1. Holy Trinity - 9 The Second Person God from God, Begotten not made…

2. Experience • You are made up of genes from your biological father and mother. One half of you is your father and one half is your mother. • Your biological mother and father are in turn made up from the genes of their biological mothers and fathers. • Therefore your father-one-half is his father’s one half and his mother’s half…or…your are one quarter of each of your grandparents, one eighth of your great grandparents… • Is it important to know your ancestors? Are you like them? They are hard wired into you. Will you become them?

4. Discussion & reflection: • How do you explain: “God from God?” • How do you explain: “Light from Light?” • How… “True God from True God?” • How… “Begotten, not made?” • How… “of one being with the Father?”

5. Discussion & reflection: • The divinity of Jesus is not exactly clearly stated in the Bible, but it is spread out in many places. Here are a few… • John 1:1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was in the beginning with God. • John 8:42Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but he sent me.

6. John 20:28Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!” • 1 Timothy 3:16Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory. • Colossians 2:9For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily,

7. Discussion & reflection: • Would you say that Jesus is like our Heavenly Father, kind of like a “little” Father? This would be a GnosticHeresy! • Ireneaus (2nd Century, France) God makes all things in measure and order, and with him nothing is without proportion. He was right who said that the immeasurable Father is measured in the Son for the Son is the measure of the Father, since he contains the Father.

8. Discussion & reflection: • Would you say that Creator, Redeemer and Sanctifier are just as good descriptions/names of God as Father, +Son and Holy Spirit? This would be a Modalistic/Monarchian Heresy. • What is your name? What if I called you Ludwig or Gertrude, would I correctly say your name? • If I called you lazy or disruptive or selfish or beautiful or smart or gentle is that really you?

9. Discussion & reflection: Light from light • What is someone tells you the Bible comes from the dim past and really doesn’t understand the complex lives we live now? • Clement of Rome (1st Century, Rome, 3rd Pope) We will ask with earnest prayer and supplication that the Creator of the universe may keep intact the specified number of his elect throughout the whole world, through his beloved servant Jesus Christ, through whom he called us from darkness to light, from ignorance to the knowledge of the glory of his name. Grant us Lord to hope on your name, which is the primal source of all creation, and open our hearts that we may know you…

10. Discussion & reflection: Light from light • What if someone tells you that people 2000 years ago in Israel not only lived differently from us, but thought differently and the Bible reflects their world, not ours? • Clement of Alexandria (c.150-215, Egypt) As the sun illumines not only the heavens and the whole world, shining on both land and sea, but also sends his rays through windows and small chinks in the furthest recesses of a house, so the Word, poured out everywhere, beholds the smallest actions of our life.

11. Discussion & reflection: True God • What if someone says to you that everyone is free to believe what they want? • Gregory of Nyssa (c.335-394, Turkey) But as he is Light of Light and Life of Life and Truth of Truth, so is he Lord of Lord, King of King, God of God, Supreme of Supreme; for having in himself the Father in his entirety, whatever the Father has in himself he also, assuredly, has…”For all that is mine is yours,” he says, “and yours is mine.” (John 17:10)

12. Discussion & reflection: Begotten not made • In the 1970 Rev. Sun Myong Moon claimed he was the second coming of Christ, come to complete what Jesus began. What would you say? • Athanasius of Alexandria (298-2 May 373, Egypt) It is right to call the Son the eternal offspring of the Father, for the substance of the Father was never imperfect so that what belonged to it might be added later. To beget in time is characteristic of humankind. For human nature is incomplete; God’s offspring is eternal for his nature is always perfect.

13. Discussion & reflection: Begotten not made • What if someone says this world is already condemned…we are going from bad to worse and no one, not even Jesus can save this world? • Cyril of Alexandria (c376-444, Egypt) And because he was God, indescribably made flesh, he knew only the good and was exempt from that depravity that belongs to humanity. And this too is an attribute of the supreme Substance, for that which is good by nature, firmly and unchangeably, belongs specially to it , and it only, for there is none good but one God, as the Savior has himself said. (Luke 18:19)

14. Written reflection Name: Date: • What was most important to you in today’s lesson?