What is the biblical Trinity? The biblical Trinity is often misunderstood, and often misrepresented by anti-trinitarians. Many who attack the biblical Trinity do so with strawman arguments and very poor reasoning. They either don't use the bible, or they selectively cherry pick bible verses from the bible out of context. For those who are honestly seeking the truth of the trinity I will post some basic information here and invite further discussion when you are ready.
The biblical trinity is the understanding that there is one God. This one God is eternally present in three persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. These persons are equal in nature (all equally God), distinct in person, and subservient in duty.
The biblical Trinity, teaches that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are each God by nature, yet they are each distinct in person. It is a basic strawman to imply monotheism opposes the Trinity because the foundation of the Trinity is ontological monotheism.
Some people deny the trinity just because they do not understand it, but that is a very poor reason to reject it. If lack of understanding means that it is not true, then many things in our lives must not be true. Many people do not understand gravity, or weather, or physics. Does that make them false? No.
Before we look at the 3 distinct persons of the trinity in the bible, we must define some terms and ideas. The first two terms are NATURE, and PERSONS.
Understanding these 2 terms is where most anti trinitarians get the trinity wrong. If you can understand what trinitarians mean by these 2 terms then the trinity will begin to make more sense.
NATURE - Nature answers the question of WHAT ONE IS?
PERSONS - Persons answers the question, of WHO ONE IS?
Every being, has a nature. Animals, have a nature. Humans, have a nature. Angels, have a nature. God, has a nature. By our nature, we are what we are. Therefore, it follows that by our nature, we do what we do. So to begin to understand anything about any being, we must ask of that being, what is the nature of that being? When talking about God we must ask WHAT God is and WHAT are the qualities/attributes of God?
Every being acts according to what it is. So Nature, is to be seen not only as what one is, but also as the source of what one can do. I will address the nature of God, that He has revealed to us, in future posts.
Now, we move onto the term, PERSONS.
Here is a good starting definition of the term "persons".
"Persons" is a unique entity, that has the following characteristics... Desires, emotions, a mind, an intellect, a will, volition, can love, can be loved, can speak, can be spoken to, can witness, and has a name.
Many anti Trinitarians interpret the word “persons” incorrectly. They have a problem with understanding the difference between nature and persons.
They hear the word “persons” and they limit the word to only one meaning. They think of a human person, which is a fallacy of equivocation (i.e., equivocating terms that have multiple meanings).
When Trinitarians use the word "persons", we are distinguishing between who is who, in personality.
For example, we know that in the bible Moses and Peter, were not only persons, but different persons, yet nowhere in the bible does it specifically say they are persons.
When we read of angels such as Michael or Gabriel, we know they are individual persons, just as we know that satan, who is a spirit, is a person. We know this because they have personalities. Yet the Bible never says they are persons. The term "persons", should not be restricted to human beings only, since angels and the devil, are persons by this definition also.
If we were to apply this to ourselves, we see a distinction between persons and nature. We find that there are many things, that we can do. We can laugh, and cry, and walk, and talk, and sleep, and think, and love. All these, and other things, we can do, because as a human being, we have a nature which makes them possible.
Other things that exist are not persons and can not do all of these. A rock or a stone or a tree, can not do any of these. So. "nature" is what one is, and "persons", is who one is. "Nature", describes, what we are and "Persons", describes, who we are. Nature, is the source of our operations and persons is the one doing them.
Two more terms that need to be define that will help us understand the biblical Trinity. These are, ONTOLOGY and ECONOMY.
Ontology, is discussing the existence or nature of God.
Economy, is discussing the roles of God.
Ontologically speaking, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are the same. Economically speaking, they are distinct. When I say ontologically, I mean we are focusing on WHAT IS THE NATURE OF GOD. When I say economically, I mean we are focusing on WHAT GOD DOES.
In the ontological Trinity each person of the trinity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, is equal in nature and attributes. According to the bible, each one of these three persons share the same abilities, power, wisdom, strength, importance, and glory, as the other.
In the economic Trinity, each person has a different focus or role. The economic trinity, focuses on each individual person of the trinity, and their role in the creation, salvation, and sanctification process. So, while the ontological trinity, focuses on God's nature, the economic trinity, focuses on God's roles or what God does.
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Post #26
The Biblical Trinity
What is the biblical Trinity? The biblical Trinity is often misunderstood, and often misrepresented by anti-trinitarians. Many who attack the biblical Trinity do so with strawman arguments and very poor reasoning. They either don't use the bible, or they selectively cherry pick bible verses from the bible out of context. For those who are honestly seeking the truth of the trinity I will post some basic information here and invite further discussion when you are ready.
The biblical trinity is the understanding that there is one God. This one God is eternally present in three persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. These persons are equal in nature (all equally God), distinct in person, and subservient in duty.
The biblical Trinity, teaches that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are each God by nature, yet they are each distinct in person. It is a basic strawman to imply monotheism opposes the Trinity because the foundation of the Trinity is ontological monotheism.
Some people deny the trinity just because they do not understand it, but that is a very poor reason to reject it. If lack of understanding means that it is not true, then many things in our lives must not be true. Many people do not understand gravity, or weather, or physics. Does that make them false? No.
Before we look at the 3 distinct persons of the trinity in the bible, we must define some terms and ideas. The first two terms are NATURE, and PERSONS.
Understanding these 2 terms is where most anti trinitarians get the trinity wrong. If you can understand what trinitarians mean by these 2 terms then the trinity will begin to make more sense.
NATURE - Nature answers the question of WHAT ONE IS?
PERSONS - Persons answers the question, of WHO ONE IS?
Every being, has a nature. Animals, have a nature. Humans, have a nature. Angels, have a nature. God, has a nature. By our nature, we are what we are. Therefore, it follows that by our nature, we do what we do. So to begin to understand anything about any being, we must ask of that being, what is the nature of that being? When talking about God we must ask WHAT God is and WHAT are the qualities/attributes of God?
Every being acts according to what it is. So Nature, is to be seen not only as what one is, but also as the source of what one can do. I will address the nature of God, that He has revealed to us, in future posts.
Now, we move onto the term, PERSONS.
Here is a good starting definition of the term "persons".
"Persons" is a unique entity, that has the following characteristics... Desires, emotions, a mind, an intellect, a will, volition, can love, can be loved, can speak, can be spoken to, can witness, and has a name.
Many anti Trinitarians interpret the word “persons” incorrectly. They have a problem with understanding the difference between nature and persons.
They hear the word “persons” and they limit the word to only one meaning. They think of a human person, which is a fallacy of equivocation (i.e., equivocating terms that have multiple meanings).
When Trinitarians use the word "persons", we are distinguishing between who is who, in personality.
For example, we know that in the bible Moses and Peter, were not only persons, but different persons, yet nowhere in the bible does it specifically say they are persons.
When we read of angels such as Michael or Gabriel, we know they are individual persons, just as we know that satan, who is a spirit, is a person. We know this because they have personalities. Yet the Bible never says they are persons. The term "persons", should not be restricted to human beings only, since angels and the devil, are persons by this definition also.
If we were to apply this to ourselves, we see a distinction between persons and nature. We find that there are many things, that we can do. We can laugh, and cry, and walk, and talk, and sleep, and think, and love. All these, and other things, we can do, because as a human being, we have a nature which makes them possible.
Other things that exist are not persons and can not do all of these. A rock or a stone or a tree, can not do any of these. So. "nature" is what one is, and "persons", is who one is. "Nature", describes, what we are and "Persons", describes, who we are. Nature, is the source of our operations and persons is the one doing them.
Two more terms that need to be define that will help us understand the biblical Trinity. These are, ONTOLOGY and ECONOMY.
Ontology, is discussing the existence or nature of God.
Economy, is discussing the roles of God.
Ontologically speaking, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are the same. Economically speaking, they are distinct. When I say ontologically, I mean we are focusing on WHAT IS THE NATURE OF GOD. When I say economically, I mean we are focusing on WHAT GOD DOES.
In the ontological Trinity each person of the trinity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, is equal in nature and attributes. According to the bible, each one of these three persons share the same abilities, power, wisdom, strength, importance, and glory, as the other.
In the economic Trinity, each person has a different focus or role. The economic trinity, focuses on each individual person of the trinity, and their role in the creation, salvation, and sanctification process. So, while the ontological trinity, focuses on God's nature, the economic trinity, focuses on God's roles or what God does.
1 year ago (edited) | [YT] | 2