Limitaion in number of persons

[javid]

God has no limitation and He has three persons and He is infinite. why number of his persons is limited? A infinite God must have no limitaion, so why he doesn’t have infinite persons?

 

[Eleve]

I’m going to go out on a limb and say that you’re misinterpreting the traditional account of God’s infinitude.

 

[javid]

I am not interpreting!! I just asked a quetion about Holy Trinity

God bless

 

[Eleve]

Well, where did you get the idea that God “has no limitation” and “is infinite”?

 

[Cristiano]

God has no limitation and He has three persons and He is infinite. why number of his persons is limited? A infinite God must have no limitation, so why he doesn’t have infinite persons?

First just because something can happen it does not mean that it has to happen.

Second you might want to read St. Thomas of Aquina comment in reference to the topic: Article 2. Whether there are more than three persons in God?

 

[Aelred_Minor]

I think you may be misunderstanding both the “infinity” of God and the Trinity.

God is not infinite in the sense in which an infinite chain of numbers is infinite. God is infinite in perfection. His in-finite Essence is such that it admits of no division whatsoever, since any division would mean that God can be reduced to parts which are themselves less than God and therefore finite, but the sum of finite parts will itself always be finite.

For this reason we know that God is entirely simple and indivisible. Each Person of the Trinity is fully this One God, in and of Himself, not thirds of this One God or three separate Infinite Beings. The Persons of the Trinity are not distinguished from each other by their Essence/Existence (which is one and simple), but instead by the distinctions in their relationships to each other.

 

[Rainaldo]

I think you may be misunderstanding both the “infinity” of God and the Trinity.

God is not infinite in the sense in which an infinite chain of numbers is infinite. God is infinite in perfection. His in-finite Essence is such that it admits of no division whatsoever, since any division would mean that God can be reduced to parts which are themselves less than God and therefore finite, but the sum of finite parts will itself always be finite.

For this reason we know that God is entirely simple and indivisible. Each Person of the Trinity is fully this One God, in and of Himself, not thirds of this One God or three separate Infinite Beings. The Persons of the Trinity are not distinguished from each other by their Essence/Existence (which is one and simple), but instead by the distinctions in their relationships to each other.

If God is indivisible then he can’t be all-powerful, because being divided would be something he couldn’t do.

 

[Aelred_Minor]

If God is indivisible then he can’t be all-powerful, because being divided would be something he couldn’t do.

If God did something logically impossible, such as divide Himself, create a rock too heavy for Himself to lift, or create a square circle, then He would be irrational, and perfect rationality is part of God’s infinite perfection. The fact that God cannot/will not (however you want to conceive of it) do something irrational is a result of His infinite perfection not something counter to it, just like the fact that He cannot/will not do something evil is a result of His infinite perfection and not something counter to it.

The idea of divine omnipotence needs to be interpreted within the context of God’s infinite perfection as a whole. That God could never do something evil or irrational is not a limitation on His perfect power and freedom but really a consequence of it, since for Him to do what is evil or irrational would mean an imperfection in God, ultimately a lack of freedom and power to be Himself.