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Re: Which is More Biblical: Oneness or Triniariani
Some time ago I heard (by email) from an individual who questioned whether I was trinity or not. He is part of a UPC near here. I do not know him but someone had forwarded him an email I had sent out. This is a summary of my answer to him back then and is description of what I believe about who Jesus is.
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Trinity, triunity, triune God, three persons, three manifestations,
three personalities, three personas, three modes. None of these terms
are in the Bible. But some of us use some of these words from time to
time. Just because these words are not in the Bible does not mean they
cannot be used. Like you said, we use the word rapture and that word is
not found in the Bible.
Trinity? Oneness? Why do we even use labels like this?
I don't like these labels, however, if I have to I can say that I am
Oneness and I am also Trinity.
I'm Oneness. I believe in one God. I believe that the Father, the Son,
and the Holy Ghost are all one, one God --not three gods.
I'm Trinity. Trinity is an abbreviation of tri (three) and unity
(united or one). I believe that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost
are all one, one God --not three gods.
I believe that God is an invisible spirit who fills all space. He is
separate from His creation. This is called His transcendence.
I also believe that that one God is immanent, or close to His creation
and interacts with it.
God is an invisible spirit who throughout the Old Testament has
revealed Himself to humankind as the angel (messenger) of JHVH. This
messenger was both the One who sent and the One who was sent. He was
God above all and separate from humanity and at the same time was God
among us humans. He was the invisible God who became visible. He was
the hidden God who was revealed or made manifest. As the distant God
come near, or as the hidden God revealed, He was called the Word, or
the Logos, or the Memra, or the glory of the Messiah, or Ha Kavod.
He appeared many times in the Old Testament and interacted with
humankind. He appeared to Abram. He wrestled with Jacob. He appeared to
Moses in a burning bush. He appeared to many in Israel as sitting on a
throne or as a pillar of fire or pillar of cloud. He appeared to Isaiah
as God above the temple, filling the temple. He appeared as a fourth
man in a furnace. Etc. Etc. These were temporary manifestations or
revelations of God. This was God revealed. That temporary revelation,
that Word, became flesh and dwelt among us.
After establishing the deity and the humanity of the
Logos/Word/Memra/Ha Kavod, in verses 1 through 17 of the Gospel named
after him, the apostle John went on in verse 18 of that first chapter
and said, "No man has ever seen God at any time; the only unique Son,
or the only begotten God, Who is in the bosom [in the intimate
presence] of the Father, He has declared Him [He has revealed Him and
brought Him out where He can be seen; He has interpreted Him and He has
made Him known]." Amplified Bible
In the first chapter of First John, the Apostle described this
Word/Logos/Memra/Ha Kavod as
the one who was from the beginning,
the one they heard with their ears,
the one they saw with their eyes,
the one they observed over a period of time,
the one their hands had handled.
the Word.
In other words, when Jesus took on humanity, He was the One true God of
the Old Testament, the invisible God who had made Himself visible over
the years and who had appeared to and interacted with humankind. He was
God the sender and God the sent one.
The doctrine of the trinity is an attempt to understand and explain
God. It was developed over the years. It was an attempt to explain the
God of the Hebrews in Latin and Greek terms and now later on into
English terms. No wonder we've got it so convoluted and difficult.
In the Old Testament, God was:
1 the Father --the One who was the creator and originator of all, the
one Who was above all and sovereign over all.
2 the Word --God revealed, localized, made known, among humankind and
interacting with humankind
3 the Spirit (Spirit of God, Spirit of the Lord, Holy Ghost, etc) --God
working upon, working among, working within people and things,
influencing, empowering, changing, etc.
In the New Testament, God is:
1 the Father --the One who is the creator and originator of all, the
one Who is above all and sovereign over all, the One who caused a virgin to conceive and bear a son, the One who has given us a birth from above so that we are now children of God
2 the Word/Son --God revealed, localized, made known, among humankind, living as a man among men, and interacting with humankind, the One who provided a sacrifice for sin as the Lamb of God
3 the Spirit (Spirit of God, Spirit of the Lord, Holy Ghost, Spirit of Jesus, Christ in us, etc) --God working upon, working among, working within people and things, influencing, empowering, changing, etc.
Is this Oneness or Trinity?
The answer is "yes."
__________________
Sam also known as Jim Ellis
Apostolic in doctrine
Pentecostal in experience
Charismatic in practice
Non-denominational in affiliation
Inter-denominational in fellowship
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