Could some fellow Christians please help me understand the Trinity.?

Question

(Please no Atheists or Hijackers)

I'm having a hard time understanding the Trinity.

It's hard to grasp 3 in 1 or Tri-unity.

How does 3=1. How can 3 parts of God equate to 1 God?

Why do the 3 parts of God talk to each other all throughout the Bible? Why would God talk with himself?

Why do Jews not think of the Holy Spirit, rather they have several natures of God and us Christians who worship the God of Judaism too believe in 3.

Since Jesus is God, and his mother is Mary, isn't Mary "THE MOTHER OF GOD" and not just a simple "vessel" claimed by numerous protestants.

If Jesus is God, why does he represent you before his Father if he is the Father too?

Why was the term trinity not used until 325 AD after a huge battle of bishops. They argued over the very topic and it developed into the Arian Controversy.

Would that have been made clear by Christ if there was a trinity.

I know Genesis says "we" in quoting God, but again, Jews had NUMEROUS natures of God.

Thanks, I'm confused

Answer 1

Well, there is no trinity.

What you may find interesting, is that even amomg trinitarian translators, they have disagreement over their favorite verse: John 1:1. Check it out:

KJV - Jhn 1:18 - No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared [him].

King James Version 1611, 1769
NKJV - Jhn 1:18 -No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.
Footnote:
NU-Text reads only begotten God.

New King James Version © 1982 Thomas Nelson
NLT - Jhn 1:18 -No one has ever seen God. But his only Son, who is himself God, is near to the Father's heart; he has told us about him.
Footnote:
Some manuscripts read his one and only Son.

New Living Translation © 1996 Tyndale Charitable Trust
NIV - Jhn 1:18 -

No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only,,who is at the Father's side, has made him known.

Footnote:
a Or the Only Begotten
b Some manuscripts but the only (or only begotten) Son

New International Version © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society
ESV - Jhn 1:18 -

No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known.

Footnote:
a Greek in the bosom of the Father
b Or the only One, who is God; some manuscripts the only Son

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version © 2001 Crossway Bibles
NASB - Jhn 1:18 -No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained {Him.}

New American Standard Bible © 1995 Lockman Foundation
RSV - Jhn 1:18 -No one has ever seen God; the only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has made him known.

Revised Standard Version © 1947, 1952.
ASV - Jhn 1:18 -No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared [him].

American Standard Version 1901 Info
Young - Jhn 1:18 -God no one hath ever seen; the only begotten Son, who is on the bosom of the Father -- he did declare.

Robert Young Literal Translation 1862, 1887, 1898 Info
Darby - Jhn 1:18 -No one has seen God at any time; the only-begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, *he* hath declared [him].

J.N.Darby Translation 1890 Info
Webster - Jhn 1:18 -No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared [him].

Noah Webster Version 1833 Info
HNV - Jhn 1:18 -No one has seen God at any time. The one and only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has declared him.

Hebrew Names Version 2000 Info
Vulgate - Jhn 1:18 -Deum nemo vidit umquam unigenitus Filius qui est in sinu Patris ipse enarravit

Jerome's Latin Vulgate 405 A.D. Info

For a trulty enlightening study on the history and evidence for or against the trinity doctrine, E-mail me!

Answer 2

The Most Holy Trinity is not something that can be easily explain. I'll start with a story. this is said to have been a dream that Saint Augustine had while writing De Trinitate (The Trinity)

Has he was walking on the shore of the sea, Saint Augustine saw a small boy that had dug a hole in the beach and was carrying water from the sea to the hole. Of course the water would leak out and not stay the hole. So the boy would ran out to the sea and fetch more water.

Saint Augustine said the child: "Ha ha little boy, do you think that you can hold the entire sea in this little puddle of yours?"
and behold the boy changed into an Angel and said to Saint Augustine: "Ha ha little man, do you think you can hold the mystery of the Trinity in these 9 books of yours"

the simplest way I found of understanding the Trinity is this:
God is one
He communicates whit man in three ways
As a Parent (in the person of the Father)
As a Brother (in the person of Christ)
As a Guide (in the person of the Spirit)

Now the God is no less when he comes as any of these figures.
The Father is not the Son or the Spirit but is God and God is Him.
The Son is not the Father or the Spirit but is God and God is Him.
The Spirit is not the Father or the Son but is God and God is Him.

Answer 3

It's simple, Body Soul, Spirit. The soul is the reasoning, thinking part of man, the Soul of the Trinity is God the Father, the body is the active part of man, The body of the Trinity is God the Son, the spirit is the motivation of man, the motivation of the Trinity is God Holy Spirit. So you see the Trinity is like you, in some aspect, we are created in the image of God. There are three of you, all you, and each one is you, just like the Holy Trinity.

As for the mother Mary, she was chosen by God to give birth to the baby Jesus. She is not the Mother of God, she is the mother of the body of God, Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit. The fallen nature of man is passed on by the male, it was Adam that will fully sinned. Eve was deceived, but Adam was not, his sin was will full. So any virgin God chose would have been the vessel, as long as the conception was by the Holy Spirit and not man. It is the conception of the Holy Spirit that made the body sinless, and not a part of fallen man.

God be with you,
Evangelist, William M. Butler
Grace Evangelistic Ministry

Answer 4

Here's a pretty good description:

Question: "What does the Bible teach about the Trinity?"

Answer: The most difficult thing about the Christian concept of the Trinity is that there is no way to adequately explain it. The Trinity is a concept that is impossible for any human being to fully understand, let alone explain. God is infinitely greater than we are, therefore we should not expect to be able to fully understand Him. The Bible teaches that the Father is God, that Jesus is God, and that the Holy Spirit is God. The Bible also teaches that there is only one God. Though we can understand some facts about the relationship of the different persons of the Trinity to one another, ultimately, it is incomprehensible to the human mind. However, this does not mean it is not true or not based on the teachings of the Bible.

Keep in mind when studying this subject that the word "Trinity" is not used in Scripture. This is a term that is used to attempt to describe the triune God, the fact that there are 3 coexistent, co-eternal persons that make up God. Understand that this is NOT in any way suggesting 3 Gods. The Trinity is 1 God made up of 3 persons. There is nothing wrong with using the term "Trinity" even though the word is not found in the Bible. It is shorter to say the word "Trinity" than to say "3 coexistent, co-eternal persons making up 1 God." If this presents a problem to you, consider this: the word grandfather is not used in the Bible either. Yet, we know there were grandfathers in the Bible. Abraham was the grandfather of Jacob. So don't get hung up on the term "Trinity" itself. What should be of real importance is that the concept that is REPRESENTED by the word "Trinity" does exist in Scripture. With the introduction out of the way, Bible verses will be given in discussion of the Trinity.

1) There is one God: Deuteronomy 6:4; 1 Corinthians 8:4; Galatians 3:20; 1 Timothy 2:5.

2) The Trinity consists of three Persons: Genesis 1:1; 1:26; 3:22; 11:7; Isaiah 6:8; 48:16; 61:1; Matthew 3:16-17; Matt 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14. In the passages in the Old Testament, a knowledge of Hebrew is helpful. In Genesis 1:1, the plural noun "Elohim" is used. In Genesis 1:26; 3:22; 11:7 and Isaiah 6:8, the plural pronoun for "us" is used. That "Elohim" and "us" refer to more than two is WITHOUT question. In English, you only have two forms, singular and plural. In Hebrew, you have three forms: singular, dual, and plural. Dual is for two ONLY. In Hebrew, the dual form is used for things that come in pairs like eyes, ears, and hands. The word "Elohim" and the pronoun "us" are plural forms - definitely more than two - and must be referring to three or more (Father, Son, Holy Spirit).

In Isaiah 48:16 and 61:1, the Son is speaking while making reference to the Father and the Holy Spirit. Compare Isaiah 61:1 to Luke 4:14-19 to see that it is the Son speaking. Matthew 3:16-17 describes the event of Jesus' baptism. Seen in this is God the Holy Spirit descending on God the Son while God the Father proclaims His pleasure in the Son. Matthew 28:19 and 2 Corinthians 13:14 are examples of 3 distinct persons in the Trinity.

3) The members of the Trinity are distinguished one from another in various passages: In the Old Testament, "LORD" is distinguished from "Lord" (Genesis 19:24; Hosea 1:4). The "LORD" has a "Son" (Psalm 2:7, 12; Proverbs 30:2-4). Spirit is distinguished from the "LORD" (Numbers 27:18) and from "God" (Psalm 51:10-12). God the Son is distinguished from God the Father (Psalm 45:6-7; Hebrews 1:8-9). In the New Testament, John 14:16-17 is where Jesus speaks to the Father about sending a Helper, the Holy Spirit. This shows that Jesus did not consider Himself to be the Father or the Holy Spirit. Consider also all of the other times in the Gospels where Jesus speaks to the Father. Was He speaking to Himself? No. He spoke to another person in the Trinity - the Father.

4) Each member of the Trinity is God: The Father is God: John 6:27; Romans 1:7; 1 Peter 1:2. The Son is God: John 1:1, 14; Romans 9:5; Colossians 2:9; Hebrews 1:8; 1 John 5:20. The Holy Spirit is God: Acts 5:3-4; 1 Corinthians 3:16 (The One who indwells is the Holy Spirit - Romans 8:9; John 14:16-17; Acts 2:1-4).

5) The subordination within the Trinity: Scripture shows that the Holy Spirit is subordinate to the Father and the Son, and the Son is subordinate to the Father. This is an internal relationship, and does not deny the deity of any person of the Trinity. This is simply an area which our finite minds cannot understand concerning the infinite God. Concerning the Son see: Luke 22:42; John 5:36; John 20:21; 1 John 4:14. Concerning the Holy Spirit see: John 14:16; 14:26; 15:26; 16:7 and especially John 16:13-14.

6) The tasks of the individual members of the Trinity: The Father is the ultimate source or cause of: 1) the universe (1 Corinthians 8:6; Revelation 4:11); 2) divine revelation (Revelation 1:1); 3) salvation (John 3:16-17); and 4) Jesus' human works (John 5:17; 14:10). The Father INITIATES all of these things.

The Son is the agent through whom the Father does the following works: 1) the creation and maintenance of the universe (1 Corinthians 8:6; John 1:3; Colossians 1:16-17); 2) divine revelation (John 1:1; Matthew 11:27; John 16:12-15; Revelation 1:1); and 3) salvation (2 Corinthians 5:19; Matthew 1:21; John 4:42). The Father does all these things through the Son, who functions as His agent.

The Holy Spirit is the means by whom the Father does the following works: 1) creation and maintenance of the universe (Genesis 1:2; Job 26:13; Psalm 104:30); 2) divine revelation (John 16:12-15; Ephesians 3:5; 2 Peter 1:21); 3) salvation (John 3:6; Titus 3:5; 1 Peter 1:2); and 4) Jesus' works (Isaiah 61:1; Acts 10:38). Thus the Father does all these things by the power of the Holy Spirit.

None of the popular illustrations are completely accurate descriptions of the Trinity. The egg (or apple) fails in that the shell, white, and yolk are parts of the egg, not the egg in themselves. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are not parts of God, each of them is God. The water illustration is somewhat better but still fails to adequately describe the Trinity. Liquid, vapor, and ice are forms of water. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are not forms of God, each of them is God. So, while these illustrations may give us a picture of the Trinity, the picture is not entirely accurate. An infinite God cannot be fully described by a finite illustration. Instead of focusing on the Trinity, try to focus on the fact of God's greatness and infinitely higher nature than our own. "Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?" (Romans 11:33-34)

Answer 5

You have three parts Mind, body, soul. How about brother, son, father.

Do you ever speak with yourself, in your mind?

It is the way the Hebrews have interpeted the scriptures as it was presented to them.

Mary cannot be the mother of God, the Jesus-Son of God always was. Does not have a being, just as God the Father. Mary was used by God, to form the complete human/complete God Jesus here on Earth. You were born of your mom and dad, but before you were concieved you did not exsist. Jesus always was, and always will be.

Jesus does represent you before the Father, if you are saved. He does not know you if you are not saved. I like this little story. A teenage girl is presented before the traffic court judge for speeding. The judge finds the girl guilty and says the punishment will be 2 days in jail, or $500 fine. The girls says that both is too high, she cannot pay either. The judge sentences her to the $500 fine. He then takes off the judge's robe, places it on the chair, walks down to the front of the judge's bench and pays the fine. As the girl's father. As the judge he had to uphold the law, but as the father he had compassion.
I hope this helps. not all of your questions were answered, but I'm tired. I'll check in on the progress of the answers later, maybe I can add on to what I wrote.

Answer 6

There is God the father, god the son and God the holy spirit. The Bible says there is only one God. And it says that each one of the three are God. Jesus says I am in the father and the father is in me. They have all been together since the beginning. This proves the trinity and that each part is equal as God.

God is omnipresent (he is everywhere at once). So he can be in heaven as the father and on earth as the son. The holy spirit descended down as a dove to Jesus from heaven. So in that moment the spirit of God was in two visible forms. Jesus and the dove. It is all spiritual. Just as spiritually we will make up the body of Christ.

Answer 7

Hello. The word "trinity" is not found anywhere in the word of God but it's truth is! The word means "three in one" as you may know. There is 1 God who exists in three persons, the eternal Godhead. The Father is God Phil 1:2; John 8:54 The Word is God John 1:1,14; Rev. 19:13,16 the Holy Ghost is God Acts 5:3,4; Col. 2:9 and these threre are one 1 John 5:7; Deut 6:4. How can one God exist in three persons? Perhaps, the same way we exist with a mind, heart, and will. Afterall, we are created in God's image. Gen. 1:26 Nevertheless, "great is the mystery of godliness." 1 Tim 3:16
Here are a couple links, one on the trinity and one of my own that may be of additional help. May God bless you. http://www.jesus-is-lord.com/trinity.htm http://www.ourchurch.com/view/?pageID=350862

Answer 8

+PAX

St. Patrick explained it this way. There are 3 leaves to a shamrock (clover) right? Each one is its own separate leaf- together the 3 are the shamrock. 1 God in 3 parts.

The Father (God Almighty), the Son (Savior) and the Holy Spirit (The Helper or Paraclete) together are the Trinity.

Yes, Mary is the Mother of God which is made evident in Elizabeth's response of why would the Mother of my Lord visit me?

The Trinity was made clear by Christ. He prayed to his Father in the Garden and promised to send The Holy Spirit before he ascended.

Benedicite,
J.

Answer 9

"Blind" faith (trusting another human being) isn't the same kind of faith you develop by reading the scriptures & allowing the Holy Spirit to guide your interpretation of it. If you wish to think w/ your mind & not your heart, consider the word "phalanx" -- a combined entity or consciousness. This basically what the Holy Trinity is like. Some conventional media uses of the same concept would be like in the Star Trek series. In "Deep Space 9", when Odo re-joined the consciousness of his people, that consciousness was a representation of a phalanx. In "The Next Generation", the same concept was represented by the Borg. Does that rationale help you to understand the concept? When Jesus referred to Himself as anything other than part of that 3 in 1 Trinity, it was only because of the monotheist concepts of the Jewish faith. Those to whom He was preaching would not have understood any other concept. ()~:)>

Answer 10

You're right 3 = 1. It doesn't make sense on a mathematical level, but it's true on God's level.

God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit share the same essence, but "present" in 3 different persons. I'm not sure what "essence" means to a theologian, but you could prolly google it and find a bunch of juicy stuff, philosophically speaking. ;)

And to Catholics, Mary is literally the "mother of God," since God the Son went into her womb and started becoming the person we know as "Jesus."

Jesus is God, but is not identical with God the Father; remember, they share the same essence, but the Father and the Son are two different aspects of God that are essentially the same. Again, we're back to 3 = 1 which doesn't make sense in the traditional way. So Jesus represents us before God the Father as our human brother (who was also completely divine).

And there were a lot of things Jesus himself didn't make clear that we accept today as dogma: salvation through grace alone, salvation through works alone, salvation through both, His birthday on Dec 21st, his ressurection on Easter, etc. etc.

Some things He left for us to figure out on our own.

Answer 11

I can only say what it means to me. On the literal level, if we believe there is a creator we will probably use the term God. If we believe God sent a son (Jesus) to earth to enlighten us, we will think of him as the son. To me the Holy Spirit is
like a go-between to help us feel close to the father and to the teachings of Jesus. It is the Holy Spirit that touches our feelings and helps us experience the wonders of life on earth, that helps us communicate with our personal angels, that opens up to us in meditation, Perhaps father/son/holy spirit all work together as our mind,
body and hearts work together . . for balance and understanding.