Trinity?

JWs change their doctrines and scriptures to reflect "new light", but ALL truth is eternal and does not change, becoming greater or less.

Truth, within the context it is given, should harmonize with other scripture.

After dividing the flock, they condemn the ENTIRE Orthodox church as apostate. Both the JWs and the Mormons have done this. Their are millions of deceived advocates of these "faiths", and they go spread their word like no other. The "evangelism" is part of everything they do. I pick up their flyers and trash them wherever I find it.

But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.”
2 Cor 11:3-4

“I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.”
Gal 1:6-8

“But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of”
2 Peter 2:1-2

Although (as prophesied,) much deception has worked its way into the church, the church at large can never be overcome.

“And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”
Matt 16:18

The church is the born again Body of Christ, of whom, Jesus is the Head. It is comprised of people within ALL Christian churches, wherever one will believe and obey the promptings of the Spirit within the heart.

“But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to Myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal. Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. “
Romans 11:4-5

This proves that it is impossible for the entire church to be deceived. Unquestionably, a lot of "religion" without power is prevalent, but God NEVER abandoned the church, and is working in all Chrisian groups and denominations. I have felt Him powerfully reaching out to a JW once and I was shocked at the anointing extended to this one, as God wants to reach ALL in those "churches" and bring them to a personal knowledge of Him without the shroud of deception they are enchained with.

A Christian would not deny their family members for no longer attending their "denomination". It's usually the other way around. Believers get persecuted by non believing family members, but many families are destroyed by JWs after a son or daughter, or father or mother leaves. They are ostracized and disfellowshipped completely.

Don't get me started! Oops! I've already started!

JWs believe that Jesus is a "Mighty God", but not God. There is only one God.

This is important because only God could create Heaven and earth.

“Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and His redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside Me there is no God.” Isaiah 44:6

“Is there a God beside Me? Yea, there is no God; I know not any.”
Isaiah 44:8

They take scriptures like these and imply that their are other gods. The above scriptures clearly say there is not!

“God standeth in the congregation of the mighty; He judgeth among the gods.”
Psalms 82:1 

“Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods? If He called them gods, unto whom the Word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken;”
John 10:34-35

“Among the gods there is none like unto Thee, O Lord; neither are there any works like unto Thy works.”
Psalms 86:8

There are various scriptures that seem to indicate that there are other “gods”.

The verses here use the term “gods” to describe those who sit in authority and judgment.

Some churches take these verses out of context to indicate that there are other divine beings. That “understanding” does not agree with other scripture.

“…that ye may know and believe Me, and understand that I am He: before Me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after Me. I, even I, am the LORD; and beside Me there is no saviour.”
Isaiah 43:10-11

“As concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one. For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,) But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by Him.”
1 Cor 8:4-6

God does not contradict Himself. If a passage on its own seems to contradict other scripture, we must examine the context in which it is given. This will agree with the rest of scripture.

It's all about the context. Although many are called "gods", there is only one true God.

The Mystery of God

Many Jews, based on their understanding of certain prophecies, saw the Messiah coming to establish a kingdom in this world. The knowledge of God’s Son as the coming Messiah was kept a mystery.

“Who has ascended into Heaven, or descended? Who hath gathered the wind in His fists? What is His name and what is His Son’s name, if thou canst tell?”
Proverbs 30:4

“But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 1 Cor 2:7-8

“…that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:"
Eph 3:8-9

“And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.” 
1 Tim 3:16

“But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.”
2 Cor 4:3-4 

"For in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily."
Col 2:8-9

"God,…Hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, Whom He hath appointed heir of all things, by Whom also He made the worlds; Who being the brightness of His glory, and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;"
Heb 1:1-3

"Philip saith unto Him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known Me, Philip? He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?
John 14:8-9

“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life, the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us, that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.” 1 John 1:1-3

"But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall He come forth unto Me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting."
Micah 5:2

“And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call His name JESUS: for He shall save His people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.”
Matt 1:20-23

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God (El Gibbor), the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon His kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever…”
Isaiah 9:6-7

“The remnant shall return, even the remnant of Jacob, unto the mighty God (El Gibbor).”
Isaiah 10:21

“He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.” John 1:10-11

There is a saying: “He was crucified on a cross of wood, yet He made the hill on which it stood”.

“The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.”
Isaiah 40:3

“The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God; As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before Thy face, which shall prepare Thy way before thee. The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.”
Mark 1:1-3

“No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him.”
John 1:18

The person of God's Word coexisted with the Father eternally. The person of love has someone to express that to and eternally with His Word, came to us in human form as Jesus, the divine Son of God.

Even though the person of Jesus is not the person of the Father, and the person of the Holy Spirit is not the person of the Father or Jesus, they are all ONE in purpose and attribute.

Objections

“But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.”
Mark 13:32

“My Father, which gave them Me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of My Father's hand. I and My Father are one.”
John 10:29-30

Jesus acknowledges the superlative greatness of the Father. All that He saw or heard in the Spirit came from the Father. The Son proceeds from the Father who is greater in position, not substance.

“But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;”
Heb 10:12

Some state that by saying “this man”, it ends all dispute about who Jesus was. Also, that to sit at the right hand of God means that He is not God.

He is the Word of God, given to us as the Son of God. He comes forth from the Father and was given to us as the “Son of Man”.

“For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.”
Romans 5:15

“For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.”
1 Tim 2:5-6

“And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou Me good? none is good, save one, that is, God.”
Luke 18:18-19

“Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He seeth the Father do: for what things soever He doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.
John 5:19

Jesus acknowledged that all of God’s goodness proceeded from Him. He gave all of the glory to His Father. All that He said or worked was through the Father.

The prophesied son of man

“I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought Him near before Him. And there was given Him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve Him: His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.”
Dan 7:13-14

JWs, btw, believe that Jesus did not rise from the dead, but that Michael the Archangel was restored in His place (from his former "annihlation") to join the Father in Heaven as the Son of God. This and many scriptures show that Jesus' kingdom is everlasting and it is very obvious that the JWs theology is demonically inspired. You must believe that God raised Him from the dead in order to be saved.

“Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For verily He took not on him the nature of angels; but He took on Him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore in all things it behoved Him to be made like unto His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that He himself hath suffered being tempted, He is able to succour them that are tempted.”
Heb 2:14-18

“In whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins: Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn (prototokos) of every creature: For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him:”
Col 1:14-17

Some take this to mean that Jesus was the first being created.

All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
John 1:3

Everything that was made, was made by Jesus.

Prototokos = First in rank, as an heir (the firstborn)

Here is the rest of the above scripture...

“And He is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things He might have the preeminence.”
Col 1:18

Jesus was not the first to be raised from the dead
Elisha raised a boy from the dead in 2 Kings 4:35
Lazarus was raised by Jesus in John 11:43
The High Priest Jairus's daughter in Luke 8

Jesus was the firstborn of the resurrected church in the New Covenant, holding the highest position in stature.

“And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning (arche) of the creation of God;”
Rev 3:14

Beginning - Arche = First cause, ruler - (We get the word architect from this word.)

“I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning (arche) and the end, the first and the last.”
Rev 22:13

In the active sense, this means that He was the creator - All things were made by Him.

Everything you see on earth, or not see in Heaven, was created by Jesus. Cannot only God do this?

Some attempt to refute a “God Man” coming to Earth by maintaining…

“God is not a man, that He should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath He said, and shall He not do it? or hath He spoken, and shall He not make it good?”
Num 23:19

“God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”
John 4:24

Jesus emptied Himself of His divine privilege and became a man with human limitations.

“Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same; that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.“
Heb 2:14-15

“But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that He by the grace of God should taste death for every man.”
Heb 2:9

Hebrew Grammar - The Shema - "Hear O Israel (The Jewish John 3:16)

The verb must agree with the noun in both verb and number.

In Hebrew, “Elohim” is plural; it is almost always followed by the singular verb going contrary to normal Hebrew grammar.

This emphasizes the unity of the godhead.

“In the beginning God (Elohim - plural noun) created (singular) the heaven and the earth.”
Gen 1:1

Elohim "im" (plural) form of Eloah or El (God)

“And God said, Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness:”
Gen 1:26

“And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of Us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:”
Gen 3:22

In this case the noun and verb are both plural.

This stresses the plurality of the godhead.

“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.” Deut 6:4-5

The word “one” or “echad” denotes a compound unity.

“Therefore shall a mean leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife; and they shall be one (echad) flesh.”
Gen 2:24

“…All the people answered with one (echad) voice, and said, All the words which the Lord hath said we will do.”
Ex 24:3

Echad = Compound unity
“And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one (echad) LORD, and His name one (echad).” Zech 1:9

Yachid = Absolute Oneness
“And He said, Take now thy son, thine only (yachid) son Isaac, whom thou lovest,..”
Gen 22:2

In the OT, the word “Yachid” is never used of God.

The “absolute” oneness in Hebrew is ‘Yachid”.
The word “one” or “echad” denotes a compound unity.

I remember that you said that you had intellectual inclinations, so I trust you aren't overwhelmed by all of this information. It deals with most of the objections the cults use and comes back with the plain truth of the Word.

When one understands that Jesus is the living Word of God, then all of the power resident in God's Word is present in Jesus. He did empty Himself of His divine attributes and became obedient as a servant in the form of a man, but He possesses all of the attributes of God, being in the form of God, existing co-eternally with God, as God. We can't fully understand it, but I think that the written Word with the Holy Spirit, does a pretty good job of giving us some understanding that is pretty convincing.

“To whom will ye liken Me, and make Me equal, and compare Me, that we may be like?”
Isaiah 46:5

“Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill Him, because He not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God.”
John 5:18

“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:”
Phil 2:5-7

“Wherefore Thou art great, O LORD God: for there is none like Thee, neither is there any God beside Thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears.”
2 Sam 7:22

In Jewish culture, If you applied these attributes to a man, you would be guilty of blasphemy.

Jesus is “guilty” of them all and the Father and the Holy Spirit each point to Jesus for all men to be saved, something only God does.

Those who’s hearts were surrendered to Father God, were drawn to Jesus as their heavenly provision for every need.

“And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.”
Gen 1:24

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him; and without Him was not any thing made that was made.”
John 1:1-3

“Hast thou not known? Hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary?”
Isaiah 40:28

“The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life.”
Job 33:4

“By the Word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth.”
Psalms 33:4-6

“Thus saith the LORD, thy redeemer, and He that formed thee from the womb, I am the LORD that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by Myself;”
Isaiah 44:24

“Remember now thy creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;”
Eccl 12:1

The word “creator” is a plural noun.

“For thy Maker is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is his name…”
Isaiah 54:5

The word “maker” is in the plural.

motherprayer said:

Could you explain to me also the Nicene Creed? (Patiently?)

Click to expand...

It was drawn up in the fourth century after a serious debate in the church over this very thing, the relationship of Jesus to the Father, etc, and it's become the standard and most authoritative statement of the Christian faith.

"The Creed" is recited in unison by the congregation in many Christian churches each Sunday and, if that's not done, there's a good chance that it's part of that church's Constitution or other documents. It is, at first glance, an overview of Christ's life and ministry, but it is primarily an explanation of the Trinity--the Trinitarian beliefs, we sometimes say. Roughly speaking, it holds that the three are one God but different 'persona.'

Christian Forums uses it as its own determiner of who is a Christian for CF's purposes with these forums. If you've not read that, I'd suggest looking at it in the rules or stickies or wherever it is, because it's taken apart there and each element of it identified. If that leaves you with questions, I'll be happy to try to be of help. At the present, I feel like I'm giving you a very general answer that might not be what you were looking for.

The Word of Life

Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the Words of eternal life.”
John 6:68

“… the Words that I speak unto you, they are Spirit, and they are life.”
John 6:63

“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us”
1 John 1:1-2

The Trinity are Eternal

“The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms:”
Deut 33:27

“How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?”
Heb 9:14

“Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.”
1 Tim 1:17

Father, I will that they also, whom Thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am; that they may behold My glory, which Thou hast given Me: for Thou lovedst Me before the foundation of the world.”
John 17:24

“Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast Thou seen Abraham? Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.”
John 8:57-58

God & Jesus Are Our Healer

“…for I am the LORD that healeth thee.”
Ex 15:26

“And there he found a certain man named Aeneas, which had kept his bed eight years, and was sick of the palsy. And Peter said unto him, Aeneas, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole: arise, and make thy bed. And he arose immediately.”
Acts 9:33-34

The Trinity are Living Water

“…they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.”
Jer 2:13

“Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of Him, and He would have given thee living water.”
John 4:10

“He that believeth on Me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake He of the Spirit, which they that believe on Him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)”
John 7:38-39

The Love of God

“Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.”
Jude 1:21

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?”
Romans 8:35

“Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me;” Romans 15:30

The Will of God

“Saying, Father, if Thou be willing, remove this cup from Me: nevertheless not My will, but Thine, be done.”
Luke 22:42

Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.”
Eph 5:17

“But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as He will.”
1 Cor 12:11

The Father and Jesus are Our Husband

“For thy Maker is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is His name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel;”
Isaiah 54:5

“For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.”
2 Cor 11:2

“To whom will ye liken Me, and make Me equal, and compare Me, that we may be like?”
Isaiah 46:5

God & Jesus - The Good Shepherd

“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake.” Psalms 23:1-3

“I am the good shepherd, and know My sheep, and am known of Mine. As the Father knoweth Me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down My life for the sheep.”
John 10:14-15

1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

Jehovah-Rohi - The Lord my shepherd
Jehovah-Jireh - The Lord will provide

3 He restoreth my soul:
He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake.

Jehovah-Rapha - The Lord our healer
Jehovah-Tsidkenu - The Lord our righteousness
Psalms 23:1,3

Jehovah-Shalom - The Lord is peace
Jehovah-Shammah - The Lord who is present

4 “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me.”
Psalms 23:4

God and Jesus Forgive Sins

“But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins,”
Matt 9:6

“And when He saw their faith, He said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee. And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this which speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?”
Luke 5:20-21

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
1 John 1:9

God & Jesus as Judge

“And the heavens shall declare His righteousness: for God is judge Himself. Selah.”
Psalms 50:6

“In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.”
Romans 2:16

“But why dost thou judge thy brother? Or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.”
Romans 14:10

God & Jesus will Judge People According to their Deeds

“For many nations and great kings shall serve themselves of them also: and I will recompense them according to their deeds, and according to the works of their own hands.”
Jer 25:14

“…and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.”
Rev 2:23

God & Jesus Search the Hearts

“…know thou the God of thy father, and serve Him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the LORD searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts:”
1 Chron 28:9

“…and all the churches shall know that I am He (Jesus) which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.”
Rev 2:23

“But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him?”
1 Cor 2:10-11

The Word of Life

“Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the Words of eternal life.”
John 6:68

“… the Words that I speak unto you, they are Spirit, and they are life.”
John 6:63

“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us”
1 John 1:1-2

God & Jesus are Light

“This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.”
1 John 1:5

“In Him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.”
John 1:3-5

“That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.”
John 1:9

"The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?”
Psalms 27:1

Jesus Answers Prayer

“Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them.”
Heb 7:25

“And whatsoever ye shall ask in My name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in My name, I will do it.”
John 14:13-14

“And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”
Acts 7:59

(Everywhere at all times – answering prayer)

“For where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them.”
Matt 18:20

“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me.”
Rev 3:20

This definitely applies to everyone on the Earth, a feat only God can accomplish.

The Lord our Sanctifier

“Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:”
1 Cor 1:2

“And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
1 Thess 5:23

“For both He that sanctifieth (Jesus) and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren,”
Heb 2:11

“Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ:”
1 Peter 1:2

Believing in Jesus is Believing in God

“And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.”
Mark 11:22

“Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in Me.”
John 14:1

“Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints,”
Col 1:4

“Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on Him whom He hath sent.”
John 6:29

“And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.”
Acts 16:31,34

Another Common Objection

“But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.”
1 Cor 11:3

Jesus willingly submits to the Father to complete His plan of redemption.

“For I came down from heaven, not to do Mine own will, but the will of Him that sent Me.”
John 6:38

“To whom will ye liken Me, and make Me equal, and compare Me, that we may be like?”
Isaiah 46:5

The Lord our Righteousness

“Surely, shall one say, in the LORD have I righteousness and strength:”
Isaiah 45:24

“Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In His days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is His name whereby He shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.”
Jer 23:5-6

The Trinity is Truth

“Then cried Jesus in the temple as He taught, saying, Ye both know Me, and ye know whence I am: and I am not come of Myself, but He that sent Me is true, whom ye know not.”
John 7:28

“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me. If ye had known Me, ye should have known My Father also: and from henceforth ye know Him, and have seen Him.”
John 14:6-7

“And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.”
1 John 5:6

The Father & Jesus are Unchangeable

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with Whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning."
James 1:17

"For I am the Lord, I change not; "
Mal 3:6 

"Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever."
Heb 13:8

The Father & Jesus Are the Rock

"No one is holy like the Lord, For there is none besides You, Nor is there any rock like our God." 
1 Sam 2:2 

“Because I will publish the name of the Lord: ascribe ye greatness unto our God. He is the Rock, His work is perfect: for all His ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is He.”
Deut 32:3-4 

"...for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ."
1 Cor 10:4

The Glory of God & Jesus

"For My own sake, for My own sake, I will do it; For how should My name be profaned? And I will not give My glory to another. "Listen to Me, O Jacob, And Israel, My called: I am He, I am the First, I am also the Last. Indeed My hand has laid the foundation of the earth…."
Isaiah 48:11-13 

“And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.” 
John 17:4-5 

“Father, I desire that they also Whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.” John 17:23-24

A Voice Like Many Waters

"And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east: and His voice was like a noise of many waters: and the earth shined with His glory.”
Ezek 43:2 

“And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man… and His voice as the sound of many waters… Fear not; I am the first and the last: , and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.”
Rev 1:13,15,17

Alpha & Omega - Jesus First & Last

"Thus saith the Lord the King of Israel, and His redeemer the Lord of Hosts;
I am the first, and I am the last; and beside Me there is no God."
Isaiah 44:5-6

"I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty."
Rev 1:8 

“Who hath wrought and done it, calling the generations from the beginning?
I the Lord, the first, and with the last; I am He.”
Isaiah 41:4

"And, behold, I come quickly; and My reward is with Me, to give every man according as his work shall be. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last."
Rev 22:12-13 

"And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. And He laid His right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: I am He that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death."
Rev 1:17-18

Worship Only God

"And I fell at His feet to worship him (the angel). And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy."
Rev 19:9-10 

"Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve."
Matt 4:9-10

Jesus is Worshipped

"And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary His mother, and fell down, and worshipped Him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto Him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh."
Matt 2:11

"And again, when He bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, He saith, And let all the angels of God worship Him."
Heb 1:6

“…Dost thou believe on the Son of God? He answered and said, Who is He, Lord, that I might believe on Him? And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen Him, and it is He that talketh with thee. And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped Him."
John 9:35-38

"Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped Him, saying, Of a truth Thou art the Son of God." Matt 14:32-33

The King & Lord of Lords

“I am the LORD, your Holy One, the creator of Israel, your King.”
Isaiah 43:15

“For the LORD your God is God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God,
a mighty, and a terrible, which regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward:”
Deut 10:17

“And He was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and His name is called The Word of God. And He hath on His vesture and on His thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”
Rev 19:13,16

The Lord & King of Glory

“Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, He is the King of glory. Selah.”
Psalms 24:10

“Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.”
1 Cor 2:8

Jesus is All Powerful

“Who being the brightness of His glory, and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the Word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;”
Heb 1:3

Call Upon God & Jesus & Be Saved

“And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered:”
Joel 2:32

This is fulfilled by Jesus

“For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon Him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
Romans 10:12-13

Saviour & God

“Yet I am the Lord thy God from the land of Egypt, and thou shalt know no god but Me: for there is no saviour beside Me.”
Hosea 13:4

“And there is no God else beside Me; a just God and a saviour; there is none beside Me. Look unto Me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.”
Isaiah 45:21-22

“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”
Acts 4:11-12

Saviour & Lord

“The Word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (He is Lord of all”
Acts 10:36

“Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Phil 2:9-11

Lord of Heaven & Earth

“At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank Thee, O Father, Lord of Heaven and earth, because Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.”
Matt 11:25

“God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that He is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;”
Acts 17:24

“And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and His name one.”
Zech 14:9

The Jews were never casual with God's name...

“Then saith He to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold My hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into My side: and be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered and said unto Him, My Lord and my God.
John 20:27-28

“Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain: for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.”
Deut 5:11

Some like to maintain that Thomas said “My God!” as is common in American culture. Such utterances were considered blasphemous. Jesus neither corrected nor rebuked Thomas. Jesus had just risen from the dead and Thomas now knew who He was.

No Other Name

“…and there is no God else beside Me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside Me. Look unto Me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else...That unto Me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.”
Isaiah 45:21,22,23

"And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved."
Acts 4:12

"for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God."
Romans 14:10-11

The Highest Name

“Neither shall ye profane My holy name; but I will be hallowed among the children of Israel: I am the Lord which hallow you, That brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the Lord.”
Lev 22:30-33

“Let them praise the name of the LORD: for His name alone is excellent; His glory is above the earth and Heaven.”
Psalms 148:13

“I will worship toward Thy holy temple, and praise Thy name for Thy lovingkindness and for Thy truth: for Thou hast magnified Thy Word above all Thy name.”
Psalms 138:2

Yeshua - Jesus’ Hebrew name is “Yeshua”. This has been translated as “Yahweh is salvation”.

Honor Jesus as the Father

“For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father.”
John 5:22-23

Every Knee Shall Bow

“Look unto Me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. I have sworn by Myself, the Word is gone out of My mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto Me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.”
Isaiah 45:22-23

“That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in Heaven,
and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue
should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Phil 2:10-11

The Great I AM

“… and they shall say to me, What is His name? What shall I say unto them? And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and He said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM (ego eimi) hath sent me unto you.”
Ex 3:13-14

“Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I AM (ego eimi) He…”
John 8:28

The “He” (in italics) was added by translators.

“Then said the Jews unto Him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast Thou seen Abraham? Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I AM (ego eimi). Then took they up stones to cast at Him:…”
John 8:57-59

Because...

“And he that blasphemeth the name of the LORD, he shall surely be put to death, and all the congregation shall certainly stone him…”
Lev 24:16

“Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon Him, went forth, and said unto them, Whom seek ye? They answered Him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I AM (ego eimi) He. As soon then as He had said unto them, I AM He, they went backward, and fell to the ground.”
John 18:4-5,6

“Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I AM (ego eimi) He, you will die in your sins.”
(John 8:24)

The “He” (in italics) was added by translators.

God Came in The Flesh By His Son

“Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.”1 John 4:1-3

The Lord Our Redeemer

“As for our redeemer, the LORD of hosts is His name, the Holy One of Israel.”
Isaiah 47:4

“In whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins:”
Col 1:14

“Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood He entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.”
Heb 9:12

Our Redemption Purchased By God

“Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which He hath purchased with His own blood.”
Acts 20:28

“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.”
Titus 2:13-14

The Way of The Lord is the Way of God

“This man was instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in the spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John. And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly.”
Acts 18:25-26

To Know God

“And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know Him that is true, and we are in Him that is true, even in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.”
1 John 5:20

“And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know Me, from the least to the greatest.”
Heb 8:11

“And this is life eternal, that they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent.”
John 17:2-3

The Holy Spirit

“And we are His witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, Whom God hath given to them that obey Him.”
Acts 5:32

"But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? Thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.”
Acts 5:3-4

"As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate Me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them."
Acts 13:2

Jesus & The Holy Spirit Proceeding From God

“The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.” John 1:18

“Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me.”
John 8:42

"But when the Helper comes, Whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning.” John 15:26-27

"And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ."
Gal 4:6-7

The Holy Spirit is God

“Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that He had said before, This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;”
Heb 10:15-16

“But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put My law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be My people.” Jer 31:33

“And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him: but ye know Him; for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.”
John 14:16-17

“But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”
John 14:26

God Walks in Us

“…for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.”
2 Cor 6:16

“And I will put My Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and ye shall keep My judgments, and do them.”
Ezek 36:27

"Behold My servant, Whom I uphold; Mine elect, in Whom My soul delighteth; I have put My Spirit upon Him: He shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles."
Isaiah 42:1

"In Whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit."
Eph 2:22

“Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; And He shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:”
Acts 3:19-20

“For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,”
Phil 1:19

Christ Dwells in You

“That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.”
Eph 3:17-19

“To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:”
Col 1:27

The Temple of God

“Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.”
1 Cor 3:16-17

“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name (singular) of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”
Matt 28:19-20

To Know God

“And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know Him that is true, and we are in Him that is true, even in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.”
1 John 5:20

“And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know Me, from the least to the greatest.”
Heb 8:11

“And this is life eternal, that they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent.”
John 17:2-3

The Godhead in Scripture

"The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen."
2 Cor 13:13-14 

“Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.”
1 Peter 1:2

“Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.”
1 Cor 12:3-6

“And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan. And straightway coming up out of the water, He saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon Him: And there came a voice from Heaven, saying, Thou art My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
Mark 1:9-11

"For there are three that bear record in Heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.”
1 John 5:7

Jesus Calls The Father God

“ And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? That is to say, My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?”
Matt 27:46

God Calls Jesus God

“Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of Thy kingdom is a right sceptre. Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, Thy God, hath anointed Thee with the oil of gladness above Thy fellows.”Psalms 45:6-7

“But unto the Son He saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the scepter of Thy kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity, therefore God, even Thy God, hath anointed Thee with the oil of gladness above Thy fellows.” Hebrews 1:8-9

I know I really "overloaded" the scriptures on the Trinity for you all and I hope I haven't frustrated anyone with the abundance. It took a lot of time to gather this past year and a long time bolding and coloring them here today.

Here's a table with links to each post, to make it easier to glance at them, without going back through former pages (a little cumbersome).

Hope you all receive them as the blessing that they are in showing the church a little bit of how the Trinity is expressed in the scriptures.

The Trinity Speaking and in the Resurrection
http://www.christianforums.com/t7682538-post61228373/#post61228373

Regarding the JWs not regarding the concept of the Trinity because it
"doesn't make sense".
http://www.christianforums.com/t7682538-post61228446/#post61228446

The Concept of the Trinity - Council of Nicea - Church Fathers quotes
http://www.christianforums.com/t7682538-post61228533/#post61228533

The Witness of the Spirit - Ring of Truth Inwardly - Mormons false witness -
Using the Scriptures
http://www.christianforums.com/t7682538-post61228669/#post61228669

Deceiving Spirits & Doctrines of Demons - Another Jesus - Another
Gospel - The Gates of Hell Will Not Prevail Over the Church - It is Not Apostate
http://www.christianforums.com/t7682538-post61228724/#post61228724

Jesus - A Mighty God(?) - Other "gods"
http://www.christianforums.com/t7682538-post61228759/#post61228759

The Mystery of God - God in the Flesh Prophesied
http://www.christianforums.com/t7682538-post61228909/#post61228909

Objections to the Trinity
http://www.christianforums.com/t7682538-post61229071/#post61229071

The Prophesied Son of Man - Firstborn of every creature
http://www.christianforums.com/t7682538-post61229077/#post61229077

Hear O Israel - One Lord - Hebrew plural "God" and compound "one"
http://www.christianforums.com/t7682538-post61229317/#post61229317

God our Creator - Equal with God - Attributes of God in Jesus
http://www.christianforums.com/t7682538-post61229518/#post61229518

Attributes of God in Jesus
http://www.christianforums.com/t7682538-post61229466/#post61229466

To Whom Will Ye Liken Me & Make Me Equal?
http://www.christianforums.com/t7682538-3/#post61229518

More Attributes of God & The Holy Spirit
http://www.christianforums.com/t7682538-post61229782/#post61229782

Do you really need more than this? Hopefully this answered the OP's question authoritatively with scripture and cleared up some misconceptions certain cults maintain by taking things out of context.

Since I'm a nerd and enjoy this sort of thing, here is how I'd go about dissecting the Nicene Creed (I'm specifically using an English translation of the text as it was presented at the Council of Constantinople in AD 381):

We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.

Click to expand...

This is pretty straightforward. Though it might be well to discuss the nature of the Creed to begin with. In antiquity, going back to the Apostles as we can see in Scripture, Christianity was big on having confessions of faith. One of the basic ones in the New Testament is "Jesus Christ is Lord." As Christians had to deal with both external and internal struggles, most principally heretics teaching all sorts of things which the Apostles had never taught, Christians began to produce condensed summaries of faith. These creedal formulas were principally used as part of the Baptismal rite, in the form of question and response: "Do you believe in one God..." "I do". Before Nicea we can see several of these early creeds/confessions: St. Irenaeus offers in his writings the "Rule of Faith" which follows the basic formula, so does the Baptismal creed of St. Hippolytus, and along with these was a common creedal formula known today as the "Old Roman Symbol", which was the forerunner of the Apostles' Creed used in the Christian West since about the 7th or 8th century.

The Creedal formula set forth at Nicea in 325, and expanded at Constantinople in 381, follows the same formula, and established a unifying, formal confession for the whole Church as our Symbol of Faith. What makes the Nicene Creed unique is simply its explicit statements concerning the nature of Christ against the errors of Arius and Arianism.

And in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one being with the Father.

Click to expand...

That's a lot of theology condensed in just a few lines.

The Creed says "eternally begotten of the Father", a literal translation of the Greek is "begotten of the Father before all ages", meaning before time, before anything, and indicates that there was never a time that the Father didn't have His Son. In other words, it means that the Son is eternal, without beginning.

Then it says "Light from Light, true God from true God". The bit about light should be understood in its ancient context: The ancients, when they observed the sun and its light, were unaware of what we are now--that light moves at a set speed through the cosmos, and thus it actually takes around 8 minutes for the light of the sun to reach earth. For the ancients, it was rather simple, one couldn't separate the sun and its light, and it seemed perfectly reasonable that as long as the sun has been shining in the heavens, its light has filled those same heavens. Thus Light (the Son) from Light (the Father), further clarified in the statement "true God from true God", in other words, what the Father is, so the Son is.

Then "begotten, not made", now we are seeing where the Creed explicitly targets Arianism. Arius taught that it was rather simple, that Christ as only-begotten Son had to mean that there was a time when the Son was not, and thus the Son had to have been created. This was actually the heart of Arius' theology, the Son was a created, lesser god, while the Father was uncreated, supreme God. The Creed, here, explicitly denies this, that the Son being begotten doesn't mean He had a beginning, that He was created, but that this begetting is eternal, "before all ages", it describes an eternal relationship between Father and Son, not an act of procreation in time.

Then "of one being with the Father", this is where the Greek word homoousios is used, "same-being" or "one being". It means, quite simply, that the Son is the same thing that the Father is: The one God. This word is used against another word used by Arius, who said the Son was heteroousios ("different-being" "of a different being"), it also rejects those who tried to make a compromise by saying the Son was homoiousios ("of similar-being"). The Son isn't other than God, nor is He merely like God. The Son is God.

Through him all things were made. For us, humans, and for our salvation, he came down from heaven, was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary, and became fully human. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate. He suffered death and was buried. He rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.

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This is the basic Gospel narrative. As such there probably isn't much of a need to flesh it out.

And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father, who in unity with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets.

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This is the point where the revised Creed of 381 (the one we use today) adds to what was written in 325. The reason for this was because later in the century a sect appeared that agreed that the Son was God, but claimed the Spirit was an impersonal power. Here the Creed makes it clear that the Spirit is the same thing as Father and Son (God), and is thus to be worshiped as God.

In one holy universal and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.

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This is a just a short rundown of basic Christian dogma.

-CryptoLutheran

For me, the Athanasian Creed explains it better than I can:

Here is the text of the Athanasian Creed:

Whosoever will be saved, before all things it is necessary that he hold the catholic faith. Which faith except every one do keep whole and undefiled, without doubt he shall perish everlastingly.


And the catholic faith is this, that we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity; Neither confounding the Persons, nor dividing the Substance.


For there is one Person of the Father, another of the Son, and another of the Holy Ghost.


But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost is all one: the glory equal, the majesty coeternal.


Such as the Father is, such is the Son, and such is the Holy Ghost.



The Father uncreate, the Son uncreate, and the Holy Ghost uncreate.



The Father incomprehensible, the Son incomprehensible, and the Holy Ghost incomprehensible.



The Father eternal, the Son eternal, and the Holy Ghost eternal.


And yet they are not three Eternals, but one Eternal.



As there are not three Uncreated nor three Incomprehensibles, but one Uncreated and one Incomprehensible.



So likewise the Father is almighty, the Son almighty, and the Holy Ghost almighty.



And yet they are not three Almighties, but one Almighty.



So the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Ghost is God.



And yet they are not three Gods, but one God.



So likewise the Father is Lord, the Son Lord, and the Holy Ghost Lord.



And yet not three Lords, but one Lord.


For like as we are compelled by the Christian verity to acknowledge every Person by Himself to be God and Lord, So are we forbidden by the catholic religion to say, There be three Gods, or three Lords.


The Father is made of none: neither created nor begotten.



The Son is of the Father alone; not made, nor created, but begotten.



The Holy Ghost is of the Father and of the Son: neither made, nor created, nor begotten, but proceeding.



So there is one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons; one Holy Ghost, not three Holy Ghosts.



And in this Trinity none is before or after other; none is greater or less than another; But the whole three Persons are coeternal together, and coequal: so that in all things, as is aforesaid, the Unity in Trinity and the Trinity in Unity is to be worshiped.



He, therefore, that will be saved must thus think of the Trinity.


Furthermore, it is necessary to everlasting salvation that he also believe faithfully the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ.



For the right faith is, that we believe and confess that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God and Man; God of the Substance of the Father, begotten before the worlds; and Man of the substance of His mother, born in the world; Perfect God and perfect Man, of a reasonable soul and human flesh subsisting.



Equal to the Father as touching His Godhead, and inferior to the Father as touching His manhood; Who, although He be God and Man, yet He is not two, but one Christ: One, not by conversion of the Godhead into flesh, but by taking the manhood into God; One altogether; not by confusion of Substance, but by unity of Person.



For as the reasonable soul and flesh is one man, so God and Man is one Christ; Who suffered for our salvation; descended into hell, rose again the third day from the dead; He ascended into heaven; He sitteth on the right hand of the Father, God Almighty; from whence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead.



At whose coming all men shall rise again with their bodies, and shall give an account of their own works.



And they that have done good shall go into life everlasting; and they that have done evil, into everlasting fire.


This is the catholic faith; which except a man believe faithfully and firmly, he cannot be saved.

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motherprayer said:

I only have one issue with this one, about having to profess the Catholic Faith.

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Catholic doesn't mean "Roman Catholic". It comes from the Greek word katholikos, an adjective meaning "according to the whole" or "universal". Thus the "catholic faith" simply means that which the Christian Church has always believed.

If we are Christ's, then we are members of Christ's Catholic Church. Whether one is in communion with the Roman See is irrelevant as far as non-Roman Catholics are concerned.

-CryptoLutheran

motherprayer said:

I only have one issue with this one, about having to profess the Catholic Faith.

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ViaCrucis said:

Catholic doesn't mean "Roman Catholic". It comes from the Greek word katholikos, an adjective meaning "according to the whole" or "universal". Thus the "catholic faith" simply means that which the Christian Church has always believed.

If we are Christ's, then we are members of Christ's Catholic Church. Whether one is in communion with the Roman See is irrelevant as far as non-Roman Catholics are concerned.

-CryptoLutheran

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Thanks Crypto; right you are!

In the context of the Creeds; Catholic means the communion of the saints (all believers) this is the Church Triumphant!