The Study of God
Core Faith: Lesson Three
Dr. James F. Davis
The Biblical Studies Foundation
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The Triqueta
• The Triqueta symbol below is a Celtic Symbol that
Christians also used to try and communicate the concept
the Trinity: three persons but one God symbolized by
three separate ovals that a linked into one shape.
• But where does the doctrine of the Trinity come from?
The word Trinity itself never occurs in the Bible but the
teaching has been a part of the Christian church since
the early centuries.
• The word theology means the study of God and that is
what in essence this lesson is about in an introductory
way.
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Overview of Lesson
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•
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Sources of Knowledge about God
Basic Names of God
Attributes/Perfections of God
Evidence and Explanation of the Trinity
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Sources of Knowledge of God
• The source of all knowledge about God
comes from God himself and this can be
divided into two areas: natural revelation
(creation) and special revelation (primarily
for us God’s words recorded in the Bible
and in the incarnation of Jesus Christ).
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Natural Revelation
• The heavens declare the
glory of God; the sky
displays his handiwork. Day
after day it speaks out; night
after night it reveals his
greatness. There is no actual
speech or word, nor is its
voice literally heard. Yet its
voice echoes throughout the
earth; its words carry to the
distant horizon. (Ps 19:1-4).
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Natural Revelation
• For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all
ungodliness and unrighteousness of people who suppress the truth
by their unrighteousness, because what can be known about God is
plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the
creation of the world his invisible attributes – his eternal power and
divine nature – have been clearly seen, because they are
understood through what has been made. So people are without
excuse (Rom 1:18-20).
• What can we learn from the universe about God
• 1) God is glorious and beautiful
• 2) God is Immense
• 3) God is Powerful
• 4) God is Good and Provides for all (cf Matt 5:43-45; Acts 14:17)
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Natural Revelation
• God created humankind in his own image,
in the image of God he created them, male
and female he created them.
•
•
•
•
God is relational
God is love
God is moral
God is rational
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Sources of Knowledge of God
• Special Revelation
• God speaking to man verbally, through
signs, dreams, visions and
manifestations of God in the Old
Testament (cf. Heb 1:1-2)
• Focus on two areas the written word of
God the Bible and the incarnation of
Jesus Christ
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Special Revelation
• The Bible Speaks about God and is
inspired by God
• It speaks about who God is and what God did and
does.
• In the beginning God created the heavens and the
earth (Gen 1:1).
• Every scripture is inspired by God (2 Tim 3:16; NET
Bible).
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Special Revelation
• God the Father revealed by the Logos
(= Word) who is the Son Jesus Christ
• 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was
with God, and the Word was fully God. 1:2 The Word
was with God in the beginning. . .1:14 Now the Word
became flesh and took up residence among us. We saw
his glory . . 1:18 No one has ever seen God. The only
one, himself God, who is in closest fellowship with the
Father, has made God known.
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The Names of God
• The First reference to God in the OT is to the
Hebrew word “Elohim” (Gen 1:1). Sometimes
abbreviated “El”. Root meaning is to “Be strong”
perhaps related to a word for mountain. Greek
normally translates this as theos (Enns, Handbook of
Theology, 197).
• Used 2310 times for the true God (Ryrie, Basic Theology, 45).
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The Names of God
• One interesting point about this name is that it is a
plural word.
• Common explanations for this is that it is a plural of
majesty indicating the manifold greatness of God
• It has also been suggested that is allows for the later
revelation of the Trinity.
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The Names of God
• Compound names for God with Elohim
• El-Shaddai: (Gen 17:1) God Almighty (Omnipotent)
• El-Elyon: (Gen 14:19) God Most High (Supremacy and
Sovereignty)
• El-Olam: (Gen 21: 33) The everlasting God (Eternal)
• El-Roi (Gen 16:13) The God who Sees (Omniscient)
(Ryrie, Basic Theology, 46)
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The Names of God
• The Personal name of God in the OT the Hebrew
YHWH or Yahweh.Seems to be related to the Hebrew
to be.
• The name was considered so sacred in Israel one
was not allowed to say it so one said “Adonai = Lord
instead. Following this respect the Greek in the Old
and New Testaments translated this as kurios.
• First occurrence is in Gen 2:4. It occurs about 5321
times in the OT (Ryrie, Basic Theology, 47)
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The Names of God
• Moses said to God, “If I go to the Israelites and tell them,
‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they
ask me, ‘What is his name?’ – what should I say to
them?” God said to Moses, “I am that I am.” And he said,
“You must say this to the Israelites, ‘I am has sent me to
you.’” God also said to Moses, “You must say this to the
Israelites, ‘The Lord ( – the God of your fathers, the God
of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob –
has sent me to you. This is my name forever, and this is
my memorial from generation to generation (Exod 3:1315).’
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The Names of God
• Compound names for God with Yahweh
• Yahweh Jireh: (Gen 22:14) The Lord Will Provide;
Abraham named God this after providing a ram as a
substitute for Issac.
• Yahweh Nissi: (Ex 17:15) The Lord is my Banner; Moses
named God this after a defeat of one of Israel's enemies
• Yahweh Shalom: The Lord is Peace (Judges 6:24)
• Yahweh Sabbaoth: The Lord of Hosts or Armies (1 Sam
1:3)
• Yahweh Maccaddeshsem The Lord your Sanctifier (Ex
31:13)
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The Names of God
• Compound names for God with Yahweh
• Yahweh Roi: (Ps 23:1) The Lord my Shephard;
• Yahweh Tsidkenu: (Jer 23:6) The Lord our
Righteousness
• Yahweh Shammah: (Ezek 48:35)The Lord is There
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The Attributes/Perfections of God
• What is God like? The names of God
start to address this question but there
is much more.
• God is the Subject but what is the
predicate? God is . . . . .what?
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The Attributes/Perfections of God
• Attributes that are unique to God are called
incommunicalble. Some of these are:
• God is all powerful (omnipotent)(Job 42:2; Jer
32:17)
• God is everywhere (omnipresent) (Ps 139:7-12)
• God is all knowing (omniscience)(Is 46:10)
• God is unchanging (immutable)(Jas 1:17)
• God is eternal (without beginning or end)(Ps
90:2)
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The Attributes/Perfections of God
• Attributes that are God shares or can share
with man to one degree are called
communicable. Some of these are:
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•
•
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God is just/righteous (Gen 18:25; Ps 89:14)
God is holy (Is 6:3; Rev 4:8)
God is good (Mark 10:18)
God is true (1 John 5:20)
God is merciful (Eph 2:4)
God is love (1 John 4:8)
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The Trinity
• The word “Trinity” does not occur in the Bible but it is
a theological formulation of truths that are taught in
the Bible.
• Definition of the Trinity: One God in three persons the
Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
• Could also be referred to as “Triunity.”
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The Trinity
• First, the Bible teaches there is one God.
• Listen, Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord is
one! (Deut 6:4)
• For there is one God . . (1 Tim 2:5)
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The Trinity
• Second, the Bible teaches the Father, Son and
Holy Spirit all are God and they all have the
characteristics that are unique to God.
Father
Son
Holy Spirit
Grace and peace to you
from God our Father and
the Lord Jesus Christ!
(Rom 1:7)
But of the Son he says,
Your throne, O God, is
forever and ever,
(Heb 1:8)
But Peter said, “Ananias,
why has Satan filled your
heart to lie to the Holy
Spirit and keep back for
yourself part of the
proceeds from the sale of
the land? . . You have
not lied to people but to
God!” (Acts 5:3-4)
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The Three Leaf Clover
• There is no perfect
illustration for the Trinity but
it is reported that Saint
Patrick used the three leaf
clover as a object lesson in
teaching about the Trinity’s
concept of one God in three
persons, The Father the
Son and the Holy Spirit.
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The Trinity
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Discussion Questions
• How much can a person learn about God
just from looking at creation?
• Which name of God has meant something
to you? Explain.
• Is one attribute of God more important than
another? For example God’s love or God’s
justice?
• How does the doctrine of the Trinity affect
how we define other religions or cults?
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Discussion Questions
• Can someone be a “Christian” and not
believe in the Trinity?
• How does our theology affect how we live?
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