Which is More Biblical: Oneness or Triniarianism?

[mizpeh]

Part 2

Dan,

But there's more. There is an Old Testament context for that word, too. The word gnosis is a word from ginosko, it is used to translate the Old Testament word yadah, that word in the Old Testament speaks of a union of love. When you see yadah in the Hebrew Old Testament it can be ginosko that's translated in the Greek, it means to know. But it expresses a bond of love. For example, it says, "Adam knew his wife and she bore a son." It doesn't mean he knew who she was. He knew who she was all right, but he had an intimate love relationship with her. It says in Amos 3:2, "Israel only have I known." And what God means is they're the only people I know about? No. I have an intimate love bond with them, there's an intimacy there. The word know implies the union of love. In the case of Israel it had to do with election and grace. It was a bonding together in intimate love. Jesus said, "My sheep hear My voice and I know them. I have a bond of love." Jesus said, "Depart from Me, I never knew you...I had no bond of love with you." So there's a Jewish intent with the word as well as a sort of Gentile one. The Gentile intent is to speak of a deep surpassing mystical intimate communing love with Christ. And the Hebrew one expresses that union of love, that bond of love that extricably ties people together. And all of that is in the word TO KNOW.

Dan, I'm taught all the time by my pastor that "it's not about religion but about a relationship". Our relationship with God is built on way we get close to Him or the different ways we can get to know Him, like in prayer, worship, and reading His word.

I'm not sure why you are going into this deep study of the word, to know. Is this suppose to show me that I'm wrong for wanting to KNOW who God is not only in an intimate way but with my mind/understanding? You are giving one aspect of the word, to know. It also has a connotation of understanding as well. The intimate love aspect is usually used when speaking about sexual relations between men and women... Adam knew his wife, etc. I want to know (understand) who I serve and I want to know (love in an close relationship) who I serve. Understanding who I serve enables me to love who I serve in a more intimate way.

If we have a deep relationship with God will we not come to KNOW who he is? You may see some blurring in the doctrine of the Trinity and Oneness but I don't. You may see semantics at play but I don't. It's black and white to me. I want to know the truth about who I worship and who I'm praying to and who I'm being 'intimate' with.

So carry on w/ your crusade to prove you know God better than a Trinitarian ... as it obviously important to corner the abstract concept of truth and make sure the right formula is said in baptism.

I'll straddle in Yaddahing him and pray others will seek this union despite the inability to fully explain everything about the mystery of godliness.

I can't explain everything about the incarnation. I'm not claiming to know everything about God. Knowing God is One is not an abstract concept of truth. You can find it in the plain reading of the OT. And I've said NOTHING about baptism.

You have just gone through your post deriding me for wanting to KNOW God for who He is while all the while you are using book knowledge of God's word through a deeper understanding of the original languages (which is great) to prove a point that you will come to KNOW God through a personal relationship apart from understanding who He is. It can't be done.

The Bible is not blurry on whether God is to be worshipped in three persons or one person. I suggest if you want to know God intimately you have to understand who He is.