Posted on 05/24/2016 6:49:46 AM PDT by Salvation
Many of you know that I write the Question and Answer column for Our Sunday Visitor. Given the celebration of Trinity Sunday this past Sunday, I thought I might reproduce here on the blog a question/answer regarding the Trinity. It is a fairly common question; perhaps you have it, too. Remember that my answers in the column are required to be brief.
We read in a recent Sunday Gospel (May 1, 2016) that Jesus says that the Father is greater than He (Jn 14:28). Since we are all taught that each Divine Person of the Blessed Trinity fully possesses the nature of God, equally to be adored and glorified, what did Jesus mean by such a statement?” – Dick Smith, Carrolton, TX.
Theologically, Jesus means that the Father is the eternal source in the Trinity. All three persons of the Trinity are co-eternal, co-equal, and equally divine. But the Father is the Principium Deitatis (the Source in the Deity).
Hence, Jesus proceeds from the Father from all eternity. He is eternally begotten of the Father. In effect, Jesus is saying, “I delight that the Father is the eternal principle or source of my being, even though I have no origin in time.”
Devotionally, Jesus is saying that He always does what pleases His Father. Jesus loves His Father; He’s crazy about Him. He is always talking about Him and pointing to Him. By calling the Father greater, He says (in effect), “I look to my Father for everything. I do what I see Him doing (Jn 5:19) and what I know pleases Him (Jn 5:30). His will and mine are one. What I will to do proceeds from Him. I do what I know accords with His will.”
So although the members of the Trinity are all equal in dignity, there are processions in the Trinity, such that the Father is the source, the Son eternally proceeds from Him (Jn 8:42), and the Holy Spirit eternally proceeds from the Father and the Son as from one principal (Jn 15:26).
St Thomas speaks poetically of the Trinity as follows:
Genitori, Genitoque … Procedenti ab utroque … compar sit laudautio
(To the One Who Begets, and to the Begotton One, and to the One who proceeds from them both, be equal praise.)
The Athanasian Creed says the following regarding these processions:
The Father is made by none, neither created nor begotten.
The Son is of the Father alone, neither made nor created, but begotten.
The Holy Spirit is of the Father and of the Son, not made, nor created, nor begotten, but he proceeds from them.
So although equal, processions do have an order. The Father is “greater” (as source), but is equal in dignity to Son and Holy Spirit.
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Your bluster and backing away is SO unbecoming.
Changing the subject and avoiding what was asked of YOU isn't very conducive method of getting OTHERS to play the game you want it done.
Your albatross - your stink.
Any of it UNTRUE?
Are you getting TIRED yet?
Trying to avoid what all the lurkers see?
Didn't you see those three names behind yours?
Here: search my postings.
Just SEE how many times I call them out to play.
So how often they accept the challenge to defend what the sincerely believe...
http://freerepublic.com/tag/by:elsie/index?tab=comments;brevity=full;options=no-change
I suppose that information would tend to give you an idea where they are coming from; but you probably know as well as I; that many stages and variations of 'belief' can be found under all denominational umbrellas.
I've never tried to avoid the fact that I attend a Wesleyan denomination.
It's not on my homepage because I don't think it is THAT important.
You post THIS?
The Trinity is “debatable” for 188 posts (and counting)??
(Grumbles something about the “fruits of sola scriptura” and walks away shaking his head....)
Could you please tell elsie that this question was answered already when I told him the previous three times that it is basic Theology 101. This harassment of his is wearing quite thin.
Elsie:
Fair enough and thanks. Still, Wesleyan would then give me context as to why you hold the same Trinitarian Doctrine that I hold vs. what the Mormons, JW and Oneness Pentecostals hold as most Methodist-Wesleyan’s still recite a form of the Apostles Creed I think.
Elsie:
I did, but I wasn’t sure what group they belong to. Very few here on FR disclose what confession they hold, as you did in one of your recent posts.
I have always asked for people to disclose what confession they belong to when pinging me but for the most part, individuals do not. You have done so thus as long as the posts between you and I stay respectful, even with disagreement, I will continue to discuss issues (not argue), with you, in the future.
Bwahahahaha ... amazing!
Well, just the "over-the-counter" stuff, non-pharmaceutical. Most of it is for topical application and doesn't require a label.
Some folks just sprinkle with it, others require total immersion for external application. Eh?
Any industry or educational facility that uses distilled water in 1 gallon or larger containers is required to have a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for it. The reason according to the EPA is that in those quantities the container could drop on your foot and cause a bone to break.
Handled properly, its downside effects can be avoided. But I have heard that some manufacturers (like Mattel, for instance) have made an end-run around the FFL laws such that even children can purchase guns that use this material as ammunition. Fortunately, our public schools have managed to detect the little terrorists who bring them to class, immediately arresting them and placing them in the hands of proper authorities. Thus many school children have been protected from the actions of these little hate-mongers.
On the other hand, even the local groceries and minimarkets have been allowed to sell to anyone the less harmful forms of this fluid, when it has been passivated by filtration or deionization and labeled accordingly. This has been a very profitable venture, with only rare legal challenges.
In its naturally occurring form, it has been the source of recreation for both mankind and animals. Certain canine breeds are very clever at locating standing pools of it, particularly the Labrador retriever variety, even though there are no fowl in the vicinity. Such unrestricted access can result in much time and effort for the post-immersion cleanup process.
There are many stories about the dangers, and instruction in them ought to be taken very seriously, but even more serious is the lack of it, especially in older people, where dehydration can bring vertigo and even death.
So be it. The above is just funning.
But here is a true warning about the body's need for water!
On July 4, 2012, I was deathly ill of dehydration, and needed to be transported by ambulance to the hospital for its treatment. In the time from the emergency rehydration treatment until arrival at the hospital, it took two liters of intravenous saline solution to restore and stabilize my blood pressure to anything like normal.
No foolin'. Almost killed me. Keep hydrated, folks!
A solution of dihydrogen dioxide in dihydrogen (mono)oxide is another matter altogether, eh?
Well; the Catholics are quite PROUD to announce they are catholic, Catholic, CATHOLIC!
Most Prots here base very little on which particular denomination they are in and will reply with quotes from the SCRIPTURES and very seldom post stuff from their Organization's leaders.
We do NOT need anything but ther Boopk!
(Thanks; Rome: you did a good job!)
I find that depending upon the weather, the temperature of the DHMO; if applied in great amounts to the body; can have quite an enjoyable or a not-soon-to-be-repeated effect to me.
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