The Enigmatic Divine: Understanding the New Testament’s Presentation of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
In the inexhaustible quest to understand the divine nature one issue that comes up when talking to other non-orthodox Christian denominations is how the New Testament itself encounters a profound complexity that defies simplistic categorizations. For interlocutors that are fair to the theology, languages, philosophy, and whatever else is relevant to reading the Bible, being honest about this complexity can sometimes make my own Catholicism somewhat understandable for others. This profundity and depth has become clear to me in my discussions with Biblical Unitarians through the years on Twitter. Their question of whether every reference to the Father equates directly to God Himself, and whether mentions of God specifically denote the Father alone, invites us into a deeper exploration of the identity of God as revealed through Scripture. For me, this issue boils down to whether this inquiry necessitates a nuanced understanding of identity within the biblical context or not. As far as I see it the bible in general often resists contemporary notions of strict identity claims. For instance, in John 14:9, Jesus says to Philip, “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.” This statement challenges strict identity claims by suggesting a profound unity and mutual indwelling between the Father and the Son, which transcends mere numerical identity. Instead of defining God through isolated identities, the New Testament reveals a relational, dynamic reality where the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit share in the divine essence, at least from my own Catholic view, inviting a more relational and participatory understanding of the divine nature or “identity” which will be mostly our focus here.
Contemporary philosophy often understands identity in terms of strict numerical identity or the axiom of indiscernibility of identicals, which states that if two entities are identical, then they share all the same properties. This notion of identity allows for clear distinctions and classifications and forms the basis of much logical and analytical reasoning. However, the ancient view of identity, particularly as it pertains to the divine in the New Testament, which under Roman rule, and profoundly influenced by a syncretistic Jewish backdrop, operates within a different paradigm. This perspective is less concerned with numerical identity or the rigid categorization of entities and more with relational, functional, and ontological nuances. The biblical narrative presents a view of God that defies simple categorization, understood not as a static entity but as a dynamic, living reality whose identity is revealed relationally and salvifically.
The Problem of Identity in the New Testament
The New Testament, set against a backdrop of diverse beliefs and cultures under Roman domination, presents a narrative that views the divine as a mystery, transcending human comprehension and expression. The biblical texts invite the reader into a relationship with a God whose essence surpasses the limits of human language and reason, or else there would be no water into wine, or mountains moving by faith, or feeding 5000, or resurrection or Eucharist. See John 1, Romans 11, 1 Corinthians 2, Ephesians 3, Colossians 1, 1 Timothy 3 for other examples.
The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in Scripture
Taking my interactions with biblical Unitarians, and their naive realist, or straight forward reading of scriptures, as my inspiration for today; they tend to see scriptures like John 17:3 and Ephesians 4:6 as proof that the Father is God alone. At least, that’s been my experience. Monotheism, am I right? God must be a discrete, numerically countable object! Not quite how I see it, but I empathize with this commonsensical approach.
The Father
The New Testament provides numerous passages where the Father is referred to in a manner that aligns closely with references to God. For instance, Ephesians 4:6 speaks of “one God and Father of all,” suggesting a direct identification of the Father with God. However, the broader theme is echoed often differently across various scriptures, such as Ephesians 1:20-23, Ephesians 2:18, and others within the Pauline epistles, each elucidating different facets of the Father’s divine role and essence.
Per Ephesians, this is one I’ve thought a lot about, and I see this referencing a reality that’s proper list is something more like this:
Ephesians 1:20-23
Ephesians 2:18
Ephesians 3:14-19
Ephesians 5:1-5
Ephesians 4:6
To simplify the discussion for my Unitarian friends, we delve into two primary inquiries regarding New Testament passages: ‘whether every mention of the Father directly equates to God Himself, and if references to God exclusively denote the Father’? These questions probe the intricate relationship between mentions of the Father and God and the mutuality needed to even find relevant examples. Furthermore, we must ponder whether identifying examples that support these claims necessarily establishes a definitive modern identity claim between the Father and God alone. This secondary consideration is equally essential. The history of theology answered these questions as a mixed bag that ultimately led to orthodoxy and is in part why I’m Catholic.
The Son
Similarly, the Godness and ultimacy of Jesus Christ are affirmed through scriptures that attribute to Him qualities and titles reserved for God. Illustrating the Father focus is the wrong focus. For example, John 1:1 states, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God,” directly asserting Jesus’ divine nature. Further passages like Philippians 2:5-11 and Colossians 1:15-20 expand on this by depicting Christ’s preexistence, participation in creation, and his role in the reconciliation of all things. This suggests a complex understanding of divine identity that includes but is not limited to the Father alone.
Here’s a fuller list to the divine nature and Jesus references:
John 1:1, 14
John 20:28
Titus 2:13
Hebrews 1:8
Philippians 2:5-11
Colossians 2:9
Romans 9:5
2 Peter 1:1
Jude 1:4
Revelation 1:17-18; 22:13
The Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit’s role within the New Testament also contributes to the nuanced portrayal of divine identity. References to the Holy Spirit, such as those found in Acts 5:3-4 and 1 Corinthians 3:16, demonstrate the Spirit’s divine attributes and actions, further complicating any attempts to simplify the Godhead into easily definable categories. The Spirit is shown to possess qualities of personhood, engage in divine actions, and be in intimate relationship with both the Father and the Son, indicating a shared divine essence rather than a mere adjunct or lesser manifestation of the divine.
For a fuller list see here:
Acts 5:3-4
1 Corinthians 2:10-11
1 Corinthians 3:16
2 Corinthians 3:17-18
Matthew 28:19
John 14:16-17
John 14:26
John 15:26
Romans 8:9-11
Ephesians 4:30
We’ve said this before here on RobertDryer.com, but existentially speaking, a divine Person, who is the ultimate, is one who can present, manifest, and represent all it means to be God. Nothing about this is subservient to strict identity claims (necessarily).
The Enigma of the Ultimate and the Development of Orthodoxy
The New Testament’s presentation of God challenges strict logical frameworks of identity, reflecting an ancient understanding of the divine as a mysterious reality beyond human comprehension, which is why we get weird genres like the apocalyptic writing of Revelation too. God can’t be put in a box let alone a genre that does the nature of the divine justice. The crystallization of orthodoxy, emerging over centuries, was a theological, political, and philosophical process, culminating in doctrines such as the Trinity and the nature of Christ’s divinity. And frankly, they were right for the most part.
Conclusion
The claims regarding the identity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as delineated in the New Testament should be interpreted through the lens of ancient relational and salvific revelation. This perspective was not rooted in an axiomatic stance but evolved as a principled and theoretical approach. It is this nuanced method that clarifies the New Testament’s ability to assert the distinct personhoods of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, while also weaving together their unified divine essence. Recognizing the limitations inherent in applying modern concepts of strict identity to the divine mystery fosters a deeper appreciation for the New Testament’s depiction of God. This encourages an engagement with the divine that is dynamic and relational. Furthermore, exploring non-conventional modern theories like relative identity theory, although not essential, can add depth to our understanding. The mystery of God’s nature is not a puzzle to be solved but a reality to be experienced, lived, and loved. The divine nature is a reference to a reality that required a bunch of insights the New Testament could only reference to as a mirror darkly. This invites us to look beyond our finite perspectives and engage more deeply with the God who is both One and Triune. Thankfully, the church’s resolution of Christological debates in the past provides guardrails for this exploration, highlighting the Bible’s ongoing ability to guide and support us in our quest for understanding. Revisiting these debates not only reminds us of the peculiar yet profound nature of biblical revelation but also reassures us of its continual relevance and capacity to aid us when needed.
