Knowing God (IV) Relationships and Roles Within the Trinity

The Father Relationship of the Father to the Son: Headship and Primacy Relationship of the Father to the Son: Headship and Primacy –God the Father is the head: 1 Cor 11:3 “But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ”

The Father Relationship of the Father to the Son: Headship and Primacy Relationship of the Father to the Son: Headship and Primacy –The Son reigns, but under the Father: 1 Cor 15:28 “When all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, so that God may be all in all.”

The Father Relationship of the Father to the Son: Headship and Primacy Relationship of the Father to the Son: Headship and Primacy –The Son reigns, but under the Father: Acts 2:33 “Therefore, having been exalted to the right hand of God…”

The Father Relationship of the Father to the Son: Headship and Primacy Relationship of the Father to the Son: Headship and Primacy –The Son came to draw us to the Father: Jn 14:6 “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.’”

The Father Relationship of the Father to the Son: Headship and Primacy Relationship of the Father to the Son: Headship and Primacy –The Son glorifies the Father: Jn 14:13 “Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”

The Father Relationship of the Father to the Son: Headship and Primacy Relationship of the Father to the Son: Headship and Primacy –The Son glorifies the Father: Jn 17:4 “I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do.”

The Father Relationship of the Father to the Son: Headship and Primacy Relationship of the Father to the Son: Headship and Primacy –The Son glorifies the Father: Phil 2:11 “and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

The Father Relationship of the Father to the Son: Headship and Primacy Relationship of the Father to the Son: Headship and Primacy –The Father gets top billing: Eph 1:3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.”

The Father Role of the Father: Designer, Originator, Founder, Planner Role of the Father: Designer, Originator, Founder, Planner –In creation: Rev 4:11 “Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.”

The Father Role of the Father: Designer, Originator, Founder, Planner Role of the Father: Designer, Originator, Founder, Planner –In creation: 1 Cor 8:6 “yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him.”

The Father Role of the Father: Designer, Originator, Founder, Planner Role of the Father: Designer, Originator, Founder, Planner –In creation: 1 Cor 8:6 “yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by [through] whom are all things, and we exist through Him.”

The Father Role of the Father: Designer, Originator, Founder, Planner Role of the Father: Designer, Originator, Founder, Planner –In the scheme of redemption: Eph 1:9-11 “He [the Father] made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him [Christ] with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will.”

The Father Role of the Father: Designer, Originator, Founder, Planner Role of the Father: Designer, Originator, Founder, Planner –In the scheme of redemption: Acts 2:23 “this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death.”

The Father Role of the Father: Designer, Originator, Founder, Planner Role of the Father: Designer, Originator, Founder, Planner –In the scheme of redemption: The Father gave his Son: The Father gave his Son: Rom 8:32 “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?”

The Father Role of the Father: Designer, Originator, Founder, Planner Role of the Father: Designer, Originator, Founder, Planner –In the scheme of redemption: The Father gave his Son The Father gave his Son The Father gave the Holy Spirit: The Father gave the Holy Spirit: Acts 1:4 “Gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, ‘Which,’ He said, ‘you heard of from Me.’”

The Son Relationship of the Son to the Father: Submission and Subordination Relationship of the Son to the Father: Submission and Subordination –Secondary agent in both Creation and Redemption

The Son Relationship of the Son to the Father: Submission and Subordination Relationship of the Son to the Father: Submission and Subordination –Son submissive to the Father in all eternity, prior to the incarnation: (?) The Father sent the Son into the world (Jn 3.17) The Father sent the Son into the world (Jn 3.17) The Son’s obedience in coming to the world (Phil 2.5-8) The Son’s obedience in coming to the world (Phil 2.5-8) The Father eternally purposed his will in the Son (Eph 1.9) The Father eternally purposed his will in the Son (Eph 1.9) The Son’s secondary role in the act of creation (1 Cor 8.6) The Son’s secondary role in the act of creation (1 Cor 8.6) God’s self-revelation is through the (submissive) Son. God’s self-revelation is through the (submissive) Son. The Son’s submission for eternity future (1 Cor 15:27-28) The Son’s submission for eternity future (1 Cor 15:27-28)

The Son Relationship of the Son to the Spirit Relationship of the Son to the Spirit –While on earth, submits to the Spirit: Lk 4:1-2 “Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led around by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And He ate nothing during those days, and when they had ended, He became hungry.”

The Son Relationship of the Son to the Spirit Relationship of the Son to the Spirit –While on earth, submits to the Spirit: Luke 4:14 “And Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about Him spread through all the surrounding district.”

The Son Role of the Son: Role of the Son: –Revealer of God Jn 1:18 “No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.”

The Son Role of the Son: Role of the Son: –Revealer of God –Redeemer/Exemplar: 1 Peter 2:21-25 “For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, WHO COMMITTED NO SIN, NOR WAS ANY DECEIT FOUND IN HIS MOUTH; and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.”

The Holy Spirit Relationship: Tertiary to the Father and Son Relationship: Tertiary to the Father and Son –The Spirit submits to and glorifies the Son: Jn 16:13-14 “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you.”

The Holy Spirit Relationship: Tertiary to the Father and Son Relationship: Tertiary to the Father and Son –The Spirit submits to and glorifies the Son: John 15:26 “When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me”

The Holy Spirit Role: Role: –Aided in Creation – Gen 1.2

The Holy Spirit Role: Role: –The presence of God in the world: John 14:16-18 “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.”

The Holy Spirit Role: Role: –The source of divine power on earth… For Jesus: For Jesus: Acts 10:38 “You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.”

The Holy Spirit Role: Role: –The source of divine power on earth… For the Apostles: For the Apostles: Acts 1:8 “but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”

The Holy Spirit Role: Role: –The source of divine power on earth… For us: For us: Rom 15:13 “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

The Holy Spirit Role: Role: –The source of divine power on earth… For us: For us: Eph 3:16 “that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man”

Lessons God is a God of Order God is a God of Order –A hierarchal, authority/submission relationship.

Lessons God is a God of Order God is a God of Order God is a God of Unified Diversity God is a God of Unified Diversity God is a God of Humility God is a God of Humility –Though the Father is supreme, puts the spotlight on the Son: John 5:22-23 “For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son, so that all will honor the Son even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.”

Lessons God is a God of Order God is a God of Order God is a God of Unified Diversity God is a God of Unified Diversity God is a God of Humility God is a God of Humility –Good example for us: Phil 2:2-5 “make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus”

Lessons God is a God of Order God is a God of Order God is a God of Diversity God is a God of Diversity God is a God of Humility God is a God of Humility