7. Again, Paul makes mention of Christ in different phrase, saying:
"Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were
destroyed of serpents." 1 Cor 10, 9. Now, keeping this verse in mind,
note how Paul and Moses kiss each other, how clearly the one responds
to the other. For Moses says (Num 14, 22): "All those men ... have
tempted me these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice," and
in this connection the speaker is represented by the term "Lord,"
everywhere in the Bible printed by us in capitals to indicate a name
belonging only to the Eternal, applicable to none but the one true
God. Other terms used to designate God are sometimes applied also to
men, but this word "Lord" refers only to God.
Now, Moses says: "And the Lord [Adonai, the true God] said ... All
these men ... have tempted me these ten times." Then comes Paul
explaining who this God is--saying they tempted "Christ." Crawl
through this statement if you may; the fact remains that Paul
declares it was Christ who was tempted, and Moses makes him the one
eternal and true God. Moreover, Christ was not at that time born; no,
nor were Mary and David. Nevertheless, the apostle plainly says, They
tempted Christ, let us not also tempt him.
8. Certainly enough, then, Christ is the man to whom Moses refers as
God. Thus the testimony of Moses long before is identical with that
of Paul. Though employing different terms, they both confess Christ
as the Son of God, born in eternity of the Father, in the same divine
essence and yet distinct from him. You may call this difference what
you will; we indicate it by the term "person." True, we do not make a
wholly clear explanation of the mystery; we but stammer when speaking
of a "Trinity." But what are we to do? we cannot better the attempt.
So, then, the Father is not the Son, but the Son is born of the
Father in eternity; and the Holy Spirit proceeds from God the Father
and God the Son. Thus there are three persons, and yet but one God.
For what Moses declares concerning God Paul says is spoken of Christ.
9. The same argument substantially Paul employs in Acts 20, 28, when,
blessing the Church of Miletus and exhorting the assembled ministers
concerning their office, he says: "Take heed unto yourselves, and to
all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit hath made you bishops, to
feed the church of the Lord which he purchased with his own blood."
This, too, is a significant text, proving beyond all controversy that
Christ our Lord, who purchased the Church with his blood, is truly
God, and to him the Church belongs. For the apostle plainly asserts
it was God who bought the Church with his blood and that the Church
is his own.
Now, in view of the fact already established that the persons are
distinct, and of the further statement that God has purchased the
Church through his own blood, we inevitably conclude that Christ our
Saviour is true God, born of the Father in eternity, and that he also
became man and was born of the Virgin Mary in time.
10. If such blood--the material, tangible, crimson blood, shed by a
real man--is truly to be called the blood of God, then he who shed it
must be actually God, an eternal, almighty person in the one divine
essence. In that case we truly can say the blood flowing from the
side of the crucified One and spilled upon the ground is not merely
the blood of an ordinary man, but God's own. Paul does not indulge in
frivolous talk. He speaks of a most momentous matter; and he is in
dead earnest when he in his exhortation reminds us that it is an
exalted office to rule the Church and to feed it with the Word of
God. Lest we toy in the performance of such an office we are reminded
that the flock is as dear to him as the blood of his dear Son, so
precious that all creatures combined can furnish no equivalent. And
if we are indolent or unfaithful, we sin against the blood of God and
become guilty of it, inasmuch as through our fault it has been shed
in vain for the souls which we should oversee.
11. There are many passages of similar import, particularly in the
Gospel of John. So we cannot evade the truth but must say God the
Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit are three individual
persons, yet of one divine essence. We do not, as the Jews and Turks
derisively allege, worship three Gods; we worship only one God,
represented to us in the Scriptures as three persons.
Christ said to Philip (Jn 14, 9), "He that hath seen me hath seen the
Father." There Christ claims unity and equality with the Father in
the one divine essence. So does Paul in Colossians 1, 15, where he
calls Christ "the image of the invisible God," at the same time
indicating two distinct persons: the Father is not the Son and the
Son is not the Father, yet they are one God. Such passages, I say,
are frequent. By means of them the sainted fathers valiantly
maintained this dogma of the Trinity against the devil and the world,
thus making it our heritage.
12. Now, what care we that reason should regard it as foolishness? It
requires no skill to cavil over these things; I could do that as well
as others. But, praise God, I have the grace to desire no controversy
on this point. When I know it is the Word of God that declares the
Trinity, that God has said so, I do not inquire how it can be true; I
am content with the simple Word of God, let it harmonize with reason
as it may. And every Christian should adopt the same course with
respect to all the articles of our faith. Let there be no caviling
and contention on the score of possibility; be satisfied with the
inquiry: Is it the Word of God? If a thing be his Word, if he has
spoken it, you may confidently rely upon it he will not lie nor
deceive you, though you may not understand the how and the when.
Since, then, this article of the Holy Trinity is certified by the
Word of God, and the sainted fathers have from the inception of the
Church chivalrously defended and maintained the article against every
sect, we are not to dispute as to how God the Father, the Son and the
Holy Spirit are one God. This is an incomprehensible mystery. It is
enough that God in his Word gives such testimony of himself. Both his
nature and its revelation to us are far beyond our understanding.