Is the Trinity like 1/3+1/3+1/3=1?

[TheMatrixHasU71]

On 1/16/2018 at 4:37 PM, Aravis said:

Searching about the Trinity, I found very good explanations like the "one BEING that has 3 PERSONS" or the analogy of the cube as in C. S. Lewis book. But, if a cube is made of 6 sqaures, it means that, if one square is missing, we can no longer call that figure a cube, and, the square that is missing in this cube is not a cube anymore, it is just a square. Does that mean that, without one of these persons, God is not complete? Do those 3 persons depend on each other to become God like the squares depend on each other to become a cube? Would we say that the trinity is like 1/3 of God? Like 1/3+1/3+1/3=1? I know it doesn't fit in the definition of the Christian God. But what would be the answer for it? How does the trinity works in this sense?

1x1x1=1

[daughterofGrace]

I have been posting in a forum where there are a great many Jehovah's Witnesses who deny the Trinity and the deity of Jesus Christ.  They have a creative way of translating John 1:1, making Jesus "a god", but not God.  So it has been a great joy for me to read through all of these affirmations of our Triune God -- one God who exists in three persons.

I think it's difficult for us to imagine the Trinity because we really have nothing in creation to compare it to.   We try to find analogies, but they don't quite capture it fully.

Apologist William Lane Craig has a way of explaining it that he says has clarified it for some people.  He likens it to the three-headed dog, Cerberus, in Greco-Roman mythology.  It's one dog with three distinct consciousnesses.  See here:

https://www.reasonablefaith.org/podcasts/defenders-podcast-series-3/s3-doctrine-of-god-trinity/doctrine-of-god-trinity-part-9/

Lane does say that some people have found such a comparison offensive, however, and I can understand that.  As someone earlier in the thread wisely pointed out, it's not a real surprise that we can't fully comprehend the Trinity because God is, after all, God, and why should it surprise us that we can't quite get our finite minds around his infinite greatness.

 

Edited April 14, 2018 by daughterofGrace

[TheMatrixHasU71]

On 4/14/2018 at 8:02 PM, daughterofGrace said:

Apologist William Lane Craig has a way of explaining it that he says has clarified it for some people.  He likens it to the three-headed dog, Cerberus, in Greco-Roman mythology.  It's one dog with three distinct consciousnesses.  See here:

That is a  blasphemous interpretation of the Trinity for God is not one body with three heads. Three distinct persons with united as one in substance, heart, mind, consciousness, united like a family.

[Your closest friendnt]

On 1/19/2018 at 6:02 PM, HAZARD said:

 The word Trinity is not mentioned in Scripture one time in the entire Bible.

 

 

On 1/19/2018 at 6:02 PM, HAZARD said:

 

The Word Godhead is mentioned three times;

 

 Acts 17:29, Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device.

 

Just a friendly note: I made a search in Greek..

Acts 17:29, .....tou Theou......ton Theon.....to be similar to gold..... 

(In Greek is the exact same word) 

On 1/19/2018 at 6:02 PM, HAZARD said:

 

 

    Romans 1:20, For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

    Colossians 2:9, For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.

The word is "Theotis"

The Greeks as other nations had many Gods representing various ministries and 

And the apostle is telling them  that has the powers all to himself. 

(Just about not to run into some controvercy)

Within the meaning in the old, thow shall not have other Gods, everything you need look to me. 

In the New , everything you need look to Jesus. 

God gave verything he had to Jesus. 

All power and authority is given unto me. 

All the Theotis, within the meaning whatever God good do now Jesus can do. 

Jesus who has a body has all the Theotis to him self, to show that Honor Jesus and sitted him on the Throne, as supposed to some great Angel. 

We understand that he gave him the Holy spirit , that comes from the Father for his ministry.     ....

Now Jesus makes all the decissions , the Government is upon his shoulders. 

Isaiah 9: unto us a son will be born; his name will be the everlasting Father, is not referring to the Heavenly Father. 

If you understand Jonh one and why Phillip said to Jesus my Lord and my God, turning to Jesus and identified him as his Lord God, the CHRIST. 

The Emmanuel in Isaiah 9: 

On 1/19/2018 at 6:02 PM, HAZARD said:

God the Father, The Word, who was with God the Father, and was God,  who became flesh, John 1:1; 1:14, and the Holy Spirit are three separate beings who are "ONE" in unity in all things and not inside each other in one body as many are taught and believe.

Thank you 

[Guest Autrey1]

(Wrong.   Tri-theism is the view that the trinity is three separate gods, not three persons.   The mystery of the Trinity is that all three persons are one God, not three Gods.) 

I will say this as plain as I can.  Three separate persons or entities is not one person or entity.  To put it plainly, the person or the two other persons standing next to me is not me.  And never can be.  Any little child knows this.   And anyway, as the Bible plainly says, there is only one person or entity called God.

What we are dealing with is name recognition, and not the dividing of God into 2 or three separate parts.  That is, Jesus is the name by which God speaks to us.  The Father is the name by which God makes his decisions, and the Holy Spirit is the name by which God inspires us to believe in him.  It's three names for the same God.

It should be easy for us to understand this as people made in God's image.  Almost every person I know has more than one name.  And this does not make them more than one person.  That is to say, they do not have to split themselves into three parts to have three names. 

What I am saying is, in the 4 Gospels God speaks of himself as a Trinity, or in Trinitarian terms you might say.  That is, He speaks of himself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  Why God chose to reveal himself to us this way, I do not know.  But this is what he did.

Let me say it this way.  The key to understanding this mystery is to understand that much like we do, God talks among himself.  He has always done this (from eternity) and he always will.  In other words, there in conversation in God's mind between himself as the Father, himself as the Son, and himself as the Holy Spirit.

But as the Scriptures tell us, God always speaks to us as Jesus.  This is why Jesus is called Lord, meaning that he is the God who is above all other Gods.

Autrey1

[TrevorL]

Greetings,

I have read many of your confusing explanations of the Trinity, a doctrine that was nearly fully developed by the 3rd and 4th Centuries by the Apostate Church. I am not sure when the Athanasian Creed was first written, but it is a most confusing document written on this subject. The Bible and Apostolic teaching is that there is One God, the Father, known in the OT as Yahweh, and our Lord Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

Kind regards Trevor 

 

Edited April 18, 2018 by TrevorL

[daughterofGrace]

TheMatrixHasU71 wrote:

 

On ‎4‎/‎14‎/‎2018 at 7:02 PM, daughterofGrace said:

Apologist William Lane Craig has a way of explaining it that he says has clarified it for some people.  He likens it to the three-headed dog, Cerberus, in Greco-Roman mythology.  It's one dog with three distinct consciousnesses.  See here:

That is a  blasphemous interpretation of the Trinity for God is not one body with three heads. Three distinct persons with united as one in substance, heart, mind, consciousness, united like a family.

 

My response:

I apologize for offending you.  That wasn't my intention.  Nor, I'm sure, was it William Lane Craig's.  I think if you read the article in which he makes the analogy, you will find that he was only trying to help people grasp a complex being that is beyond our comprehension.  And that's the only reason I mentioned it as well.  Please accept my apology. 

Edited April 18, 2018 by daughterofGrace

[Waggles]

This is a copy and paste of a blog or thread reply by Noose from another Christian chat site 

worth a read and a bit of thinking about 

"ONE GOD

Muslims often attack Paul and Christianity for not adhering to the greatest commandment and basic truth which is ONE GOD.
But what does ONE really mean?
We have at least two meanings:

One as a unit of measure; this simply means 'single unit' and only applies to material things that have a form (definite size/shape/boundaries that we can behold)- boundaries that show clear separation from the next. We can say one orange/one car/one house but we can not say one air or one darkness not unless it is contained in a container that gives it definite shape.
Even the one used in measurement- one kilogram/one kilometer is only applicable because the measurement have boundaries that separate one measure from the next.
This kind of one, does not describe the True God.

One = alone: this kind of one describes God's attribute. Like He alone can save/ He alone is immortal/ He alone is all knowing.
We know God of the bible is immaterial (spirit) and no one has understood/seen His form- therefore the oneness of God as described in the bible is with regards to His attributes. The numbers game doesn't arise at all.

The Muslim god has claimed to be a single unit, this is how I know he's a false god/an idol, because if he is a single unit, then he is made of material and has a form (definite shape/size/boundaries), if he is material, then material was never created and hence the material universe was also not created.

How do I know he is a single unit rather than claiming to be alone? In several places he tells Muslims 'do not say three..', surely, the three in that statement means three units so they should stick to one unit.

Cheers." (Noose) 

[HAZARD]

1 John  5:7, For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. (In Unity)

1 John 5: 8, And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.

[Waggles]

Unfortunately 1John 5:7 is not genuine original God-given scripture, but rather a much later interpolation by someone unknown.