Two is company, three is a crowd

[rawprawn]

This forum is for original thoughts. I wonder if there is one. . Have you considered the power of three? The atom is made up of a proton, a neutron and an electron (positive, negative, neutral). I find this principle flows through every aspect of life.

In human relationships, there is always a third party, a neutral party. Put three people in a room and one will feel outside, redundant. It is virtually impossible for a three way conversation to last much longer than a few minutes without one party feeling "out of it". This is not wrong, just an interesting observation.

Every story has a protagonist, an antagonist, and a mediator. The Biblical story is no different, right down to the Trinity. In the OT we have the antagonist, God the tyrant who has not hesitation when it comes to wiping out a nation or the whole world. Then Jesus is introduced, the protagonist, who gathers others around him with peace and grace. Then enters the Holy Spirit, the neutral party (even in the Greek).

I have no wonderful comment about this, it is purely an observation. I'd be interested in your thoughts or observations. I'd like to develop my understanding about this phenomenon

[rawprawn]

dg this is about relationships, not personalities. Three people in a room. They are all active, but within the three way relationship, one will feel on the other. I think the power of three is essential in every aspect of life, that is my observation.

I'm not sure how you can avoid seeing the OT God wiping people out. The Hebrews served God through fear. It was very clear, do what he wants or you will suffer the consequences. There is Grace in the OT story, but fear and retribution are in the foreground.

In the NT it is the opposite, with Jesus being very passive, allowing people, even his closest followers to turn on him without retribution.

Interestingly, the Devil is introduced in the NT, the antagonist. In the OT the antagonist is the "philistine", the nations that ruled over Israel. Israel is the neutral party, the mediator between god and the world. In the NT, we see Jesus between God and Jesus followers. We also have Jesus between the followers and the devil.

What I am tring to point out is that there is always three elements to every story.

Example: Parable of the talents

The master, the money, and the servants.

Revelation 13

Beast out of the sea, beast from the land, the dragon (another trinity)

There seems to always be three elements to every relationship. Introduce a fourth element, and the dynamic changes, tensions are diffused, etc.

Islam lies between Allah and the infidels. It just goes on and on.

I think human beings are locked into this natural phenomenon of needing positive, negative and neutral in everything. The creator is not human, not limited in this way.

[teresaq]

If the people in the OT served God out of fear how come the minute God's back was turned, so to speak, they immediately went back to doing their own thing?

I'll have to think about that "three" thing.

[rawprawn]

I don't think you guys have the faintest idea what I am talking about, and that's fine.

What's happening here. There is God, me and you guys. Three. lol Can you guys see that I am in a great position? I have nothing to defend. I used to be where you guys are, defending the faith. I am now free to discuss anything without having to be right. It's awesome.

I wish you all the best in your battles.

[phkrause]

Maybe rawprawn, that was your problem, you see or saw everything as a battle! I personally don't have any battles with what I read in the Bible. I might have questions, as I believe others also have. But having Faith should not be a battle.

[teresaq]

I agree. I don't have a clue what you are talking about. LOL That's not to say that I am not interested tho. :)

[rawprawn]

No worries dg, I'll keep posting until I get bored. I'm enjoying it here, thank you.

[rawprawn]

Well, I’m not so sure it is not a battle pk. In my experience growth is always a battle. I think the truth is something we struggle with and strive for all of out lives. I guess I see a lack of that struggling in the church and that makes it pretty boring. People argue about things like women or gays being ordained. To me those issues are a ridicules waste of mind space. I don't battle with political issues, they are about power and manipulation. I battle with fundamentals. I think people who go to battle over those political issues have no real faith at all, they just enjoy the games.

So pk, I do battle, and i will continue to, with myself and others, but hopefully in a respectful way (not always I know).

[rawprawn]

Just the ramblings of a mad man teresaq. I'll see if I can simplify it briefly. I have observed a law in nature, in human relationships, in virtually everything around me. Two is company, three is a crowd. Every part (for the want of a better word) of life seems to be made up of three elements. A positive, a negative and a neutral element. eg. an atom

Human relationships bare the same phenomenon. For example; Husband, wife, credit card. Husband wants to stop spending on the credit card (the neutral factor), wife wants full control of it. Take out the credit card, no problem exists. But, funny enough, they will soon find something else to fight about. Husband hires new, young, good looking secretary. Do I need to go on?

Or, family of three, husband, wife, child. Husband and wife get on famously. The child will feel left out. Or, husband and child get on famously, the wife will feel left out. It is impossible to have an equal three way relationship. Test it yourself, it's fun to observe. The next time you are at church, go up to a couple of people who are deep in conversation and just observe what happens. You don't have to say a thing. Just stand and listen. They will either keep talking and you will feel left out and soon walk away. Or one of them will bring you into the conversation and within ten minutes one of them will walk away. Observe how you feel during the exercise.

If you read the Bible with this same law in mind, you will find that there are three characters in every story (a group may be one character). Eg. God, Jonah, the sailors. Or God, Jonah and the big fish. Or God, Jonah and Nineveh. Always three elements.

Consider the Trinity if you will.

[Tom Wetmore]

Symbolically the the number three is divine.

[Guest]

God, Jonah, Sailors, Big Fish, Ninevah, Big Shady Plant, People who don't know their left hand from their right.

Seven elements. :D

[teresaq]

That kind of thinking makes it suck when it comes to, husband/wife/God relationship for starters...but if it really worked that way I would sure appreciate it when came to the devil... LOL But it doesn't.

[whatisthis]

Don't forget Much Cattle. (Several more elements.)

[rawprawn]

teresaq sometimes this system does suck for sure. But beleive it of not it is for real. Tell me about any relationship you have, with a person or a thing, and I'll show you who or what the third element is.

Lets say, you god and the devil. I'd like to know which relationship is stronger, you and god, you and the devil, or god and the devil?

When it comes to husband, wife and god, one person will have a stronger relationship with god than the other, always. If you want to have a strong relationship with god, you need to push your wife/partner away. Odd advice huh? lol But two is company, three is a crowd. Prove me wrong.

What does a great relationship with god cost?

[phkrause]

A great relationship will cost you nothing, a non relationship just might cost you eternal life.

Why would anyone want to prove you wrong? Do you think that you have all the answers? Only God has all the answers, as far as the rest of us, we have opinions. We all learn from each other. We take the time to listen to what others have to say and if it makes sense and can be proven by reading the Bible than we can either reject or accept and go on from there.

[rawprawn]

pk I like proof, and to be proven wrong pushes me to think further into things. I enjoy that. I think you have avoided the actual discussion about the 3 dimension in relationships altogether, for some reason.

Any great relationship, with anyone or anything, will cost. It is impossible to have a great relationship with one person without pushing others away. Try having a great relationship with your boss and see what happens with your other relationships with co workers for example.

[phkrause]

My relationship with Boss and my co workers was also OK. Its how we deal with those different relationships. If we are brown nosing the boss to get ahead, to screw one of our co workers than yes I can see a problem. But if we put God first in any relationship there will be no problems. with God there will always be that three, and it will never be a crowd. He is what makes us all complete.

[Guest]

Exactly pk. You have affected the nail, by striking it squarely on it's head. :)

[Woody]

RP - you mention that some argue about women. I'm not sure why that is done. But I do consider it a worldly thing to do. When those that do that - they are just creating a number ONE instead of a number two. And like you say - two is company and I would say that one is lonely.

[rawprawn]

All good. Hope everyone has a great Christmas.

[rawprawn]

I'm not sure where I said some people argue "about" women, but doesn't matter. Have a great xmas.

[rawprawn]

I think we are not only on different pages, we are reading a totall different book.

Enjoy your holidays everyone. Thanks for the imput.

[phkrause]

You to rawprawn, have a Merry Christmas, be safe in the Lord.

[Kevin H]

[Re: OP]

Some good ideas, and on the one hand God the Father does represent infinate justice. However the trinitarian aspects has God the Father being the revelation of God as the great unapproachable power, represented by El or Elohim in the Old Testament. YHWH represents God as personal friend, who we call Jesus.

When the Lord threatened to destroy the people it was to help them. Moses loved the people but had a temper and was frustrated. It was a reflection of Moses' thought of "Why deal with these people, why not wipe them out and find someone better" so God said to Moses "OK, stand aside and I will" for Moses to change his feelings and remember how much he loved them despite being frustrated, to help Moses become even more Christ like.