(2 Corinthians 13:14). We are a part of the Cumberland Presbyterian denomination that grew out of a movement of spiritual awakening and revival in the early years of the 1800s. Pretty much every church in the world embraces the Nicene Creed. Here is an excerpt: In sovereign love God created the heavens and the earth and called and formed the people of Israel to be a light to all the nations. The longest season of the church year, Trinity begins eight weeks after Easter and continues for about half of the calendar year. Read 7 reviews from the world's largest community for readers. The Trinity is too vital to our faith for such laziness. What do Presbyterians believe about abortion, euthanasia, violence in the media, human sexuality, and global economics? Other helpful illustrations have been proposed. God is the creator of all things. We must pray and sing to the “one Triune God, the Holy One of Israel, whom alone we worship and serve.”. In a similar manner the one invisible God is experienced in various modes. The Trinity is not an optional “extra” to God. These masks were called personas, which translated literally means “through which the sound comes.” Sabellius, a Christian teacher in the third century, believed that a succession of divine impersonations was sent forth from heaven to earth during three acts in the cosmic theater. God, who is one, is revealed in three distinct persons. The terms must either be personal or functional — the two should not be mixed. Mark Gilbert Mark grew up as a committed Roman Catholic, but despite this did not hear the gospel until he started university. Constantine the Great, the first Christian emperor, decided that the question of the relationship between the Creator and Jesus must be resolved. common people who act like theologians in the shops and streets. We believe that the Bible tells the story – both past, present and future – of the never-ending journey of God and God’s people in the world. The subheading reads: The Trinity is not an optional 'extra' to God; it is the very nature of God as revealed to us in Scripture. Presbyterians interpret the Bible very much like other protestants do. It is not that first we have God the Father, then at a later time God the Son, and after both of these the Holy Spirit carries the relay torch. The Trinity – God exists in the trinity of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Are not all of these expressions simultaneous? Anchored by these ancient words, we are liberated to interpret, amplify and expand upon the ways of naming the Triune God most familiar to the church, rather than simply repeating the word “God” in prayer and liturgy. We believe in the Triune God – God who creates, Jesus who redeems, and the Holy Spirit who sustains us. Presbyterian Creeds & Confessions Those ordained to Presbyterian church office "receive and adopt the essential tenets of the Reformed faith as expressed in the confessions of our Church as authentic and reliable expositions of what Scripture leads us to believe and do, and [are] instructed and led by those confessions as [we] lead the people of God." 42: 36 Do we have free will? This is seen in the confusion that the Nicene formulation attempted to eliminate. ), The theological debate was intense, and not only at Nicaea. Since there is no full discussion of these questions in the Bible, the source of Christian doctrine, varying–indeed, clashing–answers were given to these theological questions. The vast majority of Presbyterians agree with the 1985 General Assembly’s statement on the use of language in worship: “Our language about God should be as intentionally diverse and varied as is that of the Bible and our theological tradition.” Yet often we hear only, “God, God, God.” Attention to God as Trinity and to the words of Scripture and the tradition provide us with a more faithful vocabulary that is also richer and more varied than current practice. And if Christ is God and if God is non-physical Spirit, does that mean that Christ never really had flesh and blood? Wouldn’t our lives be simpler if we didn’t have this three-fold God to explain? However, according to the Nicene formulation, there are three simultaneous expressions of the divine substance. And if that’s true, how is there any room for human free will? There is, however, a distinct deficiency in comparing God to the sun or to electricity; a personal analogy is needed to point to our personal God. God is indeed closer to us than our skin — the three-in-one and the one-in-three. “Father, Son and Holy Spirit” is a root out of which grows an even richer vocabulary of praise. Early Christians found some of their oral and written traditions puzzling. (One of the participants was “Santa Claus,” from Myra, Turkey, where he was known as Bishop Nicholas. We emphasize that God has revealed God's Self as the Trinity--Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. “The doctrine has often confused the thinking of the individual Christian as much as it has clarified and strengthened it,” she observes. Volunteer with Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, Volunteer for Elected Service at the General Assembly Level. Usually the church takes up a theological issue only when there is great controversy — a time when a lack of consensus on an issue embroils the church in an intractable debate. . Do Presbyterians believe in the holy trinity? The Westminster Confession: Yesterday and Today' written by Gordon H. Clark and read by a professional reader. During the process, babies or adults receive baptism through the sprinkling of water, the pouring of water, or by being dipped into water during a ceremony that is said to symbolize Christ's death and resurrection. The three terms must have an inner relationship. Well, when it comes to most of these issues, the simple truth is that Presbyterians believe many things. They do not believe the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity, but merely a force—the "unseen power" from God. We believe that the life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ and the sanctifying and healing work of the Holy Spirit are necessary for us to be reconciled to God. Reflecting on the historical experiences of the early Christians, he writes: “The doctrine of the Trinity sums up the gospel by telling us that the God of grace, who was revealed through the Incarnation and Pentecost as the One who paradoxically works in us what he demands of us, is the same from all eternity and for ever more; so . Worship is the key. Others like to consider themselves simply as followers of Jesus. These two faiths are closely related to our own but reject a Trinitarian notion of God. The One to Whom, the One by Whom, and the One in Whom we offer our praise, Overflowing Font, Living Water, Flowing River, Compassionate Mother, Beloved Child and Life-giving Womb, The Fire that Consumes, the Hammer that Breaks, the Storm that Melts Mountains. Consider being a part of reclaiming the doctrine of the Trinity by studying a draft paper, “The Trinity: God’s Love Overflowing,” prepared by a working group authorized by the 217th General Assembly (2000). Harry Truman said, “I’m a Baptist because I think that sect gives the common man the shortest and most direct approach to God.” We are Harry Trumans run amok. In her Call to Faith, Presbyterian educator Rachel Henderlite laments the lingering Trinitarian misunderstandings that have resulted in three-headed monstrosities. Christians can sing: ‘Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost: as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end.’” Baillie integrates the devotional life of a Christian into a satisfying intellectual treatment of the church’s basic doctrine of the Trinity. This article originally appeared in the May 1994 edition of Presbyterian Survey (now Presbyterians Today). Volunteer with Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, Volunteer for Elected Service at the General Assembly Level. 43: Holy Spirit. But we might say: “Be comforted, for God is always with you.”. Presbyterians believe that the Bible is an inspired record of the revelation of God to all. Undisciplined use of any three words to refer to the Trinity is a “rock, paper, scissors” theology — three, any three, will do. Later in the fourth century a second ecumenical council met in Constantinople to deal with the relationship of the Holy Spirit to the Father and the Son. The Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God–but they are one God. What are Trinity's sources of inspiration? We are “spiritual, but not religious,” finding God within ourselves. It cannot substitute for personal language. However, when three equal and mutually dependent forces operate together, the addition signs should be replaced by multiplication marks: one times one times one equals one. In spite of these explanations, some people, even some scholars, have dismissed the Christian doctrine of a triune God as irrational. A central belief of those who were the founders of our church was that Christ died for all persons, and that all people are included within God’s love for the world. We are able to draw from the well of Scripture to enrich the ways we speak of God and to God. In ordinations that take place in almost every Presbyterian congregation, elders, deacons and ministers are asked: Do you trust in Jesus Christ your Savior, acknowledge him Lord of all and Head of the Church, and through him believe in one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit? … About this the church must have no doubt: The doctrine of the Trinity proclaims to us the very heart of God, made known to us and to the world in the self-sacrificial love of Jesus Christ and poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit not only makes a child of sin to become a child of God, He also leads the new believer into a new way of life which is in conformity to the will of God; into holiness of life and Sanctification. While understandable, this impulse does not serve us well. Presbyterians have come to make a lot of Advent and they occasionally observe Lent, but they usually overlook the Trinity season of the church year. (For a fuller explanation, please see below * and **). 18 What is the Trinity? Here are examples of ways to amplify and enrich our language of the Triune God. Our contemporary version is certainly true, but it betrays an ability to account for the biggest events and issues in our lives without reference to the Triune God—to the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit. Further, our partners in interfaith dialogue routinely tell us that honesty is essential for a true dialogue. Given the time, energy and controversy devoted to the Trinity in the church’s history, how could we let it slip away? Although humans do not have a full understanding of God, there is a reasonable basis for belief in the triune God. In classical drama an actor often wore different masks to play several roles. No, Presbyterians believe that Christ is spiritually present in the Lord’s Supper. Five Key Tenets of Reformed Theology. This is quite different from seeing it as light in a light bulb or feeling it as heat from a stove. An African Muslim once said that the main difference between his religion and Christianity was that he had several wives and one God, while Christians had one wife and several gods. Worship is at the heart of our tradition because as sinful humans that is all we can do, worship God. When we are baptized with water in the name of the Trinity, we share in Christ’s own baptism. We cannot “pick one from column a, one from column b and one from column c,” as if any three terms can express Trinity. He had become a Christian in the hope that Christianity would help to unite his Roman government, which was disintegrating from civil wars. They are products of disciplined reflection, yet are vivid and rooted in Scripture. Ultimately, however, every Presbyterian must find a personal set of beliefs through study, contemplation and worship. They believe that the Holy Spirit lives in individuals but works through the community. 'God in three persons, blessed Trinity' is one way of speaking about the several ways we experience God." . }. In transforming power the Holy Spirit renews and sanctifies us, draws us into new communion with God and each other, awakens our praise and worship, and equips us for the service of God in the world. The longest season of the church year, Trinity begins eight weeks after Easter and continues for about half of the calendar year. Presbyterian interactions with saints pretty much ends there. Be the first to answer! And it is one and the same God who created us, who saves us and who continues to live with us. There is a profound complexity in the orthodox Christian doctrine of God, but it is not incomprehensible. 1. He did not realize that monotheism is basic to the Christian statement of belief, the Nicene Creed. We cannot speak of this God without recognizing that Trinity is not an optional “extra” to God, but is the very nature of God as revealed to us in Scripture. This symbol also conveys the idea that there are three simultaneous expressions of the divine substance. Was the God of law separate from the God of grace? “And Samuel said, ‘Speak, for your servant is listening.’ ” — 1 Samuel 3:10, © 2021 Presbyterian Mission Agency   Privacy Policy | GDPR Privacy Policy | Legal Notices. Clark is exceptionally strong on soteriology, ecclesiology, and ethics. 45: 38 In what ways does the Holy Spirit work in the church? This is especially true regarding baptism in the name of the Triune God, one of the few things that connects Christian believers around the world. What Do Presbyterians Believe? This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. To be fair, I often hear Presbyterians talk about “following Jesus” and “listening to the Spirit.” But far rarer are references to all three persons of the Trinity in an integrated way. We confess faith in the Triune God because we believe this is who God truly is. The term Trinity wrongly suggests that Christians are tritheists. Christ – Presbyterians believe that Christ is the Son of God, the revealer of God, and the Savior of humanity. Lifting up a sprig of shamrock, Saint Patrick said: “Here is a perfect leaf with three perfect parts.” The shamrock became a well-known symbol of the Holy Trinity. Held Jesus in high regard, he rejected Christianity because he thought it contained polytheistic.. Presbyterians do not seem to need it any more easily than we can express faith. Of art: first there is a Cumberland Presbyterian and what do believe! 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