Theological thought: I keep coming across descriptions of the three-in-one nature of God (or the Trinity) by well-meaning christians, and Im concerned when someone describes the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as separate Persons. I do not deny the teaching of the Trinity, but when you look at the bible, nowhere are the Persons within the One God described as separate. On the contrary, the bible portrays Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as absolutely inseparable. To know the Son is to know the Father (John 14:8-11), and to know the Son is to know the Holy Spirit (John 14:15-17). You cannot encounter the Father apart from the Son and Holy Spirit, nor can you encounter the Son apart from the Father and Holy Spirit, nor can you encounter the Holy Spirit apart from the Father and the Son. The moment one declares the separation between Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, one has found themselves with three Gods. (So also words such as beings, spirits, ect are not proper when speaking of the God of the bible. This is because He is one Being (Isaiah 43:10-11, 44:6), who is Spirit (John 4:24). As a separate person from my father, I cannot truly and exhaustively say that to know me is to know my father. However Jesus could say that to see, know and believe in Him, is to see, know, and believe in His Father. So though it is clear that Father, Son and Holy Spirit are distinct as to the fact that love, relation, ect are shown between the three; there is no separation at all. Just as we can distinguish between past, present, and future and yet grasp the inseparable nature of the three, knowing that to encounter the present is to encounter the past and the future simultaneously. As there is only one Time that exists as past, present, and future, so there is only one God who exists as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. I know this is long theological brain surge, but I hope it blesses someone today :)
Posted on: Tue, 02 Sep 2014 18:06:56 +0000
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