The Theological Big Bang

ABSTRACT: In this essay, I hope to explicate the idea of the Economic Trinity. This is the idea that the triune God ACTS in our everyday lives in triune ways, and likewise has acted in such a way in the history of humanity on this planet, and in all history that has occured since the creation of the Universe.

If we take a look at our lives, one thing we can look at is the the whole born again process that we have been through. Think about the life you led prior to Christ. Prior to knowing Christ, who were you most aware of ? Ans: God. No ? Once you learned about your sin nature, and repented of your sins, and gave up your life, who were you most aware of ? Who did you have a meeting with ?

And once you were in Christ, what kind of a life did you live ? A life in the Spirit. No ?

Now lets look at the Bible. In the Old Testament, which person of the Trinity, do we see dealing with the Israelites most prominently ? Really, as we read the OT, who do we notice most easily ? In Jeremiah, Habbakuk, Isaiah and so on. Who is referred as the God of Abraham, Isaiah and Jacob ? The Holy Spirit ? No. Jesus Christ ? - I think not. I dont think his name is even known in the OT. So who ? God.

Moving on to the New Testament, who is it that we start the NT off with ? Jesus Christ, no ? And what happens after Jesus Christ. Well the Church moves on, but something special happens on Pentecoste. On Pentecoste, the Comforter arrives - in a big way. This is the Holy Spirit. On Pentecoste and onwards we see the Holy Spirit poured out upon humanity in a way, that has thus far been unprecedented in the History of human civilisation.

Do you see a pattern here ? Yes. It seems as though there are stages in which the Persons of the Trinity seem to be acting. Strictly speaking, this is not true, because all three members of the Trinity, are involved in all of the acts of God simultaneaously. We - puny - humans can only see one thing at a time. This is most explicit in Jesus' baptism. The Spirit descends. The Father speaks out loudly "This is my Son, in whom I am well pleased." The Son is baptised.

Anyway, understanding the above is a good way to start understanding the Economic or Extrinsic Trinity. There is a much much more to this, and I quite frankly do not understand it all very well right now.

Moving on: Previously in our essay on the Intrinsic Trinity, we discussed God-in-himself, sans - without creation. God here was existing timelessly, and the persons of the Godhead were in communication, one with another. The creation had not yet come about. Here, now we are looking at something different. Here, now we move on, - on from a state, where neither space nor time exists, to the first moment of creation.

According to our understanding of Physics, the Universe began with a Big Bang. What happened during the first moment of time, the first moment of time, which coincided with the first moment of creation ? History began. History in time anyways. With the beginning of history, we have the another bang also. A Theological Big Bang. The Economic Trinity is now present. God enters space and time, and you could say history.

Whats to happen soon ? Pretty soon, mankind will be created, and will fall, and the first missionary will make a trip. A trip to a group of people who could care less for him.

"The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness did not understand it."

Its all a description of the Economic Trinity. When we describe the acts of the persons of the Trinity, in our lives, we are describe God-with-us. When we see the members of the Godhead laboring to bring to the faith, peoples from Africa, China and Polynesia, what we see is the economical works of the Trinity. When we see the Godhead at work in society, community, and culture, what we see are the Acts Ad Extra.

Ciao 4 now !

- A. Raj Rao

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