Does three Persons mean three separate Gods?

[Donna_P]

Hi,

My brother in Law does not believe Catholic Dogma on the Trinity that it is 3 persons in one God.

Here are his comments: **
I hold a different perspective from the New Testament Biblical writers that challenges them to explain why the behavior of Jesus Christ most often contradicts their beliefs of the Trinity. For example, Jesus often times called upon God his Father in Heaven to guide him and forgive others. Why would he be calling upon a higher authority to himself if, in fact, God the Son was supposedly equal to God the Father. He could’ve just handled things himself.

He is Catholic but seems to hold some heretical views. He is open to dialog.
**

 

[Fr.Vincent_Serpa]

Dear Donna,

There cannot be more than one God. Otherwise, that which distinguishes one god from the other would be lacking in the other god. A god that is lacking in anything cannot be God.

Jesus is subordinate to the Father in His human nature, but He is equal to the Father in His divine nature. In John 10:30 Jesus says: “The Father and I are one.”

In his concern that Christians act out of humility, St. Paul in his letter to the Philippians (2: 6-8) refers to the humility of Jesus who is indeed equal to the Father and yet condescended to take on human flesh and be subservient to Him: “ Have this mind among yourselves, which was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God, a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross.”

For more on the Trinity, see:

%between%Blessed Trinity, The

catholic.com/library/God_in_Three_Persons.asp

catholic.com/library/Trinity.asp

Fr. Vincent Serpa, O.P.