Mark

Perhaps i can have a crack at the ‘Trinity’- it is a very difficult doctrine none the less.

Father, Son and Spirit are all equally God but perform different functions. The Son is of the same ‘substance’ of the Father, but also subordinate to Him. The problem is people think ‘subordinate’ means ‘lesser being’, which is not true because we know that Jesus and the Father are one in substance. Jesus did indeed humble himself to be led like a lamb to be slaughtered because the Father ‘sent’ Him, although he was obedient because he is equally God. On the night before he was crucified, Jesus was pained with anguish because of what was before him, then he prayed (Mt 26:39) not my will but yours. Jesus was subordinate to the Fathers will, but was obedient because he was part of the Triune God. Likewise the Father and the Son ‘sent’ the Spirit at Pentecost. This is the traditional, orthodox view of the Trinity expressed throughout Church history.

The OT is a more difficult question obviously because the revelation of God the Son had not come in salvation history. When understanding the doctrine of the Trinity the bible as a whole must be envisaged. The primary theology for the Trinity is in the NT. It is clear to see the Trinity in the OT, but i think it is probably impossible to show His subordiantion there because the Jewish writers would not have had a full understanding of the Triune God.(feel free to show me wrong) Indeed it even took several hundred years AFTER Chirst for this doctrine to be understood.

Perhaps someone could outline how the Father is the ‘source’ of the son more clearly.