Thinking (and preaching) as Trinitarians
What follows is largely a precis of an article by Michael Quicke:
Is our thinking (and preaching) sufficiently Trinitarian?
‘The incredible shrinking God’
Authentic preaching and authentic worship are intimately connected. And both must speak meaningfully of God: that is to say, God in three persons.
Sadly, much contemporary preaching and worship does not do this. It speaks of God as less than three persons. So, when the average church-goer hears the word ‘God’, he or she does not think of the Trinity. We have become unitarians.
This is especially true of those churches that are non-liturgical, and which do not regularly recite the creeds. The Father and the Spirit are seldom mentioned as part of the triune Godhead. Jesus is not depended upon as ‘Mediator and Intercessor with the Father by the Spirit’.
Robin Parry surveyed 28 worship albums produced by Vineyard Music between 1999 and 2004. He found that an overwhelming number of modern songs and hymns are addressed to ‘Jesus’ or ‘Lord’, while less than 2% were Trinitarian.
Lesslie Newbigin commented that when the average Christian in Britain hears the name of ‘God’, he or she doesn’t tend to think of the Trinity. In practice, worship in the West is unitarian.
Liturgically-based churches will observe Trinity Sunday, and mention the Trinity in creeds and other worship elements. But worship generally seldom mentions the Father and the Holy Spirit as members of the Trinity.
Of course, the birth, life, death, resurrection, exaltation, continuing ministry, and return of our Lord Jesus Christ are of central importance. See 1 Cor 2:2. But Christ’s life and ministry can be properly understood only within his relationship to the Father and to the Spirit.
It is through the Spirit that we are able to call the Father ‘Abba’, Rom 8:16.
As Robin Parry remarks, if you take the H out of H2O you no longer have water; and if you take the Trinity out of your theology you no longer have Christian theology.
According to Bruce Ware, the Trinity is important because:
- it is one of the most important distinguishing features of the Christian faith
- the removal of the Trinity would lead to the disintegration of the Christian faith
- true worship acknowledges the roles and relationships of Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
There has been much fresh thinking about Trinitarian theology. Preachers need to catch up with this, for it has massive implications for preaching.
‘Jesus is not a standalone figure’
Of course, the birth, earthly ministry, death, resurrection, ascension and return of our Saviour are central to the Christian message. Paul famously resolved ‘to be concerned about nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified’ (1 Cor 2:2). [But notice how much the apostle has just said about God – 1 Cor 1:26-2:1!]
But:
‘Too often the focus has been on Jesus alone, neglecting Jesus’ relationships with the Father and the Spirit…’
‘Jesus’ life and ministry can properly be understood only within His relationship to the Father and to the Spirit. For Jesus was sent on the Father’s mission to reconcile the world to Himself. As Jesus was obedient to His Father’s will, so He gave glory to His Father by his ministry. Through the Spirit, believers are able to call the Father “Abba,” for “the Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children” (Romans 8:16).’
Think as Trinitarians
We seek to renew our thinking, not as an invitation to fruitless theorising, but as a call to engage afresh with God. See Rom 12:2.
Orthodoxy – right thinking, leads to doxology – right worship, and to orthopraxy – right behaviour.
It is true that the doctrine of the Trinity is rarely articulated in so many words in Scripture (but see Mt 28:19; 2 Cor 13:14). But the practice of speaking of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit is deeply embedded in the New Testament. (As Warfield memorably said, the Trinity is overheard, rather than heard, in the Bible).
It is also true that the Church took four centuries to formulate this doctrine. The Nicene-Constantinople Creed (381 AD) formulated that God is one in his essential being, but subsists in three persons.
A model of the ‘immanent Trinity’ focuses on God’s essential nature, and underscores his transcendence.
A model of the ‘economic Trinity’ emphasises how God in three persons has revealed himself in his creation, through the life and work of Christ, and through the event of Pentecost. This model stresses the relationality of the Trinity and the participation of the Trinity in human history.
The word ‘perichoresis’ describes the interpenetration of the members of the Trinity (John 10:38; 14:8-11). The do not function separately, but are only experienced because of their relationship to one another. No member of the Trinity acts independently of the others. We think, for example, of the Father as Creator, but neither Christ (Jn 1:3) not the Spirit (Psa 104:30) is excluded. To take another example: in Eph 1:3-14 the Father elects, the Son redeemds, and the Holy Spirit seals.
The key word is participation. The three persons of the Trinity have always belonged together in divine community, and yet have freely chosen to involved themselves in the human story, enabling humans to participate in their life. All worship of God (including preaching) involves participation in the life of God in Trinity.
Worship and preaching that neglect the Trinity may become unwittingly unitarian. It may emphasise Christ’s saving work on the cross but neglect the Spirit’s enabling for worship and discipleship. We are left trying to do our best.
James Torrance highlights the following aspects of participation:
Relationships – between God and humanity, made possible by Christ, and between Christ and the church, made possible by the Spirit.
Movement – there is a movement from God to humans from (ek) the Father, through (dia) the Son, in (en) the Spirit and also human-Godward movement to the Father through the Son in the Spirit. This double movement is grounded in the perichoretic being of God.
Power – God speaks through the words of Scripture and of the preacher. But the preaching event is empowered as the listeners are convicted and lives are transformed. Thus, Christ’s prayer for all believers is answered, Jn 17:20-26; the Holy Spirit helps them in their weaknesses, Rom 8:26, and creates spiritual apprehension, 1 Thess 1:5.
Worship – to embrace a Trinitarian approach means that preaching and worship will belong together.
A Definition of Trinitarian Preaching
According to Michael Pasquarello:
‘Christian preaching is a personally involved participatory and embodied form of graced activity that is the Triune God’s gift to the church. This is not subject to human mastery and control, but as an expression of doxological speech is gratefully received and offered back to God through the praise and thanksgiving of the Christian community at worship.’
‘Personally involved’ implies engagement of the whole self, both of preacher and hearers, Lk 10:27; Rom 12:1.
‘Participatory’ reflects the interpenetration of God and believers, based on the mutual indwelling of the three persons of the Trinity.
‘Embodied form of graced activity’ encapsulates how worship is expressed in human lives, as a response to the Triune God’s gift to the church, Jn 1:12.
‘Doxological speech’ reflects that preaching is not simply a special kind of public speaking. It rather has as its aim the glory of God.
‘Gratefully received and offered back to God through the praise and thanksgiving of the Christian community at worship’ – in worship, God’s grace is both given and received.
Conclusion
Preachers, then, need to think as Trinitarians:
‘Instead of solely preaching about God’s power, they need to preach with God’s power; instead of solely focusing on Christ’s past action, they should join in His continuing mediation; instead of solely calling for human response to Christ, they must invite also responses with Him, by the Holy Spirit. And this is true for worship leaders too – not only should they enable worship to God, but worship with God.’
Our preaching will then be:
‘not just about God, [but] with God.’