Hmmm.... well, this much I know. God is a noun. A personal one!
Technically, "God" is a proper noun.
"A proper noun has two distinctive features: 1) it will name a specific [usually a one-of-a-kind] item, and 2) it will begin with a capital letter no matter where it occurs in a sentence."
Some people seem to think a Spirit cannot be a person since they think a person is human alone. But that is not the case. I already quoted Hebrews 1 that refers to God as a person. The Son was the express image of God's person. God is a Spirit, yes. But He is a person as well. Spirit and person are not contradictory. They are simply different from one another altogether. His single person has eternally been Spirit, but that same person took upon Himself humanity and manifested as Son of God as well. The same person is both eternal God and Son of God.
The best way I can describe it is like saying if I was God, I can turn myself into a chair and a table at the same time, and my single person belongs to both the table and chair, but the table is not the chair. They're both me, though.
I think it is a mistake to call God the Father a person because He is so much more than a human person, that the only way to properly describe Him is to call Him God. Calling God a person does not help understand Father, Son and Holy Ghost, since most people equate person with body, will, image, mind etc.
Things that the Son has that the Father doesn't. I guess it depends on your definition of person as to wether we can call God a person or not, not withstanding Hebrews 1. How do you define person?
I think it is a mistake to call God the Father a person because He is so much more than a human person, that the only way to properly describe Him is to call Him God. Calling God a person does not help understand Father, Son and Holy Ghost, since most people equate person with body, will, image, mind etc.
Things that the Son has that the Father doesn't. I guess it depends on your definition of person as to wether we can call God a person or not, not withstanding Hebrews 1. How do you define person?
The poll asks "Is God a person", not "Is God a human person".
I ask again, for those that think the word person can only mean a human being, do you really believe Trinitarainism teaches three human persons?
__________________ Let it be understood that Apostolic Friends Forum is an Apostolic Forum.
Apostolic is defined on AFF as:
There is One God. This one God reveals Himself distinctly as Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
The Son is God himself in a human form or "God manifested in the flesh" (1Tim 3:16)
Every sinner must repent of their sins.
That Jesus name baptism is the only biblical mode of water baptism.
That the Holy Ghost is for today and is received by faith with the initial evidence of speaking in tongues.
The saint will go on to strive to live a holy life, pleasing to God.
I think it is a mistake to call God the Father a person because He is so much more than a human person,
But that is the point. Why assume PERSON means HUMAN PERSON?
Quote:
that the only way to properly describe Him is to call Him God. Calling God a person does not help understand Father, Son and Holy Ghost, since most people equate person with body, will, image, mind etc.
Things that the Son has that the Father doesn't. I guess it depends on your definition of person as to wether we can call God a person or not, not withstanding Hebrews 1. How do you define person?
I think this is missing the issue. The issue is that the bible called God a person. That's all. We cannot discard the biblical terminology, but rather correct our faulty terminology.
__________________ ...MY THOUGHTS, ANYWAY.
"Many Christians do not try to understand what was written in a verse in the Bible. Instead they approach the passage to prove what they already believe."
But that is the point. Why assume PERSON means HUMAN PERSON?
I think this is missing the issue. The issue is that the bible called God a person. That's all. We cannot discard the biblical terminology, but rather correct our faulty terminology.
I asked you, how do you define person?
Other translations of hebrews 1:3 use the word "substance" or "nature". Better words than the kjv use of the word person.