Theological Term of the Week: Essence

essence 
The being of God; what he is; also called substance, or nature. God is one essence.

• From scripture:
  

  Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. (Deuteronomy 6:4 ESV)

• From the Athanasian Creed:
  

   What quality the Father has, the Son has, and the Holy Spirit has.
          The Father is uncreated,
          the Son is uncreated,
          the Holy Spirit is uncreated.

          The Father is immeasurable,
          the Son is immeasurable,
          the Holy Spirit is immeasurable.

          The Father is eternal,
          the Son is eternal,
          the Holy Spirit is eternal.

              And yet there are not three eternal beings;
              there is but one eternal being.
              So too there are not three uncreated or immeasurable beings;
              there is but one uncreated and immeasurable being.

      Similarly, the Father is almighty,
          the Son is almighty,
          the Holy Spirit is almighty.
              Yet there are not three almighty beings;
              there is but one almighty being.

          Thus the Father is God,
          the Son is God,
          the Holy Spirit is God.
              Yet there are not three gods;
              there is but one God.

          Thus the Father is Lord,
          the Son is Lord,
          the Holy Spirit is Lord.
              Yet there are not three lords;
              there is but one Lord.

• From the Second Helvetic Confession, Chapter 3:
  

  God Is One. We believe and teach that God is one in essence or nature, subsisting in himself, all sufficient in himself, invisible, incorporeal, immense, eternal, Creator of all things both visible and invisible, the greatest good, living, quickening and preserving all things, omnipotent and supremely wise, kind and merciful, just and true….

Learn more:

1. Sinclair Ferguson: What does it mean that the Trinity is three in person but one in essence?
2. R. C. Sproul: One in Essence, Three in Person (video)

Related terms:

• person
• Trinity

Filed under Trinity

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Sunday's Hymn: Who Is This, So Weak and Helpless

Who is this so weak and helpless,
Child of lowly Hebrew maid,
Rudely in a stable sheltered,
Coldly in a manger laid?
‘Tis the Lord of all creation,
Who this wondrous path hath trod;
He is God from everlasting,
And to everlasting God.

Who is this, a Man of Sorrows,
Walking sadly life’s hard way,
Homeless, weary, sighing, weeping
Over sin and Satan’s sway?
‘Tis our God, our glorious Saviour,
Who above the starry sky
Now for us a place prepareth,
Where no tear can dim the eye.

Who is this? behold him shedding
Drops of blood upon the ground!
Who is this, despised, rejected,
Mocked, insulted, beaten, bound?
‘Tis our God, who gifts and graces
On his church now poureth down;
Who shall smite in holy vengeance
All his foes beneath his throne.

Who is this that hangeth dying
While the rude world scoffs and scorns,
Numbered with the malefactors,
Torn with nails, and crowned with thorns?
‘Tis the God who ever liveth
‘Mid the shining ones on high,
In the glorious golden city,
Reigning everlastingly.

—William W. How

Other hymns of worship songs for this Sunday:

• Angels From the Realms of Glory at The Happy Wonderer 

Selected Reading, December 11, 2021

 

A few good things I read recently.

Prayer

Should we pray imprecatory prayers?
Aaron Armstrong says yes. 

You can understand why some Christians would reject praying in this way altogether. It seems in conflict with Jesus’ call for us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. But I don’t believe the full counsel of Scripture supports that. Imprecatory prayers modeled in both the Old and New Testaments (Matthew 23; Galatians 1:8-9; Revelation 6:10). Jesus and the apostles alike prayed in this way. We probably shouldn’t dismiss these sorts of prayers and petitions, then.

I may have mentioned this here previously, but I once heard a sermon in which the preacher chalked an imprecatory bit in one of the psalms to the immaturity of the psalm’s author, so I know from experience that some people do reject all imprecatory prayers. But everytime we pray for God to bring justice for someone who has been harmed, we are praying an imprecatory prayer.

Words 

Big Bible Words: Atonement
A great little essay on the biblical word atonement. And it starts with a double nightmare.

A Mystery

Who wrote Hebrews?
We discussed this pretty thoroughly at the beginning of the Hebrews Bible study I attend. This is an excellent examination of this New Testament mystery.

Romans and Hebrews, of similar length, may be the two great pillar epistles of Christian theology, and yet far more is known, and certain, about Romans. With Romans, we get the systematically reasoned heart of Paul. With Hebrews, we get another learned, powerful, complementary voice — but whose? 

Birds

Bathing is crucial for a bird’s longevity
All the reasons birds need baths.