Sermon Illustrations on Trinity — page 2

'the Shack' & the Missing Art of Evangelical Discernment

John 1:1

The publishing world sees very few books reach blockbuster status, but William Paul Young’s “The Shack” has now exceeded even that. The book, originally self-published by Young and two friends, has now sold more than 10 million copies and has been translated into over thirty languages. It is now one of the best-selling paperback books of all time, and its readers are enthusiastic.

According to Young, the book was originally written for his own children. In essence, it can be described as a narrative theodicy -- an attempt to answer the question of evil and the character of God by means of a story. In this story, the main character is grieving the brutal kidnapping and murder of his 7-year-old daughter when he receives what turns out to be a summons from God to meet him in the very shack where the man’s daughter had been murdered.

In the shack, “Mack” meets the divine Trinity as “Papa,” an African-American woman; Jesus, a Jewish carpenter; and “Sarayu,” an Asian woman who is revealed to be the Holy Spirit. The book is mainly a series of dialogues between Mack, Papa, Jesus, and Sarayu. Those conversations reveal God to be very different than the God of the Bible. “Papa” is absolutely non-judgmental, and seems most determined to affirm that all humanity is already redeemed.

The theology of The Shack is not incidental to the story. Indeed, at most points the narrative seems mainly to serve as a structure for the dialogues. And the dialogues reveal a theology that is unconventional at best, and undoubtedly heretical in certain respects.

While the literary device of an unconventional “trinity” of divine persons is itself sub-biblical and dangerous, the theological explanations are worse. “Papa” tells Mack of the time when the three persons of the Trinity “spoke ourself into human existence as the Son of God.” Nowhere in the Bible is the Father or the Spirit described as taking on human existence. The Christology of the book is likewise confused. “Papa” tells Mack that, though Jesus is fully God, “he has never drawn upon his nature as God to do anything. He has only lived out of his relationship with me, living in the very same manner that I desire to be in relationship with every human being.” When Jesus healed the blind, “He did so only as a dependent, limited human being trusting in my life and power to be at work within him and through him. Jesus, as a human being, had no power within himself to heal anyone.”

While there is ample theological confusion to unpack there, suffice it to say that the Christian church has struggled for centuries to come to a faithful understanding of the Trinity in order to avoid just this kind of confusion -- understanding that the Christian faith is itself at stake.

Jesus tells Mack that He is “the best way any human can relate to Papa or Sarayu.” Not the only way, but merely the best way.

In another chapter, “Papa” corrects Mack’s theology by asserting, “I don’t need to punish people for sin. Sin is its own punishment, devouring you from the inside. It’s not my purpose to punish it; it’s my joy to cure it.” Without doubt, God’s joy is in the atonement accomplished by the Son. Nevertheless, the Bible consistently reveals God to be the holy and righteous Judge, who will indeed punish sinners. The idea that sin is merely “its own punishment” fits the Eastern concept of karma, but not the Christian Gospel.

The relationship of the Father to the Son, revealed in a text like John 17, is rejected in favor of an absolute equality of authority among the persons of the Trinity. “Papa” explains that “we have no concept of final authority among us, only unity.” In one of the most bizarre paragraphs of the book, Jesus tells Mack: “Papa is as much submitted to me as I am to him, or Sarayu to me, or Papa to her. Submission is not about authority and it is not obedience; it is all about relationships of love and respect. In fact, we are submitted to you in the same way.”

The theorized submission of the Trinity to a human being -- or to all human beings -- is a theological innovation of the most extreme and dangerous sort. The essence of idolatry is self-worship, and this notion of the Trinity submitted (in any sense) to humanity is inescapably idolatrous.

The most controversial aspects of The Shack’s message have revolved around questions of universalism, universal redemption, and ultimate reconciliation. Jesus tells Mack: “Those who love me come from every system that exists. They were Buddhists or Mormons, Baptists or Muslims, Democrats, Republicans and many who don’t vote or are not part of any Sunday morning or religious institutions.” Jesus adds, “I have no desire to make them Christian, but I do want to join them in their transformation into sons and daughters of my Papa, into my brothers and sisters, my Beloved.”

Mack then asks the obvious question -- do all roads lead to Christ? Jesus responds, “Most roads don’t lead anywhere. What it does mean is that I will travel any road to find you.”

Given the context, it is impossible not to draw essentially universalistic or inclusivistic conclusions about Young’s meaning. “Papa” chides Mack that he is now reconciled to the whole world. Mack retorts, “The whole world? You mean those who believe in you, right?” “Papa” responds, “The whole world, Mack.”

Put together, all this implies something very close to the doctrine of reconciliation proposed by Karl Barth. And, even as Young’s collaborator Wayne Jacobson has lamented the “self-appointed doctrine police” who have charged the book with teaching ultimate reconciliation, he acknowledges that the first editions of the manuscript were unduly influenced by Young’s “partiality at the time” to ultimate reconciliation -- the belief that the cross and resurrection of Christ accomplished then and there a unilateral reconciliation of all sinners (and even all creation) to God.

James B. DeYoung of Western Theological Seminary, a New Testament scholar who has known William Young for years, documents Young’s embrace of a form of “Christian universalism.” The Shack, he concludes, “rests on the foundation of universal reconciliation.”

Even as Wayne Jacobson and others complain of those who identify heresy within The Shack, the fact is that the Christian church has explicitly identified these teachings as just that -- heresy. The obvious question is this: How is it that so many evangelical Christians seem to be drawn not only to this story, but to the theology presented in the narrative -- a theology at so many points in conflict with evangelical convictions?

Evangelical observers have not been alone in asking this question. Writing in The Chronicle of Higher Education, Professor Timothy Beal of Case Western University argues that the popularity of The Shack suggests that evangelicals might be shifting their theology. He cites the “nonbiblical metaphorical models of God” in the book, as well as its “nonhierarchical” model of the Trinity and, most importantly, “its theology of universal salvation.”

Beal asserts that none of this theology is part of “mainstream evangelical theology,” then explains: “In fact, all three are rooted in liberal and radical academic theological discourse from the 1970s and 80s -- work that has profoundly influenced contemporary feminist and liberation theology but, until now, had very little impact on the theological imaginations of nonacademics, especially within the religious mainstream.”

He then asks: “What are these progressive theological ideas doing in this evangelical pulp-fiction phenomenon?” He answers: “Unbeknownst to most of us, they have been present on the liberal margins of evangelical thought for decades.” Now, he explains, The Shack has introduced and popularized these liberal concepts even among mainstream evangelicals.

Timothy Beal cannot be dismissed as a conservative “heresy-hunter.” He is thrilled that these “progressive theological ideas” are now “trickling into popular culture by way of The Shack.”

Similarly, writing at Books & Culture, Katherine Jeffrey concludes that The Shack “offers a postmodern, post-biblical theodicy.” While her main concern is the book’s place “in a Christian literary landscape,” she cannot avoid dealing with its theological message.

In evaluating the book, it must be kept in mind that The Shack is a work of fiction. But it is also a sustained theological argument, and this simply cannot be denied. Any number of notable novels and works of literature have contained aberrant theology, and even heresy. The crucial question is whether the aberrant doctrines are features of the story or the message of the work. When it comes to The Shack, the really troubling fact is that so many readers are drawn to the theological message of the book, and fail to see how it conflicts with the Bible at so many crucial points.

All this reveals a disastrous failure of evangelical discernment. It is hard not to conclude that theological discernment is now a lost art among American evangelicals -- and this loss can only lead to theological catastrophe.

The answer is not to ban The Shack or yank it out of the hands of readers. We need not fear books -- we must be ready to answer them. We desperately need a theological recovery that can only come from practicing biblical discernment. This will require us to identify the doctrinal dangers of The Shack, to be sure. But our real task is to reacquaint evangelicals with the Bible’s teachings on these very questions and to foster a doctrinal rearmament of Christian believers.

The Shack is a wake-up call for evangelical Christianity. An assessment like that offered by Timothy Beal is telling. The popularity of this book among evangelicals can only be explained by a lack of basic theological knowledge among us -- a failure even to understand the Gospel of Christ. The tragedy that evangelicals have lost the art of biblical discernment must be traced to a disastrous loss of biblical knowledge. Discernment cannot survive without doctrine.

________

R. Albert Mohler, Jr., is president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. This column first appeared at AlbertMohler.com. Mohler discussed The Shack on his radio program at http://www.albertmohler.com/2008/05/26/a-look-at-the-shack-2. Other resources:

Katherine Jeffrey, “‘I Am Not Who You Think I Am’ -- Situating The Shack in a Christian Literary Landscape,” Books & Culture (January/February 2010), pages 33-34. Online at http://www.christianitytoday.com/bc/2010/janfeb/iamnotwhoyouthinkiam.html

Tim Challies, “A Reader’s Review of The Shack,” http://www.challies.com/archives/book-reviews/the-shack-by-william-p-young.php

James B. DeYoung, “Book Review: The Shack by William Paul Young.” (Online at http://theshackreview.com/content/TheShackReview2Page.pdf)

Wayne Jacobson, “Is The Shack Heresy?” Online at http://www.windblownmedia.com/about-wbm/is-the-shack-heresy.html)

Which Words Best Describe the Trinity?

Luke 10:21

When referring to the Trinity, most Christians are likely to say “Father, Son and the Holy Spirit.”

But leaders of the Presbyterian Church (USA) are suggesting some additional designations: “Compassionate Mother, Beloved Child and Life-giving Womb,” or perhaps “Overflowing Font, Living Water, Flowing River.” Then there’s “Rock, Cornerstone and Temple” and “Rainbow of Promise, Ark of Salvation and Dove of Peace.”

The phrases are among 12 suggested but not mandatory wordings essentially endorsed this month by delegates to the church’s policy-making body to describe a “triune God,” the Christian doctrine of God in three persons.

The Rev. Mark Brewer, senior pastor of Bel Air Presbyterian Church, is among those in the 2.3-million-member denomination unhappy with the additions. “You might as well put in Huey, Dewey and Louie,” he said.

Others include “Sun, Light and Burning Ray” and “Speaker, Word and Breath.” The wordings are meant to reflect particular aspects of worship, so a prayer noting God’s “wrath in the face of evil” might use “Fire That Consumes, Sword That Divides and Storm That Melts Mountains.” Some of the suggestions are familiar ones, such as “Creator, Savior, Sanctifier” and “Rock, Redeemer, Friend,” which other denominations already use.

“Any time you get together representatives of 2 1/2 million people, you get some really solid people and some really wacky people,” he said, referring to the delegates who attended the 217th General Assembly in Birmingham, Alabama.

Although the delegates did not officially adopt a report recommending the new designations, after extensive debate they voted 282 to 212 to “receive” the document. By not rejecting the report, the delegates essentially allowed individual churches to decide how to use the new phraseology.

Written by a diverse panel of working pastors and theologians, the report noted that the traditional language of the Trinity portrays God as male and implies men are superior to women. “For this and other distortions of Trinitarian doctrine we repent,” the report said.

Daniel L. Migliore, a member of the committee that spent five years crafting the report, said critics miss the point. “What we are speaking of is supplementary ways of referring to the triune God — not replacements, not substitutes,” said Migliore, professor of systematic theology at Princeton Theological Seminary.

And the Rev. Rebecca Button Prichard, pastor of Tustin Presbyterian Church, who headed the panel that wrote “The Trinity: God’s Love Overflowing,” strongly defended it as theologically sound. “What people are afraid is that they think we are taking ‘Father, Son and Holy Spirit’ away from them,” she said. “We’re not. What we want to say is that no words can fully describe God. And so we want people to seek a variety of expression, so we can do justice to the greatness of God.”

The concept that the omniscience of God is beyond comprehension — and, hence, human language — dates to antiquity. In ancient Israel, Jews did not dare to invoke the name of God — Yahweh — who declared in the Decalogue, “You shall have no other gods before me.”

But critics of the new designations say the wordings are confusing and reflect a concession to touchy modern sensibilities.

“They’re attempting to be politically correct, and unnecessarily so,” said Hank Hanegraaff, president of the Christian Research Institute in Charlotte, N.C. Hanegraaff contends that the report is based on a false premise that Christianity is patriarchal, an assumption he called “an urban legend” being circulated with increasing frequency. “Jesus Christ comes into a culture in which women are considered to be on the lowest rung of the socioeconomic ladder ... and makes women his disciples,” he said. “Women are the first to bear witness to the empty tomb, which is central in Christianity. The Bible says in Christ there is neither male nor female. We are one in Christ.”

Like many longtime Presbyterians, Sherie Zander, a Brentwood psychotherapist, has followed the General Assembly’s actions. She worries that the report on the Trinity will further divide her denomination, already polarized over issues such as the ordination of gays.

“It’s very odd and bizarre,” she said. When she first heard about the report last week from a friend who called her from Birmingham with “You’ve got to hear this,” she burst out laughing.

“It’s very clear that God refers to himself as the father,” she said. “Jesus, when he walked on the Earth, referred to himself as the son. All through Scripture, the Holy Spirit is referred to as the spirit. What would give any of us the right to change that?”

This is the 300th anniversary of American Presbyterianism. Presbyterians tend to be well-educated and middle- or upper-middle-class, and they place an emphasis on studying Scripture.

The Presbyterian Church (USA), the largest of the three Presbyterian groups, has traditionally been part of mainstream Protestantism, though it has tended to take liberal stands in recent years.

The church, which like other mainline denominations is losing thousands of members a year, is encouraging its 11,000 congregations to employ the Trinity designations except in baptism, which will continue to use “Father, Son and the Holy Spirit.”

The report will be made widely available “for study and reflection,” and study materials will be prepared for dissemination in congregations.

The Rev. Jonathan Lovelady, senior pastor of Westminster Presbyterian Church in Waynesboro, Va., said the panel made a noncontroversial matter into a controversy, adding that decisions like this encourage some churches to consider leaving the denomination.

“The report creates confusion for the name of God, by making a name equal with analogies and/or metaphors for God,” said Lovelady, a member of the General Assembly’s committee on theological issues. He sought to file a minority report against the recommendations, but it was rejected. “Is Father, Son and Holy Spirit interchangeable with Rainbow, Ark and Dove, or Compassionate Mother, Beloved Child and Life-giving Womb?” Lovelady asked.

Bishop Steven Charleston, president and dean of Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge, Mass., where inclusive language has been used for three decades, said he respects what the Presbyterian Church is trying to do. “When I saw the language that is being suggested here, I really understood it as a search that many Christian communities are undergoing now, to find more inclusive ways of referring to God,” he said.

The Rev. David M. Scholer, a professor of the New Testament at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, said this is a difficult task. “We don’t want to do things that perpetuate patriarchy,” said Scholer, an ordained American Baptist minister who supports inclusive language. “On the other hand, we don’t want to use terms that take away from awe and transcendence of God and what was accomplished in the life, death and resurrection of Christ.”

Bel Air’s Brewer also warned against over-familiar language. A child calling parents “Father” and “Mother,” he said, is far different from calling them “Billy and Betty.”

==============

The ideas come in threes

The Presbyterian Church (USA) is encouraging its members to use new wordings to reflect the Trinity, in addition to “Father, Son and the Holy Spirit.” A church report suggests how to phrase prayers, such as “The triune God is known to us as ‘Speaker, Word, and Breath.’ “

The specific references to the Trinity in the report:

Sun, Light and Burning Ray

• Compassionate Mother, Beloved Child and Life-giving Womb

• Giver, Gift and Giving

• Rainbow of Promise, Ark of Salvation and Dove of Peace.

• Lover, Beloved and the Love, and Binds Together Lover and Beloved

• Overflowing Font, Living Water, Flowing River

• One From Whom, the One Through Whom, and the One in Whom We Offer Our Praise

• Rock, Cornerstone and Temple

• Fire That Consumes, Sword That Divides, and Storm That Melts Mountains

• Creator, Savior, Sanctifier

• Rock, Redeemer, Friend

• King of Glory, Prince of Peace, Spirit of Love

• One Who Was, the One Who Is and the One Who Is to Come

________

Source: “The Trinity: God’s Love Overflowing,” a report by a committee of the Presbyterian Church (USA)

________

Note at end of article, by truthandgrace.com editor: "Heretics are replacing nouns with adjectives thereby eliminating the Persons of the Trinity."

Holy, Holy

1. Holy, holy, holy, holy,

Holy, holy, Lord God Almighty;

And we lift our hearts before You

as a token of our love,

Holy, holy, holy, holy.

2. Gracious Father, gracious Father,

We’re so blest to be Your children,

gracious Father;

And we lift our heads before You

as a token of our love,

Gracious Father, gracious Father.

3. Precious Jesus, precious Jesus,

We’re so glad that You’ve redeemd us,

precious Jesus;

And we lift our hands before You

as a token of our love,

Precious Jesus, precious Jesus.

4. Holy Spirit, Holy Spirit,

Come and fill our hearts a new,

Holy Spirit;

And we lift our voice before You

as a token of our love,

Holy Spirit, Holy Spirit.

5. Hallelujah, Hallelujah,

Hallelujah, Hallelujah,

And we lift our hearts before You

as a token of our love,

Hallelujah, Hallelujah.

*

The Addressees of His Letter

1 Peter 1

Peter Writes to Pilgrims — 1 Peter 1:1b–2a: The Addressees of His Letter « Leader information shown in this fashion »

A. Review, 1 Peter 1:1a: Peter an Apostle of 1 Jesus Christ …

1. Both having been sent by, and belonging to

2. Given Peter’s character and experience – and the fact that inspiration if God’s truth expressed through man’s personality – what truths would you expect to find in his letter due to …

a. … his denial or his failure when walking on the sea? « – an exhortation to be faithful, loyal, steadfast to Jesus »

b. … his having witnessed the transfiguration? « – confession of Jesus the Son of God; a recognition of the preciousness of our salvation that Jesus left heaven to work it out »

c. … his part in election of Matthias, his Pentecost sermon? « – extensive application of Old Testament verses »

d. … Jesus’ final commission to him personally? « – nurturing that would help young believers in an adverse world »

B. When and where was the letter written? These two questions are somewhat tied together.

1. 1 Peter 5:13 say, ‘she, the fellow-chosen church in Babylon, greets you … ‘ which we will discuss, Lord willing, when we come to it; but it has been interpreted both literally, of the city Babylon, and as code word for Rome that being commonly inferred from Revelation 17:5, ‘Babylon the Great’ with 17:18 ‘that great city which rules over the kings of the earth,’ yet Babylon was to be totally destroyed (eg., Isaiah 14, 21) as it was, so describing it as ruling over the kings of the earth was not then nor now true

2. Date of writing

a. in 44-45, which seems too early, given the presence of Silas or Silvanus, who was with Paul until about 51-52

b. In 54-55, at which time Paul was still in Asia, which raises the question why Paul is not mentioned. He seems to make extensive reference to Romans (AD 57) and even to Ephesians and perhaps Philippians (AD 60), suggesting…

c. In 62–64 following Acts 28:30-31. If Babylon is a politically expedient reference to Rome, so also would be omitting Paul’s name. Perhaps after 2 Timothy 4:11 written, which explains Mark’s presence with Peter (if this is at Rome).

C. The letters recipients, 1 Peter 1:1b–2a: … to those chosen 1, living as pilgrims in a foreign land 2, of a people scattered 3 in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia; according to Father God’s predetermined counsel 4, God the Holy 5 Spirit’s sanctifying work, and unto obedience and sprinkling of blood of Jesus Christ (God the Son) 5 :

1. Elect, select; from eklego, ‘to lay out, to gather out, to collect out’

2. Sojourners; those living alongside natives of a country

3. Greek, ‘Diaspora’ or dispersion

4. Greek, ‘prognosis’ or foreknowledge, predetermination

5. I have emphasized The Trinitarian involvement in these italicized words (‘God the Holy’, ‘God the Son’) but note that these are not in the Greek text

D. Who are these people?

1. It is fairly easy to determine where they lived; where are all the regions that are mentioned? « – in what is now Turkey »

2. People from the places mentioned

a. Acts 2:9–10; which of these were represented at Pentecost? « – Pontus, Cappadocia, Asia »

b. Acts 16:1; Timothy was from « – Lystra which is in Galatia »

c. Acts 18:2; Aquila was from « – Pontus »

d. Some churches in these places were those in « – Ephesus, Galatia, Colosse, 7 churches written to in Revelation 2–3 »

3. This word, ‘diaspora’ or dispersion, refers in

a. John 7:35 « – Greek-speaking(?) Jews living among Greeks »

b. James 1:1 to « – the 12 tribes (all Israel) scattered abroad »

4. Now, the hard question: to whom was Peter writing?

a. Israelites (Jews) of the dispersion living in this area

b. Israelites of the 10 tribes resettled in this area (2 Kings 17:6, 1 Chronicles 5:26; Halah, Habor, River Gozan placed by some in most easterly borders of Cappadocia)

c. Gentile proselytes living in this area

d. Equally to Jews and Gentiles of the churches in this area as the new Israel of God, the successor to the promises of God

e. As we look through this letter, we will note that (d) seems favoured; Peter and Paul had ministries to Jew & Gentile respectively (Galatians 2:7); show neither did so exclusively

5. In what ways and senses do these words describe us today …

a. … ‘Sojourners’ or ‘living as pilgrims in a foreign land’ (see Philippians 3:20)? « – this word is made of three parts: para (besides), epi (upon), and demos (people, inhabitants, dwellers); denizens, not citizens; we live in heaven but reside alongside those dwelling upon this earth-age »

b. … ‘of a people scattered’ (see Revelation 5:9) « – in a Christian country? … no, but part of a people-nation spread over all the earth »

6. Unto whose obedience, as in 1 Peter 2:7–8, 4:17, Romans 10:16? « – that of believers; those obey who accept God’s message; disobey, who reject it – note that these two cannot be separated. Yet, let us note that there is a prior obedience or faithfulness, that of Jesus the Son of God being ‘faithful to the one who appointed Him’ (Hebrews 3:2), doing His will (Luke 22:42; John 4:34, 5:30; Hebrews 10:7) »

7. Unto the sprinkling of whose blood (Hebrews 9:19, 21-22;12:24)? « – that of Jesus, Lamb of God, Mediator of the New Covenant, sprinkled to purify from sin; used in O.T. for the sprinkling of the waters of purification (Numbers 19:9-22, Hebrews 9:13) »

8. What are the parts played by each person of the Trinity?

a. God the Father « – active foreknowledge or foresight which is demonstrated by His will and counsel »

b. God the Holy Spirit « – sanctification, making holy; includes His setting apart and marking (sealing) true believers »

c. God the Son « – shedding His blood as required for sin to be forgiven »

9. What is the outcome of this Trinitarian activity? « – that the obedient, ie., true believers, should find themselves among the chosen of God, His own, special people – wonderful! »

Holy, Holy, Holy

1. Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty!

Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee;

Holy, holy, holy! merciful and mighty!

God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!

2. Holy, holy, holy! All the saints adore Thee,

Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;

Cherubim and seraphim falling down before Thee,

Which wert and art and evermore shalt be.

3. Holy, holy, holy! Though the darkness hide Thee,

Though the eye of sinful man Thy glory may not see;

Only thou art holy – there is none beside Thee

Perfect in pow'r, in love and purity.

4. Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty!

All thy works shall praise Thy Name in earth and sky and sea;

Holy, holy, holy! merciful and mighty!

God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!

[Tune “Nicaea]

*

Father, I Adore You

John 1:1

1. Father, I adore You,

Lay my life before You —

How I love You!

2. Jesus, I adore You,

Lay my life before You —

How I love You!

3. Spirit, I adore You,

Lay my life before You —

How I love You!

*

Come, Thou Almighty King

1. Come, Thou Almighty King,

Help us Thy name to sing,

Help us to praise:

Father, all-glorious,

O'er all victorious,

Come and reign over us,

Ancient of Days!

2. Come, Thou Incarnate Word,

Gird on Thy mighty sword,

Our prayer attend:

Come and Thy people bless,

And give Thy word success—

Spirit of holiness,

On us descend.

3. Come, Holy Comforter,

Thy sacred witness bear

In this glad hour:

Thou who almighty art,

Now rule in ev'ry heart—

And ne'er from us depart,

Spirit of pow'r.

4. To Thee, great One in Three,

Eternal praises be,

Hence evermore:

Thy sov'reign majesty

May we in glory see,

And to eternity

Love and adore.

[Tune “Italian Hymn”]

*

The Church As Witness

John 1:14

As an apologist, I am often engaged in conversations that involve the philosophical, theological, scientific, and historical reasons by which one could reasonably conclude that Jesus is exactly who he said he was -- the eternal God now come in the flesh. But interestingly enough, Jesus tells us in John 13:34-35 that the final apologetic by which this world will recognize that he was sent by God is the demonstrable love-relationship that will be seen in the lives of his disciples.

Why is it that the unfathomable truth of Word made flesh can only be conclusively understood in a living, verifiable community of believers? Why is it that of all the methods that the evil one could invent to thwart the purposes of God, none would succeed so spectacularly as the disruption of relationships among the members of the body of Christ?

There is one simple but profound answer. God is a Being in relationship and any truth pertaining to Him, in the final analysis, stands attested by exemplary relationships among his creatures.

To the clever lawyer who questioned him about the greatest commandment in all of Scripture, Jesus significantly refrained from giving religious or ritualistic requirements; instead, he had only two simple relational injunctions to offer: “Love your God” and “Love your neighbor” (Matthew 22:34-40). By placing these two commands at the same level, Jesus brought relationships into focus. Thus, worshipping God is not about mere observance, but relating to Him in love. He is likewise the one who liberates the individual from the self to love others. The first commandment thus becomes foundational and makes the second obey-able. But by the same token, obedience to the second commandment becomes the evidence that the first has been obeyed. The brilliance of this summation is polluted by the pluralist cacophony assaulting us at every turn.

Yet it is in this context that the Church finds itself entrusted with the onerous responsibility of speaking about the relational nature of God. What better way could there be to communicate this blessed reality than by a model which would uncompromisingly demonstrate it before a watching world!

In this, no contemplation of the beauty and glory of God within a community of believers can be complete without some understanding of the relationship between the Three Persons of the Trinity. The image God has given us in the Trinity is an image of three co-eternal, co-equal Persons giving themselves to one another in eternal self-effacement. The glory of our God is not a thunder-and-lighting quality, but a self-giving love within the Trinity. And Jesus’s prayer for his disciples (and us) is that this same glory may be given to us that we “may be one” even as they are one. Is there any question why servanthood and relationship-building is no longer an optional extra for the Christian but essential to reflecting the glory of the Triune God?

In a society that is increasingly fragmented and individualized, it is easy to develop a theology of the Church as a collection of perfect individuals. But a right understanding of the relationships within the Trinity would militate against such an interpretation. We do well to remember the powerfully acted parable of Jesus as he washed the disciples’ feet. The feet of all the disciples were dirty, but as they would submit themselves to cleansing by one another, they would emerge as a perfect community (John 13:14). We may fundamentally have no difficulty having ourselves cleansed by Christ, but to submit to ablutions by another is virtually unthinkable. The disciples (and we as well) would have been very happy to wash the feet of Jesus, but his injunction was that they should wash one another’s feet. It was a strange but effective way of communicating the importance of relating to one another by forgiving, cleansing, and accepting one another in perfect mutuality. In other words, two imperfect individuals can synergistically portray a perfect relationship -- the very antidote so desperately needed to correct our individualistic privatized spirituality!

It is an issue within Scripture that cannot be overemphasized. The hallmark of the Church of Jesus Christ is a relational testimony which serves as a pointer to the reality of the Eternal Triune God. May we, under God, consciously discern every trap that the devil sets for us to rupture relationships, and trust the Holy Spirit of love to breathe his healing and remake our fractured bonds.

________

Holy, Holy, Holy

1. Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty!

Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee;

Holy, holy, holy! merciful and mighty!

God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!

2. Holy, holy, holy! All the saints adore Thee,

Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;

Cherubim and seraphim falling down before Thee,

Which wert and art and evermore shalt be.

3. Holy, holy, holy! Though the darkness hide Thee,

Though the eye of sinful man Thy glory may not see;

Only thou art holy – there is none beside Thee

Perfect in pow'r, in love and purity.

4. Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty!

All thy works shall praise Thy Name in earth and sky and sea;

Holy, holy, holy! merciful and mighty!

God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!

[Tune “Nicaea]

*

Come, Thou Almighty King

1. Come, Thou Almighty King,

Help us Thy name to sing,

Help us to praise:

Father, all-glorious,

O'er all victorious,

Come and reign over us,

Ancient of Days!

2. Come, Thou Incarnate Word,

Gird on Thy mighty sword,

Our prayer attend:

Come and Thy people bless,

And give Thy word success—

Spirit of holiness,

On us descend.

3. Come, Holy Comforter,

Thy sacred witness bear

In this glad hour:

Thou who almighty art,

Now rule in ev'ry heart—

And ne'er from us depart,

Spirit of pow'r.

4. To Thee, great One in Three,

Eternal praises be,

Hence evermore:

Thy sov'reign majesty

May we in glory see,

And to eternity

Love and adore.

[Tune “Italian Hymn”]

*

Holy God, We Praise Thy Name

1. Holy God, we praise Thy name

Lord of all, we bow before Thee!

All on earth Thy sceptre claim,

All in heav'n above adore Thee:

Infinite Thy vast domain,

Everlasting is Thy reign.

2. Hark, the loud celestial hymn

Angel choirs above are raising;

Cherubim and seraphim,

In unceasing chorus praising,

Fill the heav'ns with sweet accord

Holy, holy, holy Lord!

3. Lo, the apostolic train

Joins Thy sacred name to hallow;

Prophets swell the glad refrain,

And the white-robed martyrs follow;

And, from morn to set of sun,

Through the Church the song goes on.

4. Holy Father, Holy Son,

Holy Spirit, Three we name Thee,

While in essence only One:

Undivided God we claim Thee,

And adoring bend the knee,

While we sing our praise to Thee.

Baptist Faith and Message Article 2c: God the Holy Spirit

2 Peter 1:20

This article begins where it must, by affirming that the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God and as such is fully divine. He possesses with the Father and Son the one undivided divine nature. Only because he is himself divine, yet the third member of the Trinity, can we understand the string of activities he is said to perform.

Notice the verbs. This article says of the Holy Spirit that he "inspired," "enables," "exalts," "convicts," "calls," "effects regeneration," "baptizes," "cultivates," "seals," "enlightens" and "empowers." One thing is clear -- the Holy Spirit is intent on and active in carrying out the will and purposes of God.

Consider four main areas of his work noted in this article.

The Holy Spirit inspired the Scriptures. He worked in the minds of biblical writers and so moved in them (2 Peter 1:20-21) that what they wrote as their own words was concurrently the fully authoritative, reliable and inerrant Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

Further, the Holy Spirit illumines the minds and hearts of believers to help them understand and apply that divine word to their own lives (1 Corinthians 2:14). The Spirit inspired the Bible so that he might use it mightily in transforming us by its truth.

The Holy Spirit brings sinners to salvation. He comes most fundamentally to exalt Jesus Christ (John 16:14). The primary way he accomplishes this is as he convicts us of our sin, calls us to behold the beauty of Christ's saving work and regenerates us so that we respond now to God in hope and love, through faith in Christ Jesus.

On our own, we consider the cross of Christ foolishness and weakness (1 Cor 1:18-25); but because the Spirit opens our blind eyes and enlivens our hearts (2 Corinthians 4:4-6), we come to faith in Christ and begin the sure and certain path to our ultimate and complete transformation in Christlikeness, which is the Spirit's goal (2 Cor 3:18).

The Holy Spirit transforms believers through empowering their ever-increasing sanctification. So many today rush directly to the empowering work of the Spirit in his supernatural gifting for service. While this is a vital ministry of the Spirit, this article is correct to stress first the Spirit's empowering work to bring about character transformation.

He cares more about Christlike character and conduct in God's people than any service they might render apart from these qualities. To be filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18) and to walk in the Spirit (Galatians 5:16) and to bear the fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22-23) express the internal work of the Spirit in making us wholly new people in Christ.

The Spirit is God's seal and guarantee (Eph 1:13-14) that this internal work will continue until we are fully glorified. In Christ, by the power of the Spirit, we are assured the certainty of our full and final sanctification.

The Holy Spirit equips us for meaningful and fruitful service in the church. One of the ways in which God brings about his transforming work in our lives is through the ministry of the Body of Christ. Each member is gifted by the Spirit as he so wills (1 Cor. 12:11) so that the Body may be edified. Our worship of the true and living God, our love for one another and our service in the name of Christ -- all done in the power of the Spirit -- fulfill the goal God set for us to grow into Christlikeness.

Through Scripture, salvation, sanctification and service, then, the Spirit works to honor Christ in making us like him, to the glory of God forevermore.

_________________

Ware is senior associate dean of the school of theology and professor of Christian theology at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky.

Text of Article 2C

==================

C. God the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God, fully divine. He inspired holy men of old to write the Scriptures. Through illumination He enables men to understand truth. He exalts Christ. He convicts men of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. He calls men to the Saviour, and effects regeneration. At the moment of regeneration He baptizes every believer into the Body of Christ. He cultivates Christian character, comforts believers, and bestows the spiritual gifts by which they serve God through His church. He seals the believer unto the day of final redemption. His presence in the Christian is the guarantee that God will bring the believer into the fullness of the stature of Christ. He enlightens and empowers the believer and the church in worship, evangelism, and service.

Genesis 1:2; Judges 14:6; Job 26:13; Psalms 51:11; 139:7ff.; Isaiah 61:1-3; Joel 2:28-32; Matthew 1:18; 3:16; 4:1; 12:28-32; 28:19; Mark 1:10,12; Luke 1:35; 4:1,18-19; 11:13; 12:12; 24:49; John 4:24; 14:16-17,26; 15:26; 16:7-14; Acts 1:8; 2:1-4,38; 4:31; 5:3; 6:3; 7:55; 8:17,39; 10:44; 13:2; 15:28; 16:6; 19:1-6; Romans 8:9-11,14-16,26-27; 1 Corinthians 2:10-14; 3:16; 12:3-11,13; Galatians 4:6; Ephesians 1:13-14; 4:30; 5:18; 1 Thessalonians 5:19; 1 Timothy 3:16; 4:1; 2 Timothy 1:14; 3:16; Hebrews 9:8,14; 2 Peter 1:21; 1 John 4:13; 5:6-7; Revelation 1:10; 22:17.