Is God one or is He three? I personally believe He is one. God is our Father. He sent His Son via His Holy Spirit. Does that make a trio? No. God was IN Christ but that doesn't make Him God. God is in me too and I am not God. God is a Spirit and not flesh but He does come in to us and make His dwelling there via His Spirit. So what do you think about this age old question?
In Christ, George...
2007-06-30 05:51:51 · 14 answers · asked by George 4 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
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.
*** rs p. 406 par. 1 Trinity ***
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 15:3-6) . . .” 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.
2007-06-30 13:22:44 · answer #1 · answered by TeeM 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
All religion is a man made invention, hon. The trinity comes from Egypt and other cultures in and around the Middle East... the idea of a mom a dad and a saviour son is common... Horus, Isis, and Osiris. christianity is a copycat religion, from the Tribe of Israel, usurping any good idea into its folklore that seemed nice, or cute or seemed to explain things that stone age starving shepherds could understand... it all just then became a tradition All fairy tales, just like Santa, the easter bunny, the three little pigs, pease porridge hot, and tons of other things. the bible tried to explain things that were unknown to those civilizations,,,,, war, famine, eclipses, thunder, plague... all stuff today we can explain with science. So, dismiss all the sky daddy stuff, and really, there is no problem.... just fairy tales.
This particular argument you are discussing just about blew the church apart in about 330 AD, and was settled by the convention at Nicenae in Turkey. From it, came the Nicene Creed, that simply ignored the problem, and stated that god and jesus could be separateor three in one, spiritual and as well as human... end of agrument...they said so, and they ran christianity... Had they not come up with that, the Christian church would have split right then and there, rather than later, and many times after Luther. The Nicene Convention held it all together for almost 1000 in the face of this argument. Now, no one even cares, since for most, it isn't very important.... it makes no difference if Santa has a black belt or a white one... it is still just santa...It makes no difference if you wish to think of jesus as a son or as a god or both,,,since most people don't believe either anyway....
2007-06-30 06:13:04 · answer #2 · answered by April 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
The trinity was created for mere political reasons at the time by Constantine the Great and imposed at the Council of Nicea in 328 AD, together with Christianity as the official religion of the Roman Empire. Stupidity or false sense of superiority made the Romans feel that the truth would never be known. False, history is there and the truth is out. But, there is no worse blindness than that of the person that doesn't want to see...
2007-06-30 06:18:24 · answer #3 · answered by Millie 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
To understand the trinity it is necessary to consider how God exists in the material world compared to how he exists within his own spiritual kindgom.
The material world is made up of two main building blocks
The energy of matter
The energy of the souls
All matter is dead (inert) unless there is a controling element present called a soul. Just as machines need a computer code to know how to function, also bodies/minds need a soul to function.
God is everything and everything is God. This everyone can agree with. God creates both the spiritual world (which his personal form lives within) and the material world. God creates the material world to have certain set rules which cannot be bent (we can call them laws of nature).
God does not interfere directly with the functioning of the material world, as the purpose of the material world is to train souls (with free will) to behave responsibly within the spiritual kingdom of heaven.
Occasionally God incarnates upon the earth (and other planets) with the purpose of maintaining the correct knowledge of religion (which supports the spritual knowledge of self realization), and to help rid the earth of those whom are destroying society. This is the only direct reason for God to incarnate.
God prefers to work indirectly where ever possible, but as time passes humans keep corrupting the relgious scriptures for political purpose's.
How does God know of what is coming to pass in the material world: The answer is that every particle contains a little CCTV device known collectively as the holy spirit (or supersoul) which exists in everything living and non living.
This way God knows all (omniscience).
In the material world there are 3 aspects of God working to maintain/regulate the material world and its inhabitant souls:
1) The Father (who creates the living creatures) who is known as Yahweh/Jehovah in Judaism, Brahma in Hinduism etc..
2) The son (who is an earthly incarnation of God) Examples include Rama, Krishna, Jesus etc (there have been many more). The son's come down to establish proper religion and society.
3) The holy sprit: The aspect of God that is within each living and non living thing. The holy spirit is also the conscience of every living being from which the soul can choose to take or ignore advice from.
When the soul of an individual being and the holy spirit are totally related in thought and deed, then a soul is ready to ascend to the kingdom of God.
There is only one God, but he can expand himself in an infinate number of partial and full expansions in order to regulate the spritual and material world.
The answer is therefore that God is one, and also many, at the same time. This is how God became the whale (in the story Jonah and the whale), and yet still lives in the spritual world.
2007-06-30 06:18:05 · answer #4 · answered by Yoda 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
God is one but in three forms; the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Jesus said in John 10:30... "I and the Father are one."
The bible teaches we are filled with the Holy Spirit . Jesus also claims to be "in" us.
In Genesis, God said, "Let US make..."
In John 14:23...
Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and WE will come to him and make our home with him.
My favorite in John 1:1
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word WAS God.
John 1:14
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us...
One God; 3 forms exhibited. I think of it as H2O; ice, water and vapor - still H20.
2007-06-30 06:05:50 · answer #5 · answered by Joy 2 · 0⤊ 3⤋
No. That is an extra-biblical concept lifted from pagan Greek thought by Fourth Century Xtians.
2007-06-30 05:56:52 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
The Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost are one in purpose and righteousness, but they are still separate beings.
In the reference below Jesus is baptized while the Father's voice comes from heaven and the Holy Ghost appears in the form of a dove.
2007-06-30 06:15:38 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 3⤋
To deny Christ as God is to deny God. The trinity was from the beginning.
2007-06-30 06:00:54 · answer #8 · answered by Fish <>< 7 · 0⤊ 3⤋
GEORGE.....!
The catholics Wrongly Teach.. about the Trinity! and Yet they have it WRONG!
(Isaiah 44:6) 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.
There is ONE GOD..... and Only ONE.... and yet HE..... OFTEN DISPLAYS HIMSELF...... IN THREE DISTINCT PERSONS..... CALLED GOD!
God the Father.....! Exodus 3:14
The Son called GOD..... John 8:28 and Exodus 3:14
And the Holy Spirit called GOD.... Acts 5:1-to-11
Thanks, RR
2007-06-30 06:07:40 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 3⤋
The simple fact is no one on earth can completely grasp the trinity, which either makes it a product of madness, or not of this earth, I would say not of this earth (divine). So I believe God is three persons in one.
2007-06-30 06:00:08 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 3⤋