Episode Transcript
Speaker 0 00:00 <inaudible> today we're going to take a really quick look at the military or the malls totally treated in the time we have for sermon. It's really difficult to cover this topic without saying something heretical, so in order to avoid that problem, we'll go over the same ground as last year, will fall Saint Augustine's explanation of the mystery of the most totally trinity and we'll lean really heavily on frank sheet to do that. This topic takes a whole course in seminary just to get the basics down, so obviously we're only going to hit the high points. Quick Review before we get going, we have to keep in mind that our imaginations make pictures of material things when we're using our imaginations to make a picture of a unicorn or blue moon or pink elephants. Those are changeable material things they're found in imagination ideas. On other hand, ideas like justice or love or truth or unchanging spiritual concepts, they're found in the intellect.
Speaker 0 01:15 Our imaginations make pictures and material things. Now, why do we have to remind ourselves of this? Because many aspects of our faith are purely spiritual realities. If we're dealing with a purely spiritual reality, we can't help making an image of it because our imaginations aren't something we can shut off, but no matter what image would make of it, it's already going to be wrong because we can't picture something that's purely spiritual correctly. Everybody learned this when they took geometry. When you're sitting there puzzling about a geometric point, remember it doesn't have any space bed to it, so no matter how sharp and you made your pencil and they little point on the paper or you match that point, you know that that doesn't work. You can understand that, that the idea that it doesn't have any spread that's in your envelope. You can understand the idea, but in your imagination, no matter what you do, you're always going to pitch you that little black dot and you realize what's not a little black God.
Speaker 0 02:10 It's a geometric porn. Okay? Our imagination can't correct. We did pick spiritual realities. The most holy trinity, when we're speaking of God, he's the pure spirit. So any image we make will always be wrong, so we don't want to be misled by the image. We can still understand things as long as we keep in mind that the image is incorrect and that's by way of precaution. Today, there's three terms we need to hit again on make sure that we have a reasonably working, uh, handle on them. Mystery, nature and person. The three terms are mystery, nature and person mystery. When we say that something is a mystery of our faith, we don't mean what we would mean in ordinary conversational. That's in this too. Like I don't know anything about it or I'm just clueless or nobody knows anything that's not at all what we need.
Speaker 0 03:05 Like what would you ordinarily speak? God hasn't decided to reveal things to us so that we wouldn't know anything about him or weren't supposed to think about them. Something like the mystery of the Holy Trinity is something that God wants us to think about or he wouldn't have revealed it to us. He wants us to think about it, but when we say mystery, it has to do with something we can never fully understand. The point is we can keep thinking about the mystery Eveland through eternity and we can keep penetrating deeper and deeper, getting more and more understanding of different aspects of it. But we'll still never be able to fully grasp it. That's easy to see what this particular mystery, why? Because we, here we are with these puny little created intellects and we're trying to understand the infinite God. We'll never be able to comprehend it.
Speaker 0 03:58 He's revealed himself to us, but it's, you know, I mean, he's not a size, but we could say, you know, we have this, this, you know, infinitely Pake and we're in, we're super small, you know, to Spec at us trying to bring the ocean in. It just isn't gonna work. You can't soak up the ocean to Spec a desk. Okay. So even in all eternity, we can't wrap our minds around this mystery. So mystery, the faith is a truth, but it's an inexhaustible truth that we think about forever and keep understanding more and more aspects of it and never get all the details. That's what we mean when we say a mystery of the faith and the mystery, the principle mystery, the central mystery of the faith isn't as true. Most Holy Trinity Nature. And imagine we're staying in a capitol woods and late at night we hear some strange naughty wake up.
Speaker 0 04:47 Wonder what is that? Is that a grizzly bear? Is that a Kyle? What is that noise? Well, we ask the question, what is it we're asking a question about nature. And nature is a philosophical term has to do with the wetness of something. Fish have fish nature. So they live and breathe and swim through water. Birds at bird nature. So they have feathers and they lay, hey, we have human nature. That means we've got a body and an immortal soul, a spiritual soul. We can walk and laugh and think and taught in ordinary language. Nature answers the question, what is, what is it? And nature also determines what's not thinking too. So nature, what is it and what can it do? What is it? What can it do? Person. Now imagine we're out in that cabin and we hear a knock at the door. We don't stop and go, what is that?
Speaker 0 05:44 Is that a Chrisley bear? Is that a coyote? Nobody thinks like this. At least I hope not. We already know what it is. We already know to human being. We wondered who's there not what's there. Why? Because we already know something with a human nature. We ask who we're asking a question about persons. So nature determines what snapping is and what it can do. That person, that's who's knocking, that's who's doing a particular thing. Take for example, all of us here have human nature except for the angels and demons that are present, okay? They have angelic natures, but we're all different persons. Who are we? Well, I'm father wolf for example. Every one of us has the same nature here, but we all have different persons, okay? So the abilities of particular thing are determined by its nature. We're all men, so we can talk, but our nature doesn't talk.
Speaker 0 06:41 We talk. The person talks. The person actually performs the action. I'm talking right now. My nature isn't talking. I'm talking me Father Wolf, a person, okay? You're sitting, your nature's in the city. You're listening. Your nature isn't listening. Your thinking, your nature isn't thinking, speaking, thinking, laughing. All these things are possible to someone that has the human nature, but the nature doesn't do it. The particular person is the one speaking, thinking, laughing, sitting a particular person, okay. When we do that, our nature doesn't do it. Will you do a person one other port point? We don't ask who is that when we're standing there looking at a strange new vegetable in the produce aisle. Okay, why not? Because vegetables aren't persons either. Our minerals are animals. In spite of the confusion of some of our environmentalist neighbors, unlike dogs or carrots or clouds or mountains, which are not whose persons have rational.
Speaker 0 07:44 Nature's rational nature means that a person can know and love. Persons can know and love. There are three kinds of persons. Since there are only three persons that have three kinds of deans that have rational natures. Those are men, angels and God. Then angels and God. So nature tells us what is it? What can it do? Person tells us who is it, who's actually doing it? Okay. Nature tells that. What is it? What can it do? Person tells us who is it, who's actually doing it on this tree? Isn't it inexhaustible truth that we can never completely understand, but we can keep on penetrating into deeper and deeper as we think about it, meditate and on even through all eternity. Remember also keep in mind that God's infinite spirit, so any picture that you make during the course of this sermon of the most holy trinity is already wrong beforehand.
Speaker 0 08:43 We already know you make a picture. It's wrong. You can't help making metal pictures. That's what your imagination is there for it, but don't be misled by the picture and keep in mind it's wrong any more than you're misled in seventh grade when you're doing geometry, I knew two metric points, okay, so all that's by way of preliminary. Let's get started. That great. Hey again, had a great peg in mind. Plato, I wonder if there's one God, what does he think about and if there's one god, whom does he love? Those are excellent questions. If there's one God, what does he think about and whom does he love first? What does God think about God? Has an idea, but he only has one idea. He already knows everything and he hasn't forgotten anything he's got. He only has one idea and that idea can never change.
Speaker 0 09:53 It's an eternal, unchanging ideas since he certainly isn't going to learn anything and he certainly isn't going to forget anything either. Now remember that God is infinite. That means no lemons. He is infinite and so he has a limitless intellect. The only thing that an internet line like that could find that's even worth thinking about is something infinite, infinite being. What does that mean? That means that the idea that God has his infinite mind is the idea that he has of himself and it can change. His idea is his eternal as he is. He didn't suddenly think of it. Okay. Unlike us where we can have a new idea, he doesn't, he can't learn anything he's got. Now, here's another extraordinary thing. The idea that God has of himself must be absolutely perfect. Why? Because he already knows everything, so what does that mean? That means that whatever's in God must also be in.
Speaker 0 11:04 Is it? Whatever's in God must be. His idea of himself and whatever's in God's idea of himself must be absolutely in exactly the same and himself. Otherwise you would not have a clear idea of him himself. That's ridiculous cause he already knows everything, so whatever's in God must be in his idea of himself and it must be exactly the same in his idea as it is in himself. He has this perfect, complete knowledge of himself has to be exactly the same. Otherwise God would know everything about himself. Woody. Then we're not talking about God, we're talking about someone else. God knows everything. That's so much different than our kind of ideas that it is impossible for us to imagine. Remember our imaginations hospitalists could imagine, but it's not impossible for us to understand. I didn't say comprehend. We can't comprehend Gunn, but we can understand that he has to have a perfect idea.
Speaker 0 12:07 We're not going to comprehend that when we're done, we'll be in a more luminous darkness. Don't be under any illusions. We're not going to comprehend this, but we can understand now could see you more interesting. Any idea we might have is a thing, our ideas or things, our idea of love, rd of justice, that's a thing. But with this is not true with God. Why not? Well, because whatever's in God must be in his idea, in his idea of himself. And since it must be exactly the same. It is idea as it is that he himself, that means that since God himself can know and love his idea must be able to know and love. Since God can know in love, his idea of himself canola. In other words, his idea is not a thing. Things can't know and love persons can know and his idea is a person.
Speaker 0 13:10 Now there's more in ideas and just stuff floating in space somewhere. Ideas don't just drift off out of your mind and go floating off somewhere outside of thinker. A thought is in the mind of a thinker. So this one idea of God has to be in the same identical nature as the thinker, doesn't it? Of course. So God's one idea of himself as a person, but it's in the same nature. God conceived within his own infinite nature. A perfect infinite idea, which, because it is an idea, is completely within his nature. And because it's a perfect idea of himself, it completely contains his nature, his idea, God's idea of himself is an eternal, unchanging idea. It's an eternal, unchanging work. The thinker is the first person at the most plus the trinity, the father, the idea, the word is the second person of the most blessed trinity, the son.
Speaker 0 14:18 So what does God think about? He thinks about himself. Alright, so god thinks about himself, but whom does he love? We have a beautiful idea. We could mire, we can dwell, we can even love it. But still, it's only an idea. It's just a thing. We can love it, but our idea sure can return our love. But as we see God's idea himself, the eternal word is not some thing, but someone his as a person, the second person, the most holy trinity just is. God is absolutely an infinitely perfect and worthy of all love. So also, his idea is absolutely and infinitely perfect. And we're the evolve love. And so the thinker, the father, and the word, the son love each other with a perfect and infinite love. Each person pours himself out totally towards the other, holding nothing back. And this love that the father and the son have for each other is eternal unchanged.
Speaker 0 15:29 They can't love each other more or less their god. They do it perfectly. Unchanging. Infinite has every perfection they do is a person, someone the third person in the most holy trinity. And of course the love the father and son, half full on other totally fill their whole nature that produces a third person from all eternity. But again, this person is within the divine nature. So the second person, the word the son proceeds from the father and is generated by way of the enlightened and the third person. The Holy Ghost proceeds from the father and the son by way of the will, one divine nature, one divine nature, totally expressed. His thinker, totally expressed his word, totally expressed his love. Three divine persons, one divine nature. What are you, that's a question about nature. God, who are you? A question about a person, father, son.
Speaker 0 16:32 And Holy Spirit. Three distinct persons, but not three separate persons, three distinct persons, but not three separate persons. These three divine persons do not share the divine nature. They're distinct but not separate, and they do not share the divine nature. They do not share it. Each one possesses divine nature. Totally. The father possessed his divine nature. Totally. The son possesses it. Totally. The Holy Spirit possessed his divine nature. Totally. All right, let's review. Since God is infinite spirit, any pictures you may cause the most holy trinity are wrong. You can't help make metal pitchers. That's your imagination does, but don't be misled by it. Just keep in mind, whatever I'm thinking, it's already wrong in terms of image and mystery is an exhaustible truth that we can never completely understand, but that we can keep drawing more and more out of it as we contemplate it and roll it around.
Speaker 0 17:32 Nature tells us what is it? What can it do? Person tells us who is it, who's actually doing it? Okay. God's idea of himself, the eternal word is a person. Justice. God is an infinitely perfect and worthy of all of. So also his ideas absolutely and instantly perfect. And where are the evolve love instead of the father and this idea of the word, the son love each other with this perfect and infinite love. Each person cores himself out totally in love towards the other holding nothing back. And this love that the father and son half for each other is an eternal, unchanging, infinite person. The Holy Ghost, the third person, the most plus it training, the second person, the word the son proceeds from the father and is generated by way of the analyte and the third person, the Holy Ghost proceeds from the father and the son by way of the will.
Speaker 0 18:35 God is three distinct divine persons, but not three separate persons. These three divine persons do not share the divine nature. Each person possesses it. Totally. The father possesses it totally. The son possesses it. Totally. The Holy Ghost possess it and totally one nature. One God, three persons in the one God, one God, three persons. They're distinct, not separate for things to do. First, pray for light to come to a deeper understanding of this ministry. Second, honor the words and the Nice theme creed, which we're about to sing. Third, ponder the words and the preface of today's mass for ponder the words and the AF nation crate, which I think was printed in today's book and don't get discouraged. At best, we'll be in a more luminous, dark, even, please God and we get to heaven. We have all eternity to contemplate this mystery, the central mystery, and we'll never comprehension.
Speaker 0 19:44 We can contemplate it. We can keep penetrating deeper and deeper into with, but we can never comprehend it. Let's close with a passage from the fourth letter and counseling. We firmly believe and simply confess that there is only one true God, eternal and immeasurable all night, unchangeable in comprehensible and ineffable father, son and Holy Spirit. Three persons, one absolutely simple essence, substance or nature. The father is from none. The son from the father alone and the Holy Spirit from bowls equally eternally without beginning or end, the father generating his son being born and the Holy Spirit proceeding consubstantial and coequal call nit the tent. And Co Eternal.
