1. Knowing God (III) The Trinity of God

2. One Divine Essence O.T. Monotheism: O.T. Monotheism: Dt 4:35 “To you it was shown that you might know that the LORD, He is God; there is no other besides Him.”

3. One Divine Essence N.T. Monotheism: N.T. Monotheism: 1 Cor 8:6 “yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him.”

4. One Divine Essence N.T. Monotheism: N.T. Monotheism: Eph 4:4-6 “There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.”

5. One Divine Essence N.T. Monotheism: N.T. Monotheism: 1 Tim 2:5 “For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.”

6. One Divine Essence N.T. Monotheism: N.T. Monotheism: 1 Cor 8:6 “yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him.”

7. Yet, A Triune (Trinity) Nature Trinity defined: Trinity defined: –“Tri” = three; “nity” = unity. –“Tri-unity”: “Three-in-one” or “Three who are one.”

8. Yet, A Triune (Trinity) Nature God is Three “Persons”: God is Three “Persons”: –OT Plurality in the Godhead: Plural pronouns: Plural pronouns: Gen 1:26 “Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’”

9. Yet, A Triune (Trinity) Nature God is Three “Persons”: God is Three “Persons”: –OT Plurality in the Godhead: Plural pronouns Plural pronouns Hebrew Elohim (God) is plural of El (God) Hebrew Elohim (God) is plural of El (God) Holy Spirit; Coming Messiah who is “God with us.” Holy Spirit; Coming Messiah who is “God with us.”

10. Yet, A Triune (Trinity) Nature God is Three “Persons”: God is Three “Persons”: –NT Plurality: Mt 28:19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”

11. Yet, A Triune (Trinity) Nature God is Three “Persons”: God is Three “Persons”: –NT Plurality: 2 Cor 13:14 “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.”

12. Yet, A Triune (Trinity) Nature God is Three “Persons” God is Three “Persons” All three are God: All three are God: –“God the Father” 1 Pet 1:3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”

13. Yet, A Triune (Trinity) Nature God is Three “Persons” God is Three “Persons” All three are God: All three are God: –The Son: John 1:1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

14. Yet, A Triune (Trinity) Nature God is Three “Persons” God is Three “Persons” All three are God: All three are God: –The Son: Jn 8:56-58 “’Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.’ So the Jews said to Him, ‘You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?’ Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.’”

15. Yet, A Triune (Trinity) Nature God is Three “Persons” God is Three “Persons” All three are God: All three are God: –Holy Spirit: Acts 5:3-4 “But Peter said, ‘Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back some of the price of the land? … You have not lied to men but to God.’”

16. Yet, A Triune (Trinity) Nature God is Three “Persons” God is Three “Persons” All three are God: All three are God: –Holy Spirit: 1 Cor 2:10-11 “For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God.”

17. Yet, A Triune (Trinity) Nature God is Three “Persons” God is Three “Persons” All three are God: All three are God: –Holy Spirit: Identity with the Lord Jesus: Identity with the Lord Jesus: 2 Cor 3:17-18 “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.”

18. Yet, A Triune (Trinity) Nature God is Three “Persons” God is Three “Persons” All three are God: All three are God: –Holy Spirit: Identity with the Lord Identity with the Lord –“Spirit of God” and “Spirit of Christ”

19. Yet, A Triune (Trinity) Nature God is Three “Persons” God is Three “Persons” All three are God All three are God Distinct in person Distinct in person Mt 3:16-17 “After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him, and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.’”

20. Yet, A Triune (Trinity) Nature God is Three “Persons” God is Three “Persons” All three are God All three are God Distinct in person Distinct in person Their Essential Unity: Their Essential Unity: Dt 6:4 “Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one!”

21. Yet, A Triune (Trinity) Nature God is Three “Persons” God is Three “Persons” All three are God All three are God Distinct in person Distinct in person Their Essential Unity: Their Essential Unity: Jn 17:21-23 “that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me.”

22. Lessons For Us God is a God of Community – cf. 1 Cor 12:13-27 God is a God of Community – cf. 1 Cor 12:13-27

23. Lessons For Us God is a God of Community God is a God of Community God is a God of Love God is a God of Love 1 Jn 4:8 “The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.”

24. Lessons For Us God is a God of Community God is a God of Community God is a God of Love God is a God of Love God is a God of Unity God is a God of Unity Dt 6:4 Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one!”

25. Lessons For Us God is a God of Community God is a God of Community God is a God of Love God is a God of Love God is a God of Unity God is a God of Unity Jn 17:21-23 “that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me.”

26. Lessons For Us Community Community Love Love Unity Unity