what christians can explain the holy trinity to me?

Question

I was a catholic for 20 years....I went to mass every sunday, read the bible a few times, went to religious camps, joined christian groups(multi faithed christian groups), and took bible classes. Yet the best answer i could give to what the holy trinity is was, "the father, son, and the holy spirit".
It wasn't until university, when i became a student of theology that I came to understand the complexity of the trinity and what it really is....and, most imortantly, why it was INVENTED.
Anyway, its come to my attention that one is only a christian if they believe in the trinity. Yet, ive never met a christian who could tell me what it is. Anyone who claims to be a christian who cant answer this question is bogus. They just like being part of a self-righteous club. I have no qualms with any religion. just the followers who dont know what they are preaching.
religion is beautiful.

Mr./Ms. Knowable, that is all very interesting and well informed. However, it doesnt explain what the trinity is. especially the holy spirit, as it is understood by true believers. I also dont believe in the trinity and it is the main reason i no longer am a christian. I will read the web sites you have posted. Thanks, Great answer!

Mr./Ms. greatwhitehype,
you are a coward. Why do you think I became theology student if not to search for truth?
You won't tell because you are a christian poser. you dont know the answer. but i hope your anger takes you looking for the "truth".

dear sjh,
please read my posting again. I did not claim that the trinity was one being. I just asked if any christians can tell me what it is.....can you?

dear moniiluv,
yes, indeed. you are the closest to describing the holy spirit. so you will most likely get the ten points. however, the spirit plays still yet a bigger role. without it people will have no reason to submit to what is taken as God's word. I think you are on the right track. I totally respect your answer. but everyone is still missing why it is absolutely fundamental to be a christian. It took me a lot of studying to find the answer. I had to read what a lot of top christian thinkers were saying in this day and age. It is obvious that the bible isnt interpreted the same way it was 1000 years ago. however, most of the answers here come from a time of about 800ad.

dear joseph S,
it isnt enough to believe in something you dont understand. we call that superstition. "stevie wonder"

sorry....i cant choose one...ill let you all vote on it. the answers lie in two very good texts. One of them is called "searching for an adequete God", it is a debate between process theists and evangelicals. equal space is given to each and the trinity is discussed a lot. all by ministers and PHDs. the other, and consequently my favorite, "Reenchantment without Supernaturalism", by Griffin a teacher of religion and a master at process philosophy.
vote away

Answer 1

why should i even answer? you arent searching for the truth...

Answer 2

The answer is a paradox. Because all things holy come from GOD the trinity is 3 different facets of GOD flowing from Him.
Obviously you understand the father and the son, but it seems as if you're having trouble understanding what the spirit is. I John 5:6-8
So it works like this...GOD's spirit touches our lives and we realize that we need something that this world can't offer so we ask Jesus to come into our lives (I John 5:13)..And because GOD loves us (Romans 5:8, I John 4:19) he forgives us. When you accept Jesus Christ as your personal savior, he places his spirit inside of you. John 17:21. This spirit leads us and guides us in GOD's holy way. It works in our soul and in our hearts changing us to become like Christ, which in turn pleases GOD. John 20:31
I hope this helps,
love,
Monique

Answer 3

There are MANY Christians that do not believe that God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are one. Me for one, and if you are basing your Christianity at all off of that then you did not read the bible very closely.
Please do not judge Christians as a whole based off what some believe or can not explain. I very much believe they are three very different things. If they were they same then why would Jesus pray to God? Why would he pray to himself?

Answer 4

Trinity is "A three-fold personality existing in one divine being or substance, the union in one God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as three infinite co-equal, co-eternal persons as; one God in three persons.

The trinity concept came from PAGANISM-(paganism means no religious beliefs); here are a few sites that will tell you:

http://www.historychannel.com/exhibits/s...

http://www.chipublib.org/shamrock/stpats...
http://www.faqfarm.com?q/who_was_st._pat...

There are 3 that protestants claim about the trinity; they're JOHN 14 & 15 and 1JOHN 5:7. To start out 1JOHN 5:7 was never in any of the inspired Greek manuscripts; so this knocks out one. As for John 14 & 15; the Greek word for "helper" is paracletos; one who helps inwhich points to the Holy spirit. In Greek, the word "He" is neuter such as "hand" is feminine whether it is a woman's hand or male's hand. As for the word "paracletos" it is masculine and always require a masculine pronoun. This however doesn't prove personhood as you've noticed.
But as you've noticed, these texts don't prove Jesus is God or the Holy Spirit.

I don't believe in the TRINITY! The Bible texts that I'm going to mention contradict the Trinity teaching.
MATT.12:32 "AND WHOSOEVER SPEAKETH A WORD AGAINST THE SON OF MAN, IT SHALL BE FORGIVEN HIM: BUT WHOSOEVER SPEAKETH AGAINST THE HOLY GHOST, IT SHALL NOT BE FORGIVEN HIM, NEITHER IN THIS WORLD, NEITHER IN THE WORLD TO COME."
JOHN 14:28 "IF YE LOVED ME, YE WOULD REJOICE, BECAUSE I SAID , I GO UNTO THE FATHER: FOR MY FATHER IS GREATER THAN I."
1COR.11:3 "BUT I WOULD HAVE YOU KNOW THAT THE HEAD OF EVERY MAN IS CHRIST; & THE HEAD OF THE WOMAN IS THE MAN; AND THE HEAD OF CHRIST IS GOD."
LUKE 18:19 "AND JESUS SAID UNTO HIM, WHY CALLEST THOU ME GOOD? NONE IS GOOD, SAVE ONE, THAT IS, GOD."
****SEVERAL OTHER TEXTS SAY THERE'S ONLY TWO PERSONS:
1COR.1:3; 8:6; 1TIM.1:2; 2:5; GAL.1:3; PHILIPP.1:2; ROM.1:7; 2COR.1:2-3; 1THESS.1:1; 2THESS.1:2; 2TIM.1:2; PHILEMON 1:3; 1PETER 1:3; 2PETER 1:2; 1JOHN 1:3; 2JOHN 1:3.

Now touching on the Holy Spirit; the Holy Spirit is a power(Luke 1:35) where God and Jesus make their presence known in the hearts and minds of believers(1John 3:24). The believers of God and Jesus will have this love poured on them(Rom.5:5). It will teach them understanding and wisdom of God's Word (John 14:16,17,20,23,26. Jesus had the Holy Spirit in him when he made the lame walk and the deaf to hear and etc. (Luke 5:15-17). God works in our minds to give us strength to overcome (Gen.6:3). Other texts are: John 7:38-39; Rom.8:11,13-14,16 & Psalm 104:30.

Also why I don't believe in the TRINITY is because it says in the KJV that the false church will cast all the truth to the ground (Daniel 8:12). I happen to know this false church because all the world(Matt.7:13) has followed it (Rev.12:9; 13:3,12) except for one church (Acts 20:28).

*****IF YOU WANT TO KNOW ABOUT JESUS OR THE TRUE GOD OR ANY OTHER TOPIC: PLEASE VISIT THIS FANTASTIC SITE DOWN BELOW

Answer 5

I don't know how to explain the Holy Trinity, I just believe in it. I believe so much in the Holy trinity myself that I don't have to have it explained to me for me to believe it. This is what Jesus askes of us. That we love our God with all our hearts, soul and mind. I can't explain it. i just believe it is true and that it exists. Wouldn't the world be a lot more accepting of our beliefs if we believed in this way?

Answer 6

Father son and holy spirit, are all one, the Father is God who created the world aand his spirit hovered oveer it and the son Jesus was God in the flesh he was baptized and filled with Gods holy spirit and became God in the flesh, they are all one in the same God is spirit and Jesus had his spirit in him ,, so i think that the trinity is a symbol of how great God is to give us his spirit through his son jesus who is God in the flesh when he walked this earth , all he did was what God is and now we have the son that took our sin upon him self to , assk for his spirit that is Gods and that makes us sons and daughters of God. it is hard to explain in a few words but i believe the trinity is God this spirit and his son that he gave his spirit to.In Genesis chapter 1 it says Let us make man in our own imagein our likeness,, so jesus was with God in the begining along with the spirit,, some can trry to confuse you about how they are seprat intities but they are all one and all were here in the begining. the key here is why did GOd ssaay let US make man in OUR own image.

Answer 7

Im Catholic, and from what i understand the holy trinity is the divine power of god in different forms....

Answer 8

Didn't you read the part about the "trinity" concept being invented by constantine in an effort to get the local pagans to covert to christianity?

Answer 9

the trinity is....

the Father - God
the Son - Jesus
the Holy Spirit - lives in our heart.

really, that's all you need to know. i mean, why get into a big long answer that might put you to sleep,r ight?

Answer 10

I have answered this question before....
First of all let's go back to the beginning...hopefully you have your Bible ready....

Genesis 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

The image of God in us is not the same as the likeness of God in us...

The image of God is the fact that He is a triune God..But ...1 God...

If you look in a mirror how many do you see...1
Yet it takes 3 to make you up

Your body, soul and spirit..again all you see and people see is one of you ..That is the image of God in you...

The likenesses of God are his characteristics in us...

He is sovereign .he made us sovereign people.
He has dominion and power..He gave us dominion and power
He gave us procreative power..like he is a creative power..
Get the picture...

In John 1:1 you need to also reference another verse found in 1 John 5:7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.

To understand Christ as the Son of God and the son of Man. is God in the flesh...He is both God and man. One of the greatest things to remember what Jesus came to do for man Is. came to be a perfect example to man. So there are times it seems he is addressing the Father as a separate being and that is because He is showing us the better example. There is an Order and Jesus had to show us this order, which is the Father, is above all. Jesus was manifest in the flesh..And He also sent back to the Christians believers the Holy Ghost, which is also called the comforter.

They all have their roles seperately..But they are all God...not separate entities just separate function..

In order to completely understand John 1:1 you also need to continue reading down to the 14th verse..
God bless

ANd knowbible....all the verses you outlined ..does not prove anything since ...one thing seems to escape you...Jesus came to be an example to us..so there were many times that he had to show us ..the order of God in the world...THERE IS BUT ONE who is greatest..and that's the Father ..so He had to point you to him...even while He was in the world and was God in the flesh..

HE WAS SETTING AN EXAMPLE...your problem ..is you are trying to understand of your own logic rather than allow the spirit of God which is the comforter that Jesus promised he would send back..the Holy Ghost...who is the teacher...or have you not read in 2 Peter 1:20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. QUIT TRYING TO INTERPRET FOR GOD...Just listen to God he will intrepret for you...all this greek and hebrew....OK I know it is written in greek and hebrew...but honestly ...do you think God is that stupid ...to give men language ..at the tower of babel...so that men would not be able to understand later....God is much more intelligent than that....

Let me give you an even more imporant verse for you...from Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
The verse is saying The word of God brings alive(quick)...what does it bring alive?? the thoughts and intents of your heart....so if a person like you ..looks for contradiction..guess what he finds ..yeah...contradiction..because your heart desired to look for contradiction rather than the truth...and God brought that alive for you....buddy wake up...God does not want you to perish..but if you'd rather find an excuse rather than the truth...that's what you'll find...take care