Theological Term of the Week: Economic Trinity

economic Trinity 
The Trinity as revealed in creation and salvation, acting in our world, in human kistory.1 

• From scripture, Ephesians 1:3-14, ESV:

  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. 

  11 In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, 12 so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. 13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

• From the Nicene Creed:
  

  I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible. 

  And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds; God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God; begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made. 

  Who, for us men and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary, and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; He suffered and was buried; and the third day He rose again, according to the Scriptures; and ascended into heaven, and sits on the right hand of the Father; and He shall come again, with glory, to judge the quick and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end. 

  And I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of Life; who proceeds from the Father and the Son; who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified; who spoke by the prophets.

• From  Salvation Belongs to the Lord by John Frame, page 36:
  

  The economic Trinity….is the Trinity in relation to the creation. As we saw earlier, the three persons of the Trinity take on a sort of division of labor with regard to creation and redemption: the Father plans, the Son executes, the Spirit applies.  … See the order? The Father sends; Jesus and the Spirit are sent. The Father speaks of himself; the Son and Spirit speak the words the Father has given them to speak.

Learn more:

1. R. C. Sproul: What’s the Difference between the Ontological and the Economic Trinity? 
2. Fred Sanders: What Are the Economic and Immanent Trinities? (video)

Related terms:

• ontological Trinity
• Trinity

Filed under Trinity

1 From Robert Letham’s Systematic Theology, page 941.

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Sunday's Hymn: Art Thou Weary, Art Thou Languid?

Art thou weary, art thou languid,
Art thou sore distress’d?
“Come to me,” saith One, “and, coming,
Be at rest.”

Hath he marks to lead me to him,
If he be my Guide?
“In his feet and hands are wound-prints,
And his side.”

Is there diadem, as Monarch,
That his brow adorns?
“Yea, a crown, in very surety,
But of thorns.”

If I find him, if I follow,
What his guerdon here?
“Many a sorrow, many a labor,
Many a tear.”

If I still hold closely to him,
What hath he at last?
“Sorrow vanquished, labor ended,
Jordan passed.”

If I ask him to receive me,
Will he say me nay?
“Not till earth and not till heaven
Pass away.”

Finding, following, keeping, struggling,
Is he sure to bless?
“Saints, apostles, prophets, martyrs
Answer, ‘Yes.’”

 —John Mason Neale

Other hymns of worship songs for this Sunday:

• I Love to Sing of That Great Power at The Happy Wonderer 

Theological Term of the Week: Ontological Trinity

ontological Trinity 
The Trinity in itself, or the three persons as they relate to one another without regard to creation.1 Also called the essential or the immanent Trinity.

• From the Athanasian Creed:

      The Father was neither made nor created nor begotten from anyone.
      The Son was neither made nor created;
      he was begotten from the Father alone.
      The Holy Spirit was neither made nor created nor begotten;
      he proceeds from the Father and the Son.

• From the Westminster Larger Catechism:
  

  Q. 9. How many persons are there in the Godhead? 

  A. There be three persons in the Godhead, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost: these three are one true, eternal God, the same in substance, equal in power and glory; although distinguished by their personal properties. 

  Q. 10. What are the personal properties of the three persons in the Godhead? 

  A. It is proper to the Father to beget the Son, and to the Son to be begotten of the Father, and to the Holy Ghost to proceed from the Father and the Son, from all eternity. 

Learn more:

1. R. C. Sproul: What’s the Difference between the Ontological and the Economic Trinity? 
2. Fred Sanders: What Are the Economic and Immanent Trinities? (video)

Related terms:

• economic Trinity
• essence
• Trinity

Filed under Trinity

1 From Robert Letham’s Systematic Theology, page 945.

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Do you have a a theological term you’d like to see featured as a Theological Term of the Week? Email your suggestion using the contact button in the navigation bar above. 

Clicking on the Theological Terms button above the header will take you to an alphabetical list of all the theological terms.