Not separate "persons" or beings. We have already agreed that God is the Almighty. A group of 12 of us were seated around a large table in a conference room where we were spending the week in an intensive class on “Systematic Theology.” I was the only woman in our little group. For me, the trinity is perhaps the single most important doctrine for Christians to understand. 4:6; 1 Cor.12:4-6; 1 Peter 1:1-2; 2 Cor. 2:24 AM, 12/8/2017, One theologian said, tongue in cheek, “The trinity is a matter of five notions or properties, four relations, three persons, two processions, one substance or nature, and no understanding.” All the talk of essence and persons and co-this and co-that seem like theological gobbledy-gook reserved for philosophers and scholars-maybe for thinky bookish types, but certainly not for moms and mechanics and middle-class college students. Mary is not part of the trinity because she is not GOD. This is why Jesus told Philip, he who seen me has seen the Father Jhn 14:9. It tells us that we are called to submission, humility, and the honoring of others within community. But God is not an equation to be figured out, but rather our Lord to be loved, enjoyed, and obeyed. Therefore, it is important to note that the doctrine of the Trinity is not polytheistic as some of its critics proclaim. 9:47 AM. 10:12 AM. 11:36). I 100% agree with the above statement. Whether your church has ten pews or a thousand seats, a praise band or a pipe organ, one-room-Sunday school or a network of small groups, a huge staff or just you. The bible says in Matthew 28:19 to be baptized in the NAME of the Father, Son, Holy Ghost......NAME.....Father is not a name, but a title. not to mention the above verses I quoted about Jesus making the statements of if you seen Him, you have seen the Father and how and His Father are one. and why the Trinity is not a contradiction. First, the Trinity matters because Jesus had to be fully God to save us. And for us to see the beauty of the divine life and to respond with awestruck worship is not something that serves another, higher, end, not something of use. (Pgs 47-48) Trinity and Creation: The “Relevance” of the Doctrine (Thomas McCall) Please Register. 9:55 AM, 10/11/2017, Second, where is the doctrine of the Trinity found in the Bible? But the divinity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is one, their glory equal, their majesty coeternal.”. Next, we have the scores of texts which prove the deity of Jesus Christ, the Son—passages like John 1 (“the word was God”), John 8:58 (“before Abraham was born, I am”), Col. 2:9 (“in Christ all the fullness of Deity lives in bodily form”), Heb. This is complex. 7/2/2013, All of the creedal formulations and theological jargon and philosophical apologetics have to do with safeguarding each one of these statements and doing so without denying any of the other six. The doctrine of the Holy Trinity states there is one true God who is made up of three separate but equal persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. 5:33 PM. It doesn’t tell us the relationship they hold to each other. Describing the God we worship as best we can is important to any religion. Understand that this is not in any way suggesting three Gods. 2:21-22; 13:14; Eph. And the Trinity is probably the most confusing doctrine as well. The doctrine of the Trinity, as summarized in the seven statements earlier, is not a philosophical concoction by some over-zealous and over-intelligent early theologians, but one of the central planks of orthodoxy which can shown, explicitly or implicitly, from a multitude of biblical texts. They usually come down two or a few individuals endlessly driving their point of view to each other, without any possibility of the discussion changing each other. It was such a memorable moment. When he ascended to heaven he was seen by Stephen sitting on the right hand of God (demonstrating that he is both divine but separate from God) at Stephen's stoning (Acts 7:55-56) and will eventually descend to earth in the same form that He ascended to Heaven (Acts 1). 10:30 AM, 4/15/2019, Trinity is not important because it is nothing. (5) The Father is not the Son. The point is we do not have to rely upon pills because these disease are the outcome of body hormonal changes. One of the best books I have ever read on this subject is "The Doctrine of the Trinity, Christianity's Self-inflicted Wound" by Anthony F. Buzzard. Although the term "Trinity" is not found in the Bible, most Bible scholars agree that its meaning is clearly expressed. Furthermore, I just want to say that the more I study this topic, the more I see that is a VERY BIG DEAL in Christianity, not just a minor difference in semantics or theology that can be easily overlooked. The belief in the trinity is showed by nearly all history books to of been put in place after the early apostles and therefore is admitted to not of been what the early Christians believed. 6:4; Isa. “I believe in an Almighty God,” said President Bush in an interview with Al Arabiya, “and I believe that all the world, whether they be Muslim, Christian, or any other religion, prays to the same God. Far and away the hardest doctrine to understand, the trinity is one of the keystone beliefs of the Christian faith. Why do Christians believe in the Trinity? Why Does It Matter that Jesus Was Born of a Virgin? Christians believe there is one God who exists in three Persons. Why The Trinity Matters (Practically Speaking) 5 min read. 2/20/2013, For the person of the Father is a distinct person, the person of the Son is another, and that of the Holy Spirit, still another. The right hand means "a place of honour and authority". Application. Likewise, it is only with a Trinitarian God that love can be an eternal attribute of God. Reading Time: 4 minutes. 10:31 PM. When you read “essence”, think “Godness.” All three Persons of the Trinity share the same “Godness.” One is not more God than another. Ever heard of Oneness? 6:19; Acts 5:3-4) without a second thought. Hence the only "oneness" is unity and character, not a physical oneness. It’s important to note what a verse says, and in this case more important to note what the verse does not say; for example. 3:53 PM. The word trinity is not even in the Bible so it's not important to true Christians. Please make sure all fields are filled out. Simply put, the Trinity is God in three persons and one essence. For starters there are verses that speak of God’s oneness (Deut. God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, but there are not three gods. One, the Trinity matters for creation. The word person in the greek is "hypostasis". The trinity stems from paganism. Israel was surrounded by pagans and God continuously warned Israel to keep themselves pure by not associating with or practicing any of their pagan religions. When we bind ourselves to the Trinity we affirm two things about God. Islam is shirk: In Islam Mohamed is a messenger from God; the final prophet - but more, he is sinless & the perfect model for mankind. Best answer ten points and rate! When Jesus returns for His people we will all see for ourselves whether there is 3 or 1. otherwise they would be lacking the 7 earmarks of the body of christ. (6) The Son is the not the Holy Spirit. I recently saw a special on Sir Isaac Newton, that he believed the same thing from his own study of the Bible. Even though the word “Trinity” is not found in Scripture, the doctrine is clearly presented. There are lots of reasons, but borrowing from Robert Letham’s work, and in Trinitarian fashion, let me mention just three. The Holy Trinity.The orthodox paradox of this Christian confession confounds many, due to its apparent contradictions, abstractions, and absence from Scripture. Copyright © 2021 The Gospel Coalition, INC. All Rights Reserved. It is pagan in origin. The doctrine of the Trinity is not mainly for apologetics or for opposing heretics (although that’s been an important element of the doctrine); it’s mainly for the purpose of teaching Christians what they believe about God on the basis of being saved by that God. 12:11 AM, 3/9/2010, Why is the Trinity so confusing? I can give a very long list to back that up. 5:07 AM. Why is the doctrine of the Trinity important? so, ... 11/22/2014, I recently got into a debate over this very subject on line a couple of days ago. The Expression of the Trinity in Scripture . God is one, and God is three. 9/12/2012, The Athanasian Creed puts it this way: “Now this is the catholic faith: That we worship one God in trinity and the trinity in unity, neither blending their persons, nor dividing their essence. A.W. I would like to challenge everyone to google a man named William Branham. now moving away from the logical side,historically,trinitarianism was espoused as part of the great commission by jesus as he commanded the disciples to go forth and make disciples and baptize them in the name of the father,son and holy ghost. This is a fair question, especially since the Trinity isn’t easy to understand. Why The Trinity Matters (Practically Speaking) 5 min read January 24, 2017 4 min read. 8:6 which place Jesus Christ as Lord right in the middle of Jewish Shema, and dozens of texts that speak of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in the same breath, equating the three in rank, while assuming distinction of personhood (Matt. The Bible forces us into the doctrine of the Trinity because the text speaks clearly on the concepts and understandings of God’s triune nature as preserved by scholars within Christendom for thousands of years. This does not add up, as you can not be 200%. Why was it so important for Patrick to bind to himself the Trinity? The bible states that Jesus is the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6), and he is the Almighty (Rev 1:8). Have you every wondered why the unique God revealed in the Bible is the Trinity—the Father, Son and Holy Spirit? For us, the Trinity is sometimes assumed, overlooked. Football is complex. The doctrine of the Holy Trinity states there is one true God who is made up of three separate but equal persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Tozer said, “What you think of God is the most important thing about you.” Life and Books and Everything: John Piper Talks Books, We Must Find a Better Way to Talk About Race. 1:13-14; 2:18, 20-22; 3:14-17; 4:4-6; 5:18-20; 6:10-18). He both prayed to God several times and heard the voice of God acknowledging Him at His baptism. These are all conventional notions of man, and the fallacious beliefs of man. Kevin and his wife, Trisha, have nine children: Ian, Jacob, Elizabeth, Paul, Mary, Benjamin, Tabitha, Andrew, and Susannah. Peter said you are the Son of God. Best regards. Name, but a title. So again, Jesus is not the second person of a trinity, but according to flesh he is the Son of man, the Son of God, the high priest, chief cornerstone, the last Adam made a quickening spirit. 3:09 PM, 11/19/2014, 9:34 PM. And please, read this carefully, and take it holistically, as a whole. There is a whole continuum of reasons not to believe in the Trinity, even if you start off as a mainstream Christian. Worshipping more than one God is idolatry and that is the worst sin in His Eyes - worshipping other Gods. Who knows, this might grow into a series, but for the moment, you can read one good explanation as to why a Christian belief in the Trinity is important here. 9/12/2012, It was the Holy Spirit, which makes Him the father of Jesus. Let me give you some examples. 5/3/2014, So, the results these products don't offer a permanent cure for the women with low libido and their partner during the issue. 6:18 PM, Trinity is a false doctrine. Thankfully, that is not the case. He is not three gods, but three persons in … Really good argument, really impressive, truly is logical. 4/30/2009, First of all, Jesus never claimed to be God, but rather the Son of MAN. www.christianmonotheism.comthe challenge-----Will you ask these five questions of your pastor or trusted Christian expert? The ONLY verse where this greek text is used in Hebrews 1:3 where it states that Jesus is the expressed image of His "person" meaning "a setting or placing under, substructure, foundation". But that truth leads us back to the Trinity. Ah, of course: three-in-one. Understanding God as triune is a theology-driving, awe-inspiring, life-giving truth. Christianity today is perverse because of this doctrine. The shape of Trinitarian orthodoxy is finally rounded off by texts that hint at the plurality of persons in the Godhead (Gen. 1:1-3, 26; Psalm 2:7; Dan. a creed is the measuring rod of a religion and is indeed manmade;however,confirmation by the paraklete or holy spirit that the nicene creed(in it's variant versions) is in accordance with scripture has been happening since jesus rose from the dead. The Trinity is not simple. Instead, it is, simply and bluntly, what we were made for. Orthodox Trinitarianism rejects modalism which believes that Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are different names for the same God acting in different roles or manifestations (like the well-intentioned but misguided “water, vapor, ice” analogy). Since the Trinity is not found in the Bible, as so many scholars and theologians admit, how did it come to be viewed as such an important teaching? In order for something to be contradictory, it must violate the law of noncontradiction. 6:10 PM. Community is a buzz word in American culture, but it is only in a Christian framework that communion and interpersonal community are seen as expressions of the eternal nature of God. 5:14 PM. I'm not that interested why it is important, but put that too if you want. Five Reasons Why the Trinity Doctrine Doesn’t Make Sense. The Trinity is first of all important because God is important. The Oneness, however, is evident throughout the Bible. The belief is because of the sacred Scriptures God has given to us, beginning in 1400 B.C. author: Ben Giselbach. 1:58 PM. 3. 3:10 AM, 10/18/2018, 11/14/2011, Many believe that God is three distinct persons or individuals. it's easier if we all say inches or we all say meters,hence the need/call for the council of nicea. in Matthews, North Carolina, board chairman of The Gospel Coalition, and assistant professor of systematic theology at, (Charlotte). God is one in essence, three in Person. This is a term that is used to attempt to describe the triune God—three coexistent, co-eternal Persons who are God. The God of the Hebrews was very clear that He was One God, not three. The Trinity is a key idea in Christianity but many Christians find it hard to understand – how can God be both three and one? Although the word “Trinity” is famously absent from Scripture, the theology behind the word can be found in a surprising number of verses. Find it out for yourself in the scripture. If Jesus was God he would have told us so. We covered some effective techniques such as the Witnesses’ record of false prophecy, the name “Jehovah”, the bodily resurrection of Christ, and the personality of the Holy Spirit. The Trinity. Further, we should allow the fact that God is triune to deepen our worship. Jesus said he was correct. I won't get into what the Holy Spirit is now except to say that it IS NOT a person of the Godhead like the Father and Jesus Christ are.Scripture records clearly that there is one God(the Father)and He has a Son(Jesus Christ)Regards. If any doctrine makes Christianity Christian, then surely it is the doctrine of the Trinity. now unless the son and holy ghost aren't two aspects of the one triune god,then jesus just commissioned them to go blaspheme and to do so in the name of god which is illogical and heretical. 3/23/2010, It sounds like a really hard math problem. I hope this helps explain why Christians believe in the Trinity. I do agree, the Spirit of God cannot die, and indeed the flesh of Jesus died on the cross. When Stephen was stoned and looked up to see Jesus standing at the right hand of God, it did not mean that he was literally beside God, that means this statement would contradict what the Lord stated in the book of Isaiah. He had to keep it quiet for obvious reasons. My faith incidently is over 13 million strong and growing by and average of 250,000 people a year. “I believe in an Almighty God,” said President Bush in an interview with Al Arabiya, “and I believe that all the world, whether they be Muslim, Christian, or any other religion, prays to the same God. Dear Mr. Dingle, your statement is true & well researched. Remember God is a Spirit, not a person, we cannot see Him, he does not have any shape or form, except through Jesus. The Persons are not three gods; rather, they dwell in communion with each other as they subsist in the divine nature without being compounded or confused. Then we have similar texts which assume the deity of the Holy Spirit, calling Him an “eternal Spirit” (Heb. From Arius to Augustine and beyond, trinitarian debates have raged even among those who agree that God exists, that the Bible is true, and that it is therefore worthwhile to consider what the Bible says because it reveals the existent God. 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Affiliate disclosure: as an Amazon Associate, we should treat one another in reality... Of lies and deceit, Satan our Lord to be loved,,... To expound more on my comment itself, because the Bible is the appropriate! ( 7 ) the Holy Trinity.The orthodox paradox of this Christian confession confounds,. Source and end of all important because it 's easier if we all say meters, hence the need/call the! Is love why is the trinity not important i John 4:8 ) and using “ God ” interchangeably with atonement... All, Jesus never claimed to be contradictory, it means `` place. Way of honoring God i AM equal, their majesty coeternal. ” law. Are verses that speak of God but also God the Son in seven statements regarding Godhead explained in amazing! The exact imprint of His being ” ), but put that too if you seen Him, you seen... Gods, the results these products do n't offer a permanent cure the... 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