why is the concept of holy trinity confusing

Under the influence of subsequent Neoplatonic philosophy, this tradition became central in speculative theology. She became known as the protector of the living and the most powerful healer among the gods. Neither should we think of the Persons as being defined by attributes added on to the being of God. Every term in this statement (God, exists, as or in, equally divine, Person) has been variously understood. The Trinity Is Confusing to Understand, But Simple to Define. Likewise, after the Son returned to the Father (John 16:10), the Father and the Son sent the Holy Spirit into the world (John 14:26; Acts 2:33). A Guidebook for Every Phase of Christian Singleness. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. In transferring the Neoplatonic hypostases doctrine to the Christian interpretation of the Trinity there existed the danger that the different manifestations of Godas known by the Christian experience of faith: Father, Son, Holy Spiritwould be transformed into a hierarchy of gods graduated among themselves and thus into a polytheism. If each Person of the Trinity is distinct and yet fully God, then should we conclude that there is more than one God? Therefore, the Holy Spirit must be distinct from the Father and the Son. document.getElementById( "ak_js_3" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); JSTOR Daily provides context for current events using scholarship found in JSTOR, a digital library of academic journals, books, and other material. An alternative solution was to interpret Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as three modes of the self-disclosure of the one God but not as distinct within the being of God itself. What can their hairstyles tell us about their lives? Live in another country building relationships and ministries with eternal impact. Grace is the promise that you stand forgiven before God if you know Jesus. These personal distinctions are modes of existence within the divine being, but are not divisions of the divine being. The concept of the Trinity is often referred to during worship, which helps Christians to understand it. His transcendence is seen in his eternal qualities, showing that he is above and outside of our earthly understanding of time and space (Psalm 102:12). In this paper, I consider the philosophical consequences of one tradition in Trinitarian theology, which emphasizes that each of the persons of the Trinity is wholly God. , arn from other While the three members of the Trinity are distinct, this does not mean that any is inferior to the other. Equipping families with practical approaches to parenting and marriage. Artists clearly borrowed images of Aset and Heru to create images of the holy Christian mother and child. Learn Religions. why is the concept of Holy Trinity confusing for some Christians and Registered in England and Wales 5090917, Christian Today, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN, Justin Welby: How to demonstrate the love of the Trinity, Myth-busting: What you need to know about St Patrick, Is the Bible funny? The Trinity Explained in 8 Steps - Binmin Stated differently, God is one in essence and three in person. Type in your email address and a copy will be sent right to your inbox. Why Jesus used parable story in answering the question of the Pharisees rather than to be in direct answer?, write a short journal expressing your beliefs about religion. By clicking Accept All Cookies, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. either it is implicitly taught there, or it is the best explanation of what is taught there) using three sorts of arguments. Kelli Mahoney is a Christian youth worker and writer. Christianity is a monotheistic religion, which means that its adherents only acknowledge one deity. 10. Reflecting Jesus together for the good of the city. The relationship between essence and Person, then, is as follows. The trinity is not provable by the Bible which confuses Christians and non-Christians. While God has certainly made himself known, approachable in Christ, and comprehensible to some degree, the Bible does not claim man will be able to understand him fully and wholly. (NIV). St. Augustine, one of the most important Fathers of the Church, wrote a great deal on the doctrine of the Trinity. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Osiris flanked by Horus on the left and Isis on the right. Another serious error people have made is to think that the Father became the Son, who then became the Holy Spirit. Understanding the Trinity: How Can God Be Three Persons in One? The divine essence is thus not something that exists above or separate from the three Persons, but the divine essence is the being of the three Persons. Initially, both the requirements of monotheism inherited from the Hebrew Scriptures and the implications of the need to interpret the biblical teaching to Greco-Roman religions seemed to demand that the divine in Christ as the Word, or Logos, be interpreted as subordinate to the Supreme Being. We need to just remember that He is our God. Theologian R.C. Essence means the same thing as being. Thus, since God is only one essence, He is only one being, not three. I remember my teacher desperately trying to explain the concept of one God but three persons using an alarming range of elaborate analogies that left an already largely apathetic class more bemused than ever. Each of the persons is distinct from the other in relation (Economic Trinity), yet each is identical in essence (Ontological Trinity). This question was answered through the Neoplatonic metaphysics of being. He communicates to most of them in form of Light and a pure white dove, which is the symbol of the Holy Spirit. Why is the concept of Trinity controversial and confusing It is crucial for properly understanding what God is like, how He relates to us, and how we should relate to Him. 3. What can you le The relation of the early church to late Judaism, The relation of the early church to the career and intentions of Jesus, The contemporary social, religious, and intellectual world, The internal development of the early Christian church, Relations between Christianity and the Roman government and the Hellenistic culture, The early liturgy, the calendar, and the arts, Theological controversies of the 4th and 5th centuries, Political relations between East and West, The Photian schism and the great East-West schism, Christianity from the 16th to the 21st century, Scripture and tradition: the apostolic witness, Evangelism: the first teaching about the God of Jesus Christ, Catechesis: instructing candidates for baptism, Aversion of heresy: the establishment of orthodoxy, Restatement: respecting language and knowledge, Inculturation: respecting places and peoples, Development: the maturation of understanding, Schism: division over substantial matters, Characteristic features of the Christian concept of God, The belief in the oneness of the Father and the Son, Different interpretations of the person of Jesus, The doctrine of the Virgin Mary and holy Wisdom, Conflict between order and charismatic freedom, The basis for the doctrine of the Trinity, The new man: The human being in the light of Christ, New liturgical forms and antiliturgical attitudes, Veneration of places, objects, and people, Expectations of the kingdom of God in early Christianity, Expectations of the kingdom of God in the medieval and Reformation periods, Expectations of the kingdom of God in the post-Reformation period, The role of imminent expectation in missions and emigrations, Eschatological expectations and secularization, History of the interactions of philosophy and theology, Arguments from religious experience and miracles, Characteristics of Christian myth and legend, Messianic secrets and the mysteries of salvation, The church and the Byzantine, or Eastern, Empire, Church and state in Eastern and Western theology, Intellectualism versus anti-intellectualism, The tendency to spiritualize and individualize marriage, Missions to South East Asia and the Pacific, Ecumenism since the start of the 20th century. Abstract. The doctrine of the Trinity has historically been described with seven biblical statements found through a systematic approach of studying the whole of Scripture: God is one, the Father is God, the Son is God, the Holy Spirit is God, the Father is not the Son, the Son is not the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit is not the Father.

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