Just In Time For The Latest ESS Dustup: With Presbycast On The Athanasian Creed

R. Scott Clark

on August 6, 2021 | 1 Comment

Even as we were recording this episode last night a new round of controversy (on social media) arose over the orthodoxy of the doctrine of the so-called “eternal subordination of the Son” or the “eternal functional subordination of the Son” AKA “eternal . . . Continue reading →

Heidelcast 187: What Must A Christian Believe? (5): The Holy Trinity

Heidelcast

on July 26, 2021 | 7 Comments

The Heidelcast is back and better than ever, well, as mediocre as ever anyway. As I’m recording this it’s late July and I’m trying to finish the commentary on the Heidelberg Catechism. Something had to give way so I put the Heidelcast . . . Continue reading →

The Eternally Begotten Son Is Consubstantial With the Father

R. Scott Clark

on June 2, 2021

The Son’s generation involves no priority or posteriority, and certainly no inferiority but designates order alone. If it did involve priority or posteriority of any kind, then the Son would be inferior to the Father. Previously, I emphasized that the Son is . . . Continue reading →

Gregory Of Nazianzus On The Deity Of The Holy Spirit And Against Analogies For The Trinity

R. Scott Clark

on May 24, 2021

XXVIII. This, then, is my position with regard to these things, and I hope it may be always my position, and that of whosoever is dear to me; to worship God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost, Three . . . Continue reading →

How Do We Know That God Is One In Three Persons (And Not Four Persons)?

R. Scott Clark

on October 5, 2019

Jason writes to ask: From a Christian perspective, how do we know that God is three persons (and not four or more)? Is it possible, from a Christian perspective, that God has only chosen to reveal three persons (but that God is . . . Continue reading →

Scott Swain On Warfield’s Revision Of The Doctrine Of The Trinity

R. Scott Clark

on April 25, 2018 | 6 Comments

We may shed further light on the nature of Warfield’s position by looking at the broader historical-theological context within which it emerges. Toward the conclusion of his ISBE article, Warfield offers a brief sketch of the history of Trinitarian doctrine. On his . . . Continue reading →

Trinitarian Orthodoxy Accounts For The Fullness Of The Biblical Revelation

R. Scott Clark

on January 22, 2018 | 3 Comments

When the fullness of God’s self-revelation in Scripture is not taken into account, heresy is the result. Those who emphasize the oneness of God to the neglect of what Scripture teaches regarding the deity of the three persons fall into errors such . . . Continue reading →

Heidelcast 130: I Am That I Am (8)—Against Social Trinitarianism

Heidelcast

on December 31, 2017 | 5 Comments

In the last few episodes we have been considering the biblical, ecumenical (or creedal) doctrine of the Trinity. The God who is, is one in three persons. The historic doctrine of the Trinity is very clear. It is also great mystery but . . . Continue reading →

Heidelcast 129: I Am That I Am (7)—The Trinity In The New Testament

Heidelcast

on December 10, 2017 | 1 Comment

Augustine of Hippo used to say that what was concealed in the Old Testament is revealed in the New Testament and that is certainly true in case of the biblical doctrine of the Trinity. As we have discussed so far in the . . . Continue reading →

Christian, Why Do You Sing A Swedenborgian, Social-Gospel, Hymn Written By A Unitarian Minister?

R. Scott Clark

on December 7, 2017 | 31 Comments

“It Came Upon The Midnight Clear” (now typically titled, “It Came Upon A Midnight Clear”) was first published in 1834. It was written by Edmund Hamilton Sears (1810–76), an Unitarian minister with Swedenborgian convictions. C. Michael Hawn, who teaches sacred music, describes . . . Continue reading →

Heidelcast 128: I Am That I Am (6)—The Trinity And The Covenant Of Redemption

Heidelcast

on December 4, 2017 | 1 Comment

I am excited to back behind the Heidelmic again and judging from the discussions I am seeing in print and online it looks like it is none too soon. James Dolezal has published an important new book, All That Is In God: . . . Continue reading →

Differences Between The Reformed And Remonstrants On The Trinity

R. Scott Clark

on May 22, 2017

3. The practical use of the doctrine of the Trinity. Thus the orthodox not only state the doctrine of the Trinity as the ground of all other Christian doctrine—they also state it as an eminently practical doctrine, as illustrated by the practical . . . Continue reading →

Heidelcast 127: I Am That I Am (5)—The Trinity

Heidelcast

on May 7, 2017 | 1 Comment

There strong indications in the Hebrew Scriptures that the God of the Bible is not only personal, but that he is multi-personal. In Genesis 1:1, Scripture says that Elohim (God) created the heavens and the earth. In the very next verse, however, . . . Continue reading →

Heidelcast 126: I Am That I Am (4)—The Trinity

Heidelcast

on April 12, 2017

Traditionally, at this place in theology, we should address the divine attributes in relation to the divine being/essence. Otto Weber (1902–66) challenged this approach by arguing that because Scripture reveals God first of all as Triune and his attributes in the light . . . Continue reading →

Ursinus On The Distinction Between Essence And Persons In The Trinity

R. Scott Clark

on February 14, 2017

We may now readily perceive the difference between the Essence of God, and the Persons, subsisting in the divine essence. By the term, Essence, we are to understand, in reference to this subject, that which the eternal Father, Son, and Holy Spirit . . . Continue reading →

Heidelcast 123: I Am That I Am (1)—The Categorical Distinction

Heidelcast

on February 13, 2017 | 4 Comments

This is the 1st episode of our series on the doctrine of God, ““I AM That I AM.” In older histories of theology it used to be said of the Reformed that they started with the divine decree and deduced (i.e., drew . . . Continue reading →

Ursinus On The Persons, Works, And Unity Of The Trinity

R. Scott Clark

on February 12, 2017

Question 24. How are these articles divided? Answer. Into three parts: the first is of God the Father, and our creation; the second of God the Son, and our redemption; the third of God the Holy Spirit, and our sanctification. Exposition There . . . Continue reading →

We Are Not Merely Discussing Economic Subordination

R. Scott Clark

on September 8, 2016 | 9 Comments

So Burk argues that Christ’s not grasping for equality with God belongs not only to the economic but to the ontological Trinity. That is an extraordinary claim! He is asserting far more than a simple acknowledgement that the Father and Son are . . . Continue reading →

Biblical, Ecumenical Christian Doctrines Are Not Adiaphora

R. Scott Clark

on July 15, 2016 | 3 Comments

Rachel Miller writes: “I hope that those who have read and recommend Dr. Grudem’s Systematic Theology will go back and reconsider what is being taught.” Continue reading →

Maybe It Comes Down To Method?

R. Scott Clark

on July 9, 2016 | 3 Comments

We understand that some strands of Baptist and evangelical life have not typically learned the habit of creedal thinking but have tended to emphasize independent Biblicism and personal exegesis. Perhaps that lies at the root of much of this dispute. But this . . . Continue reading →