The Lord Our God Is One!

 
 
 
 
 
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Jesus is the same always. Hebrews 13:8

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07/24/2009

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acts2and38

The Scriptures clearly indicate a belief in the worship of one true God alone. The belief in the existence of one God is called monotheism. Trinitarians claim they are monotheists. They insist they do not believe in three Gods/gods but in one God consisting of three persons. The doctrine of the Trinity is most simply described as "three persons in one God" or "one God in three persons," the belief in one distinct God subsisting as three distinct persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Trinitarian theologians often refer to each of these three distinct persons as a hypostasis. Each person hypostastis has the "same being" or "same substance" which is known by the technical term homoousia. Their God is three hypostases where each hypostasis has an identical ousia (being/substance). The term "Godhead" is also sometimes used to refer to this three person being. Another description they like to use is the term "Triune God" from "Tri" and "Unity." The word "Trinity" is actually derived from the word "tri" and "unity" and so Trinitarians use this word meaning "tri-unity" or "tri-oneness." The intent of this term is to denote the unity, or oneness, of divinity or substance of being between the three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Father is not the Son and the Father is not the Holy Spirit and the Son is not the Father and is not the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit is not the Father and not the Son. Yet, all are God and all are coeternal, co-equal, co-powerful. Trinitarians insist they are monotheistic and not henotheistic or polytheistic. They do not claim the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are three Gods/gods, but one God, nor do they say they believe in three Gods/gods in one God but simply one God. These three persons constitute the one God. Trinitarians will [usually] insist God is not simply one person because, to the contrary, God is not one person but three persons and then they would be bound to say God is three persons in one person which they do not wish to do. So they also sometimes like to say that God is indeed "one being" althought God is three "persons." A term they sometimes use is "tripersonal God" where God is one tripersonal being. As such, Trinitarians do not see themselves as polytheists, or more specifically, tritheists. Rather they see themselves as monotheists who believe in a multi-personal one being God. The doctrine of the Trinity is not explicitly taught in the Scriptures or the writings of the ante-Nicene church Fathers. Trinitarians believe their doctrine is inferred in the Scriptures and known through their process of reason from analyzing certain statements found in the Scriptures. The following illustrates the basic structure of their reasoning. Premise 1: The Bible teaches that there is only one God. Premise 2: The Bible teaches that there are three distinct persons called God, known as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Conclusion: The three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are the one God. It is the second premise which non-trinitarians contest. Non-trinitarians do not agree that the Bible identifies the Son as the one "God." Non-trinitarians do agree that the Holy Spirit is God because the Holy Spirit is the spirit of the one Holy God. In other words, non-Trinitarians do not agree that the Holy Spirit is a separate person distinct from God the Father. Non-trinitarians insist that God is one person, the Father, and Jesus is the son of that one God, the Father, and the Holy Spirit is the spirit of the one Holy God, the Father.

10 / 01 / 2009