[boatbums]

Just had another thought on this, maybe God used the terms Father and Son and Spirit, not necessarily as a literal relationship indicating hierarchy, but so that he could relate to people on familiar terms. For example, He speaks of various emotions that we would call human emotions and when some say God exhibits those emotions, they are criticized as being anthropomorphic. What if God, who is far greater than anything we could imagine, used those terms so that we might have an inkling of what he was talking about yet we should not understand them as literal?

[Forest Keeper]

Just had another thought on this, maybe God used the terms Father and Son and Spirit, not necessarily as a literal relationship indicating hierarchy, but so that he could relate to people on familiar terms. For example, He speaks of various emotions that we would call human emotions and when some say God exhibits those emotions, they are criticized as being anthropomorphic. What if God, who is far greater than anything we could imagine, used those terms so that we might have an inkling of what he was talking about yet we should not understand them as literal?

Yes, I think these principles can be compared too. We obviously aren't going to get everything in this life so we do with and are thankful for what we are given. Because God presented it this way it must be to our benefit.

[Kolokotronis]

"What if God, who is far greater than anything we could imagine, used those terms so that we might have an inkling of what he was talking about yet we should not understand them as literal?"

"Very often many things are said by the Holy Scriptures and in it many names are used not in a literal sense... those who have a mind understand this" +Isaac the Syrian, Homily 83

""It is because fear edifies simpler people." +Basil the Great, That God is not the Cause of Evil

I should add, "and also most of the rest of us"!