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Originally posted by Moosemose
1. The word "trinity" is not found in the Bible. It is a technical
theological word coined in the fourth century A.D. to describe a theological
concept.
2. The doctrine of the trinity recognizes God as being one in essence
but three persons who possess equal, perfect, eternal and infinite identical
essence.
5. There is one true God, but in the unity of the Godhead there are
three coequal, coeternal persons. They are the same in substance or
essence, but distinct in subsistence or continuing in existence.
6. The trinity is a revealed doctrine. It embodies truth never
discovered; hence, it is undiscoverable by natural reason.
7. Since each person of the Trinity has the same essence, God is
described as one. But they are different as persons.
9. The word "trinity" was first used by Tertullian in the second
century to designate a Biblical doctrine. The doctrine of the trinity was
confirmed by the Council of Nicea in A.D. 325. After much controversy,
including the heresy of Arius, Sabellius, and Paul of Samosata, they finally
came to a correct understanding of the doctrine.
11. When divine essence is the subject, God is said to be one. When
divine persons are the subject, distinction is made between the Father, the
Son, and the Holy Spirit.
12. For this reason we have different Hebrew names for God. The plural
noun Elohim implies more than one person in the Godhead. The singular noun
JHWH (Adonai, Jahweh, or Jehovah) is used to distinguish between the
persons. Elohim emphasizes the one essence of God. Jehovah emphasizes one
person in the Trinity, usually God the Son.
B. Scripture Verification.
1. The plural pronoun for God, Elohim, is used in Gen 1:26, 3:22, "Let
us make man," and in Isa 6:8, "Whom shall I send and who will go for us?"
2. Ps 110:1, "The Lord [God the Father] said to my [David's] Lord [God
the Son]."
3. The distinction is delineated in Ps 2:7, "I will announce the
decree of the Lord [God the Father]. He said to Me [God the Son], `You are
My Son [deity of Jesus Christ]. This day [day of incarnation] I have
begotten You.'" This is quoted three times in the New Testament, in Acts
13:33, Heb 1:5, and Heb 5:5.
4. Isa 48:16, "Come near to Me; listen to this. From the first, I
have not spoken in secret. From the time it took place, I was there. And
now the Lord God [God the Father] has sent Me [God the Son], and His Spirit
[God the Holy Spirit]."
5. Mt 28:19, "Go therefore and make disciples [Bible students] of all
nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy
Spirit." This is a reference to the pre-Canon period of the Church Age in
which water baptism was practiced to illustrate the baptism of the Holy
Spirit by the use of ritual.
6. In Jn 10:30, Jesus said to the crowd, "I and the Father are one."
He was referring to divine essence. The Father and the Son are two distinct
persons in the Godhead, but they have identical essence.
7. Jn 14:16, "I will ask the Father, and He will give you another
Counselor to be with you forever." The next verse explains that the
Counselor is said to be "the Spirit of truth; He abides with you and He will
be in you."
8. Thomas called Jesus both Lord and God when he saw Him in His
resurrection body. Jn 20:28, "Thomas answered and said to Him, `My Lord, My
God.'"
9. 1 Cor 12:4-6, "There are a variety of spiritual gifts, but the same
Holy Spirit. And there are a variety of ministries [opportunities for
Christian service], but the same Lord [God the Son]. And there are many
different kinds of activities, but the same God [God the Father], who works
all of them in all persons."
10. 2 Cor 13:14, "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of
God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all."
11. 1 Pet 1:2, "According to the foreknowledge of God [the Father] by
the sanctifying work of the Spirit, that you may obey Jesus Christ."
12. Rev 1:4-6, "John, to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to
you and prosperity from Him who is [present state of the glorified Christ at
the right hand of the Father], who has always existed [Jesus Christ as
eternal God prior to the Hypostatic Union], who is to come [Second Advent],
and from the seven spirits before the throne [God the Holy Spirit as the
power system in both Christocentric dispensations], and from Jesus Christ,
the dependable witness, the first formed from the dead, also the ruler of
the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and has liberated us from our
sins by means of His blood, and He has provided for us a royal power as
priests to God, even the Father."
C. Though one in essence, God is three in persons.
1. In the doctrine of the unity of God, there is only one essence or
substance.
2. In the doctrine of the persons of the Godhead, the individuality of
the Father, Son, and Spirit is preserved against the notion that there are
only modes of God. The idea of modes of God is a false doctrine dating back
to the fourth century. It implies that one God has various modes for
various purposes in dealing with man, whether in creation or at salvation.
That is a false doctrine.
3. God is one, yet in Himself, and from all eternity past, He is three
separate and distinct persons: the Father, the Son, and the Spirit.
4. Argumentation for the trinity begins in Genesis with the use of
plural pronouns for God.
a. Gen 1:26, "Let us make man in our image." Therefore, more
than one person in the Godhead is involved.
b. Gen 3:22, "Then the Lord God said, `Behold, man has become
like one of us, knowing good and evil.'"
c. Isa 6:8, Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, `Whom
shall I [God the Father] send, and who will go for us ?'"
5. When a distinction is made between the persons of the Trinity, it
refers to a specific activity of specific persons in the Godhead.
a. 1 Thes 1:2-3, "We give thanks to God [God the Father] always
for you, making mention of you in our prayers, constantly bearing in mind
your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord
Jesus Christ in the presence of God our Father." So distinction is made
between the Father and Son. They have identical essence, but they are two
separate and distinct persons.
6. However, Jesus Christ is the only visible member of the Trinity, Jn
1:18, 6:46; 1 Tim 3:16; 1 Jn 4:12.
D. The Distinctive Function of the Trinity.
2. All three members of the Trinity provided salvation.
a. God the Father planned salvation according to Isa 14:27; Jn
4:34, 5:17, 12:44; 1 Cor 8:6; Eph 3:11.
b. God the Son executed salvation on the cross, Jn 4:34, 5:17;
1 Pet 2:24, 3:18; Rom 5:8; Heb 10:7.
c. God the Holy Spirit reveals the message of salvation. Under
the doctrine of common grace, He makes the Gospel perspicuous, Jn 16:8-11.
3. Each person of the Trinity indwells the body of every Church Age
believer. Distinction is made between them.
a. The indwelling of God the Father is found in Jn 14:23; Eph
4:6; 2 Jn 9.
b. God the Son indwells us according to Jn 14:20, 17:22-23; Rom
8:10; 2 Cor 13:5; Gal 2:20; Col 1:27; 1 Jn 2:24.
c. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is found in Rom 8:11; 1 Cor
3:16, 6:19-20; 2 Cor 6:16.
d. Only in this unique Church Age does God the Father, God the
Son, and God the Holy Spirit indwell us.
E. Though three in persons, God is one in essence.
1. There is one God, yet three who possess every attribute of deity
equally, perfectly, and eternally.
2. There is a unity of essence and a plurality of persons belonging to
the same divine being.
3. The persons of the Godhead are not separate and independent beings,
such as Peter, James, and John; but three persons with identical essence
eternally and inseparably united as one in essence.
4. They are thr
Jesus is God by designation. In his former existence, the who/what that became incarnate and became Jesus, had already been in the position of representing God.
6. However, Jesus Christ is the only visible member of the Trinity, Jn
1:18, 6:46; 1 Tim 3:16; 1 Jn 4:12.
so... we've seen god, but we havent because "no man has seen god"?
Originally posted by John Matrix
The Bible is a book to be studied. One does not become an expert physician, lawyer, engineer etc. without studying, as that would have disastrous consequences. Likewise, you cannot become an expert concerning the Bible without years of study. I am not an expert, but I can do the research and weigh the opinions of others.