Athanasian Creed and Subordination within the Godhead

[CutlerB]

I came across some site on the Internet, claiming the “Catholic Trinity” was different from the Biblical Trinity. I’m pretty sure it isn’t, rather it is the same. However, they cited the Athanasian Creed, the relevant part I will now quote:

English
And in this Trinity none is before, or after another; none is greater, or less than another. But the whole three Persons are coeternal, and coequal.

Latin
Et in hac Trinitate nihil prius aut posterius, nihil maius aut minus: Sed totae tres personae coaeternae sibi sunt et coaequales.

Am I right, if I understand “before” and “after” referring to the age/eternity of each Person, and “greater” and “lesser” to equality of Nature?

 

[OxygenMan]

I don’t know why they cited that. It supports the biblical view of the Trinity; it doesn’t refute it. All members of the Godhead have always existed with each other. And all are on a equal footing.

 

[CutlerB]

I don’t know why they cited that. It supports the biblical view of the Trinity; it doesn’t refute it. All members of the Godhead have always existed with each other. And all are on a equal footing.

Well that’s the question! The site says Christ is subordinate to the Father in rank, not in nature. That’s why I’m asking.

 

[OxygenMan]

They’re a tad mistaken. There can’t be rank within one’s own being. The mystery of the Trinity is that it is one whole, even with three manifestations. To say it has rank would split it into three separate beings. Three different gods.

 

[CutlerB]

They’re a tad mistaken. There can’t be rank within one’s own being. The mystery of the Trinity is that it is one whole, even with three manifestations. To say it has rank would split it into three separate beings. Three different gods.

But that’s the only explanation for “The Father is greater than I.” I know. How else can that then be explained?

 

[OxygenMan]

But that’s the only explanation for “The Father is greater than I.” I know. How else can that then be explained?

Hmm. Sorry I can’t help you out more. I’m not the most knowledgeable person about such things. I would speak with your priest, though. Or keep asking on the forums. There’s lots of people here who know such things.

 

[CutlerB]

Hmm. Sorry I can’t help you out more. I’m not the most knowledgeable person about such things. I would speak with your priest, though. Or keep asking on the forums. There’s lots of people here who know such things.

I’ll wait for some more answers here. But thanks anyway.

 

[Pug]

The Athanasian Creed expresses relationship in the Trinity:The Father is made of none, neither created, nor begotten. The Son is of the Father alone; not made, nor created, but begotten. The Holy Ghost is of the Father, and of the Son neither made, nor created, nor begotten, but proceeding.
Here is a quote from the CCC that might elaborate for you:254 The divine persons are really distinct from one another. "God is one but not solitary."86 “Father”, “Son”, “Holy Spirit” are not simply names designating modalities of the divine being, for they are really distinct from one another: "He is not the Father who is the Son, nor is the Son he who is the Father, nor is the Holy Spirit he who is the Father or the Son."87 They are distinct from one another in their relations of origin: "It is the Father who generates, the Son who is begotten, and the Holy Spirit who proceeds."88 The divine Unity is Triune.

255 The divine persons are relative to one another. Because it does not divide the divine unity, the real distinction of the persons from one another resides solely in the relationships which relate them to one another: "In the relational names of the persons the Father is related to the Son, the Son to the Father, and the Holy Spirit to both. While they are called three persons in view of their relations, we believe in one nature or substance."89 Indeed "everything (in them) is one where there is no opposition of relationship."90 "Because of that unity the Father is wholly in the Son and wholly in the Holy Spirit; the Son is wholly in the Father and wholly in the Holy Spirit; the Holy Spirit is wholly in the Father and wholly in the Son."91

240 Jesus revealed that God is Father in an unheard-of sense: he is Father not only in being Creator; he is eternally Father in relation to his only Son, who is eternally Son only in relation to his Father: "No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and any one to whom the Son chooses to reveal him."64

Also, regarding the father being greater than I, I expect that could be understood in two ways: either in reference to origin in the relationship in the Trinity or that in his humanity Christ is subordinate. I think the Athanasian Creed mentions both. Here is another quote from that creed, about the humanity:Equal to the Father as touching His Godhead, and inferior to the Father as touching His Manhood.