What does the Bible teach about the Trinity? Is the doctrine of the Trinity found in the Bible?
What does the Bible teach about the Trinity?
Is the doctrine of the Trinity found in the Bible?
How is the trinity not tritheism?
The most difficult thing about the Christian concept of the Trinity is that there is no way to adequately explain it. The Trinity is a concept that is impossible for any human being to fully understand, let alone explain. God is infinitely greater than we are; therefore, we should not expect to be able to fully understand Him. The Bible teaches that the Father is God, that Jesus is God, and that the Holy Spirit is God. The Bible also teaches that there is only one God. Though we can understand some facts about the relationship of the different Persons of the Trinity to one another, ultimately, it is incomprehensible to the human mind. However, this does not mean the Trinity is not true or that it is not based on the teachings of the Bible.
The Trinity is one God existing in three Persons. Understand that this is not in any way suggesting three Gods. Keep in mind when studying this subject that the word “Trinity” is not found in Scripture. This is a term that is used to attempt to describe the triune God—three coexistent, co-eternal Persons who make up God. Of real importance is that the concept represented by the word “Trinity” does exist in Scripture. The following is what God’s Word says about the Trinity:
1) There is one God (Deuteronomy 6:4; 1 Corinthians 8:4; Galatians 3:20; 1 Timothy 2:5).
2) The Trinity consists of three Persons (Genesis 1:1, 26; 3:22; 11:7; Isaiah 6:8, 48:16, 61:1; Matthew 3:16-17, 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14). In Genesis 1:1, the Hebrew plural noun Elohim is used. In Genesis 1:26, 3:22, 11:7 and Isaiah 6:8, the plural pronoun for “us” is used. The word Elohim and the pronoun “us” are plural forms, definitely referring in the Hebrew language to more than two. While this is not an explicit argument for the Trinity, it does denote the aspect of plurality in God. The Hebrew word for God, Elohim, definitely allows for the Trinity.
In Isaiah 48:16 and 61:1, the Son is speaking while making reference to the Father and the Holy Spirit. Compare Isaiah 61:1 to Luke 4:14-19 to see that it is the Son speaking. Matthew 3:16-17 describes the event of Jesus’ baptism. Seen in this passage is God the Holy Spirit descending on God the Son while God the Father proclaims His pleasure in the Son. Matthew 28:19 and 2 Corinthians 13:14 are examples of three distinct persons in the Trinity.
3) The members of the Trinity are distinguished one from another in various passages. In the Old Testament, “LORD” is distinguished from “Lord” (Genesis 19:24; Hosea 1:4). The LORD has a Son (Psalm 2:7, 12; Proverbs 30:2-4). The Spirit is distinguished from the “LORD” (Numbers 27:18) and from “God” (Psalm 51:10-12). God the Son is distinguished from God the Father (Psalm 45:6-7; Hebrews 1:8-9). In the New Testament, Jesus speaks to the Father about sending a Helper, the Holy Spirit (John 14:16-17). This shows that Jesus did not consider Himself to be the Father or the Holy Spirit. Consider also all the other times in the Gospels where Jesus speaks to the Father. Was He speaking to Himself? No. He spoke to another person in the Trinity—the Father.
4) Each member of the Trinity is God. The Father is God (John 6:27; Romans 1:7; 1 Peter 1:2). The Son is God (John 1:1, 14; Romans 9:5; Colossians 2:9; Hebrews 1:8; 1 John 5:20). The Holy Spirit is God (Acts 5:3-4; 1 Corinthians 3:16).
5) There is subordination within the Trinity. Scripture shows that the Holy Spirit is subordinate to the Father and the Son, and the Son is subordinate to the Father. This is an internal relationship and does not deny the deity of any person of the Trinity. This is simply an area which our finite minds cannot understand concerning the infinite God. Concerning the Son see Luke 22:42, John 5:36, John 20:21, and 1 John 4:14. Concerning the Holy Spirit see John 14:16, 14:26, 15:26, 16:7, and especially John 16:13-14.
6) The individual members of the Trinity have different tasks. The Father is the ultimate source or cause of the universe (1 Corinthians 8:6; Revelation 4:11); divine revelation (Revelation 1:1); salvation (John 3:16-17); and Jesus’ human works (John 5:17, 14:10). The Father initiates all of these things.
The Son is the agent through whom the Father does the following works: the creation and maintenance of the universe (1 Corinthians 8:6; John 1:3; Colossians 1:16-17); divine revelation (John 1:1, 16:12-15; Matthew 11:27; Revelation 1:1); and salvation (2 Corinthians 5:19; Matthew 1:21; John 4:42). The Father does all these things through the Son, who functions as His agent.
The Holy Spirit is the means by whom the Father does the following works: creation and maintenance of the universe (Genesis 1:2; Job 26:13; Psalm 104:30); divine revelation (John 16:12-15; Ephesians 3:5; 2 Peter 1:21); salvation (John 3:6; Titus 3:5; 1 Peter 1:2); and Jesus’ works (Isaiah 61:1; Acts 10:38). Thus the Father does all these things by the power of the Holy Spirit.
There have been many attempts to develop illustrations of the Trinity. However, none of the popular illustrations are completely accurate. The egg (or apple) fails in that the shell, white, and yolk are parts of the egg, not the egg in themselves, just as the skin, flesh, and seeds of the apple are parts of it, not the apple itself. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are not parts of God; each of them is God. The water illustration is somewhat better, but it still fails to adequately describe the Trinity. Liquid, vapor, and ice are forms of water. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are not forms of God, each of them is God. So, while these illustrations may give us a picture of the Trinity, the picture is not entirely accurate. An infinite God cannot be fully described by a finite illustration.
The doctrine of the Trinity has been a divisive issue throughout the entire history of the Christian church. While the core aspects of the Trinity are clearly presented in God’s Word, some of the side issues are not as explicitly clear. The Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God—but there is only one God. That is the biblical doctrine of the Trinity. Beyond that, the issues are, to a certain extent, debatable and non-essential. Rather than attempting to fully define the Trinity with our finite human minds, we would be better served by focusing on the fact of God’s greatness and His infinitely higher nature. “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?” (Romans 11:33-34).
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December 13 2009 07:09 am | Bible
Beaux on 13 Dec 2009 at 12:35 pm #
The classic doctrine of the Trinity states that there is one only and true God, but in the unity of the Godhead there are three coeternal and coequal Persons, the same in substance but distinct in subsistence (“Trinity”). It is stated clearly in the Athanasian Creed, “For there is one person of the Father, another of the Son, and another of the Holy Ghost” (Sullivan).
However, since the formation of the doctrine at the Council of Nice in 325 AD, argument has rested concerning whether God truly exists in this form or if He is completely and numerically one in every possible sense (“Trinity”). To understand truth, one must refer to what the Bible itself teaches—that God is one, not three. The idea of God being three does not appear in the Bible and so must not be taught or believed by those proclaiming to be Christians. But many locked in tradition and blinded by the man-made doctrines they have been essentially forced to believe, fail to see the truth of God’s holy word.
An examination of biblical truths with an open heart, truly seeking for God, reveals that He is indeed one, not three, harmonizing completely with the Old Testament (which some have proposed throwing out because of its supposed inconsistency with the New Testament). After all, Christianity is based upon Judaism, the religion of the Israelites that was, and still is, among the Jewish people of today, strictly monotheistic.
The Israelites viewed God as completely one in every sense, a concept to which several passages point, including the Jewish Sh’ma, “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:” and this verse from the prophet Malachi, “Have we not all one father? hath not one God created us? why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother, by profaning the covenant of our fathers?” (The Holy Bible, Deut 6.4; Mal 2.10).
There is no scriptural evidence that can reasonably support the doctrine of the Trinity. In fact, the only mentions of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit together are 1. “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:” and 2. “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.” (The Holy Bible, Matt 28.19; 1 John 5.7).
1.In Matthew 28:19, Jesus commands to baptize "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." The word name is singular. The name to be baptized in is Jesus Christ, as revealed in Acts 2:38, Acts 4:12, and Galatians 3:27, which do not conflict in any way with Matthew 28:19. In fact, in Matthew 28:19, no names are used at all—titles are used. Some might argue that Acts 2:38 is meant to baptize in the authority of Jesus Christ but the same word is used in Matthew 28:19 and so the argument falls short.
2.1 John 5:7 ends by declaring that the three are one. Not existent in one or subsistent in one, but simply one. And although oft times the English word “one” that is used in the Bible means “in union” in the original Greek, it is in this instance the literal numerical one. In fact, there is much dispute concerning whether or not this verse, the seemingly Trinitarian half in particular, truly existed in the original texts, and in many literal translations it is either excluded or placed in italics. However, for the sake of those that might believe that it was indeed included in the original texts, we will assume, for the aversion of argument on this matter, that the original inclusion is genuine, though it does not support a Trinitarian stance as many claim.
The prophet Malachi goes on to say in his book “For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.” (The Holy Bible, Mal 3.6). It is clearly stated here that God does not change; therefore, the singularity of God taught in the Old Testament did not change with the birth of Christ. Rather, the one God became manifest in the flesh as Jesus Christ as Paul wrote to Timothy “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.” (The Holy Bible, 1 Tim 3.16).
Too often, Trinitarians make the claim that Jesus Christ could not have been the Father because it would make God praying to Himself. We understand, however, that God had two inseparable natures—the nature of the human and the nature of the divine. The humanity of Jesus shared the same relationship with the Father that a Spirit-filled believer does. It was, however, to a much greater extent because Jesus had no separation from God because of His sinlessness.
The fullness of God dwelled within Him but, as a human, He was limited the same way all humans are. Jesus declared that He could do nothing of Himself, but that the Father that was in Him did the works and miracles (The Holy Bible, John 5.19, 5.30, 8.28).
Christ’s humanity meant that He had to carry on a relationship with God. He was limited and so had to pray because there is no power in a human being. God possesses all power, all holiness, all goodness, and all love. God healed and spoke through the humanity of Christ in which He dwelt.
Some point to John 1:1 as proof of a Trinity, stating that the Word, the Son, pre-existed with the Father. Let us carefully examine these verses:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. (The Holy Bible, John 1.1-3).
In the Greek texts, the word used here for "Word" is logos (lō–gōs). The Greek word logos is defined "something said (including the thought)" (Strong 45). Understanding the meaning of this word is vital to unlocking this mystery if it is not clearly seen otherwise. It can be understood that since God is a Spirit (John 4:24), His qualities, such as His word, His will, and His love, are abstract and, while not distinct deities themselves, are all manifestations of God. Since God’s logos included the thought and God knows all things due to His omnipresence in time as well as space, His Word was not only what He used to create the universe, but the plan for Christ as well. Thus, scriptures like John 1:1-3 and Colossians 1:16-17 do easily fall into their true place.
Far too often, the use of the word Elohim, a plural word used in the singular sense, is viewed as an indication from God that He is a trinity. However, many scholars, including Trinitarians, claim that the word implies majesty or power and has nothing to do with the composition of God. This holds up very well due to the strict monotheism of the Jewish people which would crumble under the weight of any scripture that was in contradiction. Under their strict belief in a completely singular God, any seeming indication that He is anything other than one must have an alternate explanation. This is the case.
Others point to the baptism of Christ, saying that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit were all present and yet separate at that time. However, understanding that God is omnipresent, that He is the Father as the Creator, manifest as the Son as the Redeemer, and is the Holy Spirit in action and works, it is not an unreasonable passage to tackle. Because of His omnipresence, He could dwell both within the Son and yet speak to Him at the same time. He could also manifest Himself in the form of a dove and descend upon the Son. However, it is important to note that only John and Jesus saw this incredible vision and it was given especially to John because he had been told that he would see the Spirit of God descend upon the one who was Christ.
Many point to the vision of Stephen. While this argument does puzzle some who are confused in this matter, it is not beyond proper understanding. Let’s examine the two verses from Acts that are in question closely:
But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. (The Holy Bible, Acts 7.55-56).
What did Stephen see? What did Stephen say he saw? Stephen’s vision and what Stephen said do not clearly agree, but in no way does that make him a liar. After all, he was filled with the Holy Ghost, the Spirit of God. He saw Jesus standing on the right hand of God, but what he said was that he saw the Son of man standing at the right hand of God. Jesus was the name of both the human and the divine nature of Christ. When Stephen saw Jesus at the right hand of God, he saw the glorified body of Christ standing at God’s right hand. This is not condoning two divine persons. It is Christ’s humanity and divinity.
Therefore, factoring all these considerations, it can be seen that 1 Timothy 3:16 completely and totally sums up the incarnation of Christ. I do not feel that I have taken any part of the scriptures out of context and that I have rightly divided the word of truth as Paul said to do in 2 Timothy 2:15.
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Old Man from Scene 24 on 13 Dec 2009 at 12:48 pm #
Trinitarians never can give a decent explanation of where they get the notion of how it works. Some have a canned answer (they even have it ready to copy/paste quite often) they pretend explains it all, but they just say it is our problem we can’t understand it, when in reality it makes no sense to them, either.
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Kilroy J on 13 Dec 2009 at 1:11 pm #
Check out an in depth study of this subject at
http://www.watchtower.org/e/ti/article_03.htm
HOW could such a confusing doctrine originate? The Catholic Encyclopedia claims: "A dogma so mysterious presupposes a Divine revelation." Catholic scholars Karl Rahner and Herbert Vorgrimler state in their Theological Dictionary: "The Trinity is a mystery . . . in the strict sense . . . , which could not be known without revelation, and even after revelation cannot become wholly intelligible."
However, contending that since the Trinity is such a confusing mystery, it must have come from divine revelation creates another major problem. Why? Because divine revelation itself does not allow for such a view of God: "God is not a God of confusion."—1 Corinthians 14:33, Revised Standard Version (RS).
In view of that statement, would God be responsible for a doctrine about himself that is so confusing that even Hebrew, Greek, and Latin scholars cannot really explain it?
Furthermore, do people have to be theologians ‘to know the only true God and Jesus Christ whom he has sent’? (John 17:3, JB) If that were the case, why did so few of the educated Jewish religious leaders recognize Jesus as the Messiah? His faithful disciples were, instead, humble farmers, fishermen, tax collectors, housewives. Those common people were so certain of what Jesus taught about God that they could teach it to others and were even willing to die for their belief.—Matthew 15:1-9; 21:23-32, 43; 23:13-36; John 7:45-49; Acts 4:13.
References :
http://www.watchtower.org
LesterM on 13 Dec 2009 at 1:52 pm #
The Bible clearly teaches that there is only one God, yet all three Persons are called God.
There is only one God:
- Listen, Israel: Yahweh our God is the one, the only Yahweh. (Deuteronomy 6:4)
- Thus says Yahweh, Israel’s king, Yahweh Sabaoth, his redeemer: I am the first and I am the last; there is no God except me. (Isaiah 44:6)
The Father is God:
- There is only one God, the Father from whom all things come and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things come and through whom we exist. (1 Corinthians 8:6)
- There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father of all, over all, through all and within all. (Ephesians 4:4-6)
The Son is God:
- In the beginning was the Word: the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things came into being, not one thing came into being except through him. What has come into being in him was life, life that was the light of men; and light shines in darkness, and darkness could not overpower it.
The Word became flesh, he lived among us, and we saw his glory, the glory that he has from the Father as only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:1-5, 14)
- The Father and I are one. The Jews fetched stones to stone him, so Jesus said to them, “I have shown you many good works from my Father; for which of these are you stoning me?” The Jews answered him, “We are stoning you, not for doing a good work, but for blasphemy; though you are only a man, you claim to be God.” (John 10:30-33)
- Thomas replied, “My Lord and my God”. Jesus said to him:
You believe because you can see me. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe. (John 20:28)
Jesus did not tell Thomas he was mistaken; instead Jesus accepted these titles. Other people in Scripture, notably Paul and Barnabas refused to accept worship as gods. (Acts 14)
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chihuahua on 13 Dec 2009 at 2:03 pm #
I believe in the Holy Trinity in the name of God the Father , the Son Jesus as my savior and the Holy Spirit as my comforter,
They all come from God and there’s is only one God in all
Amen!
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Lightning From the East on 13 Dec 2009 at 2:31 pm #
God is a trinity of persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The Father is not the same person as the Son; the Son is not the same person as the Holy Spirit; and the Holy Spirit is not the same person as Father. They are not three gods and not three beings. They are three distinct persons; yet, they are all the one God. Each has a will, can speak, can love, etc., and these are demonstrations of personhood. They are in absolute perfect harmony consisting of one substance. They are coeternal, coequal, and copowerful. If any one of the three were removed, there would be no God.http://www.carm.org/trinity
What is the Trinity?
http://www.carm.org/christianity/christian-doctrine/what-trinity
God as a Trinity
http://www.carm.org/apologetics/cut-and-paste-information/god-trinity
The Trinity, the Hypostatic Union, and the Communicatio Idiomatum
http://www.carm.org/christianity/christian-doctrine/trinity-hypostatic-union-and-communicatio-idiomatum
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The Lightning Strikes
Godspeed on 13 Dec 2009 at 2:52 pm #
The relationship of God the Father, God the Son and the Holy Spirit (the Godhead or Trinity) has been hotly debated over the centuries since Jesus’ death and resurrection. The "Trinitarian" view is that the Godhead, exists as three persons, but one being. Under this doctrine each of the persons of the Trinity is understood to have one identical essence, not merely similar natures. Since the beginning of the third century the doctrine of Trinitarianists has been stated as: "the one God exists in three persons with one substance or essence."
This doctrine is in contrast to "Nontrinitarian" religious beliefs that see the Trinity as either: (1) "one deity/one person" (unitarianism); (2) there is one God, a singular spirit who manifests himself in many different ways (Oneness); (3) the heavenly father, resurrected son and Holy Spirit are different modes or aspects of one God (Modalism); (4) "one deity/two persons" (Binitarianism); and (5) the general Mormon view that the Godhead consists of three separate and distinct beings who are one in purpose but not in substance or essence.
As you can see, the Trinitarianists, Oneness, and Modalists religious groups have very similar views on the Trinity and therefore are grouped as Unitarians (the "U" in upper case). Unitarians (with a lower case "u") believe in the moral authority, but not necessarily the divinity, of Jesus. Their theology is thus distinguishable from the trinitarian theology of most Christian denominations, which hold the idea of a triune God as a core belief. Adhering to strict monotheism, unitarians maintain that Jesus was a great man and a prophet of God, perhaps even a supernatural being, but not God himself. They believe Jesus did not claim to be God but rather only the "Son of God", also that his teachings did not hint at the existence of a triune God.
The Binitarianism, on the other hand, is a Christian theology of two persons, two individuals, or two aspects in one Godhead (or God). Classically, Bibitarianism is understood as strict monotheism — that is, that God is an absolutely single being; and yet there is a "twoness" in God. While bitheism is two separate beings in one "God family" who are in perfect harmony/agreement with each other/one another, composed of the Father and the Son as two distinct Gods, and the Holy Spirit as not a God, but rather as the living power of God that flows/emanates between both the Father and the Son.
The final doctrine is Trinitarianism, which believes that the Godhead consists of three separate and distinct individuals. Some members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints interpret the oneness of the Trinity as a metaphorical oneness in spirit, purpose, and glory, rather than a physical or metaphysical unity and therefore see the Godhead as separate persons. On the other hand, some smaller, Protestant-oriented Latter Day Saint sects, such as the Community of Christ, consider the Book of Mormon to be consistent with trinitarianism.
To summarize, some Christains believe there is only one God, God the Father and hence they believe that Jesus and the Holy Spirit are not true gods. Others believe the Trinity consists of one God with three persons,essences or aspects. Others believe the Father and Son are one, but the Holy Spirit is not a God. And lastly, some believe the Godhead consists of three separate people or Gods.
Godspeed
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Glenn P on 13 Dec 2009 at 3:31 pm #
Bible says father,son and the holy spirit as Trinity,But all are one and they are in different forms. http://Devotions.me
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Shaw on 13 Dec 2009 at 4:08 pm #
The New Encyclopædia Britannica says: “Neither the word Trinity, nor the explicit doctrine as such, appears in the New Testament, nor did Jesus and his followers intend to contradict the Shema in the Old Testament: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord’ (Deut. 6:4). . . . The doctrine developed gradually over several centuries and through many controversies. . . . By the end of the 4th century . . . the doctrine of the Trinity took substantially the form it has maintained ever since.”—(1976), Micropædia, Vol. X, p. 126.
The New Catholic Encyclopedia states: “The formulation ‘one God in three Persons’ was not solidly established, certainly not fully assimilated into Christian life and its profession of faith, prior to the end of the 4th century. But it is precisely this formulation that has first claim to the title the Trinitarian dogma. Among the Apostolic Fathers, there had been nothing even remotely approaching such a mentality or perspective.”
Neither the word “Trinity” nor a statement of the Trinitarian dogma is found in the Bible, so are the concepts that are embodied in that dogma found there?
Does the Bible teach that the “Holy Spirit” is a person?
Some individual texts that refer to the holy spirit (“Holy Ghost,” King James) might seem to indicate personality. For example, the holy spirit is referred to as a helper (Greek, pa·ra′kle·tos; “Comforter,” KJ; “Advocate,” other translations) that ‘teaches,’ ‘bears witness,’ ‘speaks’ and ‘hears.’ (John 14:16, 17, 26; 15:26; 16:13) But other texts say that people were “filled” with holy spirit, that some were ‘baptized’ with it or “anointed” with it. (Luke 1:41; Matt. 3:11; Acts 10:38) These latter references to holy spirit definitely do not fit a person. To understand what the Bible as a whole teaches, all these texts must be considered. What is the reasonable conclusion? That the first texts cited here employ a figure of speech personifying God’s holy spirit, his active force, as the Bible also personifies wisdom, sin, death, water, and blood.
Matt. 26:39, RS: “Going a little farther he [Jesus Christ] fell on his face and prayed, ‘My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt.’” (If the Father and the Son were not distinct individuals, such a prayer would have been meaningless. Jesus would have been praying to himself, and his will would of necessity have been the Father’s will.)
John 8:17, 18, RS: “[Jesus answered the Jewish Pharisees:] In your law it is written that the testimony of two men is true; I bear witness to myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness to me.” (So, Jesus definitely spoke of himself as being an individual separate and distinct from the Father.)
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be_n9ne on 13 Dec 2009 at 4:25 pm #
As long as the ideas of man change so will his religion; Trinity is not explained in the Bible because the trinity is not a doctrine.
In John chap 10:34 "Is it not written in your law I said ye are gods"
Man= Spirit(Mind)+ Soul + Body
Jesus= Spirit + Soul + Body
Time never was when man was not." If life of man at any time began, a time would come when it would end. "The thoughts of GOD cannot be circumscribed. No finite mind can comprehend things infinite. All finite things are subject unto change. All finite things will cease to be because there was a time when they were not." The bodies and the souls of men are finite things, and they will change, yea, from the finite point of view the time will come when they will be no more.
"But man himself is not the body, nor the soul; he is a spirit and a part of GOD." Creative Fate gave to man, to spirit-man, a soul that he might function on the plane of soul; gave him a body of the flesh, that he might function on the plane of things made manifest. Why did creative Fate give to spirit-man a soul that he might function on the plane of soul? Why did creative Fate give to soul a body of the flesh that he might function on the plane of things that are made manifest?
Simply put the spirit is one with GOD which mean it comes from the same source
Now to be made manifest one must have a soul that you might have feelings and emotion
and to live in the phsyical realm of existence you must be made manifest in the body so you may have flesh therefore all humans are a trinity. If you take away your soul you would not be the same person or thing that you are you have to have all three which equals one being.
References :
The Holy Koran of Moorish Science
Bible Student on 13 Dec 2009 at 4:55 pm #
The incorrect doctrine of the trinity was pieced together by individuals who claimed to learned men between the 2nd and 4th century AD.
This false belief was finally formalised in the document we know as The Nicene Creed.
This Creed was formulated under the guidance of Christian Roman Churchmen of the time. Who were trying to integrate the Egyptian, Babylonian, Greek along with other mythologies and religious beliefs, so that Christianity became acceptable to heathen people there armies had subdued.
God is the Father of Jesus.
Jesus is the son of God.
The Holy Spirit is the power by which God does things.
They are 3 separate entities, with 2 of them having a Father Son relationship.
If you look at the John 10:30 Where Jesus says "I and my Father are one" in context of John 10:23-38 KJV you will see that Jesus is saying God his father and he, Jesus, His son are one in purpose.
You should also consider a similar statement made by Jesus found in
John 17:21-23 KJV
21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:
23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.
Jesus clearly states that we are we are all “one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee,”
To claim on this basis that we are part of God in the same way as Jesus is said to be part of the trinity, is clearly as wrong as saying "I and my Father are one" proves the Jesus and God are the same being.
The Apostle Paul confirms that equality did not exist between God and Jesus when he wrote to the church in Corinth that at the end of time Jesus would be subject to his Father..
1 Corinthians 15:28 KJV
And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.
The Apostle Peter pointed out the mankind would adjust Bible teaching when he wrote the following in His Epistle –
2 Peter 1:19-21 and 2 Peter 2:1-2 MKJV
19 We also have a more sure Word of prophecy, to which you do well to take heed, as to a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the Daystar arises in your hearts,
20 knowing this first, that no prophecy of the Scripture came into being of its own private interpretation.
21 For prophecy was not borne at any time by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke being borne along by the Holy Spirit.
1 But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who secretly will bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing on themselves swift destruction.
2 And many will follow their pernicious ways, and because of them the way of truth will be evil spoken of.
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Old and New Testament study linked with 2nd and 4th centaury Roman Church history
lyn1136 on 13 Dec 2009 at 5:40 pm #
The Doctrine of the Holy Trinity is in substance found in scripture.
The Father sends the Son, and the Holy Spirit proceeds from both
Persons of the Trinity. Thus, the command of the Trinity is given
to the world at the Incarnation of Christ, and Immaculate Mary is
the first witness to the Trinity, "I will send the Spirit."
It is the duty of all to believe that God sends the Third Person of
the Triune Personhead to incarnate the Son, Redeemer of the
World.
The mystery of the Trinity is just that, a mystery. It is beyond Man
to logically apply his human intellect to Its full understanding. Not
until the Beatific Vision is reached by each soul who hopes and
prays to reach Heaven, can one ever understand the Triune God.
Only then will we adore forever the beauty of God.
Most Holy Family Monastery.org
TraditionalMass.org
HuttonGibson.org
GerryMatatics.org
References :
dmbarry777 on 13 Dec 2009 at 5:54 pm #
While we cannot fully understand everything about the Trinity (or anything else), it is possible to answer questions like these and come to a solid grasp of what it means for God to be three in one. The goal of this booklet is to be a means to these ends.
The doctrine of the Trinity means that there is one God who eternally exists as three distinct Persons—the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Stated differently, God is one in essence and three in person. These definitions express three crucial truths: (1) The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinct Persons, (2) each Person is fully God, (3) there is only one God.
The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinct Persons. The Bible speaks of the Father as God (Phil. 1:2), the Jesus as God (Titus 2:13), and the Holy Spirit as God (Acts 5:3-4). Are these just three different ways of looking at God, or simply ways of referring to three different roles that God plays?
The answer must be no, because the Bible also indicates that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinct Persons. For example, since the Father sent the Son into the world (John 3:16), He cannot be the same person as the Son. Likewise, after the Son returned to the Father (John 16:10), the Father and the Son sent the Holy Spirit into the world (John 14:26; Acts 2:33). Therefore, the Holy Spirit must be distinct from the Father and the Son.
In the baptism of Jesus, we see the Father speaking from heaven and the Spirit descending from heaven in the form of a dove as Jesus comes out of the water (Mark 1:10-11). In John 1:1 it is affirmed that Jesus is God and, at the same time, that He was “with God”—thereby indicating that Jesus is a distinct Person from God the Father (cf. also 1:18). And in John 16:13-15 we see that although there is a close unity between them all, the Holy Spirit is also distinct from the Father and the Son.
The fact that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinct Persons means, in other words, that the Father is not the Son, the Son is not the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit is not the Father. Jesus is God, but He is not the Father or the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is God, but He is not the Son or the Father. They are different Persons, not three different ways of looking at God.’
The single clearest declaration of the existence of God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit – i.e, to use the traditional theological term, as a Trinity – is found in I John 5:1-21, which states, in relevant part:
Quoting 1 John 1:5-11 KJV:
5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?
6This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.
7 "For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.
8And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.
9If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son.
10He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.
11And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son’.
Other scriptures that offer a Trinitarian aspect:
Matt. 28:18, Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
2 Cor. 13:14,The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.
Eph. 4:4-7, There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; 5one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all. 7But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.
Jude 20-21, "But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith; praying in the Holy Spirit; 21keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life."
Source(s)
http://www.geocities.com/athens/Delphi/8449/trinity.html
http://www.christian-oneness.org/chapter7.htm
http://www.carm.org/christianity/christian-doctrine/word-trinity-not-bible
References :
Alexander Leenus on 13 Dec 2009 at 6:42 pm #
The most difficult thing about the Christian concept of the Trinity is that there is no way to adequately explain it. The Trinity is a concept that is impossible for any human being to fully understand, let alone explain. God is infinitely greater than we are; therefore, we should not expect to be able to fully understand Him. The Bible teaches that the Father is God, that Jesus is God, and that the Holy Spirit is God. The Bible also teaches that there is only one God. Though we can understand some facts about the relationship of the different Persons of the Trinity to one another, ultimately, it is incomprehensible to the human mind. However, this does not mean the Trinity is not true or that it is not based on the teachings of the Bible.
The Trinity is one God existing in three Persons. Understand that this is not in any way suggesting three Gods. Keep in mind when studying this subject that the word “Trinity” is not found in Scripture. This is a term that is used to attempt to describe the triune God—three coexistent, co-eternal Persons who make up God. Of real importance is that the concept represented by the word “Trinity” does exist in Scripture. The following is what God’s Word says about the Trinity:
1) There is one God (Deuteronomy 6:4; 1 Corinthians 8:4; Galatians 3:20; 1 Timothy 2:5).
2) The Trinity consists of three Persons (Genesis 1:1, 26; 3:22; 11:7; Isaiah 6:8, 48:16, 61:1; Matthew 3:16-17, 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14). In Genesis 1:1, the Hebrew plural noun Elohim is used. In Genesis 1:26, 3:22, 11:7 and Isaiah 6:8, the plural pronoun for “us” is used. The word Elohim and the pronoun “us” are plural forms, definitely referring in the Hebrew language to more than two. While this is not an explicit argument for the Trinity, it does denote the aspect of plurality in God. The Hebrew word for God, Elohim, definitely allows for the Trinity.
In Isaiah 48:16 and 61:1, the Son is speaking while making reference to the Father and the Holy Spirit. Compare Isaiah 61:1 to Luke 4:14-19 to see that it is the Son speaking. Matthew 3:16-17 describes the event of Jesus’ baptism. Seen in this passage is God the Holy Spirit descending on God the Son while God the Father proclaims His pleasure in the Son. Matthew 28:19 and 2 Corinthians 13:14 are examples of three distinct persons in the Trinity.
3) The members of the Trinity are distinguished one from another in various passages. In the Old Testament, “LORD” is distinguished from “Lord” (Genesis 19:24; Hosea 1:4). The LORD has a Son (Psalm 2:7, 12; Proverbs 30:2-4). The Spirit is distinguished from the “LORD” (Numbers 27:18) and from “God” (Psalm 51:10-12). God the Son is distinguished from God the Father (Psalm 45:6-7; Hebrews 1:8-9). In the New Testament, Jesus speaks to the Father about sending a Helper, the Holy Spirit (John 14:16-17). This shows that Jesus did not consider Himself to be the Father or the Holy Spirit. Consider also all the other times in the Gospels where Jesus speaks to the Father. Was He speaking to Himself? No. He spoke to another person in the Trinity—the Father.
4) Each member of the Trinity is God. The Father is God (John 6:27; Romans 1:7; 1 Peter 1:2). The Son is God (John 1:1, 14; Romans 9:5; Colossians 2:9; Hebrews 1:8; 1 John 5:20). The Holy Spirit is God (Acts 5:3-4; 1 Corinthians 3:16).
5) There is subordination within the Trinity. Scripture shows that the Holy Spirit is subordinate to the Father and the Son, and the Son is subordinate to the Father. This is an internal relationship and does not deny the deity of any person of the Trinity. This is simply an area which our finite minds cannot understand concerning the infinite God. Concerning the Son see Luke 22:42, John 5:36, John 20:21, and 1 John 4:14. Concerning the Holy Spirit see John 14:16, 14:26, 15:26, 16:7, and especially John 16:13-14.
6) The individual members of the Trinity have different tasks. The Father is the ultimate source or cause of the universe (1 Corinthians 8:6; Revelation 4:11); divine revelation (Revelation 1:1); salvation (John 3:16-17); and Jesus’ human works (John 5:17, 14:10). The Father initiates all of these things.
The Son is the agent through whom the Father does the following works: the creation and maintenance of the universe (1 Corinthians 8:6; John 1:3; Colossians 1:16-17); divine revelation (John 1:1, 16:12-15; Matthew 11:27; Revelation 1:1); and salvation (2 Corinthians 5:19; Matthew 1:21; John 4:42). The Father does all these things through the Son, who functions as His agent.
The Holy Spirit is the means by whom the Father does the following works: creation and maintenance of the universe (Genesis 1:2; Job 26:13; Psalm 104:30); divine revelation (John 16:12-15; Ephesians 3:5; 2 Peter 1:21); salvation (John 3:6; Titus 3:5; 1 Peter 1:2); and Jesus’ works (Isaiah 61:1; Acts 10:38). Thus the Father does all these things by the power of the Holy Spirit.
There have been many attempts to develop illustrations of the Trinity. However, none of the popular illustrations are completely accurate. The egg (or apple) fails in that the shell, white, and yolk are parts of the egg, not the egg in themselves, just as the skin, flesh, and seeds of the apple are parts of it, not the apple itself. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are not parts of God; each of them is God. The water illustration is somewhat better, but it still fails to adequately describe the Trinity. Liquid, vapor, and ice are forms of water. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are not forms of God, each of them is God. So, while these illustrations may give us a picture of the Trinity, the picture is not entirely accurate. An infinite God cannot be fully described by a finite illustration.
The doctrine of the Trinity has been a divisive issue throughout the entire history of the Christian church. While the core aspects of the Trinity are clearly presented in God’s Word, some of the side issues are not as explicitly clear. The Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God—but there is only one God. That is the biblical doctrine of the Trinity. Beyond that, the issues are, to a certain extent, debatable and non-essential. Rather than attempting to fully define the Trinity with our finite human minds, we would be better served by focusing on the fact of God’s greatness and His infinitely higher nature. “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?” (Romans 11:33-34).
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