Stephen W. Hiemstra's Blog, page 93
February 20, 2022
Discernment Prayer
By Stephen W. Hiemstra
Almighty and Gracious Father,
All praise and honor be to you, fountain of wisdom and joy that feeds our children, heals our wounds, and lights the path at our feet.
Forgive our impatient weaknesses of heart and mind that bind us to beguiling sins, fears, and sleepless nights when we should learn from our mistakes and open our hearts to those around us.
Thank you for your many blessings, the knowledge that we are given and the resources that come our way.
In the power of your Holy Spirit, give us a discerning spirit, an eagerness to learn, and a willingness to study your word.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.
Discernment Prayer
Also see:
The Who Question
Preface to a Life in Tension
Other ways to engage online:
Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com
Newsletter: https://bit.ly/Mem_2022
The post Discernment Prayer appeared first on T2Pneuma.net.
February 18, 2022
Discernment
For the word of God is living and active,
sharper than any two-edged sword,
piercing to the division of soul and of spirit,
of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts
and intentions of the heart. (Heb 4:12)
By Stephen W. Hiemstra
The image of God that we often picture as visual and the character traits that we ascribe to God are primarily externally observable, like sovereignty, transcendence, and holiness. When Thomas Aquinas described God as omniscient, however, he had more in mind than God’s access to an infinite amount of data. God is able wisely to employ the knowledge at his fingertips. This characteristic is often referred to as discernment.
The Greek word for discernment, κριτικὸς (BDAD 4415), means: “able to judge the thoughts and deliberations of the heart.” It harkens back to our discussion of Hebrew anthropology where head and heart cannot separated. Who else would talk about “the thoughts and deliberations of the heart”? Surface and depth are united together.
The Creation
In the creation accounts, discernment is suggested from the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth at the same time (Gen 1:1). There is no separate creation of one or the other. Heaven and earth form a literary unit called a merism, which is to define whole by reference to the endpoints. Heaven and earth rhetorically means all of creation.
We see a series of dichotomies in the creation accounts: Darkness and light, day and night, waters and dry land, male and female. We generally view them as separations, because the text makes this explicit: “And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness.” (Gen 1:4) The separation is also described as good.
The creation of male and female in the image of God is not arbitrary. Only together are human beings able to participate in God’s eternal nature and have dominion over the earth, as promised:
“And God blessed them. And God said to them, Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” (Gen 1:28)
Implicit in this statement is the curse of being given over to other passions that the Apostle Paul expresses in Romans 1:26-28. Refusing God’s creation mandate places dominion at risk.
Solomon’s Discernment
The pattern of discernment is expressed vividly in the story of King Solomon and the two prostitutes both claiming to be a child’s mother. When Solomon threatens to divide the child with a sword, the true mother begs for the child’s life, while the pretender agrees to the division. In displaying their true motivations, Solomon is able to discern the identity of the mother (1 Kgs 3:16-27).
The testing of the prostitutes may seem extreme, but we see God himself testing his favorite servant, Job:
“But stretch out your hand and touch all that he [Job] has, and he will curse you to your face. And the LORD said to Satan, Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand. So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD. (Job 1:11-12)
Job perseveres in spite of Satan’s cruelty, but the point is that God’s process of discernment cuts him to the core, as suggested in the Hebrew’s 4:12 statement about scripture cited above.
Career Discernment
We often limit our thinking about discernment to decisions about our calling in employment. For Ortberg (2015, 257), the opened door is a fitting metaphor for how God invites us to step out in faith and service rather than having us wait for confirmation and comfort. He writes: “It’s an open door. To find out what’s on the other side, you’ll have to go through.” (Ortberg 2015, 10) This opened door invitation always appears riskier than it really is because of who offers the invitation and for what purpose.
The purpose that he sees is intensely interesting: “God’s primary will for your life is not the achievements you accrue; it’s the person you become.” (Ortberg 2015, 15). As God tells Abram: “I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” (Gen 12:3; 9, 35). In offering such blessings, God invites us to decide which doors to go through as part of our sanctification and our decisions form our character and mold our identity (Ortberg 2015, 8, 16).
What we see in this illustration of discernment is an application of Hebrew anthropology—developing the heart and mind together—and a divine parent leading the way through a difficult life transition.
The Apostle Paul offers a key scriptural guide to discernment: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Rom 12:2) God offers us consolation in our temptations and suffering, but only on the path to transformation. God never condemns us to wallow in our grief.
References
Bauer, Walter (BDAG). 2000. A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature. 3rd ed. Ed. Frederick W. Danker. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. .
Ortberg, John. 2015. All the Places to Go—How Will You Know? God has Placed Before You an Open Door: What Will You Do? Carol Stream: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.
Discernment
Also see:
The Who Question
Preface to a Life in Tension
Other ways to engage online:
Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com
Newsletter: https://bit.ly/Mem_2022
The post Discernment appeared first on T2Pneuma.net.
February 15, 2022
Schlossberg Unpacks Idolatry, Part 2
Herbert Schlossberg. 1990. Idols for Destruction: The Conflict of Christian Faith and American Culture. Wheaton: Crossway Books. (Goto Part 1)
Review by Stephen W. Hiemstra
Psalm 115 provides an important clue as to why idolatry is so pernicious: “Those who make them become like them; so do all who trust in them.” (Ps 115:8 ESV) When we then think of idolatry in terms of priorities, placing anything other than God as our first priority means that we are formed in the image of god (the priority) that we worship.
Our first priority is a measure of everything else. The pernicious effect of idolatry arises because when that idol breaks, all our priorities must change, which creates an existential crisis. This is why workaholics are prone to depression and suicide when they lose their jobs because they have lost both a means of support and their god. Both must be replaced. Replacing one is hard; replacing two at the same time deprives life of meaning. This is why idol worship is pernicious—it threatens us at our core.
In part one of this review I will give an overview of Schlossberg’s work. In part two, I sketch out his descriptions of idolatry.
IntroductionHerbert Schlossberg’s book, Idols for Destruction, is organized into eight chapters:
Idols of History (11-38=27 pages)Idols of Humanity (39-87=48)Idols of Mammon (88-139=51)Idols of Nature (140-176=36)Idols of Power (177-231=54)Idols of Religion (232-259=27)Consequences and Expectations (260-297=37)The New Community (298-336=38; vii-xi)Let me discuss the lengthiest three chapters: idols of power, mammon, and humanity. Schlossberg defines idolatry as: “Any substitute of what is created for the creator.” (6)
Power: The LeviathanSchlossberg begins his discourse of power with the history of the nation-state, which he describes as an alliance between the middle class and the king (177). The unrestrained power of the state is such that patriotism oftentimes appears as a contender with God for worship on earth and the state oftentimes sets itself up as the only savior from disaster (178-180). The recent corona virus pandemic is only the most recent example of this sort of idolatrous state pretension.
Schlossberg makes much of the ability of the state to transfer wealth from one person to another, presumably to advance equality (181). The real manifestation of state power is ability to shape and mold its citizens through taxation and public education so that the family and churches are impotent to resist its influence (214-217).
The breakdown of the separation of church and state that we have seen in this generation makes it obvious that the culture wars that we used to talk about are over and state intrusion into the life of the church grows with each passing year.
MammonJesus coined a new word for covetness (mammon) when he said: “Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”(Luke 16:13 KJV; Matt 6:24 KJV). The King James Version (KJV) of the Bible transliterates the Greek word, mammon, which may also be translated as the god of money. The Apostle Paul preferred to refer to covetness as the love of money (1 Tim 6:10) While covetness is a vice that causes relational difficulties, mammon is also idolatry and a violation of the spirit of the commandment, not to steal (89).
Schlossberg relates covetness to the sin of alchemy, the desire to cheat someone by converting worthless metal into gold (90). The modern equivalent is counterfeiting or, in the case of nations, shaving of coins (93) or inflating the currency (91-102). This chapter reads like an economics text discussing inflation and redistribution issues at great length.
Humanism and HumanitarianismSchlossberg makes a clear point about the idolatrous nature of humanism. The temptation that drove original sin in the Garden of Eden wasn’t about fruit. It was the chance to become like God (39). We read: “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Gen 3:5) Idolatry is at the heart of original sin.
Exalting human perfection is an art form in the modern church. The next time you hear an organ prelude, ask yourself a simple question: Who is being exalted? Is it God or is it the organist?
Schlossberg writes: “Humanist anthropology does not need law because it has a high view of man’s moral stature.” (47). Is this because we are saved by grace or because we have no need for salvation? The Apostle Paul appears aware of this problem when he writes: “Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.” (Rom 3:31)
Schlossberg sees humanitarianism often as veiled materialism within social ministry. He writes: “Being poor is the greatest of evil, in humanitarian thinking, because having material possessions is the greatest good.”(67) Schlossberg unpacks the problems posed by materialism for social ministry at great length, but the single biggest problem is that while Christians value human life because we are created in the image of God (an intrinsic value), the humanist focuses on more pragmatic market values that go up and down (82).
AssessmentHerbert Schlossberg’s book, Idols for Destruction, outlines the pervasive influence of idolatry on the church and society. Schlossberg writes with an encyclopedic knowledge of the literature. He takes each case of idolatry, explains the first century context, and relates it to a modern context. Although he is an historian, his economic understanding of idolatry runs deep. His book is of interest to committed Christians, clergy, and scholars interested in understanding the cultural debates
Footnoteshttps://adventfuneral.com/tribute/det....
Schlossberg Unpacks Idolatry, Part 2Also see:Books, Films, and MinistryOther ways to engage online:Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.netPublisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com Newsletter: https://bit.ly/HNY__2022
The post Schlossberg Unpacks Idolatry, Part 2 appeared first on T2Pneuma.net.
February 14, 2022
Stewardship: Monday Monologues (podcast), February 14, 2022
By Stephen W. Hiemstra
This morning I will share a prayer and reflect on Stewardship and Creation. After listening, please click here to take a brief listener survey (10 questions).
To listen, click on this link.
Hear the words; Walk the steps; Experience the joy!
Stewardship: Monday Monologues (podcast), February 14, 2022
Also see:
Monday Monologue On March 26, 2018
Other ways to engage online:
Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net,
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com.
Newsletter: https://bit.ly/HNY__2022
The post Stewardship: Monday Monologues (podcast), February 14, 2022 appeared first on T2Pneuma.net.
February 13, 2022
Stewardship Prayer
By Stephen W. Hiemstra
Loving Father,
We praise you for giving us spiritual gifts and useful things to do.
We confess that we have not always been good stewards of our time, our talents, and our resources.
Thank you for giving us new eyes to see our work, our supervisors, and our primary responsibilities.
The harvest is ready; prepare us to join the laborers. Equip usus for work in our families, your church’s and the community around us.
In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.
Stewardship Prayer
Also see:
The Who Question
Preface to a Life in Tension
Other ways to engage online:
Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com
Newsletter: https://bit.ly/HNY__2022
The post Stewardship Prayer appeared first on T2Pneuma.net.
February 11, 2022
Creation and Stewardship
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. (Gen 1:1)
By Stephen W. Hiemstra
The act of creation provides a surprisingly important description of God’s character.
God created the heavens and the earth ex nihilo, out of nothing, which implies that he is self-sufficient. He does not win creation in a wrestling match with Satan, a monster, or any other contender, implying that he has no peers. Creation was neither a prize of war nor a gift from a relative. This verse is a simple declaration having no contingencies or probabilities. Creation implies loving care just as we might value something that we have built, molded, or baked.
Creation is work from which God later rested (Gen 2:3). God’s only son did manual labor, working with his hands as a carpenter and bestowing honor on the work itself (Welchel 2012, 7). Most of the disciples worked as fishermen. Jesus’ table ministry implied that he ate and drank with people who worked for a living (Matt 11:19).
A disabled veteran once worked in a kitchen. He hardly wrote anything at all. But he committed his work during the day to God in prayer. Brother Lawrence (1982, 23) wrote: “We should offer our work to Him before we begin and thank Him afterwards for the privilege of having done it for His sake.” He simply applied Paul’s advice: “Pray without ceasing.” (1 Thess 5:17) He became one of the church’s most-prized spiritual writers.
Stewardship
God created us as stewards of creation: “The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.” (Gen 2:15) Eden is not the entirety of creation in the Genesis account, but it is more like a piece of heaven on earth. The role of a steward in political terms might be likened to that of a prime minister (or regent) who manages a government on behalf of the sovereign, often a king or queen. In this sense, we are stewards of creation, which is owned by God (Lev 25:23).
Schlossberg (1990, 316) writes: “A steward is the caretaker of property that belongs to another. A good steward husbands the property and causes it to produce its proper income.” In the parable of the talents (Matt 25:14-29), Jesus pictures the good steward as not only earning income (depositing with a banker), but also taking risks to invest the property and earn above-average returns (doubling property value). By contrast, the bad steward allows the property to depreciate (hoarding property).
Stewardship has wide implications for family and community life because not everyone is equally willing to strive to become a good steward. The Apostle Paul cautions: “If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies.” (2 Thess 3:10-11) We must be good stewards of our resources and our time. Good stewardship even guides Jesus’ restraint in evangelism: “And wherever they do not receive you, when you leave that town shake off the dust from your feet bas a testimony against them.” (Luke 9:5)
Participation in Public Policy
Good stewardship of creation suggests at least two things about our participation in public policy. First, if God is self-sufficient in creation, we should be too. Whenever possible, our families, churches, and public policies should restrain our expenditures within our budgetary means. Second, when we take on debt, we do so primarily to make prudent investments. Borrowing money to buy a car needed to go to work is an investment; doing so to buy a flashy car to impress the neighbors is not. Likewise, equipping our children with skills to face tomorrow is an investment; sparing them hard work in school is not.
In recent years, anxiety about the fragility of our earth’s environment has reached a fever pitch. Where nineteenth century anxiety focused on limits to the quantity of food available to feed a growing population, recent concerns about global warming might be described as prophecy of an ecological Armageddon. How should Christians respond to these concerns?
We can do a number of things:
◆We can pray for the Holy Spirit to sustain us and our planet.
◆We can inform ourselves and others about ecological matters.
◆We can reduce unnecessary consumption of energy and products known to create environmental hazards.
Following Thoreau (1960, 62-63), we can live a Spartan lifestyle as a spiritual discipline, mindful of God’s provision and thankful for his protection. Waste not; want not.
References
Lawrence, Brother. 1982. The Practice of the Presence of God (Orig Pub 1691). New Kensington, PA: Whitaker House.
Schlossberg,Herbert. 1990. Idols for Destruction: The Conflict of Christian Faith and American Culture. Wheaton: Crossway Books.
Thoreau, Henry David. 1960. Walden and Civil Disobedience (Orig pub 1854). Edited by Sherman Paul. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.
Whelchel, Hugh. 2012. How Then Should We Work? Rediscovering the Biblical Doctrine of Work. Bloomington, IN: WestBow Press.
Creation and Stewardship
Also see:
The Who Question
Preface to a Life in Tension
Other ways to engage online:
Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com
Newsletter: https://bit.ly/HNY__2022
The post Creation and Stewardship appeared first on T2Pneuma.net.
February 8, 2022
Schlossberg Unpacks Idolatry, Part 1
Herbert Schlossberg. 1990. Idols for Destruction: The Conflict of Christian Faith and American Culture. Wheaton: Crossway Books. (Goto Part 2)
Review by Stephen W. Hiemstra
The First Commandment instructs us to make God our first priority while the Second Commandment reinforces the First by forbidding the worship of idols. Idol worship is therefore a problem with making something other than God our first priority. This definition makes idol worship a pressing concern in postmodern society, not an anachronistic interest in action figures, as Psalm 115 leads many to assume.
In part one of this review I will give an overview of Schlossberg’s work. In part two, I sketch out his descriptions of idolatry.
IntroductionHerbert Schlossberg’s book, Idols for Destruction, takes its title from the Prophet Hosea:
“They made kings, but not through me. They set up princes, but I knew it not. With their silver and gold they made idols for their own destruction.” (Hos. 8:4 ESV)
The irony found in this verse is that idols lead to self-destruction. While this might seem odd to some, I found during my time as a chaplain intern working in Providence Hospital that the majority of people admitted to the emergency department were there for preventable problems arising from poor lifestyle choices. If self-destruction is a theme in physical health, then how much more difficult is it to maintain good spiritual health?
Schlossberg defines idolatry as: “Any substitute of what is created for the creator.” (6) He states his objective as to find a third way between left- and right-wing politics, a highly ironic statement because “the third way”(10) is a normally prominent progressive theme. While many today talk about how we find ourselves in the end times, Schlossberg begins discussing the collapse of civilization (1-2), a decidedly political tone reflected in his endorsements.
Schlossberg’s focus on idolatry may seem exotic, but the book starts with a preface by Robert Bork and a foreword by Charles Colson, two prominent Nixon-era republicans. Bork was an appeal court judge nominated by Ronald Reagan to serve on the Supreme Court in 1987 only to be rejected by the Senate as too partisan because of his role during the Watergate scandal. Colson led the break in at Democratic Party Headquarters in the Watergate and came to Christ in prison serving time for his crime. Colson later founded Prison Fellowship Ministries. These two endorsements suggest that Schlossberg’s book figured prominently in the culture war on its release.
Background and OrganizationHerbert Schlossberg (1935-2019) was a Messianic Jew who earned his doctorate in European Intellectual History from the University of Minnesota. Idols for Destruction was the first of several books that he wrote.
Idols for Destruction is organized in eight chapters:
Idols of History (11-38=27 pages)Idols of Humanity (39-87=48)Idols of Mammon (88-139=51)Idols of Nature (140-176=36)Idols of Power (177-231=54)Idols of Religion (232-259=27)Consequences and Expectations (260-297=37)The New Community (298-336=38; vii-xi)These chapters are preceded by an introduction and followed by an index, in addition to the preface and foreword mentioned earlier.
Schlossberg’s MethodOne thing that makes Schlossberg an insightful read is his ability to tease out underlining causes. For example, in writing about historicism he writes:
“The doctrine of multiple causation says that there must be more than one cause and that all causes must be identified: the economic, social, political, religious, cultural, intellectual, and so on. Only then can realistic conclusions be drawn.” (22)
If history has multiple causes and an author focuses only on one, then his presuppositions likely dominant both the analysis and conclusions drawn. For example, it is unlikely that slavery was the only cause of the Civil War, as it has been fashionable to conclude. Urban-rural tensions, theological differences about abolition, attitudes about tariffs and trade, immigration, and the balance of power in Congress all played a significant role in regional strife. Ignoring slavery as a cause would be a mistake, but war was not necessarily inevitable if it had been the only cause of strife and other causes were absent—what if everyone agreed on the theological argument for slavery?
RessentimentIn his discussion of humanism, the elevation of mankind’s status to divinity—pride—is the root of all idolatry and it motivates the denial of original sin. Theologically, if mankind is perfectible, then no divine savior is needed. Humanism is accordingly a direct threat to the church’s witness and humanitarianism within the church is a wolf in sheep’s clothing, undermining faith in the guise of pursuing social ministry.
In this context, Schlossberg focuses on the concept of ressentiment, the French translation of resentment with additional significance. He writes:
“Ressentiment begins with perceived injury that may have a basis in fact, but more often is occasioned by envy for the possessions or the qualities possessed by another person.” (51)
Sublimated because it cannot be openly expressed, it morphs into hatred or schadenfreude—rejoicing at someone else’s misfortune. Absent faith, it is easy for someone to consider their misfortune as victimhood rather than taking responsibility their own actions and turning things around. Ressentiment functions as the fig leaf to cover up shame and often fosters codependency among individuals and social groups.
This makes ressentiment a politically-charged concept no matter who you talk to because it infers motive, always a provocative move.
Schlossberg views ressentiment as a postmodern theme as social movements prefer claims of victimhood over efforts to accept responsibility in pursuing education and meaningful employment. Victims need do nothing to improve their circumstances because victimhood is a permanent status, not just a lack of food or shelter. Public programs embracing victimhood become pernicious, locking people into poverty and dependency rather than giving them leg up to join the rest of society. Schlossberg notes that in 1959 two-thirds of black families were headed by men but this number fell to half only ten years later after the social programs of the 1960s (68).
Recent concepts like intersectionality that presumably measures multiple levels of victimhood based on race, ethnicity, or gender expand on this concept of ressentiment. Ironically, the idea that victimhood is permanent directly contradicts the fundamental assumption that human beings are perfectible, which suggests that circumstances can turn with effort. The Christian doctrine of original sin is a better explanation of suffering, abuse, and the need for divine salvation.
AssessmentHerbert Schlossberg’s book, Idols for Destruction, outlines the pervasive influence of idolatry on the church and society. Schlossberg writes with an encyclopedic knowledge of the literature. He takes each case of idolatry, explains the first century context, and relates it to a modern context. Although he is an historian, his economic understanding of idolatry runs deep. His book is of interest to committed Christians, clergy, and scholars interested in understanding the cultural debates
Footnoteshttps://www.prisonfellowship.org.
https://adventfuneral.com/tribute/det....
Schlossberg Unpacks Idolatry, Part 1Also see:Books, Films, and MinistryOther ways to engage online:Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.netPublisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com Newsletter: https://bit.ly/HNY__2022
The post Schlossberg Unpacks Idolatry, Part 1 appeared first on T2Pneuma.net.
February 7, 2022
Trinity: Monday Monologues (podcast), February 7, 2022
By Stephen W. Hiemstra
This morning I will share a prayer and reflect on Trinity. After listening, please click here to take a brief listener survey (10 questions).
To listen, click on this link.
Hear the words; Walk the steps; Experience the joy!
Trinity: Monday Monologues (podcast), February 7, 2022
Also see:
Monday Monologue On March 26, 2018
Other ways to engage online:
Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net,
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com.
Newsletter: https://bit.ly/HNY__2022
The post Trinity: Monday Monologues (podcast), February 7, 2022 appeared first on T2Pneuma.net.
February 6, 2022
Trinity Prayer
By Stephen W. Hiemstra
Almighty Father, Beloved Son, Spirit of Truth,
Blessed are you, father of creation, who hovers over us like a mother hen and sent your son to die on a cross for our sins. Your majesty overshadows the earth and you have set your glory above the heavens (Ps 8:1). May we share your blessings with everyone we meet.
We confess that we are unworthy of your attentions, your parentage, and your provision. Forgive our trespasses, heal our wounds, and give us hearts only for you.
We thank you for the sweet taste of your fruits, the aroma of your son’s teaching, and the touch of our neighbors that share your love for us. Let us not forget our gratitude or wander from your gates.
In the power of your Holy Spirit, separate us in humility, consecrate us in your service, and may we share Christ’s aroma with all who will listen.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.
Trinity Prayer
Also see:
The Who Question
Preface to a Life in Tension
Other ways to engage online:
Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com
Newsletter: https://bit.ly/HNY__2022
The post Trinity Prayer appeared first on T2Pneuma.net.
February 4, 2022
Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
By Stephen W. Hiemstra
Genesis 1 and 2 paint three pictures of God: God as a mighty creator; God who meticulously attends to his creation; and God who walks with us like a friend. While the Trinity is not fully articulated in scripture until the New Testament, God’s self-disclosure as the Trinity appears from the beginning (Chan 1998, 41).
God as Creator
The first chapter in Genesis paints a picture of God as divine creator who calls the universe into being with words spoken over a period of seven days. While much is made of God as a sovereign, king of kings, the language here is not one of command, but of invitation: “Let there be.” God is a gentle sovereign who rules by virtue of creative activity, not conquest nor purchase, nor chance. In his first specific act of creation, God created light—a metaphor for virtue (Gen 1:3).
The first verse offers a summary: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” (Gen. 1:1) This one verse radically changed the perception of time and space. In the Ancient Near East, the time that mattered was day and night, and the seasons—spring, summer, fall, and winter—that controlled the cycles of agriculture. The space that mattered was the boundaries on a particular kingdom or empire. Here in this verse, God stands outside of time and space, creating both.
Everywhere that scientists have studied, the same laws of physics apply. The order and stability of the created universe testifies to God’s existence and sovereignty. Kurt Gödel, a Czech mathematician, who was born in 1906, educated in Vienna, and taught at Princeton University, is famous for his incompleteness theorem published in 1931. This theorem states that stability in any closed, logical system requires that at least one assumption be taken from outside that system. If creation is a closed, logical system (having only one set of physical laws suggests that it is) and exhibits stability, then it too must contain at least one external assumption. God, himself, fulfills that assumption (Smith 2001, 89).
Holy Spirit
The second picture of God arises in Genesis 1:2; here the breath, or spirit of God, is pictured like a bird hovering over the waters. Hovering requires time and effort suggesting ongoing participation in and care for creation. The Bible speaks exhaustively about God providing for us—God’s provision. Breath translates as Holy Spirit in both Greek (πνεῦμα; pneuma) and Hebrew (ר֣וּחַ; ruha).
The Holy Spirit goes by a number of names and descriptions in scripture including: Spirit of the Lord (Judg 3:10), Spirit of God (Matt 3:16), the Helper or Comforter (John 14:16), Spirit of Truth (John 14:17), Spirit of Life (Rom 8:2), God of Endurance and Encouragement (Rom 15:5), Spirit of the Living God (2 Cor 3:3), Spirit of Wisdom (Eph 1:17), Spirit of Jesus Christ (Phil 1:19), Eternal Spirit (Heb 9:14), Spirit of Glory (1 Pet 4:14), and Spirit of Prophecy (Rev 19:10).
The wide range of titles suggests that the Holy Spirit plays a wide range of roles and suggests a God of power who is anxious to confer many different spiritual gifts (1 Cor 12:3-6). By empowering spiritual gifts, the Holy Spirit makes Christian unity possible because these gifts make the Christian life, community, and mission service possible. In all four Gospels, the Holy Spirit descends in baptism on Jesus like a dove—a fitting symbol of God’s peace (Matt 3:16, Mark 1:10, Luke 3:22, and John 1:32).
In the Gospel of John, Jesus describes the Holy Spirit saying: “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” (John 14:26) The Greek word for helper here transliterates as the Paraclete, which also means advocate, intercessor, and mediator (BDAG, 5591). The verbal form of Paraclete also means to comfort, to encourage, to console, and to exhort (BDAG, 5590). John 14:26 equates the Paraclete to the Holy Spirit.
Although we frequently think of the Holy Spirit in highly personal terms, the Holy Spirit founded the church at Pentecost, as described in the Book of Acts (Acts 2:2-4). The Holy Spirit provides spiritual gifts, sustains life, and makes communication with God possible.
Immanence of Christ
The third picture of God appears in Genesis 2, which retells the story of creation in more personal terms. As a potter works with clay (Isa 64:8), God forms Adam and puts him in a garden where he walks and talks with him directly, an Old Testament allusion to Christ. Then, he talks to Adam and directs him to give the animals names. And when Adam gets lonely, God creates Eve from Adam’s rib or side—a place close to his heart.
The curse of Satan alludes to the birth of Christ (Gen 3:14-15). The enmity between the offspring of the woman and Satan refers both to Christ and to spiritual warfare.
When we use the name, Jesus, in English, we are transliterating the Greek of the New Testament. Jesus’ given name was actually Joshua which means “he saves” in Hebrew. However, because Greek does not have an “SH” sound, Joshua could not be accurately transliterated in New Testament Greek—we borrowed the name, Jesus, from the Greek. Moses commissioned Joshua to lead the nation of Israel into the Promised Land (Deut 31:23). Jesus’ salvation arises as he brings us, not into the Promised Land, but into Heaven (Heb 4:1-11).
Christ is not Jesus’ last name. Christ translates the Hebrew word, Messiah, into Greek and it means anointed one because during the commissioning process oil was poured on your head. Priests, prophets, and kings were anointed. The New Testament pictures Jesus fulfilling the roles of each of these three types of messiahs.
Jesus’ messianic role is highlighted in the discussion of Melchizedek in the Book of Hebrews (Heb 5:5-6). Melchizedek was the king of Salem (later called Jerusalem) and he was also a priest (Gen 14:18). In Hebrew Melchizedek means righteous king and some believe it to have been a title given to Shem, the righteous son of Noah (Gen 9:28). Saying that Jesus is a priest of the order of Melchizedek expresses the idea that he is also a king. In Matthew 24:1-2 Jesus prophesied the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem, which occurred later in AD 70, confirming his prophetic role.
The Divine Dance
In our discussion of the image of God, the relationship between Father, Son, and Holy Spirit dominates other images. The Trinity demonstrates how to live harmoniously in diversity, an important example both personally and in community. In the early church, the term for his harmony was the Greek word, perichoresis, which means divine dance (Keller 2008, 21-15).
Individual terms, the Trinity shows up in the writings of Freud, who talks about super ego, ego, and ID as the three parts of our mind. While Freud, the atheist, would chide at the idea of this linkage, his student, Carl Jung, described the psychologist as a secular priest to whom you must confess your sins in order to obtain absolution (Jung 1955, 241). Inner harmony is obviously a objective in therapy, also in parallel with perichoresis.
For the church community, the example of divine harmony has direct bearing. The Trinity could be thought of as the first small group with members doing all things together in harmony. Jesus taught about this harmony during the last hours of his life delving deeply into the relationship between the father and son, as recorded in John’s Gospel in chapters 13-17 (Fairbairn, 2009, 37).
The original small group is the Trinity—the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Keller 2008, 213-26). Our relationship with the Triune God provides an important example of what a loving, well-functioning community looks like. Because our identities are formed by who we are in relationship with, each member of the Trinity contributes something different (Miner 2007, 116) and we can have a unique relation with each member of the Trinity.
Jesus taught: “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:35) He encouraged the disciples to minister in pairs (Luke 10:1). Shared ministry was not only a lesson in evangelism; it was a lesson in unity. It is no surprise then to hear how Jesus remarked at the report of the seventy-two disciples: “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.” (Luke 10:18).
C.S. Lewis (1973, 10–11) gives an image of disunity when he pictures hell as a place where people move further and further apart. At its best, the church is a place like heaven where people move closer and closer together. The church’s sense of community, post Pentecost, is the metaphorical return to Eden (Acts 2:42-45).
The Apostle Paul painted an image of unity when he likened the church to the body with many parts. He observed: “if the ear should say, ‘Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,’ that would not make it any less a part of the body.” (1 Cor 12:16) We are all special and yet differ in the spiritual gifts that we bring to the church through the Holy Spirit. This is why we celebrate the gifts of others. For our unity is in Christ and Christ’s mission, not in our idiosyncrasies and differences.
References
Chan, Simon. 1998. Spiritual Theology: A Systemic Study of the Christian Life. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic.
Fairbairn, Donald. 2009. Life in the Trinity: An Introduction to Theology with the Help of the Church Fathers. Downers Grove: IVP Academic.
Jung, Carl G. 1955. Modern Man in Search of a Soul (Orig Pub 1933). Translated by W.S. Dell and Cary F. Baynes. New York: Harcourt, Inc.
Keller, Timothy. 2008. The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism. New York: Dutton.
Lewis, C. S. 1973. The Great Divorce: A Dream (Orig Pub 1946). New York: HarperOne.
Miner, Maureen. 2007. “Back to the basics in attachment to God: Revisiting theory in light of theology.” Journal of Psychology and Theology, 35(2), 112–22.
Smith, Houston. 2001. Why Religion Matters: The Fate of the Human Spirit in an Age of Disbelief. San Francisco: Harper.
Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
Also see:
The Who Question
Preface to a Life in Tension
Other ways to engage online:
Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com
Newsletter: https://bit.ly/HNY__2022
The post Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit appeared first on T2Pneuma.net.
