I am so confused when it comes to the Trinity. I understand there is God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit but I do not understand how it is one and if they are three different things then wouldn't Christianity be considered a polytheistic religion.
2007-01-21 09:15:38 · 15 answers · asked by chunkyblqgurl09 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
This is one of those mysteries that we may not fully understand until God reveals all to us at the end of time. The best way I can get my mind around this to compare it to liquid, solid, and gas states of water. All are EXACTLY the same chemical --H2O but they exist in different forms. All three are manifestations of the same chemical but act in different ways.
Likewise, God -- Jehovah is the One and only true God. He has three different manifestations that act in different ways. God acts as the Father. Jesus acts as the Savior. And the Holy Spirit acts as our mediator, intercessor and strengthener.
2007-01-21 09:36:40 · answer #1 · answered by yagman 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You must have at least a superficial understanding of Hellenistic philosophy in order to understand the Trinity. The essence of God is a Platonic universal. The three persons are actually three instantiations of that one universal. The Father is the source of the Trinity, the Son (or Logos) is Potentiality, and the Holy Spirit is Actualization. Following the Hellenistic model, the Trinity is necessary to account for reality.
That may not make much sense at this point. You're not alone - Constantine and Hosias didn't understand it either. Ancient theology was much different from modern theology. Back then, you had to be able to address religion in philosophical terms if you wanted to be taken seriously. Today, theology and philosophy are two distinct disciplines.
2007-01-21 09:29:45 · answer #2 · answered by NONAME 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The Trinity is one of those Christian beliefs that require a great deal of faith, and so the skeptics and such on the board will have a field day with this question.
The Trinity was once explained to me using this analogy. God-The Father looked into a mirror and the reflection in that mirror was God-The Son (Jesus) because He was/is God the Father's reflection became (and time is a bad thing to use here because there is no time when it comes to God) "real" and then took flesh to become the person Jesus, but just like your reflection in a mirror is you, so is God the Son really God the Father.
Then the love between the Father and the Son and the Love they manifest for Their Creation becomes "real", much the same way as we say the Love between Parent and Child or Husband and Wife is a 'living thing" and that becomes the Holy Spirit.
As St Theresa said "For those who believe no explanation is needed and for those who do not believe no explanation is possible"
2007-01-21 09:28:41 · answer #3 · answered by Thomas G 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The word trinity is not in the Bible, but the indicators certainly are.
Look up Psalm 45, and Psalm 110. Both indicate THE GOD speaking to
"HIS OTHER".....also......The Trinity is indicated in 1 John 5:7 if you are using
a King James Bible (others have removed or altered same).
In the Old Testament see Isaiah 44:6 --- and His redeemer I am ---.
and Isaiah 45:11 --- And His maker --.
My favourite indicator is 1 Corinthians 15:28 ! At some point The Trinity will once
again unite because THEN there will be no need for The Trinity !
Water appears as a liquid, steam, and ice. All three are one.
A Clover leaf has three segments, it is but ONE clover.
In both situations above, three are one. Why can't THE GOD do the same?
2007-01-21 09:20:31 · answer #4 · answered by whynotaskdon 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Hi, theologians have tried to explain this mystery for centuries and still have difficulty in doing so as it is an incredible mystery. The Bible speaks of God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ), and God the Holy Spirit like4 you said ... and also clearly presents that there is only one God. Thus the term: "Tri" meaning three, and "Unity" meaning one. A kind of an illustration for the Trinity would be, such as H2O being water, ice and steam (all different forms, but all are H2O). Hope that helps!
2007-01-21 09:32:54 · answer #5 · answered by thundercatt9 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
1. God is our Heavenly Father. He loves us and wants us to return to Him.
2. Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He is our Savior. He redeems us from death by providing the Resurrection. He saves us from sin as we repent. Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we can return to live with God if we keep His commandments.
3. The Holy Ghost helps us to recognize truth.
*****
Through the scriptures we know that these three are separate individuals, physically distinct from each other. It is recorded that when the Savior was baptized, John recognized the sign of the Holy Ghost, he saw Jesus in the flesh, and he heard the voice of the Father. Each personage of the Godhead manifested himself separately (see Matt. 3:13–17). Later, the Savior separately defined the three members of the Godhead when he told his disciples that when he left them, the Father would send a comforter, who is the Holy Ghost (see John 14:26).
Each member of this trinity is called God, and together they constitute the Godhead. As indicated, they are three separate beings, but they are one in purpose, and Jesus repeatedly testified of the unity existing among the three.
2007-01-21 22:03:40 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
really complicated, so a good question. think of the Trinity like a Venn diagram with three circles. also think of a pie cut into three pieces. you have your three circles labeled FATHER, SON, and HOLY SPIRIT. they intersect at some points, but also function indepently of each other. also, while the three pieces of pie are seperate, they are still part of the same pie (i.e. godhead)
2007-01-21 09:27:10 · answer #7 · answered by nazgulslayer78 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Get this:
Just as I speak my word, my word is me, though it goes out from me.
Many times when I speak, I can put my spirit into my words, but my spirit is still me.
John chapter 1 tells us that the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, it later goes to show us that Jesus is that Word.
The Word of God is still God which was made flesh
2007-01-21 09:38:59 · answer #8 · answered by Sirius 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Simply put: "Tri" means three, and "Unity" means one, Tri+Unity = Trinity. It is a way of acknowledging what the Bible reveals to us about God, that God is yet three "Persons" who have the same essence of deity.
2007-01-21 09:22:51 · answer #9 · answered by Heaven's Messenger 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It means jesus came from god and when jesus died on the cross his spirit went back to his father in heaven which is god
father, son , holy spirit are one, understand>?
2007-01-21 09:21:08 · answer #10 · answered by sunflare63 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋