Please explain the Trinity - part 1

Question: Can you please explain the Trinity?

Answer: submitted by Community Pastor Jae Alexander

Your question is one that falls into the realm of mystery. I want to be clear about what I mean when I say “mystery”. This is not to say that we can not know anything about the subject, but that we can not know it completely or fully because it directly relates to the nature of God. All knowledge that we have about the nature of God has been revealed to us by Him through general revelation (Romans 1:19, 20) and/or His special revelation (Hebrews 1:1, 2). Having said this we may never fully understand God, but we can know Him because He desires us to know Him.

Also, this topic has been discussed for thousands of years. I am humble enough to recognize that I probably will not be able to answer it in one blog post. So, I’ll attempt it in two! ;-) (Just kidding) I will start by defining the orthodox Christian view of the Trinity. In the second blog posts I will briefly touch on some common misunderstanding/heresies about the Trinity.

Trinity is a term used by theologians to describe the distinctions that are found or made in the Scriptures that describe God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  Read that sentence again slowly. It summarizes something that is commonly misunderstood about the doctrine of the Trinity. That is  this, “The doctrine of the Trinity did not come first and the passages second. The passages came first, and the doctrine of the Trinity came as a best effort of devout, cautious, and thoughtful believers to harmonize the passages.”1  

I would also say this, distinctions DO NOT indicate division. The word Trinity literally means “Triunity”. Why do I make this point? Because the orthodox definition of Trinity is this:

“God is three persons in one essence.”

Maybe a simpler way of looking at this would be: In God there are three WHOS and one WHAT. The WHAT is exactly the same in the WHOS.2

Some might be saying, “That hurt my head Jae!” I’m with you! It’s been hurting my head for years. Let’s look at Scripture together to see how we came to this definition for Trinity.

The Jewish Shema  in the Old Testament proclaims, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.” (Deuteronomy 6:4) Jesus, in the New Testament when asked what the greatest commandment is starts His answer with the Shema (Mark 12:29) affirming His agreement with it. This statement is a bold declaration of monotheism. (Only one God).

Yet, Jesus claims to be God multiple times in the New Testament. But, you need to understand something from the original language here. When Jesus claims to be God, He doesn’t just say, “Yeah, I’m God.” in the general sense of the word. He claims that He is Yahweh God. That’s a really big deal!

Exodus 3:14

“God said to Moses, “I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.’”

John 8:58

“Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!”

He is not just claiming to have existed before Abraham here. He is claiming equality with the, “I AM” in the Exodus passage. There is no mistaking what Jesus meant here because of what is recorded to have happened next. They picked up stones to kill him. Why? His audience understood that He was claiming equality with God. 

Jesus also is credited for doing things only God can do. Forgive sins, change water to wine, heal the sick, cast out demons, raise the dead, and control the powers of nature. 

The Holy Spirit is also called God in the Scriptures (Acts 5:3-4) and attributed to have all the same qualities as God the Father and the Son. (Psalm 139:7-12; Genesis 1:2; John 3:5-6, 14:26, 16:7-13; 1 Corinthians 2:10, 11) The Holy Spirit is hands down the central figure in the book of Acts guiding the expansion of the Kingdom through the Church.

Also, each member of the Trinity has special functions that help us to identify them. (In my opinion this is the reason for the distinctions.) For example, the Father planned salvation (John 3:16; Eph. 1:4); the Son accomplished it on the cross (John 17:4; 19:30; Heb. 1:1-2) and the resurrection (Rom. 4:25; 1 Cor. 15:1-6) and the Holy Spirit applies it to the lives of the believers (John 3:5; Eph. 4:30; Titus 3:5-7)

Having observed all of this from the scriptures we come a couple of conclusions:

1. There is one God.
2. There are three distinct persons who are God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.3

One WHAT, three WHOS. How can this be? I don’t know. It is a mystery. There are things about God that are beyond my comprehension and there are things about God that He has revealed about Himself that I can know (1 Corinthians 13:12). He is truly awesome in the very literal sense of the word.

Now, there are attributes or characteristics of God (His essence) that make Him God. To name a few He is eternal, immortal, all powerful, all knowing, unchangeable, etc. When talking about the Trinity it is important to understand that the Persons in it share in these things perfectly & equally. I say this because many of the heresies and misunderstandings about the Trinity will remove in some way the equality among the Persons. Which changes the Essence (What) within that Person (Who). That is why in the beginning I was careful to stress that making a distinction does not mean we are making a division. 

Understand, if we make a division in the Unity of the Godhead then we end up with polytheism (multiple gods) and that is not taught in the Scripture.

I will give you an illustrations of the Trinity, but with this caution. No illustration or analogy of the Trinity is perfect. (Remember, it is not completely understood.) But, some are better than others. The one I am pulling from comes from Augustine. “He suggested of how God is both three and one at the same time. The Bible informs us that, “God is love” (1 John 4:16). Love involves a lover, and beloved, and a spirit of love between lover and loved. The Father might be likened to the Lover; the Son to the One loved, and the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Love. Yet love does not exist unless these three are united as one.”4

Great question! I hope this gives you a good start as you consider and ponder the Trinity. Believe me, it is something that you will touch on the rest of your of walk with Jesus. Next week I will touch on some common misunderstandings and/or heresies concerning the Trinity from the past & today. 

1. Just the FAQs about God - pgs 44-47 Thomas Nelson publishing ISBN 0-7852-4760-2
2. The Doctrine of the Trinity Study guide from R.C. Sproul -digital copy from Ligonier Ministries 
3. Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics - Norman Geisler pgs. 730-737
4. Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics - Norman Geisler pgs. 730-737

What happens to people who commit suicide?

Question: What happens to people who commit suicide?


Answer submitted by family pastor Justin Werber.

There are a lot of questions we find ourselves asking on the topic of suicide. What does the Bible say about it? Will God forgive someone that kills themselves? Or even one of the most popular questions, does someone that commits suicide go to hell?

All of these are great questions! In my research on this topic, I found a great article from Christianity Today that I thought I would share with you:

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2013/april-web-only/when-suicide-strikes-in-body-of-christ.html

Once Saved Always Saved

Question: What do you think about once saved always saved?

Answer submitted by Pastor Erik Neilson.

First, let me say that we do not believe this is an essential doctrine (we can be wrong about this and still be saved). What you believe or understand about this topic does not gain or cost you your salvation. I hope we all agree on that.

Second, I do personally believe that someone can lose their salvation, but not everyone at Adventure agrees with me and that's ok.There are passages in the Scripture which warn us against falling away and passages that make that seem unlikely. I want to be intellectually honest with my people about that. People on both sides of this issue have convincing arguments and the dialogue on this topic shouldn't sink down into name calling but should focus on what the Scripture says. I would encourage people to pray and wrestle with tough passages/doctrines and not to just blindly believe what their pastor says.

Third, while I do believe that losing your salvation is possible I have never ever told someone who is a back-slidden Christian that they have lost their salvation. Not one time. This is important because theology means nothing if it's not practical. When a Christian is caught in sin, or has been away from Christ, I help lead them to repentance and get them back on track. (Gal 6:1-2)

So, why do I believe that someone could lose their salvation? Because of passages I find in Scripture that I can't explain away. The problem with interpreting Scripture is that we all proof-text our beliefs. We find verses that seem to support our point of view. But basic interpretation of Scripture calls us to consider all of what Scripture says on a topic and not just certain verses.

Those who believe salvation cannot be lost point to Scripture like these:

• John 10:28-29 “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand.” 
• John 6:37 “However, those the Father has given me will come to me, and I will never reject them.” 
• Rev 3:5 “All who are victorious will be clothed in white. I will never erase their names from the Book of Life, but I will announce before my Father and his angels that they are mine.” 
• Romans 8:38-39 “And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” 
• Hebrews 13:5 “Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.” 

Those who believe it is possible to lose salvation are looking at verses like these:

• 2 Peter 3:17 “You already know these things, dear friends. So be on guard; then you will not be carried away by the errors of these wicked people and lose your own secure footing.” (people abandoning truth for wickedness and false teaching lose security) 
• James 5:19-20 “My dear brothers and sisters, if someone among you wanders away from the truth and is brought back, you can be sure that whoever brings the sinner back from wandering will save that person from death and bring about the forgiveness of many sins.” (a brother or sister saved from death after wandering away) 
• Colossians 1:23 “But you must continue to believe this truth and stand firmly in it. Don’t drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News.” (why warn us not to drift away if we cannot drift away?) 
• Hebrews 2:1-3 “So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it. For the message God delivered through angels has always stood firm, and every violation of the law and every act of disobedience was punished. Sowhat makes us think we can escape if we ignore this great salvation that was first announced by the Lord Jesus himself and then delivered to us by those who heard him speak?” (if we drift away what makes us think we will escape punishment?) 
• Hebrews 3:12 “Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God.” (He's clearly talking to Christians here) 
• Hebrews 6:4-6 “For it is impossible to bring back to repentance those who were once enlightened—those who have experienced the good things of heaven and shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the power of the age to come— and who then turn away from God. It is impossible to bring such people back to repentance; by rejecting the Son of God, they themselves are nailing him to the cross once again and holding him up to public shame. (This passage troubles me more than all the others. It seems there is a line that cannot be crossed and not uncrossed.) 

This is just a sampling of the verses on both sides of the issue. I have 100% confidence that I am secure in my salvation. I have 100% confidence that my salvation is secured because of Christ's action and not because of mine. I have no fear whatsoever that my soul is in jeopardy because of my relationship with Christ. I hope all of you feel the same! But, who are these verses written about? Who are they written to? Surely, the writers of Scripture had someone in mind as they said these things. And from real life practical experience (and Scripture) we see people walk out on Jesus Christ all the time. Not have a bad day. Not have a struggle with sin. Not miss church for a few months. I think these verses are talking about people that fall into two categories: Those who were never really saved in the first place but had everyone fooled. And second, I think these verses are addressing those who commit the unpardonable sin. Not just any sin but the sin that Jesus said will not be forgiven: Luke 12:10 says, "Anyone who speaks against the Son of Man can be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven." The blasphemy of the Spirit is the total renunciation of faith. It is the complete severing of the relationship with Jesus. It's not unforgivable because God is unable to forgive it, it's unforgivable because those who have blasphemed the Spirit don't want to be forgiven. I suspect this is very uncommon which leads me to say, it's possible for someone to lose their salvation but it doesn't happen accidentally. It happens from willful and total rebellion and renouncement of Christ.

Pray over/anoint the sick

Question: "Why do we rarely, if ever, lay hands on and/or annoint with oil, the unwell, or hurting in our church?”

by Pastor Stacey Weeks

Scripture and this question talk about the practice of anointing with oil and laying on of hands for the living. Anointing in Scripture starts in the book of Genesis, when the consecrating of the pillar in the temple to God occurs. Then a second type of anointing happens in Exodus for the calling out and setting apart of leaders (priests). Both types of anointing were used for consecrating the items or the people for the work of God. It is a way of setting them apart as holy and chosen.

Another type of anointing is in regards to those that are sick. That is the type of anointing that this question addresses.

James 5:14 speaks directly to this:
Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord. (NLT)

At Adventure, our shepherds (elders) do anoint and pray over people. In accordance to this Scripture, it is done where the ill person is and typically not during our Sunday worship services. The seriously ill and injured are usually incapable of attending church. Usually this work is done in hospital rooms, emergency departments or in the person’s home.

I also want to spotlight the tone and instruction at the start of James 5:14. It instructs the members of the church to call your elders. In other words: let them know what is going on!

As a pastor, I know it makes my heart hurt to find out that someone was ill or injured and did not call their church leaders or ask someone to contact the church. Part of being in a Biblical community is being honest with each other when we are scared or hurting. It is also allowing others to love on you when you are down, due to illness or other circumstance.

We are each called to help the hurting and reflect Christ’s love. Once we know what is going on, it means a lot of people at Adventure will pray (our prayer team and pastors), the elders (shepherds) will pray and anoint, and others will prepare meals, mow a yard or even watch the kids (life2life groups and others). This is the church being the church and each of us doing our part in the roles we have in this body of believers.

Every week there is an invitation during service to come to our shepherds if you feel you need prayer. If you prefer to put your prayer request in writing, please use the prayer card inside the bulletin.

And if something happens during the week, contact your faith coach, a pastor, or the main office and let us know! We are not meant to walk alone!

What happens to the people who crucified Jesus?

Question: What happens to the people who crucified Jesus?

Answer submitted by Pastor Justin Werber

Over the years, many people have questioned and debated as to whether or not those that crucified Jesus on the cross will be in heaven. I believe this question at its core has two meanings behind it. First, what actually happened to those that crucified Christ, and second what does this mean for me?

We all have tough questions, but who or what do we turn to for answers? I know as a pastor it is easy to say "God’s Word", but do we honestly go there first? Before we talk to our spouses, friends, family, or even Google Answers, maybe we should see what God says in His Word.

To answer the first question, I want to turn to Matthew 27. We see that after Jesus released His spirit and died some interesting things started to happen. The Temple curtain was torn in two, the earth shook, rocks were split apart, and tombs opened. But the part that stands out to me is the Roman officer’s (or Centurion’s) reaction as well as the other soldiers: they were terrified by all that had happened, and they said, “This man truly was the Son of God!”

Although these men were tough, mighty soldiers, they were also scared. Something changed their hearts. Before Christ died, they were ruthless and eager to kill Jesus, but after, it is almost as if their hearts were torn, they were cut to the heart. They were wrestling with the idea of Christ really being God. These men were mocking Jesus earlier, and then they were honoring Him by calling him the Son of God. But can we call these men Christians? Will we see them in Heaven one day?

I honestly cannot say either way as of now, because we don’t know the rest of the story. What we do know is that only a few books later in the book of Acts, we see Peter preaching to a crowd of people. In Acts 2 he calls people out saying “So let everyone in Israel know for certain that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, to be both Lord and Messiah!” After hearing this, the crowd was pierced to the heart. They asked Peter what they could do. Peter simply says, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.”

Based on that, I believe that if the Centurion, the soldiers, and those that wanted Christ to die on that cross believed that Jesus was Lord, and that He died for them, if they repented of their sins and were baptized that we will one day see them in heaven.

What does this mean for us though? If you are worrying that your sins are too great for Christ to forgive you, remember Christ asked for those crucifying Him to be forgiven. The questions you might want to ask yourself are, “Have I accepted Jesus as Lord, have I repented of my sins, have I been baptized to walk a new life, and am I following Christ today?”

Dressing Modestly

Question: ‘I've noticed a lot of Christian women are dressing what I would consider ‘immodest’. What does a Christian need to dress like to represent the Lord?

Answer submitted by Pastor Stacey Weeks

Clothing is an outward expression of ourselves, that much is true for both genders. Clothing sends messages to others about what we like, who we admire, what we affiliate ourselves with and even what we believe. Clothing is also used as an identifying measure. It identifies priests, those in mourning, or the wealth of the wearer throughout Scripture.

As we turn towards the Bible to guide us on this question (and the other tough questions in life), there are a few things to keep in mind:

First, taking verses out of context to further your position (also known as ‘proof texting’) is easy to do on this topic. Take the time to really read through the passage, the chapter/book of the Bible you are in and see what the Holy Spirit reveals to you about what the passage’s audience, intent and meaning is. Otherwise no women would wear gold or pearls and men would not wear utlil-kilts to the clan meetings. Following Scripture at face value could lead to no wedding rings and Scotsmen being shameful in God’s eyes!

Second, use the teachings of Jesus as your “lens” as well. What did Jesus say about or how did he treat those who were not dressed appropriately for their situation or station in life? Prostitutes, tax collectors, wedding guests and the like?

Third, remember that this is not a salvation issue! At Adventure, we agree to preserve the unity within our community and to focus on reaching more people for Jesus.

So what about our threads, our duds, our favorite designer clothes? In 1 Timothy, Paul writes about modesty, as well as gold and pearls.

And I want women to be modest in their appearance. They should wear decent and appropriate clothing and not draw attention to themselves by the way they fix their hair or by wearing gold or pearls or expensive clothes. (1 Timothy 2:9)

So what was Paul really getting at in this verse? The letter is focusing on not distracting others from worship. Some clothing choices can be a distraction! For instance, a T-shirt with obscenities on it or a short skirt have equal power in the ability to distract a worshipper or someone serving within the church gathering.

This is where the discussion really begins. Scripture doesn’t directly spell out what modesty is. How short is too short for her skirt? How low can a man wear those pants? How much cleavage is vulgar? Should women wear long johns instead of nylons with dresses?

But the discussion is bigger than that. Will the outfit play well in New York CIty but not in the African countryside? What is appropriate in one region or community may not be appropriate in others. How can there be a single definition of what is modest?

Another factor is that people are refined in their faith over time and the intervention of the Holy Spirit. What an individual may choose to wear one day may not be what they would choose in 5 or 10 years. Kind of like watching a toddler choose it’s clothes, some outfits may not make it over time.

Your opinion may simply be your opinion. Scripture may not be able to back your view on clothing.

This is why I offer caution before offering comment on someone’s clothing. We are not called to be cruel or heavy handed in how we discuss this topic (or any other!) with each other. You may also want to ask yourself if you are right person in that individual’s life to speak about the clothing. Would that hurt your relationship with their parent, spouse, or another?

"Don’t be concerned about the outward beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God."  

(1 Peter 3:3-4)

Married to a unbelieving spouse.

Question: ‘How do you live day to day with an unbelieving spouse, not losing your spiritual connection and be a witness for Christ.”

Answer submitted by Pastor Stacey Weeks:
Tough question. Tough situation.

Christian marriage is a covenant before God between two baptized believers of Jesus Christ. If the marriage is between one believer and a nonbeliever, the playing field changes considerably.

Under a covenant marriage, there are many gifts a couple can share - the Holy Spirit, the power of prayer, the Bible, as well as the fellowship of believers. These are gifts that are only being used by one person in the marriage if you are married to a nonbeliever. Living day to day and using those spiritual gifts alone can be challenging.

I know this because when I married Kevin, he was not a believer and I was. I clearly remember the days when the hurt was almost physical because I knew what my best friend and husband was missing out on, the best news ever and the peace that can only come from Christ. (Kevin professed Jesus as his Lord and was baptized after 12 years of marriage).

From my experience, I can tell you this:
* God is with you and you are not alone on this path. God wishes for your spouse to be saved even more that you do!
* Keep doing what you are doing: reading Scripture, attending church, listening to Christian music, blessing meals, talking about your faith with your friends and family. Even though sometimes this may be awkward or even difficult, your spouse is watching what you are doing.
* Pray faithfully for your spouse’s salvation and have others praying with you as well. This will bolster you as you wait as well and give you other believers to walk this with you and encourage you.
* Don’t preach at your spouse. You cannot talk them into faith! There is their part, God’s part and your part in their salvation. Trust God’s timing and His plan for your spouse and you.
* Do discuss with their questions with them. Listen to their hurts or issues around faith. Some of these discussions may develop over years. If they ask questions you cannot answer, seek out a pastor or your faith coach.

Please know that I pray for you and all those married to non believers.