Can the Christians here accept the Biblical fact that God is one? - Page 2 - Theology Online

Elia · January 25th, 2011, 12:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by some other dude

you have a flawed understanding of the concept of the trinity. If you are really interested in what trinitarians believe, here's a real simple place to start.

Bs'd

I have looked at it, and I still don't see why this would be wrong:

Christianity claims to belief in one God.

Christianity believes in a God the Father, a god the son, and a god the spirit.

And they all have to be squeezed into one God.

Which leaves only one conclusion, namely that the Christian God is his own son, and at the same time his own father.

Maybe you can explain it to me?

Thanks in advance.

Another thing that bugs me: If God is one, how can he be three?

Eliyahu

Ask Mr. Religion · January 25th, 2011, 01:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elia

Bs'd

I have looked at it, and I still don't see why this would be wrong:

Christianity claims to belief in one God.

Christianity believes in a God the Father, a god the son, and a god the spirit.

And they all have to be squeezed into one God.

Which leaves only one conclusion, namely that the Christian God is his own son, and at the same time his own father.

Maybe you can explain it to me?

Thanks in advance.

Another thing that bugs me: If God is one, how can he be three?

Eliyahu

Rather than wikipedia entries, which are generally unreliable, I recommend the following for starters that will more than adequately answer each question you have posed above:

Vindication of the Trinity -John Owen

It is a short, but contextually dense read, and well worth your time and effort if you want to inform yourself more deeply about the Trinitarian doctrine.

AMR

One Eyed Jack · January 25th, 2011, 02:27 PM

If God is a triune being, then so are we, since we're made in His image. I had no trouble accepting the Trinity when I realized that I consisted of body, soul, and spirit.

coulter4president · January 25th, 2011, 03:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elia

Bs'd

"Hear Israel, Y-H-W-H is our God, Y-H-W-H is ONE!" Deut 6:4

"Listen, Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is One" Holman Christian Standard Bible

"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one." English Standard Version

"Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one!" New American Standard Bible

The Catholic Church teaches that God is one.. but there are 3 persons in the Godhead.. Dont ask me to explain, but even though many have a hard time understand this, i never did... dont get why its so hard for some... but then others understadn things I don't... like math...

Jesus is the Word of God.. meaning the Truth of God..

The Holy Spirit is the.. Spirit of God..

Then there's the Father who stays in Heaven... seemingly at a great distance... most of the time

which is why we need Jesus...

He is the "bridge" to God...

steko · January 25th, 2011, 06:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elia

Bs'd

With "trinity" I mean that illogical extra-Biblical teaching that 99% of Christianity believes in.

Eliyahu

It's certainly hard to comprehend, but it's not 'illogical'.
If you think it's 'illogical', then you are arguing against something that you only think is trinitarian teaching.

Elia · January 25th, 2011, 09:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by One Eyed Jack

If God is a triune being, then so are we, since we're made in His image. I had no trouble accepting the Trinity when I realized that I consisted of body, soul, and spirit.

Bs'd

What, according to you, is the difference between soul and spirit?

Eliyahu

Elia · January 25th, 2011, 09:47 PM

[quote=coulter4president;2564148]The Catholic Church teaches that God is one.. but there are 3 persons in the Godhead.. Dont ask me to explain, but even though many have a hard time understand this, i never did... dont get why its so hard for some... but then others understadn things I don't... like math... [quote]

Bs'd

Maybe you can explain the following: I believe in God, but not in a "Godhead".

What is a Godhead?

Quote:

Jesus is the Word of God.. meaning the Truth of God..

So he is not God himself?

Quote:

The Holy Spirit is the.. Spirit of God..

So he is not God himself?

Quote:

Then there's the Father who stays in Heaven... seemingly at a great distance... most of the time

which is why we need Jesus...

But they are all God no?

You need God to get to God?

Eliyahu

Elia · January 25th, 2011, 09:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by steko

It's certainly hard to comprehend, but it's not 'illogical'.
If you think it's 'illogical', then you are arguing against something that you only think is trinitarian teaching.

Bs'd

I showed you guys all the places where the Bible teaches that God is one.

Can you guys now show me where the Bible teaches that God is a trinity?

Eliyahu

JoeyArnold · January 25th, 2011, 10:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elia

Bs'd

I showed you guys all the places where the Bible teaches that God is one. Can you guys now show me where the Bible teaches that God is a trinity? Eliyahu

Why does it say that God is one?

One Eyed Jack · January 25th, 2011, 10:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elia

Bs'd

What, according to you, is the difference between soul and spirit?

Eliyahu

Your soul is your awareness of self. Your spirit is your awareness of God. Animals don't have a spirit (although they do have souls), and most people are spiritually dead. Hope that helps.

Ask Mr. Religion · January 25th, 2011, 10:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elia

I showed you guys all the places where the Bible teaches that God is one.

Can you guys now show me where the Bible teaches that God is a trinity?

Perhaps you missed a response given earlier here. Can you take a time out to fully digest the content linked therein? Perhaps afterwards, the discussion may move in a more substantive manner.

AMR

Elia · January 25th, 2011, 10:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by One Eyed Jack

Your soul is your awareness of self. Your spirit is your awareness of God. Animals don't have a spirit (although they do have souls), and most people are spiritually dead. Hope that helps.

Bs'd

I think it is a kind of arbitrary. Why would you need a different something to be aware of yourself and to be aware of God?

Anyway, yes, we are created in the image of God, and no, God is not flesh and blood like we, but spirit.

So you cannot say that God is three because we are three.

And anyway, the Bible teaches very clearly that God is ONE, therefore I don't think it is a wise idea to try to find schemes to make Him three anyway.

It will only lead to idol worship.

Because, let's face it, why do you guys want to change a God who is one into a God who is three?

Right, you want to squeeze in a few extra gods.

One God, Y-H-W-H, who is one, is not good enough for you guys, you also want to worship an extra man-god JC, and therefore the one and only true God Y-H-W-H who is one, has to be changed to three.

But it is an illogical extra-Biblical teaching, and flies right in the face of the shma which teaches: "Hear Israel, Y-H-W-H is our God, Y-H-W-H is ONE!" Deut 6:4 (and also Mark 12 from verse 28)

Eliyahu light unto the nations

"Hear Israel, Y-H-W-H is our God, Y-H-W-H is ONE!" Deut 6:4

"All the peoples walk each in the name of his god, but as for us; we will walk in the name of Y-H-W-H our God forever and ever!" Micah 4:5

This message is sent to you from Mount Zion, Jerusalem, Israel.

"From Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of Y-H-W-H from Jerusalem." Isaiah 2:3, Micah 4:2

Elia · January 25th, 2011, 11:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ask Mr. Religion

Perhaps you missed a response given earlier here. Can you take a time out to fully digest the content linked therein? Perhaps afterwards, the discussion may move in a more substantive manner.

AMR

Bs'd

I didn't miss that one, I even looked at the link, but it was too much and too heavy to go through the whole thing.

The Jewish creed "God is one" can be caught in one very short three word sentence.

The Christian trinity seems to be more complicated, so I'm willing to give it some more slack, but that whole article is too much.

Maybe you can give here a condensed version with the essentials in say one page? That would make it much more palatable.

But of course, the much more important thing is: Where is it written in the Bible?

I mean; everybody can make up all kind of teachings, but the question is: Are they from God or from man?

About the fact that God is one, it is a simple undisputed fact that that is what the Bible teaches.

If somebody wants to replace that by "God is three" or "God is a trinity", then he must have very strong Biblical back up in order to push aside the Biblical teaching which says "God is one".

So go for it!

Eliyahu light unto the nations

"Hear Israel, Y-H-W-H is our God, Y-H-W-H is ONE!" Deut 6:4

"All the peoples walk each in the name of his god, but as for us; we will walk in the name of Y-H-W-H our God forever and ever!" Micah 4:5

This message is sent to you from Mount Zion, Jerusalem, Israel.

"From Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of Y-H-W-H from Jerusalem." Isaiah 2:3, Micah 4:2