Blessed Trinity, God In Three Persons

For Those not familiar with an Anglican Service; there a four readings before the Message is shared. The Scriptures appointed for Trinity Sunday this year are: Genesis 1:1-2:4; Psalm 8; 2 Corinthians 12:11-13 and Mathew 28:16-20

A Jewish father was concerned about his son.

He had not truly raised him to be grounded in the faith of Judaism...

So, hoping to remedy this he sent his son to Israel so the boy could experience his heritage.

A year later the young man returned home.

He said, "Father, thank you for sending me to the land of our Fathers.

It was wonderful and enlightening.

However, I must confess that while in Israel I converted to Christianity."

"Oh the father groaned what have I done?"

So in the tradition of the patriarchs he went to his best friend and sought ....advice and solace.

"It is amazing that you should come to me," stated his friend, "I too sent my son to Israel and he returned a Christian."

So in the traditions of the Patriarchs they went to the Rabbi.

"It is amazing that you should come to me," stated the Rabbi, "I too sent my son to Israel and he returned a Christian. What is happening to our sons?

"Brothers, we must take this to the Lord," said the Rabbi. They fell to their knees and began to wail and pour out their hearts ...to the Almighty.

As they prayed, the clouds above opened and a mighty voice stated, "Amazing that you should come to Me. I, too, sent My Son to Israel..." (Pause)

This is Trinity Sunday, .....the Sunday after Pentecost, .....a day the Christian Church historically has celebrated one of its central beliefs........that of a triune God.

As the glorious Hymn states : "God in three persons, .... blessed Trinity,".

The very first Anglican Article of Religion states:

"There is but one living and true God.... The maker and preserver of all things both visible and invisible. And in unity of this Godhead there are three persons, of one substance, power and eternity; Father, Son and Holy Spirit."

The Trinity: God is three persons....Each person is divine ..... Yet there is only one God.

Normally when we use the word person, .....we understand it to mean.... physical individuals .....who exist as separate beings.... That is separate entities.

But in God there are not three entities, .....there are not three beings.

God is a..... (Slow) trinity of persons .....consisting of one substance .... of one essence. Yet God is .....numerically one.

And, within the single divine essence are three individual subsistence's ....that we call persons.

And each of the three persons is completely divine in nature ...yet each person is not alone the totality .....of the Godhead.

Each of the three persons .......are distinct from the others. (Pause)

Now....The specific word "trinity" is not found in the Bible.

But this does not mean .....that the concept is not taught there.

In fact ....the word "bible" is not found in the Bible either.... yet we use it anyway.

Likewise, the words "omniscience," which means "all knowing," ....."omnipotence," which means "all powerful," ...... and "omnipresence," which means "present everywhere," are not found in the Bible.

Yet we use these words to describe .....the attributes of God.

So, to say .... as some cults do....that the Trinity is not true .....because the word "Trinity" is not in the Scriptures ..... is an absolute invalid argument. (Pause)

And some dismiss the divinity of the Son ....and the Holy Spirit .....because there is a subordinate order .... in the Scriptures.

Is there subordination of the persons in the Trinity?

There is, apparently, a subordination within the Trinity in regard to order .... but not .....in regard to substance.

We can see that the Father is first, the Son is second, and the Holy Spirit is third.

The Father is not begotten, ... but the Son is (John 3:16).

The Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father (John 15:26).

The Father sent the Son (1 John 4:10).

The Son and the Father send the Holy Spirit (John 14:26; 15:26).

The Father creates (Isaiah 44:24), the Son redeems (Gal. 3:13), and the Holy Spirit sanctifies (Rom. 15:16).

This subordination of order does not mean ....that each of the members of the Godhead .... are not equal ......or divine.

For example, we see that the Father .... sent the Son.

But this action does not mean that the Son is not equal to the Father ......in essence and divine nature.

A wife is to be subject to her husband..... but this does not negate her humanity, her essence, or her equality.

Jesus said, "For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, ..... but the will of Him who sent Me" (John 6:38).

By further analogy, ..........a king and his servant both share a human nature.