I continue to profess the testimony of Jesus Christ to be true, and that God the Father is in him, and he in the Father (God the Father is a Spirit. Jn 4:23,24)
Jesus does testify that He is in the Father and the Father is in Him. But there is much more to His testimony. Among other things, He said in John 8 that He is not alone, but He and the Father who sent Him. Citing the law that the testimony of two men can be verified, He said that He testifies of Himself and the Father testifies of Him. He further said that they will realize that “I AM” and that He does nothing on His own but says only what the Father taught Him; that He who sent Him is with Him; and that the Father has not left Him alone because He always does what is pleasing to the Father. It is in John 14 that Jesus says the Father is in Him and He is in the Father. But He also says that He is going to the Father. He says that when He does go to the Father, He will send the Advocate from the Father, the Spirit of truth that proceeds from the Father.
So Jesus Himself testified that there is one source, the Father, who sent Him, the eternally begotten Son, and that when He returns to the Father, the Father will send the Spirit that proceeds from the Father through Him. Three separate beings from the one source.
The explanation from the Athanasian creed or the Nicene creed or any other creed is man’s best attempt to explain that which cannot be fully comprehended. It has been compared to trying to pour the ocean into a hole in the sand, one toy bucketful at a time.
So if you think your attempt to harmonize Scripture can make it more sound than what the greatest minds in Christianity have been able to come up with, go for it.
Peace,
Rich
**So Jesus Himself testified that there is one source, the Father, who sent Him, the eternally begotten Son, and that when He returns to the Father, the Father will send the Spirit that proceeds from the Father through Him. Three separate beings from the one source.**
Please note my editing, including using caps, of the same comment from you (my words in parentheses):
So Jesus Himself testified that there is ONE SOURCE, THE FATHER, who sent Him, the eternally begotten Son, and that when He returns to the Father (aka, THE ONE SOURCE), the Father (the ONE SOURCE) will send the Spirit that proceeds from the Father (the ONE SOURCE) through Him. Three separate beings from the one source. (The Father is not FROM the one source, HE IS the one source; the one source from which all things divine originate.)
**He said that He testifies of Himself and the Father testifies of Him.**
...through the words that the Father gave to the Son to speak, and through the works that the Father performed through the Son. (John 5:36,37; 12:49,50; 14:10, to name a few)
John said (after walking and talking with Jesus Christ) that no man hath seen God. He didn’t specify a separate and distinct person of God that is invisible, he simply declares God to be invisible. (John 1:18; 1John 4:17)
John knew (I’m using Paul’s inspired words) “To wit, that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself...”.
God is a Spirit. Jesus Christ is the invisible God’s express image. (Col. 1:15; Heb. 1:3)
I must now yield the windows 10 infested pc to the wife.
Thanks for the discussion.