Blogging through and answering the questions from G. I. Williamson’s The Westminster Confession of Faith for Study Classes for personal review and comprehension.

Prior posts for WCF. I. Of the Holy Scriptures – Sections 1-10.

Prior post for WCF. II. Of God, And of the Holy Trinity:

WCF. II. Of God, And of the Holy Trinity – 1-2.

WCF. II. Of God, And of the Holy Trinity – 3.

1. Is the doctrine of the Trinity revealed in the Old Testament? In the New Testament?

Yes. God reveals himself through events recorded in Scripture. The Old Testament recorded events which prepared man for the (redemptive-historical) events by which God clearly revealed himself as triune, while the New Testament records events in light of this revelation. Williamson says, “God revealed himself by supernatural deeds, along with which gradually gave more and more verbal interpretation. Only as God’s plan of redemption was fully worked out, was God himself fully made known” (26-27).

2. Is the God revealed in the Old Testament the triune God? How can this be proved?

Yes. The God revealed in the Old Testament is fully God, and, therefore, triune, although this was not fully evident until the latter revelation came (provided by the New Testament). It is called the Old Testament because it is the older (partial) revelation. Neither the Old or the New Testaments alone are God’s full revelation, rather, the two together is God’s full revelation which reveals by way of redemptive-historical deeds who God is, and His plan of redemption for man, etc. With the revelation provided by the New Testament, it is clear that the triune God is revealed in the Old Testament. For example, in Genesis 1:26 and 11:5, 7 we see God’s self-reference to a plurality in the Godhead (fashioning man “in our image” and “Let us go down”) . . . Williamson says there is scriptural data (like the tests just mentioned) which are “inexplicable by any other interpretation than by a trinitarian interpretation” (273).

3. Cite an Old Testament text to prove that God is not a single person.

Genesis 1:26. “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness . . .”

Genesis 32:24-30. “And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him . . . . And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.”

Exodus 23:20-25. “Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared. Beware of him, and obey his voice, provoke him not; for he will not pardon your transgressions: for my name is in him. But if thou shalt indeed obey his voice, and do all that I speak; then I will be an enemy unto thine enemies, and an adversary unto thine adversaries. For mine Angel shall go before thee, and bring thee in unto the Amorites, and the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Canaanites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites: and I will cut them off. Thou shalt not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do after their works: but thou shalt utterly overthrow them, and quite break down their images. And ye shall serve the LORD your God, and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee”

4. Cite a text which indicates that the Angel of Jehovah is Jehovah (God).

Exodus 23:20, 21 (see above).

5. Cite a prophetic text which will show that God promised to send God incarnate.

The Immanuel (“God with us”) promised in Isaiah 7:14 is called “mighty God” in Isaiah 9:6.

6. Why did the apostles accept the “doctrine” of the Trinity?

The accepted the doctrine of the Trinity because each of the Person’s of the Godhead had revealed themselves through specific deeds which confirmed they were distinct but together united (one).

7. What two essential elements of the doctrine of the Trinity are taught in the baptismal form of Matthew?

The two elements are: (a) God is one, and (b) God is three. (Three Persons in one being; one being in three Persons.)

Blogging through and answering the questions from G. I. Williamson’s The Westminster Confession of Faith for Study Classes for personal review and comprehension.

WCF. II. Of God, And of the Holy Trinity – 1-2.

1. Where is the proof to be found of the true God’s existence?

Hebrews 11:6 says, “He that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” Thus, Williamson says, “The doctrine of God begins, therefore, with the assertion that God is. And to the truth of this assertion (as Scripture informs us) everything testifies” (23).

2. What do we mean when we call God a “Spirit”?

God is pure Spirit, meaning he does not have a body like men.

3. Why does Scripture speak of God as having hands, feet, etc.?

In such instances, Scripture is speaking metaphorically and/or (oftentimes) synecdochically.

4. What is meant by the term “incommunicable”?

This term is used to describe the attributes of God that are not and cannot be communicated to man (image bearer of God).

5. What is meant by the term “attributes”?

“Attribute” in reference to the Divine denotes those qualities belonging to God.

6. What are the incommunicable attributes of God?

The incommunicable attributes of God are: eternity, infinity, immutability. God alone has these attributes.

7. What is meant by the term “communicable”?

The term is used to describe the attributes of God that are and can be communicated to man (image bearer of God).

8. What are some communicable attributes of God?

God has qualities that he bestows (“in a measure”) upon creatures, i.e., the sevenfold list: being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth.

9. Does our knowledge of a particular fact or truth (for example) have the same qualities as does God’s knowledge of that fact or truth?

No. God’s knowledge of a particular fact or truth is eternal, infinite, and immutable knowledge. That is to say, God’s knowledge of a particular fact or truth is Divine knowledge. Our knowledge is not Divine knowledge. We are creatures. Therefore, we have creaturely knowledge. Creaturely knowledge is finite; it does not have the same qualities as does God’s knowledge.

10. What does God receive?

God receives nothing because His Divine knowledge is eternal, infinite, and immutable. All that we give to God is merely a re-interpretation (reflection) of his Divine knowledge.

11. What simple truth of the doctrine of God is seldom consistently maintained in the thinking of (even Christian) men?

The simple truth of the doctrine of God that is seldom consistently maintained is that all is derivative of God, meaning, “God is the great original. Everything else is, in one way or another, a mere reflection of him” (25). Everything else is analogically related to the doctrine of the knowledge of God.