The NRBC School of Theology: Systematic Theology Course 2

15. OF GOD AND THE HOLY TRINITY 2:3:
The 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith

This course is based on the text, 'The 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith,' with notes by Kevin Matthews. Please feel free to print these notes to allow you to study the text online/offline. This lesson may be used in other study situations if you like (eg. Groups, Bible Studies, etc).

3. In this divine and infinite Being there are three subsistences, the Father, the Word (or Son), and the Holy Spirit (a), of one substance, power, and eternity, each having the whole divine essence, yet the essence undivided (b): the Father is of none, neither begotten nor proceeding; the Son is eternally begotten of the Father (c); the Holy Spirit proceeding from the Father and the Son (d); all infinite, without beginning, therefore but one God, who is not to be divided in nature and being, but distinguished by several peculiar, relative properties and personal relations; which doctrine of the Trinity is the foundation of all our communion with God, and comfortable dependence on Him.

a. 1 Jn 5:7; Mt 28:19; 2 Cor 13:14.
b. Ex 3:14; Jn 14:11; 1 Cor 8:6.
c. Jn 1:14,18.
d. Jn 15:26; Gal 4:6.

When we speak of God the Father, we may mean a number of things, covering any of at least four doctrinal areas. We may speak of God as the Father of all men (the Creator); as the Theocratic Father of Israel; the Father of all believer’s; or the Father as the First Person of the Trinity.

15.1 The Triune God as the Creator

QUESTION: How can the Triune God be known as the Father of all? Explain.

When one looks at the Scriptural evidence, there is no statement of the universal Fatherhood of God (see Ps 68:5; Is 64:8; Matt 13:38; Lk 3:38; 15:12-22; Jn 8:41-44; Acts 17:28,29; 1 Cor 8:6; Eph 3:14,15; 4:4-6; Heb 12:9; James 1:17; 1 Jn 3:10). In fact the term ‘Father’ is never used in Scripture to describe God as Father of all created men.

However, the doctrine is implied within the Scriptural evidence, and many theologians have held to the universal Fatherhood of God. The creature hood of man is the counterpart of the general Fatherhood of God. When speaking of God as the Creator, the Scriptures refer to the united Godhead, and not merely to the first Person of the Trinity. However, it is more especially ascribed to the First Person.

15.2 The Triune God as the Theocratic Father of Israel

Old Testament passages that explain or describe the relationship between God and the nation of Israel, often describe God as the ‘Father’ of Israel in His covenant relationship with them (Jer 31:9). This is especially as the founding Father of Israel, and refers primarily to the united Godhead (Deut 32:6; Is 63:16; 64:8; Jer 3:4; Mal 1:6; 2:10). This aspect of Theocratic Fatherhood is a forebear of the Fatherhood of Believers in the New Testament.

15.3 God as the Father of all Believers

To become a Christian is to become a child of God, a member of the family of God, and to therefore have God as your Father (Mt 5:45; 6:6,8,14; Jn 1:12,13; 3:1-7; Rom 8:16; Gal 3:26; 4:6; Heb 12:9; 1 Pet 1:23; 1 Jn 3:1; 5:1,2), by virtue of our union with Christ (Jn 14:16-21; 15:1-10; 20:17; Gal 3:26; 4:4,5).

By being joined to Christ, the believer shares in the love, which exists in the relationship between God the Father, and God the Son. By being ‘in Christ’, God the Father regards us as He does Christ (Rom 8:16,17; 1 Cor 3:21-23).

QUESTION: How is God a Father to all believers?

15.4 God the Father in Relation to the Son

God is a Father to Christ in a different way than He is to us, in a way that is unique to Himself (Jn 1:14,18; 20:17). It is in this relationship that the name Father refers particularly to the First Person of the Trinity. He is the Father because of the special Father-Son relationship which has always existed between Him and God the Son (Jn 5:7-26; 8:54; 14:12,13). It did not begin at some point in time, but is eternal (the Eternal Generation of the Son - upcoming study). God did not 'become' the Father at any time, because Jesus Christ the Son always existed with God (Jn 1:1,2), and this relationship therefore always existed between them. Christ is the Son of God from eternity, and therefore there has never been a time when God was not His Father. So the term does not refer to Beginnings, for each are dependent upon the other within the Godhead. Therefore it needs to be understood that the doctrine of the Trinity does not teach any form of inferiority.

The idea behind the Fatherhood of the First Person, and the Sonship of the Second Person, is more along the lines of sameness of nature, then subordination or derivation.

This is a relationship which we can not understand (Ps 131; Mt 11:27), and it is a mistake to think that we can, or even to try and explain it. It is clearly within the spiritual realm, and transcendent of humanity. These terms are clearly not ‘accurate’ terms in capturing exactly what God is like, yet we have no better ones. These seem to be aimed at our frailty, that we might get some idea of what is meant by the relationship between the Person’s of the Trinity.

In the Trinity, the Father is not to be regarded as ‘being in charge’ of the Trinity, as though the other Persons of the Trinity are subordinate to Him, for this is not the case (Mt 26:63-66; Jn 5:18; 10:33). There is subordination in terms of role and function, which we will soon consider. Certainly Scripture seems to give some form of rank to the Father as the First Person (hence Father), then the Son (Second Person), and then the Spirit (Third Person), but these do not imply any sense of inferiority, etc (Jn 5:26; 10:38; 14:11; 17:21; Heb 1:3).

15.5 Distinctions of the Father

The two distinct characteristics of the Father, are that He is not begotten or unbegotten, and that He generates the Son from all eternity (See coming studies). He is eternally the Father of the Second Person.

The Father is also involved in the Spiration of the Spirit with the Son (See coming studies).

QUESTION: Are we to understand the Father as being ‘more God’ than the Son and the Spirit? Explain.

15.6 The Role of the Father

All the works of the Father are true of the Triune God, but in some works the Father is especially in the foreground. The Father is the Source of all the decrees in Scripture. It is He who sends the Son, and it is both the Father and the Son who send the Spirit.

The above can be seen in the following:

(a) DESIGNING REDEMPTION/ELECTION: Ps 2:7-9; 40:6-9; Is 53:10; Mt 12:32; Eph 1:3-6

(b) CREATION AND PROVIDENCE: all movement in creation and providence is represented as being from the Father, through the Son, and by the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 8:6; Eph 2:9).

(c) WORK OF REPRESENTING THE TRINITY IN THE COUNSEL OF REDEMPTION as the holy and righteous Being whose right was violated: Ps 2:7-9; 40:6-9; Jn 6:37,38; 17:4-7. Salvation is seen as unto the Father, through the Son, and by the Spirit (Eph 2:18).

NOTE: If you wish to email me regarding your answers to this first lesson, please copy and paste them into an email (Attachments will not be opened). I will then get back to you as soon as I can (expect a delay due to various committments).

Links to Online Texts

• 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith
• 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith

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