Columba Tom, can you elaborate more on “The Old Testament Trinity” what is the relationship between them and the new testament trinity?
Well, posters have said quite a lot of useful things, which makes me a bit late.
First, to answer your question; the icon I mention, “The Old Testament Trinity”, is a medieval design, a depiction of Abram’s visitors who delivered the great promise. What is significant to us is that Abram received God in three persons at his tent door. The Patriach’s god had a plural name, “Elohim”, and refers to himself as “we”. The specific references to three persons gather pace in later times, as the nature of the Creator is revealed. Mick Tinetti gives a list to which we could add. If I pray the psalms with Jewish believers, I change my doxology from “in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit” to “with all my heart, with all my soul, and with all my strength”, directly from the Sh’ma. I might equally refer to the ayah of Surat at-Tin, and ask “by the fig, by the olive, and by Mount Sinai”. (btw, a Moslem friend in the Middle East thinks that is a reference to the authority of Bhuddism, Christianity and Judaism. I’m not sure he advertises his view!)
The Icon, being Orthodox, relates the Trinity as “Father, Son and Holy Wisdom”. The fact that I have no problem with that really tells me that I accept that I cannot use words and human understanding to know the nature of God.
Of course, the Abrahamic story was not written as a witness account. So what the Patriach understood, we only gather through the understanding of those who passed the story on. Maybe he knew a whole lot more. We rely on several sources for our Holy Writ, being the Yahwistic, Elohistic, the Priestly and Deuteronomic traditions, brought together in later times, all later than the Egyptian exile. The plurality of the nature of God survived the strong affirmation that God is One; it was constantly reiterated by use of the plural name, plural pronouns and plural adjectives (lost in English, as we don’t decline adjectives).
Were the ancient Hebrews henotheists? Evidently. Sorting out that problem is the main thrust of their history. Roy Schoeman explains that the Baals of the Old Testament have not gone away. They re-invented themselves as false gods and demons for our own time. These fallen angels continue to exist, and work tirelessly for the destruction of souls today. Does that make us henotheists? We no longer refer to ‘spirits’ as ‘gods’. That may be enough. But I know people who pursue riches above anything. I know people who sacrifice children for their careers or reputation. These people worship Mammon, and sacrifice to Moloch. They just don’t realise it. Some of them profess to be monotheists. Perhaps they are truly henotheists.
But I don’t think such matters affect the doctrine of the One God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This was not revealed to Father Abraham in so many words. Truth does not change by revelation. We just learn more, as we are made ready.
My wife calls me to Evening Prayer.
May the Lord bless you, as He says, by the fig tree, by the olive, and by the mountain.
