One God in Three Persons

Unity of Essence, Distinction of Persons, Implications for Life

Edited by

BRUCE A. WARE AND JOHN STARKE

wheaton, illinois

One God in Three Persons: Unity of Essence, Distinction of Persons, Implications for Life

Copyright © 2015 by Bruce A. Ware and John B. Starke

Published by Crossway

1300 Crescent Street

Wheaton, Illinois 60187

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher, except as provided for by USA copyright law.

Cover design: Dual Identity, inc.

First printing 2015

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked KJV are from the King James Version of the Bible.

Scripture references marked NIV are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture references marked NRSV are from The New Revised Standard Version. Copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. Published by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A.

All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added by the authors.

Trade paperback ISBN: 978-1-4335-2842-2

ePub ISBN: 978-1-4335-2845-3

PDF ISBN: 978-1-4335-2843-9

Mobipocket ISBN: 978-1-4335-2844-6

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

One God in three persons: unity of essence, distinction of persons, implications for life / edited by Bruce A. Ware and John Starke.

pages cm

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-1-4335-2842-2 (tp)

1. Trinity. I. Ware, Bruce A., 1953– II. Starke, John, 1981–

BT111.3.O54 2015

231'.044—dc23

2014034078

Crossway is a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

To our wives

Jodi

who is my (Bruce’s) faithful companion

in life and ministry

Jena

who supports me (John) in my weaknesses

and encourages me to pray

Contents

Abbreviations

Preface

1 Doctrinal Deviations in Evangelical-Feminist Arguments about the Trinity

wayne grudem

2 “I Always Do What Pleases Him”

The Father and Son in the Gospel of John

christopher w. cowan

3 God Is the Head of Christ

Does 1 Corinthians 11:3 Ground Gender Complementarity in the Immanent Trinity?

kyle claunch

4 “That God May Be All in All”

The Trinity in 1 Corinthians 15

james m. hamilton jr.

5 Eternal Generation in the Church Fathers

robert letham

6 True Sonship—Where Dignity and Submission Meet

A Fourth-Century Discussion

michael j. ovey

7 Augustine and His Interpreters

john starke

8 “To Devote Ourselves to the Blessed Trinity”

Eighteenth-Century Particular ...