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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The Lorenzo Snow couplet essence: 'As We are now, God once was; as He is now, we can be.'
Blasphemy is strong with that cult.
Second ... you prove my statement in #5 to Salvation ... and more confusingly so
For as long as I was a Catholic (birth to 33) and a born again Christian (33 to present, 68) ... the Trinity has always been a mystery
Whoever simplifies describing it the best should be in the front desk.
But it's still a mystery
me. myself and I so decree it !
#82
You should read a good Arabian produced English translation of the Koran for educational purposes. Then you KNOW the source of the demons pouring out of the ME and beyond and you know just what and why all their arguments and claims and that there is no such thing as a moderate moslem and why there is no such thing.
I did see Korans in the prison that were left there for the inmates. I tried to read a little. I read about half a page and I couldn’t take the garbage anymore. I had studied the cults since the 70s, including Islam. I have known about the evils of Islam for many moons. I don’t trust ANY of them.
I am trying to determine what group you belong to, Mormon, JW, Oneness-Pentecostal. So for the sake of discussion, what faith do you hold, it does not appear to me to be orthodox Christianity of any sort. . . .
________________________________________________________
I hold my own personal religious beliefs. I was for many years a part of the Methodist Church and they put up with my non-conformist beliefs and my refusal to repeat the Apostles Creed but did not excommunicate me for it. I’m afraid churches have left me. They have changed much in the last 70 years and I find particularly distasteful what happened in Nicea. This hierarchy that became the Roman Church took nearly 300 years to develop and was no way inspired by Christ in my opinion. The emphasis on having “learned” scholars rule the rest of The Church also has become distasteful. Some years ago when my father died and the Methodist minister asked me If I had any particular scriptural references I would like him to use, I did they were all references to a literal Resurrection. He wouldn’t use them because he said it would confuse people into believing their bodies would be raised from the dead instead of just their spirits. From that time on I was done with my Methodism.
I believe what I believe and don’t begrudge anybody else what they believe, I just don’t consider myself stupid and feel I can figure it out myself form The Holy Bible.
I have married a Mormon girl, perhaps she doesn’t believe all that I believe and vice versa but we get along.
Well; if you actually read the Book...
Philippians 2:7
"but emptied himself (ekenoosen), taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men." RSV
on the other end of the Book; we find, "...you will be like gods..."
Good ol' Joe; got his teaching in really well this time.
HAve you read the Pearl of Gret Price?
I hear that it is quite interesting...
If there is ONE thing I can't stand; it's threats and punishment being doled old by someone in power!
"Now if any of you will deny the plurality of wives, and continue to do so, I promise that you will be damned;
and I will go still further and say, take this revelation, or any other revelation that the Lord has given,
and deny it in your feelings, and I promise that you will be damned.
Brigham Young - JoD 3:266 (July 14, 1855)
Must be all them years of Mormon teaching surrounding you.
Hi Elsie,
I haven’t read that book, I thought we were talking about 3rd century Christianity not Mormons.
Even as a child I wondered what was all this “holy ghost” business...
He's learned from Joseph Smith; so...
Well...
Mormon scripture says...
1–6, Exaltation is gained through the new and everlasting covenant; 7–14, The terms and conditions of that covenant are set forth; 15–20, Celestial marriage and a continuation of the family unit enable men to become gods; 21–25, The strait and narrow way leads to eternal lives; 26–27, The law is given relative to blasphemy against the Holy Ghost; 28–39, Promises of eternal increase and exaltation are made to prophets and Saints in all ages; 40–47, Joseph Smith is given the power to bind and seal on earth and in heaven; 48–50, The Lord seals upon him his exaltation; 51–57, Emma Smith is counseled to be faithful and true; 58–66, Laws governing the plurality of wives are set forth.
16Therefore, when they are out of the world they neither marry nor are given in amarriage; but are appointed angels in bheaven, which angels are ministering cservants, to minister for those who are worthy of a far more, and an exceeding, and an eternal weight of glory.
17For these angels did not abide my law; therefore, they cannot be enlarged, but remain separately and singly, without exaltation, in their saved condition, to all eternity; and from henceforth are not gods, but are aangels of God forever and ever.
18And again, verily I say unto you, if a man marry a wife, and make a covenant with her for time and for all eternity, if that acovenant is not by me or by my word, which is my law, and is not sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise, through him whom I have anointed and appointed unto this power, then it is not valid neither of force when they are out of the world, because they are not joined by me, saith the Lord, neither by my word; when they are out of the world it cannot be received there, because the angels and the gods are appointed there, by whom they cannot pass; they cannot, therefore, inherit my glory; for my house is a house of order, saith the Lord God.
19And again, verily I say unto you, if a man amarry a wife by my word, which is my law, and by the new and beverlasting covenant, and it is csealed unto them by the Holy Spirit of dpromise, by him who is anointed, unto whom I have appointed this power and the ekeys of this priesthood; and it shall be said unto them—Ye shall come forth in the first resurrection; and if it be after the first resurrection, in the next resurrection; and shall inherit fthrones, kingdoms, principalities, and powers, dominions, all heights and depths—then shall it be written in the Lamb’s gBook of Life, that he shall commit no hmurder whereby to shed innocent iblood, and if ye abide in my covenant, and commit no murder whereby to shed innocent blood, it shall be done unto them in all things whatsoever my servant hath put upon them, in time, and through all eternity; and shall be of full force when they are out of the world; and they shall pass by the angels, and the gods, which are set there, to their jexaltation and glory in all things, as hath been sealed upon their heads, which glory shall be a fulness and a continuation of the kseeds forever and ever.
20 Then shall they be gods, because they have no end; therefore shall they be from aeverlasting to everlasting, because they continue; then shall they be above all, because all things are subject unto them. Then shall they be bgods, because they have call power, and the angels are subject unto them.
21Verily, verily, I say unto you, except ye abide my alaw ye cannot attain to this glory.
22For astrait is the gate, and narrow the bway that leadeth unto the exaltation and continuation of the clives, and few there be that find it, because ye receive me not in the world neither do ye know me.
23But if ye receive me in the world, then shall ye know me, and shall receive your exaltation; that awhere I am ye shall be also.
24This is aeternal lives—to bknow the only wise and true God, and Jesus Christ, whom he hath csent. I am he. Receive ye, therefore, my law.
25aBroad is the gate, and wide the way that leadeth to the bdeaths; and many there are that go in thereat, because they creceive me not, neither do they abide in my law.
Well; Son; you DO need the Inspired Version then!
Straight from GOD! to replaced the error filled KJV that SLC still uses.
She couldn't snag a RM?
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