What is Tlawmngaihna in Mizo Culture? (From the Lens of Tribal and Dalit Theology)

Tlawmngaihna (pronounced Tlawm-ngaih-na) is the highest ethical code of the Mizo people. There is no direct English translation — it is bigger than hospitality, bigger than kindness. Some translate it as ‘altruism’ but it fails to encompass the scope and succinctness of its core concept.

If Mizo culture is a body, Tlawmngaihna is its heart.

5 Pillars of Tlawmngaihna:

1. To suffer loss for others: Mahni tana hlawkna aiin, midang tana hlawkna. My host Pu Tluanga family showed this — they gave their best room, best food, while they adjusted. Five-star hotels sell room, Mizo home sells heart.

2. To be hospitable without expectation: In Lunglei CCM Inkhawmpui Lian, 450+ delegates came. No hotel could host them. Every Mizo home became a hotel, free, with a smile. That is Tlawmngaihna.

3. To put others first: The Mizo saying: Sem sem dam dam, ei bil thi thi. Share and live, self-eat and die.

4. Courage + Compassion together: A Mizo warrior was Tlawmngai if he fought for the weak, not for fame.

5. The Theology connection: Like Dalit Theology says God is on the side of the oppressed, Tlawmngaihna says a true Mizo stands on the side of the guest, the tired, the stranger. My host family lived Dalit Theology without reading it.

From the Lens of Tribal and Dalit Theology

Many asked me — why did you connect a simple host family in Lunglei to Dalit/Tribal Theology? Because what I experienced in Pu Tluanga's home was not just Mizo culture. It was Theology in action.

1. Dalit Theology Connection: Dalit Theology by Arvind P. Nirmal says: God is the God of the Dalits, the broken, the oppressed. The host family gave their best room to me, a stranger, and slept in adjustment. They chose to be the "less" so I could be "more." That is exactly what Jesus did — He became poor so we become rich (2 Cor 8:9). My host family lived Dalit Theology without knowing the book.

2. Tribal Theology Connection: But Tlawmngaihna is more than Dalit. It is deeply Tribal. Tribal Theology pioneers like Rev. Dr. Renthy Keitzar (Nagaland), Dr. K. Thanzauva, and Dr. Lalrinawmi Ralte (Mizoram) say: “Tribal theology is Community first, Individual second.” A Naga, a Mizo, a Hmar never lives for self.

Tribal theology is Land is not property, Land is identity. Lunglei people didn't host us in "houses" — they hosted us in their ram, their belonging. Tribal theology is Oral, Lived, not Written. No book taught Pu Tluanga to wash a mud-caked car. No sermon taught his wife to wake at 5 AM to cook for me before our session. It is in their blood, in their sakhua transformed by Gospel.

The Difference I Learned in Lunglei:

Dalit Theology = Struggle against oppression — God lifting the downtrodden.

Tribal Theology = Celebration of community — God dwelling in our sharing, our clan, our Tlawmngaihna.

My host family was both. They were Dalit in spirit — they emptied themselves. They were Tribal in root — they celebrated community. So I changed my title in my heart: My Lunglei story is not just CCM Inkhawmpui Lian. It is When Tlawmngaihna Became Dalit and Tribal Theology.

In Seminary we read Tribal Theology in library. In Lunglei I ate Tribal Theology on a plate, slept on it on a bed, and wore it as a freshly washed shirt.

READ NEXT - My Lunglei CCM Inkhawmpui Lian Series:

1. My Lunglei Hospitality Story - When Tlawmngaihna Became Theology (English)

2. Lunglei CCM Inkhawmpui Lian-a Tlawmngaihna Leh Mikhual Chhawnna Ropui (Mizo)

My Lunglei Hospitality Story - When Tlawmngaihna Became Theology: How My Host Showed Me Tlâwmngaihna & Hospitality During CCM Inkhawmpui Lian

I visited Lunglei during CCM Inkhawmpui Lian 2-na. The host of the grand 2nd Assembly of CCM was BCM Venglai, Lunglei Kohhran.

I went to see Pu Buanga's tombstone from London, you can read the full articles in this link.

I Visited Pu Buanga's Original Tombstone in Lunglei - History Brought from London

But today I want to write not about the tombstone or the archives, but about my (our) host family and the host of the Conference, CCM Inkhawmpui Lian, BCM, Venglai, Lunglei.

During Inkhawmpui Lian, I got the highest and supreme hospitality from my host family in Lunglei. Pu HS Liantluanga and family are God gifted family. We called him Pu Tluanga. His beloved wife is Pi Hriati. They have a beautiful and lovely family and blessed with three children- Remi, Mawii and Mala. Malsawmtluanga (Mala) is currently studying MBBS at RIMS (Regional Institute of Medical Sciences), Imphal.

I have attended many Inkhawmpui Lian before, in Aizawl, in Shillong, Haflong and elsewhere but this one was different.

Before we went to CCM Inkhawmpui Lian at Lunglei, my wife was having a shooting pain - from buttock down to leg, like sciatica. She could not sit long in the pandal. She could not do the household chores precisely. But, I left her alone (as our children are studying at Churachandpur) with a prayer. With zest and zeal we moved ahead to Lunglei with excitements, because the trip is going to be great adventure since it will be my first time towards Southern Mizoram.

We were new, we were shy to approach and say even a word. Ironically, my host did not wait for us to say.  First, they vacated their best bedroom for us. Not the common room, their own bedroom. They said, "Hei hi in khum a ni tawh, nuam deuin hetah hian mu rawh u." They shifted their children to their parents room as well. Second, food was amazing. My host aunty and her daughter nula Remi prepared an all time Mizo delicious food. Third, the love and friendship they showed to us was stunning. It surpasses the very word that we described. Love and Friendship is practicality. It’s not just a gesture or outward appearance, it comes from the inner being.  

I would like pour out the Hospitality and the Mizo moral code ‘Tlawmngaihna” from the very host church of CCM Inkhawmpui Lian 2-na-BCM Venglai Kohhran. The local church (BCM Venglai Kohhran) were stunningly well prepared for the Inkhawmpui Lian. They assigned several department for the success of this Inkhawmpui Lian. Every single member of Venglai Kohhran depicts the highest and supreme sacrifice for the success of this Inkhawmpui Lian. Even the Children Department (Kohhran Naupang Pawl-KNP) presented ‘Halleluijah Chorus’ magically; crooning with their dulcet voices beautifully. They produced a masterclass display in flawless and their brilliant execution with dynamic and immense energy was impressive and captivating.

The Ushering Team (Steward) did a brilliant job. They are no less different than a flight attendant in a big aircraft. Their smiling face, their politeness, their effectiveness in physical seat arrangement left the audience spellbound. Politeness is the absolute cornerstone of effective ushering. This is exactly what the host church did. It was an exceptional stellar execution.

The flawless execution of our multi-day event is a direct result of the hard work and dedication shown by the Banquet Operations Team and the Conference Services Department." Even the Sanitation Department did a brilliant job in maintaining fresh and proper hygiene.  They involved in using high-heat sanitation cycles for germ control alongside targeted facility cleaning plans for pest management at all time.

Evaluating all these in a snapshot, at CCM Inkhawmpui Lian, Lunglei, I came to understood succinctly - Hospitality and Tlawmngaihna. These are not two different things in Mizo. They are one.

In English theology books, Hospitality is "philoxenia" [Greek: φιλοξενία] - love for stranger.

Tlâwmngaihna does not have an equivalent english translation. It is a code of ethics that guides decisions and community participation in Mizo society. Rev. Dr. Vanlalchhuanawma argues that altruism is the closest definition in English for Tlâwmngaihna but that this further fails to encompass the scope and brevity of the philosophy deeper.

In our Mizo books, we often write about Tlawmngaihna as selfless service. But in Lunglei, I saw Hospitality and Tlâwmngaihna are same. True hospitality is Tlâwmngaihna. And true Tlâwmngaihna is hospitality.

What is the difference then?

Hospitality is what you do for a guest. Tlawmngaihna is why you do it without expecting return. My (Our) host did both. They gave us the Highest Hospitality and supreme Tlâwmngaihna.

They did it without us asking, and without expecting thank you (Tlawmngaihna). The Bible says in Hebrews 13:2 - "Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it." And in Romans 12:13 - "Share with the Lord's people who are in need. Practice hospitality."

Our Mizo pi pu practiced Hebrews 13:2 before they could read it. When a stranger comes to a Mizo village, even today in Lunglei, you are not a guest, you are family. Pu Buanga (Rev. L.H. Lorrain) also received this same hospitality when he first came. And he gave it back with supreme tlâwmngaihna. That is why people still remember his tombstone after 100 years. Because he lived Tlawmngaihna + Hospitality.

Today in some cities, we have lost some of this. We have hotels for Inkhawmpui guests. We have catering. Everything is paid. Hospitality becomes a service. But in Lunglei during this CCM Inkhawmpui Lian, I saw the originality of what Hospitality and Tlâwmngaihna is all about.

It is not about big money. My host family is well to do family. But they gave us their best. That is supreme hospitality. Not five-star hotel, but five-star heart. So my theology learning is: Dalit theology teaches us about hospitality to the broken. Tribal Theology teaches us about the Christian faith through the lens of indigenous cultural heritage, communal living, and the ongoing struggle against social, economic, and ecological injustice. This can be interpreted in different spectrum from this CCM Inkhawmpui Lian at Lunglei.

[Here is the Leaders of CCM (CCM_Puipate) Group photo]

Tribal theology, our Mizo theology, must teach hospitality + Tlawmngaihna together - how to welcome stranger as self.

During CCM Inkhawmpui Lian at Lunglei, I went to research Pu Buanga's history from London. But I went back with a bigger history - the living history of Mizo hospitality. To my host family and the Church BCM Venglai Kohhran in Lunglei - if you are reading this - Ka/n lawm lutuk e. In tlâwmngaihna leh in mikhual chhawnna hi ka theihnghilh ngai lo vang.

Have you received such hospitality during Inkhawmpui Lian? Have you shown it?

Comment your Inkhawmpui host story.

Read in Mizo here:

Lunglei CCM Inkhawmpui Lian-a Tlâwmngaihna Leh Mikhual Chhawnna Ropui

[Published with permission from Pu HS Liantluanga family, Venglai, Lunglei]

Lunglei CCM Inkhawmpui Lian-a Tlâwmngaihna Leh Mikhual Chhawnna Ropui

CCM Inkhawmpui Lian avangin Lunglei-ah ka kal ve a. 

[Read here in English:]

My Lunglei Hospitality Story - When Tlawmngaihna Became Theology: How My Host Showed Me Tlâwmngaihna & Hospitality During CCM Inkhawmpui Lian

Pu Buanga thlan lung chungchang London Archive aṭanga ka thuziak hlutsaktu an tam a, ka lawm takzet a ni. Tunah, Pu Buanga thlan lung chanchin ni lovin, Lungleia mikhual chhawnna ka dawn ropui zia leh Mizo Tlâwmngaihna hlu ropui tak mai; CCM Inkhawmpui Lian dawltu Kohhran BCM Venglai, Lunglei Kohhran te chanchin ka ziak ve dawn a ni.

CCM Inkhawmpui Lian chhung khan mikhual chhawnna sang ber kan dawng a. Ka thlenna chu BCM Venglai Kohhran mi, Pu HS Liantluanga te chhungkua an ni. Pu Tluanga kan ti mai ṭhin a, a nupui Pi Hriati nen an fel êm êm a, an fate Remi, Mawii leh Mala te nen chhungkaw hlim tak an ni. Malsawmtluanga (Mala) hi RIMS (Regional institute of Medical Sciences), Imphal ah MBBS zirin Internship ti lai a ni e.

Inkhawmpui Lian hi Aizawl ah te, Shillong, Haflong ah te ka chhim ve tawh ṭhin, mahse Lunglei Inkhawmpui hi a danglam hliah hliah. Lunglei kan chhuah hma khan ka nupui chu a kawng aṭanga a ke chhuk zawnga na ut ut, sciatica ang deuh hian a na a. Ṭhutna-ah rei a ṭhu thei lo va, inchhung chet vel pawh a ti hleithei lo. Kan fate Churachandpur lamah an awm avangin a mah chauhvin inah ka hnutchhiah a, ṭawngṭaina nen thla-in Lunglei lam chu phur takin kan pan ta zâwk a ni.

Chhim lam Mizoram ka kal vawikhatna tur a ni bawk nen, ka phur zual sauh. Khual thar kan ni bawk si, biak pawh kan zak a, engmah kan sawi ngam lo a ni deu ber. Mahse Lunglei Kohhrante kha an bengvarin an fel êm êm mai.

Kan thlenna tûr in neihtu Pu Tluanga khan SP office kawta mi’n lo dawng sawng a. Hlim takin min welcome hlawm a. An mut pindan tha ber min kian nghal a. Pindan dang ni lovin, an mut pindan ngei mai. "He hi in khum a ni tawh, hetah hian nuam deuhin mu rawh u," tiin min ti a. An fate chu an nu leh pa te pindan lamah an insawn phei ta a.

Ei leh inah pawh kan hnianghnar hle mai. Inkhawmpui Lian-ah hian chhungkua ṭha tak Pathianin min pe a, kan lawm hlê. Pi Hriati leh an fanu Remi chuan sa tuihnai takte, mizo chaw lum, dal leh bai tui tak tak min siam sak ṭhin a. Tumahin ti turin kan ti lo, an thinlunga hmangaihna avanga ti mai an ni.

An hmangaihna lan tir dan kha a tak a ni. Hmangaihna chu ṭawngka chauh ni lovin, thiltih a ni tih an lantir a ni. Thlengtu Kohhran BCM Venglai Kohhran inbuatsaihna kha a ropui takzet.

Department hrang hrang an siam a. Naupang Pawl KNP te chuan 'Hallelujah Chorus' an rawn sa a, an aw mawi leh thianghlim tak mai khan mipui thinlung a hneh hle. Ushering Team te kha an fel lutuk, thlawhnaa thawktu flight attendant ang mai an ni. An hmel hlim, an polite, ṭhutna an rem fel dan zawng zawng kha a mawiin a fel fai em em a ni. Chaw ei buatsaihna lam leh fai vawnna lam pawh an thawk ṭha hle, an thianghlimin an fai êm êm a ni.

Heng zawng zawng ka thlir hian ka zir chhuah chu hei hi a ni: Mikhual chhawnna leh Tlâwmngaihna hi thil hrang pahnih ni lovin, thil pakhat an ni.

Sap ṭawng Hospitality chu Greek ṭawngin "philoxenia" an ti a, mikhual hmangaihna tihna a ni. Tlâwmngaihna erawh hi chu Sap tawngin a lehlin zawh rual loh, Mizo nunphung thuk tak a ni. Rev. Dr. Vanlalchhuanawma phei chuan a hnai ber chu 'altruism' a ni a ti a, mahse chu pawh chuan a phak lo a ti. Ka hmuh dan chuan: Mikhual chhawnna chu mikhual chunga i thil tih a ni a, Tlâwmngaihna chu engmah beisei lova i tih chhan thinlung a ni.

CCM Inkhawmpui Lian dawltu kohhran chuan pahnih kha an ti kawp vek a ni. Dil lova min tih sakna leh lawmman beisei lova min tih sakna kha Tlawmngaihna dik tak a ni.Bible-ah Hebrai 13:2-ah "Mikhualte chunga hmangaihna lantir chu theihnghilh suh u, chutiang tiin thenkhat chuan vantirhkohte an lo mikhual tawh si a," tih a ni a. Rom 12:13-ah pawh "Mi thianghlimte retheihna tuar chu chhawmdawlin awm ula; mikhualte chungah hmangaihna lantir ula," a ti bawk. Kan pi leh pu te chuan Bible an chhiar hma daih khan Hebrai 13:2 hi an lo zawm tawh a ni. Mizo nunphunga chuan mikhual i nih chuan mikhual mai i ni lo, chhungkua i ni nghal mai a ni. Pu Buanga pawh khan he mikhual chhawnna ngei hi a dawng a, a pe let ve leh a. Chuvangin kum 100 hnuah pawh a thlan lung chanchin kan la hre reng a ni.

Tunah khawpui lianah chuan he tlawmngaihna hi kan hloh lek lek ta. Inkhawmpui mikhual tan hotel kan ngai ta, catering kan hmang ta. Mikhual chhawnna chu pawisaa lei theih a ni ta. Mahse Lunglei CCM Inkhawmpui Lian-ah khan a tak tak, a original ngei mai ka hmu let leh a ni.Mi hausa tak an ni lo, mahse an thil neih tha ber

Ka zir chhuah chu: Dalit Theology chuan hliam tuar te chunga mikhual chhawnna min zirtir a, Tribal Theology erawh chuan kan pipu te atanga chhawm nun, khawtlanga nung tlan leh hmangaihna hmanga inchenna min zirtir a ni. Lunglei-ah Pu Buanga chanchin zir turin ka va kal a, mahse ka haw lamah chuan chanchin ropui zawk — Mizo mikhual chhawnna nung reng chanchin ka hawn ta zawk a ni.

Ka nupui sciatica na pawh a la dam chiang lo va, mahse Pu Tluanga te chhungkua hmangaihna diktak avangin rilru a la peng lo reng reng . Hmangaihna a tam po leh natna a kiam thin, tih ka hria. BCM Venglai Kohhran leh ka mikhualtu chhungkua (host family) te, he thu hi in lo chhiar a nih chuan: “Ka lawm em em e. In tlawmngaihna leh in mikhual chhawnna hi ka theihnghilh ngai lo vang.”

Nangni chhiartute pawh, Inkhawmpui Lian-a hetiang mikhual chhawnna hi in dawng ve tawh em? In lo ti ve tawh em?

In thawnthu kha comment lamah min lo hrilh ve teh u. 

In thawnthu te nen Part 3 ah ka rawn ziak leh ang chu maw!!

I Visited Pu Buanga's Original Tombstone in Lunglei - History Brought from London

To attend the Council of Churches in Mizoram (CCM) Biennial Meeting at Lunglei, we went on Car with three of my co-workers from Tuivai Presbytery. After a long drive almost 13 Hrs (from initial) we reached Lunglei city before dark safe and sound. 

During the 2nd Grand Assembly of the Council of Churches in Mizoram (CCM) at BCM Church Venglai, Lunglei (Kalvari Biak In), where I attended, I got some free time and visited the BCM Headquarters Archives at Serkawn with Pu Liantluanga, my host. 

My heart was deeply moved when I saw Pu Buanga's tombstone that was brought from London! 

I saw something that gave me goosebumps - the ORIGINAL tombstone of Rev. J.H. Lorrain (Pu Buanga), brought from South Ealing Cemetery, London in 2015.

What is this Memorial?

In the glass case you see two stone slabs that say "Pioneer Missionary to the Lushai Tribe India 1893-1932". 

This is not a replica - this is the actual stone from London where Pu Buanga was buried in July 1944, aged 74.

In 2017, BCM Assembly at Chanmari, Lunglei decided to honor our first missionaries by restoring their graves - Sap Upa (F.W. Savidge) in Cambridgeshire and Pu Buanga in London. A BCM team brought these stones back to Mizoram to preserve our history.

Why Pu Buanga is Father of Mizoram?

1. With Sap Upa, he landed at Sairang on Jan 11, 1894. 

2. Created Mizo alphabet using Roman script. 

3. Translated Gospel of Luke, John, Acts and made first Mizo Dictionary - the famous Pu Buanga Dictionary. 

4. First baptism at Nghasih river, Lunglei on 20 Jan 1904 - 23 believers.

My Experience at the Archives

At BCM Library & Archives Room, Serkawn, you will see timeline of Lushai Hills, pictures of Savidge and Lorrain, their original graves in UK, and "Their Story in Pictures Part II" - old black & white photos of early converts, churches, schools.

The Dining Table of Pu Buanga (JH Lorrain) and his colleague was preserved precisely. It is a reminiscent of God's provision in their ministry at Mizoram. 

The atmosphere is quiet, reverent. Two persons in my photo were also visitors - we stood in silence seeing how one man's obedience in 1890 changed the whole identity of Mizoram.

How to Visit?

Location: Baptist Church of Mizoram Headquarters, Serkawn, Lunglei District - 2nd biggest church in Mizoram. 

Timing: Contact BCM Archives & Library Dept. 

Permit: Ask at BCM office - very helpful staff. 

Tip: Combine with Kawmzawl Park, Saikuti Hall, and Nghasih Stream - all within 10km.

If you are doing Theology or Mission History research like me, this place is a must. It connects Tribal Theology and our Mizo Christian identity. 

Have you visited this place? 

Share your story!

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MIZO

CCM Inkhawmpui Lian Vawi 2-na, Venglai, Lungleia ka telnaah hun awl ka neih veleh, ka thlenna Pu Liantluanga nen Serkawn BCM HQ Archives, Serkawn kan tlawh a. Pu Buanga thlan lung London aṭanga rawn hawn ka hmuh chuan ka thinlung a khawih hle mai! Rev. J.H. Lorrain (Pu Buanga) thlan lung tak tak, London South Ealing Cemetery aṭanga kum 2015-a BCM-in a rawn hawn chu ka hmu a!

He Lung Phun Hi Enge A Nih?

Dar thlalang chhunga lung pahnih inkhawm, "PIONEER MISSIONARY TO THE LUSHAI TRIBE INDIA 1893-1932" tia inziak kha thil lem a ni lo - London-a Pu Buanga July 1944-a kum 74-a a boral a, an phumna lung tak tak a ni.

Kum 2017 March 8-12 khan BCM Assembly Vawi 121-na Chanmari, Lunglei-ah chuan an rel a, hetiang hian "Kan Missionary hmasa berte kan ngaihhlutna leh kan hriatrengna lantir nan an thlan hlute chei ṭhat nise." Missionary hmasa an thlan awmna te chu:

1. Sap Upa (Rev. F.W. Savidge) Stretham, UK 

2. Pu Buanga (Rev. J.H. Lorrain) South Ealing, London. 

BCM team te London-ah kalin phalna lain he lung (Pu Buanga thlan) hi Mizoram-ah an rawn hawn ta a ni. 

Engvangin Pu Buanga Hi Mizoram Pa A Nih?

(Mizoram Pa ti hi ka mimal ngaihtuah-na ṭang a ni e)

1. Sap Upa nen January 11, 1894 ah Sairang an rawn thleng - Tunah Missionary Day kan tih chu. 

2. Mizo hawrawp Roman hawrawp hmangin a siam - A, AW, B, CH... 

3. Luka, Johana, Tirhkohte ziak leh Mizo Dictionary hmasa ber - "Pu Buanga Dictionary" tih lar tak kha a siam. 

4. Nghasih lui, Serkawn-ah Jan 20, 1904 ah mi 23 hnenah baptisma a pe hmasa ber.

London Post Office-a Telegraphist hna thawktu, chanchinbu-a Mary Winchester naupang Lushai hovin an man lai thlalak a hmuh aṭangin "Heng hnam bo te hnenah Chanchin Tha ka hrilh ang" tiin a intiam a. Theology degree pawh nei lo, van kohna chauh neih a ni.

Ka Tawnhriat - Archives Room Ah

BCM Archives & Library Room-ah chuan Timeline of Lushai Hills, Sap Upa leh Pu Buanga thlan UK-a awm lai thlalak, "Their Story In Pictures Part II" - kan pi leh pu te hmanlai thlalak dum leh var, kohhran hmasa, sikul hmasa te a awm vek.

A reh ruih mai a, zahna leh chawimawina a khat. Ka thlalak-a ka dinpui te nen khan ngawi rengin kan en a - Mi pakhat inpekna avangin Mizoram pumpui hmel a danglam vek tih ka hre chhuak.

Engtin Nge Kan Tlawh Theih?

Hmun: Baptist Church of Mizoram Headquarters, Serkawn, Lunglei District - Mizoram-a kohhran lian ber dawttu. 

Hun: BCM Archives & Library Dept biak tur. 

Permit: BCM office ah dil mai tur, an fel em. 

Tip: Kawmzawl Park, Saikuti Hall, Nghasih Lui te nen - 10km chhung vek an ni.

Theology zir te, Mission History ngaina te tan chuan he hmun hi tlawh ngei ngei tur a ni. Tribal Theology leh Mizo Kristianna inzawmna a lang chiang hle. 

Nang engtik nge i tlawh ve? 

I tawnhriat comment ah min lo hrilh ve teh!

READ NEXT - My Lunglei CCM Inkhawmpui Lian Series:

1. My Lunglei Hospitality Story - When Tlawmngaihna Became Theology (English)

2. Lunglei CCM Inkhawmpui Lian-a Tlawmngaihna Leh Mikhual Chhawnna Ropui (Mizo)

WHY PRAY IF GOD HAS ALREADY DECIDED THE OUTCOME OF ALL CIRCUMSTANCES?

Contents

Prolegomenon.. 1

PRAYER IS COMMANDED.. 2

PRAYERS ARE ORDAINED.. 3

PRAYER CHANGES US. 4

FINAL THOUGHTS. 7

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Prolegomenon

Consider the following situation:

A man’s young wife, the mother of their two small children, has been diagnosed with advanced cancer. As someone who believes in God, will he not pray for her healing? Why would anyone think that since God has a good and providential plan for all, that this husband would not pray for his wife to be healed? Certainly, he'd pray for her to experience healing, either directly by God or by divine providence through medical treatment. Even when he realizes that only God knows the eventual outcome of their situation, he'll seek God, asking for Him to spare his wife. I can’t imagine any other response.

Still, we believe that God is sovereign. As the psalmist said, “But our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases” (Ps. 115:3). This may cause an issue for some. How do we pray in light of God’s sovereignty? This is another example of an antinomy, an apparent contradiction that God fully understands but we, in our human understanding, cannot. So, even though we serve a sovereign God who ordains all that comes to pass, we should still pray. Here are three reasons to bring everything to God in prayer.

PRAYER IS COMMANDED

To begin, we are commanded to pray. When the Lord Jesus taught His disciples to pray, using His model prayer, He said, “Pray, then, in this way. . ” (Matt. 6:9). The verb “pray” is a command, not an option. Before the parable of the persistent widow, Luke says Jesus’ purpose was “to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart” (Luke 18:1), indicating that prayer was not an option but an expectation God has for us.

Paul commanded, “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thess. 5:17) and “in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God” (Phil. 4:6). The verbs in both these verses are imperatives, showing that prayer isn't a choice but a requirement for us.

Yet these are just general commands to pray; there are also commands to pray for specific requests. Some of these include, for example, praying for workers in God's harvest (Matt. 9:38), for governmental leaders (1 Tim. 2:1-2), for fellow believers (Eph. 6:18), for deliverance from temptation (Matt. 26:41), even for the peace of Jerusalem (Ps. 122:6). The Bible does not say “pray if you understand how it works.” Scripture just commands us to pray.

PRAYERS ARE ORDAINED

A second reason to pray is that the sovereign God has ordained all things, including our prayers. There are numerous biblical examples of God answering prayer. He gave water to Israel in answer to the prayers of Moses (Ex. 15:22-25; 17:4-7); the Lord gave Hannah a child in answer to her prayers (1 Sam. 1); God caused a drought and then sent rain in answer to the prayers of Elijah (1 Kings 18-19); God opened the eyes of a servant to see the Lord's army in answer to the prayer of Elisha (2 Kings 6:17).

There are many more examples in Scripture. Our presumption too often is that God only ordained these results. But we must also presume that God, who knows the end from the beginning (Isa. 46:10), also ordained these prayers. Of course, we believe in a God who determines all things but we are not fatalists. God not only determines the end result, He also determines every step on the way to the end, including prayer.

So, if God chose to heal through medical treatment the cancer-stricken wife of the man mentioned above, we can also say that God determined to have her husband and others pray for her as well. God also, before time, ordained the training and development of her surgeon and oncologist. God's providence works all things together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Rom. 8:28).

PRAYER CHANGES US

Yet another reason to pray is that prayer changes us for the better. Unfortunately, people are overly concerned that somehow prayer changes God, or perhaps the mind of God. That can't be true because God is unchangeable. He declares, “For I, the Lord, do not change” (Mal. 3:6). Unlike people, God adheres to His plans: “God is not a man who lies, or a son of man who changes His mind. Does He speak and not act, or promise and not fulfill?” (Num. 23:19 HCSB). It’s not God who changes when we pray—the big transformation actually comes about in us when we pray.

Some people like to object that God does indeed change His mind. They point to biblical examples where it seems God changed His mind in response to prayer, such as when God said He would destroy Israel and begin a new chosen nation through the descendants of Moses. Moses prayed, asking God to relent and “the Lord changed His mind about the harm which He said He would do to His people” (Ex. 32:14).

Since God, in His sovereignty, had already determined this outcome, it is better to understand this phrase as an anthropomorphism, helping us to grasp the infinitely difficult concept of God’s sovereign response to human prayer. The Lord accommodates our inability to grasp this by using this figure of speech which attributes human attributes, like changing one’s mind, to God.

Nevertheless, it is we who are truly changed by prayer. When the Lord Jesus taught us to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread,’ (Matt. 6:11), His purpose was to teach us dependence on the Lord for our sustenance. Also, when He taught us to persist in prayer (Matt. 7:7-11), He reminded us that no earthly father would give a stone to a child who asks for bread or a snake to one who asked for fish. “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!” (Matt. 7:11). The Lord Jesus is making the point that through prayer we can learn to trust God to do what is good and best for us. Similarly, the psalmist cried to the Lord in distress (Ps. 18:6), and when God answered and delivered him (Ps. 18:48), he was transformed. His experience in prayer moved him from fear and dread to a person of thankfulness and praise, saying, “Therefore I will give thanks to You among the nations, O Lord, and I will sing praises to Your name” (Ps.18:49).

God has a good plan ordained for us but He wants us to learn to ask of Him, and in that way, we learn to depend on the kindness and love of our heavenly Father. Prayer transforms us into people who depend on our Lord for all that we need in life.

FINAL THOUGHTS

What we should know about prayer is that we should stop trying to figure out how it works and instead trust that God hears us and wants what’s best for us.

When we suffered a life-threatening situation. We cried out to God and begged for the Lord to intervene. We prayed for a doctor and for the medicines. In this circumstance, God answered by sending the right physician and the right treatment.

The providence of God is visible many ways. He was sovereign over life and death. Just as the psalmist said, “In my distress I called to the Lord, and He answered me” (Ps. 120:1 HCSB).

This is the truth about prayer. God doesn't want us to engage in philosophical inquiry, speculating about what He has already ordained or to ask why we should even bother praying since God already knew the outcome.

We're to pray to our Father as His distressed children, knowing, meanwhile, that He is in control and with the assurance that He will work everything for good. We'll never truly understand the dynamic of prayer, but we do know that God asks us to cry out to Him. We rest assured that He always accomplishes His purposes.

Even though we'll never really comprehend it, we can agree with Charles Spurgeon who said, “Prayer is the slender nerve that moves the muscles of Omnipotence.”

Simple explanation of the Trinity?

Contents

Prolegomenon.. 1

1.     THE SIMPLE DEFINITION.. 2

2.     THE BIBLICAL DATA.. 2

       2.1.      God’s Oneness. 2

       2.2.      God’s Threeness. 3

       2.3.      Old Testament Evidence. 3

3.     New Testament Evidence. 5

4.     THE THEOLOGICAL EXPLANATIONS. 7

4.1.      The Mistaken Explanations. 7

4.2.      The Orthodox Explanation.. 8

5.     FINAL THOUGHTS. 9

 

Prolegomenon

Unfortunately, there is no simple or easy expla-nation of the Trinity. This theological concept is what Ken Boa calls an antinomy. Although “antinomy” literally means a conflict between two equally valid principles, the term is used theologically to refer to God’s revelation in Scripture going beyond “the level of human reasoning and comprehension by stating as fact two things which [human beings] cannot reconcile.’

The basis of biblical antinomies is found in Isaiah 55:8-9, * your ways My ways, declares the Lord. ‘For as the heavens For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.” It’s not that the Trinity is contrary to logic and reason, but rather it’s beyond the human ability to comprehend fully. God understands the Trinity just fine; we human beings dont.

Nevertheless, the Trinity is clearly expressed as a fact in Scripture; it just doesn't explain exactly how it works. Later theologians have developed explanations that have come to us as the accepted understanding of this biblical teaching. We'll examine what the Bible and theologians have said and hopefully get a better grip on the Trinity.

1.   THE SIMPLE DEFINITION

You may be surprised to hear that the word “Trinity” is not found in the Bible. This is a fact frequently pointed out by people who don't believe in it. The absence of the word is actually irrelevant since the concept of the Trinity is certainly found in Scripture. The word refers to God being three in one, with the “tri” indicating His threeness and the “nity” indicating His unity or oneness. I actually prefer to use the term “triunity” of God because it seems so much clearer. But where does the Bible teach that God is three in one?

2.  THE BIBLICAL DATA

2.1.       God’s Oneness

The Old Testament clearly teaches monotheism (the belief that there is only one God), indicating that God alone is the one and only true God. The most foundational verse supporting God’s oneness is called the Shema (the Hebrew word meaning “hear”), the basis of monotheism in Judaism: “Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one!” (Deut. 6:4).

The oneness of God is presented throughout the Old Testament, not just in this verse. For example, God declared through Isaiah, “For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me’ (Isa. 46:9, cf. Ex. 20:3; Deut. 4:35; 5:7; 32:39; Ps. 83:18; Isa. 43:10-11).

The New Testament also affirms monotheism. For example, Paul states explicitly, “For there is one God” (1 Tim. 2:5) and again, “There is... one Lord... one God and Father of all” (Eph. 4:4-6; cf. 1 Cor. 8:6). James also says, “You believe that God is one. You do well” (James 2:19). Of course, in Mark 12:29, the Lord Jesus affirmed the oneness of God, declaring that the foremost commandment was Deuteronomy 6:4 (cited above). There is no doubt that both the Old and New Testaments teach monotheism.

2.2.      God’s Threeness

Although there is no one specific verse explicitly declaring that God is triune, both Testaments provide evidence of this fact. The Old Testament implies that there is a plurality in the one God, while the New Testament speaks of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit more explicitly.

2.3.      Old Testament Evidence

The very first Old Testament hint of God’s plurality is when God says, “Let Us make man in Our image, accord-ing to Our likeness” (Gen. 1:26). Some believe this is a mere use of the plural pronoun to express God's majesty (the royal “We’), which is possible. Others say that this is God speaking to the angels; however, humanity was not made in the image of angels. Yet, it most likely refers to the mysterious plural-ity in the Godhead because of the verse that follows. It states that God “created man in His own image... male and female He created them” (Gen. 1:27).

This shows that one aspect of human likeness to their Creator is that, just as God is one and also has plurality in His nature, so humanity has one essence (humanity) but also has plurality, both male and female. The Old Testament also points to the deity of the future Messiah in several ways. It has a unique figure, called the Angel of the Lord, who is identified as the Lord and yet distinct from the Lord (e.g., Gen. 22:15-16; Ex. 3:2-9), describing the pre-incarnate appearances of the Lord Jesus.

Also, David calls the Messiah his Lord, declaring, “The Lorp says to my Lord: ‘Sit at My right hand...” (Ps. 110:1). Isaiah gave four throne titles indicating the deity of the future Messiah: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, and Prince of Peace (Isa. 9:6). The Old Testament also describes the Holy Spirit as possessing certain attributes that belong to God alone, such as omnipresence (Ps. 139:7) and omnipotence (Job 33:4).

Additionally, the Old Testament identifies the Holy Spirit’s deity by revealing His divine work in creation (Gen. 1:2). Perhaps the clearest Old Testament passage indicating plurality in the Godhead is Isaiah 48:12-16. At the beginning of the paragraph, God clearly identifies Himself, saying, “I am the first, I am also the last. Surely My hand founded the earth, and My right hand spread out the heavens” (Isa. 48:12-13).

Then, at the end of the paragraph, God says, “And now the Lord Gop has sent Me, and His Spirit” (Isa. 48:16, italics added). This verse presents the mysterious threeness within the oneness of God.

Some might object that the Old Testament teaching of plurality in the Godhead somehow contradicts Deuteronomy 6:4, which says that “the Lord is one.” However, the Hebrew word for one is echad and can carry the meaning of a “composite unity.”

For example, when God established marriage, He declared that when married, a man and a woman “shall become one flesh” (Gen. 2:24), indicating a composite unity. Although the use of echad in Deuteronomy 6:4 does not demand this meaning, it does permit it, allowing for these hints of plurality in God’s oneness in the Old Testament.

3.  New Testament Evidence

The New Testament does not have one verse that says “God is triune” but it does explicitly identify the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit as deity. To begin, the Father is plainly called God. For example, the Gospel of John speaks of the Son, on whom “the Father, God, has set His seal” (John 6:27).

Paul also recognizes the deity of the Father, calling Him “one God and Father of all who is over all” (Eph. 4:6). In addition to the Father, the Son, the Lord Jesus the Messiah, is called God in the New Testament.

For instance, when Thomas finally believed that Jesus has been raised from the dead, Thomas called Him, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28). Paul described the Second Coming as “the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus” (Titus 2:13). He also declared that in the Lord Jesus, “all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form” (Col. 2:9) and that Jesus is “the Messiah, who is God over all, praised forever” (Rom. 9:5 HcsB).

The New Testament describes Jesus with attributes that only belong to God, such as omniscience (John 2:24—25; Matt. 9:4), omnipotence (Matt. 28:18; Heb. 1:3), and eternality (John 17:5). It also attributes the divine work of creation to Him (John 1:3; Col. 1:16). The deity of the Lord Jesus the Messiah, God the Son, is one of the clearest teachings of the New Testament. Also, the New Testament identifies the Holy Spirit as God.

For example, the Holy Spirit possesses omniscience (1 Cor. 2:10-12), an attribute that belongs exclusively to God. The Spirit also performs divine works such as regeneration (John 3:5-6, 8), conviction (John 16:8), and the inspiration of Scripture (2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Peter 1:21). The most obvious passage indicating the deity of the Holy Spirit is Acts 5:3-4, where lying to the Holy Spirit is equated with lying to God (“Why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit? . . . You have not lied to men but to God.”).

Frequently, the New Testament speaks of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as equals in their work. For example, Paul gives praise for the entire Godhead’s work in salvation: First the Father who chose us (Eph. 1:3-6), then the Son who redeems us (Eph. 1:7-12), and also the Holy Spirit who secures us (Eph. 1:13-14).

Similarly, Peter describes believers as “chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood” (1 Peter 1:1-2, italics added; cf. 2 Cor. 13:14). Perhaps the strongest statement of the triune nature of God is found in the command of the Lord Jesus for His followers to baptize “in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit” (Matt. 28:19). While identifying the three persons, indicating the “threeness” of God, the noun “name” is singular where a plural would be expected grammatically, indicating God’s oneness. It is plain to see that the whole Bible supports the idea that God is one and that there is a mysterious threeness or plurality in that oneness. This led many theologians to attempt to explain how this could be.

4.  THE THEOLOGICAL EXPLANATIONS

4.1.       The Mistaken Explanations

One erroneous explanation affirms that the Father is fully God but denies or depreciates the deity of the Son and the Holy Spirit. This interpretation contradicts the testimony of Scripture.

Another mistaken approach is a form of Tritheism, affirming the deity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit but denying the biblical teaching that there is only one God. A third incorrect explanation, called Modalism, sees the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as three forms or modes of the One God.

So, God is the Father in the Old Testament, the Son in the Gospels, and the Holy Spirit after the giving of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2. Yet, at the baptism of the Lord Jesus, the Son was baptized, the Holy Spirit descended from heaven, and the Father declared His love for the Son (Matt. 3:16-17), showing all three persons present at once. These wrong views led to other theologians providing a better explanation.

4.2.      The Orthodox Explanation

There is an explanation of the trinity that has been considered correct and agreed upon (what we mean by “orthodox”) by the church leaders since ancient times. Certain church fathers affirmed both the oneness and threeness of God and sought to explain how this could be using a Greco- Roman philosophical perspective.

They adopted two terms, essence (ousia) and person (hypostasis), explaining that there is but one essence of God, and that the three distinct persons of the Godhead each fully had the essence of deity. This satisfied the need for an explanation and was accepted as the correct meaning of the triunity of God. Some have objected to using the word “person” because it may imply three separate individuals. It might be better to say that the essence of deity exists in three personal self-distinctions. Once again it gets awfully hard to understand.

The difficulty in understanding led to this helpful (and common) depiction of the triune nature of God.

Although certainly helpful in explaining the triunity of God, it still remains a hard concept to grasp. As a result people have proposed a variety of illustrations. Some say God is like water (H,O), which can be solid (ice), gas (steam), or liquid, and given the right conditions, all three can exist in equilibrium. Others have proposed an egg, with shell, yolk, and albumen (egg white) all being fully egg and yet distinct. These and other illustrations may help but ultimately are not fully adequate for explaining God’s triunity.

5.  FINAL THOUGHTS

At the outset, I wrote that the theological concept of the triunity of God, although biblical, is certainly hard to grasp. It’s why my predecessor as Jewish Studies professor at Moody Bible Institute, Dr. Louis Goldberg, a brilliant philosophical scholar, would always speak of “the mystery nature of God.” He would often tell us in class that God’s plurality in His oneness is the infinite mystery of God’s being.

It’s what Ken Boa meant when he spoke of the triune nature of God as an antinomy, writing, there are “many things about God [which] are mysterious, incomprehensible, and superrational. God in his existence as the three-in-one is beyond the limits of human comprehension.” We can affirm that the Trinity is certainly taught in Scripture but it’s beyond our finite human minds. So, although we may not be able to explain the Trinity completely, we must certainly believe in it absolutely.