Posted on 01/18/2013 11:45:12 AM PST by patlin
You are trying to understand the Trinity. Too many people get themselves into trouble doing this. I would advise something simplier like eschatology.
Go ahead and try — it is mankind’s duty to try to understand the infinite Trinity with our finite intelligence even if, after a lifetime of trying, we only scratch the surface of this Mystery.
Knock repeatedly and doors will open.
The Trinity is understandable. So is God’s plan of Salvation.
The Trinity is SO understandable, scripture says it’s part of General Revelation.
Read Romans 1:20.
Romans 1:20
New King James Version (NKJV)
20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,
For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall by no means enter into the reign of the heavens.”
Oh brother....
Question: "What does the Bible teach about the Trinity?"
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:
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 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).
Recommended Resource: Making Sense of the Trinity: Three Crucial Questions by Millard Erickson and The Forgotten Trinity by James White.
Who Owns the Copyright to All Creation?
LOL!!! And I bet your family knows it! :O)
Why, yes they do. ; )
Steven Wright (Comedian) in a script from TV show “Becker” says it is Larry!
Ted Danson (Dr. John Becker): ... have you ever seen a psychiatrist?
Steven Wright (Boyd Crossman): ... well, it’s hard to say, it’s not like they walk around with big signs all day ...
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Ted Danson (Dr. John Becker): ... what about drugs, are you on any narcotics or hallucinogens?
Steven Wright (Boyd Crossman): ... no, but if you think it would help ...
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Ted Danson (Dr. John Becker): ... I happen to know one [a psychiatrist] and ah, I’m gonna give him a call, I think it will be very helpful for you to talk to him ...
Steven Wright (Boyd Crossman): ... well, I’ll do what I can, but frankly I have problems of my own ...
Thanks for the chuckle. : )
So, there are no 3 persons making a trinity, there is no God in 3 persons but here is God whose spirit gave life to the Son, His living Word through the ruach, the spirit of His breathe.
The trinity is the creation of the little ‘gods’ and their followers. It came right out of Babylon and remains with the religious entities that promote all that is Babylon,all that will be destroyed when the Son returns.
So how do religious entities that look nothing like it was originally created and revealed at Mt Sinai claim to be in His likeness? If as the Son says in the Gospels, if like kind begets like kind, can disobedience to the Father beget obedience and vice-versa? Is this not the common problem among all religions of man? Are they not trying to produce the good fruit of the Son with the bad fruit of His adversary?
It's that, if we hide from our sin, then it really doesn't exit. No one wants to think of themselves as a sinner so then let's redefine sin according to man and leave out what the Word of the Father has to say on the subject by claiming that the Father rejected His chosen, so the Son was given some secret mission to start all over at His first coming.
Isa 30:20 Though יהוה gave you bread of adversity and water of affliction, your Teacher shall no longer be hidden. But your eyes shall see your Teacher.
Joel 2:23 And you children of Tsiyon, be glad and rejoice in יהוה your Elohim, for He shall give you the Teacher of Righteousness, and cause the rain to come down for you, the former rain and the latter rain, as before.
Mat 23:8 “But you, do not be called ‘Teacher,’ for One is your Teacher, the Messiah, and you are all brothers.
Joh 1:16 And out of His completeness we all did receive, and favour upon favour, 17 for the Torah was given through Mosheh – the favour and the truth came through יהושע Messiah.
Gal 3:24 Therefore the Torah became our trainer unto Messiah, in order to be declared right by belief.
The Torah given through Moses was the 'substitute' until the real Teacher arrived to teach us how to walk in righteousness as He is righteousness before the Father. The leader of the Father's choreographed musical of life, yet the children are still blinded to the choreographed steps the Son has given us to follow.
Did I forget to mention that the production the Son has been placed at the head of is an awesome musical like none that can be ceated in the minds of or by the hands of any man?
I guess then I'm missing the entire subject of the post "Who Owns the Copyright to All Creation?" I'm not sure what that has to do with serving.
It never ceases to amaze me how people SAY they believe the bible, but when confronted with plain reading scripture, they reject it.
You don’t need the Reformation, Calvinism, Systematic Theology, or a Doctorate degree from the Seminary to be saved, nor to know the things of God.
The Disciples were NOT “learned” men, for a reason. They had not been “taught” the “right” way to think.
Romans 1:20 says that EVERYTHING you want to know about the Divine Nature of the Godhead, can be seen in the things God has made.
Do you believe Romans 1:20 or not? I do. If you take it on faith, God will speak to you through the General Revelation, and you will be privy to the truths of God’s nature. (This is the why nobody has an excuse for not “knowing” about God, and his nature). This is why people who grew up and NEVER heard the name Jesus can be saved, because God himself will give the faithful what they need to perfect their faith, just as Abraham’s faith was perfected, looking forward to Jesus (no, Abraham did not know that the Messiah’s name would be Jesus, or when/where he was born, but Jesus is the Lord of Salvation for all, OT and NT).
I believe in Sola Scriptura — no additional “points” needed. Nor Priest/Pastors that are Seminary trained are needed. The veil of the temple was rent. Jesus is our Priest, and he ministers to us directly. When we stop listing for the soft, quiet voice of God’s will and busy ourselves we lose contact with our Creator.
Like the Bereans, which were commended for searching the scriptures to see if what was being preached were true, WE the faithful should study and read the scriptures, putting more weight on the word of God than of man.
It’s that, if we hide from our sin, then it really doesn’t exit. No one wants to think of themselves as a sinner so then let’s redefine sin according to man and leave out what the Word of the Father has to say on the subject by claiming that the Father rejected His chosen, so the Son was given some secret mission to start all over at His first coming.
The the question is 'how are we to serve Him? What does it mean to serve Him? He did give us the conclusion to these questions in Ecc 12:13-14.
Let us hear the conclusion of the entire matter: Fear Elohim and guard His commands, for this applies to all mankind! For Elohim shall bring every work into right-ruling, including all that is hidden, whether good or whether evil.
Now considering these words were spoke long before Messiah appeared on the scene in the flesh, there should be no question as to what commands He was speaking of. And if that is not enough, one only needs to go to Acts 7:37-39 to find out what they are.
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