Encounter Church
Wednesday Night 05.13.26

      • Matthew 5.17-18NKJV

      • Matthew 5.19NKJV

      • Matthew 5.20NKJV

      • John 7.21-22NKJV

      • John 7.23NKJV

      • Genesis 2.1-2NKJV

      • Genesis 1.27NKJV

      • Genesis 2.17NKJV

      • Genesis 3.3NKJV

      • Genesis 3.4NKJV

  • PART III — THE DOCTRINE OF GOD (THEOLOGY PROPER) and the Trinity

    The Communicable Attributes

    Introduction

    This study explores the communicable attributes of God—those qualities He shares with humanity in a
    limited capacity—including holiness, love, wisdom, and justice. It also examines the doctrine of the Trinity.
    Each section includes biblical teaching and reflection questions.

    1. Holiness

    Holiness
    Definition: God's absolute moral purity and separation from sin.
    Hebrew: Qadosh ((קָדוֹשׁ) ) – set apart. Separated from vulgar, profane or ordinary
    Greek: Hagios (ἅγιος) – holy, consecrated.
    Scriptures: Isaiah 6:3; 1 Peter 1:15-16
    Isaiah 6:3 NKJV
    3 And one cried to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!”
    1 Peter 1:15–16 NKJV
    15 but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”
    Teaching: Holiness defines all God's attributes. His love and justice are holy. Believers pursue
    holiness through sanctification.
    God's Holiness: God is morally perfect and completely set apart. (Isaiah 6:3, 1 Peter 1:16)
    Human Application: Believers are called to reflect God's holiness in conduct and character.
    Reflection Questions:
    - What does it mean to be holy in everyday life?
    - How does God's holiness shape your view of sin?
    - In what areas is God calling you to grow in holiness?
    What does being set apart look like in your life?

    2. Love

    Love
    Definition: God's self-giving nature.
    Greek: Agape (αγάπη) – sacrificial love. It is benevolent and divine. Similar to Hebrew Ahava or Hesed. It means covenant or steadfast love
    Scriptures: John 3:16; 1 John 4:8
    John 3:16 NKJV
    16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
    1 John 4:8 NKJV
    8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
    Teaching: God's love is demonstrated through Christ's sacrifice.
    God's Love: God is love, demonstrated supremely through Christ. (1 John 4:8, John 3:16)
    Human Application: We are called to love others sacrificially.
    Reflection Questions:
    - How have you experienced God's love personally?
    - What does sacrificial love look like in your relationships?
    - Who is difficult for you to love and why?
    - Who is God calling you to love sacrificially?

    3. Wisdom

    Wisdom
    Definition: Perfect application of knowledge. An understanding that is God-centered and holistic
    Hebrew: Chokmah (חָכְמָה)
    Greek: Sophia (σοφία)
    Scriptures: James 1:5; Romans 11:33
    James 1:5 NKJV
    5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
    Romans 11:33 NKJV
    33 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!
    Teaching: God's wisdom is seen in creation and redemption.
    God's Wisdom: God always chooses the best means to accomplish His purposes. (Romans 11:33,
    James 1:5)
    Human Application: Believers seek wisdom from God for life decisions.
    Reflection Questions:
    - How do you seek God's wisdom in decision-making?
    - What is the difference between knowledge and wisdom?
    - How can trials grow your wisdom?
    -Where do you need God's wisdom today?
    4. Justice
    Definition: God always does what is right.
    Hebrew: Mishpat (משפט)
    refers to restoring of proper order. sometimes describes the duty to protect the vulnerable
    Greek: Dikaiosyne (δικαιοσύνη) right moral integrity and being in in harmonious relationship with both God and people
    Scriptures: Micah 6:8; Romans 3:26
    Micah 6:8 NKJV
    8 He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?
    Romans 3:26 NKJV
    26 to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
    Teaching: The cross satisfies both justice and mercy.
    God's Justice: God is perfectly just and righteous in all His ways. (Deuteronomy 32:4, Micah 6:8)
    Deuteronomy 32:4 NKJV
    4 He is the Rock, His work is perfect; For all His ways are justice, A God of truth and without injustice; Righteous and upright is He.
    Micah 6:8 NKJV
    8 He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?
    Human Application: We are called to pursue justice and righteousness.
    Reflection Questions:
    - How does God's justice bring both comfort and conviction?
    - Where do you see injustice around you?
    - How can you reflect God's justice in your community?
    -How can you pursue justice in your context?

    The Trinity

    Definition: One God in three persons.
    Terms: Hypostasis (Hupostasis in Greek) (person), Ousia (essence)
    Scriptures: Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14
    Matthew 28:19 NKJV
    19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
    2 Corinthians 13:14 NKJV
    14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.
    Teaching: The Trinity reveals God's relational nature and role in salvation.

    Key Biblical Foundations

    One God
    — “The Lord our God, the Lord is one.”Deuteronomy 6:4 
    Deuteronomy 6:4 NKJV
    4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one!
    — “I am the Lord, and there is no other.”Isaiah 45:5 
    Isaiah 45:5 NKJV
    5 I am the Lord, and there is no other; There is no God besides Me. I will gird you, though you have not known Me,
    Three Distinct Persons
    — “Baptizing them in the name (singular) of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”Matthew 28:19 
    — All three persons named distinctly.2 Corinthians 13:14 
    Each Person is Fully God
    Father is God — John 6:27
    John 6:27 NKJV
    27 Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.”
    Son is God —, John 1:1 Colossians 2:9
    John 1:1 NKJV
    1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
    Colossians 2:9 NKJV
    9 For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily;
    Holy Spirit is God — Acts 5:3–4
    Acts 5:3–4 NKJV
    3 But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? 4 While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.”
    They Are Distinct, Not the Same Person
    — Jesus is baptized, Spirit descends, Father speaks→ All three present simultaneously.Matthew 3:16–17 
    Ignatius
    Ignatius of Antioch (c. 35–107 AD) was one of the earliest Church Apostolic Fathers. He emphasized the Trinitarian structure. (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). He was a contemporary of Polycarp the Bishop of Smyrna. He along with Polycarp were disciples of the apostle John. He did not use the term "Trinity". He focused on their distinct roles and unity against heresy. He highlights Jesus as the pre-existent Word and God-incarnate.  He references 3 persons in his letters around 110 AD only 77 years after the ascension
    Tertullian
    Tertullian (c. 160–220 AD)
    First to use the term(Trinity) Trinitas 
    Described God as “one substance, three persons”
    The early church wrestled with:
    How God is one
    Yet Jesus is God
    And the Spirit is God
    Tertullian is the first to use the term Trinitas or Trinity. It is in response to Sabellius. His anti Sabellianism argument.
    “The mystery of the dispensation is still guarded, which distributes the Unity into a Trinity, placing in their order the three Persons— the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost: three, however, not in condition, but in degree; not in substance, but in form; not in power, but in aspect; yet of one substance, and of one condition, and of one power, inasmuch as He is one God” - from Against Praxeas Adversus Praxaen 213 A.D.
    Trinitarian Thought: Ignatius emphasized the Father and Son, while recognizing the Spirit, weaving them together as "three possessed of equal honor".
    Context: His writings, such as the Epistle to the Ephesians, aimed to affirm the divinity of Christ and strengthen Church unity.
    Distinction: While later theologians developed more precise language (consubstantial), Ignatius used the terminology to combat early 2nd-century heresy, placing Christ firmly as divine.
    Doctrine: God exists as one being in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. (Matthew 28:19, 2
    Corinthians 13:14)
    Understanding: Each person is fully God, yet there is one God.

    Why the Trinity matters

    7. Why the Trinity Matters (Practically)

    1. Salvation Is Trinitarian

    Father plans
    Son accomplishes
    Spirit applies
    → Ephesians 1:3–14
    Ephesians 1:3–14 NKJV
    3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. 7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace 8 which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, 9 having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, 10 that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him. 11 In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, 12 that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. 13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.

    2. Prayer Is Trinitarian

    We pray to the Father
    Through the Son
    By the Spirit

    3. Community Reflects the Trinity

    Unity with diversity
    Love with distinction
    → The Trinity is the model for:
    Marriage
    Church unity
    Relationships

    Modalism: What It Is and Where It Came From

    Definition

    Modalism teaches:
    God is one person who appears in different modes or roles (Father, Son, Spirit), but not three distinct persons.
    Example:
    God is Father in the Old Testament
    Son in the Gospels
    Spirit in the Church age

    Historical Origin of Modalism

    Associated with Sabellius (3rd century)
    Sometimes called Sabellianism
    This teaching arose as an attempt to:
    Protect monotheism (one God)
    But it denied the distinctions within God overcorrected 

    Why Modalism Is Heresy

    Modalism is not a small error—it fundamentally distorts who God is.

    1. It Contradicts Scripture

    At Jesus’ baptism (Matthew 3:16–17):
    Son is baptized
    Spirit descends
    Father speaks
    → Not one person switching roles → Three persons interacting simultaneously

    2. It Destroys the Gospel

    If Father and Son are the same person:
    Who did Jesus pray to?
    Who sent the Son? ()John 3:16
    Who was Jesus obeying?
    The gospel depends on:
    The Father sending the Son, and the Son offering Himself through the Spirit
    Modalism collapses that relationship.

    3. It Eliminates Eternal Love Within God

    — The Father loved the SonJohn 17:24  before creation
    If God is one person:
    Who was He loving before creation?
    The Trinity shows:
    God is eternally relational—love did not begin at creation

    4. It Leads to Confusion and False Worship

    If God is not truly tri-personal:
    Prayer becomes unclear
    Worship becomes distorted
    Relationship with God becomes inconsistent

    7. Why the Trinity Matters (Practically)

    1. Salvation Is Trinitarian

    Father plans
    Son accomplishes
    Spirit applies
    → Ephesians 1:3–14

    2. Prayer Is Trinitarian

    We pray to the Father
    Through the Son
    By the Spirit

    3. Community Reflects the Trinity

    Unity with diversity
    Love with distinction
    → The Trinity is the model for:
    Marriage
    Church unity
    Relationships

    The Council of Nicaea (325 AD)

    Responded to false teaching (Arianism—denying Jesus is fully God)
    Affirmed:
    Jesus isas the Father “of the same essence” (homoousios) 

    The Council of Constantinople (381 AD)

    Clarified:
    The Holy Spirit is also fully God
    Result: The doctrine of the Trinity was formally articulated

    4. What the Trinity Is NOT

    Understanding errors helps clarify truth.

    Not Tritheism

    Not three gods

    Not Partialism

    Not three parts making one God

    Not Modalism (Important)

    Reflection Questions:
    - Why is the Trinity essential to Christian faith?
    - How do the persons of the Trinity relate to one another?
    - How does the Trinity shape your understanding of God’s work in your life?
    - How does the Trinity shape your understanding of God?
    -Why is it important that God is both? one and three
    -How does the Trinity deepen your understanding of salvation?
    -Why do you think modalism is appealing to some people?
    -How does the Trinity change the way you pray?
    -What does it mean that God has always existed in loving relationship?
    Conclusion
    God’s communicable attributes call can be reflected in believers. They reflect his His character. We are continually undergoing a process of transformation to be conformed to image of Christ. Romans 8:29, 2 Corinthians 3:18
    Romans 8:29 NKJV
    29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.
    2 Corinthians 3:18 NKJV
    18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

      • Isaiah 6:3NKJV

      • Matthew 3:16-17NKJV

      • 1 Peter 1:15–16NKJV

      • John 3:16NKJV

      • 1 John 4:8NKJV

      • James 1:5NKJV

      • Romans 11:33NKJV

      • Micah 6:8NKJV

      • Romans 3:26NKJV

      • Deuteronomy 32:4NKJV

      • Micah 6:8NKJV

      • Matthew 28:19NKJV

      • 2 Corinthians 13:14NKJV

      • Deuteronomy 6:4NKJV

      • Isaiah 45:5NKJV

      • John 6:27NKJV

      • John 1:1NKJV

      • Colossians 2:9NKJV

      • Acts 5:3–4NKJV

      • Ephesians 1:3–14NKJV

      • Romans 8:29NKJV

      • 2 Corinthians 3:18NKJV

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