Journal: Journal for Biblical Manhood and Womanhood
Volume: JBMW 14:1 (Spring 2009)
Article: Beholding The Wonder Of The Trinity
Author: Micah Daniel Carter

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JBMW 14:1 (Spring 2009) p. 78

Beholding The Wonder Of The Trinity

A Review of Bruce A. Ware, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit: Relationship, Roles, and Relevance.
Wheaton: Crossway, 2005.

Micah Daniel Carter

Pastor, Mackville Baptist Church

Mackville, Kentucky

Those who read Bruce Ware’s writings have come to expect what the very best in evangelical scholarship on the doctrine of God has to offer: sound biblical interpretation, compelling argumentation, theological clarity, historical awareness, practical application, strong convictions and conclusions—and these with a passionate but pastoral tone. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit does not dis­appoint such expectation. Ware’s contributions on various aspects of the doctrine of God include an incisive critique of Open Theism in God’s Lesser Glory (2000) and a constructive proposal of God’s providence in God’s Greater Glory (2004). In Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Ware invites his readers to behold the wonder of the Trinity, especially in terms of the relationships the members share with each other, the roles that each member fulfills, and the relevance of trinitarian doctrine for human relationships.

The book is comprised of six chapters, including an introductory discussion of the importance of trinitarian doctrine in chapter 1, a historical overview of the development of trinitarian doctrine in chapter 2, an exposition of the Trinity in chapters 3-5, and a closing consideration of the practical relevance of trinitarian doctrine for the home and the church in chapter 6.

Setting the foundation for what follows in the book, Ware rhetorically asks,

Would God have chosen to reveal himself to us as the God who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, unless he knew that this would be important to our understanding of him and of our faith? Must it not be the case that God cares greatly that we ‘get it,’ that we see him for who he is? And must it not matter to our own lives whether or not we understand him as the triune God that he is? (13).

These questions demand our affirmation that since God has revealed himself as Father, Son, and Spirit, it is not only our duty to understand who he is but also our joy to behold the mystery and the majesty of our triune God. So, Ware’s purpose is “to examine especially the ways in which the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit relate to one another, how they relate to us, and what difference this makes in our lives” (14-15).

Chapter 2 offers a brief historical overview of trinitarian formulation. Ware notes that the development of trinitarian doctrine is based on both scriptural monotheism (24-28) and scriptural trinitarianism (29-35). That is, the b...

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