3 personalities in 1 God.
 

When explaining his belief in the trinity to me, a baptist friend of mine that is taking classes at a local bible college explained the trinity as being 3 personalities in 1 God. I thought you all might find that interesting. I would imagine that he got this explanation from one of his professors, but I can't be certain. Either way, I thought it was interesting.

Re: 3 personalities in 1 God.
 

That's exactly how some Oneness have explained their view! Weird.

Re: 3 personalities in 1 God.
 

Did they use that term or was it manifestations ?

Re: 3 personalities in 1 God.
 

Seems like most of us whether we consider ourselves oneness or trinity pretty much believe the same when it comes to what we call the "Godhead."

God is three and He is one.

When we go beyond that and try to explain or understand it, we get into trouble.

Re: 3 personalities in 1 God.
 

The difference between personalities and manifestations in my mind is that one implies independent behaviour from each "person", while the other doesn't necessarily.

Re: 3 personalities in 1 God.
 

Agreed.

Re: 3 personalities in 1 God.
 

Is a personality different than a person?

Re: 3 personalities in 1 God.
 

I think he intended for them to be.

Re: 3 personalities in 1 God.
 

???? I don't recall ever hearing that explanation from any Oneness folks.

Re: 3 personalities in 1 God.
 

Re: 3 personalities in 1 God.
 

I think I recall someone quoting an old (first half 20th Century, or so) Oneness doctrine, not sure if it was UPCI or something else, that used the word "personalities", but I can't find it.

Re: 3 personalities in 1 God.
 

You may mean this that I have posted before:

This is a small article that appeared on page 7 of the December 1948 Pentecostal Herald and was written by Bro. Howard A. Goss who was General Superintendent of the UPC.

GODHEAD

The name of Jesus people teach that there is one true God and this one true God has manifested Himself in the New Testament dispensation especially. as Father, Son and Holy Spirit--not three eternally separate, distinct persons or Gods, but three manifestations of the one true God. We believe that we are the true trinitarians because the word trinity means tri-unity--three in one. The people that hold that there are three eternally separate and distinct persons in the Godhead or deity are tritheists which means three Gods or persons.

Those that believe that Jesus Christ was God manifested in the flesh are the true trinitarians. Paul says in Colossians 2:9 "For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily." 1 John 5:7 says, "For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one." Jesus said-"He that hath seen me hath seen the Father--. John 14:9.

The Lord Jesus Christ is Father, Son. and Holy Spirit, so the Lord Jesus Christ is the one true God.

Howard A. Goss.
--------------------------------------------------------

This is from pages 2 and 3 of the Manual of the Pentecostal Church Incorporated. I don’t know what year this is from.


GODHEAD

“For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:” Romans 1:20

There is one ever-living Eternal God, who is Spirit (Isa. 44:6-8; Mark 12:29; John 4:24; 1 Cor 8:6)

He manifested himself in the Old Testament in various ways and under different names, such as God Elohim, God Almighty, El Shaddai and the “I am the I AM,”Jehovah, and especially Jehovah Lord, the redemptive NAME.

In the New Testament this one true God was manifest in the flesh or in His son, Jesus Christ “For when the fullness of time was come, God sent forth His son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law”; “God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them”; “for in Him (Jesus) dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily”; “For it pleased the Father that in Him should all fullness dwell”; “and without controversy great is the mystery of Godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.”

Man is triune spirit, soul, and body. God is triune, a trinity. Three manifestations of one God, not three eternally distinct persons or Gods, as that is tritheism.

Jesus in His humanity, was man; in His deity, was God. His flesh was the Lamb or sacrifice of God. (Heb 10:10-20).

The Son of God is the only hope of the world. The Man,He is, is the mediator between God and man. (1 Tim 2:5)

God is multiple. That is, He has many names, offices, titles, many manifestations, such as God, Son of God, Son of Man, Lord of All, King, Shepherd, Priest, Holy One, Lamb, Alpha and Omega. He is all and in all. Amen

Re: 3 personalities in 1 God.
 

Maybe. I don't see "personalities" mentioned there, but it says "we are the true trinitarians". That may be what triggered my recalling of this quote. Dunno.

Re: 3 personalities in 1 God.
 

I had a UPC minister tell me many years ago, "I don't believe in three persons but I believe in three personalities." Well, "persons" and/or "personalities" can mean different things to different people and, as far as I know, neither term is used in our KJV in plural form in reference to God (unless you count Job 13:7-10 and Hebrews :1-3).

Re: 3 personalities in 1 God.
 

Nothing in the bible about God being three anythings.

Re: 3 personalities in 1 God.
 

Still leads to the question of why the whole Father, Son, Holyghost distinctions are ever made.

Re: 3 personalities in 1 God.
 

So I guess the big question ,according to this is, are we trinitatian oneness or threeness?

Re: 3 personalities in 1 God.
 

The answer is "yes"

Re: 3 personalities in 1 God.
 

At one time I was a baby, I was a daughter, a young girl, then a
young woman. Later I became a married woman, a wife. Then I
became a mother, later a grandmother, now a Great-Grand-mother.
Through the years I also became a mother in law, a sister in law,
a daughter in law.
There was a time I was not a wife, a mother, a grandmother or a
Great-Grandmother. There was a time I was not some of the other
offices. But I now hold many offices. BUT I am still one!
All these offices I have held have been in the person of this
one woman. Not personalities, but offices! The office of a
baby, girl, or young woman, I no longer hold. Those roles
have been fulfilled and are now PAST!

Was there a time God was not a Father, Son or otherwise!

Just asking!

Falla39

Re: 3 personalities in 1 God.
 

Yet, the "mother" you didn't pray to the "grandmother" you, you didn't refer to your other offices as separate entities when talking to other people (No man cometh unto the Father but by me"). Just a couple of examples of differences that make it a bit unclear.

Re: 3 personalities in 1 God.
 

When Jesus was yet on earth, humanity prayed to Deity.
The Son as humanity prayed to His Father (Deity). There
was a time Jesus was not humanity except in the mind of
God. "But the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might re-
ceive the adoption of sons". Gal.4:4,5
Now what was your question!

Re: 3 personalities in 1 God.
 

lol

Re: 3 personalities in 1 God.
 

Does this mean that Jesus had a part of his spirit that was not God praying to a Father in heaven? Or, was he talking to himself as many claim?

So, when Jesus was on earth, did he encapsulate all of God? If not, what was the rest of Him called, and where was He?

Re: 3 personalities in 1 God.
 

OnThe Fritz,

I don't think we are on the same page.
The questions you are asking have nothing
to do with the point I was making in the
first place.

Falla39

Re: 3 personalities in 1 God.
 

How so? You are saying that any distinction between Father, Son and HG can be explained with "roles" argument. I'm just trying to understand how the examples I mentioned fit into that classification. Not trying to be obtuse.

Re: 3 personalities in 1 God.
 

A lot of Trinitarians accept this explanation of the Godhead. The problem begins when you ask them the question, "How many will we see in Heaven?" Then, some of them will switch to a polytheistic view, separating the three personalities into three distinct God-beings. Some will even back this view by using 1 John 5:7. This argument is not sound doctrine, because it is built upon a highly debated text, which in my personal opinion, doesn't belong in the Bible. In fact, most modern translations remove the verse completely.

If the Trinitarian believes that we will only see one God in Heaven, then he is trapped. If there is only one visible God in Heaven, then why argue theology?

Oneness believers get themselves into trouble as well when they say things like, "Jesus is God". If Jesus is God period, then how could God pray to God? The correct statement would be, "Jesus is God manifest in the flesh."

Explaining the distinctions between the Father, Jesus and the Holy Ghost by separating them completely is inconsistent nonsense. If we are to separate because of distinction, then we must take all of God's names, and make them into separate God's. He is known as the God of peace, the God of all comfort, the Lord of Hosts, exc.

Distinctions are necessary when it comes to the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Almighty God, through the incarnation, took on a fleshly form, which was something that He had never done before. He took on this role for redemptive purposes. The role of the Holy Ghost was also a role that wasn't fully in operation until the day of Pentecost. The Old Testament reveals that the Spirit would come upon a person, but it would not remain inside of them. David said, "Take not thy Holy Spirit from me." We've all heard it said before, but it's Father in creation, Son in redemption, and Holy Spirit in regeneration.

Re: 3 personalities in 1 God.
 

Simply put I was trying to explain that GOD is NOT a
GOD of mulitiple PERSONALITIES!! I believe that would
be classified as a medical disorder!

Isaiah 9:6,7-
There would be a child born, and a son given, and the
government would rest upon his shoulder. His name would
be called Wonderful,Counsellor, The Mighty God, The Ever-
lasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
The Mighty God (Spirit) IN the SON, the man Christ Jesus.
Deity mediating through Humanity to a lost world.

Falla39

Re: 3 personalities in 1 God.
 

Heb.1:1-8

1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,

2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high:

4 Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.

5 For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?

6 And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him.

7 And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.

8 But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.

Re: 3 personalities in 1 God.
 

AMEN ONLY ONE GOD. The whole book of Isaiah is full of references that state this.