“Simply Trinity” by Dr. Matthew Barrett is broken into two parts. In the first part, Dr. Barrett describes something he calls “Trinity drift”. Here he describes a drift from a historical and orthodox understanding of the Trinity to modern and novel views of the Trinity. The Trinity has been manipulated and made in our own image. After discussing the manipulated Trinity, Dr. Barrett calls us back to the unmanipulated Trinity in part two. This is where he spends most of his time. He takes us back to the historical and orthodox view of the Trinity.
This book describes very important and key theological terms. Terms like: person, essence, the doctrine of simplicity, ad extra, ad intra, eternal generation, and eternal relations of origin. We are greatly helped if we grasp the meaning of these words.
Dr. Barrett not only explains key Trinitarian words but takes us back to the Bible and history. What do the Old and New Testaments have to say about the Trinity? What did the early church have to say about the Trinity? We are not left in isolation when it comes to understanding the Trinity. We stand on the shoulders of giants. These giants help guide us into the truths of the Bible. Truths about the Trinity.
So, in one book Dr. Barrett shows us erroneous views of the Trinity and shows us the pathway to a historical and orthodox understanding of the Trinity that is built on the foundations of the Bible.
This book is accessible and at times requires more focus. But seeking to mine the truths of the Trinity is immensely rewarding. It helps us prepare to give a defense of the hope that we have. It helps us as we sing, pray, and worship, our Triune God. We have copies of this book in the bookstall here at Trinity if you are interested.
In addition, Pastor Malachi will be leading us through a five-week study on this very topic starting 10/17 at 9:15 am. You will benefit greatly if you can attend this class. Learning and reminding ourselves about our Triune God is such a joy. We hope to see you there.