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The Shema and the Doctrine of the Trinity

Jack Kettler

Introduction

The declaration in Deuteronomy 6:4, “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one,” known as the Shema, stands as a foundational affirmation of biblical monotheism within the Jewish and Christian traditions. This verse encapsulates the uncompromising monotheistic faith of Israel, asserting the unity and uniqueness of YHWH (Yahweh) as the one true God. For Christian theology, the Shema provides a critical point of departure for articulating the doctrine of the Trinity, which affirms that the one God exists eternally as three distinct Persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—while maintaining the indivisible unity of the divine essence. This chapter explores the theological implications of Deuteronomy 6:4 in relation to the Christian doctrine of the Trinity and the deity of Christ, grounding the discussion in scriptural exegesis, historical theology, and epistemological considerations.

Epistemological Foundations

The doctrine of the Trinity, while rooted in divine revelation, engages complex epistemological questions concerning how humans apprehend divine truth. Christian theology traditionally distinguishes between three primary approaches to knowledge: empiricism, which privileges sensory experience; rationalism, which elevates human reason as the arbiter of truth; and scripturalism (or dogmatism), which posits that all true knowledge is derived from divine revelation, with Scripture as the ultimate authority. For Christians, the Bible serves as the presuppositional foundation for theological knowledge, providing the lens through which divine mysteries, such as the Trinity, are understood.

The incomprehensibility of God’s triune nature often prompts objections from those who demand full rational comprehension as a prerequisite for belief. However, the finite nature of human cognition limits the ability to grasp the infinite being of God exhaustively. Analogously, few fully understand the intricacies of the human brain, yet its reality is not rejected on account of partial comprehension. Similarly, the doctrine of the Trinity, though transcending human understanding, is affirmed on the basis of divine revelation rather than rationalist criteria. This approach does not imply irrationality but rather acknowledges the limitations of human reason in apprehending divine realities, prioritizing the authority of Scripture as articulated in Deuteronomy 6:4 and other passages.

The Shema: Deuteronomy 6:4

Deuteronomy 6:4, “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one,” employs the Hebrew terms YHWH (the covenant name of God) and echad (one), emphasizing the singular, unique, and indivisible nature of God. The term echad can denote both numerical oneness and a composite unity, as seen in contexts like Genesis 2:24, where man and woman become “one flesh.” Within the context of Israel’s covenantal theology, the Shema functions as a polemical declaration against the polytheism of surrounding nations, affirming YHWH’s sole deity and exclusive claim to worship.

For Christian theology, the Shema’s affirmation of divine unity undergirds the doctrine of the Trinity, which reconciles the oneness of God with the plurality of divine Persons revealed in Scripture. The doctrine does not posit three gods (tritheism) nor a single person manifesting in three modes (modalism), but rather one divine essence subsisting in three coequal, coeternal, and distinct Persons.

The Doctrine of the Trinity

The doctrine of the Trinity may be succinctly stated as follows:

1. There is one God, indivisible in essence and being.
2. This one God eternally exists as three distinct Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, each fully and equally divine.
3. The three Persons, while distinct in their relations and operations, share the one divine essence without division or separation.

This formulation is articulated with precision in Louis Berkhof’s Systematic Theology:

1. There is one indivisible divine essence.
2. Within this essence, there are three Persons or subsistences: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
3. The whole divine essence belongs equally to each Person.
4. The Persons are distinguished by a definite order and personal attributes.
5. The distinctions among the Persons do not divide the divine essence but reflect relational distinctions within the Godhead (Berkhof, Systematic Theology, 87–89).

For a more accessible definition, the Trinity can be described as one God in essence, existing eternally as three distinct Persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—each fully divine, yet sharing the same nature, power, and eternity. The Father is neither the Son nor the Spirit, the Son is neither the Father nor the Spirit, and the Spirit is neither the Father nor the Son. This doctrine avoids both modalism (one God appearing in three forms) and tritheism (three separate gods united in purpose), maintaining the monotheistic confession of Deuteronomy 6:4.

The Westminster Confession of Faith (1647) provides a historic articulation:

“In the unity of the Godhead, there are three Persons, of one substance, power, and eternity: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost. The Father is of none, neither begotten nor proceeding; the Son is eternally begotten of the Father; the Holy Ghost eternally proceeding from the Father and the Son” (Westminster Confession, II.3).

Scriptural Foundations

The Bible consistently affirms both the unity of God and the plurality of divine Persons.

1. Monotheism and Divine Unity:

• Deuteronomy 6:4: “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.”

• Isaiah 43:10: “Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me.”

• Isaiah 44:6, 8: “I am the first and I am the last, and besides me there is no god… Is there a God besides me? There is no God; I know not any.”

• Mark 12:32: “There is one God, and there is no other but he.”

These texts unequivocally establish that there is only one God, ruling out polytheism and affirming the Shema’s monotheistic confession.

2. Plurality within the Godhead:

• Old Testament Indications: Passages such as Genesis 1:26 (“Let us make man in our image”), Genesis 3:22, Genesis 11:7, and Isaiah 6:8 suggest a plurality within the divine being. Isaiah 48:16 and 61:1–2 hint at distinctions among divine Persons, later clarified in the New Testament.

• New Testament Clarity: The New Testament explicitly reveals the three Persons of the Trinity:

• The Father: Identified as God in Romans 1:7, 1 Corinthians 1:3, and 2 Corinthians 1:2, and as YHWH (Jehovah) in Genesis 2:4, 8, and Exodus 3:13–14, where God reveals Himself as “I AM.”

• The Son: Affirmed as God in Hebrews 1:8 (“Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever”), Colossians 2:9 (“In him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily”), and 1 John 5:20 (“This is the true God and eternal life”). Jesus identifies Himself as “I AM” (John 8:58, echoing Exodus 3:14), and Philippians 2:10 applies Isaiah 45:23’s description of YHWH to Him. Ephesians 4:8 cites Psalm 68:18, attributing YHWH’s actions to Jesus, and Revelation 2:23 parallels Jeremiah 17:10, identifying Christ with YHWH’s attributes.

• The Holy Spirit: Called God in Acts 5:3–4, where lying to the Spirit is equated with lying to God, and 1 Corinthians 3:16, where the Spirit is the indwelling presence of God. Hebrews 3:7–8 cites Psalm 95:7–8, attributing divine speech to the Spirit. The Spirit is identified as YHWH in 2 Corinthians 3:17, where Kyrios (Lord) in the Septuagint translates YHWH.

3. Trinitarian Unity in Action:

• All three Persons are involved in creation: the Father (1 Corinthians 8:6), the Son (John 1:3), and the Spirit (Job 33:4).

• All share divine attributes: omniscience (Acts 15:18; John 21:17; 1 Corinthians 2:10), omnipotence (Revelation 19:6; Matthew 28:18; Luke 1:35–37), and omnipresence (Jeremiah 23:24; Matthew 28:20; Psalm 139:7).

• All are eternal: the Father (Romans 16:26), the Son (Hebrews 13:8), and the Spirit (Hebrews 9:14).

• All indwell believers: the Father and Son (John 14:23; Ephesians 3:17) and the Spirit (John 14:17).

• All participate in Christ’s resurrection: the Father (Galatians 1:1), the Son (John 2:19–21), and the Spirit (1 Peter 3:18).

1. Trinitarian Events:

• The baptism of Jesus (Matthew 3:16–17) reveals the Father’s voice, the Son’s presence, and the Spirit’s descent.

• The Great Commission (Matthew 28:19) commands baptism “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” indicating a singular divine name shared by three Persons.

• Paul’s benediction (2 Corinthians 13:14) invokes the grace of Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, affirming their unity and distinction.

The Deity of Christ

The deity of Christ is central to the Trinitarian doctrine and is robustly supported by Scripture. Jesus’ identification with YHWH is evident in His use of “I AM” (John 8:58), which provoked accusations of blasphemy from His contemporaries (John 10:30–33). The New Testament applies Old Testament YHWH texts to Christ (e.g., Philippians 2:10 citing Isaiah 45:23; Ephesians 4:8 citing Psalm 68:18). Christ’s divine attributes, such as omniscience (John 21:17), omnipotence (Matthew 28:18), and eternality (Hebrews 13:8), further confirm His deity. His role in creation (John 1:3) and resurrection (John 2:19–21) underscores His identity as fully God, coequal with the Father and Spirit.

Theological Synthesis

The doctrine of the Trinity, rooted in the monotheistic affirmation of Deuteronomy 6:4, reconciles the unity of God’s essence with the plurality of divine Persons. The Shema’s declaration of YHWH’s oneness is not contradicted but fulfilled in the revelation of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as one God in three Persons. Each Person is fully divine, sharing the same essence, yet distinguished by eternal relations: the Father is unbegotten, the Son is eternally begotten, and the Spirit eternally proceeds. This doctrine, while mysterious, is not irrational, as it rests on the authority of divine revelation rather than human comprehension.

Conclusion

Deuteronomy 6:4 serves as a cornerstone for both Jewish monotheism and Christian Trinitarian theology. The Christian doctrine of the Trinity, while acknowledging the mystery of God’s triune nature, faithfully upholds the Shema’s affirmation of divine unity while embracing the New Testament’s revelation of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as distinct yet coequal Persons. The deity of Christ, affirmed through His identification with YHWH and divine attributes, is integral to this doctrine. Grounded in Scripture and articulated through historic confessions, the Trinity remains a central tenet of Christian theology, inviting worship of the one true God revealed in three Persons.

Bibliography

1. Berkhof, Louis. Systematic Theology. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1979.

• The Westminster Confession of Faith. 1647.

Declaration

“For transparency, I note that I used Grok, an AI tool developed by xAI, and Grammarly AI for editorial assistance in drafting, organizing, and refining the manuscript’s clarity and grammar, as indicated in the article’s attribution. All theological arguments, exegesis, and interpretations are my own, and I take full responsibility for the content.” –  Jack Kettler

Readings from Church History on the Doctrine of the Trinity

Part I: Foundations, Heresies, and Patristic Testimonies

Introduction

The doctrine of the Trinity, far from being an arbitrary church rule, emerges as the deep essence of the Christian encounter with God. As Alister McGrath notes, it is “the inevitable result of wrestling with the richness and complexity of the Christian experience of God.” This study explores key expressions of Trinitarian theology throughout history, drawing from early church fathers, medieval thinkers, the Reformation, and modern sources, along with official creeds and doctrinal statements. Through these voices, we see a consistent witness to the one God existing forever in three equal persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. As Gregory of Nazianzus beautifully states, “I cannot think on the one without quickly being encircled by the splendor of the three; nor can I see the three without being immediately drawn back to the one.” Echoing Barth’s words, “Trinity is the Christian name for God,” this summary highlights the endless mystery of the divine triune nature.

Trinitarian Heresies and Deviations

The formulation of orthodox Trinitarianism necessitated the repudiation of sundry heterodoxies that distorted the biblical revelation of God’s self-disclosure. These errors, confronted in the early church councils, underscore the delicate balance between divine unity and personal distinction.

·         Modalism (including Sabellianism, Noetianism, Patripassianism, and Monarchianism) suggests that the three persons are just modes or successive revelations of the Godhead, denying their eternal, coexisting existence. Supporters believed that God appears as Father in creation, Son in redemption, and Spirit in sanctification, sequentially, not all at once. Patripassianism, a more extreme form, argued that the Father Himself suffered on the cross in the person of the Son.

·         Tritheism, on the other hand, breaks apart the divine unity by viewing the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as three separate gods connected only by a shared substance, thus increasing the number of gods and violating monotheism. This misunderstanding often comes from taking the concept of “persons” (hypostases) too literally, without considering the underlying ousia.

·         Arianism placed the Son as the foremost creature of the Father, though still an agent of creation, which challenged His consubstantial divinity. This debate, crucial to fourth-century Christology, ended with the Nicene declaration of homoousios.

·         Docetism corrupted the idea of the incarnation by claiming Christ’s humanity was an illusion; He seemed human but remained entirely divine, with some variations suggesting that His divinity withdrew at the crucifixion to avoid suffering.

·         Ebionitism, which emphasizes Jesus’ endowment with exceptional charisms, diminished Him to a solely human prophet, deprived of eternal divinity.

·         Macedonianism (or Pneumatomachianism) diminished the Holy Spirit to a created being, subordinate to the Father and Son.

·         Adoptionism describes Jesus as entirely human at birth, with divine sonship conferred either at His baptism or resurrection.

·         Partialism fractured the Godhead into individual parts, with each person embodying only a portion of divinity, coming together to form wholeness only in their union.

·         Binitarianism recognized duality in the Godhead (Father and Son) but downplayed the Spirit’s personal uniqueness.

These deviations, adjudicated in ecumenical councils, fortified the church’s Trinitarian grammar.

Key Terminological Contours

Trinitarian discourse pivoted on precise lexical distinctions, forged amid conciliar deliberations:

·         Hypostasis: denoting “person,” “substance,” or “subsistence,” safeguards personal distinctions without implying division.

·         Ousia: signifying “essence,” “being,” or “substance,” it underscores the singular divine nature.

·         Essence: The Latin substantia renders the Greek ousia, encapsulating the indivisible divine reality.

·         Perichoresis: evoking the mutual indwelling and dynamic interpenetration of the persons, wherein each fully inhabits the others.

·         Homoousios: affirming consubstantiality, “of one and the same substance or being.”

·         Filioque: The Latin clause “and from the Son,” denoting the Spirit’s procession from both Father and Son.

·         Procession: From Greek ekporeuomai (John 15:26) and Latin processio, delineating the Spirit’s eternal emanation.

·         Begotten: Describing the Son’s eternal origin from the Father, without any temporal beginning.

These terms, honed through controversy, delimit the analogical boundaries of human discourse concerning the ineffable God.

Eastern Patristic Witnesses

Athanasius of Alexandria (ca. 325–370 CE), staunchest defender of Nicaea, articulates a robust ontology of triunity in his Statement of Faith:

“We believe in one Unbegotten God, Father Almighty, maker of all things both visible and invisible that hath His being from Himself. And in one Only-begotten Word, Wisdom, Son, begotten of the Father without beginning and eternally… very God of very God… Almighty of Almighty… wholly from the Whole, being like the Father… But He was begotten ineffably and incomprehensibly… We believe, likewise, also in the Holy Spirit that searcheth all things, even the deep things of God… and we anathematise doctrines contrary to this.”

Athanasius repudiates Sabellianism’s conflation and tritheism’s plurality, likening the Father’s deity to water flowing undivided from the well to the river, eternally imparting subsistence to the Son without diminution.

Basil the Great (ca. 330–379 CE), in his Epistle to Amphilochius, harmonizes unity and distinction:

“The Godhead is common; the fatherhood particular… Hence it results that there is a satisfactory preservation of the unity by the confession of the one Godhead, while in the distinction of the individual properties regarded in each there is the confession of the peculiar properties of the Persons.”

Gregory of Nazianzus (ca. 329–390 CE) employs luminous exegesis in Oration 31:

“He was the true light that enlightens every man coming into the world’ (Jn. 1:9)—yes, the Father… yes, the Son… yes, the Comforter… But a single reality was. There are three predicates—light and light and light. But the light is one, God is one.” In Oration 29, he critiques polytheism and modalism: “Monotheism, with its single governing principle, is what we value—not monotheism defined as the sovereignty of a single person… but the single rule produced by equality of nature, harmony of will, identity of action… though there is numerical distinction, there is no division in the substance.”

Western Patristic Witnesses

Tertullian (ca. 160–220 CE), progenitor of Latin Trinitarianism, counters modalism in Against Praxeas:

“We… believe that there is one only God, but under the following dispensation… that this one only God has also a Son, His Word, who proceeded from Himself… Him we believe to have been sent by the Father into the Virgin… both Man and God… who sent also… the Holy Ghost, the Paraclete… three, however, not in condition, but in degree; not in substance, but in form; not in power, but in aspect; yet of one substance, and of one condition, and of one power.”

Augustine of Hippo (354–430 CE), in On Christian Doctrine, extols the Trinity as the supreme object of enjoyment:

“The true objects of enjoyment… are the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, who are at the same time the Trinity, one Being, supreme above all… each of these by Himself is God, and at the same time they are all one God; and each of them by Himself is a complete substance, and yet they are all one substance… In the Father is unity, in the Son equality, in the Holy Spirit the harmony of unity and equality; and these three attributes are all one because of the Father, all equal because of the Son, and all harmonious because of the Holy Spirit.”

These patristic loci fundamenta establish the Trinitarian axioms: one essence in three persons, eternally coequal and consubstantial.

Part II: Medieval, Reformation, and Modern Articulations; Creeds and Confessions; Prayers and Conclusion

Medieval Scholastic Refinement

Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274 CE), in the Summa Theologiae (I, q. 31), elucidates the terminological precision of “Trinity”:

“The name ‘Trinity’ in God signifies the determinate number of persons… the plurality of persons in God requires that we should use the word trinity; because what is indeterminately signified by plurality, is signified by trinity in a determinate manner.” Addressing objections, Aquinas affirms the term’s propriety, denoting not mere relations but the numerated persons in essential unity: “In the divine Trinity… not only is there unity of order, but also with this there is unity of essence.”

In q. 28, a. 2, he navigates Arian and Sabellian pitfalls:

“To avoid the error of Arius we must shun the use of the terms diversity and difference in God… we may, however, use the term ‘distinction’ on account of the relative opposition… But lest the simplicity… be taken away, the terms ‘separation’ and ‘division’… are to be avoided.” On personal nomenclature, “the Son is other than the Father, because He is another suppositum of the divine nature.” Regarding exclusive predications (q. 28, a. 4), Aquinas parses syncategorematic senses: “Thee the only true God… [refers] to the whole Trinity… or, if understood of the person of the Father, the other persons are not excluded by reason of the unity of essence.”

Reformation and Post-Reformation Witnesses

John Calvin (1509–1564 CE), in the Institutes (I.13.6), grounds personal subsistence in scriptural hypostases:

“When the Apostle calls the Son of God ‘the express image of his person’ (Heb. 1:3), he undoubtedly does assign to the Father some subsistence in which he differs from the Son… there is a proper subsistence (hypostasis) of the Father, which shines refulgent in the Son… there are three persons (hypostases) in God.” The baptismal formula (Mt. 28:19) manifests “the three persons, in whom alone God is known, subsist in the Divine essence.” Calvin delights in Gregory’s dialectic (I.13.17): “I cannot think on the one without quickly being encircled by the splendor of the three; nor can I discern the three without being straightway carried back to the one,” cautioning against “a trinity of persons that keeps our thoughts distracted and does not at once lead them back to that unity… a distinction, not a division.”

John Owen (1616–1683 CE) affirms scriptural plenitude:

“There is nothing more fully expressed in the Scripture than this sacred truth, that there is one God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; which are divine, distinct, intelligent, voluntary omnipotent principles of operation.”

Thomas Watson (1620–1686 CE), in his Body of Divinity, expounds Westminster’s Q. 6:

“Three persons, yet but one God… distinguished, but not divided; three substances, but one essence. This is a divine riddle where one makes three, and three make one… In the body of the sun, there are the substance… the beams, and the heat… so in the blessed Trinity.”

Contemporary Theologians

Geerhardus Vos (1862–1949 CE) synthesizes:

“In this one God are three modes of existence, which we refer to by the word ‘person’… distinguished from each other insofar as they assume objective relations toward each other… There is, therefore, subordination as to personal manner of existence and manner of working, but no subordination regarding possession of the one divine substance.”

St. John of Kronstadt (1829–1909 CE) analogizes revelation:

“As the word of the man reveals what is in his mind… so… the Word of God reveals to us the Father… And, through the Word, the Holy Spirit… eternally proceeds from the Father and is revealed to men.”

Louis Berkhof (1873–1949 CE) insists:

“The divine essence is not divided among the three persons, but is wholly with all its perfection in each one.”

Karl Barth (1886–1968 CE) declares:

“The doctrine of the Trinity is what basically distinguishes the Christian doctrine of God as Christian… ‘Person’ as used… bears no direct relation to personality… we are speaking not of three divine I’s, but thrice of the one divine I.” God’s unity transcends singularity: “In Himself His unity is neither singularity nor isolation… with the doctrine of the Trinity, we step onto the soil of Christian monotheism.”

Kallistos Ware elucidates perichoretic union:

“God is not simply a single person confined within his own being, but a Trinity of three persons… each of whom ‘dwells’ in the other two, by virtue of a perpetual movement of love. God is not only a unity but a union.”

Thomas F. Torrance (1913–2007 CE) avers:

“The doctrine of the Trinity is the central dogma of Christian theology, the fundamental grammar of our knowledge of God.”

Canonical Creeds

The Athanasian Creed (Quicunque Vult) magisterially balances unity and trinity:

“We worship one God in trinity and the trinity in unity, neither blending their persons nor dividing their essence… the divinity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is one, their glory equal, their majesty coeternal… Yet there are not three gods; there is but one God… So in everything… we must worship their trinity in their unity and their unity in their trinity.”

It appends Chalcedonian Christology for soteriological integrity.

The Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed (381 CE) professes:

“We believe in one God, the Father Almighty… We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ… of one Being with the Father… We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father [and the Son].”

The Chalcedonian Definition (451 CE) safeguards dyophysitism:

“We confess… this one and only Christ-Son, Lord, only-begotten in two natures; … without confusing the two natures, without transmuting one nature into the other, without dividing them into two separate categories… The union does not nullify the distinctiveness of each nature.”

Harmony of Reformed Confessions and Catechisms

Reformed standards exhibit catholic continuity:

·         Westminster Confession (2.3): “In the unity of the Godhead there be three persons, of one substance, power, and eternity: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost.”

·         Westminster Larger Catechism (Q. 8–11): Affirms one God in three persons, “the same in substance, equal in power and glory.”

·         Westminster Shorter Catechism (Q. 5–6): “There are three persons in the Godhead; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost; and these three are one God.”

·         Belgic Confession (Art. 8–9): “We believe in one only God, who is one single essence, in which are three persons… equal in eternity. There is neither first nor last.”

Trinitarian Prayers: Western and Eastern

·         Western piety, per John Stott: “Heavenly Father, I worship you… Lord Jesus, I worship you… Holy Spirit, I worship you… Glory to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit… Holy, blessed and glorious Trinity… have mercy upon me.”

·         Eastern Trisagion: “Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us… All-holy Trinity, have mercy on us… Our Father, who art in the heavens… For Thine is the kingdom… of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”

Conclusion

This historical conspectus reveals the Trinity’s perduring vitality, bridging East and West. As Robert Letham notes of Calvin: “His focus on the three persons rather than the one essence is more like the Eastern approach than the Western… The three persons imply a distinction, not a division.” Yet human finitude limits comprehension, as C. S. Lewis says: “If Christianity were something we were making up… we would make it easier… We are dealing with fact.” Echoing Tersteegen, “A God understood… is no God,” and Berkhof’s finitum non capax infinitum, we confess with reverent agnosticism. The Triune God, ineffable yet revelatory, summons doxological awe.

Notes

[Notes follow the original numbering, adapted for scholarly format: e.g., 1. Athanasius, *Four Discourses Against the Arians*, trans. J. H. Newman (NPNF 4; Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1955), 83–85. Subsequent notes analogously revised for precision.]

The above article was Groked under the direction of Jack Kettler and perfected using Grammarly AI.

“For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:4-5)

Mr. Kettler, an author who has published works in Chalcedon Report and Contra Mundum, is an active RPCNA member in Westminster, CO, with 19 books defending the Reformed Faith available on Amazon.