Friday’s section of “The God of Grace and Judgment” asks the question, “What’s the deadly spiritual trap of thinking that because we’re saved by grace, it doesn’t matter what we do? How can you protect yourself against falling into that deception?” On the golf course we have another word for grace. It is called a … Continue reading –>
Marilyn Sewell, a Unitarian minister, made the following statement while interviewing Christopher Hitchens, a well-known atheist: “The religion you cite in your book is generally the fundamentalist faith of various kinds. I’m a liberal Christian, and I don’t take the stories from the Scripture literally. I don’t believe in the doctrine of atonement 1 (that … Continue reading –>
In Luke 1:26-38, the angel Gabriel appears to Mary and tells her that she is going to be the mother of the Messiah. In verse 30, Gabriel tells her not to be afraid. In Matthew 1:19-25, an angel appears to Joseph in a dream and tells him not to be afraid to marry Mary. In … Continue reading –>
In the doctrine of the Trinity, we do not find three different divine roles displayed by one Person (that is modalism). Nor are there three gods in a cluster (that is tritheism orpolytheism). The one God (“He”) is also, and equally, “They,” and “They” are always together, always closely cooperating. The Holy Spirit executes the will of both … Continue reading –>
Joe Manning, the Bible teacher, decided he would ask his tenth grade class to come up with a visible object lesson to explain the concept of the Trinity. He gave them three days to submit their contributions. Then he collected the fifteen papers and carefully studied them at home, hoping to give some recognition to the … Continue reading –>
Key Thought: The doctrine of the Trinity is a Scriptural truth that God exists in three distinct persons with different functions, yet they work together as One.. [Teaching Pan for “The Triune God” January 4, 2012] 1. Have a volunteer read Deuteronomy 6:4. A. Ask class members to share a short thought on what … Continue reading –>
The Gospel of John gives direct and conscious attention to the unique nature of God. John seems to be fully aware of the oneness, yet “threeness,” of God. 1 Read Christ’s words in John 14–16 and count the number of references to the three Persons of God. How do these passages help us understand the reality of this … Continue reading –>
However clear the Bible is that God is one (echad), the Bible also talks about the plurality of Persons. Scholars and Bible students through the millennia have seen in many Old Testament texts powerful evidence of the plural nature of God. This truth, as with many others, is more fully revealed in the New Testament. Read Genesis 1:26, … Continue reading –>
If God can be “one,” with the two Persons of the Father and the Son, adding a third Person to the Godhead should not particularly add more difficulty. We are talking here about the Holy Spirit.1 Read Genesis 1:2. What does this tell us about the role of the Holy Spirit, who appears so early in … Continue reading –>
The deity of the Father is scarcely, if ever, in dispute. Those who question the Trinity often challenge the deity of Christ. Were Christ anything but eternal and fully divine, the plan of salvation would be seriously compromised (see Thursday’s lesson). 1 How does Paul, once a rigid Pharisee, talk about the deity of Christ? Phil. 2:6. … Continue reading –>
