EACH PERSON OF THE TRINITY HAS A BODY

by Robert Brow (www.brow.on.ca) Aurora, Ontario, April 2008



It is impossible to hear, talk, think, walk, love, or react to others
in any way without some kind of a body.

That is why the three Persons of the TRINITY are not disembodied
spirits. When the Father loves us, watches over us, comforts us, he
uses his heavenly eyes and ears, lips and arms. Metaphorically he runs
to welcome the prodigal home. That does not mean he has physical legs
like ours, but it does mean he rejoices when we turn to him.

The Son of God who appeared and conversed with Abraham, Hagar, Moses,
the prophets and psalm writers, could only do that through a body. And
when the Holy Spirit inspires, empowers, gives wisdom, imparts gifts,
speaks to us through others, he has the spiritual body to do that (as
is pictured in Proverbs 8:1-31). The Holy Spirit can also be resisted
and grieved (Acts 7:51, Ephesians 4:30).

That is why the Cappadocian Fathers pictured a dance of three eternal
Persons who loved, and shared, and rejoiced together. The three
Persons decided together to make us in their image (note the plural in
Genesis 1:26, 28). And they decided together that the eternal Son of
God would use a human body to live among us for thirty years
(Philippians 2:5-8). When he was crucified, the Holy Spirit gave him a
resurrection body, and we will receive the same kind of resurrection
body (Romans 8:11). That body is obviously not organized by the flesh
and blood of organic chemistry.

 
 
 Robert Brow
 browr@brow.on.ca
 www.brow.on.ca
 

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