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What is the doctrine of the Trinity—and what does Scripture actually teach about it?

Before responding to anti-Trinitarian arguments, we need to establish what historic Trinitarian Christianity actually confesses. In this episode of Weighed in the Balance, Jonathan lays the groundwork for next week's examination of an anti-Trinitarian presentation by walking through the biblical and historical foundations of the doctrine of the Trinity.

We begin with the foundational confession that there is one God, while also examining the biblical teaching that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinct divine persons. We then consider how the New Testament develops the Old Testament revelation, particularly through the Shema and Paul's statement in 1 Corinthians 8:6.

We also examine Daniel 7 and the figure of the Son of Man, considering how the passage presents a figure who is truly human yet exercises divine prerogatives and receives the kingdom of God.

Finally, we consider the importance of remembering that Jesus Christ is both truly God and truly man. The Chalcedonian Definition and Athanasian Creed provide helpful historical guardrails for understanding Christ's two natures and the Christian confession of one God in Trinity.

This episode is intended to provide the necessary background for next week's episode, where we will examine anti-Trinitarian objections and consider how a Trinitarian should respond.

If you find the episode helpful, please like the video, leave a comment, and subscribe to the channel. Those things genuinely help a small channel like this reach more people.

Come back next week as we evaluate anti-Trinitarian objections.

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Cameron Bertuzzi argues that if Protestants accept the New Testament canon, they must also accept the authority claims of the Roman Catholic Church. In this second installment, I examine that claim by looking more closely at the historical evidence.

We discuss:

• The councils of Hippo and Carthage
• Whether Rome "gave" us the New Testament canon
• Athanasius and the Old Testament canon
• The perpetual virginity of Mary
• Confession and absolution
• Priestly celibacy
• Infant baptism
• Rome as a court of appeal
• Why historical context matters when reading the Church Fathers

My argument is simple: many of the historical facts Cameron presents are true in isolation, but they are interpreted through a Roman Catholic framework that the evidence itself does not require.

If you're interested in church history, the canon of Scripture, Protestantism, Roman Catholicism, or the Church Fathers, I hope this discussion is helpful.

If you enjoyed the episode, please like the video, subscribe, and join the discussion in the comments. I'd especially like to hear what early church evidence you believe presents the strongest challenge to Protestantism.

Listen to the full audio podcast wherever you get your podcasts.

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For the third week, we're still asking what the doctrine of the perspicuity (clarity) of Scripture isn't.

That may sound tedious, but Turretin is doing exactly what a careful theologian should do: defining his terms before answering objections.

In this episode we finish the final two qualifications:

• Does Scripture have to be equally clear everywhere?
• Does the doctrine of Scripture's clarity eliminate pastors, preaching, study, prayer, or the ministry of the Holy Spirit?

Along the way we examine Augustine, 1 Peter 3, and why difficult passages do not undermine the Protestant doctrine of Scripture's perspicuity.

If you've wondered whether Protestants believe the Bible is "easy" or that Christians don't need teachers, this episode answers those misconceptions.

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