The Trinity: One God, Three Persons
A doctrine forced on the church by the New Testament itself.
The doctrine of the Holy Trinity is the central and supreme mystery of the Christian faith. The broad, historic consensus of orthodox Christianity affirms that there is only one living and true God, who exists eternally in three distinct Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These three Persons are of one substance, power, and eternity, sharing equally in the undivided divine essence, yet they are distinguished by their personal relations.
By the end of this lesson
- Show why monotheism + the deity of Christ + the personhood of the Spirit forces a trinitarian conclusion
- Distinguish the eternal Trinity (immanent) from God's actions in the world (economic)
- State the filioque debate accurately enough that East and West could each recognise the position
Scripture
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