I decided to read through What the Bible Teaches, by R.A. Torrey again. It’s a great book – you can download a free PDF here – so we’re doing a little Bible study every Thursday. The collection is here. Subscribe over there to make sure you don’t miss anything, but come back and add your voice in the Comments! >>>
This is probably the shortest chapter in Torrey’s book, which makes it’s inclusion interesting. I don’t know that I’ve ever heard anyone argue that the doctrine of the Trinity is not taught in the Bible, but Torrey includes a short chapter, here, to prove otherwise.
He provides five examples:
- Luke 3:21-22 – A clear distinction is drawn between Jesus on earth, the Father in heaven, and the Holy Spirit descending.
- Matthew 28:19 – A clear distinction is made between each member of the Godhead.
- John 14:16 – A distinction is made between the Son who prays, the Father to whom He prays, and the Comforter who is given.
- John 16:7 – A distinction is drawn between Jesus who leaves and the Holy Spirit who comes.
- Acts 2:33 – There is a distinction between the Father, the Son at the right hand of the Father, and the Holy Spirit whom the Son receives.
Torrey generally concludes:
They are separate personalities, having mutual relations to one another, acting upon one another, speaking of or to one another, applying the pronouns of the second and third persons to one another.
So here’s my question for discussion: Why does this matter?
Ready? Go.
[…] addresses the next chapter in Torrey’s book “What the Bible Teaches,” concerning the distinction of the Holy Spirit. That is His distinction from the Father and from the […]
Why does it matter? Good question. Sometimes it makes my brain hurt. Or maybe that’s from falling off my bike and hitting my head.
I suppose we shouldn’t get all carried away to the exclusion of everything else. But key points are: Jesus Himself is crucial because He personally became a man like we are and surrendered Himself up to death for our salvation. And He wanted us to pray to the Father and gave us a great example of the way to pray to Him. And His spirit was promised to follow and lead us into all truth and dwell in us. I suppose it should be enough that we take these truths and glorify God with them. Not beat each other over the head with them.
What do you think?
I don’t really know.
I guess I think the distinction, in general, between the three persons of the Godhead is important to understand so that we can relate and be with God the way He intended. He is Who He is, and He doesn’t change, so the better we understand Him, the better our relationship with Him is.
And it seems that each member of the Godhead has a different role top play, so as far as distinguishing one from the other, we need to understand that. For example, Jesus said to pray to the Father, in His name, and rely on the power of the Holy Spirit. I don’t know if it’s some grievous sin to pray “to” Jesus or Holy Spirit, or to ask Jesus to do something when it’s the Holy Spirit’s role to do it … but it’s probably less effective, otherwise Jesus wouldn’t have taught us the distinction.