Biblical-Theological Reflections on the Doctrine of God

In the first chapter of his book The Ways of Our God: An Approach to Biblical Theology, Charles H.H. Scobie concludes by highlighting 9 theological reflections that come from an investigation of the doctrine of God worked out in the Scriptures.  Let me share three.
First, he asserts that the canonical understanding of God is consistently [...]

The Trinity in Biblical Theological Perspective (2)

The Trinity in Biblical Theological Reflection: New Testament Appropriations of Old Testament Evidence 
Three NT passages that are often used to support the doctrine of the Trinity are Matthew 28:19; John 1:1-8; and 1 Corinthians 8:1-6.  They show the New Testament revelation of the Trinity–one God, three persons.  However, as will be evidenced below these [...]

The Trinity in Biblical Theological Perspective: A Mystery without mysterion

(This is an excerpt from a recent paper I wrote, “The Trinity in the Old Testament: A Present But Elusive Mystery.” It suggests that the development of the Trinity in the Bible follows a mystery-revelation pattern.)
Mystery without mysterion
In his essay entitled “Mystery and Fulfillment” in Justification and Variegated Nomism, vol. 2, D. A. Carson includes [...]

Busyness and Bavinck :: With a Meditation on the Economic Trinity

Over the last few weeks, things at school have picked up and consequently Via Emmaus has slowed down.  But in the busyness there have been many choice gleanings, even if they have not made it here. 
For instance, after sitting on the shelf for sometime untouched, I was finally able to pick up Herman Bavinck’s volume [...]

The Trinity and Progressive Revelation

Writing about the way God reveals his Triune nature over time, Geoffrey Wainwright, professor of theology at Duke, cites  Gregory Nazianzus and Irenaeus, in the Dictionary of Theological Interpretation of the Bible (817).  Consider first Gregory Nazianzus:
The Old Testament proclaimed the Father openly, and the Son more obscurely; the New manifested the Son, and suggested the deity of the Spirit; [...]

Father, Son, & Holy Spirit by Bruce Ware

In six biblically-saturated, clearly-articulated chapters, Southern Seminary professor Bruce Ware develops an historical, biblical, and practical look at one of the church’ most mystifying doctrines–the doctrine of the Trinity.  Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is densely packed with biblical data, but clearly outlined to help provided an accessible grip on the uniqueness of each member of the Godhead.
Written [...]

More Gregory Nazianzen: The Historical Revelation of the Trinity

In The Holy Trinity, Robert Letham quotes Gregory Nazianzen’s cogent statement on the Trinity’s progressive revelation within the history of the Bible:
The Old Testament proclaimed the Father openly, and the Son more obscurely.  The New manifested the Son, and suggested the deity of the Spirit.  Now the Spirit himself dwells among us, and supplies us [...]

Gregory Nazianzen on the Trinity

In The Holy Trinity, Robert Letham refers to T.F. Torrance’s assertion that John Calvin’s Trinitarian theology was developed, in part, by the Trinitarian formulations of Gregory Nazianzen.  That is a mouthful, and an amazing pedigree–Gregory Naz, John Calvin, T.F. Torrance, Robert Letham (p. 267).  Though Torrance’s connection between Gregory and Calvin  has been debated by some (cf. [...]

Intimate Allies (pt. 2): Marriage and Evangelism

Evangelism: Marriage Depicts the Mystery of Christ and the Church
In Intimate Allies, Dan Allender and Tremper Longman show how marriage reflects to the watching a world a picture of the gospel, while at the same time for those Christian couples committed to growing in Christ-like conformity, it provides powerful opportunities for discipleship and sanctification.  [...]

A Marriage Meditation

This summer I am working on an applied ministry project with Dr. Randy Stinson that involves developing curriculum that considers ways in which marriage demonstrates the gospel to Christians and non-Christians. Though this project is just starting to take shape–there are many pages to be read and thoughts to be clarified–there has already been [...]