God’s Design for Your Marriage BIBLE STUDY METHODS

IN THIS LESSON:

Lesson 2

The Trinity EXEGESIS: LEARNING FROM THE TEXT AND

DRAWING PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICAL
Christ and the Church APPLICATION.

You and Your Spouse 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
LANGUAGE: WE WILL EXPLORE HOW
2. Christian Living in the Home, Read Chapters 1-3 DEFINITIONS AND GRAMMAR IN THE ORIGINAL
LANGUAGES AFFECTS OUR UNDERSTANDING
OF THE BIBLE AND GOD.
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 DO YOU WANT TO STUDY THE ORIGINAL
strategic places in your home, your office, your car, etc... 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.

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In my opinion , any analogy for
the Trinity falls so far short of
the reality that it borders on
heresy.
God first reveals Himself as
YHWH to Moses. His emphasis
is that He is a personally in-
volved, self-revealing, tran-
scending God rather than a dis-
tant, uncaring, aloof Creator.
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.
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 rela-
tionship with God.
II. THE TRINITY REVEALED
A. God the Father
1. Throughout the Old Testament, especially Genesis.
2. Exodus 3:1-13: YHWH
3. Role
a. Authority, “Head of Trinity”
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 b. Revelation, Making Himself known to us

c. Self-Glorifying Sovereignty:
God has a plan.
d. Sovereignty God is accomplishing
His plan.

B. GOD THE SON

Hypostatic Union: The theologi-
1. Possible pre-incarnate appearances of Christ throughout the Old Testa- cal term for the united natures
ment. of Christ. He is all human and
Example-Genesis 18 all God. Neither nature overtakes
the other. Neither nature is di-
minished by the other. However,
2. Prophesies that a Messiah would come. (following are just a few examples Jesus does choose when and
from Matthew) how to manifest the fullness of
his Deity.
Matt 1:23 -- Isa 7:14
Matt 2:6 -- Micah 5:2
Matt 2:15 -- Hosea 11:1 Andre’s Expanded Version:
Matt 8:17 -- Isa 53:4 “In the beginning, before
anything, the Word already
existed. And the Word was
intimately related to God. And
3. God-Incarnate. John 1:1-18 what God was in every aspect
and essence, the Word was.”
In a poetic, masterful flow of language, John introduces a theme that perme- John 1:1
ates all of John’s gospel and letters. He reveals Jesus as the Word that John uses the Greek word
creates, as the Light that sustains life and provides wisdom, “pros” for “with.” The term
and ultimately as God himself. indicates a personal, intimate
being-with. It implies a deep,
abiding relationship.
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.
Q. In what ways have you
4. ROLE learned to study scripture so that
it impacts your daily decisions
and actions?
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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ruwach- “breath, wind, blast,
energy of life, mind, spirit” In e. To intercede on our behalf (Hebrews 5:6-10, Hebrews 7:25-26)
context of Genesis 1, specifically
refers to the Holy Spirit. The
phrase used here is used else- C. GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT
where in the Old Testament to
refer to the Spirit that “empow- 1. Present at creation (Gen 1:2)
ers and energizes people” (Gen
41:38, Exod 31:3, 35:31, Num
24:2, 1 Sam 10:10, 11:6, 19:20,
2. Hebrew-ruwach
23, Ezek 11:24, 2 Chr 15:1,
24:20) (see note 10, NETB, 3. Greek-pneuma
www.netbible.org)
4. Role
Be careful, when studying
original languages, that you do
a. To aid, goad, direct, and point our hearts towards God the Father \
not make the mistake of de- (Gal 5:17-24)
fining the meaning of a term
based on english derivitives of b. To intercede on our behalf in the presence of God the Father
the greek or hebrew. Much (Rom 8:26-27)
has been made of the mean-
ing of “pneuma” based on the
english word “pneumatic.” 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...” D. THE TRINITY AS ONE

At the baptism of Christ and the
Transfiguration, God the Father 1. The Baptismm of Christ (Matthew 3:15)
declares a moral approval and
intimate relationship with Christ.
The Holy Spirit confirms the 2. The Transfiguration of Christ (Matthew 17:2-5)
words of God the Father and
anoints God the Son for His min- 3. The three persons of the Trinity exist in Relationship
istry.
4. Our relationships are meant to model the relationships within the Trinity
We are made in the Image of the Trinity (Gen 1:26)

III. BEWARE OF HERESY

Q. Do you find the Trinity a diffi-
cult truth to accept? Why or why
not? A. Modalism

B. Figurative Language
Q. Do you find it easier to think
of Jesus as a Man or as God? C. 3 gods
Do you have difficulty combining
the two realities?

Q. In what specific ways has the

Holy Spirit affected your life?
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 Imaging the Trinity in the Home Husbands, love your wives,
just as Christ loved the church
and gave himself up for her to
TRINITY HUSBAND/FATHER WIFE/MOTHER make her holy, cleansinga her by
the washing with water through
the word, and to present her to
God the Father himself as a radiant church,
without stain or wrinkle or any
other blemish, but holy and
Head of the Trinity blameless. In this same way,
husbands ought to love their
wives as their own bodies. He
Reveals himself 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
Sovereignty the church—for we are
members of his body. “For this
reason a man will leave his
father and mother and be united
Provides for his to his wife, and the two will
Children become one flesh.” This is a
profound mystery—but I am
talking about Christ and the
Glorifies himself church. However, each one of
you also must love his wife as
he loves himself, and the wife
must respect her husband. (Eph
God the Son ________________________ 5:25-33, NIV)

Q. Wives, in what ways does

Personally reveals God your husband daily sacrifice for
you and the family? Express
gratitiude to him for these things.
Righteous living

Q. Husbands to be, are you will-

Daily humbling and ing to give up everything you con-
Self-sacrificial sider valuable if it is necessary
for a Godly marriage? What
things would be the hardest to
give up?
Sanctifies the Church

Q. Wives to be, in what ways

Shepherds the Church do you expect your husband to
lead, shepherd, and serve? Is
your fiancee aware of these ex-
“Begotten” by
pectations?
God the Father

Gorifies God the Father

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 TRINITY HUSBAND/FATHER WIFE/MOTHER
God the Holy Spirit _______________________

Q. Husbands, in what ways has Counselor

your wife wisely counseled you?
Did you accept her advice? What
was the outcome?
Interceding
Q. Wives to be, your husband will
be your leader. The bible com-
mands that if he were to make a Comfort God’s people
decision that is against your
counsel, you are still to submit.
(unless the decision is immoral)
Are you accustomed to having Empowering God’s
control and directing lives? Do people for service
you find this command difficult?

Completes the work

Wives, submit to your husbands of God the Son
as to the Lord. For the husband
is the head of the wife as Christ Sent by
is the head of the church, his
body, of which he is the Savior. God the Father
Now as the church submits to
Christ, so also wives should
submit to their husbands in Glorifies God the
everything. (Eph 5:22-24, NIV) 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 CHRIST.
(EPH 5:15-21, NIV)

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