Ask Experts Questions for FREE Help !
Ask
    JoeCanada76's Avatar
    JoeCanada76 Posts: 6,669, Reputation: 1707
    Uber Member
     
    #21

    Nov 13, 2005, 03:11 AM
    Trinity,

    The Father, The Son And The Holy Spirit(Holy Ghost).

    Three in one. Many people say how can you believe in one God and have a trinity.

    Well Just like Us, we have many different parts to our bodies that make our one body.. God is the same. The father and the son and the holy spirit is what makes God one.
    Morganite's Avatar
    Morganite Posts: 863, Reputation: 86
    Senior Member
     
    #22

    Nov 28, 2005, 04:08 PM
    Pointers to polytheism
    Genesis says, [Y]our eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods

    God did not say ye shall be as I am, or even ye shall be as god, but used the plural word "as gods"

    The Book of Deuteronomy says, [T]he LORD your God is the God of gods, and the Lord of lords

    Moses did not say God is the only God, but that he was the God of all other Gods, and Lord of all other divinities.

    When God spoke on Sinai, he did not declare himself the only God, but said in effect that he was pre-eminent, warning Israel not to have any other god 'before' Him.

    He also warned Israel against making images of 'things in the high heaven.'

    Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness that is in heaven above ...

    Isaiah does not denounce polytheism as the greatest of sins. Indeed, a number of researchers have shown that polytheism as such is nowhere condemned in the Bible, only that giving pre-emnence to another god before Jehovah was condemned.

    According to the 'Encyclopedia of Judaism,' (1989), whose contributors were more than seventy five Jewish professors, doctors, and rabbis from USA, Israel, and Britain, The Bible is full of references to the belief in and the worship of many gods (polytheism); to the belief in and worship of the God of Israel together with a belief in the gods of the Canaanites (syncretism); and to the belief in a separate god for every people and country (monolatry).

    From around 600 BCE monotheism was pressed into service, and signs are that many OT references to polytheism were expunged, but not all.

    Christians were later accused of reintroducing polytheism by Jews by way of the trinitarian concept of God that hinges on the idea of "three distinct persons of one undivided substance." The idea of a single essence in three persons first became official doctrine at the formation of the Nicene Creed in June 325 a.d.40

    The concept of a single essence was at that time acknowledged to be unscriptural (see William G Rusch, "The Trinitarian Controversy" 1980), but the Emperor Constantine forced its adoption as a compromise to avoid fragmentation of the early Christian church.

    The trinitarian concept is not found in the Bible, as notable Protestant and Catholic scholars have readily acknowledged.

    Can we accept the Trinity as a form of restored polytheism dominated by the God of Gods, who is also Lord of lords, and be comfortable in that understanding without believing ourselves heretics?




    MORGANITE




    :)
    fizzlebent's Avatar
    fizzlebent Posts: 40, Reputation: 2
    Junior Member
     
    #23

    Dec 2, 2007, 09:12 PM
    Mark 10:17-18 (King James Version)
    King James Version (KJV)

    17And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?

    18And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that is, God

    Was Jesus saying he was not good? No, he was saying in comparison to God he was different.

    Matt 24:36 “Concerning that day and hour nobody knows, neither the angels of the heavens nor the Son, but only the Father.

    Jesus here again showing he was different from his father.

    John 17:3 And this is the eternal life, that they should know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent.



    1 Cor. 2:16 For, “Who can know the Lord's thoughts?
    Who knows enough to teach him?”

    But we understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ.

    Again showing he is different from his father.
    phildebenham's Avatar
    phildebenham Posts: 95, Reputation: 9
    Junior Member
     
    #24

    Dec 3, 2007, 11:48 PM
    You have shown from Scripture that Jesus is not the Father and the Father is not Jesus, but that was not the question. I assume from your choices of Scripture to address the question of the Trinity that you are a Jehovah's Witness (but I could be wrong.) It may be useful to note that so-called trinitarians do not believe that Jesus is the Father or that the Father is Jesus either. Consequently, you have not addressed the issue at all. Please limit yourself to the question at hand.
    phildebenham's Avatar
    phildebenham Posts: 95, Reputation: 9
    Junior Member
     
    #25

    Dec 4, 2007, 12:00 AM
    Quote Originally Posted by Morganite
    The trinitarian concept is not found in the Bible, as notable Protestant and Catholic scholars have readily acknowledged.






    :)
    My understanding of the definition of the Trinity (the question at hand which you failed to address) is that there is One God. The Father is God. The Son is God. The Spirit is God. All three are the One God.

    Clearly the Scripture in which you fail to find the trinitarian concept does tell us that there is One God, and in various places, tells us that Father, Son, and Spirit are God. If the Bible is correct, and there is One God, yet the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Spirit is God, then the three must comprise the One God.
    lobrobster's Avatar
    lobrobster Posts: 208, Reputation: 26
    Full Member
     
    #26

    Dec 9, 2007, 06:46 PM
    Lets make this REAL easy.

    Suppose I wanted to write god a letter... What would I have to put on the outside of the envelope to make sure the mailman delivers it correctly?

    a). God?

    b). Jesus?

    Or...

    c). The Holy Ghost?
    phildebenham's Avatar
    phildebenham Posts: 95, Reputation: 9
    Junior Member
     
    #27

    Dec 9, 2007, 08:00 PM
    Quote Originally Posted by lobrobster
    Lets make this REAL easy.

    Suppose I wanted to write god a letter... What would I have to put on the outside of the envelope to make sure the mailman delivers it correctly?

    a). God?

    b). Jesus?

    Or...

    c). The Holy Ghost?
    Once again you have failed to answer the question I have asked. Instead you have asked another question. In answer to your question, I would write your hypothetical letter to Yahweh. Of course Yahweh comprises Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, so all three Persons of God would receive it. You were correct, that was REAL easy. Now perhaps you can answer the question I have asked?
    JA7179's Avatar
    JA7179 Posts: 4, Reputation: 1
    New Member
     
    #28

    Dec 25, 2007, 01:29 AM
    The Word Trinity Is Not In The Bible. If You Seek Truth Start By Reading John 14 Pay Close Attention To Verses 7 And 9 Ask God To Help You Understand His Word To Find The Truth You Must Sincerely Seek Truth.
    Moparbyfar's Avatar
    Moparbyfar Posts: 262, Reputation: 49
    Full Member
     
    #29

    Mar 19, 2008, 05:02 AM
    Quote Originally Posted by phildebenham
    I was hoping that a JW would offer a definition all by his/her lonesome. They do not have to believe in the doctrine of the Trinity to define it.

    I define it as a load of hooey! The truth is meant to be understandable, which this obviously is NOT!

    The more one tries to comprehend the Trinity the more bamboozling it becomes. Yeh, yeah, people always come back with great gusto quoting scriptures, but if they looked into the ENTIRE bible and not just the scriptures they think can back up their beliefs, they will get a different picture. For instance, Matt 24:36 doesn't seem to fit with this theory of theirs
    "concerning that day and hour nobody knows, neither the angels of the heavens nor the Son of man, but only the Father." Now how could only the Father know if Jesus IS the Father? (Notice in that scripture there is no mention of the Holy Spirit)?

    I am curious though as to why you are so interested in getting the opinion of a JW?

Not your question? Ask your question View similar questions

 

Question Tools Search this Question
Search this Question:

Advanced Search

Add your answer here.



View more questions Search