Were we to accept the assumption that Jesus cared little for doctrinal instruction, we would have to insist on the same for Nicodemus—whose vocation was, I hasten to remind you, doctrinal instruction.
In this case, the student is the Samaritan woman at the well, and the topic is, among other things, fitting worship.
God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth. The Samaritans and the Jews were disputing over the proper location of worship, and Jesus comes as the presence of God.
The time of restricting worship to geographical location was forever changed when the Word tabernacled with man cf. On the surface, I think this is right, and is by itself doctrinal instruction. Basil the Great writes,. The Holy Spirit cannot be divided from the Father and the Son in worship. If you remain outside the Spirit, you cannot worship at all, and if you are in him you cannot separate him from God.
Light cannot be separated from what it makes visible, and it is impossible for you to recognize Christ, the image of the invisible God, unless the Spirit enlightens you. Now, throughout the Gospels we see Jesus identifying many problems with the Sadducees, but at least one major problem was doctrinal. The context of this rebuke has everything to do with an intermural intellectual debate between the Pharisees and the Sadducees. Consider, for example, the Sermon on the Mount. It is, of course, fitting to go to Matthew 5—7 to glean instructions on right practice, but such instructions must never be abstracted from their theological context.
Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets before. Right from the very beginning of the Sermon on the Mount, Christ offers significant doctrinal instruction regarding Yahweh, the God of the Old Testament prophets: Yahweh has assumed flesh and now speaks authoritatively in the beatitudes. To create such a bond without commenting on a doctrine of special revelation is quite impossible—God began to speak through the Law and the Prophets, and according to Jesus, that very same message is completed in him cf.
Jesus is also making an explicit Christological claim here: if Yahweh makes a promise, and Christ takes it upon himself to keep that promise, he cannot but be claiming the divine name for himself. I could keep going. But make no mistake: Jesus does not shy away from instructing his people on doctrinal matters. We have to peer deeper, however, because it is not simply that Christ instructs his disciples on the importance of doctrinal instruction.
Astonishingly, it is also the case that Christ himself is the content of this doctrinal instruction! He is the Word made flesh. It is not simply the case that Christ revealed the glory of God when he performed the miraculous. The entirety of his enfleshed state was doctrinal revelation.
This is a point that Christ himself makes. It was Christ himself who insisted that rendering honor to the Father and rendering honor to the Son were inseparably tied Jn. The whole creation is his care. Jehovah, our God, is the great Emperor of the whole universe, and his wisdom, power, goodness and benevolence are abundantly equal to all the responsibilities of so exalted an office. The human mind staggers in its efforts to comprehend the mental resources of a being who is able to assume and to bear such responsibility.
Think for a moment of the memory that never fails; of the judgment that never errs; of the wisdom that plans for eternity without the possibility of failure, and that times that plan with unerring precision for the ages to come; of the power and skill which can harness even every opposing element, animate or inanimate, and make them all work together for the accomplishment of his grand designs; of the tireless vigilance that never ceases, nor seeks relief from the pressing cares of universal dominion--whose eye never sleeps, whose ear is ever open, and who is ever cognizant of all the necessities, and active in all the interests, of his broad domains.
A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Can you explain this? United Kingdom. Does faith begin with obedience? Does God ever reveal Himself to let us know that He's real? United States. Daily Heavenly Manna. Acts OUR consciences require regulating, as do all the other features of our fallen nature.
Songs in the Night. Isaiah THE Christian's experience is a continual schooling. Morning Devotions. My Morning Resolve. A Vow Unto the Lord. Close your Eyes. Jehovah our God. Psalms Matthew Click Here to read devotions for the entire year. Go to Top.
Your gift is doubled! Partner with us to reach more people for Christ. If you already have an account, Sign in. The Bible clearly affirms the existence of three distinct Persons that are all identified as the one God of the universe. As is traditionally stated, St. Patrick illustrated the trinity by using a shamrock i. Using this illustration from nature, St. Patrick was able to help some of the pagan Celtics to accept the doctrine of the Trinity.
I think an even better illustration of the Trinity is the universe itself though no illustration is perfect. If you were to take away any of these three, you would no longer have a universe. We see this tri-unity composing the very fabric of the universe. Why would the universe reflect a trinitarian nature? Could it be that God made His universe to reflect His own trinitarian nature? I believe that God left His fingerprints on the work of His creation , and we see in it a reflection of the Trinity.
So what does the Bible teach about the Trinity? It clearly affirms the existence of three distinct Persons that are all identified as the one God of the universe. This is not a contradiction because we are not saying that God is both one person and three persons. Nor are we saying that God is both one god and three gods. We are saying that God is one in essence and three in Person. Just as the one universe exists as space, time, and matter, the one God exists as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Our belief in the Trinity does not first come from our observation of the universe, but from Scripture. The following premises are all taught in the Bible and form the basis of the doctrine of the Trinity. Do you see the three distinct Persons involved in this request? There is much, much more evidence to back up each of the above premises biblically. Some say that it is not important to believe the doctrine of the Trinity, but this attitude is mistaken.
The doctrine of the Trinity underlies key teachings that are essential to the gospel. For example, those who deny the Trinity usually deny that Jesus is God. Also, if we deny that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinct, we deny God His inherent personal or relational characteristics. For instance, God would not be a loving God from all eternity if He had to wait until He created in order to love anyone because love must be shared. But if God is more than one Person, there has been a loving relationship from all eternity among the Persons of God.
Believing in a relational God is significant because it affects the way we relate to one another, as well as to God. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are not impersonal entities. They each possess personhood and from eternity past have lived in personal relationship with each other. How does the Son relate to the Father? Eternally, the Son has related to the Father as a Son, and the Father has related to the Son as a Father, though not in a physical sense.
Since the Son has eternally related to the Father as a Son, He is eternally submissive to the Father. That is why the Son allowed Himself to be sent by the Father into the world. He is equal to the Father in essence. He is to be worshiped and glorified on the same level as the Father. The word used to show the relationship between the Holy Spirit and the other members of the Trinity is proceeding. Keep in mind that this proceeding and sending is happening between three Persons living in loving relationship with each other.
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