Erickson Readings

Question 1

4W’s & H of Economic Trinity

Answer 1

WHO: Hippolytus & Tertulian (primary proponents)
WHAT: “economic” (how God appears in revelation) vs. “immanent” (how he is in himself).
WHERE: Asia Minor
WHEN: Late second century
HOW: Primary text = Tertullian’s Apology

Question 2

Dynamic Monarchianism

Answer 2

(Proposed Late 2C, early 3C:) God dynamically present in life of Jesus, working on or through him, but no real substantive presence of God within him.

Question 3

Modalistic Monarchianism (Modalism)

Answer 3

WHO & WHEN: Noetus of Smyrna (late2C), Praxeas (early 3C); Sabellius (early3C)

WHAT: One Godhead that may be variously designated as Father, Son, and HS. No real distinctions, only names, manifestations; one person with three different names, roles, or activities.

Question 4

Implication and Consequence of Modalism (Modalistic Monarchianism)

Answer 4

Implication: If modalism accepted, Jesus speaking of or to the Father and about coming of Spirit must be regarded as misleading.

Consequence: Led to idea of “patripassianism”: the Father suffered along with Christ, since he was present in and personally identical to the Son.

Question 5

What is the orthodox formulation of the Trinity, and how does it protect against Tritheism?

Answer 5

1. Council of Constantinople (381): “One ousia (substance) in three hypostases (persons/modes of being).
2. Protects against Trithesim by:
   (a) Identifying common activity (revelation) necessitates that one identical substance is involved.
   (b) Insistence of concreteness and indivisibility of divine substance.

Question 6

According to Erickson, what are the six (6) essential elements of a Doctrine of the Trinity? (UDREFI)

Answer 6

UDREFI:

1. Unity of God (Monotheism)
2. Deity of each of the three persons (each being qualitatively the same)
3. Threeness and oneness of God are not in the same respect.
4. The Trinity is eternal.
5. Function of one member of the Trinity may be for a time subordinate (“economic”), but not inferior in essence.
6. The Trinity is incomprehensible in its mystery.

Question 7

What is the biblical evidence for the deity of three?

Answer 7

1. DEITY OF FATHER:
   (1) Instances in which Jesus uses “God” and “Father” interchangeably
   (2) Jesus has Father in mind in numerous references to God.
2. DEITY OF SON:
   (1) Hebrews 1 (affirms Jesus’s deity and his equality to Father)
   (2) Jesus claimed to posses what properly belongs to God (Regarded kingdom and elect as his own; forgave sins; said will judge and reign over world.)
3. DEITY OF SPIRIT:
   (1) Believers are God’s temple and HS dwells within them (1 Cor 3:16-17; 6:19-20; Eph 2)
   (2) Acts 5:3-4 - Reference to HS occurs interchangeably with God

Question 8

What is a gradationist?

Answer 8

They believe in “gradational” (degrees) of authority.

Question 9

What do gradationists and equivalentists agree on?

Answer 9

They agree that there has been a functional (economic) subordination of the Son to the Father, and of the Holy Spirit to both.

Question 10

What are some passages in which Jesus has Father in mind in reference to God?

Answer 10

Mt 19:23-26; 27:4

Mk 12:17, 24-27

Question 11

According to Erickson, who advocated that the “actions of any one of the Persons are actually actions in which all three participate”?

Answer 11

Augustine and Calvin.

Question 12

Biblical support for Three-on-Oneness?

Answer 12

1. ‘elohim: plural form of noun for God of Israel

2. Baptismal formula in Great Commission

Question 13

What is an equivalentist?

Answer 13

Believes temporary (economic) subordination of Son to Father, for purpose of accomplishing special tasks during earthly ministry (Son), and of HS in relationship to salvation.