C
Catholic_Dude
Guest
no,
I just saw the term “3 seperate beings” and it reminded me of what an lds said.
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I just saw the term “3 seperate beings” and it reminded me of what an lds said.
J
jimmy
Guest
Catholic Dude:
Oh, I thought you were speaking of the three persons in one being.
M
Mickey
Guest
Yes, short and simple analogies don’t convey a whole lot of information. The councils were so very divided on the Trinity in countless ways. As an earlier poster said, it would take many pages to even begin to define the concept of the Trinity. I am reading a book right now called, “The First Seven Ecumenical Councils”. It’s fascinating reading. Nicea and Consatantinople I cover the Trinity in detail. It’s mind boggling! :bigyikes:
J
JimG
Guest
It’s very difficult to explain the Trinity without falling into heresy.
Before even starting, it’s a good idea to begin with the idea of God as a pure spirit.
Even explaining the concept of spirit in these materialist-imbued times is a major undertaking.
After that, explain the attributes of God as an omnipotent, eternal, being, one in nature, and only then go on to the Trinity.
That requires an understanding of the concepts of nature and person.
I still think that Frank Sheed did it best in “Theology for Beginners.”
Mormons, for example, have a pretty anthropomorphic and materialst idea of God. We can’t begin to explain the Trinity until we get past the idea of god as some kind of material being.
Before even starting, it’s a good idea to begin with the idea of God as a pure spirit.
Even explaining the concept of spirit in these materialist-imbued times is a major undertaking.
After that, explain the attributes of God as an omnipotent, eternal, being, one in nature, and only then go on to the Trinity.
That requires an understanding of the concepts of nature and person.
I still think that Frank Sheed did it best in “Theology for Beginners.”
Mormons, for example, have a pretty anthropomorphic and materialst idea of God. We can’t begin to explain the Trinity until we get past the idea of god as some kind of material being.
J
jimmy
Guest
Is there one spirit in God or are there three spririts, one for each person? Is there a seperate personality to each person? I am not talking about humor or anything like that when I say personality. I mean, does the Son have an idea of self as being apart from the Father?
I find this very confusing.
J
JimG
Guest
Yes, the Son knows himself as a separate PERSON, but not a separate BEING. (“I am in the Father and the Father is in me.”)
God is one infinite, perfect Spirit, not three. That is his nature.
Just like you or I, God knows Himself. Your knowledge of yourself is not perfect. Your idea of yourself is lacking in many respects; it does not exactly correspond to the original.
But God’s knowledge of himself is perfect. There is nothing lacking in his idea of himself. Everything that is in the original is in the idea, even to perfection. God’s knowledge of himself is so perfect that it is a Person. God’s idea of himself is called the Word, which he speaks eternally, generating the 2nd person of the Trinity.
From all eternity, the Father (1st Person) loves his Son, the Word (2nd Person.) And the Son loves the Father. Their mutual love is also so perfect that it is itself a Person, the Holy Spirit.
And so the three person of the Trinity are generated eternally by the operation of God’s intellect and will–knowledge and love.
But please, get the book. It’s an easy read, and Frank Sheed explains these matters very well.
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