Mary can be metaphor for the female side of God. She is pure Spirit, the Spouse of the Holy Spirit. The feminine side of God is well established in the Old Testament. Hasidim maintains that God has a feminine side.No way. Mary is a human being, created like all of us. Human beings do not become members of the Godhead alongside the Trinity. The essence of God is uncreated, and so a creature cannot become God.
No. No. HECK no. There is nothing, absolutely nothing, in scripture, Tradition or church teaching indicating that Mary was anything other than a real human being and a creature of God. Not his feminine side.Mary can be metaphor for the female side of God. She is pure Spirit, the Spouse of the Holy Spirit. The feminine side of God is well established in the Old Testament. Hasidim maintains that God has a feminine side.
No. If something has not yet been revealed then it never will be. So it is impossible in any meaningful sense.I am not sure that this accurately expresses the doctrine. There are still thing that the Church considers has not been revealed, such as all the ‘mysteries’. It does not consider that everything has been revealed, but that everything that is going to be revealed, has been. So it should still be open to ask if things are possible. This is not the same as asking if they will be revealed in the sense you mean, Thistle.
There are no truths necessary for our salvation that have not been revealed.I am not sure that this accurately expresses the doctrine. There are still thing that the Church considers has not been revealed, such as all the ‘mysteries’. It does not consider that everything has been revealed, but that everything that is going to be revealed, has been. So it should still be open to ask if things are possible. This is not the same as asking if they will be revealed in the sense you mean, Thistle.
I am not disputing that. I am asking if it is clear in Catholic teaching that there are **only **three persons in the Godhead, and **could only be **three. So far the closest anyone has come is TS Aquinas’ quotes from his (?) namesake, but they are not, to my mind, clear.There are no truths necessary for our salvation that have not been revealed.
but she’s not even a metaphor for God(apart from in the general human image/likeness way). Mary was a human being, preserved by grace from the stain of original sin. Neither was she the spouse of the Holy Spirit, she was the spouse of Joseph who was likewise Human. Being “overshadowed” as it were by the Holy Spirit is a different kettle of fish to Marrying Him.Mary can be metaphor for the female side of God. She is pure Spirit, the Spouse of the Holy Spirit. The feminine side of God is well established in the Old Testament. Hasidim maintains that God has a feminine side.
Firstly this is what God has revealed to us, that He is Triune, and there is no hint that he is more persons than this.I am not disputing that. I am asking if it is clear in Catholic teaching that there are **only **three persons in the Godhead, and **could only be **three. So far the closest anyone has come is TS Aquinas’ quotes from his (?) namesake, but they are not, to my mind, clear.
Thank you for a most interesting post! If I don’t go and learn Greek so I can study the original text of Jn1:14 I think I will consider my question answered. Thank you, and thank you all others who responded to my questions and musings. :tiphat:Firstly this is what God has revealed to us, that He is Triune, and there is no hint that he is more persons than this.
I agree that there is ‘no hint’ of further persons, at least that I have been able to find. My question though is about ‘could’, and an unhinted at thing ‘could exist’ despite the lack of hints. I am not sure I agree that a Catholic can confidently say that "God has revealed himself as Triune - it seems to me that ‘at least Triune’ is the most parsimonious description of the facts.
Second John 1:14 Speaks of Christ as the only Begotten of the Father, here only begotten does not carry the connotation of “only begotten son” simply “Only Begotten”. Such a relationship would effectively Rule out another Person in the Trinity.
Best authority from scripture so far! Although I came across several versions using ‘son’.
The Trinity is Trinity only in Relation to the Other members of the Trinity, that is God the Father is God by Nature/Substance and Father by Relation to the Son and Spirit(and Vice versa).
I can’t work out if this persuades me or if it is an argument of the "God is perfect, therefore he exists’ type (which doesn’t)
The Spirit is unlimited, and eternal, Procession between Father and Son. For there to be another Person in the Trinity there would need to be either another begetting (not happening as per Jn 1:14) or another procession. but since the first is unlimited and eternal and so a complete procession between Father and Son where would the other procession of Divine Person be processing? faced with this we can also rule out subsequent processions without subsequent persons which Jn 1:14 of course likewise rules out.
This I get, given that ‘processing’ is a formmal part of Catholic belief - it seems logical to me, provided we accept Jn 1:14 as having the meaning ‘only one offspring’.
As God has not hinted at another person nor another relation of Persons within the Divine substance I see no reason nor evidence to suggest subsequent persons in the Trinity.
This I agree with - but remember I am saying ‘could’.