We struggle with the inter-Trinitarian relations, in other words, how the persons of the Trinity relate to each other within the Godhead. How can the Spirit proceed from the Father and the Son, while the Son does not proceed from the Father, but is begotten, and both remain fully and completely divine? In other words, if the Spirit is not also a Son in relation to the Father, can He be said to be lesser than Christ who is the Son? If Christ is God and is also Son, then would it not be necessary for all three persons to be "Son," so as to be co-equal? Yikes! This is getting deep!

 

Gregory of Nazianzus responded to exactly this objection, which arose from the Eunomians of his time. These problems must be considered again (and should be in every generation), especially because of the challenge we face in evangelizing Muslims. Their views of the holy Trinity are very much like the views of Christian heretics of the early church. And perhaps the aberrant views of the Trinity in Islam arose from the contact with Christian heretics separated from the church. Arius and his many followers lay the theological groundwork for Islam. Ah, so studying church history is valuable after all! Again: there is nothing new under the sun ( Eccl 1:9).

 

Let us consider the differences in internal relations among the persons of the holy Trinity. The Son is Son because He is begotten of His Father and the Father is the one who begets and is for that reason Father. The Father is not the Son. The Son is not the Father. Is the Son deficient because He is not the Father and does not beget, but is begotten? Is the Father deficient because He is not the Son and is not begotten, but begets? Let us consider the case of human generation. Who would argue that a person who is not a son to him is any less fully, completely and equally human? The point is that differences in relation do not imply deficiency in essence, or an inequality of essence.

 

This is why in Western societies we would give equal protection under the law to those who are incapable of generating children because of a serious developmental handicap. Such persons, although they will never be fathers, are fully and completely human and are fully and completely sons of their fathers. The same could be said of those who are capable of being fathers, but choose to be celibate for the sake of the kingdom. They are no less human for that choice, despite the fact that the liberal purveyors of the sexual identity trade would call this into question. Thus we would conclude differences in relation do not require differences in essence. The Spirit is no less fully God because He is not the Son of the Father, but rather proceeds from the Father and the Son.