Christians only, please...?

Question

Is the Modern understanding of the Trinity different than the Older Concept? Do we understand it differently than they did in 300A.D.?

Answer 1

I think it is better asked, do we understand the trinity as did the first century christians did?

The first century christians didn't believe in the trinity.

This means Jesus didn't teach it, the apostles didn't teach it, Even the Apostle John didn't teach it.

In The Encyclopedia Americana we read: “Christianity derived from Judaism and Judaism was strictly Unitarian [believing that God is one person]. The road which led from Jerusalem to Nicea was scarcely a straight one. Fourth century Trinitarianism did not reflect accurately early Christian teaching regarding the nature of God; it was, on the contrary, a deviation from this teaching.”—(1956), Vol. XXVII, p. 294L.

(Romans 15:4-6) . . .” 4 For all the things that were written aforetime were written for our instruction, that through our endurance and through the comfort from the Scriptures we might have hope. 5 Now may the God who supplies endurance and comfort grant YOU to have among yourselves the same mental attitude that Christ Jesus had,

6 that with one accord YOU may with one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

So in reality what so called christians believed 350 years after Christ is not important.

Answer 2

Honestly, I don't know. But I do know there was a lot of controversy about it during the 4th century. Not everyone believed it, but the church leaders voted to teach it, then they voted not to teach it, then they voted it back in again.

There were different opinions about the nature of Jesus,etc. but for the sake of unity, they finally settled on teaching it. Opposition to it continued for a time and I don't think it was fully formulated until at least the 5th century.

I think that even today many people understand the trinity differently than what is taught officially by the Catholic church.

I don't believe in the trinity myself, so I'm not an authority...just trying to remember some of what I've read about the history of the early Christians.

Answer 3

Extremly differently. It's like night and day what early christians and modern christians believe.

Read the writings of Clemente of Agustine. He learned from the Apostles. He's radicly different than what Jole Olsteen or your pastor down the street would teach.

It took a turn for the worst right around Martin Luther... 1500a.d. that's where i'd say everything went to hell. And the whole Council of Nicea abolmination.

Answer 4

We in our day should have a far better understanding of the holy Trinity, than they had in 300 A.D. For we now have the Word of God to fully explain it to us. The holy Trinity is the Heavenly Father, the Son of God, and the Holy Spirit. I do not know exactly what understanding they had in 300 A.D., but it seems pretty simple to understand to me. Yet there are many things concerning the holy Trinity of God that we may not fully understand. Our human minds cannot fully comprehend all the things concerning God.

Answer 5

Yes. Augustine of Hippo gave a great deal of speculation regarding the Trinity, and he was born in 356. He offered some analogies that try to sum up the Trinity very imperfectly: the human mind can think, remember, and love; three fuctions in one mind. Likewise, in one God is three "functions," Father, Son, and Spirit.
An explicit Trinity was something the patristic era struggles greatly with.

Answer 6

there is no older concept as this pagan doctrine didnt get its start untill between 325and 455CE after Emperor Constantine decided to put and end to the quasi religious squabbling in his empire so at the time he called togother the pagans and the apostate christians ans sid this fighting has got to stop so to that end I am hereby making an official state religion that al have to worship so he tooks bits and pieces form the pagans and some from the apostate christians and mixed them all togother and said this is what you must worship and believe .... so as the years went by they kept adding and formulating new ideas like the Nicean creed and later the athanasian creed in 381 CE and it kept mutating to the teaching you see today NOTE NEITHER JESUS HIMSELF NOR ANY ONE ELSE SUCH AS THE APOSTLES TAUGHT SUCH A THING THE WORD TRINITY IS FOUND NOWHERE IN THE BIBLE......!!!!!! it come from pagan sources ie Egypt worshipped pagan gods of isis horus ,osiris the Babylonians worshippeda trinity of ishtar,sin, and shamash theese 200BCE then in 1st cent c.e.at palmyra the triad of moongog,lord of heavens,sungod. hindus 7th cent ce 3 headed god kampuchea Buddist godhead 12th cent C.E. Norway triune god 13th cent C.E, France 14 cent C.E. triune god Italy triune god 15th cent Germany 19th cent triune god also 2th cent Triune god many countries hope this helps you see the light Gorbalizer

Answer 7

it is stated( not sure where, seen it on the history channel) that a mid-evil Catholic priest found in the Bible that Jesus' message was that we can't earn our way in to the Kingdom, that eternal life was a free gift from GOD, while at the time the church taught that you had to earn it through serves, thus changing the way Christians are taught. Plus the new translations of the Bible reviles deeper details that the "old" king James version only touched on, when coincidentally the say the same thing but say it in a different way. Hope that helps

Answer 8

I think people have the same difficulty understanding the Trinity today, that they did back then. I think that until God returns we will never really fully understand.

Answer 9

How could they have understood it any differently? Jesus Said I and the Father are one, if you have seen me then you have seen the father. When the pharisees raised cain saying only God had power to forgive sin, He made it very clear He had the same power. Steven once he put his hand in the Lord's side said "My LORD AND MY GOD" I believe that pretty well sums up how the earliest Christians saw it.......

Answer 10

No it is the same. Martin Luther wrote about it in 300 or 400 AD I thnk and it is the same in the Lutheran church today.