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The Word as World: A Trinitarian Incarnation of Being in Creation


A Canonical Theology of Revelation, Creation, and Consummation

Introduction: The One Who Was, and Is, and Is to Come

From the beginning, God has not merely spoken into creation—He has spoken as creation. The Scriptures do not offer us abstract truths suspended above the world; they offer us the world itself as divine speech. “By the word of YHWH the heavens were made” (Psalm 33:6), and “in beginning, God created” (Genesis 1:1)—not in silence, but in command, in communion, in Spirit-filled breath.

In this reflection, we trace a Trinitarian theology of the Word as World. What we seek is nothing less than a canonical re-reading of the Christian Scriptures that integrates:

  • Theology (the revelation of God),

  • Ontology (the nature of being),

  • Anthropology (the image of humanity), and

  • Eschatology (the purpose and consummation of all things),

…into one unified vision of the Incarnation not merely as a moment in time, but as the telos of time, space, and creation itself.

This is not speculative metaphysics. It is the gospel according to Moses, the Prophets, the Psalms, and the Apostles. It is the unveiling of the wisdom, glory, and power of the Triune God through order, peace, and love—culminating in the rest and rule of the seventh day, which is not past but yet to come.

Let us now walk the arc of canon, world, and word.

Part I: The Word as World—A Trinitarian Ontology of Revelation

1. World as Being Called by God into Order

'Physis' as the Wisdom of God (Genesis 1:1; Romans 1:20)

Creation is not a mute backdrop. It is speech made visible, wisdom made tangible, ontology made audible. The world exists because the Father called it into being—not merely as mass, but as meaning. In Genesis 1, the phrase “And God said…” is not metaphorical. It is ontological: Being is commanded.

“His invisible things… are clearly seen, being understood by the things made…” —Romans 1:20

Here, physis—nature—is not brute material. It is divine articulation. The Father’s wisdom is embedded in the fabric of creation, echoing through patterns, laws, and light. The world is not merely made—it is known by being called.

2. Man as Being Called by God into Peace

Wo(Man) as the Glory of God (Genesis 2:7–3:9; Psalm 8; Isaiah 11)

If the world is called into order, humanity is called into relationship. Genesis 2 depicts YHWH not speaking generally, but breathing intimately. The Spirit calls Adam into being, not with force, but with breath—with peace.

“YHWH God called to the man…” —Genesis 3:9
“What is man that You are mindful of him… You have crowned him with glory and honor.” —Psalm 8:4–6

Humanity is the place where being hears. Anthropos is not just physical but conscientious, bearing the image of relational glory. In Isaiah’s vision, this glory finds its telos when the wolf lies down with the lamb—when the very good of Day Six finds its rest in the shalom of God's design.

3. Christ as Being Called by God into Love

The Church as the Power of God in Rest (John 1:14; Luke 9:35; Rev 19–21)

The Incarnation is not merely God entering history. It is God fulfilling creation. Jesus is not an interruption of being but its consummation. In Him, we see the Son, the Beloved of the Father, the One in whom the Church is formed—not as a club or institution, but as Bride, as Sabbath, as dwelling place.

“This is My Beloved Son… listen to Him.” —Luke 9:35
“The Church… a display of the manifold wisdom of God…” —Ephesians 3:10
“The Bride has made herself ready…” —Revelation 19:7

Where creation began in order, and humanity was summoned to peace, Christ climaxes all in love. The Church is not merely saved from the world but called as its fulfillment—a royal priesthood resting in the seventh day.

Part II: The Teleological Trinity — Creation Consummated in Order, Peace, and Love

If Part I revealed the ontology of divine speech in the fabric of creation, Part II now unveils the telos—the purposeful end of all that has been spoken. This is not an abstract destiny but the consummation of creation through the Triune rhythm of order, peace, and love, each revealed in a divine Person, and each fulfilled in a canonical climax.

Here we do not merely see the world as a stage for God’s work—we see it as the substance of God’s work. The Word becomes flesh not in spite of creation, but for creation. And in the full arc of Scripture, we see three consummations:

1. The World as Called into Order — Wisdom Consummated in New Creation

(Genesis 1:1 → Revelation 21:1)

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” —Genesis 1:1
“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth…” —Revelation 21:1

The cosmos begins in ordered separation: light from dark, land from sea, heavens from earth. This is not division but distinction, the form of wisdom: the Father’s Logos spoken into space and time.

But this wisdom is not finished in Genesis. It finds its telos in Revelation, where the heavens and the earth—once distinct—are married:

“Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man… the former things have passed away.” —Rev 21:3–4

The world is not discarded. It is transfigured. What was once a good creation becomes a very good new creation, where all things are made one—heaven and earth joined in holy union. This is the cosmic consummation of Wisdom.

2. Adam as Called into Peace — Glory Consummated in Shalom

(Genesis 2:7 → Isaiah 11 → Revelation 21:9–27)

The creation of man is not an act of control but an act of breath. The Spirit calls Adam to life and then to naming—to seeing and stewarding. This is glory: to be known and to know, to walk with God in the cool of the day.

But peace is fractured in Genesis 3, and the image becomes shadowed. Yet the telos is not lost. In Isaiah’s prophecy, the Spirit of the Lord will rest upon a new shoot from Jesse, and in that day:

“The wolf shall dwell with the lamb… and a little child shall lead them.” —Isaiah 11:6

This is not mere animal poetry. It is anthropological prophecy—the vision of humanity restored to glory in the peaceful dominion originally given to Adam.

And this peace climaxes in New Jerusalem, a city of radiant glory, with “the glory of God as its light” (Rev 21:23). Humanity is not obliterated; it is exalted. The garden becomes a garden-city.

3. Christ as Called into Love — Power Consummated in Rest and Communion

(John 1:14 → Rev 19:7–9; 21:2–3)

Love is not the third thing added to creation—it is the first thing fulfilled. In the voice of the Son, all creation is drawn into communion. Jesus does not merely declare God’s love—He embodies it.

“The Word became flesh and dwelt among us…” —John 1:14
“This is My Beloved Son…” —Luke 9:35

And in Him, the Church is called—not only to obedience, not only to faith, but to bridal union:

“Let us rejoice… for the marriage of the Lamb has come.” —Revelation 19:7
“The Bride, the wife of the Lamb…” —Revelation 21:9

This is the final consummation: Love rests. Love reigns. The power of God is displayed not in force, but in communion. The Sabbath is no longer a day—it is a Person, a People, a Place.

Summary Table: The Teleological Consummation of Creation

Person Call Fulfilment Climactic Image
Father Into Order Wisdom revealed in cosmos New Heavens and New Earth (Rev 21:1)
Spirit Into Peace Glory fulfilled in humanity Garden-City of Shalom (Isa 11; Rev 21)
Son Into Love Power revealed in communion Bride and Sabbath Rest (Rev 19–21)

Part III: The Integration of Theology, Ontology, and Anthropology in Canonical Fulfilment

The Christian canon does not end in abstraction—it ends in adoration. And that adoration is not a flight from the world but the fulfilment of its deepest structure: being as called, being as known, being as loved. This is not merely the story of God. It is the story of us in God, and God in us. It is the return of the world to its origin, by way of its teleological transfiguration in Christ.

Here, we integrate the three strands of this vision:

  • Theology: Who is God?

  • Ontology: What is Being?

  • Anthropology: Who is Man?

And we discover they are not separate disciplines, but one unified answer:

“The One who was, and is, and is to come” (Rev 1:8)—the God who calls, knows, and loves.

1. Theology: God as the One Who Calls, Knows, and Loves

God is not merely the Creator of Being. He is the Revealer of Being. He does not speak about Himself abstractly—He incarnates Himself in the world, in history, and in flesh.

The Triune God reveals Himself in three modes that correspond to the consummation of creation:

Person of the Trinity Divine Action Revelation Mode
Father Commands Wisdom and Word (Creation)
Spirit Calls Knowledge and Conscience (Peace)
Son Loves Communion and Flesh (Incarnation)

Thus, theology is not speculation. It is recognition. The voice that speaks in Genesis 1 is the same voice that says “This is My Son” and “Behold, I make all things new.”

2. Ontology: Being as Called, Known, and Loved

I have proposed the question: Do we have a Trinitarian Incarnation of the Word as Creation itself?
I now answer: Yes.

Creation is not a backdrop—it is a sacrament. A revelation of Being as response to God’s own nature.

Mode of Being Divine Source Canonical Shape
Being as Called Father “Let there be…” → Heaven and Earth united (Gen 1 → Rev 21)
Being as Known Spirit “Where are you?” → Humanity restored in Peace (Gen 3 → Isa 11)
Being as Loved Son “This is My Beloved” → Church as Bride and Rest (John 1 → Rev 19–21)

Ontology is not neutral. It is prophetic—it bears witness to the God who speaks, knows, and embraces.

3. Anthropology: Humanity as Image, Glory, and Bride

At the centre of creation is not chaos or chance—it is the image of God.

Adam, Wo(Man), is created in the image of the One who speaks. And so humanity is not merely physical—it is relational. We are the ones who answer. We are the ones who are called.

But this calling is not static. It matures across the canon:

Identity Mode of Response Fulfilment Image
Image Called Steward of Earth (Gen 1–2)
Glory Known Restorer of Peace (Isa 11; Ps 8)
Bride Loved Co-heir in Royal Communion (Rev 19–21)

Anthropology, in light of Christ, is teleological anthropology:
We are created from God, formed for God, and destined to be with God.

Conclusion: “And It Was So” — The Good, the Very Good, and the Fulfilled

Genesis begins with a Word. Revelation ends with a Wedding.
In between is the story of Being unveiled, named, wounded, restored, and glorified.

  • “And God saw that it was good…” — the first declaration of being.

  • “And God saw that it was very good…” — the culmination of order and peace.

  • “Behold, the dwelling of God is with man…” — the final word of love, rest, and communion.

This is not mere eschatology. This is ontological fulfilment. The world is not ending—it is becoming what it was always called to be.
In Christ, through the Spirit, to the glory of the Father.

This is the Trinitarian Incarnation of the Word as Creation.
This is the teleological consummation of wisdom, glory, and power.
This is the gospel according to Genesis and Revelation.

And this is what we were made to behold.

“The earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of YHWH, as the waters cover the sea.” —Habakkuk 2:14

Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.


By Joe Towns

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