What is it about the Trinity that you reject? Is it because our finite minds cannot begin to grasp the infinite? I’ll give you that, but there are MANY things we believers accept by faith and without faith, it is impossible to please God.
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I don’t reject the Trinity, I reject the way it is defined by most of Christianity today. I rather have much respect for first century believers.
I certainly believe in The Father, The Son and The Holy Ghost. I pray to The Father in the name of The Savior Jesus Christ and when I receive what I think is inspiration I believe it is through The Holy Ghost, but; I believe that there are three individuals in The Godhead. Christ certainly didn’t pray to Himself, He prayed to His Father which was in Heaven even while The Savior was on the earth. I believe Jesus when He said that after He left them He would send The Comforter or The Holy Ghost. Christ didn’t say He would send Himself. Not only did He say He would send The Comforter but that He would send Him from The Father.
When the prophet John the Baptist baptized Jesus it was not Jesus that came up out of the water declaring that He was proud of Himself, it was His Father from Heaven declaring to John and any who heard that He was well pleased with His son.
To me the most vivid proof of the error of the current belief or definition of The Holy Trinity is that Christ did not want to drink the bitter cup His Father had given but decided He would do His Fathers will instead of His own. Christ does what His Father sent Him to do. Christ has a will but He conforms His will to His Fathers will. It is the same thing He has asked us to do.
Christ makes it clear that He and His Father are distinct individuals when He tells Mary at the tomb on Easter morning that He had not ascended to His father. He makes it clear by saying that He is ascending to “My Father and your Father, to My God and your God”. I don’t see any other way to interpret these words.
In John 17:17 Jesus prays to His Father to give Him the Glory that He had when He was with Him. I will quote, “Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.”
I realize I have not studied these things in seminary but I believe that there are some things that are plain.
I hold no malice to those believers who hold to the popular belief of The Trinity. I don’t know if it matters.
I am in my 8th decade on this earth. While I am not a seminarian I do have some life experiences that form what I truly believe and understand. I do not believe The Emperor Constantine was inspired by God to organize The Church the way his government was organized. Until Constantine each local church was independent. While Apostles walked the earth they could settle disputes after they and those they ordained left life on earth I think The Church wandered.
This is not to say I have anything against Constantine, I think he likely did more good than harm to The Church certainly he stopped much of the persecution but he was not a Christian. There is a tradition that says he was baptized before he died but it is a doubtful tradition.
I have spoken to many priests and pastors of various religious beliefs. Most of these people are trying to serve The Lord. This is important, splitting hairs perhaps not so much. I’m not sure that the definition of the Holy Trinity is splitting hairs but what ever it is my belief is sincere.
Further Christ explains in John 17 what it means when He says He and His Father are one when He says that He and His apostles are one. I hope to be considered one with Him just as He and His apostles are one and just as He and His Father are one.
This is a "Devotional" thread which discourages debate and I'm not trying to argue with you or be confrontational. I only wanted to know what definition of the Trinity accepted by most of Christianity today that you rejected. It sounds to me like you actually DO believe in the orthodox view and may only be stumbling at semantics. What it boils down to is that there is ONLY ONE GOD. Revealed to us BY God as the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit - three persons yet ONE God. Jesus is not "a" god as some cults say nor is the Holy Spirit the spirit of the Father. They are different manifestations, so to speak, of the ONE God. They have different roles and natures, yet remain as ONE. Like I said, I don't think our finite minds are capable of truly grasping the infinite and that is why we walk by faith.
Metmom is posting the studies by MacArthur and I think they will delve further into the doctrine of the Triune nature of our God.
Actually, the *Devotional* label, as per the Religion Forum Guidelines on the Religion Moderator’s homepage, prohibit debate of any kind.
https://freerepublic.com/~religionmoderator/
Religion Forum threads labeled “Devotional:”
“Devotional threads are closed to debate of any kind.”
The *Caucus* label discourages debate as well.....
“The “caucus” article and posts must not compare beliefs or speak in behalf of a belief outside the caucus.”