Mystery, Confession, and the Boundaries of Christian Faith
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I Don’t Know—And That’s Where We Begin
I don’t know whether or not the doctrine of the Trinity is essential to be believed in order to be saved. It is such a loaded question, isn’t it?
(Yes, I just now watched Gavin Ortlund’s podcast.)
I know belief in the doctrine of the Trinity is essential for orthodoxy. And I know it defines the lines of Christianity. In order to properly call oneself “Christian,” this doctrine must be part of their confession. I’ll come back to that in a moment. Don’t leave!
What We Confess—Not What We Comprehend
As Christians, our confession of the doctrine of the Trinity is incredibly important. When it comes to both salvation and/or orthodoxy, the reason the doctrine of the Trinity is so essential isn’t because God wants to be understood.
Or maybe I should back up and put it another way: we don’t understand the Trinity. Not really. It’s a mystery.
In fact, it’s elementary-level simple — like Christianity 101 level simple — that Christians don’t understand this doctrine. For 2,000 years, Christians have not only confessed the Trinity, but confessed that we don’t understand it. There’s never been an “a-ha!” moment for anyone. In fact, if there is an “a-ha” moment, that’s often an indication you’ve stepped into heresy. It’s a danger sign. A turnaround sign. A “backup: cliff ahead” sign.
We can confess the right components. We can get close enough to the truth to avoid heresy. But three persons in one essence? That’s not something we comprehend. That’s something we confess. The doctrine is precise where it needs to be—but the reality behind it is ineffable and inscrutable.
And I think that’s the point. The mystery isn’t the problem—it’s the design.
Salvation Is Simple. God Is Not.
Salvation, after all, is simple. All someone has to do is recognize they’re a sinner and turn to Christ—to the mystery of the cross—and say, “Have mercy on me.” That’s it.
Think about it. There are a lot of gospel tracts out there: the Roman Road, the Four Spiritual Laws, the Good News/Bad News track. There’s even a cube I love called the Gospel Cube. All of them present the information necessary to become saved—and none of them have the doctrine of the Trinity.
Read the rest here. (My new primary place of residence).
