What is the Doctrine of the Trinity?
I was asked this question by a modalist in the comment section at another blog.
The following is my response:
There is one, and only one, eternal Being which is by nature God. That is, this one eternal Being alone possesses Deity (Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 43:10).
The Father of Jesus Christ is the one eternal God (John 20:17; I Peter 1:3).
Jesus Christ is the one eternal God (John 1:1; 8:58; 20:28; Romans 9:5)
The Holy Spirit is the one eternal God (Acts 5:3, 4; II Corinthians 3:17).
There is a “Personal” distinction between the Father of Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ. There is a “Personal” distinction between the Father of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. There is a “Personal” distinction between Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. In other words, the Father is not the Son, the Father is not the Holy Spirit, and the Son is not the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:35; Mathew 3:15, 16; 28:19)
Therefore, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are the one eternal God. The Being of God is not divided between the three “Persons”. Rather, each “Person” possesses fully the Deity.
Your question seems to come from a failure to allow for the possibility of a being having any thing other than one person. Maybe this will help:
You and I are each one being. You and I are each one person. The kind of being we are is a human being. Human beings are personal beings. Each human being is limited to one person. A rock is a inanimate being. A rock is not personal. A dog is a living being yet it is not personal. Of all the personal being we know of in nature (that would be human beings) each is limited to one person. But what about the supernatural? There are created spirit beings. Angels and demons are spirit beings and they are personal. But each of these created spirit beings are limited to one person each. Every personal being in creation is limited to one person each. Our frame of reference is this world. It is hard for us to conceive of a being possessesed by more than one person.
But God is not a created Being. God is unlike anything in creation. God is the Creator. We must not force God to conform to our frame of reference. We must allow God to be the God revealed in Scripture even if it does not fit our natural frame of reference.
If God has revealed Himself to be one eternal Being co-equally and co-eternally existing in three distinct “Persons” we must bow to God as He has revealed Himself. But if we say, one being can only be one person, therefore, the one God is only one “Person”, then we are recreating God in our own image.
Modalist have assumned unitarianism and have, therefore, forced the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit to be different modes of the one Person. Without this unitarian assumption the three “Personal” relatrionships in the nature of the one eternal God are clearly seen on the pages of Scriture.
Now tell me, doth this offend you?
The following is my response:
There is one, and only one, eternal Being which is by nature God. That is, this one eternal Being alone possesses Deity (Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 43:10).
The Father of Jesus Christ is the one eternal God (John 20:17; I Peter 1:3).
Jesus Christ is the one eternal God (John 1:1; 8:58; 20:28; Romans 9:5)
The Holy Spirit is the one eternal God (Acts 5:3, 4; II Corinthians 3:17).
There is a “Personal” distinction between the Father of Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ. There is a “Personal” distinction between the Father of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. There is a “Personal” distinction between Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. In other words, the Father is not the Son, the Father is not the Holy Spirit, and the Son is not the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:35; Mathew 3:15, 16; 28:19)
Therefore, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are the one eternal God. The Being of God is not divided between the three “Persons”. Rather, each “Person” possesses fully the Deity.
Your question seems to come from a failure to allow for the possibility of a being having any thing other than one person. Maybe this will help:
You and I are each one being. You and I are each one person. The kind of being we are is a human being. Human beings are personal beings. Each human being is limited to one person. A rock is a inanimate being. A rock is not personal. A dog is a living being yet it is not personal. Of all the personal being we know of in nature (that would be human beings) each is limited to one person. But what about the supernatural? There are created spirit beings. Angels and demons are spirit beings and they are personal. But each of these created spirit beings are limited to one person each. Every personal being in creation is limited to one person each. Our frame of reference is this world. It is hard for us to conceive of a being possessesed by more than one person.
But God is not a created Being. God is unlike anything in creation. God is the Creator. We must not force God to conform to our frame of reference. We must allow God to be the God revealed in Scripture even if it does not fit our natural frame of reference.
If God has revealed Himself to be one eternal Being co-equally and co-eternally existing in three distinct “Persons” we must bow to God as He has revealed Himself. But if we say, one being can only be one person, therefore, the one God is only one “Person”, then we are recreating God in our own image.
Modalist have assumned unitarianism and have, therefore, forced the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit to be different modes of the one Person. Without this unitarian assumption the three “Personal” relatrionships in the nature of the one eternal God are clearly seen on the pages of Scriture.
Now tell me, doth this offend you?
posted by takin | 3:54 PM
1 Comments:
Well done, good sir.
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