Linked Together: The Trinity

Two posts for you weekend reading.

In “Let Us”
Is “let us” in Genesis 1:26 a reference to the Trinity even though the author and the first readers probably didn’t understand it this way? Tom Schreiner says yes and explains why (Justin Taylor).

In “I Am” (and More)
A primer on eternal Sonship with four scriptural proofs (Kevin DeYoung). 

Without the eternality of the Son, we do not have a Christ who can fully save because we do not have a Christ who shares in all the attributes of deity. Without eternal Sonship, we cannot affirm that the Father has always been the Father. And if the Father has not always been in communion with the Son, then love cannot be eternal, for the Father would have had to create another being in order to give and receive love. Likewise, it is only with eternal Sonship that the economic Trinity (that which we see about God in the unfolding of redemptive history) corresponds to any real ultimate truth about God. The God who is must be the God who always was.

When I get time, I’ll add a link to this piece on the theological term page for eternal Sonship. (I see that I need to tweek the definition, too.)

Linked Together: Think Local

For your weekend reading, two posts with a similar theme.

Where You Are Standing
“Christian woman, look where you are standing. Is there someone who needs you? Is there a way you can contribute to your local church? Is there a gift you are not using there, but you’ll use it elsewhere?  … The strength of the church world wide begins with the strength of each individual church, whether in a big city, or a small town like mine.” —Kim Shay in Look Where You Are Standing

Where You Are Planted
“God has   uniquely created each of us  for His own purposes.   I hope you’re  content with   where  He has put  you.    Christian women should be  finding  joy  and  purpose   by  simply  walking with Christ  in every day life.

“As the old saying goes,  ‘Bloom where you’re planted!.’” —Diane Bucknell in The Everyday Christian Woman

Linked Together: Double Imputation

From the Epistle to Diognetus
Michael Kruger quotes from an early Christian author to show that some of the earliest Christians affirmed substitutionary atonement and the imputation of Christ’s righteousness. He concludes: 

[T]he Epistle to Diognetus shows that the doctrine of the substitutionary atonement, and also the imputation of Christ’s righteousness, are not late inventions, but were present very early in the history of Christianity. Did some Christian groups hold other views of such matters?  Sure.  But, the continuity between the teachings of this epistle, and the writings of Paul himself (see especially Romans 5), make it evident that the substitutionary atonement/imputation view goes back very early indeed.

Read the post.

From Berkhof’s Systematic Theology
Both the active and passive obedience of Christ are necessary if sinners are to have eternal life (The Reformed Reader).