Beholding the Triune God: The Inseparable Work of Father, Son, and Spirit

By Matthew Y. Emerson, Brandon D. Smith

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Beholding the Triune God: The Inseparable Work of Father, Son, and Spirit

By Matthew Y. Emerson, Brandon D. Smith

... Show All

A Concise Guide to the Work of the Trinity and the Doctrine of Inseparable Operations

It’s crucial that believers understand the work of the Trinity in the world and in their everyday lives.

In this concise introduction to the doctrine of inseparable operations, Matthew Emerson and Brandon Smith assert that the three persons of the Trinity are eternally the one God of Scripture and act inseparably in creation, salvation, and all other acts of God. Addressing complex questions—such as What does it mean that the Father is one with the Son, but is not the same person as the Son?—they present a refreshing, biblical view of the one triune God and his unified work in revelation, providence, creation, salvation, mission, communion, sanctification, and judgment.

  • Concise yet Expansive: Presents a historic, classic Christian view of the doctrine of inseparable operations 
  • Hopeful: Leads readers to deeper wonder and worship through a biblical-theological understanding of the Trinity
  • Accessible Resource for Students and Christian Laypeople: Features clear language and a glossary that defines complex theological terms

Read Chapter 1


Authors:

Matthew Y. Emerson

Matthew Y. Emerson (PhD, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary) is coprovost and dean of theology, arts, and humanities at Oklahoma Baptist University. He is also a cofounder of the Center for Baptist Renewal and has authored several books, including The Story of Scripture: An Introduction to Biblical Theology and He Descended to the Dead: An Evangelical Theology of Holy Saturday.

Brandon D. Smith

Brandon D. Smith (PhD, Ridley College, Melbourne) is chair of the Hobbs School of Theology and Ministry and associate professor of theology & early Christianity at Oklahoma Baptist University. He is also a cofounder of the Center for Baptist Renewal and host of the Church Grammar podcast. He is the author of several books, including The Trinity in the Book of Revelation and The Biblical Trinity.

Product Details

Category: Theology
Christian Living
Academic
Format: Paperback
Page Count: 152
Size: 5.25 in x 8.0 in
Weight: 5.86 ounces
ISBN-10: 1-4335-7794-1
ISBN-13: 978-1-4335-7794-9
ISBN-UPC: 9781433577949
Case Quantity: 68
Published: September 03, 2024

Table of Contents

Introduction: Indivisible and Undivided 

Chapter 1: Revelation
Chapter 2: Providence
Chapter 3: Creation
Chapter 4: Salvation
Chapter 5: Mission
Chapter 6: Communion
Chapter 7: Sanctification
Chapter 8: Judgment

Glossary
General Index
Scripture Index

Endorsements

“​​If the twentieth century witnessed a ‘revival’ of interest in the doctrine of the Trinity among dogmatic theologians, the past decade or so has seen a similar renewal among evangelical Christians, but one more explicitly committed to retrieving the doctrine in its creedal and orthodox perspective. This is the book we have been waiting for—an accessible, historically informed, and biblically rooted account of the triune God’s indivisible activity in creation, providence, and salvation history. The book provides simple (but not simplistic) definitions of many complex terms and traces their application through the various activities of the Holy Trinity. I am often asked by students and others for a good introduction to the doctrine of the Trinity. This book will now give me a ready answer to that pressing question.”
R. Lucas Stamps, Professor of Christian Theology, Anderson University; coeditor, Baptists and the Christian Tradition and The Theology of T. F. Torrance: An Evangelical Evaluation

“The Trinity is not just one Christian doctrine among many. Rather, God the Trinity is the source of all Christian doctrine and delight. Emerson and Smith capture how understanding God’s essence and action should lead all Christians into deeper fellowship with the one triune God—Father, Son, and Spirit.”
J. T. English, Lead Pastor, Storyline Church, Arvada, Colorado; Associate Professor of Christian Theology, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary; author, Deep Discipleship; coauthor, You Are a Theologian

“Unpacking texts and demystifying terms, the authors enrich our understanding through the church’s historic witnesses to the doctrine of the Trinity, teaching us through the voices of the church fathers, Reformers, Puritans, and Baptists. Drawing equally from the Old and New Testaments, Emerson and Smith offer a resource as much for the college or seminary student diving deeply into complex questions about the life of God as for the pastor instructing and inspiring congregants with a beautiful vision of the triune life and a desire to be enfolded into that life. Lay audiences will also find this book accessible and eminently rewarding.”
Stefana Dan Laing, Associate Professor of Divinity, Beeson Divinity School; author, Retrieving History: Memory and Identity Formation in the Early Church

“Two trustworthy theologians team up on a project to explain why it’s never enough to say that the persons of the Trinity team up on projects. There is a much deeper unity to the work of the triune God, and this short, readable book directs our attention to it.”
Fred Sanders, Professor of Theology, Torrey Honors College, Biola University

“The doctrine of the inseparable operations of the Trinity is part of the deposit of the church’s ancient faith. Sadly, much of contemporary evangelical thought and preaching is drifting away from this historic doctrine, unflinchingly affirmed by the theologians of the Reformation, and substituting the church’s Trinitarian monotheism with a functional tritheism. The recent evangelical retrieval of this doctrine, while salutary, has not yet trickled down to the ordinary understanding of the faith. Emerson and Smith are proposing to meet that need and present inseparable operations in a way that is accessible and clearly biblical. One could not wish for a better team of Trinitarian theologians to undertake such an essential task.”
Adonis Vidu, Andrew Mutch Distinguished Professor of Theology, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary; author, The Same God Who Works All Things

“Emerson and Smith describe the unity and distinction inherent in the Trinity as it unfolds across the canon of Scripture and as it develops historically by drawing from the work of the church fathers and resulting creeds. Emerson and Smith’s framework reinforces the importance of a Trinitarian hermeneutic for understanding the missional authority of the triune God. This is an important book, and I am grateful for their contribution.”
Cas Monaco, Vice President of Missiology and Gospel Engagement, FamilyLife

“Emerson and Smith have written a timely and helpful book for teachers, students, and church members. Though they address technical issues—Trinity, inseparable operations, appropriations, processions and missions, prosopological exegesis—they do so in an accessible manner. This book makes clear the importance of maintaining the doctrine of inseparable operations in order to maintain the biblical and historically orthodox confession of the Trinity.”
Richard C. Barcellos, Pastor, Grace Reformed Baptist Church, Palmdale, California; Associate Professor of Exegetical Theology, International Reformed Baptist Seminary; author, Trinity and Creation: A Scriptural and Confessional Account

“Emerson and Smith provide a powerful reminder of why it is vital that we think in terms of the triune God––Father, Son, and Holy Spirit––acting in history. This book offers fresh eyes to see how all three persons of the Trinity act as one and offers hope for everything that our triune God wants to do in us and in the world.”
Beth Stovell, Professor of Old Testament and Chair of General Theological Studies, Ambrose Seminary

“Two trustworthy theologians team up on a project to explain why it’s never enough to say that the persons of the Trinity team up on projects. There is a much deeper unity to the work of the triune God, and this short, readable book directs our attention to it.”

Fred Sanders

Professor of Theology, Torrey Honors College, Biola University; author, The Deep Things of God