The Trinity

[TrevorL]

Greetings JustHisKid,

I am not a Trinitarian, but believe that there is One God the Father and that our Lord Jesus Christ is the Son of God 1 Corinthians 8:6, Luke 1:35 and John 1:14.

A correct view of God the Father and His Son does affect the way we worship and many aspects of our beliefs and thoughts and motivations. True worship has its proper effects, while wrong or slightly misplaced worship can have some bad effects.

Kind regards
Trevor

 

[JustHisKid]

Greetings JustHisKid,

I am not a Trinitarian, but believe that there is One God the Father and that our Lord Jesus Christ is the Son of God 1 Corinthians 8:6, Luke 1:35 and John 1:14.

A correct view of God the Father and His Son does affect the way we worship and many aspects of our beliefs and thoughts and motivations. True worship has its proper effects, while wrong or slightly misplaced worship can have some bad effects.

Kind regards
Trevor

Saved people are also God's sons and daughters. Further, if Jesus is not God, how does His sacrifice have any merit? He claimed to be God. Was He crazy?

 

[Gregory Thompson]

If God is not triune, how would that change anything regarding Christian faith?

There probably wouldn't be much difference in what we believe from Jews or Muslims, it's pretty distinctive, and one of the key mystical applications that sets it apart.

 

[Albion]

There probably wouldn't be much difference in what we believe from Jews or Muslims, it's pretty distinctive, and one of the key mystical applications that sets it apart.

I agree with you. That is to say, the answer to the question depends on the particular way that the triune God is denied, but since there has been something of a trend in the answers toward a particular version of that, I think you've answered it rightly here.

IF that were the POV a non-Trinitarian were to take, it would reduce the faith to something similar to Judaism or Islam. I'd say it would be more like Islam since Judaism doesn't have a principle figure in the role filled by Mohammad.

 

[Steeno7]

If God is not triune, how would that change anything regarding Christian faith?

There would be no Christian faith.

 

[Albion]

There would be no Christian faith.

How so? Christ would be the special messenger of God. That would seem likely to make him important. However, the religion would almost certainly switch from Faith based to Works based.

 

[Steeno7]

How so? Christ would be the special messenger of God. That would seem likely to make him important. However, the religion would almost certainly switch from Faith based to Works based.

The Trinitarian understanding of God pervades and is essential to every Christian doctrine.

 

[donfish06]

How so? Christ would be the special messenger of God. That would seem likely to make him important. However, the religion would almost certainly switch from Faith based to Works based.

I disagree. I do not believe in a Trinity. God is one but he reveals himself in different manners. I am a Son, a Husband, and an Office Manager. My relationship to my Wife (as a husband) is not the same way I "reveal" myself to my boss or customers (as an office manager) Although I have different ways of expressing myself to people, I am not the husband, the son, and the office manager. Husband, Son, and Office Manager are TITLES. My name is Donovan. And when my wife became one with me (as we are baptized into Christ) she took on my NAME. NOT my titles. She is now MRS Donovan. The NAME of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is Lord Jesus Christ! That is why NO WHERE in the bible to you see anyone baptized in the Trinity baptism. All accounts are in the name of Jesus, because he IS God. Not just 1/3 of God!

 

[Albion]

The Trinitarian understanding of God pervades and is essential to every Christian doctrine.

I think all you're saying is that Christianity -- in order to be what we know it to be -- cannot be rearranged in any way such as we're speculating on. Well, we all know that. The question of this thread is entirely hypothetical.

 

[Albion]

I disagree. I do not believe in a Trinity. God is one but he reveals himself in different manners. I am a Son, a Husband, and an Office Manager.

Ah, but that's an entirely different kind of non-Trinitarianism from what several posters ahead of you described...and it was their view that I was reacting to with my comments.

 

[Steeno7]

I think all you're saying is that Christianity -- in order to be what we know it to be -- cannot be rearranged in any way such as we're speculating on. Well, we all know that. The question of this thread is entirely hypothetical.

Apart from a Trinitarian understanding of God there is no Christianity. All that would remain is a dead Christian religion with a rigid epistemological belief-system and a moralistic behavioral ethic.

 

[JustHisKid]

I disagree. I do not believe in a Trinity. God is one but he reveals himself in different manners. I am a Son, a Husband, and an Office Manager. My relationship to my Wife (as a husband) is not the same way I "reveal" myself to my boss or customers (as an office manager) Although I have different ways of expressing myself to people, I am not the husband, the son, and the office manager. Husband, Son, and Office Manager are TITLES. My name is Donovan. And when my wife became one with me (as we are baptized into Christ) she took on my NAME. NOT my titles. She is now MRS Donovan. The NAME of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is Lord Jesus Christ! That is why NO WHERE in the bible to you see anyone baptized in the Trinity baptism. All accounts are in the name of Jesus, because he IS God. Not just 1/3 of God!

Are you saying He reveals Himself in different "offices" to different people for different purposes?

 

[donfish06]

Are you saying He reveals Himself in different "offices" to different people for different purposes?

No, we are like that, but it doesn't make us 3 or 4 or 5 persons. He, otherwise, revealed himself differently at different TIMES. I. E. We did not know him as God in Flesh until he came down in flesh

 

[JustHisKid]

No, we are like that, but it doesn't make us 3 or 4 or 5 persons. He, otherwise, revealed himself differently at different TIMES. I. E. We did not know him as God in Flesh until he came down in flesh

I don't think that anyone is going to disagree with your view of God. It's basically the same exact position of a trinitarian. Jesus is God. We don't understand his nature. We just know He is. I have no argument with your position. We don't worship God any differently from each other.

 

[donfish06]

By being baptized in the trinitarian formula, which is incorrect, you worship falsely. I will explain further after work.

 

[JustHisKid]

By being baptized in the trinitarian formula, which is incorrect, you worship falsely. I will explain further after work.

I wasn't baptized with those specific words, but even if I was, it would have no bearing on my worship of God. The words said when I was baptized are irrelevant. Baptism is just an expression of the fact that I have repented, been born again, identify with the death and resurrection of Jesus, and now am in God's family. It is an outward expression of something that has already taken place.

 

[donfish06]

It absolutely matters. It was commanded in the Bible. You make Paul out to be a liar, because when he talked to those who said they knew not whether there be a holy ghost, he asked them how they had been baptized. They had not been correctly baptized so he rebaptized them. Every word of God matters. If he said it then it is important.

 

[JustHisKid]

It absolutely matters. It was commanded in the Bible. You make Paul out to be a liar, because when he talked to those who said they knew not whether there be a holy ghost, he asked them how they had been baptized. They had not been correctly baptized so he rebaptized them. Every word of God matters. If he said it then it is important.

Can you post a link to that passage?

 

[donfish06]

Can you post a link to that passage?

Acts 19:1-5 KJV
And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples, [2] He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. [3] And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism. [4] Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. [5] When they heard this , they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

Notice that how they were baptized was an important part of receiving the Holy Spirit. Also, if the way baptized is NOT important, why does the bible say over and over that they are baptized in Jesus Name? Is not the Bible written for our example??

 

[Winepress777]

If God is not triune, how would that change anything regarding Christian faith?

Christians have been around a lot longer than that doctrine.

(Rom 11:4) 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.