Equal in Essence; Different in Function (pt.1)

I am going to be posting parts of a paper I wrote recently entitled: "Equal in Essence; Different in Function: Exploring the Relationship Between Biblical Manhood and Womanhood and the Triune Godhead " - Below is the introduction. The first part will be posted tomorrow. Enjoy and I welcome all comments.

INTRODUCTION

“The doctrine of the Trinity is crucial for Christianity.”[1] This statement is one pregnant with truth and legitimacy. The stance that one takes concerning the Triune relationship of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, will have tremendous bearing on one’s own practical theology of life. One’s stance of the Trinity will decide whom we worship, how we live our lives, and ultimately impact our understanding of Christology and Soteriology.[2] Moreover, the doctrine of the Trinity helps to clarify the relationship that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have with each other while still maintaining one essence as one being. God is indeed three persons, which are each fully God, while still maintaining one God status without being polytheistic.

One’s understanding of the Trinity will help clarify one’s understanding of what it means to be made in God’s image. Indeed, there are different beliefs in how the Trinity models the way mankind should relate to itself, namely the difference between men and women. The relationship between husband and wife is one of the most important themes throughout Scripture and a thorough study on the doctrine of the Trinity has the ability to enlighten mankind on God’s design for marital relationships. This paper will seek to prove that the complementarian view of the relationship between a husband, his wife, and God has a biblical pattern in the inner-workings of the Trinity.

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[1] Millard Erickson, Christian Theology, (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1985), 322.

[2] Ibid.