Trinity, Processions, and Missions: Gaining Clarity in the Current Debate

The evangelical Internet is abuzz with discussion about ad intra relations within the Trinity. Bruce Ware and Wayne Grudem have been recognized as presenting forms of Eternal Functional Subordination (EFS) of the Son to the Father in their respective books, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit: Relationships, Roles, and Relevance (Crossway) and Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine (Zondervan). Owen Strachan and his co-author Gavin Peacock hold to what they term Eternal Relations of Authority and Submission (ERAS) in their book, The Grand Design (Crossway). In this episode, we address the current controversy by looking at the eternal relationship among the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. These three persons are one God. They are related by an irreversible taxis: the Father is unbegotten, the Son is begotten of the Father, and the Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son. Theologians often call this the immanent or ontological Trinity. These three persons are equal in power and glory, yet their essential relationship entails no relationship of authority, subordination, or submission. Nonetheless, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit freely will to create, and eventually to redeem, a people unto himself. This free, yet still eternal agreement, is known as the pactum salutis or Covenant of Redemption. After listening to this discussion, please consider two previous episodes of Christ the Center that deal with similar issues: Christ the Center episode 245, Eternal Generation of the Son Christ the Center episode 295, The Aseity of the Son