Body Builder Bible Study Questions for May 11, 2008

Church History – Week 8 – The Trinity

Topic #1 – God the Father

Questions: What one thing do we learn from each verse about the Father?*
Phil. 1:2 - _________; Isaiah 64:8 – __________; 1 Kings 8:27 – __________; 1 John 3:20 – __________; Psalm 90:2 – _________;
Luke 22:42 - _________; John 3:16 – __________

In Isaiah 48:16 who is speaking? Who else does He refer to? How many distinct persons are mentioned?

Some have used the model of an egg (yoke, white, shell) to describe the concept of the Trinity. What strengths and what weaknesses do you see in this analogy?

Topic #2 – God the Son

Questions: What one thing do we learn from each verse about the Son?*
Col. 2:9 - __________; John 1:3 – __________; Mat. 28:20 – __________;
John 16:30 – _________; Micah 5:1-2 – __________;
Luke 22:42 -_________; Eph. 5:25 – __________

In Mat. 3:16 – 17 how many different persons or entities are mentioned? Do all of these persons or entities appear to be existing together (at the same time)?

Some have used the model of H2O which exists as liquid (water), solid (ice) and gas (steam) to describe the Trinity. What strengths and what weaknesses do you see in this analogy?

Topic # 3 – God the Holy Spirit

Questions: What one thing do we learn from each verse about the Holy Spirit?*
Acts 5:3-4 - __________; Job 33:4 - __________; Ps. 139:7-10 - __________;
1 Cor. 2:10-12 - __________; Heb. 9:14 - __________;
1 Cor. 12:11 - __________; Rom 15:30 – __________

In Mat. 28:19 how many distinct persons or entities are mentioned. What do you see in the grammatical structure of this verse that might hint at the Trinity?

Some have used human mental functions (mind, emotions, will) as a model to describe the Trinity. What strengths and what weaknesses do you see in this analogy?

* One quality, characteristic or attribute of God from each verse.

For everyone:
What do verses like Romans 11:33 and 1 Corinthians 13:12 say to us about our ability to know and understand absolutely everything about God?

Early Church Creeds indicate equality of Father, Son & Spirit:

Council of Nicea – 325 AD - Nicene Creed – the standard of orthodoxy:

I believe in one God, the Father Almighty; maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.

I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father; by whom all things were made; who, for us men and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; he suffered and was buried; and the third day he rose again, according to the Scriptures; and ascended into heaven and sitteth on the right hand of the Father; and he shall come again with glory, to judge both the quick and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end.

And I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and giver of life; who proceedeth from the Father and the Son; who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified; who spake by the Prophets. And I believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins; and I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

Apostles Creed – c. 200 AD:

I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth: And in Jesus Christ his only Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen

To wrap up our discussion from last week about baptism & communion –

Quote from Wilmington’s Guide to the Bible about false views on baptism:

That it (baptism) is necessary for salvation. This is totally erroneous. Dozens of key passages, such as Romans 4:1-6; Eph 2:8, 9; Titus 3:5 and many others make it clear that salvation is by grace through faith plus nothing. The strongest refutation of baptismal regeneration is found in 1 Cor. 1:17: “For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel.” In 1 Cor. 15:1-4 Paul explains what the gospel is, and baptism is definitely not a part of it (see also 1 Cor. 4:15).

Quote from “New Commentary” about John 6:53:

Jesus demanded that they eat his flesh and drink his blood in order to appropriate eternal life. Since he spoke of the blood as being separated from the flesh, he was speaking of death. Christ himself, by virtue of his sacrificial death, is the spiritual and eternal life of men; and unless men appropriate this death in its sacrificial virtue, so as to become the very life and nourishment of their inner man, they have no spiritual and eternal life at all.

1 Cor 12:13 tells us all Christians have been baptized by the Holy Spirit into the body of Christ.