Mystery of the Trinity

http://www.crossroadsinitiative.com/library_article/937/Mystery_of_the_Trinity.html ^ | June 11, 2006 | by: Dr. Marcellino D'Ambrosio

[Salvation]

Mystery of the Trinity

by: Dr. Marcellino D'Ambrosio

 

 

The Trinity has always been a difficult doctrine to swallow.  First of all, there is this statement from Sunday’s first reading: “The Lord is God in the heavens above and on the earth below, and there is no other.”  This was tough for anyone to accept in the days of the Old Testament when people generally honored sky gods, sun gods, water gods, and specialized gods for about every aspect of human life and every region of human habitation.  C’mon, there’s only one God?

We might smirk at the ancients, but we have a very similar problem today.  It flows from a philosophy called relativism, but winds up with much the same result.  You might believe in Jesus, I believe in Buddha, and our neighbor reveres Allah.  Your God is true for you, his is for him, mine for me.

 Yet the Bible insists, and the Catholic Church along with it, that there is only one God.  And that God is not an “it”, some impersonal “force”, but a “Him,” more truly personal than any of us.   In fact He is so personal, that from all eternity He is interpersonal–three persons in perfect union of will and activity, so perfect that they are truly One God, not three. Everything in our experience is finite, meaning that it has limits, including the degree of unity that we can have in our relationships.  God’s inner unity, the unity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, is unlimited and perfect, love pouring itself, one person into another, ceaselessly, at every moment, for ever and ever amen.

 The author of the Da Vinci Code is not the first to allege that the Church made up this whole Trinity thing.  Various sects in the first few centuries plus the Muslims made this accusation.  Then the Jehovah’s Witnesses rehashed it in the 19^th century, blaming the Roman Emperor Constantine.

 Bur really, everything but the term “Trinity” is right there in the Scriptures.  In Sunday's reading from Romans 8, Paul speaks of the Father, Christ Jesus, and the Holy Spirit all in the same few verses, distinct and yet one.  In John’s Gospel, Jesus dialogues with his Father in prayer, showing their distinction, yet boldly proclaims “The Father and I are One.”  Jesus, in this Sunday’s Gospel, sends forth the disciples to baptize people in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”  Note he does not say in the “names” but in the “name”, showing the unity of these persons.  And baptizing in this triune name demonstrates their equality as well, for what sense would it make to baptize in the name of three, one of whom is God and the other two of whom are not?

 But this feast of the Most Holy Trinity does not just celebrate the nature, grandeur, and beauty of God.  It also recalls that we have been baptized or plunged into this energizing reality of divine love.  God has drawn us in to share in the dynamism of his own inner life.  He has not called us servants, but friends.  It is not just the Holy Spirit who indwells our souls, but the entire Trinity who has made each of us a dwelling place.  The three divine persons are loving each of us in us and want to love others through us.

 Some charge that we call this doctrine a mystery because we want to cover up how illogical and preposterous it is.  No, it is a mystery because it exceeds our powers of imagination and comprehension.  But shouldn’t we expect the inner nature of God to be greater than our finite minds?  Any reality that our minds can master is by definition inferior to our minds.  The Supreme Being by definition has to be greater than our minds.

 Fabrication?  Impossible.  Human minds cook up things that other human beings are likely to buy.  Three gods?  People could handle that.  How about a hierarchy of one supreme God with two assistant demi-gods?  That would work.  Three equal but distinct persons in one divine being strains the brain too much to have been concocted by a bunch of theologians or politicians.

[AnalogReigns]

The real test of understanding one God in three distinct Persons is, if you THINK you've got it...you don't.

3 forms of water don't work...3 leaves of a clover don't either...3 parts of an apple...all of these are simplifications which try to make esentially rational, or capturable...by our finite brains, that which, or rather He whom, is infinite and un-capturable.

Some charge that we call this doctrine a mystery because we want to cover up how illogical and preposterous it is. No, it is a mystery because it exceeds our powers of imagination and comprehension. But shouldn’t we expect the inner nature of God to be greater than our finite minds? Any reality that our minds can master is by definition inferior to our minds. The Supreme Being by definition has to be greater than our minds.

The glory of it all, is that this incomprehensible God chooses to know us, and to allow Himself to be known...(as much as we know) and to draw us up, in way, into the loving union He has had for eternity with Himself--in 3 Persons.

Praise to be our Lord & Master, Mediator & Friend, Jesus Christ, to Him be glory and honor, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, forever and ever!!!

[eyedigress]

One God, One Example, One Delivery.

[Eagle Eye]

Christians have ALWAYS worshiped Jesus as God

That statement is so wrong that, depending on your motives, becomes a lie.

There have been controversies about this since Christ's death. John's epistles testify to that.

[AnalogReigns]

There have always been as many controversies about Jesus' divinity, as there have been unbelievers in Him. The definition of a "Christian" however are those who call Him Lord and God.

The statement stands: CHRISTIANS HAVE ALWAYS WORSHIPED JESUS AS GOD!

A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe."

Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!" (John 20:26-28)

Ar·i·an·ism: n.
The doctrines of Arius, denying that Jesus was of the same substance as God and holding instead that he was only the highest of created beings, viewed as heretical by Christian churches.

[Eagle Eye]

E.W. Bullinger, trinitarian, demonstrates the John 20 that you cited is really a figure of speech called hendiadys, two words to mean one things.

Thomas was around when God Almighty spoke to Jesus’s followers and identified Jesus as His Son.

Trinitarianism- A form of multi-diety idolatry that is related to Old Testament baal worship. It is the worship of a false doctrine requiring claims of mysticism and the insane belief that one is really three, that God died and sits on his own right hand. It requires one to adhere to an amazingly inconsistent model that shifts with every challenge and cannot meet simply scriptural scrutiny. It also requires its adherents to answer questions with a question and fail to ever give an explanation of trinitarian inconsistencies.

[AnalogReigns]

Look buddy, the doctrine of God as holy trinity is as old as the New Testament—where God as Father, God as Son and God as the Holy Spirit is taught throughout.

The earliest summaries of biblical doctrine, including the Apostles Creed and the Nicene Creed clearly teach it.

EVERY Christian denomination, including, Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Coptic, Lutheran, Anglican, Reformed, Presbyterian, Baptist (all kinds), Mennonite, Methodist, Moravian, Bible, Congregationalist, Assembly of God, Evangelical Free, independent Evangelical, etc. etc., regards God as one in substance, three in persons, as an essential to their beliefs. These groups would constitute well over 99% of those who call themselves “Christian” in the world today, and in history.

You want to deny God’s nature...OK, it’s a free country. Please don’t label yourself as a Christian though, as well over 99% of us find that totally dishonest.

A bit like calling yourself a “conservative” and supporting Obama.

[Eagle Eye]

Romans 10:9,10 is the standard for salvation.

Judging my standing with God is a sin.

Go repent. You have a lot of it to do.

[metmom]

Steam is not water and water is not ice and ice is not steam.

Um, boy are you wrong. Steam is water, as is liquid water is water, and ice is water.

Fail.....

Try again.....

[Pyro7480]

God is not Jesus, Jesus is not holy spirit, and Jesus is not God.

"Jesus said to them: Amen, amen I say to you, before Abraham was made, I am." -John 8:58

[aruanan]

God is not Jesus, Jesus is not holy spirit, and Jesus is not God

More accurately: The Father is not Jesus; Jesus is not the Holy Spirit; the Holy Spirit is not the Father; all three are God.

[Pyro7480]

Well, in EE’s case, he also denies the divinity of Jesus and the truth of the Holy Trinity.

[ForAmerica]

The triple point of water

[Eagle Eye]

So God is three?

Or three are God?

[Pyro7480]

One divine essence, one Godhead, three persons in it.

[Eagle Eye]

Based on what you posted you are saying that the Bible lies when is says that no man has seen God at any time.

If Jesus is God then no one saw him as God is invisible.

Please be so kind at to tell me which part of the Bible is wrong or a lie, ok?

[Eagle Eye]

Three in one?

[Pyro7480]

You’re forgetting that with God, all things are possible.

[Eagle Eye]

Deu 6:4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God [is] one LORD:

Mar 12:29 And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments [is], Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: Gal 3:20 Now a mediator is not [a mediator] of one, but God is one.

You say God is three in one; the Bible says CLEARLY and REPEATEDLY that God is one. Bolding is mine, not King James.

So tell me which parts of the Bible are wrong. The parts that say that there is one God or the parts that say that God is one? Or both?

I happen to believe that there is one God and God is one. And that there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. Got a problem with that?

[Pyro7480]

Meaning one Godhead. You have also failed to address my Scripture I quoted from earlier.

[Eagle Eye]

You’re forgetting that with God, all things are possible.

That is unscriptural and a lie!

God cannot be tempted with evil. Period. God cannot sin. It is impossible.

Some would say that God cannot violate freedom of will but I couldn't prove that from the Bible even though I personally believe it.

But wait...Jesus was tempted in all ways like we are!

So let's see, God cannot be tempted with evil yet Jesus was....sounds like God is not Jesus and Jesus is not God.

You’re forgetting that with God, all things are possible.

What a bunch of horse crap and chicken stuff cop out.