Holy Trinity

[ohgin]

Can you really give me a very thorough explaination on what does Holy trinity really mean??? What does it mean when the Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father are actually one. I am having a very hard time figuring this.
Thanks

 

[Atlantians]

Three who's existing as one what.

What? God.
Who? Holy Spirit, Jesus, Father.
One what, three who's.
All co-existing in self-existing unity.

 

[Elderone]

Don't feel bad about not understanding the Trinity. I know some very solid theologians and, of the ones I have asked, none can give a good defination of the Trinity and how it works. This is one of the mysteries of the Bible we won't understand until we meet God in person.

 

[Monergism]

What is it meant when the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are said to be one? They are one in substance (from substantia, a Latin word coined by Tertullian). This means that despite their distinctivness from each other, they are one Being, who is God. "The Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God, yet they are not three gods, but one God" (Athanasian Creed). The doctrine of the Trinity is seen simply as "three persons, one in substance."

 

[McWilliams]

The Father chose us in eternity past
The Father gave us to Christ as His own
Christ died on the cross for all the sins of all who would believe in Him!
The Holy Spirit does a work of regeneration in our heart and guides us through the shoals of life

For me, the semblance of water, ice, steam helps to imagine 3 forms of the same nature.

 

[Paleoconservatarian]

For me, the semblance of water, ice, steam helps to imagine 3 forms of the same nature.

I stay far away from analogies for the Trinity, because they're all modalistic. It's a great way to inadvertently give the wrong ideas about God. We're a visual culture and this just invites people to try to visualize the Trinity, which is something we must not do. I think the Athanasian Creed gives a great summary of the Trinity, but if anyone asks me, I always say that we should not attempt to understand it completely, we cannot, and that we must accept that it is a mystery to us.

 

[calmcoolandelected]

Here's a site with a bunch of articles on the Trinity:

http://www.monergism.com/thethreshold/articles/topic/trinity.html

Ligonier Ministries (http://www.ligonier.org/)

Ligonier's Tabletalk magazine, a monthly resource, was devoted to the topic of the Trinity a couple of months ago. You could probably call them and get a copy sent to you. It has short articles and also recommends books for further reading.

CC&E

 

[McWilliams]

Here's how the doctrine of the Trinity is brought forth from scripture.

http://www.carm.org/doctrine/trinity.htm

My little analogy does help me though to get my mind around the 'three-in-one' concept! A great mystery yet God given doctrine! The scriptural references are good for bringing it together.