Trinity Honor

Missionary Activities - Bible Studies

Requirements

1. Identify the plural words found in the verses of Genesis 1:26; 3:22; 11:7, where we can clearly perceive that the Bible presents a triune God, that is, that the Godhead is composed of three distinct persons.

   Answer: You should identify to the instructor the plural words: in Genesis 1:26, 'let us make', 'our image', and 'our likeness'; in Genesis 3:22, 'like one of us'; and in Genesis 11:7, 'let us go down' and 'let us confound'. These plurals show God speaking with Himself, evidencing the triune Godhead. — The Hebrew name Elohim is already a plural form, and the plural verbs and pronouns in these texts reinforce that the one God exists in three persons. The doctrine of the Trinity is confirmed in the New Testament (Matthew 28:19) and is in the 28 Fundamental Adventist Beliefs, voted on in 1980.

2. Define who the one God presented by Jesus in John 10:30 and 1 Timothy 1:17 is, identifying each of the three persons of the Godhead found in the verses of Matthew 28:19 and Luke 3:21-22.

   Answer: You should tell the instructor that John 10:30 and 1 Timothy 1:17 affirm the one God, and the Godhead has three persons: the Father, the Son (Jesus), and the Holy Spirit. In Matthew 28:19 the formula appears 'in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit', and in Luke 3:21-22, at the baptism of Jesus, the Father speaks from the heavens, the Son is baptized, and the Holy Spirit descends in the form of a dove. — The unity of God affirmed in John 10:30 is not a mathematical unity, but a relational one — the Father and the Son are distinct, yet inseparable. Matthew 28:19 and Luke 3:21-22 are Trinitarian pillars, cited in almost all ancient Christian creeds, such as the Niceno-Constantinopolitan (381 AD).

3. Understand what the incommunicable attributes of God are, that is, what He exclusively is and is capable of doing. (John 5:26; Ephesians 1:5; 1 John 3:20; Psalm 139:7-12; Psalm 90:2)

   Answer: You should present to the instructor the five incommunicable attributes of God: aseity or self-existence (John 5:26 — the Father has life in Himself), sovereignty and predestination (Ephesians 1:5), omniscience (1 John 3:20 — God knows everything), omnipresence (Psalm 139:7-12 — He is everywhere), and eternity (Psalm 90:2 — God from everlasting). — Incommunicable attributes are those that belong only to God and cannot be shared with creatures — humans will never be eternal in themselves, omniscient, or omnipresent. These attributes are part of Fundamental Belief No. 3 of the Adventist Church, on the nature of God the Father.

4. Explain what the communicable attributes of God are, that is, the characteristics or virtues that He possesses and shares with human beings. (Romans 3:24; 5:8; Psalm 145:9; 2 Peter 3:15; Psalm 99:9; John 17:25; Psalm 31:5)

   Answer: You should present to the instructor the communicable attributes of God: grace (Romans 3:24), love (Romans 5:8), goodness (Psalm 145:9), patience or longsuffering (2 Peter 3:15), holiness (Psalm 99:9), justice (John 17:25), and faithfulness or truth (Psalm 31:5). They are virtues that God possesses in fullness and that humans can reflect through the action of the Spirit. — Communicable attributes are shareable: the human being, created in the image of God, can grow in love, justice, and goodness through the action of the Holy Spirit. Christian sanctification is the practical process of reflecting these attributes, as studied in the Fundamental Adventist Beliefs about the Godhead.

5. Know what the way was that God chose to reveal Himself to human beings. (1 John 5:20)

   Answer: You should tell the instructor that God chose to reveal Himself to human beings through Jesus Christ, His Son, according to 1 John 5:20: Christ came in the flesh, gave understanding to men so that they would know the True One, and He Himself is the true God and eternal life. The incarnation is the height of divine revelation. — The general revelation of God appears in nature (Psalm 19) and the special one in the Scriptures, but the height is the incarnation: 'The Word became flesh' (John 1:14). Hebrews 1:1-2 confirms that after speaking through the prophets, God spoke through the Son 'in these last days', sealing the act of revelation.

6. Memorize and recite 2 Corinthians 13:13 (13:14 in the New International Version and the New Living Translation).

   Answer: You should recite from memory to the instructor 2 Corinthians 13:13 (or 13:14 in NIV/NLT): 'The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen!' It is one of the clearest Trinitarian passages of the New Testament. — This verse is the final farewell of Paul's second letter to the Corinthians and shows the three persons of the Godhead — Jesus, the Father, and the Spirit — acting in a distinct, yet united way. The letter was written around 56 AD and is cited in almost every Trinitarian Christian liturgy.

7. Share with a friend how it is possible to know God. (Psalm 19:1; Hebrews 11:6)

   Answer: You should share with a friend that it is possible to know God in three ways: contemplating nature, which declares the glory of God (Psalm 19:1); studying the Scriptures, especially about Jesus Christ; and exercising personal faith — without it, it is impossible to please Him (Hebrews 11:6) — in prayer and daily seeking. Present the conversation to the instructor. — Nature is the general revelation, accessible to anyone who observes the heavens. The Scriptures are the special revelation, which culminates in Christ. And faith is the gateway — without it, even revelation does not convince. This model appears in Romans 1:20 and Hebrews 11.

8. Mention an episode or verse of the Bible in which it is possible to identify the presence of the three persons of the Trinity.

   Answer: You should mention to the instructor the baptism of Jesus (Matthew 3:13-17): the Son goes down to the Jordan River to be baptized by John the Baptist, the Holy Spirit descends in the form of a dove upon Him, and the Father speaks from the heavens 'This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased'. The three persons of the Trinity appear together in a single episode. — The baptism of Jesus is the height of Trinitarian revelation in the Gospel. The three persons act simultaneously, with distinct roles. The episode is recorded in the four Gospels, dated around the year 27 AD, and marks the beginning of Christ's public ministry.

9. Make a drawing or painting that represents the Trinity according to what was learned in this Honor.

   Answer: You should present to the instructor a drawing or painting representing the Trinity — for example, an equilateral triangle (three equal sides symbolizing the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit united), a three-leaf clover (a plant with three parts), or three interlaced circles — with a caption explaining each element. — Visual symbols help to fix the idea of three distinct persons in one God. The equilateral triangle is the most used since medieval Christianity, the clover appears attributed to Saint Patrick in the 5th century, and the Trinitarian shield (Scutum Fidei) dates from 12th-century manuscripts.