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**That’s heretical. The divine attributes did not come from the Father. They always existed as part of Christ’s divine nature.**

So you reject Christ own words when he credits the Father for all the divine words he spoke, and divine works that he did? That would seem heretical imo.

**That’s heretical. In the book of Luke we find our Lord Jesus was conceived of the Holy Spirit (Luk 1:35), was baptized and received power by the Holy Spirit (Luk 3:16), was led by the Holy Spirit (Luk 4:1), rejoiced in the Holy Spirit (Luk 10:21), casted out demons by the Holy Spirit (Matt 12:28), speaks the things of God by the Holy Spirit (Matt 10:20), and does miracles by the Holy Spirit (Luk 4:18). It isn’t a wonder that our Lord stated that blaspheme against the Spirit will not be forgiven.**

In the three separate and distinct persons of God idea, it seems that the Father gets very little credit. God the Son (unscriptural phrase) is the creator. God the Holy Spirit (another unscriptural phrase) did everything else, including fathering the Son’s physical body (the Son is the creator, but couldn’t do that /s ).

Christ declared that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father (John 15:26), and that the Holy Spirit does not speak of himself, “but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak”.(16:13). If that sounds familiar, that’s because the Son said the same about himself in that he only spoke what the Father told him to. But the Holy Spirit wasn’t going to come and deliver inspired words until the Son went away.

On a side note: I have referred to the Holy Spirit as an “it” on this forum more than once, and was rebuked, but what says the scriptures: “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit...”. Rom. 8:16 KJV

** I’m not sure I see a distinction between saying “God the Son” or “Son of God”.**

That’s because of programming and habit. An American citizen that teaches English is commonly called an English teacher, but is actually an American teacher, teaching English. You are HarleyD of Free Republic, not Free Republic the HarleyD. The Son is OF God.

**Christ was in the beginning and all things were made by Christ and for Christ. The Word was with the Father (God) and the Word became flesh.**

Is your word separate and distinct from you? Your flesh isn’t your word. It is the vehicle used to express your word.

Isaiah 42:1-8 is good at showing God as the singular person he is. God the Father is the power that creates (42:5). That power was given to his “servant”. The Father is in the Son, and the Son is in the Father. Where is the Father not at?

**There is no good way to explain the Trinity in our limited understanding**

It helps to not use man made descriptions of the Godhead.

**I prefer to think of God as a fire in which parts of that fire takes on different forms.**

Fire is fire. It is the results of the power of fire that differ. Fire in a fireplace is good. Fire burning through the flue pipe wall is not good.

So you reject Christ own words when he credits the Father for all the divine words he spoke, and divine works that he did?

Scripture please. If you mean the following:

Joh 5:36 But the testimony that I have is greater than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to accomplish, the very works that I am doing, bear witness about me that the Father has sent me.

It clearly states that the Father gave our Lord Jesus a mission for HIM to accomplish. He did this through the Holy Spirit.

In the three separate and distinct persons of God idea, it seems that the Father gets very little credit.

And there is your problem. God the Father is NOT distinct from the Son. The same credit given to the Son is given to the Father. Same way with the Holy Spirit. They share in the glory because they are ONE God. You can't separate them.

I can understand the rebuke. You may also want to investigate OTHER scripture verses such as:

Joh 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. KJV

As far as Rom 8:16, you may wish to check the Greek on that. "itself" is a reflective pronoun in the Greek which means the preceding word is to stand alone. Thus it is the Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, who stands alone (itself) with our spirit to bear witness to Christ. It is the Spirit's "job" to help us in our testimony of Christ. Other versions clear up this confusion of terms but John 14:26 should be enough to clear up the confusion even in the KJV.

Is your word separate and distinct from you? Your flesh isn’t your word. It is the vehicle used to express your word.

All I know is the scriptures tell us, "the Word became flesh and dwell among us". It also states that Christ is the Word of God. What that means I'm not sure but it is far more than talking. God spoke the universe into existence. That would be like me say, "I like a piece of French Toast", and it happens. I don't claim to understand. I just accept it.

It helps to not use man made descriptions of the Godhead.

The word "Trinity" may not appear in scripture but that does not invalidate the concept nor our understanding of what is described to us in the scripture. And since orthodoxy Christianity has accepted this term, it is the Holy Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that it is true.