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NASB | James 2:19 You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | James 2:19 You believe that God is one; you do well [to believe that]. The demons also believe [that], and shudder and bristle [in awe-filled terror--they have seen His wrath]! [Deut 6:4; 11:13-21; Mark 12:29] |
Subject: Is God ONE or is God THREE? |
Bible Note: Greetings, believer57. I guess since I am a "heretic" your sarcasm is justified... :) You'd be surprised at what I've heard before. I am responding to your post with some reluctance, because I do not wish to provoke any more of your "helpful" and "considerate" criticism. (With friends like this, who needs enemies? :) ) If it wouldn't be troubling you too much, I would like for you to try to keep this discussion at an impersonal level. Please e-mail all the personal jibes and insults directly to me at timdcormier@juno.com. I realize that when someone cannot assail another's argument it is natural for them to attack the person. This is categorized, I believe, as the ad hominem fallacy. I would like to respond to what you have written. I have never suggested that the nature of God was anything that would disagree with the concept of "compound unity". The key term is unity, which derives its meaning from the root "unit"--which is one. As to the plurality of Elohim, it has been my understanding that the plurality of the ending '-him' has reference to the domain of 'El', and not to 'El' Himself. Another instance of this ending may be seen when God changed Abram's name to Abraham. Abram was going to be the Father of Many, hence the addition of the same ending to his name that is attached to 'El'. Abram did not become three separate, distinct and coequal persons simply because his name was changed to Abraham. But he did become the progenitor of a vast multitude of descendants. What is the trinitarian explanation of why Gen. 1:27 is worded so differently from Gen. 1:26? "God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him;" [Gen. 1:27 NASB] ("Let Us create ... in Our image" contrasted to "in His own image ... He created".) You wrote: "If you are a modalist, don't hide, just justify it." I am Apostolic--if the Apostles called themselves modalists, then I'll call myself one, too. :) You wrote: "Did Jesus pray to himself?" Jesus Christ was comprised of two natures--he was both fully man and fully God. His human nature prayed to His Divine nature. The better question is this: How can one God (the Son) pray to another God (the Father) without undeifying Himself? If my "carnal" understanding is right, God doesn't pray to anybody. Taking your own words ("Man was created Body (Jesus), Soul (Father), and Spirit (Holy Ghost)") then the population of the world ought to really be multiplied by 3, because we are all really 3 persons instead of just one. This somehow seems rather silly. My body, soul, and spirit together make just one person, little ol' me. Whether or not 3 is the number of perfection may be open for some discussion. I have generally understood 7 to be the number of Divine perfection. At any rate, according to Col. 2:9-10, fulness of the Godhead dwells in Jesus Christ, and we are complete in Him (not 'Them'). Kind regards, Tim D. Cormier Tennessee Preacher |