3 Undeniable Truths to Help Us Understand the Trinity

[phkrause]

“To meditate on the three Persons of the Godhead is to walk in thought through the garden eastward in Eden and to tread on holy ground. Our sincerest effort to grasp the incomprehensible mystery of the Trinity must remain forever futile, and only by deepest reverence can it be saved from actual presumption.” –A.W. Tozer

https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/spiritual-life/undeniable-truths-to-help-us-understand-the-trinity.html?

[Gustave]

On 10/20/2023 at 5:04 PM, phkrause said:

“To meditate on the three Persons of the Godhead is to walk in thought through the garden eastward in Eden and to tread on holy ground. Our sincerest effort to grasp the incomprehensible mystery of the Trinity must remain forever futile, and only by deepest reverence can it be saved from actual presumption.” –A.W. Tozer

https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/spiritual-life/undeniable-truths-to-help-us-understand-the-trinity.html?

That was well said! It parrots what's in a old Catholic book of Theology I refer to often: 

Quote

The Christian Faith In the Doctrinal Documents Of The Catholic Church, page 136 

"The theological concepts and terminology used in these documents became more and more technical and at times somewhat involved. This could hardly be avoided in view of the depth of the mystery which they had to convey. It should, however, be born in mind that the subtlety in reasoning was never meant to rationalise the divine mystery but to preserve it its integrity against all rationalistic simplifications. ALL TRINITARIAN HERESIES ARE SUCH SIMPLICICATIONS WHICH, IF THEY WERE ALLOWED TO PREVAIL, WOULD ULTIMATELY NULLIFY THE MYSTERY". 

As creations of a Great Creator we simply can't fathom how God (Father, Son & Holy Spirit) is and always has been Ontologically One yet 3 Persons. It's the most important Doctrine in Christianity.

 

 

 

 

[8thdaypriest]

Gustave,

I gather that you are a more traditional (Catholic type) Trinitarian.  God is ONE divine "being" who is THREE divine "persons."   

SDAs believe that God is THREE separate co-equal, co-eternal divine "beings," who are of one mind - that is, perfectly united and in agreement.  

[Gustave]

On 12/27/2023 at 11:44 AM, 8thdaypriest said:

Gustave,

I gather that you are a more traditional (Catholic type) Trinitarian.  God is ONE divine "being" who is THREE divine "persons."   

SDAs believe that God is THREE separate co-equal, co-eternal divine "beings," who are of one mind - that is, perfectly united and in agreement.  

Yes, I am.

I am against the three separate "Beings" position as that position is NOT Trinitarian. 

I'd argue however that SDA's (at the least the early ones while Ellen White was still alive) had ZERO issue calling Jesus "God" but they were equally clear that Christ WASN'T God in the ultimate sense.  Below is an example of what I'm talking about. 

Quote

Adventist Signs of the Times, March 21, 1878

Bible question to the editor

Q. But does it not say that the Word was God?

A. Yes, and it says that he was with God. Being the Son of God of course he is properly called God. This is his name, but he was NOT THE VERY and ETERNAL God Himself for it says that he was with God

 

The above was written in the same year Ellen White oversaw what is perhaps the most anti-Trinitarian article to ever be presented / promulgated in "The Sabbath Herald" - an absolute diatribe against the Doctrine of the Trinity. 

When you add the above two points along with James White declaring that the Spirit of Prophecy condemns the Trinity Doctrine you are left with a fact pattern that is self-evident on its face. 

To be clear I have heard a couple of SDA's admit that to be "Christian" one has to believe God is ontologically ONE but this admission I've found to be extremely rare. What I've found over the years is agreement with Walter Veith, Doug Batchelor and similar folks.