Page 54 - The Gospel of John - Student textbook

• I am equal with God the father.
• I am the giver of life.
• I am the final judge over all of humanity.
• I hold the destinies of every human in my hand.
• I will raise the dead. (See below)
• Everything I do is the will of God. (See below)

How would you respond?
Of all the great philosophers, teachers, artists, and statesmen who ever lived, none would dare make such
claims unless he or she were either completely insane or shamelessly evil. Not unless He was indeed God in
human flesh.

Do you know the meaning of the word Trinity? In all likelihood, most of those reading this lesson are familiar
with this word and its meaning in theology. But what if I were to ask you to distinguish between the “oncological
Trinity” and the “economic Trinity”? If I said, “please describe for me the difference between the oncological
Trinity and the economic Trinity,” could you do it? The distinction is very important.

Ontology is the “study of being.” When we talk about the oncological Trinity, we are referring to the fact that
God is three persons, one God. There are three persons in the Godhead – the Father, the Son, and the Holy
Spirit – who together are one being. The ontological structure of the Trinity is a unity. When we speak of the
economic Trinity, we are dealing with roles. We distinguish among the three persons of the Godhead in terms of
what we call the economy of God. It is the Father who sends the Son into the world for our redemption. It is the
Son who acquires our redemption for us. It is the Spirit who applies that redemption to us we do not have three
gods. We have one God in three persons, and the three persons are distinguished in terms of what They do.
(Also see comments on page 52)

In orthodox Christianity, we say that the Son is equal to the Father in power, in glory, and in being. This
discussion rest heavily on John 1:1, where we read, “in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with
God, and the Word was God.” This verse indicates that the Father and the Word (the Son) are different and are
one. In one sense, the Son and the Father are identical. In another sense, they are distinguished. From all
eternity the Father sends the Son, and the Son is subordinate to the Father. The Son doesn’t send the Father;
the Father sends the Son. So even though the Father and the Son are equal in power, glory, and being,
nevertheless there is an economic subordination of the Son to the Father.

That Is what Jesus said here. He declared: “I assure you: The Son is not able to do anything on His own, but only
what He sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, the Son also does these things in the same way.
20 For the Father loves the Son and shows Him everything He is doing, and He will show Him greater works
than these so that you will be amazed. And just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so the Son
also gives life to anyone He wants to.” In this context, Jesus specifically mentioned the raising of the dead.

So that all people will honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Anyone who does not honor the Son does
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not honor the Father who sent Him. “I assure you: Anyone who hears My word and believes Him who sent
Me has eternal life and will not come under judgment but has passed from death to life.

Jesus delivers this rebuke to the Jewish leaders. He was on trial, as it were, but He said to them: “You’re talking
to the One before whom you will stand in judgment. You’re talking to the One to whom the Father has given the
power of life in Himself. If you will honor Me, you cannot honor the Father.”

This is merely the beginning of Jesus’ defense; it goes on not just for a few more verses but a few more chapters,
and it’s heavy going. It will take us into deep theological waters, but those deep theological waters are at the
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