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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | Please explain the Trinity | John 1:1 | Beja | 227459 | ||
hswcurl, I'm hesitant to answer your question since it is my stance that your question does not have a correct in depth answer. When I was in seminary I had the privledge of taking a class on the historical doctrin of the trinity. We surveyed people throughout history trying to explain the concept of the trinity. What we ended up seeing was that any attempt to explain the trinity in depth only lead to heresy. Here is what we can say with clarity from scritpure. The Father is God. Jesus is God. The Holy Spirit is God. However, the Father is not the son, the Father is not the Holy spirit, and the son is not the Holy spirit. Now how exactly does that fit together? We can't grasp it. Attempts to fully grasp this has always lead to one error or another. But here is the good news. First, we do not have to grasp it, merely accept it. Second, in my opinion it is a very fit and good thing that God has some mystery with regards to exactly WHAT he is. It is fitting that our great God transcends our ability to point out his parts and say, "Aha, I've mentally grasped the internal workings of the God head." Further, what I teach in my church is that God is concerned with us growing in knowledge of WHO he is, not WHAT he is. It is important that we know that God is three persons in one essence or unity. However, that is all we must know concerning WHAT he is. Beyond that God wants us to grow in the knowledge of WHO he is, in other words, His Character. Take a look at Exodus 34 when Moses was begging to see the glory of God. What did God show him? He announced His character to Moses. That is what we are to spend our time persuing. We affirm the trinity because it is true, and because it is neccessary to properly worship God in his three fold person. However, we do not try to erase the mystery. Learn of God's might, his steadfast love, his mercy, his wrath, his holiness, his all sufficiency. This is what we need to strive to intimately know about God. In Christ, Beja |
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2 | Please explain the Trinity | John 1:1 | biblicalman | 227463 | ||
I would mainly confirm what Beja says. I would add that we must remember that when speaking of God we have to do so in human terms, the only terms we understand. But God is not in any way human apart from the Son coming in the flesh. God is Spirit. and we do not understand spirit apart from what we can gather from our own meagre experience, which we can only define in terms of activity. Thus we can never hope to understand God, except in terms of His activity. Jesus spoke of Himself as the Son. What He was signifying by this was that He was of the same nature as the Father. But His Sonship was otherwise far different from ours. HE was not born. He always existed. Thus we must accept what it conveys about Him having the nature of God, but not press it too far. He was not a son in the same way as we are sons of our fathers, being born later than them and succeeding when they die. Compare how Jesus is called the heir of all things. But it does not mean that the Father will either die or retire. Again it is signifying one aspect of the word, that one day all would again be His. So all expressions about the Son have to be used guardedly, asking what do they teach, and where do they come short. When speaking of God human terms must not be strictly applied from all angles. Thus the oneness of Father, Son and Spirit is not simply a numerical oneness, it is a oneness of compound being. Within His oneness is a threeness in which each member intercommunicates, and yet to see one is to see all (John 14.7-9). They are not strictly three persons, for persons are individuals. Again the danger of a human terminology. They are inter-personal and intercommunicating in the One Being, and where one acts, all act. | ||||||
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Questions and/or Subjects for John 1:1 | Author | ||
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dsturges | ||
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azurelaw | ||
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Integrity Electric | ||
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julcol87 | ||
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godchild59 | ||
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hswcurl@yahoo.com | ||
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Beja | ||
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biblicalman | ||
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Huldah | ||
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wings_on_fire | ||
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you | ||
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dimilo | ||
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NOVOMIXS |