The doctrine of the Trinity begins in praise. 鈥淏lessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,鈥� says Paul. Why? Because the Father has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing, chosen us in Christ before the foundation of the world, and predestined us in Christ for adoption as sons 鈥� all to the praise of his glorious grace (Eph. 1:3鈥�6). The praise of the Father overflows to include praise of his beloved Son, Jesus Christ, who brings us 鈥渞edemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses,鈥� knowledge of the Father鈥檚 plan of salvation, and a glorious inheritance 鈥� again to the praise of the Father鈥檚 glory (Eph. 1:6鈥�12). Such praise cannot rest until it also embraces the Holy Spirit, who seals our faith in Jesus and guarantees our inheritance 鈥� once again, to the praise of the Father鈥檚 glory (Eph. 1:13鈥�14; Fred Sanders, The Triune God, 25-35).

When Christians go to praise the one God of Israel, we find ourselves magnifying Father, Son and Holy Spirit. When Christians then go on to explain how Father, Son and Holy Spirit are the one God of Israel, we find ourselves speaking the doctrine of the Trinity. Praise comes first. Doctrine follows.

At the center of Christian praise stands Jesus. At the Great Commission, the disciples 鈥渨orshiped鈥� the risen Lord Jesus (Matt. 28:17). It was while the disciples 鈥渨ere worshiping the Lord鈥濃€� that is, the Lord Jesus 鈥� that the Holy Spirit tells the church at Antioch to send out Paul and Barnabas (Acts 13:2). In John鈥檚 vision, God the Father (the one 鈥渨ho was seated on the throne,鈥� Rev. 5:1) and the ascended Lord Jesus (鈥渁 Lamb standing, as though it had been slain,鈥� Rev. 5:6) 鈥� together with the Holy Spirit (鈥渢he seven spirits of God,鈥� Rev. 5:6) 鈥� receive the worship of 鈥渆very creature in heaven and on earth鈥�: 鈥淭o him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!鈥� (Rev. 5:13). Amen!

What could explain this most peculiar aspect of the Christian religion? How could first-century Jews, of all people, worship an executed rabbi as Lord? In the Old Testament, God shows a fierce jealousy for his people鈥檚 exclusive loyalty. Again and again he insists, 鈥淚 am the Lord, and there is no other, besides me there is no God鈥� (Isa. 45:5, 6, 18). 鈥淭here is no other god besides me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is none besides me鈥� (Isa. 45:21). Then in the New Testament, Jesus appears, and the apostles summon us to an exclusive loyalty to him. 鈥淭here is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved鈥� (Acts 4:12). In light of the Old Testament, how does Christian praise of Jesus make sense? How do we explain our praise?

When Old Testament Israelites wanted to praise God and proclaim their faith in him, they would start by saying, 鈥淗ear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one鈥� (Deut. 6:4). One of the most wonderful things about God is that he is unique, totally unlike the gods of the nations and supreme over them. This explains why God requires Israel鈥檚 total and undivided worship: 鈥淵ou shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might鈥� (Deut. 6:5). Jesus himself quotes these verses to affirm that God is incomparable and exalted and therefore worthy of our wholehearted devotion (Matt. 22:37; Mark 12:29鈥�30). In doing so, Jesus even seems to deflect attention away from himself. How then did he become the center Christian attention?

Rising from the dead can have that effect. When the disciples meet the risen Lord Jesus, they finally understand what it means to confess him as 鈥渢he Christ, the Son of the living God鈥� (Matt. 16:16), or as 鈥渢he Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever鈥� (Rom. 9:5). It means that Jesus, along with God the Father, is included in the Old Testament confession, 鈥淭he Lord our God, the Lord is one.鈥� The one God actually includes both Father and Son! We hear stunned echoes of this Old Testament confession when no-longer-doubting Thomas exclaims to the risen Jesus, 鈥淢y Lord and my God!鈥� (John 20:28). Paul too recalls this confession, 鈥淲e know 鈥� that 鈥榯here is no God but one鈥欌€� (1 Cor. 8:4). 鈥� The central confession of Old Testament monotheism actually includes the identity of Jesus and therefore explains Christian worship of Jesus (Richard Bauckham, God Crucified, 26-30). With the coming of Jesus and the triumph of his resurrection, there is more about God for Israel to hear.

Adapted from Chapter 8, 鈥淚n the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit:鈥� Trinitarian Theology in Evangelical Theology by Uche Anizor (associate professor of Theology), Rob Price (associate professor of theology, co-chair, Department of Theology) and Hank Voss. Copyright (c) 2021. Used by permission of T&T Clark (Bloomsbury Publishing).


Read more by Uche Anizor and Rob Price, and Talbot authors at thegoodbookblog.com.