is a speaking agent who is difficult to distinguish. To act as an indication for the doctrine of the Lord in heaven ( Gen.,... 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