Trinity Flashcards
(30 cards)
What does the doctrine of the trinity tell us?
-There is one God- monotheism
-We have three distinct persons ( father, son ,holy spirit)
-equal status of each person as fully God
Why is there a need for the doctrine of the trinity?
- because the early church was faced with addressing problems of heresy
-christianity’s identity was being threatened and the idea of God was being diluted
What five heresies threatened to split the church ?
- arianism
- sabellianism
- adoptionism
-nestorianism - docetism
arianism
- Christ is not the same as God
- the incarnation is impossible and christ is subordinate to God
sabellianism
- God played three roles throughout history
adoptionism
- God chose jesus (an ordinary man) and adopted him after his baptism
nestorianism
- christ has a dual personality disorder and sometimes feels like God sometimes like Jesus
docetism
- jesus was a phantom, God was acting in a role to inspire humanity
what is the chalcedon definition of ‘Jesus as divine’?
“We confess one and the same Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, perfect in Godhead , perfect in Manhood, truly God and truly Man.”
Philippians 2:6
“Who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited”
What is the chalcedon definition of Jesus’ pre existence?
“begotten of the Father before the ages according to His Godhead”
What is the Nicene Creed’s definition of Jesus’ pre existence?
“being of one substance with the Father by whom all things were made”
John 1:2-3
“He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him, not one thing came into being”
What is the Chalcedon definition of Jesus as co-equal with God?
“of one substance with the Father with respect to the Godhead”
What is the Nicene Creed’s definition of Jesus as co-equal with God?
“Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten not made, being of one substance with the Father”
John 14:9
“Jesus said to him; ‘ have I been with you all this time philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father”
How does the Nicene Creed describe Jesus as co-eternal with God?
“begotten of the Father before all worlds…”
How is Jesus described as co-eternal with God in Colossians(1:17)?
” He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together”
What is the filioque controversy ?
A debate concerning the relationship of the Holy Spirit with God the Father and God the Son
What three things did christians agree on?
- the ceaseless activity of God
- the terms ‘Spirit of God ‘ and ‘Spirit of Jesus ‘ are interchangeable
- the Holy Spirit is God in action
Christians did not agree on where the Holy Spirit cam from. What do we learn from Genesis1:2?
“the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, whilethe spirit of God swept over the face of the waters”
According to Acts 2:2-4 where does the Holy Spirit come from?
“and suddeny from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind… all of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in pother languages”
Who added the Latin word filioque?
The third council of Toledo ( not ecumenical, 5 patriarchs not present who did not consent to this addition)
What caused the Great schism (the divide of East and West)?
- In 1054 Rome accused the Eastern Church of heresy for not accepting filioque. The East sees the father as the source of divinity , the Son as begotten of the Father and the Spirit proceeding from the Father
