Rebecca Stark is the author of The Good Portion: Godthe second title in The Good Portion series.

The Good Portion: God explores what Scripture teaches about God in hopes that readers will see his perfection, worth, magnificence, and beauty as they study his triune nature, infinite attributes, and wondrous works. 

                     

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Wednesday
Feb092022

Theological Term of the Week: Perichoresis

perichoresis 
A term (from the Greek) used to express the intimate union of the three persons in the Trinity as they mutually indwell or interpenetrate each other in the one being of God. Also called circumincession or coinherence.

  • From scripture: 

    I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word,that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. (John 17: 20-21 ESV)

    So Jesus said to them,“Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.” (John 5:19 ESV)

    For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. (1 Corinthians 2:10-11 ESV)

  • From Systematic Theology by Robert Letham, page 108:
    Athanasius and the Cappadocians brought to the forefront the idea of the full mutual indwelling of the three persons in the one being of God. Although [the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed] does not use the idea, it is entailed by all that [the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed] openly expresses. It follows from the homoousial identity of the three and the indivisible divine being. Since all three persons are fully God, and the whole God is in each of the three, the three mutually contain one another.

 

Learn more:

  1. Kevin DeYoung: Theological Primer: Perichoresis
  2. Ligonier Ministries: Perichoresis

 

Related terms:

 

Filed under Trinity


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