ACTC3    Christian Belief 
 
Seminar 4 The Trinity 
 

1. Popular Confusion

a. Pious Gobbledygook or ??
This is probably the most misunderstood of all Christian concepts. Often people understand bits and pieces, but often the average Christian has little overall understanding of what the Trinity is. This is all the more concerning given that the Trinity is really a distinguishing doctrine in religious faiths; no other faith in the world has a conept like the trinity
 
b. Commonly used images and their inadequacy
The trinity is often approached in terms of images, and we will suggest that in some way these images always come up short in their descriptions.
 
The three leaf clover  
There is one clover leaf but three bits to it. At best this says there is a oneness and a threeness, but probably tells you more about clover than the Trinity 
Body mind and soul  
There is one unit but a threeness within it. 
Ice, water and steam  
There are three ways in which H20 can be. Despite its appearence, it is all one substance 
 

These three descriptions at best this states that there is a oneness and a threeness. Once you apply them further, they end up in the realm of herecy

c. Tell the story
A better way to describe the trinity is to tell the story. There are two key principles for interpreting the scriptures.

Progressive Revelation - God reveals himself progressivly over time. To understand a person well you have to spend a great deal of time with them in both observation and interaction. Likewise with God, he is understood beter after knowing and interacting with him over a period of time. He did not give us a book with little statements about himself. Rater, He gave us a story that spans generations. Over time, we have the character of God progressively revealed to us. What we learn at the beginning is modified as we go along as God reveals more of himself.

Christocentric interpretations - This interpretation holds Christ at the center. Christ is the sum of God's revelation; we understand both the Old Testament and the New Testament through Him.

As we read the scriptures we need to have both of these methods in operation in a concurrent fashion. For example .
 

2. The Trinity as Story

Suggested Reading
B. Milne Know the Truth (2nd Edition), I.V.P.,  pp. . (Part eation)


You can go to the

 
Hosted by www.Geocities.ws

1