I really enjoy the 4th of July and love the United States.
However, I am very clear that my first allegiance is to God and that my primary identity is as a child of God, disciple of Jesus Christ, and enlivened by the Holy Spirit.
Let’s celebrate.
What is a correct relationship between the Son / Holy Spirit and me? Who can I depend on for strength in time of weakness?
I believe that it is faithful to consider yourself a child of God the Father, a sister or brother of God the Son and as one living with God the Holy Spirit alive within you.
Can I depend on God the Father or God the Son or God the Holy Spirit in time of weakness? I believe the answer to this is yes. We may find ourselves in different times of crisis relating to God in different ways, but I believe that all persons of Trinity are in relationship with us and offer strength in the times of weakness or crisis.
I encourage you to chose a few passages below and reflect on your relationship with God. What are your thoughts? How do you most often relate to God?
Child of God the Father
Sister or brother of God
God the Holy Spirit living within you
This question came out of a young adult small group taster last Sunday morning in which I taught about the question “What is the Trinity?”
Why couldn’t / didn’t Peter heal in the name of the Holy Spirit? Acts 1:8 - Christ promises “power when the Holy Spirit comes upon [them]” Acts 3:6 - Peter heals in the name of Jesus.
I tried to find a reference about Jesus giving direction or instruction about healing in his name. The only reference that I could find was in Mark:
“Teacher,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.”
“Do not stop him,” Jesus said. “No one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, for whoever is not against us is for us. Truly I tell you, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to the Messiah will certainly be rewarded. Mark 9:38-41, TNIV
In John 10:25, Jesus refers to his healing “in my Father’s name.” But I could not find a reference of any one healing in the name of the Holy Spirit. (By the way, when I say that I could not find it - I most often use the keyword search at http://www.tniv.info/bible/index.php which I have found to be quite usable and useful.)
My sense is that the power of healing is rooted in the power of the resurrection - Jesus’ conquering of death. In Acts 1:8 Jesus says that they will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on them, not necessarily that the power is of the Holy Spirit.
This the best response that I can formulate at this time, but I am a bit unsatisfied with it. What would you add?
This question came out of a young adult small group taster last Sunday morning in which I taught about the question “What is the Trinity?”
Are there any references to the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament?
The particular understanding of the Holy Spirit as a person of the Trinity comes out of thought around the revelation of Jesus Christ. Thinking about the relationships between the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are not something that originate out of the Old Testament, but were formed by Christians thinking about God as most clearly revealed in Jesus Christ and what this might mean. However, there are certainly places in the Old Testament in which the spirit of God is referenced. One prominent example of this is in Genesis:
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. Genesis 1:1-2, TNIV.
The reference to the Spirit of God in this passage has clear resonance with reference to the Holy Spirit in the New Testament. One can translate spirit in English from the Hebrew ruah, Greek pneuma or Latin spiritus.
Is the Holy Spirit directly referenced in the Old Testament? There is none of which I am aware. Is the Spirit of God referenced in the Old Testament? Absolutely.
This question came out of a young adult small group taster last Sunday morning in which I taught about the question “What is the Trinity?”
Is the Holy Spirit equal to the Father and the Son or is it a go-between? Diagrams…
This question included a drawing of my description of a way of Visualizing the Trinity that Thomas Weinandy’s thesis might suggest. I think that this question points out a possible weakness in this way of thinking about the relationships between the persons. It does seem to put a lower importance on the person of the Holy Spirit.
In answer to your question - I believe that the Holy Spirit is no less than the Father and the Son a person of the Trinity. I recognize my own tendency to assign the Holy Spirit a lesser role as I am less familiar with talking and thinking about the Holy Spirit - as a result of my background in the United Methodist Church vs a background that may put more emphasis on the Holy Spirit (i.e. a more charismatic tradition).
This question came out of a young adult small group taster last Sunday morning in which I taught about the question “What is the Trinity?”
With the idea of the Trinity being so easy to say “Father, Son and Holy Spirit.” I want some pointers on how to begin explaining to somebody that doesn’t understand (as much as I try to). How do you correct people that say that there can’t be the three separate things and one God?
I think that any attempt to enter into conversation about the Trinity is better than dismissing the question. The Bible does not fully outline what it means to understand God as Trinity, but the Bible is our starting point and ultimately the best resource for learning about God’s revelation in Jesus Christ.
Trinitarianism is a part of the structure of the gospel. It is expressed in the baptism of Jesus as found in the Gospels.
As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” Matthew 3:16-17, TNIV
The baptism of Jesus occurs in all four of the Gospels and provides an example of the Trinitarian nature of God. Jesus is the Son as referred to by the voice from heaven. The Son implies that there is a parent. This is the one who pronounces the words upon Jesus. The Spirit is seen descending like a dove. For other scriptural references you might check here.
Another way that you might approach this question is to think of the relationships between the persons of the Trinity as what brings life and a deeper way of understanding. Each of the persons is given shape by the relationship to the other (For more a more detailed explanation check out deviantmonk’s comment on Physics of the Trinity)
How else would you respond? What have you found to be helpful in your own understanding?
This question came out of a young adult small group taster last Sunday morning in which I taught about the question “What is the Trinity?”
I have had the opportunity to be a part of a game show with the confirmation class at Resurrection. One of the things that I discovered as a part of this time together was that the Holy Spirit was likened to Jiminy Cricket, who in turn has been understood as a symbol of one’s conscience.
I think that understanding the Holy Spirit as a guiding presence in one’s life may be a helpful way of understanding this person of the Trinity. However, I do caution against this being the only explanation that is used when thinking about the third person of the Trinity.
This question came out of a young adult small group taster last Sunday morning in which I taught about the question “What is the Trinity?”
I see the Father and the Holy Spirit as still active but just see the Son as by God’s side. Can you explain how the three are still active today? Is the son’s role over after his death and resurrection?
I believe that God is very active in the world in many different ways and most importantly in bringing God’s kingdom into reality. As to the activity of each of the three persons of the Trinity see Immanent and Economic Trinity.
The Son’s role is not over after death and resurrection. I asked my wife, Nicole, about this and she reminded me that anywhere we see resurrection the power of Jesus Christ is at work in the world. At the death of a loved one, the power of Christ is active in bringing hope that this life is not all there is. When a middle age person decides that her or his life is headed in the wrong direction and makes drastic changes toward living as a disciple, Christ is drawing the person into relationship.
I think that the Son’s activity today may also be thought about in Jesus’ final words in the gospel according to Matthew:
Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:16-20, TNIV
All authority on heaven and on earth have been given to the Son and this is why we are sent to make disciples, baptize and teach. Not only that, but Jesus promises presence with us until the end of time.
This question came out of a young adult small group taster last Sunday morning in which I taught about the question “What is the Trinity?”
Could you explain further immanent and economic Trinity? I am still confused about the difference and how they relate. Are they two different Trinities or just two aspects of one Trinity?
There is one Trinity and the terms immanent and economic are ways for us to think about the Trinity. Referring to the immanent Trinity is a way of referring to God’s eternal existence and the internal relationships between the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Referring to the economic Trinity is a way of considering God’s activity in creation.
One way of thinking about the economic Trinity is to think of the…
I think that these descriptions may be helpful but at the same time do not leave much room for mystery. I am not satisfied with this way of assigning tasks to each person of the Trinity, because in the unity of the Trinity all persons are active in each of these roles as well as in many different ways
I believe that the way that God exists eternally (immanent Trinity) is the way that God is active in the world (economic Trinity) and vice versa. I do not believe that God acts in creation in a different way than God exists eternally.
What do you think?
This question came out of a young adult small group taster last Sunday morning in which I taught about the question “What is the Trinity?“
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