Please explain the Trinity

[razeontherock]

No that would be polytheism. If you have 3 God Heads unique and distinct in roles and personality, and separate from each other yet a complete God; that would be polytheism.

Which is not the case. You can tell because there is ONE Godhead. See the difference? I knew ya could.

 

[razeontherock]

Spurgeon:
We can never understand how Father, Son, and Holy Spirit can be three and yet one.
For my part, I have long ago given up any desire to understand this great mystery,
for I am perfectly satisfied that, if I could understand it, it would not be true, because
God, from the very nature of things, must be incomprehensible

Sounds just like 'the Tao that can be named, is not the eternal Tao.' I never knew Spurgeon was so tolerant of world religions!

 

[Ken-1122]

I think of the holy trinity as an ice-cream come with three scoops, one chocolate, one strawberry and one vanilla.

The flavours aren't important.

It isn't literal, in my view, and merely a metaphor (like the cone) for God being within all yet seperate at the same time.

If we look at a triple scoop ice cream cone, the 3 individual flavors are only a fraction of the dessert, as is the cone itself that the ice cream sits on top of. That fits into the explanation I gave of each God head being only a fraction of a complete God and all together make up a complete God.

K

 

[Ken-1122]

No as I explained that God is a title and not a name, There is only one God. This God is represented by three separate parts. Polytheism supposes or worships multiple gods.

And i agree so long as you incorporate the biblically based principle that all three are God in their own right.

.Evidently this is the part that is confusing you in that we are still only governed by one government. Each separate governing body is a representation of the greater whole or a incarnation of the one Government.

So one God with different hats? Like some people see me as an uncle, others see me as an employee, others see me as a brother etc.

But then the issue comes to that idea of Jesus being the Son of God; by definition a son could not have always existed because the son comes from the father which means there was a point in history when the son didn’t exist! Which means the claim “God never changes” is refuted; but I guess that is a different topic huh?

k

 

[Ken-1122]

All I'm doing at this point is repeating myself as you're not really responding to much of what I'm saying. You cannot have a For, Chrysler, and a Chevy exist as one automobile while having the three cars exist simultaneously. Yet according to the Trinity there is one God existent as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Each person exists simultaneously, and each person has the same nature and will. Each person is the same one God. So no, it is not for the same reason at all.


There cannot be as there is only 1 automobile.


No, God is not a person. God as incarnated of Christ is a person but still he is fully God too. And again, it's not the same reason because it's impossible for there to be three cars if there is only one automobile. It's not impossible for one God to exist as three distinct people simultaneously.

I keep saying you only have one because you would only have one. You could not have three as distinct cars but only one, it's either one or the other not both. Again with the Trinity it is different as there actually does exist three distinct people that are God.
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Maybe it's not everyone else who is making the mistake. It could, after all, be you ya know. Unless this is the usual 'I am right and everyone else is wrong' attitude

You seem to be using “logic” when you look at my claim, but you neglect to use this logic when looking at your own. If you replace “automobile” with “God” and you replace “the 3 Godheads: Father, Son, and Holy Ghost” with “the 3 cars: Ford, Chevy, and Chrysler, you will notice you and I are making the exact same claim yet you claim mine doesn’t make sense, but yours does! How do you do that? Is this the effects of that “faith” that you guys are required to have? I’m not getting this

K

 

[Ken-1122]

I think before it can be grasped one has to realize that the concept of the trinity is more a response from the "phenomenon of it all" than it is of anything that could be put into mathematical terms. It was never mentioned in the Bible per se. Theologians, philosophers and early church fathers of the middle ages deduced the trinity after scrutinizing all the scripture in with the facts of Christ's appearance. So, over periods of years the trinity was discovered. The trinity is a nature (or capability) of God that God has chosen to reveal to man. We can't really compete for the understanding of it all because it is above us some what.

Spurgeon:
We can never understand how Father, Son, and Holy Spirit can be three and yet one.
For my part, I have long ago given up any desire to understand this great mystery,
for I am perfectly satisfied that, if I could understand it, it would not be true, because
God, from the very nature of things, must be incomprehensible

So you say the trinity is something us mere humans will never completely understand because it is above us?

K

 

[Ken-1122]

Which is not the case. You can tell because there is ONE Godhead. See the difference? I knew ya could.

So what's the difference between a God and a Godhead? And which do you guys worship?

K

 

[gaweatherford]

Sounds just like 'the Tao that can be named, is not the eternal Tao.' I never knew Spurgeon was so tolerant of world religions!

Sounds like it doesn't it. Then again it would'nt be the first time spiritualism was on the right track but took the wrong turn.

 

[gaweatherford]

So you say the trinity is something us mere humans will never completely understand because it is above us?

K

The question does always beg an answer. Not that every question does not eventually get an answer but some things have to be beyond us or we would have nothing to worship.

 

[seekingagnostic32]

Here's the Christian Trinity:

1 + 1 + 1 = 1

 

[If Not For Grace]

For Me the Trinity is like Water or better yet the Sun--

Water=H20 (God) The Substance

Ice=Jesus (heals,portable,perserves & tangible form of Water)

Steam=Holy Spirit (Power)

All the above are separate forms of the same substance with a different primary focus.

The SUN=IS a mass that gives light and warmth-w/o it life as we know it ceases
to be. But you can not separate the light from the warmth or from the mass-it is
one thing while it is also the other two.

 

[drich0150]

So one God with different hats? Like some people see me as an uncle, others see me as an employee, others see me as a brother etc.

Nope

But then the issue comes to that idea of Jesus being the Son of God; by definition a son could not have always existed because the son comes from the father which means there was a point in history when the son didn’t exist!

Exactly, Hence "Nope."

 

[razeontherock]

So what's the difference between a God and a Godhead? And which do you guys worship?

K

Good question! There is only 1 of each. There are 3 Greek words used, each is only used once in the Bible, and they are all just different forms of the same basic root word, which also appears in English as theo. (I expect you're familiar?) All it really means is the state of being G-d, Divinity, "Godhood"

Again, God is not a name but a title. Godhead might be thought of as discussing what scope that title pertains to. And along those lines, all the fulness of the Godhead dwelt in Jesus, bodily. Quite the statement, eh?!

 

[Ken-1122]

The question does always beg an answer. Not that every question does not eventually get an answer but some things have to be beyond us or we would have nothing to worship.

So is that a yes???

K

 

[Ken-1122]

Here's the Christian Trinity:

1 + 1 + 1 = 1

I agree! It seem as if some folks would rather defy the laws of mathamatics before they admit there might be a contridiction or two in the bible; Dang! And I thought I was stubborn! Let me quit before I get myself in trouble again!! (LOL)

Peace
Ken

 

[If Not For Grace]

But then the issue comes to that idea of Jesus being the Son of God; by definition a son could not have always existed because the son comes from the father which means there was a point in history when the son didn’t exist!

NOT TRUE! If you believe that then at some point the Father did not exist-you are still subjecting God TO the concept of TIME which He exists aprart from.

 

[Ken-1122]

For Me the Trinity is like Water or better yet the Sun--

Water=H20 (God) The Substance

Ice=Jesus (heals,portable,perserves & tangible form of Water)

Steam=Holy Spirit (Power)

All the above are separate forms of the same substance with a different primary focus.

The SUN=IS a mass that gives light and warmth-w/o it life as we know it ceases
to be. But you can not separate the light from the warmth or from the mass-it is
one thing while it is also the other two.

as far as your water analogy, yeah Ice, steam, and water have the same ingrediants, but they are still different; my brother and I are made up of the same ingrediants but we are still different, thus I think that would imply polytheism; something christians don't want to be associated with.
As far as the sun, you lost me on that one

Ken

 

[Ken-1122]

Good question! There is only 1 of each. There are 3 Greek words used, each is only used once in the Bible, and they are all just different forms of the same basic root word, which also appears in English as theo. (I expect you're familiar?) All it really means is the state of being G-d, Divinity, "Godhood"

Again, God is not a name but a title. Godhead might be thought of as discussing what scope that title pertains to. And along those lines, all the fulness of the Godhead dwelt in Jesus, bodily. Quite the statement, eh?!

So..... what's the difference?

K

 

[razeontherock]

So..... what's the difference?

K

Why does that matter? The point is to know Him. I don't see how Trinity is helping you with that, and it is only a tiny speck ...

 

[Ken-1122]

NOT TRUE! If you believe that then at some point the Father did not exist-you are still subjecting God TO the concept of TIME which He exists aprart from.

Not if you believe God has always existed, then this God decided to have a son!

K