Is Christianity monotheistic or polytheistic?

[syo]

Waste of time. I suggest search other religions.

 

[Kenny]

I'm sure threads on this topic has been made before, but...

Is Christianity monotheistic or polytheistic?

Genesis 1:26

My former Baptist pastor would say this verse was evidence of the Trinity.

As a Christian, it was hard to wrap my ahead around God being 3 in 1. I never thought to hard on it we a youngster.

Is Christianity polytheistic? Let's see.

They worship Jehovah.
They worship Jesus.
Do they worship the Holy Spirit as well? I'm not sure.

Jesus is the son of god. There is a separation between the father and the son, right?

Saying Jesus is the same as his father reminds me of Advaita Vedanta. We are all one with Brahman in this theology. Is it something similar?

I'm curious what everyone thinks, not just Christians.

The best way I could explain it is the makeup of man which was made in His image and in His likeness.

We are a spirit, we have a soul and we live in our body.

We aren't a poly-person but rather three that are of a different substance and different purpose but yet still one. Your body will leave one day but your spirit and soul continue on but your body was still you.

Some us a more simplistic analogy of something like an egg. A shell, white and yolk. Different yet one egg. You can throw out the shell and yolk and eat the white and make an egg-white omelette, but it is still an omelette. (Weak analogy as compared to the first but hopefully helps)

 

[URAVIP2ME]

Obviously if God was talking to the angels in Genesis 1:26, the angels did i n some manner assist in creation. You will find this traditional understanding in the older generation. For example, JRR Tolkien based his myth about the creation of middle earth by the Valar on the idea that angels assisted in creation. proverbs 8 says absolutely nothing about Jesus.

Proverbs 8:22 is in reference to pre-human heavenly Jesus.

 

[URAVIP2ME]

..............We aren't a poly-person but rather three that are of a different substance and different purpose but yet still one. Your body will leave one day but your spirit and soul continue on but your body was still you.
Some us a more simplistic analogy of something like an egg. A shell, white and yolk. Different yet one egg. You can throw out the shell and yolk and eat the white and make an egg-white omelette, but it is still an omelette. (Weak analogy as compared to the first but hopefully helps)

Last time I looked the egg had four (4) parts: shell, yoke, white and the membrane.

I wonder how the soul continues on, since the soul that sins dies - Ezekiel 18:4,20
Even Jesus taught to be in fear of him who can kill the soul ( a dead soul is a mortal soul ) Matthew 10:28 B.
Where is dead sinner Adam ? - Genesis 3:19
ALL of Adam went from non-life, to life, and 'returned' back to non-life.
No post-mortem penalty for Adam. No double jeopardy for Adam, so none for anyone else.
Also. one's spirit is a neuter "it" according to Ecclesiastes 12:7 B (it)

 

[Kenny]

Last time I looked the egg had four (4) parts: shell, yoke, white and the membrane.

I wonder how the soul continues on, since the soul that sins dies - Ezekiel 18:4,20
Even Jesus taught to be in fear of him who can kill the soul ( a dead soul is a mortal soul ) Matthew 10:28 B.
Where is dead sinner Adam ? - Genesis 3:19
ALL of Adam went from non-life, to life, and 'returned' back to non-life.
No post-mortem penalty for Adam. No double jeopardy for Adam, so none for anyone else.
Also. one's spirit is a neuter "it" according to Ecclesiastes 12:7 B (it)

I believe he was talking about physically and separation from God - so I wouldn't agree with a soul that dies especially since there are a multitude of scriptures that speak of it differently

 

[IndigoChild5559]

Proverbs 8:22 is in reference to pre-human heavenly Jesus.

It's not, but I'm sure I will be unable to convince you.

 

[URAVIP2ME]

I believe he was talking about physically and separation from God - so I wouldn't agree with a soul that dies especially since there are a multitude of scriptures that speak of it differently

Sounds as if you are trying to say the Bible contradicts itself.
I take what Jesus said as literal at Matthew 10:28 that the soul can be destroyed.
Since the wicked are ' destroyed forever ' ( Psalms 37:38; Psalms 92:7; Psalms 104:35 ) to me all of a wicked person is destroyed. Even their name is blotted out of God's Book.
2 Peter 3:9 gives the choice: repent or perish (perish means be destroyed) can't get more separated than that.

 

[URAVIP2ME]

It's not, but I'm sure I will be unable to convince you.

because _______________________

 

[URAVIP2ME]

The best way I could explain it is the makeup of man which was made in His image and in His likeness.
We are a spirit, we have a soul and we live in our body......................

God is a Spirit person and God sends forth His spirit to create - Psalms 104:30
God's spirit is Not a person inside of God but a neuter "it" as per Numbers 11:17,25
Adam did Not have a soul rather all of Adam was a soul - Genesis 2:7
At death sinner Adam became a dead soul and that is why Ezekiel 18:4,20 can say the soul that sins dies.
Man is in God's image and likeness in that man can display God's attributes, His qualities.
Such as: Love, Justice, Wisdom and Mercy
As a mirror reflects an image but is Not the actual image but the likeness. We can reflect the likeness of God's qualities.

 

[Kenny]

Sounds as if you are trying to say the Bible contradicts itself.
I take what Jesus said as literal at Matthew 10:28 that the soul can be destroyed.
Since the wicked are ' destroyed forever ' ( Psalms 37:38; Psalms 92:7; Psalms 104:35 ) to me all of a wicked person is destroyed. Even their name is blotted out of God's Book.
2 Peter 3:9 gives the choice: repent or perish (perish means be destroyed) can't get more separated than that.

No, the Bible doesn't contradict. The word "heart" in scriptures can mean spirit, in can mean soul and it can mean both depending on context. Likewise, in the Greek, there are words that have different meaning such as wife and woman - same word but all depending on context.

Of course, I could be wrong.

Another example is the word die as in "if you eat the fruit you will die". But that word is plural and not singular. Likewise there are more than one application for "destroy".

The word "destroy" is
Definition

1. to destroy
   1. to put out of the way entirely, abolish, put an end to ruin
   2. render useless
   3. to kill
   4. to declare that one must be put to death
   5. metaph. to devote or give over to eternal misery in hell
   6. to perish, to be lost, ruined, destroyed
2. to destroy
   1. to lose
   
   Notice 1:5&6. Not necessarily "destroyed" as you defined it.

 

[Kenny]

God is a Spirit person and God sends forth His spirit to create - Psalms 104:30
God's spirit is Not a person inside of God but a neuter "it" as per Numbers 11:17,25
Adam did Not have a soul rather all of Adam was a soul - Genesis 2:7
At death sinner Adam became a dead soul and that is why Ezekiel 18:4,20 can say the soul that sins dies.
Man is in God's image and likeness in that man can display God's attributes, His qualities.
Such as: Love, Justice, Wisdom and Mercy
As a mirror reflects an image but is Not the actual image but the likeness. We can reflect the likeness of God's qualities.

Perhaps we are fine-tuning words.

If you want to be exact, I would say man is a spirit, is a soul and is a body. Three parts one person.

To say God's Spirit is not the person of God is to forget simple statements by Jesus who expressed the perfect will of God.

John 14:26
But the Helper, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in My name, He will teachyou all things, and remind you of all that I said to you.

"He" is not neuter.

Yes, Adam soul was separated from God - in essence a "dead" soul because it lacked the life of God.

 

[URAVIP2ME]

..............The word "destroy" is Definition

1. to destroy
   1. to put out of the way entirely, abolish, put an end to ruin
   2. render useless
   3. to kill
   4. to declare that one must be put to death
   5. metaph. to devote or give over to eternal misery in hell
   6. to perish, to be lost, ruined, destroyed
2. to destroy
   1. to lose
   
   Notice 1:5&6. Not necessarily "destroyed" as you defined it.

Oh please, how can there be eternal misery in biblical hell when the Bible's hell ends up empty __________
After everyone in biblical hell is 'delivered up' (KJV) meaning: resurrected out of hell, and then, emptied-out hell ends up in that symbolic ' second death ' for vacated biblical hell - Revelation 20:13-14

Not I, but destroyed as recorded at Psalms 37:38; Psalms 92:7; Psalms 104:35; Proverbs 2:21-22.
The everlasting punishment found at 2 Thessalonians 1:9 is the destruction of un-godly people - 2 Peter 3:7.
When Jesus returns the ' sword-like executional words from Jesus' mouth ' will get rid of the wicked.
- Isaiah 11:3-4; Revelation 19:14-15

Even sinner Satan will be destroyed by Jesus - Hebrews 2:14 B.
Sinner Satan will Not live to see everlasting life - John 3:36; 1 John 5:12
Sinner Satan ends up in ' second death ' - Revelation 21:8
No resurrection from ' second death ' - Jeremiah 51:39,57

 

[URAVIP2ME]

...........If you want to be exact, I would say man is a spirit, is a soul and is a body. Three parts one person.
To say God's Spirit is not the person of God is to forget simple statements by Jesus who expressed the perfect will of God. John 14:26
But the Helper, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and remind you of all that I said to you. "He" is not neuter................

Yes, in English he/she is Not neuter but in Greek grammar rules he and she can be used for a neuter 'it'.
Please notice at both Numbers 11:17, 25 that God's spirit is a neuter "it".
Even in English we speak of a car or a ship as a 'she' but we know they are neuter 'its' and remain that way.
Sure, God is a Spirit Person, but God's spirit (small letter 's') at Psalms 104:30 KJV is Not a person.
God's poured out, Not Himself, but poured out His spirit at Pentecost.

Moving along to John 16:13 we find God's spirit as the ' spirit of truth ' and we know truth is Not a person.-1 John 2:27

ALL of man Adam was a living soul, a living person - Genesis 27
When Adam died all of Adam died. No post-mortem life for Adam. Dead Adam, so to speak, bit the dust - Gen. 3:19.
Like Adam our spirit is a neuter 'it' when you read Ecclesiastes 12:7 B.

 

[Truthseeker]

I'm sure threads on this topic has been made before, but...

Is Christianity monotheistic or polytheistic?

Genesis 1:26

My former Baptist pastor would say this verse was evidence of the Trinity.

As a Christian, it was hard to wrap my ahead around God being 3 in 1. I never thought to hard on it we a youngster.

Is Christianity polytheistic? Let's see.

They worship Jehovah.
They worship Jesus.
Do they worship the Holy Spirit as well? I'm not sure.

Jesus is the son of god. There is a separation between the father and the son, right?

Saying Jesus is the same as his father reminds me of Advaita Vedanta. We are all one with Brahman in this theology. Is it something similar?

I'm curious what everyone thinks, not just Christians.

Christianity is montheistic as I understand what Jesus said. I understand others understand this differently, but in the scheme of things I don't consider this important. What is important is that the teachings of Christ are followed.

 

[Truthseeker]

I think christianity is monotheism but not strict monotheism. It is not correct to say christians is polytheists

In the offical trinity doctrine the three persons in God has same essence. The essence is the divine substance that binds them together as one God. Because of this the three persons in God can never split apart from each other. They are always togheter as one and they work always as one. And remember the three persons in God is also one in purpose and will.

Good answer. I don't think anyone should fight over this. What is important is that the teachings of Christ are followed.