God in Three Persons

Q. 6. How many persons are there in the Godhead?
A. 6. There are three persons in the Godhead; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost; and these three are one God the same in substance, equal in power and glory.(1)

(1) I John 5:7; Matt. 28:19.

We come now to the question in the Shorter Catechism that has caused all kinds of confusion, or more accurately, the doctrine presented in this question has brought this confusion. The formulation of this doctrine (along with those espoused in the previous questions) predates the Westminstarian explanation by over one thousand years. We find this teaching in such statements as the Apostles' Creed and the Nicene Creed. This is what has come to be known as the doctrine of the Trinity.

The word "Trinity" or "Triune" is not found in Scripture, but the concept certainly is. As this question shows us, in the Godhead there are three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (or Ghost if you prefer the olde English of the 17th century). The formulation of this doctrine as we understand it today - and have understood it for centuries - did take time to develop. Its formulation and expression came about due to heresies concerning God that crept into the Church even in her early days. Unfortunately, such heresies are still with us today.

This doctrine is difficult to comprehend. As we saw before, there is but one God. Nevertheless, this one God is God in three persons. There have been all manner of attempts at creating analogies to help people understand this truth: the clover, the three states of water, the egg, the bike wheel, etc. When it comes to understanding the doctrine of the Trinity and you are tempted to think of an analogy to help you understand....... don't. Please, just don't. Such analogies inevitably lead to one of the heresies this doctrine's formulation was intended to combat. It is even more tempting to rely on such analogies when teaching the Trinity to children. However, given the fact that we as adults cannot fully comprehend what it means for God to be Triune, it is better to teach our children in humility by reminding them that we do not fully understand it either, but we believe it because God teaches it in His word.

There is one true God in three persons and each of these three persons is God. They are the same God  or as the catechism, the same in substance. They are not parts of God. There are not three Gods. To say that each person is the same in substance means that each of the three persons is the same God and each person is rightly worshipped and glorified as God. The Father is God; the Son is God; the Spirit is God. The doctrine of the Trinity (along with the doctrine of the incarnation of Christ) is not a mystery for us to solve, but rather a mystery for us to receive and believe.

The Lord Is One

Q. 5. Are there more Gods than one?
A. 5. There is but One only, the living and true God.(1)

(1) Deut. 6:4; Jer. 10:10.

In one sense, the answer to this question really could have been just one word: "No." Despite that, the Westminster Divines express the answer to this question in a rather emphatic way to drive the point home. Not only that, they qualify the direct answer with who it is. There is one and only one God. There is no other (cf., Isaiah 42:8). 

This God is living as opposed to the gods of the nations, for those so-called gods are nothing but the figment of their imaginations. These gods have no life in them. They do not an cannot see, hear, create, or do anything at all. 

Our God, the only God, the God who reveals Himself to us in creation and in Scripture is ever living. For creatures, living involves often a beginning, growth, change and development, yet because of sin it also involves slow decay as a part of that change. Not so with God. He unchangeably lives. He has all life in Himself as He is uncreated; life was not given to Him nor was it obtained by Him. He lives.

This God is also the true God. As already noted, the other so-called gods are nothing and therefore false gods. All that the God of the Bible is (see the previous question) cannot be found in the false gods of our imaginations. They have no being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, or truth that is infinite, eternal, and unchangeable. The God of the Bible alone is true God.

What does this mean for us? Remember man's chief end and realize that in our glorifying and enjoying Him forever, we owe Him our allegiance. All that God made serves Him and His purpose (more on that in the near future). Since He is the only living and true God, we must serve only this God. Sin has entered into this world and as a result, man serves the creature rather than the creator (Romans 1:25). It is only through the saving work of Christ that sinful man can once again serve the Creator... the one, true, and living God.

What Is God?

Q. 4. What is God?

A. God is a Spirit,(1) infinite,(2) eternal,(3) and unchangeable,(4) in his being,(5) wisdom,(6) power,(7) holiness,(8) justice, goodness, and truth.(9)

(1) John 4:24.

(2) Job 11:7-9.

(3) Ps. 90:2.

(4) James 1:17.

(5) Exod. 3:14.

(6) Ps. 147:5.

(7) Rev. 4:8.

(8) Rev. 15:4.

(9) Exod. 34:6-7.

How does one define the God of the Bible of whom the Scriptures principally teach what we are to believe? Such a task is both daunting, yet simple; that latter description is used by design. God is pure spirit and as such has no parts like any other creature does. He is a spirit who is infinite, eternal, and unchangeable. Notice that God is described here by the Westminster Divines by what He is not (indeed He cannot be these things). He is not finite, has neither beginning nor end, and does not ever change. The Westminster Divines, following Scripture, describe God for us by means of what He is not. Simply put, God is not like us for we are finite in time, space, knowledge, thought. Every human being that has ever lived had a beginning. Every human being grows and it may be better to describe us as “human becomings.” God does not grow, does not get weary, does not learn, etc. These three descriptions of God have sometimes been called His incommunicable attributes, i.e., no other created thing can be infinite, eternal, and unchangeable. Only God has these characteristics and in this sense is wholly other than the rest of creation.

The remaining attributes listed in the answer is not exhaustive, at least not obviously as expressed. For example, some have wondered how God’s attribute of love could have been forgotten, but careful consideration will lead to the conclusion that God’s love is actually subsumed under God’s goodness. Be that as it may, the rest of these attributes as given by the Westminster Divines have sometimes been called His communicable attributes because men and women are made in God’s image and thereby reflect these attributes in some way. However, though man as originally created does indeed have being (existence), wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth, he does not and cannot possess these attributes infinitely, eternally, and unchangeably. Man had a beginning whereas God does not (that tense change is deliberate!); man learns and grows in wisdom, whereas God knows all, determines all, and as such there is nothing that God will ever learn. We could continue, but the point is clear. Why is this important? Everything else in theology flows from this truth. Everything. It is this God (and no other) that we glorify and enjoy forever. It is this God alone who is able to save sinners such as ourselves by the blood of His Son, Jesus Christ. 

What the Scriptures Principally Teach

Q. 3. What do the scriptures principally teach?
A. The scriptures principally teach what man is to believe concerning God, and what duty God requires of man.(1)

(1) II Tim. 1:13; 3:16.

In the Shorter Catechism, we have just been instructed in question two that the only rule we have for glorifying God and enjoying Him is God's written word found in the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments. The Westminster Divines then move to a key question in the catechism. This question and answer provides the basic outline for the rest of the shorter catechism. Questions 4-38 deal with what man is to believe concerning God, whereas questions 39-107 deal with the duty God requires of man. The latter section is larger because of a pretty detailed exposition of the Ten Commandments. Since the rest of the catechism is structured according to this question, it is imperative to remember this one as you continue through the remaining 104 questions.

The word 'principally' here means chiefly or mainly. Thus as you read God's word to learn how to glorify and enjoy Him, you will be learning from that word all about God as He has revealed Himself. Thus our understanding of God must be grounded upon His revealed word to us. We cannot and must not try to understand God from our own imaginations. Our thoughts and understanding about God must come from God in His written word to us. Another aspect to what we are to believe concerning God is the gracious salvation offered to us in Christ Jesus. The Scriptures are God's revelation to us, but this revelation is redemptive revelation. God's word reveals to us the way of salvation through Christ.

Another thing the Scriptures teach us is that which God requires of us. This is something that seems to be falling on some hard times in the church today and in one sense this is understandable. Salvation is by grace alone through faith alone, so careless discussion about our duty toward God could lead one to think performance of our duty toward God becomes the basis of our salvation. That's a dangerous way of thinking. Nevertheless, while it is true that we are saved by grace through faith in Christ, this truth does not negate our duty toward God. We still owe Him our obedience; He is still God and we are still His creatures, thus we must still seek to know the duty which He requires of us. Without holiness, no one will see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14).

On a personal note, this question helps me as I prepare sermons and preach them from the pulpit. Since my responsibility as a minister of the gospel is to preach the word, i.e., the whole council of God, then I ought to preach what the Scriptures principally teach, namely what to believe concerning God and what duty God requires of us. Ministers and theologians often describe this as preaching the indicative and the imperative. Both ought to be present in every sermon, though clearly some texts will lend themselves to one more than the other. Ministers do the sheep under their care no favors by neglecting the indicative or the imperative. 

For everyone else, as you read through God's word be sure to ask yourself what it is God is trying to teach you about Himself (including His saving work in Christ) and what God is trying to teach you about your duty toward Him. In this way, you will be richly blessed by His word. 

Our Only Rule for Glorifying and Enjoying God

Q. 2. What rule hath God given to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy him?
A. The word of God, which is contained in the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments,(1) is the only rule to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy him.(2)

(1) II Tim. 3:16; Eph. 2:20.
(2) I John 1:3-4.

Rules are made to be broken, or so the saying goes. Such a statement (rule?) can only bring chaos. Such a way of life must never be applied to the Christian life (unless the rule is sinful). The first question of the Westminster Shorter Catechism (WSC) dealt with the question of our chief end, namely to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever. The present question deals with what it is that tells us how to glorify and enjoy Him. Like all things with a goal or purpose in mind, we need instructions or plans on how to achieve that goal. The set of instructions or "the rule" to teach us how to achieve the end of glorifying and enjoying God is found in Scripture - God's written word.

Question #2 of the WSC tells us that the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments is the very rule to direct and teach us to glorify and enjoy Him. However, it is necessary to point out that the scriptures - the Bible - is not merely a set of step-by-step instructions. Rather, it is the word of God. According to the Westminster Divines, God's word is "contained in" the Bible. Unfortunately, the meaning of that expression has different meanings to different people. Some wrongly believe that some parts of the Bible are God's very words and other parts are just man's word with the result that there are errors or things that do not matter. Those who hold to such a belief are known as theological liberals. One can easily see how arbitrary and relativistic such a view is. Others believe that nothing written in the Bible is actually or directly God's word, but in some way at some point it becomes God's word. The problem with this view (sometimes known as Neo-orthodoxy) is that a portion that may become God's word to one person may not become God's word to another person. Again, such an arbitrary view of God's word cannot be helpful or meaningful.

The Reformed understanding of the phrase "contained in" simply views the whole Bible as the word of God; every word in the Scriptures as originally written is the word of God. G.I. Williamson gives us a helpful summary of the implications of this truth in his study guide on the Westminster Shorter Catechism.[1] The first is this: the Bible as originally written is infallible because it is the very word of God. Something that is infallible is incapable of causing error or being wrong. God cannot make a mistake, therefore what His word says cannot be mistaken. Another implication is that the Bible is clear or as theologians put it, perspicuous. This needs to be understood properly. This does not mean that every single thing the Bible says and teaches is understandable; some things are quite difficult. What it does mean is that it is written in clear language to show us the way of salvation clearly; the gospel message and the way of salvation in Christ is clear so that any ordinary person - even children - can clearly find the way of salvation in the Bible. Finally, because the Bible is the very world of God, it is sufficient. It has everything we need for life and godliness. the Bible does not lack anything needed for us as we seek to learn how to glorify and enjoy Him. Other books may certainly help us in our Christian walk, but they can be helpful only insofar as they are derived from and depend upon Scripture; they must not add to Scripture, but simply seek to explain Scripture for us.

Finally, God's written word, our Bible, is found only in the books of the Old and New Testaments. The collection of books known as the Apocrypha, while interesting, is not God's word to us. The entirety of the sixty-six books and only that collection of sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments is the word of God. As such, we must read it reverently, attentively, and obediently as we seek to glorify and enjoy God forever.

____________________
[1] G.I. Williamson, The Westminster Shorter Catechism: For Study Classes, 2nd ed. (Phillipsburg, N.J.: P&R Pub, 2003, 8-9. It should be noted that these implications are not new. Volumes have been written throughout Church history on the doctrine of God's revelation to us and the question of the Bible's infallibility, perspicuity, and sufficiency.

Man's Chief End

Q. 1. What is the chief end of man?

A. Man's chief end is to glorify God,(1) and to enjoy him for ever.(2)

(1) I Cor. 10:31; Rom. 11:36.
(2) Ps. 73:25-28.

This is a very well known catechism question and answer. So much so that even those who do not hold to the Westminster Standards (the Confession of Faith and the Larger & Shorter Catechisms) know this one. The language is a bit old-fashioned to be sure, but it is nonetheless clear in its meaning. What does the Catechism mean by "chief end of man" in this question? In this case, "chief" means primary, whereas "end" refers to purpose, aim, or goal. Thus, this question answers for us the age old question of purpose for man; it answers for us in part "what is the meaning of life?"

The answer concerning our chief end comes to us in two parts, which may seem odd given that "chief end" is actually singular. Firstly, man exists primarily to glorify God. It is necessary to note that mankind's purpose is not to make God glorious since He already is glorious. In fact, all that we give to God - including our worship and glorifying of Him - is not something we do because He lacks something. God does not lacks anything. Thus our glorifying God is not something we do in giving glory to Him because He lacks it and needs it from us. Our glorifying of God is more of a proclamation and service to Him. Everything we do and say ought to reflect God's glory (see the prooftexts above). Your primary purpose - your chief end - is to glorify God. Notice that this purpose does not change based on whether or not we want to glorify Him. Those who remain in their sin hate God, but that does not change what their chief end is.

Man was also created to enjoy God forever. While it is certainly true that God has given us so many good things to enjoy in this life, nothing should be enjoyed more than God Himself. This question teaches us to do two things as our chief end: to delight God and to delight in God. Think of various people whose company you enjoy. You heart warms when you are around them; you smile; you look forward to being with them; you become happy when you find out they will be at the same event as you. In other words, you take delight in them and their presence. How much more should we as Christians delight in being in His presence? Do you delight in who God is? Do you delight in His love for you? Do you delight in everything He says to you in His word? Take delight in Him! If you are not delighting God and delighting in God, you are not fulfilling your purpose. Of course, only those who live by faith in Christ can even have such a desire. It is in and through Christ alone and the grace that He secured for us that we can glorify and enjoy Him.

One final comment regard the two-pronged chief end in this question. Some have suggested that man's chief end is both teleological and eschatological. A teleological end is just that.... the goal or purpose. An eschatological end has to do with end times, i.e., after Christ returns. In other words our teleological end is always to glorify God and our eschatological end is to enjoy Him forever.

As the new year is upon us, do not forget your chief end - glorify God and enjoy Him forever. If there's one resolution you make for this year, make it this one.