Trinitarian

The Trinity

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As a doctrine and a liturgical formula, the Trinity is not developed in the Bible, nor are the distinctions between the three “persons” always clearly articulated. Nevertheless, the concept of God as Father, Son, and Spirit is present.

The stress in Scripture is always on the unity of God. The Father and the Son are one (John 10:30; 17:21); they glorify one another (John 17:1). The Father and the Spirit are one, for the Spirit “searches all things, even the deep things of God,” and knows his inward being (1 Cor. 2:10). The Son and the Spirit are one, since the Father sends the Spirit in the Son’s “name” (John 14:26). The Word and the Spirit are one. When the psalmist declares, “By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth” (Ps. 33:6), the principle of poetic parallelism suggests that the word of God and the Spirit (ru‡ḥ, “breath”) of God are the same. Similarly in the New Testament, a comparison of the parallel passages, Ephesians 5:18–20 and Colossians 1:6, reveals the identity of the Spirit and the Word, and Paul says specifically that “the Lord is the Spirit” (2 Cor. 3:17). The apostolic church remained committed to the uncompromising monotheism of the Jewish faith, expressed in the Shƒma‘ of synagogue worship: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one” (Deut. 6:4), although the phrase is more accurately translated “Yahweh is our God, Yahweh alone.” When the Trinitarian formulation, or an approximation thereof, appears in the New Testament, there is usually a strong suggestion that the different terms used express the same living reality.

The Trinitarian formula, so familiar in Christian worship, is found in Scripture only in Matthew 28:19, where the risen Christ commissions the apostles to make disciples of all people, baptizing them “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” The use of the word name in the singular suggests that the unity of the three “persons,” rather than their distinction, is in view, and in actual practice the early church usually baptized into Jesus Christ, or into his name (Acts 2:38; 8:12; 19:5; Rom. 6:3; 1 Cor. 1:13).

The Trinitarian formula is also implicit in certain expressions of the apostle Paul, although other words may be substituted for the classic terms Father and Son. Writing to the Corinthians, he mentions varieties of gifts (charismata) but the same Spirit, varieties of ministries or service (diakoniai) but the same Lord, and varieties of effects or workings (energēmata) but the same God (1 Cor. 12:4–6). Again, his wording suggests a stress on the oneness of the source of the church’s power. In Ephesians 4:4–6 Paul proclaims “one body and one Spirit,” the life or breath of the body; “one Lord, one faith, one baptism” into Jesus the Son; and “one God and Father of all.” The Trinitarian pattern is repeated within the clause applying to the Father, who is “over all and through all and in all.” Thinking in Trinitarian terms, God is over all as Creator King, through all in the pervasive life-giving presence of the Spirit, and in all as Christ in the corporate church (“the hope of glory,” Col. 1:27). Paul’s familiar benediction of 2 Corinthians 13:14, often used in Christian worship, commends his readers to “the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship [koinōnia, participation or communion] of the Holy Spirit.”

In these expressions, we see not the attempt to formulate a doctrine of God in three persons (the need for that was perceived later in the church’s history) but the effort to convey, within the limitations of human language, something of the fullness of the workings of the divine in relation to his worshipers. In the Spirit he offers his people life, gifts, communion; in the Son he quickens in them service, obedience, and faith; in the Father he governs and provides for them in his authority, creative working, and steadfast love. In every way he moves toward them to dwell in their midst, the covenant Lord with his covenant people, that in the end “God may be all in all” (1 Cor. 15:28).

Biblical Worship Defined

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There are at least four major theological issues worship leadership must know in order to lead congregations toward a biblical practice of worship.  These issues comprise four core assumptions and motivations that will help a working definition for practicing worship:

Worship is Trinitarian.  Biblical worship is Trinitarian.  Scripture throughout confirms that the believer is to worship all three Persons of the Holy Trinity as God. 

Believers are to worship God the Father.

John 4:19-25 points out that God the Father is looking for worshipers who “. . . worship (Him) in spirit in truth.”

“In love he (God, the Father) predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, . . .” (Ephesians 1:4-6).

“Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, 29 for our “God is a consuming fire.” (Hebrews 12:28-29).

Believers are to worship God The Son, Jesus. “When they saw him (Jesus), they worshiped him . . .” (Matthew 28:17).

So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him.  (Matt 28:8-9).

Jesus heard that they had thrown him (a man formerly blind whom Jesus healed), and when he found him, he (Jesus) said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”
“Who is he, sir?” the man asked. “Tell me so that I may believe in him.”
Jesus said, “You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.”
Then the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him.  (John 9:35-38).

Believers are to worship God, the Holy Spirit, and through His Agency. In Ephesians 1:13-14, the Apostle Paul emphasizes that believers praise the glory of the Holy Spirit—which is to say, worship Him:  Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession — to the praise of his (God the Spirit’s) glory.

Worship leaders should clearly note that New Testament Worship is initiated through the will of the Father, the work of the Son, and the agency of the Spirit.  It is the Triune God who energizes the human (and human community of worshipers) to worship.  He enables worship through the power His Spirit, through the work of Christ.  He receives that worship.  He is glorified by that worship.  He is the beginning, the means, the object, and the end of all true worship.   As Paul writes, “For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things.  To Him be the glory forever! Let it be!”  (Romans 11:36-12:1).  True worship is sourced, energized and culminated in the Triune-God revealed through Jesus Christ and the Holy Christian Scriptures.

Biblical worship is Christ-Focused.  God is accessed through the work of Jesus Christ: When he (Jesus) had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. 51 While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. 52 Then they worshiped him . . .  (Luke 24:50-51)

In him (Christ) we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory (Ephesians 1:11-12).

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.  For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are — yet was without sin.  Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need (Hebrews 4:14-16).

Worship is Spirit-Empowered.  True worship, is always and only ‘energized’ by, through and in the power of God’s Spirit.  It is “. . . the Spirit (Who) motivates and equips believers for ministry to one another in the congregation and for service in the world,”  writes theologian David Peterson.[1]  The Apostle Paul points believers in this same direction: For it is we who are the (true) circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh . . .  (Philippians 3:2-4).

It is wondrous to recognize the marvelous mingling of Christ’s work and the Spirit’s work in the mystery of God giving people access to His worship: How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve (latreúein) the living God! (Hebrews 9:14)

Note the term here translated “serve.”  Another rendering of this term would be service-based-worship or service-filled-worship.[2]

Worship is God’s-Word-Centered. All practices, experiences or fruit of one’s worship must find their foundations and affirmation within the perimeters of the Word of God, the historic Christian Scriptures.  Whether personal worship or public worship, if those worship endeavors are not founded on, and referenced to the Cannon of Scripture of the historic Christian Church, then those worship endeavors, no matter how sincere, are not in fact true worship.

Romans 10:3, and 2 Corinthians 11:4 and Galatians 1:6-9 clearly affirms this contention as a “different gospel” and as such is not acceptable. Quoting Galatians 1:6-9: 6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7 which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! 9 As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!

Proper worship emerges from a growing knowledge of God. God’s-Word-Centered worship sets the stage for one to place worship into two general categories: 1) Generic Worship. This is the reality that all humans in general worship something or someone; and, 2) Scripture based worship. This is worship that is founded on the teachings of and realities revealed through God’s Word.

In general, worship at its root—in human experience—has to do directly and specifically with the heart of a person: the core of a person’s being. For it is at this human “core”—the heart—that connection is made between the human and whatever it is that human worships. The heart of a person is also referred to as the spirit or will of a person. It is the person’s center of being. It is the place from where all worship comes. 

Dr. Dallas Willard writes: Human beings have only some small element of spirit—unbodily, personal power—right at the center of who they are and who they become.”  And then, with reference to worship, points out, “It is . . . this spirit (or will), that must be reached , cared for, and transformed in spiritual formation.   The human will is primarily what must be given a godly nature and must then proceed to expand its godly governance over the entire personality.  Thus will or spirit is also . . . the heart in the human system:  the core of its being.[3]

Two principles about generic worship should be considered: First, one can define generic worship as a core heart conviction that expresses great value for someone or something.

Second, real worship—an inward-heart-expression—always translates outwardly as deep admiration and deep desire.  These twin forces of admiration and desire then naturally flow into actions of pursuit and service of the “one” or “thing” worshiped.  So in broadest terms, “worship” is anything or anyone a person admires, desires, pursues and serves.

It is important to understand that worship of any kind actually occurs at the core heart of a person.  It is this kind of love and worship that God is looking to receive from those he created.  This is because worship is at the center of everything—living, loving, serving, and especially one’s daily heart -focus.

Four scriptures support the notion that God is interested in the heart-focus of people:[4] 7 “But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7).

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13).

For from within, out of men’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22 greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. 23 All these evils come from inside and make a man ‘unclean'” (Mark 7:21-23).

Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. (John 4:23) Scripture repeatedly declares the fact that God’s concern focuses primarily on the heart of a person or a community.

[1]  Engaging God: A Biblical Theology of Worship by David Peterson.  (Grand Rapids, MI:  Eerdmans.  1992), 188.

[2]   The Greek phrase is “eis tó latreúein Theoó zoónti” translated literally “unto the ‘serving-worship’ of God, the Living (One).”  The word-family from which latreúein comes is the same word used by Jesus in Matthew 4:10, where He told Satan, “Worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.”  Note the Greek rendering:  “Kúrion tón Theón sou proskuneéseis kaí autoó mónoo latreúseis”(see Peterson, Ibid. p. 188).  The word-family LATREUO is the second of the two major words used in the New Testament for Worship.  (The same concept is found as well in the Old Testament.)

[3]  Dallas Willard. Renovation of the Heart: Putting on the Character of Christ. Colorado Springs, Colo: NavPress, 2002, 34.  Willard continues in this same passage that “this is why we have the biblical teaching that human good and evil are matters of the heart.  It is the heart, (Mark 7:21) and spirit (John 4:23) that God looks at (1 Samuel 16:7; Isaiah 66:2) in relating to human kind, and in allowing us to relate to him (2 Chronicles 15:4,15; Jeremiah 29:13; Hebrews 11:6).”  This issue of the heart is central to every worship leaders ability to effectively design worship environments where God my come and encounter, heart-to-heart, the worshiper.

[4]  Other Scriptures pressing this same point are: e.g. 2 Chron 15:4, 15; Isa 66:2; Heb 10:38.

Athanasius

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Athanasius (c. 296-373) was a young presbyter in the Alexandrian church during the ecumenical council in Nicea (325). Athanasius was the chief defender of Trinitarian doctrine against the heresy of Arianism. In 328 he became bishop after Alexander’s death. He was banished four times for his stand against heresy by Arian Emperors. He was permitted to return each time. He wrote many works toward the end of his life defending the deity of Christ and affirming that anti-Trinitarianism is the most dangerous enemy of orthodoxy. He upheld the truths of Christianity against those who would have introduced heresy into the church.