One of John Piper's favorite theologians is mid-eighteenth century New England pastor Jonathan Edwards. While Edwards is primarily - and regrettably - known only for his sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God", he is considered by some (like Christian historian Mark Noll) to be perhaps the greatest thinker America has seen. The second chapter of Piper's book "Think" deals with the implications of Edwards' vision of the Trinity for the life of the mind.
The main ideas in this chapter were difficult to grasp because they are less an exposition of a Biblical text and more an exercise in God-centered philosophy. The language and thought patterns are not typical of what we usually read, so their lack of familiarity presents a challenge - one that I would argue is worth tackling. We may be able to benefit as we prayerfully try to understand the way Edwards was thinking.
The main thesis of the chapter is this: human thinking and feeling are not arbitrary but are rooted in the nature of our Trinitarian God because we have been created in the image of God.
Edwards writes: "This I suppose to be the blessed Trinity that we read of in the Holy Scriptures. The Father is the deity subsisting in the prime, unoriginated and most absolute manner, or the deity in its direct existence. The Son is the deity generated by God's understanding, or having an idea of Himself and subsisting in that idea. The Holy Ghost is the deity subsisting in act, or the divine essence flowing out and breathed forth in God's infinite love to and delight in Himself. And I believe the whole Divine essence does truly and distinctly subsist both in the Divine idea and Divine love, and that each of them are properly distinct persons."
This vision of the Trinity is profound but difficult to grasp. Jesus, who is the image of the invisible God, is seen as God's thought/idea of Himself, and God's thought/idea of Himself is actually full enough, deep enough to be a fully distinct person. The Holy Spirit is the essence of the love and delight of the Father and Son for each other. The love and delight of God in Himself - Father to Son and vice versa - is so pure, holy, and infinite that it cannot help but move to loving action. That loving action that so freely proceeds from Father to Son and from Son to Father is itself God, but also a distinct person. Piper writes, "There has never been a time when God did not experience himself this way." God is eternally Trinitarian. We conclude that thinking and feeling are essential to the very nature of the Trinity, as Jesus is like the "Divine idea" and the Spirit is like the "Divine love".
Edwards has more to say: "God is glorified within Himself these two ways: (1) by appearing... to Himself in his own perfect idea [of Himself], or in His Son, who is the brightness of His glory. (2) By enjoying and delighting in Himself, by flowing forth in infinite... delight towards Himself, or in his Holy Spirit."
"... So God glorifies Himself toward the creatures also in two ways: (1) By appearing to... their understanding. (2) In communicating Himself to their hearts, and in their rejoicing and delighting in, and enjoying, the manifestations which He makes of Himself... God is glorified not only by His glory's being seen, but by its being rejoiced in. When those that see it delight in it, God is more glorified than if they only see it. His glory is then received by the whole soul, both by the understanding and by the heart."
Edwards is saying that, just as Jesus exists as God's idea of Himself, God chooses to be glorified by revealing himself to us as the Divine idea, to be seen and understood. Just as the Holy Spirit exists as God's Divine love to Himself, God is glorified when our hearts experience this love for God. We are out of balance with reality and God's design when we leave one of these out, love for God without knowledge of God, or knowledge of God without love.
Edwards concludes, "God made the world that He might communicate, and the creature receive, His glory; and that it might [be] received both by the mind and heart. He that testifies his idea of God's glory [doesn't] glorify God so much as he that testifies his approbation of it and delight in it." God created us for his glory. God wants us to see his glory, but he doesn't want it to stop at that; he wants us to delight in it! Piper writes, "The apex of glorifying God is enjoying him with the heart. But this is an empty emotionalism where that joy is not awakened and sustained by true views of God for who he really is. That is mainly what the mind is for."
Friends, our God is a thinking, loving God. Created in his image, we are created to be thinking, loving people. If we are made for God's glory, we are not made simply to see it, but to delight in it. God wants our hearts, but not at the expense of our minds, and our minds are actually meant to serve our loving. That is my quick summary of all that has gone before. This is probably about as difficult an entry as you will get from me. I surely hope I have not propagated or created some strange heresy about the Trinity. If I have contradicted Scripture, please forget what I have said (and let me know that I might correct it). If what I have said makes no sense to you, I am confident you will forget what I have said pretty much straightaway.
Until next time, soli Deo gloria!
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