Father, Son and Spirit: The Trinity And John'S Gospel

New Studies in Biblical Theology #24

by Andreas J. Köstenberger

"While there have been recent, fine studies on aspects of John's doctrine of God, it is surprising that none summarizes and synthesizes what John has to say about God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In order to fill this gap, Kostenberger and Swain offer a fresh examination of John's trinitarian vision." "Part One situates John's trinitarian teaching within the context of Second Temple Jewish monotheism. Part Two examines the Gospel narrative in order to trace the characterization of God as Father, Son and Spirit, followed by a brief synthesis. Part Three deals more fully with major trinitarian themes in the Fourth Gospel, including its account of Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, and mission. A final chapter discusses the significance of John's Gospel for the church's doctrine of the Trinity, and a brief conclusion summarizes some practical implications." For those who want to know what they ought to believe ... out of God's self-disclosure in Scripture, this book will be a stimulating delight' (D. A. Carson).

Genres: Theology, Biblical Studies, Christian, New Testament, Nonfiction

224 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2008

Reviews

[Rachel Winkler · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really excellent and edifying book on the Trinity as John presents it in his gospel. The first chapter explains Jewish monotheism and how trinitarianism as presented by John doesn’t actually contradict it, but nevertheless is unexpected and surprising to Jesus’ Jewish audience.

The second part of the book is a survey of all the usages of “God,” “Father,” “Son,” and “Spirit” throughout the book of John and demonstrates how the various phrases including these words show us what God is like as Father, Son, and Spirit. I thought Kostenberger and Swain did a really good job here of making appropriate nature/person distinctions.

The third part of the book was my favorite, as it was more exploring the implications of the Triune God and His mission, initiated by the Father, accomplished through the work of the Son, by the power of the Holy Spirit. The implications of John’s trinitarian mission theology for the church were especially helpful and convicting.

[Parker · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid demonstration of the fact that BT and ST aren't competitors but companions. Also a solid argument for the missiological nature of John's trinitarianism. The language about the Son's obedience as Son wasn't exactly EFS (in fact it isn't), but it didn't sit well with me.

[Dustin Sutherland · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fairly dense book though reveals great riches as you put in effort to understand. A very helpful read to better understand the Trinity in John’s writings.

[Samuel G. Parkison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb. This book is interdisciplinary collaboration at its best; NT scholarship and Systematic Theology working as God intends: in unity. The big idea: John’s trinitarianism is manifested in his theology of mission: the Father sends the Son by the power of the Spirit. In turn, the church’s mission is fundamentally trinitarian: the Son ascends to the Father and sends the Spirit to empower his people to continue this Triune mission that was planned out from eternity past and initiated when the Word became flash. The church’s unity is therefore fundamentally a reflection of the Trinity’s, and the church’s missional invitation is nothing less than an invitation to be swallowed up into the Trinity’s love: the love that the Father, Son, and Spirit have been enjoying for all eternity. Breathtaking.

[Alex McEwen · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s no secret that I adore this series. This series boasts several volumes that have been paradigm shifting for my entire theological framework. And this short volume stands as a giant among giants.

If I have any qualms with the NSBT series, it is that many of the volumes spend significant portions of their respective areas covering ground that is covered in other volumes. Kostenberger and Swain’s work here had no such problem. I appreciated that they presented their work diligently and directly. It was clear the volume was well edited.

I appreciated how accessible the content was. This work would be readily attainable and beneficial for most lay people. I also enjoyed that the authors showed a historic understanding of the Trinity in the gospel of John, and yet directly addressed contemporary controversy in trinitarian studies. Furthermore, I enjoyed how devotional the text was. The work not only seeks to study the Trinity but to strengthen our relationship with Father, Son, and Spirit.

This may be my top theological read of the year. A true delight.

[JonM · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a superb book. It is very well organized and easy to read. The apostle John loaded his gospel with helpful literary insights and allusions to the unity and plurality of God, which would have been familiar to first century Jews and proselytes to Judaism. This book helps draw out all of those literary insights and allusions. There are also a good number of important translational insights. And to top it all off, there is an entire section devoted to the theology of evangelism & mission derived from John's gospel.

[Garrett Wilmes · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent walkthrough of John’s presentation of the Trinity in his Gospel. With the guidance of the Spirit, the Church has developed language to discuss the nature of the Trinity; however, it can be difficult to wade through the historical significance of the terms that the Church has adopted and where the connecting points are in the scriptures. Köstenberger connects these points and demonstrates the way John’s Gospel presents the Trinity as Father, Son, and Spirit, united in one essence, distinct in person, all in John’s own way of expressing these ideas. I also enjoyed how the book ends with the implications of the Trinity in relation to the Churches presentation of the Gospel and its mission.

[Steven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anyone studying the Gospel of John or the Trinity ought to add this book to their pile. John has always been at the forefront in the church's discussion on the Trinity, and this book does an excellent job of drawing out the themes and ideas of John's teaching of God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This book will also serve as a fine example of how biblical and exegetical studies ought to work in concert with systemic theological studies. One final comment: Chapter 9 is one of the finest pieces I've read on the relation of Trinity to the church's mission.
P.S. The picture is incorrect. What is listed is the book I read.

[Reagan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not only is this an excellent study of a biblical theology of the Trinity in the Gospel of John, but it is overall truly helpful in understanding the complex doctrine of the Trinity and other surrounding doctrines. I truly believe a biblical, rather than a systematic approach, is most helpful in understanding the doctrines of Scripture.

[Sean McGowan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very helpful while preaching through John.

[Aaron Battey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would have given this 5 stars halfway through the book, but the last two chapters dropped off. Unfortunately, because the book is co-authored, I'm afraid Scott Swain wrote the last two or three chapters and that decreased the helpfulness of that material. Kostenberger writes the first half of the book though, and he does a good job bringing out aspects of the Trinity in John's gospel. The nice thing about Kostenberger is that he uses a lot of scripture, in text and in footnotes. He brings out some helpful insights from texts I hadn't considered before. 1 Cor 8:4-5/6 he says echoes the Shema and places Christ in the the "one God" of that formula. The book maintains Jesus eternal sonship, and Kostenberger also teaches Eternal Functional Subordination l (differing levels of authority in the Trinity), so there are a couple of running themes that are important. There are also a lot of good inclusions pointed out from John's gospel. It's not the easiest book, so not for popular audiences, but I recommend all but the last two chapters or so.

[David Perde · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had high hopes for this book. It started off strong with a section dedicated to the context of John's writing the Gopsel. In said passage the authors also tackle the issue regarding the authorship of John's Gospel, contending for the traditional view that John the Apostle wrote the Gospel, contrary to Bauckham's thesis discussed in the book that John the Elder was the author.

After this the second section the book continues with an inventory list, more or less, of references to the use of θεός, Father, Son and Spirit, each having their own dedicated chapters, which I think was too much as these sections were only pinpointing said terminology and rephrasing for the most part the verses in order to explain the biblical passages.

The final section dedicated to theological reflections was somewhat unsatisfactory for several reasons. First, much of the material used here was often found in the second section as well, making it sometimes tiring to read the same information and arguments twice. Second, the section does not delve into the doctrine of the Trinity per se, instead a case is made that John's Christology is a trinitarian Christology, discussing Jesus' filial relation with the Father and his relation to the Spirit. Only the last chapter in my opinion properly discusses the issue regarding the ontological relation of the Trinity.

All in all, Kostenberger's and Swain's work on the Trinity as seen through John's lenses is noteworthy but a better approach could have been taken to examine in more detail this subject.

[Benedict Tan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Most impressive about this book is that the authors approach the Trinity in John's Gospel through two related discipline: biblical and systematic theology. Part 1 of the book adopts the former approach, examining how Father, Son and Holy Spirit are presented in John's gospel.

Part 1 pays more attention to the literary nature of John's Gospel, especially the words and methods used to speak about how they relate to each other. The authors highlighted important nuances without losing the big picture.

Part 2 is systematic in its approach, with (among others) a chapter on 'trinitarian Christology' and one on 'trinitarian mission theology.' I found the authors' treatment of mission in John illuminating, and how that should spur the mission of the church today. This may seem an erudite topic, but the authors are careful to show how our understanding of the trinity shapes the church. However, space did not permit them to delve deeper into that.

Overall, the scope of the book is too wide for a 200+ page book, but there is enough meat to get a serious reader thinking. The footnotes are extensive (meaning this book only explores the tip of the iceberg) and personally, I'd recommend not reading this book unless one has spent some time considering these questions.

[Ronnie Nichols · Rating 5 out of 5]

In The Father, Son and Spirit: The Trinity and John's Gospel, Andreas J. Kostenberger takes the reader into a detailed study through the Gospel of John expounding the triune nature of God as taught and expressed in the pages of Scripture. I would highly recommend this book for anyone who is seeking a greater understanding of the the will, works, and ways of God from the triune perspective. This would be a great recommendation for anyone you know who has trouble getting a grasp on the Trinity and would also be helpful for any of your family and friends who do not believe in or accept the Trinitarian nature of God (ie. JW's, Mormons, Muslims, Jews)

This is the third of thirty nine volumes I have read in the New Studies in Biblical Theology, edited by D.A. Carson, and I have not been at all disappointed with any of these works. I plan to read them all Lord willing. This series go in depth into many of the great aspects of sound and orthodox Reformed Theology. You won't go wrong investing in any of these books.

https://www.logos.com/product/144836/...

[Sean Brenon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t see how this can be anything other than 5 stars. It’s not the same kind of cultural discussion as Sanders’s Deep Things, but it is an example of traditional Trinitarianism by way of Bavinck and Augustine, to name two.

To put it in Sanders’ (or, perhaps, Polanyi) terms, this book is an example of how to expose the tacit resources at the Church’s disposal to reclaim a Trinitarian foundation for the ecclesiastical mission.

To be certain, it is sorely, sorely limited by confining itself to the Gospel of John (although, it often cheats and uses John’s Epistles). But even within the shackles of John, the authors glean so much. Brilliant work from all involved. This book sets a standard for this series that others just don’t and can’t reach.

[Nathan Webb · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book did a great job of noting when each person of the Trinity is mentioned in the gospel of John, but there wasn’t much of a “so what” aspect until the final four chapters. In these chapters, I found some rich application of John’s use of the Trinity and how the Trinity really displays the mission of God in the gospel of John through each person of the Trinity. It was a helpful read for building up my foundation of the doctrine of economic subordination within the Trinity and interesting to see how that affects the oversell gospel of John, but besides that I didn’t find much value in this book.

[Kevin Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best books I’ve ever read (just as the other NSBT volume I’ve read, Dominion and Dynasty, is another of the greatest books I’ve ever read). I learned so much about the Gospel of John and about trinitarian theology. I know my God much better than I did a week ago. I am amazed at who He is and how He accomplished what He accomplished. This book is supremely helpful in strengthening my understanding of Scripture and doctrine. Praise to the triune God for His gift, first and foremost, of John’s Gospel, and secondly, of brothers who help us to understand His Word.

[Adam Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

A helpful study of Trinitarian thought in John’s Gospel, highlighting the missional nature of John’s trinitarianism, and the trinitarian basis of Christian mission. I didn’t find this as engaging as other NSBT books, but this would be a valuable companion to studying the fourth gospel, showing the glory of Father, Son and Spirit in their eternal relations and united saving mission.

[Erica Schrader · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! Although a bit academic, it was easy to read, well-organized, and helpful as the authors walked the reader through the “fourth evangelist’s” trinitarianism that is developed throughout the Gospel. I certainly will not read the Gospel of John the same again!

[Andy Febrico Bintoro · Rating 4 out of 5]

The study of the portrayal of the Father, the Son and the Spirit in John’s Gospel has demonstrated that the three persons of the Godhead are involved in one great mission, the revelation of God to humanity and the redemption of humanity for God

[Brandon Whitaker · Rating 5 out of 5]

A solid study. Offers a good breakdown of John's references to the persons of the Trinity, and then offers some great commentary on major themes. It has definitely provoked further thought and study, and enriched my John-reading eyes.

[Jonathan Ginn · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5

A helpful interdisciplinary work that dealing with the Trinity in the Gospel of John. Certainly a rich read, albeit not the most compellingly written. You can tell this book was penned by two different authors—their prose styles are quite different.

[Nathan Douthit · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good, but I felt it avoided the contentious topic of eternal submission until the end, and then I felt made a fairly weak argument. Full disclosure, I disagree with the authors take.

[Craig Marshall · Rating 4 out of 5]

This gave a really helpful breakdown and analysis of how John speaks of the Trinity.

[Leo Elbourne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably more helpful as a reference book, although the essays in the latter half have moments of insightful excellence.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic. This is an example of the deep and necessary connection between biblical and dogmatic theology.

It is worth your time

[Kelvin Henrique · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nunca vi alguém falar tão bem do Espírito Santo.

[David Bruyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thorough, if sometimes a little pedantic.

[Jacob Villa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exegetical, theological, clear, and full of massive insights. Really something marvelous.

[Tucker Woodson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Will have to reread to grasp how I feel about it