Understanding trinitarian grammar.

A brief word on prosopological and partitive exegesis.

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In R. Lucas Stamps’s entry on “The Trinity” in Historical Theology for the Church, he concludes by briefly reviewing two methods of early trinitarian exegesis that laid the groundwork for the development of trinitarian doctrine. The first of these methods is called prosopological exegesis, which is an interpretive framework that pays strict attention to the speaker and/or the individual being considered in a given biblical text. Jesus himself makes use of this exegetical method when he highlights the ambiguity of the identity of “The Lord” in Psalm 110:1 (cf. Matt. 22:41–45). According to the prosopological exegete, this text is understood to be a trinitarian conversation between God the Father and God the Son through the human vehicle of the psalmist David.

Partitive exegesis, however, is an interpretive discipline that seeks to discern a particular biblical text’s reference to the Son of God versus the incarnate Son of God. For example, partitioning a passage such as 1 Corinthians 11:3 in this manner would allow the theologian to understand the apparent subordination of Christ to the Father as a reference to his incarnate humanity while still maintaining the Son of God’s co-equality with the Father. This, to be sure, is not meant to bifurcate the natures of Christ. Rather, this discipline is meant to instill in the church an awareness of the Trinity and trinitarian language throughout Scripture.

The merits of both of these exegetical methods were realized as the Doctrine of the Trinity developed in the wake of challenges and controversies that badgered the early church during the first few centuries following Christ’s ascension. As the apostles entrusted their teachings to successive pastors and theologians, the demand for formulated expressions of doctrine became increasingly apparent. Thus as Justin Martyr, Tertullian, and Augustine, among many others, rode the waves of hostility and confusion surrounding the persons of the Trinity, they were able to articulate biblical truth by harnessing the trinitarian grammar already present in the pages of Scripture. “The truest and most ultimate meaning of the texts in question,” writes R. Lucas Stamps, “can only be understood when they are understood as utterances of the divine persons” (63). Accordingly, the Old and New Testaments are recognized as a unified witness to the divine persons responsible for making the gift of salvation possible and available to all who would believe — namely, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Grace and peace.

Works cited:

R. Lucas Stamps, “The Trinity,” Historical Theology for the Church, edited by Jason G. Duesing and Nathan A. Finn (Nashville, TN: B&H Academic, 2021).