I don't imagine that all trinitarians see the trinity the same way and I doubt that it matters too much to God.
I see the Father as the only true God (as in John 17:3) but that in the Father is the Son and the Spirit of God.
They act together as one God but the Word or the Spirit or the Father might be in the fore, depending on what is being done.
God created all things through the Word, His Son.
The Holy Spirit went with Israel in the wilderness.
Jesus came to earth as a man and died.
In each of these it is God who is acting and God is present each time and both the Son and Spirit are God.
But that God is used as in John 1:1. The Word was with The God and the Word was God.
It is not Modalism where God has 3 ways to express Himself but is the same person. There are 3 persons and each is God as much as the others because the 3 are there present in each one, acting as one God through that one.
The more I say, the more complicated it might sound, even if I am trying to make it less complicated.
Words get in the way sometimes.
But it is not Modalism.
The Gnostic idea sounds somewhere between Modalism and the Trinity. It gets hard to pin point it exactly and I don't know that God ever wanted humans to put out a human dogmatic definition like the Trinity but it was just one of those things that the Church was forced to do by heresies, Arianism etc.
A number of good comments -- most not seeing trinity the same way -- most not knowing what it is nevermind
but for those that do take the time .. tis where things start to get interesting -- and the religion starts to come alive.
To sum up your position -- God created all things - everything comes from God - Jesus is just an extension of God - acting in concert with The Father .. not an individual as such --- but then .. you say Jesus came to earth as a Man .. and further -- he died -- then later claim there are 3 individuals -- 3 wills this is contradiction.
Further .. you state that while God created the two others .. these two others are equal to God .. which makes no sense .. but is something that was a hard battle .. ending with the Son proceeds from the Father .. yet co-equal .. "So you have support" but makes no sense. God creating two things that are equal to himself ..
but IF that is the Case .. and Jesus WAS GOD --- The Father and/or some co-equal vestage of the FAther .. hanging there on that Cross .. then Jesus wasn't a man and nor did he die - as was the claim.
To sum up -- Your not quite a trinitarian but --- but you want to be a trinitarian .. and have tried to fit some of the lingo into your perspective .. adopted most of the ideals.
Now without agree - disagree - neither , I ask the question -- is this doctrine of yours scriptural - and by that I don't mean all of scripture .. only what Jesus has to say will be given creedence.. Sorry to the Pauline Crowd .. sans the rare exception .. to be determined by the other.
To be honest -- I hesitate to include John .. and certainly not the authors opinion.. must go on what Jesus say -- and keep in mind that the Synoptics have a different Jesus than John --- perhaps a different memory . no one has any ideas of pre-existence prior to the author of John .. who comes along round 100-120 AD .. but let us not dwell on that for now .. let us start in the very beginning .. the first page of the NT ..
Mark 1 -- John the Baptist -- messianic Tradition introduced linked to Isaiah -- as are all messianic prophets of the day .. and there are quite a number in the first century.
Jesus is then introduced .. at his baptism ... voice from heaven .. "You are my son" . Jesus is deified as a man of 30 .. in keeping with tradition. He then must go through the testing . in keeping with ritual .. 40 days in the desert .. where-upon he meets with another of Son of God .. a character we have met previously in Job .. one of many divinities with some serious power.. and as we find out .. dominion over the earth.
As was the case in Job -- The Tester is Sent By God .. "Ha Satan" is not a name .. it is a title . The adversary - The Accuser .. the prosecuter of man if you will.
Unlike the "Son of Man" - the Tester is not half man.. or fully man as you wish to claim of Jesus --- the tester is fully divine .. as per scripture.
How does our divine friend fit into your Trinity ? as he must be fit in .. and must be fully God -- by your account ... but that won't work .. will it.. so how are you going to fit our good friend .. the other Son of God into the Godhead equation. .. and don't forget to same room for the others either .. and angels .. the lesser divinities .. and no .. sorry .. the Sons of God are not Angels .. as hard as they tried to whitewash that out during the time of the composition of the Masoretic Text (MT)
Now ponder this .. Why is God sending himself through testing .. ? and what is the point of Sending Ha-Satan... who would never think to act outside the will of his Father .. being sent to do this task .. on God .. By God .. just makes no sense . .. because forget what you wish to take out of the story .. the question is what did the early Jewish Christian take out of the story ... what did it mean to them .. What did they think Jesus was .. upon reading this story thus far ?
Sargon -Abram - Moses - David - Men called by God .. adopted by a Patron diety .. Jesus is depicted as a man .. who God calls his Son. Keep in mind there is no immaculate conception at this point .. There is no Virgin Birth in the original story ..and no conformation of the resurrection - that comes in Matt -- no pre-existence with God that does not come till much later in John
but you don't know of Matt .. or John. You just know of Mark .. and being a Jewish Christian .. know little about Paul other than he .. stirring up the Gentiles ..similar apocalyptic message .. the Temple is still standing.
