Does these verses combined prove the Trinity?
1. The Spirit (John 3:6-8)
2. The Holy Spirit (Luke 11:13)
3. The Spirit of God (1 Corinthians 3:16)
4. The Spirit of the Lord (Isaiah 63:14)
5. The Spirit of the Lord God (Isaiah 61:1)
6. The Spirit of the Living God (2 Corinthians 3:3)
7. The Spirit of the Father (Matthew 10:20)
8. The Spirit of Jesus (Acts 16:6,7)
9. The Holy Spirit of God (Ephesians 4:30)
10. The Spirit of Christ (Romans 8:9)
11. The Spirit of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:19)
12. The Spirit of His Son (Galatians 4:6)
13. The Spirit which is of God (1 Corinthians 2:12).
2007-05-21 00:54:32 · 10 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
After a close study of Scripture, we can conclude the following:
1. The Holy Spirit is called God.
2. The Holy Spirit is associated on an equal basis with the Father and the Son.
3. The Holy Spirit has the characteristics of God.
4. The Holy Spirit does work only God can do.
We conclude that the Holy Spirit is the eternal God.
2007-05-21 01:11:00 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 8⤋
No.
Many who believe the Trinity admit that they are not able to explain this teaching. Still, they may feel that it is taught in the Bible. It is worth noting that the word “Trinity” never occurs in the Bible. But the idea of a Trinity is not found there.
Most people do not know Biblical Greek. Think of this example: A schoolteacher explains a subject to his students. Afterward, the students differ on how to understand the explanation. How can the students resolve the matter? They could ask the teacher for more information. No doubt, learning additional facts would help them to understand the subject better. Learning additional facts on this subject will help you to draw the right conclusion.
A person who is really seeking to know the truth about God is not going to search the Bible hoping to find a text that he can construe as fitting what he already believes. He wants to know what God’s Word itself says. He may find some texts that he feels can be read in more than one way, but when these are compared with other Biblical statements on the same subject their meaning will become clear. It should be noted at the outset that most of the texts used as “proof” of the Trinity actually mention only two persons, not three; so even if the Trinitarian explanation of the texts were correct, these would not prove that the Bible teaches the Trinity.
What is the origin of the Trinity doctrine?
The New Encyclopædia Britannica says: “Neither the word Trinity, nor the explicit doctrine as such, appears in the New Testament, nor did Jesus and his followers intend to contradict the Shema in the Old Testament: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord’ (Deuteronomy 6:4). . . . The doctrine developed gradually over several centuries and through many controversies. . . . By the end of the 4th century . . . the doctrine of the Trinity took substantially the form it has maintained ever since.”—(1976), Micropædia, Vol. X, p. 126.
The New Catholic Encyclopedia states: “The formulation ‘one God in three Persons’ was not solidly established, certainly not fully assimilated into Christian life and its profession of faith, prior to the end of the 4th century. But it is precisely this formulation that has first claim to the title the Trinitarian dogma. Among the Apostolic Fathers, there had been nothing even remotely approaching such a mentality or perspective.”—(1967), Vol. XIV, p. 299.
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.
According to the Nouveau Dictionnaire Universel, “The Platonic trinity, itself merely a rearrangement of older trinities dating back to earlier peoples, appears to be the rational philosophic trinity of attributes that gave birth to the three hypostases or divine persons taught by the Christian churches. . . . This Greek philosopher’s [Plato, fourth century B.C.E.] conception of the divine trinity . . . can be found in all the ancient pagan religions.”—(Paris, 1865-1870), edited by M. Lachâtre, Vol. 2, p. 1467.
John L. McKenzie, S.J., in his Dictionary of the Bible, says: “The trinity of persons within the unity of nature is defined in terms of ‘person’ and ‘nature’ which are G[ree]k philosophical terms; actually the terms do not appear in the Bible. The trinitarian definitions arose as the result of long controversies in which these terms and others such as ‘essence’ and ‘substance’ were erroneously applied to God by some theologians.”—(New York, 1965), p. 899. The Catholic Encyclopedia also comments: “In Scripture there is as yet no single term by which the Three Divine Persons are denoted together. The word τρίας [tri′as] (of which the Latin trinitas is a translation) is first found in Theophilus of Antioch about A. D. 180. . . . Shortly afterwards it appears in its Latin form of trinitas in Tertullian.”
If you would like further information, please contact Jehovah's Witnesses at the local Kingdom Hall. Or visit their official web site - http://www.watchtower.org
2007-05-21 03:39:57 · answer #2 · answered by Mr. Cal 5 · 4⤊ 1⤋
Riddle me this. If a person is baptised with holy spirit can he baptised in a person ? At Jesus baptism the holy spirit came down like a dove and came upon Jesus. no person could do this.
Jesus is clearly god's son. Read John chapter 5.
2007-05-21 01:29:37 · answer #3 · answered by djfjedi1976 3 · 6⤊ 1⤋
In most of these verses, the very comment 'of God' or 'of the Lord, or of the (what ever)
means the spirit belongs to the one mentioned.
This is the hand of John, meaning it is John' hand.
Yes it is part of John, but it is not John.
The holy spirit is liken to the finger of God, the breath of God.
These expressions show that the spirit is holy because it belongs to God,
Gen 1:2 where the Spirit of God is first mentioned.
Lexicon Results for ruwach (Strong's 07307)
ruwach {roo'-akh}
1) wind, breath, mind, spirit
a) breath
b) wind
1) of heaven
2) quarter (of wind), side
3) breath of air
4) air, gas
5) vain, empty thing
2007-05-21 05:38:50 · answer #4 · answered by TeeM 7 · 4⤊ 1⤋
No.
As Jehovah's main Agent, Jesus Christ is authorized to use the Holy Spirit, which is God's impersonal active force. Jehovah's Witnesses cannot help but note that trinitarianism curiously argues that God's finger is actually a whole person (see Luke 11:20 and Matt 12:28).
Jehovah's Witnesses teach that no salvation occurs without Christ, that accepting Christ's sacrifice is a requirement for true worship, that every prayer must acknowledge Christ, that Christ is the King of God's Kingdom, that Christ is the head of the Christian congregation, that Christ is immortal and above every creature, even that Christ was the 'master worker' in creating the universe!
Jehovah's Witnesses love and respect and honor Christ. However, Jehovah's Witnesses believe that the Scriptures 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
Thanks again for an opportunity to share what the bible actually says about the distinct persons of Jesus Christ the Son and Jehovah God the Father!
Learn more!
http://watchtower.org/e/ti/index.htm?article=article_05.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/20050422/
http://watchtower.org/e/20020515/
http://watchtower.org/e/rq/index.htm?article=article_03.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/lmn/index.htm?article=article_04.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/pr/index.htm?article=article_04.htm
2007-05-21 10:14:23 · answer #5 · answered by achtung_heiss 7 · 4⤊ 2⤋
Am not a JW but I would say that their are not. Because How can Jesus pray to the father and be the father at the same time.
He said He prays that his followers be one with him and with God as He and the father are one.
So if you put Jesus in your heart, and you are baptisted in the Holly Spirit. That brings you in unity with God but it does not make you God.
2007-05-21 01:11:37 · answer #6 · answered by Davinci22 3 · 6⤊ 1⤋
I am not a Witness, however, one cannot deny the fact that there are 3 in one God. God the Father, Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit., which is not a person, but is a Spirit given to us, upon acceptance of Christ as our Savior. The Bible does not use the word "Trinity", but an anology would be that there is an orange, and many sections make up the whole orange.
The scriptures you quoted do prove that there are 3 in one God, and altho some Christians believe the 3 make up the God family, (inc. myself) using the word "Trinity" is not a word that God uses.
2007-05-21 01:02:36 · answer #7 · answered by JoJoCieCie 5 · 2⤊ 8⤋
I don't know about everyone else here, but there's good weight on all of those scriptures where it says "of". If they were all the same I think that word would have been "is".
Example: My child may be considered "of" me - but never would they be considered to BE me. We may be a part of the same family, but we're still each our own individual.
I agree that all are important - but each play their own roles and have their own individual characteristics.
2007-05-21 01:21:27 · answer #8 · answered by CHRISTINA 4 · 6⤊ 0⤋
Probably proves you have way to much time on your hands
2007-05-21 01:31:46 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
all it proves is that the Holy Spirit is God's active force..........not another person
2007-05-21 01:01:22 · answer #10 · answered by papa G 6 · 9⤊ 2⤋