The Trinity Explained

[_Mittens]

E. Calvin Beisner
God in Three Persons

The Christian Church throughout history has found in order to remain faithful to the teachings of the New Testament regarding the person and work of Christ, it had to affirm at least the following doctrines:

The doctrine of the Trinity----that in the nature of the One True God, there are three distinct persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, each fully God, Coequal and Coeternal
When we have said these three things, then—that there is but one God, that the Father and the Son and the Spirit is each a distinct person—we have enunciated the doctrine of the Trinity in its completeness.

We may condense this into a somewhat shorter statement, one which is more precise: In the nature of the God, there are three distinct persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit ( or substance ) of the one true God, there are three distinct persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit p 24

“The Nicene Creed, then, with centuries of theological discussion and controversy behind it, still teaches of the Trinity as the New Testament does: that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, while distinct from each other personally, are the same God” p 153

Trinity
first used by Theophilus (A.D. 168 A.D. - 183 A.D.), or from the Lat. trinitas, first used by Tertullian (A.D. 220 A.D.), to express this doctrine. The propositions involved in the doctrine are these: 1. That God is one, and that there is but one God (Deut 6:4; 1 Kings 8:60; Isa 44:6; Mark 12:29,32; John 10:30). 2. That the Father is a distinct divine Person (hypostasis, subsistentia, persona, suppositum intellectuale), distinct from the Son and the Holy Spirit. 3. That Jesus Christ was truly God, and yet was a Person distinct from the Father and the Holy Spirit. 4. That the Holy Spirit is also a distinct divine Person.

(from Easton's Bible Dictionary, PC Study Bible formatted electronic database Copyright © 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Homoousios -God- Godhead- Substance- Essence- Being –Nature [ all Synonyms ]

Homoiousios = similar substance (Arius' position)

Homo = same
Homoi = similar
Ousios = substance

One being. Three persons. In other words, one "what" and three "who"s. There is one being, God. There are three persons: God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The distinction is between being and person. One being, three persons. One what, three who's.

All the Persons of the Holy Trinity are IDENTICAL IN ESSENCE but DISTINCT IN PERSONS

John Ankerberg [Everything You Ever Wanted to know about Mormonism]

Page 104-105
1. There is Only One God
2. The Father is God;
3. Jesus Christ, the Son, is God
4. The Holy Spirit is a Person, is eternal and is therefore God
5. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are distinct persons.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (n.) The union of three persons (the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost) in one Godhead, so that all the three are one God as to substance, but three persons as to individuality.


“Within the one Being that is God, there exists eternally three coequal and co-eternal persons, namely, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.”
(White, James R. “The Forgotten Trinity” (p. 26). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition)

Tim tebow's father is a Christian Evangelist and here is his statement on the Trinity

We believe God is Trinity, which means that He is one God who has eternally existed in three persons, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Each one is fully God. God is completely unified in His diversity. All persons of the Trinity are equal , nature, and substance, but they are different in persons. All things are from the Father, through the Son, and by the Holy Spirit. Each person of the Godhead shares all the attributes of God, including eternality, freedom, holiness, righteousness, immutability, omniscience, omnipresence, omnipotence, happiness, wisdom, sovereignty, perfection, goodness, and justice, grace, and mercy. God is holy, which means that he is transcendent over creation. He is the source of life. Nothing exists apart from His sustaining power. Matthew 28:18–19; Mark 12:29; John 1:14; Acts 5:3–4; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Hebrews 1:1–3; Revelation 1:4–6.
http://www.btea.org/whatwebelieve.asp

Hank Hanegraaff, The Complete Bible Answer Book—Collector’s Edition (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2008)

While it has become increasingly popular to suggest that the doctrine of the Trinity is derived from pagan sources, in reality, this Christian essential is thoroughly biblical. The word “Trinity”—like “incarnation”— is not found in Scripture; however, it aptly codifies what God has condescended to reveal to us about his nature and being. In short, the Trinitarian platform contains three planks: (1) there is but one God; (2) the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God; (3) Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are eternally distinct.

The first plank underscores that there is only one God. Christianity is not polytheistic but fiercely monotheistic. “You are my witnesses, declares the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me” (Isaiah 43:10, emphasis added).

The second plank emphasizes that in hundreds of Scripture passages the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are declared to be fully and completely God. As a case in point, the apostle Paul says that, “there is but one God the Father” (1 Corinthians 8:6). The Father, speaking of the Son, says, “Your throne, O God, will last forever and forever” (Hebrews 1:8). And when Ananias “lied to the Holy Spirit,” Peter points out that he had “not lied to men but to God” (Acts 5:3–4).

The third plank of the Trinitarian platform asserts that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are eternally distinct. Scripture clearly portrays subject/object relationships between Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. For example, the Father and Son love one another, speak to each other (John 17:1–26), and together send the Holy Spirit (John 15:26). Additionally, Jesus proclaims that he and the Father are two distinct witnesses and two distinct judges (John 8:14–18). If Jesus were himself the Father, his argument would have been not only irrelevant but also fatally flawed; and if such were the case, he could not have been fully God.

It is important to note that when Trinitarians speak of one God they are referring to the nature or essence of God. Moreover, when they speak of persons they are referring to personal self-distinctions within the Godhead. Put another way, we believe in one What and three Who’s.


For further study, see James R. White, The Forgotten Trinity (Minneapolis: Bethany House, 2001).


In Mormonism the hierarchy would like us believe Jesus and the Father are the same person

https://i.imgur.com/q9Ldxvj.jpg

[_huckelberry]

I know of no indication that Mormon leadership teaches that the Father and Son are the same person. Thinking that they do is a very odd misperception.

[_Maksutov]

Simple. The Bibble is incoherent because it was composed by many people. That anyone would expect a truly rational system to emerge from such a wild bundle of tales and traditions is as big a mystery as the Trinity. In fact, it's the same thing.

The Trinity was a cause to fight over, like what day you do your Sabbath on, or how you make the sign of the cross, what language your Bible is in, how many books are in it, whether your priest can do the horizontal lambada or not, you know, all the verities of the eternities. Just go with the holy spirit and murder who they tell ya. Religions don't run by theology. Ask Constantine.

[_moksha]

Eternal Progression

https://i.imgur.com/TwNmRWN.png

[_moksha]

Eternal Progression

https://i.imgur.com/TwNmRWN.png

[_Mittens]

I know of no indication that Mormon leadership teaches that the Father and Son are the same person. Thinking that they do is a very odd misperception.

Here's a partial list of LDS leaders that teach Orthodox, Mainline Christians teach God the father and Jesus are the same persons


http://thetruthaboutmormonism-creeksalm ... teach.html

[_huckelberry]

I know of no indication that Mormon leadership teaches that the Father and Son are the same person. Thinking that they do is a very odd misperception.

Here's a partial list of LDS leaders that teach Orthodox, Mainline Christians teach God the father and Jesus are the same persons


http://thetruthaboutmormonism-creeksalm ... teach.html

Mittens, you have corrected your statement here. Yes Mormon leaders have garbled up what the traditional trinity view is to make their version sound preferable. But that goes with the alteration of basic ideas about god. In the Mormon view different person must mean different substance. There is a naturalness to that assumption that people can be swayed by. All the persons we meet each day are differentiated by having different substance. But none of these human or animal persons are infinite and all powerful.

[_huckelberry]

Simple. The Bibble is incoherent because it was composed by many people. That anyone would expect a truly rational system to emerge from such a wild bundle of tales and traditions is as big a mystery as the Trinity. In fact, it's the same thing.

The Trinity was a cause to fight over, like what day you do your Sabbath on, or how you make the sign of the cross, what language your Bible is in, how many books are in it, whether your priest can do the horizontal lambada or not, you know, all the verities of the eternities. Just go with the holy spirit and murder who they tell ya. Religions don't run by theology. Ask Constantine.

maksutov,
The dribble of cliches in this post impede finding a meaning for the last few sentences

Humans have always struggled with the role religion plays in contributing to political stability in a world trashed by powerful currents of political chaos.

[_Maksutov]

Simple. The Bibble is incoherent because it was composed by many people. That anyone would expect a truly rational system to emerge from such a wild bundle of tales and traditions is as big a mystery as the Trinity. In fact, it's the same thing.

The Trinity was a cause to fight over, like what day you do your Sabbath on, or how you make the sign of the cross, what language your Bible is in, how many books are in it, whether your priest can do the horizontal lambada or not, you know, all the verities of the eternities. Just go with the holy spirit and murder who they tell ya. Religions don't run by theology. Ask Constantine.

maksutov,
The dribble of cliches in this post impede finding a meaning for the last few sentences

Humans have always struggled with the role religion plays in contributing to political stability in a world trashed by powerful currents of political chaos.

You can't separate religion and power. You can't separate the spiritual and the worldly. I don't respect religion. I see no reason to. It's another cultural product that has been endlessly abused. Is that a cliché? Maybe. But nothing like the endless spiritual deepities that I see from those defending ridiculous notions like the Trinity. It is an absurd waste of time and energy without useful results. It has more to do with division than instability. Put down your own bundle of cliches and look at some objective history.

[_huckelberry]

Muksutov. "dribble" was meant as light hearted response to"bibble" I was actually uncertain as to your line of thought about Constantine.Though you are able to make interesting and valuable observations, I was not interested in questioning your lack of respect for Christianity or religion

I am a little puzzled as to why you appear to think I am unaware or uninterested in history.