The Trinity and Creation

THE TRINITY AND CREATION¹

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Dr. Paul Manuel—2006

The standard trinitarian formulation describes God as three persons in one essence, co-equal and co-eternal.² When the Bible mentions them together, they are distinct individuals yet having the same status (i.e., deity).

Matt 28:19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

2 Cor 13:14 May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

This is most clearly stated with the person of Jesus, who identifies himself with the Father.

John 10:30 I and the Father are one.

The predicate nominative is literally “one thing,” not the same person—they are distinct personalities—but the same substance (“god stuff”). As John writes,

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

The Father and the Son are separate individuals, but they consist of the same material, they possess the same qualities, and they pursue the same agenda.³ Despite their similar make-up, Father and Son do not have the same role. Jesus became subject to the Father in order to fulfill his redemptive mission.⁴

Phil 2:6 [Jesus], being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross!

Likewise, the Holy Spirit’s activity is also subject to the Father’s direction.⁵

2 Cor 5:5 Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

Dreams and Visions

OTHER MEANS OF REVELATION¹

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Dr. Paul Manuel—2015

When God wants to communicate with man, He uses a variety of ways.² The most common method is verbal, as when He speaks to His people through an angel or a prophet.³ In addition to what is then recorded in scripture, God employs other means of revelation,⁴ both natural and supernatural.

I. Natural means of revelation

 A. Stellar creation⁵

Rom 1:20 …since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

B. Human conscience

Rom 2:15 …they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them.

II. Supernatural means of revelation

A. Angelic visitation⁶

Gen 19:15 With the coming of dawn, the angels urged Lot, saying, “Hurry! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away when the city is punished.”

Luke 1:13 But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John.”

B. Prophetic inspiration

Isa 7:7 Yet this is what the Sovereign LORD says: “‘It will not take place, it will not happen,’”

Mic 4:4 Every man will sit under his own vine and under his own fig tree, and no one will make them afraid, for the LORD Almighty has spoken.

"Son of God"

SON OF GOD¹

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Dr. Paul Manuel—1995

The title “Son of God,” as it is used of Jesus, is often considered to be a reference to his deity. Indeed, there is ample evidence for this doctrine on other grounds.² Nevertheless, an examination of the grammatical and historical data does not support such a definition of this phrase.

The Hebrew construct “son(s) of” with other objects suggests that such specificity in meaning is more than the phrase will bear. The bound form of stands in a relationship to whatever free form that follows in one of six ways, several of which appear in Matthew (marked by asterisks). Only context can determine which way the author intends, and some of the examples offered below may fit in more than one category. Rarely, if at all, does the meaning remain the same without the bound form (only in IV.B. and IV.A.). That is, “son(s) of X” is not, as a rule, the equivalent of “X” alone.

I. Physical

A. Related by immediate descent³

1. Eleazar, son of Aaron
2. * Zacharias, son of Barachias
3. * James and John, sons of Zebedee

B. Related by distant descent⁴

1. Mephibosheth, (grand)son of Saul
2. * Jesus, son of David

II. Temporal

A. Age of the father⁵

1. Son of (one’s) youth
2. Son of (one’s) old age

B. Age of the person or thing⁶

1. Son of 500 years
2. Son of a night (= 1 night old)

Final redemption for the wicked?

Is There a Final Redemption of the Wicked?¹
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Dr. Paul Manuel—2006

Some Christians, who have difficulty reconciling God's love with His justice, believe that God will give those who rejected His grace in life an opportunity to accept that grace after death, immediately or following a period of punishment. At some point, most or all of the dead will turn to Him and be saved, a view known as universalism. Proponents of this view appeal to passages that allegedly support the notion that Jesus gave Old Testament sinners, those who had never heard the gospel, a second chance to repent.

The first passages to which advocates of universalism appeal are in Peter's first epistle where the apostle allegedly sets forth the idea that those who believed in Jesus after death, the savior then brought with him to heaven.

1 Pet 3:18b He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit, 19 through whom also he went and preached to the spirits in prison 20a who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built.

1 Pet 4:6 For this is the reason the gospel was preached even to those who are now dead, so that they might be judged according to men in regard to the body, but live according to God in regard to the spirit.

Does Peter teach a final redemption of the wicked after death? This interpretation reads more into the apostle's statements than is there and does not have the strong, unambiguous support necessary for such an unorthodox doctrine. It fails to convince on several counts.

The Mark of the Beast (Rev 13:16-18)

The Mark of the Beast (Rev 13:16-18)¹
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Dr. Paul Manuel—2013

The apostle John, in his Revelation, mentions a mark that the antichrist's agent will impose on many people during the tribulation period.

Rev 13:16 He [the false prophet] also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, 17 so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name. 18 This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man's number. His number is 666.

What is this mark of the Beast?

As "the father of lies" (John 8:44), Satan attempts to promote his agenda through deception, using "all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders" (2 Thess 2:9).² The mark of the beast is ultimately Satan's mark and is yet another example of the devil's trickery. What, then, can we say about it?

The first thing to note is that...

I. Satan's mark is an imitation of God's mark (Deut 11:18).

God's wrath and God's people

God's Wrath and God's People:
A Case of Collateral Damage¹
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Dr. Paul Manuel—2009

The assertion, as some advocates of a pre-tribulation rapture contend, that believers will not be present when God pours out His wrath on the wicked, fails on two counts.² First, it lacks the support of examples from scripture when God has removed the righteous from the scene of His judgment and, second, it does not account for counter-examples in scripture, those times when the Lord executed judgment against the ungodly despite the presence of the godly. Such instances are always when the wicked significantly outnumber the righteous³ and, whereas the focus of divine anger is against the wicked, the righteous community is not necessarily spared from unpleasantness and may even suffer collateral damage.⁴

• When God brought the flood on earth's wicked, He did not remove earth's righteous, who had to endure the flood,⁵ albeit from the safety of the ark.⁶

• When God brought the plagues against Egypt, He did not remove the Israelites, who had to endure at least some of God's judgment.⁷

Rapture review

Rapture Review—Events That Occur Together at the End¹
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Dr. Paul Manuel—2000

Christians who hold to a pre-tribulation rapture of the saints distinguish passages that actually refer to the same event, as denoted by common features. The following list of five passages links such features as the savior's return, the saints' rapture, the saints' resurrection, the (final) trumpet announcement, and the culmination of the Great Tribulation, indicating that they will all happen around the same time and not as widely spaced events.

• The Savior's return and the Saints' rapture will occur with trumpet announcement "after the tribulation." (Matt 24:29-31)

Matt 24:29a ...immediately after the tribulation of those days.... 30c ...they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory. 31 And He will send forth His angels with A GREAT TRUMPET and THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.

•  The Saints' resurrection will occur with (the last) trumpet announcement. (1 Cor 15:52)

1 Cor 15:52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.

A pre-millennial summary

A Pre-Millennial Summary of the Future¹
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Dr. Paul Manuel—2011

Having determined that Pre-millennialism offers the most straightforward, consistent, and comprehensive treatment of final events in scripture,² we will now consider that view in more detail.³

1. God will pour out His wrath on unrepentant man (Rev 6:15-17; 9:20-21; 16:21).⁴

• This will trigger a reaction from Satan, whom angelic forces will drive out of heaven (Rev 12:7-9; cf. Luke 10: 18).⁵

• Satan, realizing that time is running out, will launch a last-ditch counter-offensive against Israel (= Great Tribulation) but will fail to destroy God's people (Rev 12:1017).⁶

• Satan will gather his armies at Armageddon to face the messiah (Jesus), who is the embodiment of God's wrath (Rev 19:11-16,19; cf. Joel 3:3, 9-16).⁷

2. Jesus will appear to establish God's kingdom on earth (Rev 19:11-16).⁸

• He will engage and defeat Israel's (and, by implication, his) enemies at the Battle of Armageddon, slaughtering the invading armies (Zech 14:3, 12-15; Rev 19:19-21) and imprisoning Satan (Rev 20:1-3).⁹

End times

Major Views of Future Events¹
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Dr. Paul Manuel—2011

Pre-millennialism presents the most likely outcome of the cosmic conflict. In fairness, though, we should glance at the other two major views of future events: Post-millennialism and A-millennialism.² As their names indicate, the main difference among the three positions concerns the time of the Messianic Age (or millennium) as it relates to the return of Jesus.

I. Millennialism

A. Pre-millennialism³

1. Premise: Things will get worse before they get better.

a. The worse part: Satan will escalate the conflict through a messianic impersonator whom he appoints (Antichrist) and will attempt to preempt the establishment of God's kingdom by setting up one of his own.

b. The better part: Jesus will return, defeat Satan and company, and establish the Messianic Age.

c. The final part: After an extended period (1000 years?), God will execute the final judgment on the wicked and usher in eternity.

2. Conclusion: Jesus' return will be before the millennium.

Contents and Links for "A 'Reader's Digest' Approach to Theology"

The final chapter of the series has been posted — Paul Manuel calls it "A 'Reader's Digest' Approach to Theology." The chapter titles and links are below.

A User-Friendly Guide to Basic Christian Doctrine
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Dr. Paul Manuel—2013

Table of Contents

• Prologue

I. Bibliology

A. The inspiration of scripture
B. The canonicity of scripture

II. Theology

A. The nature of God
B. The work of God

III. Christology

A. The nature of Christ
B. The work of Christ

IV. Pneumatology

A. The nature of the Holy Spirit
B. The work of the Holy Spirit

V. Angelology

A. The nature of angels
B. The work of angels

VI. Anthropology

A. The nature of man
B. The destiny of man

VII. Soteriology

A. The purpose of salvation
B. The procedure of salvation

VIII. Ecclesiology

A. The design of the church
B. The leaders of the church

IX. Eschatology

A. The reign of Christ
B. The re-creation by God

• Epilogue

• Bibliography

Theology Series: Bibliography

Theology Series: Bibliography
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Dr. Paul Manuel—2013

This is the Bibliography for the theology series Dr. Manuel titled "A 'Reader's Digest' Approach to Theology." The Table of Contents for the series can be found here.

Bibliography

Abbreviation Key:

AB	Anchor Bible.
ABD	Anchor Bible Dictionary. 6 vols.
BDT	Baker Dictionary of Theology.
CT	Christianity Today.
EBC	The Expositor's Bible Commentary. 12 vols.
EGT	The Expositor's Greek Testament. 5 vols.
EJ	Encyclopedia Judaica. 16 vols.
ICC	International Critical Commentary.
IDCC	The International Dictionary of the Christian Church.
ISBE	The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. 5 vols.
JBL	Journal of Biblical Literature.
JETS	Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society.
JQR	Jewish Quarterly Review.
NCBC	The New Century Bible Commentary Series.
NICNT	New International Commentary on the New Testament. 18 vols.
NICOT	New International Commentary on the Old Testament. 24 vols.
NIDCC	The New International Dictionary of the Christian Church.
NIGTC	The New International Greek Testament Commentary.
TDNT	Theological Dictionary of the New Testament. 10 vols.
TDOT	Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament. 15 vols.
TJ	Trinity Journal.
WBC	Word Biblical Commentary.
ZPEB	Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible. 5 vols.

Aland, Kurt and Barbara

1987, The Text of the New Testament. Translated by Erroll F. Rhodes. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.

Albi, Martin C.

2002, "Are Any among You Sick?' The Health Care System in the Letter of James." JBL 121/1:123-143.

Allen, Leslie C.

1976, The Books of Joel, Obadiah, Jonah and Micah. NICOT. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.

Theology Series: Epilogue

Epilogue:
Does what we believe actually match our statement(s) of faith?
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Dr. Paul Manuel—2013

Having covered the essentials of what the Bible says about basic dogma, we come to the final assignment in A 'Reader's Digest' Approach to Theology,¹ to evaluate what we profess (in our statements of belief) by what we have learned. Using what we have studied, we will assess our church's doctrinal statement in four areas.

• Exegetical: How accurate is the church's statement?

• Examine each of the stated beliefs, determining which ones have the support of scripture—that is, do the biblical passages listed actually teach the doctrine in question? If not, are the verses wrong for that particular point—in which case, can you suggest better ones—or is the point itself deficient in some way—perhaps more specific than the biblical evidence will allow?

• Theological: What are the doctrines essential to true evangelical Christianity? (You do not have to limit your answer to items in the doctrinal statement.)

• Be prepared to justify your response, to give the reason you consider one point of belief more important than another. Consider, for example, to what extent it is necessary to hold these doctrines in order to be saved and, if they are not necessary for salvation, what makes them in some way essential.

Theology Series Chapter 9: Eschatology

Chapter IX: Eschatology
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Dr. Paul Manuel—2013

IX. Eschatology

It is appropriate that, in A Reader's Digest Approach to Theology, the last unit should be eschatology, the study of last things. Some religions hold a cyclical view of history in which events simply repeat themselves, perhaps with some variation but with no discernible progress. Orthodox Judaism and Christianity, as well as Islam,¹ hold a linear view of history in which God is at work moving events toward a glorious finale for His people, although the identity of those people is different for Muslims and Christians.

No other topic has so stirred the imagination and speculation of people as the prospect of what the future holds, and no other topic has generated as many different opinions and raised as many questions. Will a messianic figure appear to bring peace? Will some cataclysmic event precipitate the end? How and when will it all happen?

Spiritual Israel

Spiritual Israel¹
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Dr. Paul Manuel—2003

There is a curious notion in some Christian circles that believing gentiles constitute "spiritual Israel" and, as such, have displaced physical Israel in God's plan.² This idea comes from misunderstanding something Paul says...³

Rom 2:28 A man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. 29 No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man's praise is not from men, but from God.

As Paul makes clear in the context, he is addressing Jews (not believing gentiles) and is indicating that God's concern for His people goes beyond their physical status.

Church Discipline

Church Discipline¹
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Dr. Paul Manuel—2013

Because of most people's natural tendency to avoid confrontation, church discipline is often neglected in congregations today.² As a result, what may begin as small matters, minor disagreements or moral lapses, go unchallenged and unresolved. Left unattended, such issues can escalate and expand to touch a greater number of people, adversely affecting overall unity and productivity. This can lead to discouragement and dissatisfaction among members, who may leave the congregation or even split the church. Either way, the "body of Christ" suffers.³

• The primary instruction for church discipline is where Jesus tells the disciples how to conduct it (Matt 18:15-17).

Matt 18:15 If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. 16 But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that 'every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.' 17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.

Jesus' remedy entails a series of steps that expand the circle of those involved incrementally, pressuring the offender to concede the problem and correct it. Should the offender steadfastly reject all appeals and refuse to repent, the only option left is to remove him from the group. That is only possible, of course, if he bears some official connection to the church (e.g., membership).

The Apostle Paul and women

Gender Restrictions¹
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Dr. Paul Manuel—2012

The apostle Paul makes some odd, even outrageous-sounding statements about women, gender restrictions that have caused others to apply them by adopting extreme views about the role of women in the church. As with any such pronouncements, though, it is important to understand them in light of what Paul says elsewhere and in light of what other biblical authors have to say. There are two presuppositions we must hold for interpreting scripture, lest we find ourselves adrift in relativism, with neither a rudder directing us to the right place nor an anchor holding us in place once we arrive.

The primary presupposition we must hold for interpreting scripture is about the divine author. Although man has a part, God is ultimately responsible for what we have in scripture.

2 Tim 3:16a All Scripture is God-breathed...

2 Pet 1:20 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation. 21 For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

Consequently, scripture reflects the perspective of God as well as the character of God, who is consistent (immutable) in His person and His plan.² God's perspective on a matter does not mature over time. His opinions are fully developed and fully dependable from the start. Therefore—and here is the primary presupposition—

• What the divine author says in one place will not contradict what He says in another place.

The priesthood of all believers

The Priesthood of All Believers¹
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Dr. Paul Manuel—2000

A belief many Protestant groups espouse is in "the priesthood of all believers." The doctrine, as such, originated during the Reformation in Martin Luther's reaction to the papal claim that its priests mediate God's grace to the laity through the sacraments (Latourette 1975 2:837). From certain New Testament passages, this Protestant tenet makes two assertions, each of which has a premise and a consequence:

1. An assertion concerning Jesus' atonement

a. Premise: Jesus' atonement eliminated the need for priestly mediation.
b. Consequence: Jesus' atonement, thus, abrogated the priestly caste.

2.. An assertion concerning believers' access to God

a. Premise: Believers now have direct access to God.
b. Consequence: Believers, thus, have become priests themselves.

Both premises are false, because they assert that certain conditions after the cross are different from conditions before the cross. The consequences are also false in that they either violate the constraints of context in (allegedly) supportive passages or they contradict the clear teaching of other passages. The primary error, though, is in failing to distinguish biblical priests from ecclesiastical priests.

Evangelists in the New Testament Church

Who Did Evangelism in the Early Church?¹
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Dr. Paul Manuel—2012

The book of Acts chronicles the development of the early church, recounting the role various individuals played in the emerging organization. Before Jesus' ascension, he gave explicit instructions to a particular group, "the apostles he had chosen" (Acts 1:2), and it was primarily (almost exclusively) members of that group who engaged in evangelism.²

Acts 1:8 "...you will receive power when the Holy Spit-it comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

The apostles' testimony during Pentecost led to the first significant increase in the number of believers.

Acts 2:14 ...Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: "Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say.... 32 God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact.... 38a ...Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.... 41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.

The task of evangelism

The Task of Evangelism¹
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Dr. Paul Manuel—2013

One issue we touched only lightly is the church's part in the task of evangelism. All would agree that the church has a responsibility to spread the gospel. The question is: What part of the church is responsible for evangelism? From the biblical data, we can make three observations.

I. Observations from the book of Acts and the epistles

A. Local churches, as such, do not engage in (congregational) evangelism.

1. The primary work of a church (as we noted earlier) lies in other areas (i.e., glorification, edification, and purification).

• Nowhere does Jesus or any New Testament writer charge or chasten congregations regarding evangelism.

2. The secondary work of a church may, however, include this area.

Theology Series Chapter 8: Ecclesiology

Chapter VIII: Ecclesiology
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Dr. Paul Manuel—2013

In the previous unit, we covered why and how God saves us. As we noted, salvation entails a number of steps that culminate with our glorification. As we await that final step, we must continue to live in obedience to God. We are not on our own, however, but have contact with others of like faith in a community known as the church,¹ the study of which is called ecciesiology. We will consider the design (nature and purpose) and leaders (offices and ministries) of this institution. Because this is a survey, we will only touch lightly on some subjects (e.g., church government).