Jesus, God, and Spirit in the New Testament and Early Christian Interpretations of the Old Testament

“The Birth of the Trinity is a surprising book that resists simple classification. Is it exegetical? Is it theological? Is it historical? The answer to each of these questions is a resounding, ‘Yes, and much more!’ Setting aside long-held majority opinions regarding christological development or adoptionism, or regarding Trinitarian theology as an intrusion into biblical faith from Hellenistic philosophy, Bates insists that early high Christology and the Christian understanding of the Trinity itself were cultivated through the dramatic reading of Israel’s Scriptures. For biblical and theological studies alike, this is a compelling turning point.”

—Joel B. Green, Professor of New Testament Interpretation, Fuller Theological Seminary