Lesson 2 Notes

God’s Design for Your Marriage

BIBLE STUDY METHODS IN THIS LESSON:

Lesson 2 The Trinity Christ and the Church You and Your Spouse

EXEGESIS: LEARNING FROM THE TEXT AND DRAWING PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICAL APPLICATION.

ISOGESIS: THE ERROR OF READING WHAT I WANT TO BELIEVE OR THINK INTO THE TEXT.

PRACTICAL APPLICATION: WE WILL BEGIN WORKING FROM THE DOCTRINE OF THE

Homework

TRINITY TO THE ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF HUSBANDS/FATHERS, WIVES/MOTHERS, AND CHILDREN.

1. Read Colossians

WORD DEFINITIONS IN THE ORIGINAL

2. Christian Living in the Home, Read Chapters 1-3

LANGUAGE: WE WILL EXPLORE HOW DEFINITIONS AND GRAMMAR IN THE ORIGINAL LANGUAGES AFFECTS OUR UNDERSTANDING

3. Create a put off/put on list based on the results of the “Fruits of Pride” test. Post scriptures referring to these put off’s/put on’s in strategic places in your home, your office, your car, etc...

OF THE BIBLE AND GOD.

DO YOU WANT TO STUDY THE ORIGINAL LANGUAGES? ANYONE CAN. SO MANY HELPS AND TOOLS ARE AVAILABLE THAT FORMAL TRAINING IS NOT NECESSARY.

A

GREAT BEGINNING RESOURCE IS STRONG’S LEXICON, WHICH A RESOURCE OF DEFINITIONS KEYED TO NUMBERS ASSIGNED TO EACH WORD IN TEH BIBLE.

THESE DEFINITIONS

ARE EASILY ACCESSED FOR FREE AT WWW.NETBIBLE.ORG.

Works Cited in this Lesson: All Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update, unless otherwise noted. 1995. LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation. Research from NETB, www.netbible.org. This is an excellent resource for bible study. Greek/Hebrew research from Strong’s and other Lexicons in Logos Bible Software. Wisdom and insight from my Perfect Gift, Angela. Other references are quoted from The Holy Bible, New International Version. 1973. International Bible Society. Zondervan Bible Publishers. 16

Goals: √ √ √ √

To apprahend the Trinity To understand the relationship between Christ and the Church To understand how our marriages are meant to mirror the Trinity To begin changing our relationships to conform to God’s design

I. INTRODUCTION A. GENESIS 1:26 - “... Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness, and let them rule...” 1. First indication of the Trinity--God refers to Himself as “Us” 2. When God refers to “man,” He uses the plural term “them.” 3. Genesis 1:26 serves as a background, a summary, of the more detailed account to follow in Genesis 2. B. APPRAHENDING THE TRINITY 1. We begin with the revelation of the Trinity in the Bible, and work toward its implications to creation, mankind, and our day to day lives. In my opinion , any analogy for the Trinity falls so far short of the reality that it borders on heresy.

2. Do not attempt to understand the Trinity in reverse--ie., trying to find analogies to describe Him. C. OUR PURPOSE FOR LIVING 1. To be stewards over the earth. (Gen. 1:26) God has placed us in charge over creation. 2. To make God famous. (Romans 15:6) We are to be his witnesses to all creation. 3. To make God first. (Revelation 2) We are to give him the priority over all else. Nothing--not even our spouses--is to be more important than our relationship with God. II. THE TRINITY REVEALED A. God the Father

God first reveals Himself as YHWH to Moses. His emphasis is that He is a personally involved, self-revealing, transcending God rather than a distant, uncaring, aloof Creator.

1. Throughout the Old Testament, especially Genesis. 2. Exodus 3:1-13: YHWH 3. Role a. Authority, “Head of Trinity” 17

b. Revelation, Making Himself known to us c. Self-Glorifying

Sovereignty: God has a plan. God is accomplishing His plan.

d. Sovereignty B. GOD THE SON 1. Possible pre-incarnate appearances of Christ throughout the Old Testament. Example-Genesis 18 2. Prophesies that a Messiah would come. (following are just a few examples from Matthew) Matt 1:23 Matt 2:6 Matt 2:15 Matt 8:17

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Isa 7:14 Micah 5:2 Hosea 11:1 Isa 53:4

3. God-Incarnate. John 1:1-18 In a poetic, masterful flow of language, John introduces a theme that permeates all of John’s gospel and letters. He reveals Jesus as the Word that creates, as the Light that sustains life and provides wisdom, and ultimately as God himself. His reference to Christ as “the Word” is deliberate in recalling the creative act in Genesis, “God said...” John identifies Christ as the creative agent. He develops this theme in the following verses. 4. ROLE a. To personally reveal God “...the word became flesh, and dwelt among us...” v. 14 b. To Glorify God the Father (John 8:47-55) c. To self-sacrificially establish, love, and shepherd the Church (Romans 5:6-8, Eph 5:2, 1 john 4:19, Matt 20:8, John 15:13) d. To live a righteous life on our behalf and as our model (Matt 16:24-25, John 13:15)

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Hypostatic Union: The theological term for the united natures of Christ. He is all human and all God. Neither nature overtakes the other. Neither nature is diminished by the other. However, Jesus does choose when and how to manifest the fullness of his Deity.

Andre’s Expanded Version: “In the beginning, before anything, the Word already existed. And the Word was intimately related to God. And what God was in every aspect and essence, the Word was.” John 1:1 John uses the Greek word “pros” for “with.” The term indicates a personal, intimate being-with. It implies a deep, abiding relationship.

Q. In what ways have you learned to study scripture so that it impacts your daily decisions and actions?

ruwach- “breath, wind, blast, energy of life, mind, spirit” In context of Genesis 1, specifically refers to the Holy Spirit. The phrase used here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament to refer to the Spirit that “empowers and energizes people” (Gen 41:38, Exod 31:3, 35:31, Num 24:2, 1 Sam 10:10, 11:6, 19:20, 23, Ezek 11:24, 2 Chr 15:1, 24:20) (see note 10, NETB, www.netbible.org)

e. To intercede on our behalf (Hebrews 5:6-10, Hebrews 7:25-26) C. GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT 1. Present at creation (Gen 1:2) 2. Hebrew-ruwach 3. Greek-pneuma 4. Role

Be careful, when studying original languages, that you do not make the mistake of defining the meaning of a term based on english derivitives of the greek or hebrew. Much has been made of the meaning of “pneuma” based on the english word “pneumatic.”

a. To aid, goad, direct, and point our hearts towards God the Father \ (Gal 5:17-24) b. To intercede on our behalf in the presence of God the Father (Rom 8:26-27) c. To comfort God’s people with the Good News of Christ and the Father’s sovereignty. (Rom 5:5) d. To empower and strengthen us to live a Godly life, endure persecution, speak boldly in the face of opposition, etc. (Rom 8:15-17, Rom 14:17, 1 Cor 2:4, 1 Cor 6:19)

“In whom I am well pleased...” At the baptism of Christ and the Transfiguration, God the Father declares a moral approval and intimate relationship with Christ. The Holy Spirit confirms the words of God the Father and anoints God the Son for His ministry.

D. THE TRINITY AS ONE 1. The Baptismm of Christ (Matthew 3:15) 2. The Transfiguration of Christ (Matthew 17:2-5) 3. The three persons of the Trinity exist in Relationship 4. Our relationships are meant to model the relationships within the Trinity We are made in the Image of the Trinity (Gen 1:26)

Q. Do you find the Trinity a difficult truth to accept? Why or why not?

III. BEWARE OF HERESY A. Modalism B. Figurative Language

Q. Do you find it easier to think of Jesus as a Man or as God? Do you have difficulty combining the two realities?

C. 3 gods

Q. In what specific ways has the Holy Spirit affected your life?

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Imaging the Trinity in the Home TRINITY

HUSBAND/FATHER

WIFE/MOTHER

God the Father Head of the Trinity Reveals himself Sovereignty Provides for his Children Glorifies himself God the Son

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Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansinga her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church—for we are members of his body. “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband. (Eph 5:25-33, NIV) Q. Wives, in what ways does your husband daily sacrifice for you and the family? Express gratitiude to him for these things.

Personally reveals God Righteous living

Q. Husbands to be, are you willing to give up everything you consider valuable if it is necessary for a Godly marriage? What things would be the hardest to give up?

Daily humbling and Self-sacrificial Sanctifies the Church

Q. Wives to be, in what ways do you expect your husband to lead, shepherd, and serve? Is your fiancee aware of these expectations?

Shepherds the Church “Begotten” by God the Father Gorifies God the Father

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TRINITY

HUSBAND/FATHER

God the Holy Spirit Q. Husbands, in what ways has your wife wisely counseled you? Did you accept her advice? What was the outcome? Q. Wives to be, your husband will be your leader. The bible commands that if he were to make a decision that is against your counsel, you are still to submit. (unless the decision is immoral) Are you accustomed to having control and directing lives? Do you find this command difficult?

Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. (Eph 5:22-24, NIV)

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Counselor Interceding Comfort God’s people Empowering God’s people for service Completes the work of God the Son Sent by God the Father Glorifies God the Father

Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

S UBMIT

TO ONE ANOTHER OUT

OF REVERENCE FOR

WIFE/MOTHER

CHRIST.

(EPH 5:15-21, NIV)

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