Distinctives of The Fish Gate

Part 1: God, the Trinity

The beginning begins before time and before the creation. In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God (John 1:1). What does this mean? The Word was with God means more than in the vicinity of God. Present to God, face to face with God. Before anything else existed God the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit were eternally in community, love and intimacy toward one another.

Theologians have coined the term; perichoresis, which means to be entwined, engaged and interrelated in an essential and total sense i.e. at one (John 10:30). This is where all things begin and take their purpose. In creation we see the truth that man is created in the image of God (Gen. 1:26). This means that man is like God. That is God’s nature is in man. The question is what is essential about God’s nature?

The essential nature of God is love (1 John 4: 8). Not just has love, but is love. Consequently, God is always plural, relational and giving and receiving. Hence, when God creates man he creates them, male and female (Gen. 1:26-27). All righteousness and sin is defined in relational terms, even the law is summed up in the words of Jesus; “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind’. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments” (Matt 22: 37-40).

Everything is initiated by the Father, executed by the Son and applied in the Holy Spirit. Or, if you like, everything proceeds from the Father , through the Son by the Holy Spirit. Everything God does is in this way.

The Trinity is at the heart of all things from creation to end of history. We must know the source of our faith and the goal of our faith to live purposefully now.

Time does not allow for full examination of these things here suffice to say that our portion of the pie is the Lord (Gen:15:1), and his portion is us (Deut 32:9) and the end is this, God and man at table sat down (Revelation 21: 3-4, 22:4).