Theology I: Triune God (part 2)
New Testament Foundations of the Trinity | Theology Lecture on Christ, Creeds, and Heresy
This theology class lecture continues a deep exploration of the doctrine of God by focusing on the Trinity in the New Testament and the historical development of orthodox Christian belief. Building on earlier discussion of Old Testament foundations, this session examines how Scripture clearly presents God as one being existing eternally as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and why getting the Trinity right is essential for the gospel, salvation, and Christian worship.
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0:24 Review of revelation and Trinitarian foundations
1:07 God’s transcendence and imminence
3:14 The baptism of Jesus and Trinitarian language
5:41 The Great Commission and the name of God
6:25 Jesus’ divinity in the Gospel of John
8:02 John 8 and the “I AM” statement
13:19 “I and the Father are one” in John 10
14:51 Trinitarian patterns throughout the New Testament
16:13 Early church history and the rise of creeds
19:33 Arianism and the question of Christ’s deity
23:38 Apollinarianism, Docetism, and adoptionism
28:59 Modalism and tritheism explained
31:36 The Council of Nicaea and homoousios
35:45 Chalcedon and Christ’s two natures
37:30 Orthodoxy versus confessional distinctives
The lecture begins by reaffirming that the Christian God is both transcendent and imminent. Unlike false gods who are either distant or dangerously humanlike, the God of Scripture is majestic over creation and personally near to His people through covenant. From there, the professor walks through key New Testament passages such as Matthew 3, Matthew 28, John 8, John 10, Romans 9, and 2 Corinthians 13 to show how Father, Son, and Spirit are consistently presented as divine and distinct.
Special attention is given to Jesus’ own claims about His identity. Statements like “before Abraham was, I AM” are examined in their Old Testament context, showing why Jesus’ original audience understood Him to be claiming equality with God. These passages make clear that denying Christ’s deity or humanity leads to serious theological collapse.
The second half of the lecture traces how the early church responded to false teachings through creeds and councils. Figures like Arius, Apollinarius, and Sabellius are discussed, along with the major Christological and Trinitarian heresies they promoted. The Council of Nicaea, Constantinople, and Chalcedon are highlighted as key moments where the church clarified biblical teaching, affirming that Jesus is fully God and fully man and that the Trinity is one being in three persons.
The lecture concludes by helping students distinguish between core Christian orthodoxy and narrower confessional or denominational beliefs, emphasizing why both matter for faith, practice, and discernment.
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