Tried With Fire

The following is an excerpt from the 3rd chapter of The Rise and Fall of the Complementarian Doctrine of the Trinity . This chapter examines how evangelicals "do" theology? Somewhere along the way, this methodology led a large number of very intelligent theologians down a path contrary to the historic Christian church. How was this possible? Kevin Giles examines this by taking a look at the presuppositions in Grudem's Systematic Theology. Grudem says he works from two presuppositions: that the Bible is true, and that it is, in fact, our only absolute standard of truth. that the God who is spoken of in the Bible exists, and he is who the Bible says he is, the creator of heaven and earth and all things in them. The possibility that other presuppositions may impinge on his interpretation and systematizing of Scripture and on his theological conclusions is not seen as a possibility. The implication is that if you affirm that the Bible is inerrant you will be able ...

In All That Is In God, James Dolezal critiques "theistic mutualism" or "theistic personalism." He argues that it deviates from the classical theism of the reformed creeds and the works of earlier theologians such as Athanasius, Augustine, Anselm, and Aquinas. 1  The premise of theistic mutualism (TM) is that in order for God to be relatable, there needs to be give-and-take with His creation. Without this, God is reduced to a cold and distant deity. For example: We will have to teach the following: that not only does humanity change in its relation to God, but the living relations of God to humanity... also undergo changes, as both are manifest in the world... Without reciprocity between God and world such vital relations would have no authentic reality. 2 ... if God should not experience change over time in His "intimate actual relationships with His people" then God's love would be reduced "to the frozen wastes of pure speculative abstra...

"Here, just as the Father has authority over the Son in the Trinity, so the husband has authority over the wife in marriage. The husband's role is parallel to God the Father and the wife's role is parallel to that of God the Son. Moreover, just as Father and Son are equal in deity and importance and personhood, so the husband and wife are equal in humanity and importance and personhood. And, although it is not explicitly mentioned in Scripture, the gift of children within marriage, coming from both the father and the mother, and subject to the authority of both father and mother is analogous to the relationship of the Holy Spirit to the Father and Son in the Trinity." pp. 256-257. S ystematic Theology by Wayne Grudem, Zondervan, 1994. "The relation of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, then, is one of glorious harmony. Each has his work to contribute, and each does this in recognition of the authority and submission order that is true among these Persons. Th...

Exhibit A: The Bible several times says that Jesus sits at the right hand of the Father, but He's at the right hand. He sits with Him on His throne. He has equal glory and equal honor but not equal authority. The Father and Son are equal in all their attributes, and the Holy Spirit is too. But among those persons of the Trinity, though they are equal in all their attributes: infinitely wise, infinitely powerful, infinitely loving, just and merciful, omnipresent and omniscient; they share all attributes, but there is a difference in the way they relate. The Father has an authority that the Son does not have. .. The idea of headship and submission never began. It has existed eternally in the relationship between the Father and Son in the Trinity. It exists in the eternal nature of God himself. And in this most basic of all relationships, authority is not based on gifts or ability. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are equal in all attributes and perfections, but authority is just t...

I've posted this quote by Carl Trueman before, but it bears repeating: "[T]he doctrine of God is a more complicated matter than the authority of Scripture, When someone starts to tinker with the doctrine of Scripture, many Christians instinctively feel that something nefarious is being done. But when someone starts to tinker with the doctrine of God, many simply assume that very clever people are engaged in improving the tradition." 1 I believe this is happening with the doctrine of the Eternal Subordination of the Son (ESS.) This doctrine believes God the Son is subordinate to the God the Father in role but not in substance, but this subordination is not just for the purpose of redemption but perpetually. I do not agree with ESS and believe it is inconsistent with the classical doctrine of the Trinity. This may seem esoteric, but our understanding of God is the bedrock on which our beliefs rest. If we get God wrong, then any doctrines that follow, which are pretty mu...