Eternal Perspectives

Father, Son, & Holy Spirit:
Relationships, Roles, & Relevance

Author: Bruce A. Ware

Dr Ware is Senior Associate Dean and Professor of Christian Theology at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY. He holds the Ph.D. from Fuller Theological Seminary and is the author of three additional books available through Crossway: God’s Lesser Glory, God’s Greater Glory, and Their God Is Too Small.

Publisher: Crossway Books
ISBN: 1581346689
Pages: 158 + notes
Recommended: Yes

Disclaimer: This book was provided free of charge through the Diet of Bookworms as part of a book review program.

Overview

This book is organized into six chapters. As the title suggests, the purpose of the book is to understand the relationships among, roles within, and relevance of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as revealed in the doctrine of the Trinity. Chapter One explores the importance of the doctrine and the raison d’etre of the book:

The focus of our study of the Trinity will be to examine especially the ways in which the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit relate to one another, how they relate to us, and what difference this makes in our lives.

Ware identifies ten reasons to study the Trinity, including: it is a doctrine that distinguishes Christianity from all other religions; its necessity and centrality to the faith (especially salvation); its impact upon prayer, and the nature of authority and submission among persons of the same essence.

Chapter Two provides an historical overview of the doctrine, tracing the development of the teaching throughout the history of the church. Two errors are highlighted, i.e., those of Sabellius and Arius. The former argued that God is one and has chosen to manifest Himself at different times in different ways, e.g., as the Son during the incarnation. (This teaching, sometimes called “modalism,” is still found in Pentacostalism.) Modalism maintains that “God, then, is successively Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; he is not simultaneously Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.”

The false teaching of Arius emphasized that “Jesus should be seen merely as the first and greatest creation of the one true God, not as God himself.” This teaching resulted in the Council of Nicea in 325 C.E., where Athanasius refuted Arius and argued that the New Testament was clear “that Christ is of the very same nature as the Father.”

Chapter Three begins the study of the individual members of the Trinity by examining the revelation concerning the Father. Ware states,

[W]hat distinguishes the Father is his particular role as Father in relation to the Son and Spirit and the relationships that he has with each of them.

The author then identifies and elaborates on some of the more important roles of the Father in the Godhead:

The Father as Supreme Among the Persons of the Godhead
The Father as the Grand Architect, the Wise Designer, of Creation, Redemption, and Consummation
The Father Is the Giver of Every Good and Perfect Gift
The Father Often Provides and Works Through the Son and the Spirit

Chapters Four and Five offer similar summaries and elucidations on the unique roles and relationships of the Son and the Spirit. Concerning the Son it is noted:

The Son Is Under the Headship or Authority of the Father
The Son in Loving Relationship with the Father
Jesus’ Submission to the Spirit - to Fulfill His Role as the Spirit-anointed Messiah
Jesus’ Authority over the Spirit - in His Role as the Son of the Father

Of the Spirit, Ware says:

The Spirit Assists in Carrying Out the Work of the Father
The Spirit Works Now to Glorify the Son
The Spirit Takes the Third Position, After the Father and the Son, in the Age to Come

Ware also emphasizes the role of the Holy Spirit in providing special revelation through His work of inspiration, His activity in evangelism, and His work of regeneration at the moment of salvation.

Chapter Six, which is the heart of the book, provides lessons to be appropriated as a result of a better understanding of the nature of the Trinity:

1. God intends that his very nature - yes, his triune and eternal nature - be expressed in our human relationships.
2. Eternal relationality calls for and calls forth a created community of persons.
3. The relationships in the Trinity exhibit so beautifully a unity that is not redundancy, and a diversity that is not discord.
4. The most marked characteristic of the trinitarian relationships is the presence of an eternal and inherent expression of authority and submission.
5. Equality of essence does not conflict with distinction of roles. In God, and among us, both must be embraced and honored.
6. Trinitarian roles and marriage: both equality of essence of male and female, and distinction of husband and wife roles, are designed by God and are reflective of the Trinity.
7. Trinitarian roles and the church: both equality of essence and distinction of roles are designed by God to be expressed among pastoral leaders and congregations, and this dynamic is reflective of the Trinity.
8. Trinitarian roles and prayer: the taxis eternally present in the Trinity, of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, in this order, forms the framework for meaningful, biblical prayer.
9. Trinitarian roles and worship: the taxis eternal present in the Trinity, of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, in this order, forms the framework for meaningful, biblical worship.
10. Because God eternally exhibits both full equality of essence and rich diversity in role, we can be confident that both are good.

Recommendation and Review

Recommendation:

This book is recommended without reservation.

Review:

It is rare that a book delivers on its promises and stated intent as completely and as biblically as does Father, Son, & Holy Spirit. It is at once an solid introduction to the study of Theology Proper but valid treatment of the implications of the Trinity for everyday life. The book succeeds at many levels.

Perhaps due to the cultural influences of 21st Century America, Dr Ware does go into greater depth on some topics than on others. Notable in this regard are his treatment of the twin issues of authority and submission, as well as the implications of headship within the Godhead for leadership within marriages and the local church.

If there is a complaint about the book, it grows out of the above: it does not go into sufficient depth on some of the other ramifications of Trinitarian existence and experience in the Godhead. In a word, the book is too short.

But what is present, as stated previously, is a remarkable and solid development of the Trinitarian theme in Scripture, the church, and numerous facets of life. Thus, while not being an exhaustive treament of Trinitarianism, it is accurate and biblical as far as it goes.

A subtle - yet very effective - tool for emphasizing the equality of essence among the members of the Trinity is Ware’s repetition at the beginning of each chapter on the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Each chapter begins with the statement that the Christian faith affirms:

There is one and only one god, eternally existing and fully expressed in three Persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Each member of the Godhead is equally God, each is eternally God, and each is fully God - not three gods but three Persons of the one Godhead. Each Person is equal in essence as each possesses fully the identically same, eternal divine nature, yet each is also an eternal and distinct personal expression of the one undivided divine nature.

The [Father/Son/Spirit], then, is fully God. He is not one-third God, but fully God. Yet it is not the [Father/Son/Spirit] alone who is fully God, but he eternally exists along with the [Son and Spirit/Father and Spirit/Father and Son], each of whom also possesses fully the identically same divine nature. Because of this, what distinguishes [Him] . . . is not the divine nature of the [Father/Son/Spirit] . . . what distinguishes [Father/Son/Spirit] is his particular role as [Father/Son/Spirit] in relation to [the others] and the relationships that he has with each of them.

This book is an excellent addition to anyone’s theological library and is suitable for teaching in Bible studies, Sunday schools, or simply reading for one’s personal edification.