Preacher, what please is the basis of a belief in the false doctrine of "trinity"?

Question

Preacher: Kindly Note.

Dear Sir,
I appreciate your well-intentioned reply and I sincerely thank you. I myself used to believe in the doctrine of the trinity, but I decided not to just go along with the religions of my fore-Fathers but to seek and find answers for myself based on accurate knowledge. The truth, precious one, is that the doctrine of Trinity is founded on paganism and there are many pagan gods with one head and three faces. Like many today, I am sure you would want to go beyond ages of dogmatism and seek out accurate information for yourself. The truth is that the Holy Spirit is God’s active force, a helping force and not a person.. Think of the many hundreds of people that the Holy Spirit was poured on ---in the second chapter of Acts. You would not say that the Holy Spirit multiplied itself into hundreds of invisible persons, would you?

Our creator is our heavenly Father God and Jesus is His begotten son. Jesus never claimed to be equal with God, did he? Also, it is written that “no man has seen God at anytime (John 1:18)”------but has people seen Christ? If Christ was God, then it might have been a crazy God that talked to himself!!!!!!!, asking God to remove the chalice from him, if possible and saying ‘Father, into thy hands, I commit my spirit?’ I know many people get confused with the first verse of John 1, which most bible states “in the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God.” Does that sentence makes sense? Early Christians wrote that text to suit their incorrect dogma of Trinity. Some earlier versions of the bible use the sentence …”the word was a God,” ------“the word was a divine one.” Are you getting the picture and thinking verbal distortions just to advance the dogma of trinity? I am glad to refer you to some resource where you will have an idea of the origin of the trinity dogma. Trinity was never in the Bible. Please at your convenience, do look up TRINITY in The New Encyclopedia Britannica, The New catholic Encyclopedia, The Encyclopedia Americana, NouveauDictionnaire Universal, John Mckenzie’s Dictionary of The Bible…etc.

Scripturally, there are many Scriptures that educate us that God and Jesus Christ are not equal and that one is greater than the other. You will find John 14:28, Mathew 24:26, Mathew 16:15-17, Mark 12: 28-30 Mathew 26:39. John 8:17,18, Acts 7:55,( to name a miniscule number of pertinent scriptures) to be very elucidating. Use an open mind, void of pre-formed opinion and you will get a picture more accurate than you currently do on TRINITY. Jehovah, the true God has an orderly arrangement, for he is a God not of disorder and confusion; but of peace (1 Cor 14:33). The head of Jesus Christ is his father, the true God John 5:19,20, John 8:29, 1 Cor 15,27,28. Let’s visit 1 Corinthians chapter 11 verse 3 –“But I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.” You cab see clear distinction here.

I pray that may you have an open mind to seek accurate knowledge and may God sends you His Holy Spirit to further enlighten you, we make this request through God’s son, Jesus Christ.

Sincerely
With God’s love.

Answer 1

Jehovah's Witnesses believe that the Scriptures alone quite plainly demonstrate that Jesus and the Almighty are separate distinct persons, and the Almighty created Jesus as His firstborn son.

(Colossians 1:15) the firstborn of all creation

(Mark 10:18) Jesus said to him: 'Why do you call me good? Nobody is good, except one, God.

(Revelation 3:14) the Amen says, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation by God

(Philippians 2:5-6) Christ Jesus, who, although he was existing in God's form, gave no consideration to a seizure, namely, that he should be equal to God

(John 8:42) Neither have I come of my own initiative at all, but that One sent me forth

(John 12:49) I have not spoken out of my own impulse, but the Father himself who sent me has given me a commandment as to what to tell and what to speak

(John 14:28) I am going my way to the Father, because the Father is greater than I am

(1 Corinthians 15:28) But when all things will have been subjected to him, then the Son himself will also subject himself to the One who subjected all things to him

(Matthew 20:23) this sitting down at my right hand and at my left is not mine to give, but it belongs to those for whom it has been prepared by my Father

(1 Corinthians 11:3) I want you to know that the head of every man is the Christ; ...in turn the head of the Christ is God

(John 20:17) I am ascending to my Father and your Father and to my God and your God.

(Deuteronomy 6:4) Jehovah our God is one Jehovah

(1 Corinthians 8:4-6) There is no God but one. For even though there are those who are called "gods," whether in heaven or on earth, just as there are many "gods" and many "lords," there is actually to us one God the Father, out of whom all things are, and we for him

Learn more!
http://watchtower.org/library/ti/index.htm

Answer 2

just as there are many the show the Trinity is fully -- God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit as one.
Mt 28:19 where Christ tells to go forth to all nations baptizing in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
another favorite is when a priest ends mass and quotes 2 Cor 13:14 The Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Love of God and the communion/fellowship of the Holy Ghost be with yo all. 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."

Answer 3

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."

The trinity (God the Father, God the word and God the Holy Spirit) are mentioned in the beginning verses of the Bible. Just check out this verse from Genesis. (I will capitalize the Trinity for you.)

Genesis 1:1-3, "In the beginning GOD created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And THE SPIRIT OF GOD moved upon the face of the waters. And GOD SAID, Let there be light: and there was light."

So you have Father God creating, God The Word speaking everything into existence and God The Holy Spirit too. It's very plain to see.

Don't forget that Jesus claiming to be God is exactly why the Jews sought to kill Him: John 10:33, "The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God."

Answer 4

1 John 5 doesn't teach the trinity, for those words were added to the orignial. The three that bear witness are the spirit, water, and blood.

Who Jesus said he is determines who we worship.

John 10: 34 corrects wrong thinking of the jews in Jesus' day, by showing the "god" he was equal to was the human judges (Ps 82:6)

Jesus goes on to say that he is God's Son.

John who wrote the account said the reason he wrote the Gospel was to prove that Jesus was God's Son John 20:31.

John who wrote Revelation did not believe Jesus was God Almighty, Rev. 1:1 & 6.

Jesus always said worship his Father.
Paul said to have the mind of Christ and glorify his God an Father. Rom 15:5,6
Peter didn't believe in a trinity, 1 Pet 1:3
Jehovah didn't believe in a trinity, when he said,

This is my Son the beloved. The one I approved.

to believe in a trinity is calling God a liar.

Satan blinds people not to see that Jesus is the image of God. (2 Cor. 4:4)

Answer 5

Unless I am mistaken presently, the 'trinity' is simply a shorter way of saying God the Father, God the Son (Jesus), and God the Holy Ghost.

Answer 6

Is there a question here? What are you trying to ask?

Does accepting or rejecting the dogmatic interpretation of the Trinity in any way change Christ's message?

For that matter, does it really matter if Christ was divine, or if he was a man? Does his origin really change what he had to say?

His word and his message is the only thing that really matters, all the rest is window dressing, and pointless arguing about angels dancing on pinheads.

Answer 7

Lectio Divina is Latin for “spiritual reading” and represents an early monastic technique of prayer which continues in practice though less widely, intended to achieve communion with God as well as providing special spiritual insights and peace from that experience. It is a way of praying with Scripture that calls one to study, ponder, listen and, finally, pray from God's Word.

History
Lectio Divina was first expressed in the year 220 AD. It was found that to read the Bible profitably it is necessary to do so with attention, consistency and prayer. The systematization of “spiritual reading” into four steps dates back to the 12th century. Around 1150, Guigo II, a Carthusian monk, wrote a book entitled “The Monk’s Ladder” (Scala Claustralium) wherein he set out the theory of the four rungs: reading, meditation, prayer and contemplation. In 2005, Pope Benedict XVI stated, “This is the ladder by which the monks ascend from earth to heaven.”

Method
Lectio is typically practiced daily for one continuous hour. A selection from the Holy Scriptures is chosen ahead of time, often as a daily progression through a particular book of the Bible.

Time
Selecting a time for lectio divina is important. Typical methods are to pray for one hour in the morning, or to divide it into two half-hour periods, one in the morning and one in the evening. The key is to pre-select the time that will be devoted to the prayer, and to keep it. Using the same time every day leads to a daily habit of prayer that becomes highly effective.

Place
The place for prayer is to be free from distractions. This means it should be isolated from other people, telephones, visual distractions, etc. Some find a religious icon to be helpful. The same place should be used for lectio if possible, especially as one first begins to practice it. Familiarity with a location reduces the possibility of distraction away from the prayer. Some practitioners conduct other devotions, such as praying before the Catholic Eucharist, as a preparation for Lectio Divina.

Preparation
Prior to reading, it is important to engage in a transitional activity that takes one from the normal state of mind to a more contemplative and prayerful state. A few moments of deep, regular breathing and a short prayer inviting the Holy Spirit to guide the prayer time helps to set the tone and improve the effectiveness of the lectio.

Once the stage is set it is time to begin the prayer. There are four phases of the prayer, which do not necessarily progress in an ordered fashion. One may move between different phases of the prayer very freely as the Spirit guides.

The Four Moments
Lectio
Read the passage several times.

Meditatio
Reflect on the text of the passage, thinking about how to apply to one's own life. Gravitate to any particular phrase or word that seems to be of particular import. This should not be confused with exegesis, but is a very personal reading of the Scripture and application to one's own life.

Oratio
Respond to the passage by opening the heart to God. This is not primarily an intellectual exercise, but more of the beginning of a conversation with God.

Contemplatio
Listen to God. This is a freeing oneself from one's own thoughts, both mundane and holy. It is about hearing God talk to us. Opening our mind, heart and soul to the influence of God. Any conversation must allow for both sides to communicate, and this most unfamiliar act is allowing oneself to be open to hearing God speak.


This is the Christian faith.
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Many Christians begin to learn about the Trinity through knowledge of Baptism. This is also a starting point for others in comprehending why the doctrine matters to so many Christians, even though the doctrine itself teaches that the being of God is beyond complete comprehension. The Apostles' Creed and the Nicene Creed are structured around profession of the Trinity, and are solemnly professed by converts to Christianity when they receive baptism, and in the Church's liturgy, particularly when celebrating the Eucharist. One or both of these creeds are often used as brief summations of Christian faith by mainstream denominations.

One God
God is one, and the Godhead a single being: The Hebrew Scriptures lift this one article of faith above others, and surround it with stern warnings against departure from this central issue of faith, and of faithfulness to the covenant God had made with them. "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD" (Deuteronomy 6:4) (the Shema), "Thou shalt have no other gods before me" (Deuteronomy 5:7) and, "Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel and his redeemer the LORD of hosts: I am the first and I am the last; and beside me there is no God." (Isaiah 44:6). Any formulation of an article of faith which does not insist that God is solitary, that divides worship between God and any other, or that imagines God coming into existence rather than being God eternally, is not capable of directing people toward the knowledge of God, according to the trinitarian understanding of the Old Testament. The same insistence is found in the New Testament: "...there is none other God but one" (1 Corinthians 8:4). The "other gods" warned against are therefore not gods at all, but substitutes for God, and so are, according to St. Paul, simply mythological or are demons.

So, in the trinitarian view, the common conception which thinks of the Father and Christ as two separate beings, is incorrect. The central, and crucial affirmation of Christian faith is that there is one savior, God, and one salvation, manifest in Jesus Christ, to which there is access only because of the Holy Spirit. The God of the Old is still the same as the God of the New. In Christianity, it is understood that statements about a solitary god are intended to distinguish the Hebraic understanding from the polytheistic view, which see divine power as shared by several separate beings, beings which can, and do, disagree and have conflicts with each other. The concept of Many comprising One is quite visible in the Gospel of John, chapter 17, verses 20 through 23.

God exists in three persons

The "Shield of the Trinity" or "Scutum Fidei" diagram of traditional Western Christian symbolism.This one God however exists in three persons, or in the Greek hypostases. God has but a single divine nature. Chalcedonians — Catholics, Orthodox, and Protestants — hold that, in addition, the Second Person of the Trinity — God the Son, Jesus — assumed human nature, so that he has two natures (and hence two wills), and is really and fully both true God and true human. In the Oriental Orthodox theology, the Chalcedonian formulation is rejected in favor of the position that the union of the two natures, though unconfused, births a third nature: redeemed humanity, the new creation.

In the Trinity, the Three are said to be co-equal and co-eternal, one in essence, nature, power, action, and will. However, as laid out in the Athanasian Creed, only the Father is unbegotten and non-proceeding. The Son is begotten from (or "generated by") the Father. The Spirit proceeds from the Father (or from the Father and through the Son — see filioque clause for the distinction).

It has been stated that because God exists in three persons, God has always loved, and there has always existed perfectly harmonious communion between the three persons of the Trinity. One consequence of this teaching is that God could not have created Man in order to have someone to talk to or to love: God "already" enjoyed personal communion; being perfect, He did not create Man because of any lack or inadequacy He had. Another consequence, according to Rev. Thomas Hopko, is that if God were not a trinity, He could not have loved prior to creating other beings on whom to bestow his love. Thus we find God saying in Genesis 1:26, "Let us make man in our image." For trinitarians, emphasis in Genesis 1:26 is on the plurality in the Deity, and in 1:27 on the unity of the divine Essence. A possible interpretation of Genesis 1:26 is that God's relationships in the Trinity is mirrored in man by the ideal relationship between husband and wife, two persons becoming one flesh, as described in Eve's creation later in the chapter.

The singleness of God's being and the multiplicity of the Divine Persons together account for the nature of Christian salvation, and disclose the gift of eternal life. "Through the Son we have access to the Father in one Spirit" (Ephesians 2:18). Communion with the Father is the goal of the Christian faith and is eternal life. It is given to humans through the Divine union with humanity in Jesus Christ who, although fully God, died for sinners "in the flesh" to accomplish their redemption, and this forgiveness, restoration, and friendship with God is made accessible through the gift to the Church of the Holy Spirit, who, being God, knows the Divine Essence intimately and leads and empowers the Christian to fulfill the will of God. Thus, this doctrine touches on every aspect of the trinitarian Christian's faith and life; and this explains why it has been so earnestly contended for, throughout Christian history.