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Is the Trinity an essential doctrine?

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5stringJeff

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Greetings,

Just a quick question that I wanted to get other people's take on: Is belief in the Trinitarian nature of God an essential Christian doctrine?

I will post my answer a little later, I just wanted to know what others think.
 

davidoffinland

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From Finland.

The Christian Church officially hammered this out to be a doctrine starting in the 4th CT. There was a high/low christology in the NT depending upon who you read. But the doctrine did not become "official" until the 5th CT.

The history of this doctrine between the Antiochian vs Alexandrain church fathers is fascintating if you like to read this stuff. Lots of stuff on the internet.

Shalom, David.
 
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depthdeception

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gopjeff said:
Greetings,

Just a quick question that I wanted to get other people's take on: Is belief in the Trinitarian nature of God an essential Christian doctrine?

There is no more essential doctrine to Christian faith than this, except for perhaps the doctrine of the Incarnation which, interestingly enough, is based upon a trinitarian understanding of God. "Trinity" and "Christian" are not merely correlary terms--they are synonymous with one another. Christianity without the Trinity is not Christianity at all.
 
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Blackhawk

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Philip said:
Yes. The doctrine of the Holy Trinity, along with the Incarnation, is one of the two core doctrines of Christianity.

True. The Church Fathers did not seperate the incarnation and the Trinity as we do today. Just like they did not seperate Christology with soteriology. One can say that the Trinity is the base doctrine of Christianity from which all spring out.
 
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depthdeception

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Blackhawk said:
True. The Church Fathers did not seperate the incarnation and the Trinity as we do today. Just like they did not seperate Christology with soteriology. One can say that the Trinity is the base doctrine of Christianity from which all spring out.

Good point.
 
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Blackhawk

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Philip said:
You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to Blackhawk again.

Why? If anyone wants to give me some reputation they should. You know they give it to me because I am so smart and also so humble.

Live long and Prosper! Peace out!
 
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JVAC

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gopjeff said:
Greetings,

Just a quick question that I wanted to get other people's take on: Is belief in the Trinitarian nature of God an essential Christian doctrine?

I will post my answer a little later, I just wanted to know what others think.
The Athanasian Creed states this:

Athanasian Creed (Quicunque Vult) said:
[font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]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.

(emphasis is mine)

-James
[/font]
 
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5stringJeff

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Thanks for your replies. I agree that the Trinity is an essential doctrine. It is obvious from the Bible that there is only one God, and it is also obvious that Jesus did things that only God can do - forgiving sins and defying death come to mind. But I'm not so great at verbalizing (or typing) my reasoning.

Jeff
 
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Gisbertus Voetius

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Trinity is reality.
It answers the age old problem of the One and the Many.
If the emphasis is strictly on the One we fall prey to Platonism and monism and pantheism.
If the emphasis is on the many we fall prey to Nihilism and pluralism and panentheism.
Only a proper balance that acknowledges both reveals reality, for God is reality.
 
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5stringJeff

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Except that that verse, according to the study Bibles I've read, was a 16th century addition. There are many other verses in the Bible that attest to the Trinity.
 
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PaladinValer

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That verse is a forgery, unfortunately. It took an Ecumenical Council, not Scripture, to establish the belief as dogma.

And interestingly enough, that verse wasn't in the first editions of the Vulgate. It were was only in later ones. And Erasmus' Greek Text didn't have it in its first two editions, and it was only added in the third through fifth only reluctantly because out of a threat and a trick.

I do not accept it as a part of the Canon.
 
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depthdeception

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Agreed.
 
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edie19

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gopjeff said:
Greetings,

Just a quick question that I wanted to get other people's take on: Is belief in the Trinitarian nature of God an essential Christian doctrine?

I will post my answer a little later, I just wanted to know what others think.

Quick answer - yes.
 
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Blackhawk

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PaladinValer said:
That verse is a forgery, unfortunately. It took an Ecumenical Council, not Scripture, to establish the belief as dogma.

But the participants in the ecumenical councils took what they believed in large part from scripture. Especially the Baptismal formaula found in Matthew. So I do not think it is correct to state that the council did it instead of scripture since the council used scripture as a primary source as to why it was true.
 
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depthdeception

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Of course the council used Scripture as a source. However, if one considers the orthodox definition of the Trinity, one will very quickly realize that such a definition cannot be explicitly found in Scripture. Therefore, it took the council of the bishops of the Church to authoritatively speak on this matter of doctrine (which was what Christ had commissioned them to do) in order to distinguish between false and correct belief. Remember, the definition of the Trinity, Christ's nature, etc. were done just for the heck of it. Rather, these definitions were bourne out of the necessity of preserving the truth faith which had been taught by the apostles from false teaching that, interesting enough, was very much based upon "Scripture."
 
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