A quote from Genesis

[John_Russell_Jr]

Hi,
I often quote from Gen where God says, " Let us make man in our own image and likeness," as one proof for the teaching that God is a trinity. I would appreciate your (name removed by moderator)ut on this and any relevant topics.

Yours in Jesus, Mary & Joseph,

John
Saints are just sinners who keep trying.http://forums.catholic-questions.org/images/icons/icon7.gif

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

I used the following when teaching on the Trinity a few years ago.

How old is the Trinity?

How does one explain this central mystery of Christian faith which transcends human reason, but is not contrary to it? Especially to someone who is not Christian.

Dogmas of the Christian Church are contained in the Original Revelation. For the Church and its magisterium recognize that they are not the mediators of Revelation… but only guard, transmit and explain the Divine Revelation which came in Jesus Christ at a given point in past history.

For Revelation itself has a history, and necessarily so, not Just because the speaker, God, can in His freedom act historically, but because the hearer, man, is a historical being.

As long then as his history goes on, there must be a history of dogma, although revelation is closed. Then there are mysteries The many mysteries are comprised of truths which are provisionally incomprehensible. It is the Truths that are Mysterious.

The supreme Mystery – the Trinity – is also the most obscure. There is a true mysticism of the Trinity.

We ourselves have nothing to do with the mystery of the Trinity, beyond receiving some revelation “about it.” The references to the Trinity are many in both the New and Old Testaments. In Matt 28:19 Christ commissioned the apostles to “Baptize in the name (singular) of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” The Athanasian creed does a very good job of setting forth the Trinity in our limited human language. In John 10:38 Jesus says " I am in the Father and the Father Is in Me" in John 10:30 Jesus also says “the Father and I are One” note he does not say that He and the Father are the same or that He is the Father. John 14:7-11

In the places where the Father speaks from the clouds, the Father and Jesus and the Spirit are distinct from one another.

( MT 1 7:5, MT 3:1 6-1 7, Mk 1 :1 0-11 and lk 9:35)

In the Old Testament there are foreshadowings of the Trinity. The Mystery is revealed in the New Testament, those who do not accept the New Testament will have the same difficulties as those in

John 10:19 and 26.

The use of the plural noun “Elohim” and the plural personal Noun “Ahad” in Gen. 1:1, 2:4,

Gen. 1:26, 3:22 and 11:7 etc. The triple repetitions of the Divine Name as in Isaias 6:3.

In translation Gen. 1:26 says “let US make man to OUR image” and Genesis 3:22 “and He said: behold, Adam is become as one of US, …” In the Gospel of St. John there are several passages that imply the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are distinct persons. (Jn 1:29-35, 14; 16, 14:26 and 16:15)

 

[John_Russell_Jr]

Br. Rich SFO:

I used the following when teaching on the Trinity a few years ago.

How old is the Trinity?

How does one explain this central mystery of Christian faith which transcends human reason, but is not contrary to it? Especially to someone who is not Christian.

Dogmas of the Christian Church are contained in the Original Revelation. For the Church and its magisterium recognize that they are not the mediators of Revelation… but only guard, transmit and explain the Divine Revelation which came in Jesus Christ at a given point in past history.

For Revelation itself has a history, and necessarily so, not Just because the speaker, God, can in His freedom act historically, but because the hearer, man, is a historical being.

As long then as his history goes on, there must be a history of dogma, although revelation is closed. Then there are mysteries The many mysteries are comprised of truths which are provisionally incomprehensible. It is the Truths that are Mysterious.

The supreme Mystery – the Trinity – is also the most obscure. There is a true mysticism of the Trinity.

We ourselves have nothing to do with the mystery of the Trinity, beyond receiving some revelation “about it.” The references to the Trinity are many in both the New and Old Testaments. In Matt 28:19 Christ commissioned the apostles to “Baptize in the name (singular) of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” The Athanasian creed does a very good job of setting forth the Trinity in our limited human language. In John 10:38 Jesus says " I am in the Father and the Father Is in Me" in John 10:30 Jesus also says “the Father and I are One” note he does not say that He and the Father are the same or that He is the Father. John 14:7-11

In the places where the Father speaks from the clouds, the Father and Jesus and the Spirit are distinct from one another.

( MT 1 7:5, MT 3:1 6-1 7, Mk 1 :1 0-11 and lk 9:35)

In the Old Testament there are foreshadowings of the Trinity. The Mystery is revealed in the New Testament, those who do not accept the New Testament will have the same difficulties as those in

John 10:19 and 26.

The use of the plural noun “Elohim” and the plural personal Noun “Ahad” in Gen. 1:1, 2:4,

Gen. 1:26, 3:22 and 11:7 etc. The triple repetitions of the Divine Name as in Isaias 6:3.

In translation Gen. 1:26 says “let US make man to OUR image” and Genesis 3:22 “and He said: behold, Adam is become as one of US, …” In the Gospel of St. John there are several passages that imply the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are distinct persons. (Jn 1:29-35, 14; 16, 14:26 and 16:15)

Thanks. Very good.

Yours in Jesus, Mary & Joseph,

John
Saints are just sinners who keep trying.http://forums.catholic-questions.org/images/icons/icon7.gif

 

[Gottle_of_Geer]

John Russell Jr:

Hi,
I often quote from Gen where God says, " Let us make man in our own image and likeness," as one proof for the teaching that God is a trinity. I would appreciate your (name removed by moderator)ut on this and any relevant topics.

Yours in Jesus, Mary & Joseph,

John
Saints are just sinners who keep trying.http://forums.catholic-questions.org/images/icons/icon7.gif

It’s a “plural of deliberation” - the author presents God as though thinking within Himself what He is about to do. This serves to highlight the creation of the man, which is a very important act for the theology of the source.​

But as indicated, it’s reading too much into the plural to see a reference to the Blessed Trinity Revelation is gradual, not given all at once; Israel had enough to do, learning that God was unique, without being told He is Triune as well ##

 

[kepha1]

In seeking to understand the traditional family, Christians should keep in mind that not only are individual persons created in the image of God, but so is the family itself. The human family is the closest analogy that mankind will ever come to concretely understanding the Blessed Trinity.

The creeds teach that while there is one God, He exists in three distinct persons. The bible, on the other hand, reveals that man is made in the ‘image of God’. From these two truths, therefore, we can acknowledge that the complete image of God is found in the Triune understanding of Him.

This understanding of His Triune nature is reflected by the human family whose personal relationships approach the likeness of the Trinity.

There are multiple demonstrations of this truth.

Consider the unity of the Trinity which is reflected in the unity of the family. Or the “family of persons” which is found in both. The persons of the Trinity share the 'same substance ’ while a human family becomes one flesh: wife with husband and parents with children.

There is also another element in the Trinity that lends itself to human likeness. The Nicene Creed professes this about the Trinity: “We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life who proceeds from the Father and the Son.”

In Catholic theology, the Holy Spirit is said to proceed from the will of both the Father and the Son, or in other words, through the activity which they engage in, otherwise known as “love”.

The Holy Spirit is poured forth through the exchange of love between the Father and the Son. This is why perhaps Jesus says to the Apostles: " Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you." (John 16:7)

In the eternal economy of the Trinity, therefore, a person ‘proceeds’ from the love between two other persons. And so, the Holy Spirit is love ‘proceeding’ or ‘coming from’ the first two persons of the Blessed Trinity.

The human family has a rather striking parallel to this dynamic. The ultimate act of intimacy in a marriage mirrors the eternal exchange of love between the first two persons of the Trinity.

And like the eternal or continual procession of the Holy Spirit in the Trinity, the act of love between a man and a woman causes a ‘procession’ of another human person (i.e. the birth of a child).

( this article seems to be no longer available on the internet, and it had no copywrite when I filed it)