"The Trinity" - My Thoughts

by Olympiad 17 Replies latest watchtower bible

  • Olympiad
    Olympiad

    “The Trinity” – My thoughts

    The thought behind the Trinity is not so hard to understand or appreciate if you approach if from a philosophical viewpoint. You must look beyond the obvious. How was it originally to be understood? Genesis 1:26 says: And God went on to say “Let us make man in our image according to our likeness.” What is that Image or Likeness? Because no human has seen God and whoever was with him/her when we were first created, we are left only to examine ourselves for an answer. Reverse engineering if you will. What makes up the image or likeness of a man or woman? It is vital to appreciate first our individuality as viewed by others. Even to our family and close friends it is limited indeed. We are known primarily by name and that name for the most part identifies externally who we are. In addition each of us emulates our own unique characteristics which further identify us to others, specifically to those who know us. But this “self ” which is viewed as singular and seen by others is in reality the sum of other divisions which total in number three. In this lies the mystery. How can the sum of three equal one? The three divisions are in truth only appreciated and perceived by “self ” by you in an intimate way. Who can know your thoughts or more importantly the choices that you will make to do what is good or bad in your eyes? Do we not all give way to thoughts, which are creations of our mind (1), then after the thought, if so desired, commanded by the mind to accomplish by the spirit (2) that thought through the vehicle our physical bodies (3)? All three working in concert make us whole; make us Man or Woman. While plural each of these three, the Mind, Spirit and Body are integral if we are to be called in the singular – Man or Woman. From this we should expect what we call GOD to be no different for we are fashioned in his/her likeness. We are told at 1st Corinthians 15:44 “If there is a physical body there is also a spiritual one.” This verbiage of the “Body” is used because we as humans perceive most everything through our physical senses (earthy); therefore God is perceived by most as singular. The Mind whether in a spiritual body or a physical body is considered that which is un-manifest, hidden, infinite and invisible (The Almighty and = 0). In truth the Spirit is shared in common whether it dwells in a physical body or a spiritual body, it is manifest, infinite, invisible and visible (The Word or First Cause and = 1) and that which caries out the commands of the Mind (The Almighty). With the body comes a separation between what is physical and what is spiritual and between what is male and female. This separation is only from the standpoint of what we as humans can perceive. The principals are the same. The Body is a tabernacle for the Mind (The Almighty) and the Spirit (The Word) to dwell in us. If the body is physical and viewed by other physical beings the body is manifest, finite and visible (Man and Woman = 2). If the body is spiritual ?... we will just have to wait and see and I believe we all have the opportunity to see! Either way if you add the numbers by unit value or numeric value you still get three but in reality one. Is the Trinity such a dirty word viewed in this light? To me it is one of the most true and natural ways of expressing who we really are. Your Thoughts?

  • JosephMalik
    JosephMalik

    Olympiad,

    Beyond Trinitarianism, my thoughts can be downloaded at:
    http://localsonly.wilmington.net/jmalik/
    Joseph

  • U.2.K.
    U.2.K.

    Those who Believe in the "Trinity " is a liar, an-ti-christ, and they do not know'the father Jehovah GOd, and they are in danger of armageddon and judgement... End of subject

  • Larsguy
    Larsguy

    According to some, the "666" Beast represents Christendom and the 666 is a symbol of the trinity doctrine, which puts it in bad light.

    But it proves it would be a dominant belief system for Christendom and thus not that easily overturned.

    My thoughts are that you might be able to fit the trinity doctrine into the Bible, but you can't fit the Bible into the trinity doctrine. That's because for some, for instance, Jesus Christ is the archangel Michael and a PERSON who actually died and had to be resurrected which is not consistent with his being the same person as God.

    So I can understand how some can see in some scriptures a basis that would be consistent with the trinity or God being more than one person; that's one thing. But it's the other scriptures that don't fit force another understanding.

    But the Bible basically, I think, tells us the relationship between God and Jesus and that is like Father and Son. Since when is a son equal to a father? Since when is a son not "begotten" after the father? The Father-Son relationship fundamentally is contra-trinitarian.

    So while I can see why some find it convincing to hold onto the trinity doctrine; its also easy to be convinced Jesus is Michael the arhangel. You can't have it both ways though. People make their choices.

    L.G.

  • MegaDude
    MegaDude

    God could have given a one or two verse explanation of the exact relationship parameters of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, but obviously he didn't think the subject was important enough to spell it out clearly and simply. As Jehovah's Witnesses we were put in this mindset of making a virtual Mt. Everest out of minor doctrinal issues. And I spent years researching various Watchtower doctrine, simply for the fact that people I cared about were in that cult. I think it was time well spent to help JWs, but I think God could hardly care if we have the correct understanding of the Trinity or not.

  • WinstonWigglesworth
    WinstonWigglesworth

    The Trinity isn't simply called "The Trinity", it usually refered to as "the Mystery of the Trinity". It's composed of three parts, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Trinity is almost like a definition of Almighty God. God is the Creator but is also in Jesus. Does that mean He stops being the Creator? No he is his Son but Also the Creator. Therefore, He's the Father(Creator) and Son(Jesus); but He's also within all of us much like a spirit. Does that mean He's not The Father nor Son. By refering to God as Father , Son and Holy Spirit we except every thing He is, He doesn't stop being one thing to be another...He is everything. By placing a label on God we limite Him to that label. The Holy Trinity is simply a a way to acknoweldge God as omnipresent. He's not three diferent things, He's one.

  • Sangdigger
    Sangdigger

    Definately got some good thoughts flowing, but as usual on a subject seemingly complex, too many personel thoughts about what seems right, and what makes more sense. I have spent some time studying this doctrine as well as most "major" witness doctrine, and since this is a forum for biblical research, ill share with you some of what i have studied. As most of you know, there are different forms if you will of the trinity doctrine. I will have to disagree with the "modelness" or "oneness" wich states that Jesus is both Father and Son.(Even though he is called the "Everlasting Father" -reffering to his enthronement) In my opinion, we are dealing with 3 seperate persons, But ONE God. Stephen looked to heaven and saw Jesus standing on the right hand of God! (2 different persons) God said let US make man in OUR image. And the spirit is reffered to as a person. Ananias was said to have Lied to the holy spirit.(Acts 5:3) What really needs to be asked, is WHO is Jesus? What is his makeup? GOD,Angel,or "a god". The scriptures say over and over from the old to the new testament that there is ONE GOD. (That is, one true god) Therefore, he cannot be a false god. So scratch "a god" So is he an angel? Hebrews 1:1-7 tells us he is far above the angels, and says in verse 6, let all the angels of God worship him. God would never permit his angels to worship another angel!! Then in verse 8, The Father tells the Son, Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever. But the Father goes on, he continues to say on down in verse 10 thru 12 that "you Lord, in the beginning have laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the works of your hands," ect... Now go to that same quote in Psalms 102:24-27 David here in psalms is speaking about Yaweh. Now read Isa. 44:24, and read how Yaweh created the earth all by himself!!! Not because the father and the son are the same person, but because they are ONE in Nature, agreement, a perfectly harmonious union. The same thought could be applied to a man and wife. Mark 10:6-8 "For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother, and the two shall become ONE flesh" consequently they are no longer two, but one flesh. Adam and eve had the same nature, but because one was the decision maker and the other was to be in perfect subjection, they were one flesh. And yet they (adam and eve) were both called "Man"(Gen.5:1) Hence, Christ is in submission to the Father and his will, he says that he came to do the will of the Father. Heres another good one, Isa.45:22,23 now read Phill.2:10. Jeremiah.23:6 says he shall be called "The LORD(Jehovah)our Righteousness" Well, nuff said, looking forward to more input on this topic. Oh, thanks Will Power for your welcome!

  • Will Power
    Will Power

    Too bad they had to "call" it something. But because of sects like Arians & JWs, they had to. Teaching people to do "obescience" :) to angels was definitely called heretic. Re: Arius.

  • DIM
    DIM

    hmmmmm....my thoughts on the trinity:

    don't know. don't care. don't wish to be dogmatic like the JW's. my holy trinity: my wife, music, and coffee. in that order.

  • Sangdigger
    Sangdigger

    Well spoken Mr.Will P. It is a shame that titles have to be given to distinguish good doctrine from corrupt. For everyone else, i didnt mean to be "preachy", i guess sometimes the ole JW nature comes out in me. But i want to stand on Scripture alone, and not someones contrived notion of truth registered now as organiztional policy.

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