OK. I said I’d be back when I’d have the time (I have too many ‘irons in the fire’).
Do you read John 12:44-50 and 14:6-11?
First of all, the fact there is such a debate as this thread, proves that there is NOT a universal agreement between trinitarians concerning the ‘trinity’.
Secondly, I know trinitarians that understand that the Father is the source of all things divine, yet believe that the Son and Holy Ghost are ‘separate, co-equal’ and ‘co-eternal’ with the Father. Many folks ‘see’ a ‘Father’, ‘Son’, and ‘Holy Spirit’, but don’t see the power structure that the Son teaches in John.
On this earth, your soul is what is eternal, the body is perishable. Your soul is only made known to others by physical presense (manifestation), and the thoughts of the soul are made known by speaking from the physical body. That is how God has manifested himself; by doing so in sundry times, and diverse manners, SPEAKING to us by the prophets. But in these last days, has spoken to us by his Son, who said many things, like this:
“My doctrine is NOT mine, but HIS that SENT me. If any man will do HIS will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of GOD, or whether I speak of myself.” John 7:16,17
The Father is the source. He’s IN the Son, without measure, as the Holy Ghost. Peter told Cornelius household: “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good...healing...for God was with him...Him God raised up...it is he that was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead.” Acts 10:38-43
Here’s a list of words and references, showing who was the original provider of knowledge (and all other things divine as well):
gave: 3:16, 10:29, 12:49, 14:31
gavest: 17:4,6,8,12,22, 18:9
give: 14:6, 15:16, 16:23
given: 3:35, 5:26,27,36, 6:39,65, 7:39, 13:3, 17:2(2),7,8,9,11,24(2)
received: 10:18
send: 14:26, 15:26, 17:8, Acts 3:20
sent: 3:17,34, 4:34, 5:23,24,30,36,37,38, 6:29,38,39,40,44,57, 7:16,18,28,29,33, 8:16,18,26,29,42, 9:4, 10:36, 11:42, 12:44,45,49, 13:16,20, 14:24, 15:21, 16:5, 17:3,18,21,23,25, 20:21
will (noun): 4:34, 5:30(2), 6:38,39,40, 7:17
will (verb): 5:20, 11:22, 12:26, 14:26, 15:26, 16:23
word and words (actually there are others that should be included, but the Son made it clear in the following ones whose ‘words’ they were): 3:34, 14:24, 17:6,8,14,17
work and works: 4:34, 5:20,36(2), 9:4, 10:25,37,38, 14:10, 17:4
That’s over 100 references (from the book of John alone) showing that the Son’s source of ALL things divine, ALL power, ALL wisdom, etc., is from God the Father. There are plenty more alluding to the same.
BUT......here is a question for you: With your separate and distinct persons of God theology; can you quote a scripture that shows the FATHER receiving anything divine from the Son?
When you place the Father (Spirit) in the Son (divinely created flesh, with a soul), you have defined Jesus Christ in the simplest of terms. If that sounds familiar, just read 1 Tim. 3:16. (It says “God was manifest IN the flesh..”, not, “God was manifest AS flesh..”.)
Wow, that’s like a weeks worth of great sermons rolled into one quick lesson for Bible study! Thanks for the extensive post.
Before that, let's establish some framework. Which of the Protestant derived faith groups do you most assemble with ?