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First and foremost, I would like to apologize to Harley for using his posted scripture for what I am about to bring up... the trinity.

This may unite the ENTIRE thread....against me; however, once I read the scripture (this morning), I knew I had to talk about it. I have stated in previous posts (1500's - 2000 maybe?)that I did not believe The Father, Son and Holy Spirit were actually one. I do believe they work in "unison", but are three separates.

"Mat 12:32 And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come."

Now, if believing in the trinity....God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are One, why are they separated? If Jesus is the Holy Spirit, why would forgiveness be given for speaking against Him, but not the Holy Spirit, if they are one in the same?

Also...Philippians 2:10-11 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

John 8:42 - Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me.

Matthew 20:23 - And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father.

These are just a few examples of many I have found in my Bible.

I thought of starting a new thread; however, so many of you have been here since post #1 and I truly believe your hearts belong to Him, which is why I am seeking now, here, in this thread.

I beg of all of you to only use scripture. There are so many others being posted here, however, only scripture will do.

Please keep in mind I am on my own here. I have no one to bounce things off of, or at least anyone I take to heart when it comes to scripture. I just know, that in the end of days, most be will deceived....and I don't want to be one of them. So please, scripture only.

One more "P.S."..... I just want to learn. As I have stated previously, this has been such a wonderful Bible study and I would love to continue.

If I am wrong, I need to be shown the way. If you are wrong, you need to be shown the way. Isn't this what these threads are about?

If there are three persons, but all are God, then they are one.

“4”Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. 5You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” - Deut 6

No wiggle room.

The Trinity at best is difficult to understand. I tend to think a bit like you that it is easier to understand it as three people. Yet, we know that they are one. Here is a direct case of where Christ equates Himself to the Father:

Joh 10:30-33 I and the Father are one." The Jews picked up stones again to stone him. Jesus answered them, "I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone me?" The Jews answered him, "It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God."

Here's another case of where the Spirit of God and the Spirit of Christ are considered three in one if you will (Spirit, God, Christ).

Rom 8:9 You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.

There are tons of these verse all throughout the scriptures (both old and new).

I think of the Trinity as one essence of God manifested as three separate eternal beings with differing functions, working in complete harmony with each other's pure and perfect divine will and knowledge to accomplish God's plan.

I know even this definition may have some holes in it. For example, there is much to be debated about how the Spirit proceeds from the Son and the Son from the Father. And what exactly does that all mean when the God head is eternal? I don't know. I think that it is impossible to fully grasp God. He is completely outside the realm of our understanding.

That being said, I also believe we cannot understand just how divinely perfect God is and how wretched we are. And yet our Lord Jesus was willing to cast away all the spendor of glory, all the honor given to Him by the legions of angels in heaven, for a brief moment to come and dwell with us in our wretchness and take the abuse of His fallen creatures to the point of dying naked on a cross. How much He gave was more than any of us could give.

I do believe like you that it is easier if one thinks of them as separate beings keeping in mind they are one essence.

For your Bible meditations, the following two verses speak to me of the Trinity:

But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. – Romans 8:9

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. – Isaiah 9:6

A lot of people use metaphors to explain the Trinity. My personal favorite is an old one, if the sun were like the Father, then the light would be Jesus and the heat would be the Holy Spirit.

Who being the brightness of [his] glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; - Hebrews 1:3

God's Name is I AM and Alpha and Omega.