This outline study presents a biblical case for the doctrine of the trinity, citing roughly 1,000 references drawn from well over 300 different chapters of the bible, including references from all 27 books of the new testament. He covers the ground from the first essay, on predestination, to the final one, on the millennium with the apparent ease of. All that warfield will allow is the temporal functional subordination of the son in the work of redemption, i. He was apparently upset and saddened by the way the conversation had unfolded. Biblical research institute silver spring, md june 1999 introduction the doctrine of the trinity lat. The substantive entry about 15,000 words, running for 20 columns in the isbe has been very influential, partly because it was incorporated into a well. Zaspel is pastor of reformed baptist church of franconia, pennsylvania and adjunct profressor of christian theology at the southern baptist theological. Warfield also surveys the implicit trinitarianism in the gospel of john and in particular the upper room discourse, where the distinction of persons within the unity of god is on display. Related to the divine being, his nature and mode of being. Warfield, trinity, from the international standard. Hall, reasoning from the oneness pentacostalism position.
The doctrine of the trinity in biblical perspective 325 trinity, but this mystery must be accepted in terms of the biblical reelation. The resurrection of jesus and the doctrine of the trinity. The biblical doctrine of the trinity by benjamin b. Pdf calvins doctrine of the trinity an assessment of. The father and the son and the spirit is each a distinct person. One reason those who deny the trinity do so is the bible clearly teaches monotheism, meaning that god is one god. The doctrine of the trinity in history and scripture. There will be a presupposition that god is knowable, yet not discoverable by human reason. The biblical doctrine of the trinity kindle edition by. Warfield and the biblical doctrine of the trinity themelios. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets.
Doctrine of the trinity biblical research institute. Warfield reveals his mastery of such subjects as the doctrines of the trinity, the person and work of christ, redemption and faith. Essay theology warfields the biblical doctrine of the trinity annotated. Warfield brief description of the trinity by james white, of alpha and omega ministries did jesus pray to himself. Like the doctrine of the omnipresence of god, while not contrary to reason, it is superior to. Warfield was commissioned to write the entry on the trinity for the 1915 international standard bible encyclopedia. Below is a section toward the end of his paper the biblical doctrine of the trinity biblical doctrines. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the biblical doctrine of the trinity. Warfield, in his article, the biblical doctrine of the trinity states. Benjamin breckinridge warfield s trinity entry in the international standard bible encyclopaedia provides an instructive response to this question. It is the doctrine that there is only one god, not three, and that the one god exists in three persons. The term trinity is not a biblical term, and we are not using biblical language when we define what is. Warfields articulation of doctrine blurs the boundary between theology and biblical interpretation.
Posing a dogmatic question to the scriptures presupposes that the. He wrote so prolifically on both theology and the bible that delineating where one ends and the other begins can be a challenging task. Warfield, calvins doctrine of the trinity, in calvin and augustine phil. Warfield on the trinity those interested in subordination or its absence, and eternal begottenness nicea style, ought to take a look at what warfield has to say about such questions. The term trinity is not a biblical term, and we are not using biblical language when we define what is expressed by it as the doctrine that there is one only and true god, but in the unity of the godhead there are three coeternal and coequal persons, the same in substance but distinct in subsistence. An international journal for students of theological and. Benjamin breckinridge warfield on the doctrine of the trinity. And in unity of this godhead there are three persons, of one substance, power, and eternity,the father, the son, and the holy ghost. Why does the trinity seem to be more clearly expressed in the new. The doctrine of the trinity in unity is a matter of pure revelation. He covers the ground from the first essay, on predestination, to the final one, on the millennium, with. Biblical doctrines contains sixteen articles on key doctrines of christianity, including predestination, the holy spirit, the doctrine of the. Understanding the biblical doctrine of the trinity godhead.
For an explanation of the method, reasoning, and background of this study, please see the introduction. Carson, research professor of new testament, trinity evangelical. The doctrine of the trinity in history and scripture teacher. The biblical doctrine of the trinity kindle edition by warfield, b. God and of the trinity while warfield picks up the thread six years later with an article. In biblical doctrines warfield reveals his mastery of such doctrines as the trinity, the person and work of christ, redemption, and faith. Warfield, biblical foundations london, tyndale, 1958, 1091, argues against what hodge teaches. Although justly famed for his landmark defense of the divine inspiration and authority of scripture, b. The trinity where the world comes to study the bible. The matrix of christian theology, the series which began with the social god.
Instead of interpreting the personal names of the trinity in terms of relations of origin, warfield argues that the. Warfield argued, a doctrine so defined can be spoken of as a biblical doctrine only on the principle that the sense of scripture is scripture. Evangelical selfidentity and the doctrine of biblical inerrancy by the charge. Williams, the trinity and time, scottish journal of theology 39 1986.
Any analogy used to explain the trinity will fail to represent it with complete accuracy true false 33. The biblical doctrine of the trinity kindle edition by b. Biblical doctrines warfield reformation heritage books. Warfield articles on the christian walk, systematic theology and practical theology today, many christians are turning back to the puritans to, walk in the old paths, of gods word, and to continue to proclaim old truth that glorifies jesus christ. Upon first blush, the critics charge did not make any sense to me. Warfield, the biblical doctrine of the trinity, in b. Brief declaration and vindication of the doctrine of the trinity, etc. Free for all about us rreformed exists to be a place where reformed believers, in a broader understanding of the term, can come together in unity by the bonds of the gospel to exhort one another, spur one another on intellectually in reformed.
The doctrine of the trinity in biblical perspective. What does it mean to say that the doctrine of the trinity is a biblical doctrine. Stephen charnock, the existence and attributes of god. Essay theology warfield s the biblical doctrine of the trinity annotated. In biblical doctrines warfield reveals his mastery of such doctrines as the trinity. After all, carl henry was one of the prime architects of the postworld war ii evangelical resurgence. And the definition of a biblical doctrine in such unbiblical language can be justified only on the principle that it is better to preserve the truth of scripture than. The doctrine of god the father the person and work of the first person of the trinity trinity baptist church discipleship training november, 2004 introduction. The biblical basis of the doctrine of the trinity an outline study by robert bowman the biblical doctrine of the trinity by benjamin b. A right understanding of the trinity is vital to a right understanding of redemption. Warfield summarizes the main lines of biblical teaching on the trinity in three points.
Warfield and the biblical doctrine of the trinity 10 scott r. The christian doctrine of the trinity is based on the bibles description of god. It should be noted that the word trinity is never given in the bible. Warfield, the biblical doctrine of the trinity, in biblical and theological studies. Warfield 18511921 once wrote a long and influential essay arguing that the doctrine of the trinity can be summarized in three statements. To a large number of christians, however, it is a doctrine fundamental to christianity since it deals with a correct knowledge of god. Box 8500, charlotte, nc 28271 phone 704 8878200 and fax 704 8878299 1 statement dt160 the biblical basis of the doctrine of the trinity i.
This classic piece is often republished as the biblical. The resurrection of jesus and the doctrine of the trinity robert l. When we have said these three things, he insists, we have enunciated the doctrine of the trinity in its completeness. Originally published in 1915, within a largely ritschlian context that regarded doctrines like the trinity as later corruptions of an originally undogmatic.
The term trinity is not a biblical term, and we are not using biblical language when we define what is expressed by it as the doctrine that there is one only and true god, but in the unity of the godhead there are three coeternal and coequal persons, the same in substance but distinct. In the latter part of the twentieth century the doctrine of the trinity captured the attention of theologians more than any other doctrine. Warfields 1915 isbe article on the trinity presents the princeton theologians mature thinking on the biblical bases and meaning of the doctrine and offers a revisionist interpretation of the personal names of father, son, and spirit. However, in recent times some adventists have begun to question its validity. Warfields the biblical doctrine of the trinity annotated. It cannot be subordinated to the old, metaphysical doctrine of gods unity nor can it be relegated to second level disourse. The biblical doctrine of the trinity for videos, study guides and other resources, visit third millennium ministries at.
It is used to summarize the teaching of scripture that god is three persons yet one god. The doctrine of the trinity lies in scripture in solution. A brief declaration and vindication of the doctrine of the. Charnocks work, published in 1682, remains one of the best resources on the attributes of god. The biblical basis of the doctrine of the trinity an. The doctrine of the trinity covenant of grace church. The evangelical theological society and the doctrine of. What this churchdoctrine of inspiration is, it is scarcely necessary. Philip rieffs prophetic 34 analysis of our secular age bruce riley ashford spurgeons use of luther against the oxford movement 45 geoffrey chang. Warfield, trinity, from the international standard bible encyclopedia general editor james orr, 1915.
Warfield, tertullian and the beginning of the doctrine of the trinity. This study will focus upon the first person of the trinity, god the father. Pdf the state of the doctrine of the trinity in evangelical. He provides clear definitions as well as thorough biblical and theological defenses of the attributes. Warfield the term trinity is not a biblical term, and we are not using biblical language when we define what is expressed by it as the doctrine that there is one only and true god, but in the unity of the godhead. Doctrine of the trinity for instance, in the volume of. Wilken the university of notre dame, notre dame, indiana i as preeminent as the doctrine of the trinity is in the liturgy and in the doctrinal tradition of the church, it plays but a small role in the piety of most christians and is sadly neglected by contemporary theologians. Zaspels latest contribution, warfield on the christian life. Therefore, the doctrine of the trinity is arrived at by looking at the whole of scripture, not in a single verse.