- Apr 12, 2004
- 8,958
- 703
- 49
- Faith
- Christian
- Marital Status
- Married
Hi everybody!
It's been a while, but I'm glad to see that while the forums' look has been updated, it appears the same layout and rules are in place.
I have a question about something I've been thinking of, and want to run it by someone who is steeped in philosophy.
Regarding the Trinity, we as Christians often really fall down in trying to explain It. We use a lot of analogies that always break down, and most often fall into modalism, which is un-good. In describing the Trinity, what do you think about linking the perfection of God into the description? I've heard it said that perfection is indivisible. God's nature is perfect. God, Jesus and Holy Spirit share the same perfect nature. Therefore, it is indivisible. Before you think I'm going all Unitarian, as I'm not...or at least I don't think I am, the perfect nature CAN be expressed differently.
As I was out riding my bike today, I thought about a perfect gem - imagine such a thing exists. A perfect gemstone is perfect whether it is mounted in a setting, displayed in a glass case or protected in a vault. Each of these is a different expression, of sorts, of the same perfect gem. What if we were to suggest God's perfect nature was expressed in three different ways - The Father, The Parakletos - Jesus, The Other Parakletos - Holy Spirit. God's nature is not defined by location or what physically houses It. But, the roles of the Three are different. They are separate expressions of the same perfect nature. This is how I imagine the Triune nature of God.
Muslims and Jews claim we are polytheists. But, I think this is a lack of understanding God's attributes and what perfection means (it's indivisible).
What do you think?
Thanks for any discussion-
Dave
It's been a while, but I'm glad to see that while the forums' look has been updated, it appears the same layout and rules are in place.
I have a question about something I've been thinking of, and want to run it by someone who is steeped in philosophy.
Regarding the Trinity, we as Christians often really fall down in trying to explain It. We use a lot of analogies that always break down, and most often fall into modalism, which is un-good. In describing the Trinity, what do you think about linking the perfection of God into the description? I've heard it said that perfection is indivisible. God's nature is perfect. God, Jesus and Holy Spirit share the same perfect nature. Therefore, it is indivisible. Before you think I'm going all Unitarian, as I'm not...or at least I don't think I am, the perfect nature CAN be expressed differently.
As I was out riding my bike today, I thought about a perfect gem - imagine such a thing exists. A perfect gemstone is perfect whether it is mounted in a setting, displayed in a glass case or protected in a vault. Each of these is a different expression, of sorts, of the same perfect gem. What if we were to suggest God's perfect nature was expressed in three different ways - The Father, The Parakletos - Jesus, The Other Parakletos - Holy Spirit. God's nature is not defined by location or what physically houses It. But, the roles of the Three are different. They are separate expressions of the same perfect nature. This is how I imagine the Triune nature of God.
Muslims and Jews claim we are polytheists. But, I think this is a lack of understanding God's attributes and what perfection means (it's indivisible).
What do you think?
Thanks for any discussion-
Dave