What Im telling you is this. The only reason you even know who Paul is is because the Romans who obviously controlled the media and what went into the scrolls gathered lifted up his gospel over Barnnabas'. His views were more agreeable as he spoke on the trinity which is polytheism. So even if Paul rebuked them and their gods it was in their best interest to lift him up.
-
Welcome to Religious Forums, a friendly forum to discuss all religions in a friendly surrounding.
Your voice is missing! You will need to register to get access to the following site features:- Reply to discussions and create your own threads.
- Our modern chat room. No add-ons or extensions required, just login and start chatting!
- Access to private conversations with other members.
We hope to see you as a part of our community soon!
Is Trinity in the Bible?
- Thread starter Yasin
- Start date
McBell
Unbound
Is the trinity polytheism or henotheism?
From the way that Christians describe (or try to explain) it, I would say it is more henotheism than polytheism.
But either way you slice it, it is not monotheism.
Katzpur
Not your average Mormon
Whenever a fellow Christian tells me that Mormonism is polytheistic, I always remind him that Muslims would say the same thing about Christianity in general. I think henotheism is a much for accurate term than either polytheism or monotheism for all Christians, including Mormons.
Francine
Well-Known Member
Perhaps you mean henotheism, which is the acceptance of one's own god while acknowledging the reality of other gods. There is evidence that the pre-exile Jews were henotheists.
Katzpur
Not your average Mormon
Oops, typo. Thanks.
Dirty Penguin
Master Of Ceremony
Can you give me the chapter and verse please?
While you are getting that info can you explain this one?
John 6:38
For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.
McBell
Unbound
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Henotheism
belief in many deities of which only one is the supreme deity.
This may involve: [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]-[/FONT] [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]One chief God and multiple gods and goddesses of lesser power and importance. Ancient Greek and Roman religions were of this type.
[/FONT] [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]-[/FONT] [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]One supreme God, and multiple gods and goddesses who are all simply manifestations or aspects of the supreme God. Hinduism is one example; they recognize Brahman as the single deity. Some Wiccans believe in a single deity about which they know little. They call the deity "The One" or "The All." They recognize the God and Goddess as the male and female aspects of that supreme deity.
[/FONT] [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]-[/FONT] [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]One supreme God who rules over a country, and many other gods and goddesses who have similar jurisdiction over other territories. Liberal theologians believe that the ancient Israelites were henotheists; they worshipped Jehovah as the supreme God over Israel, but recognized the existence of Baal and other deities who ruled over other tribes.[/FONT]
[/FONT] [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]-[/FONT] [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]One supreme God, and multiple gods and goddesses who are all simply manifestations or aspects of the supreme God. Hinduism is one example; they recognize Brahman as the single deity. Some Wiccans believe in a single deity about which they know little. They call the deity "The One" or "The All." They recognize the God and Goddess as the male and female aspects of that supreme deity.
[/FONT] [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]-[/FONT] [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]One supreme God who rules over a country, and many other gods and goddesses who have similar jurisdiction over other territories. Liberal theologians believe that the ancient Israelites were henotheists; they worshipped Jehovah as the supreme God over Israel, but recognized the existence of Baal and other deities who ruled over other tribes.[/FONT]
Muffled
Jesus in me
Mat 28:19!
Do you eat carp for breakfast lunch and dinner?
In reference to the Trinity, Jesus is God having come down from Heaven into a human body. The Father is sending Himself down to be Jesus. Jesus has no separate will from the Father other than the will of the flesh which He has no problem overcoming.
Muffled
Jesus in me
I am surprised that you know His number.
sojourner
Annoyingly Progressive Since 2006
I disagree. The Trinity is anything but polytheistic.
McBell
Unbound
It definitely is not monotheism.
So what does that leave?
Popeyesays
Well-Known Member
All religions express a trinity:
God (the giver of Revelation)
The Spirit (The Revelation itself as a gift)
The Manifestation (He who receives the Revelation direct from God)
All else is irrelevant.
Regards,
Scott
God (the giver of Revelation)
The Spirit (The Revelation itself as a gift)
The Manifestation (He who receives the Revelation direct from God)
All else is irrelevant.
Regards,
Scott
MFaraz_Hayat
Active Member
Yet not in all religions, are the latter two worshiped. For instance, muslims worship only one God.
Popeyesays
Well-Known Member
Muslims and Jews have no problem worshiping just God. The Christians who "worship" Jesus or the Holy Spirit are misquided, or victims of their own folly--all in my opinion of course.
Regards,
Scott
Regards,
Scott
Quiddity
UndertheInfluenceofGiants
And that's all it really is.
Popeyesays
Well-Known Member
No, it's the opinion of Jews and Muslims, a minority of Christians and others. It is also Abdu'l Baha's opinion:
"THE TRINITY
Question. -- What is the meaning of the Trinity, of the Three Persons in One?
Answer. -- The Divine Reality, which is purified and sanctified from the understanding of human beings and which can never be imagined by the people of wisdom and of intelligence, is exempt from all conception. That Lordly Reality admits of no division; for division and multiplicity are properties of creatures which are contingent existences, and not accidents which happen to the self-existent.
The Divine Reality is sanctified from singleness, then how much more from plurality. The descent of that Lordly Reality into conditions and degrees would be equivalent to imperfection and contrary to perfection, and is, therefore, absolutely impossible. It perpetually has been, and is, in the exaltation of holiness and sanctity. All that is mentioned of the Manifestations and Dawning-places of God signifies the divine reflection, and not a descent into the conditions of existence.[1]
[1 Cf. "Pantheism," p. 290.]
God is pure perfection, and creatures are but imperfections. For God to descend into the conditions of existence would be the greatest of imperfections; on the contrary, His manifestation, His appearance, His rising are like the reflection of the sun in a clear, pure, polished mirror. All the creatures are evident signs of God, like the earthly beings upon all of which the rays of the sun shine. But upon the plains, the mountains, the trees and fruits, only a portion 114 of the light shines, through which they become visible, and are reared, and attain to the object of their existence, while the Perfect Man [1] is in the condition of a clear mirror in which the Sun of Reality becomes visible and manifest with all its qualities and perfections. So the Reality of Christ was a clear and polished mirror of the greatest purity and fineness. The Sun of Reality, the Essence of Divinity, reflected itself in this mirror and manifested its light and heat in it; but from the exaltation of its holiness, and the heaven of its sanctity, the Sun did not descend to dwell and abide in the mirror. No, it continues to subsist in its exaltation and sublimity, while appearing and becoming manifest in the mirror in beauty and perfection.
[1 The Divine Manifestation.]
Now if we say that we have seen the Sun in two mirrors -- one the Christ and one the Holy Spirit -- that is to say, that we have seen three Suns, one in heaven and the two others on the earth, we speak truly. And if we say that there is one Sun, and it is pure singleness, and has no partner and equal, we again speak truly.
The epitome of the discourse is that the Reality of Christ was a clear mirror, and the Sun of Reality -- that is to say, the Essence of Oneness, with its infinite perfections and attributes -- became visible in the mirror. The meaning is not that the Sun, which is the Essence of the Divinity, became divided and multiplied -- for the Sun is one -- but it appeared in the mirror. This is why Christ said, "The Father is in the Son," meaning that the Sun is visible and manifest in this mirror.
The Holy Spirit is the Bounty of God which becomes visible and evident in the Reality of Christ. The Sonship station is the heart of Christ, and the Holy Spirit is the station of the spirit of Christ. Hence it has become certain and proved that the Essence of Divinity is absolutely unique and has no equal, no likeness, no equivalent. 115
This is the signification of the Three Persons of the Trinity. If it were otherwise, the foundations of the Religion of God would rest upon an illogical proposition which the mind could never conceive, and how can the mind be forced to believe a thing which it cannot conceive? A thing cannot be grasped by the intelligence except when it is clothed in an intelligible form; otherwise, it is but an effort of the imagination.
It has now become clear, from this explanation, what is the meaning of the Three Persons of the Trinity. The Oneness of God is also proved."
(Abdu'l-Baha, Some Answered Questions, p. 114)
That it differs from your opinion is all it really is. I am perfectly willing to accept that.
Regards,
Scott
Regards,
Scott
sojourner
Annoyingly Progressive Since 2006
In what way can it be defined as "not monotheism?" The doctrine asserts that there is one God, present in three Persons. Not more than one god, or a plethora of gods, or a gaggle of gods, or a pantheon of gods. There is one God. What's so difficult to understand?