The Biblical Doctrine of the Trinity

by B.B. Warfield

Benjamin Breckinridge Warfield (November 5, 1851 – February 16, 1921) was professor of theology at Princeton Seminary from 1887 to 1921. Some conservative Presbyterians consider him to be the last of the great Princeton theologians before the split in 1929 that formed Westminster Seminary and the Orthodox Presbyterian Church.

Genres: Theology, Christianity, Christian

34 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 12, 2010

About the author

Benjamin Breckinridge Warfield (usually known as B. B. Warfield) was professor of theology at Princeton Seminary from 1887 to 1921. Some conservative Presbyterians consider him to be the last of the great Princeton theologians before the split in 1929 that formed Westminster Seminary and the Orthodox Presbyterian Church.

(Wikipedia)

Reviews

[Aaron Irlbacher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book! Warfield barrows from St Augustine when he wrote, "the heart of man was restless until it found its rest in the Triune God, the author, procurer, and applier of salvation." Warfield assessed Trinitarianism as the theological centerpiece of the early church fathers because Christian salvation can only be rightly understood as a Trinitarian work.

[Taylor Rollo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Warfield is helpful on explaining the place, background, and biblical proof o the trinity. However, he is not so good on the ontological relationship between the persons. He is trying so hard to avoid subordinationism (a good thing to avoid) that he denies any ontological order of persons.

Scott Swain has a good critique of the article: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/th...

[Nathan]

wonderful short treatment of the trinity.

Rough list of topics covered:
- trinity and natural reason
- trinity in the OT
- trinity in the NT
- trinity and redemption
- trinity and gospels (birth, baptism, teaching)
- trinity and John
- trinity and Matt 28
- trinity and paul
- trinity and other nt authors
- trinity and subordination of son/spirit
- history of trinitarian thought in the church (monarchianism, sabellian, arianism, nicene, athanasian, calvin)


Helpful thoughts
- “...the doctrine of the Trinity is a purely revealed doctrine” (ie not discovered by natural reason). traces various attempts to get to the trinity through natural reason (evidence of triads in world religions, God as self-conscious thought, the nature of love) but ultimately concludes that such reasoning doesn't get us to the Trinity, but still has value post-revelation (e.g., showing the self-consistency of the doctrine)
- "Difficult as the Trinity in itself is, it does not come to us as an added burden upon our intelligence; it brings us rather the solution of the deepest and most persistent difficulties in our conception of God as infinite moral Being, and illuminates, enriches, and elevates all our thought of God"
- Helpful OT examples (plural pronouns, plural verbs, repetitions of name of God, threefold liturgical formulas (num 6:24/is 6:3), etc; then the classic quote "The Old Testament may be likened to a chamber richly furnished but dimly lighted; the introduction of light brings into it nothing which was not in it before; but it brings out into clearer bview much of what is in it but was only dimly or even not at all perceived before"
- "What becomes patent in the New Testament was latent in the Old Testament"
- In the NT, while not many direct doctrinal statements on the Trinity, it pervades the entirety of the text and undergirds all their thinking and worship: "...all its teaching is built on the assumption of the Trinity... [the Trinity] is not so much inculcated as presupposed. The doctrine of the Trinity does not appear in the NT in the making, but as already made"
- Closely ties the revelation of the trinity to the accomplishment of redemption
- Warfield helpfully rejects subordination in modes of subsistence, but provides a qualified acceptance of subordination in modes of operation

[Matt Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

An extremely helpful and clear booklet on the doctrine of the Trinity.

In only 30 pages, or so, B. B. Warfield summarises the doctrine of the Trinity as a Biblical doctrine, over and against the philosophical and analogical musings of some, and shows its transmission as uniquely through revelation, and is naturally indiscoverable.

Warfield looks at the 'hints' of the Trinity and then moves to more explicit pronouncements in John's Gosepl, the synoptics (particularly looking at Matt. 28:19 as its proof three Persons sharing the Divine Name), as well as the corpus of Pauline literature, and also the general epistles.

Warfield makes some sublime observations that really do assist with ones concept of the Trinity in Scripture.

For example, he provides as explanation as the why the Lord Jesus often uses the terms "Father", "Son", and "Spirit", whereas Paul uses there terms "God", "Lord Jesus Christ", and "Spirit", respectively, showing that the Trinity was being expressed in its relation to the author, in the case of Paul, and to each other, in the case of Jesus (who is, of course, a member of the Godhead and so speaks as One in the Godhead).

A concise text, it is absolutely necessary to look at his cited verses alongside the main text to fully grasp the points he is making. An extremely good resource for understanding the Trinity in the Scriptures.

[Ronnie Nichols · Rating 4 out of 5]

Almost every book that I have read on the Doctrine of the Trinity finds this little booklet at the top of it's referenced sources and for good reason. Dr. Warfield gives a clear and well though out exposition on the doctrine of the Trinity. You will find plenty of sound Scriptural references proving the Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost and their one being in three persons. For a Kindle price of 99 cents I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a handy and accessible resource on one of the most misunderstood doctrines of the Christian faith.

[Thomas WERNHER · Rating 4 out of 5]

Warfield va développer le sujet de la trinité d'une manière concise et claire. La lecture n'est pas forcément très simple. Cependant, le livre étant orienté sur une approche plus pratique que théorique, cela la rend plus aisée. C'est un bon livre pour apprendre à se familiariser avec la trinité. Mais il répond plus à une approche globale qu'à des sujets plus pointus comme la périchorèse, la simplicité divine, etc.

[Blake Reas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Still one of the best treatments of the Trinity.

[Mark Mcconnell · Rating 5 out of 5]

By "the doctrine of the Trinity" is usually meant, the traditional formulations such as those that were settled upon by the great church councils of Nicea or Chalcedon, etc. These formulations are not the subject of this book. Instead, Warfield assays the Bible, to show the triune God revealed in it, throughout: not by terminology or expressions of abstract thought, but by God's concrete, living acts and in the prayers and praise of God's people, as recorded in Scripture. If you had been reading or reciting the creeds without their biblical meaning in mind, this book will make you more conscious of the living reality that they symbolize. .

My version is a Kindle book, which was very poorly formatted, with many careless typographical errors.