Ghost, going on with your expert, I agree that he said something like no proofs are adequate.
I agree that many so-called examples have been provided or even "proofs" in some sense.
I agree that they are all not too consequential. And that is because there is NOTHING in the universe that we can point to as an adequate example to compare to the nature of God.
And example I use I usually preface with a warning that it is not THAT good so as to end the matter completely.
"Explain God. Give three examples" is hard, maybe impossible.
God is apart from all other things that exist. That does not forbid that we give it a try to help some. I said "SOME".
The Father is for experience and enjoyment.
The Son is for experience and participation.
The Holy Spirit is for partaking, experience, and fellowship.
The Three are not so that people can have a perplexing doctrine.
God is for enjoyment in fellowship and participation.
And most of the verses about the Three distinct yet not separate "Persons" of the Trinity are spoken of in the context of experience. And the tone is that the audience understands something of what is being said.
I put "Persons" in quotations because it is of limited usage even to say three "Persons". Anyway. many of us realize that our analogies, examples, et5c. are by no means 100% successful to explain the mystery of God's being.
A balanced view of God:
A true balanced view I think should cover all sides equally as this table of contents does.
The book - The Revelation of the Triune God According to the Pure Word of the Bible by Witness Lee
Table of Contents
I. GOD IS UNIQUELY ONE
II. GOD IS TRIUNE
A. “I” Is “Us”
B. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit
C. All Three Are God
1. The Father Is God
2. The Son Is God
3. The Spirit Is God
D. All Three Are Eternal
1. The Father Is Eternal
2. The Son Is Eternal
3. The Spirit Is Eternal
E. All Three Exist at the Same Time
F. All Three Are One
1. The Son Is the Father
2. The Son and the Father Are One
3. The Last Adam Became a Life-giving Spirit
4. The Lord (the Son) Is the Spirit
G. All Three Are in Us
III. A MYSTERY
This is truly a balanced presentation.
And I could show you many others .... BALANCED.
Here is another example of true BALANCED treatment.
The book -
Modalism, Tritheism, or the Pure Revelation of the Triune God by Ron Kangus
Table of Contents
MODALISM
Some Definitions
The Modalistic Concept of the Trinity
A Brief History of Modalism
TRITHEISM
AN ATTEMPT TO AVOID THE EXTREMES OF MODALISM AND TRITHEISM
THE PURE WORD OF GOD
THE PURE REVELATION OF THE TRIUNE GOD ACCORDING TO THE BIBLE
One Unique God
The Three Persons of the Godhead
All Three Being God and Being Eternal
The Simultaneous Existence of the Father, Son, and Spirit
The Three Being One
The Son Being Called the Father
Christ, the Son, Being the Spirit
GOD’S INTENTION IN REVEALING HIMSELF AS THE UNIQUE TRIUNE GOD
FOOTNOTES
No aspect is neglected in favor of another.
All sides of the mystery equally presented.
This is the kind of teaching I am use to.
Above Ghost I have given you samples of ministry which I think are truly balanced in their presentation.
Now I would include an excerpt from Ron Kangus's booklet. Just a portion to discuss what I think is some peoples' fear - Tritheism.
TRITHEISM
As a sharp contrast to modalism, tritheism is the belief in three Gods, especially in the doctrine that the three Persons of the Trinity are three distinct Gods. According to tritheism, the Father, Son, and Spirit are three separate Gods. Even today, some say that the Father is one God, that the Son is one God, and that the Spirit is also one God. This is tritheism. Whenever the distinctions of the Persons of the Godhead are pressed too far, the result will be tritheism. Speaking of the term Person, W. H. Griffith Thomas, one of the founders of Dallas Theological Seminary and a highly respected student of the Bible, said:
Like all human language, it is liable to be accused of inadequacy and even positive error. It certainly must not be pressed too far, or it will lead to Tritheism. While we use the term to denote distinctions in the Godhead, we do not imply distinctions which amount to separateness, but distinctions which are associated with essential mutual co-inherence or inclusiveness.30
A form of tritheism is represented by the doctrine of Arius. In Arius’ formulation, the Father was fully God, the Son had the status of the leading creature, and the Spirit was inferior to the Son. Although for Arius the divine status of the Son and the Spirit was uncertain, his formula must be considered as a type of tritheism.31 The teaching of Arius aroused a great controversy in the early decades of the fourth century. This controversy grew so intense that at the invitation of the Emperor Constantine, the Council of Nicaea convened in 325 A.D. to settle the dispute among the churches of the empire over the doctrine of the Trinity. The main issue was between Arius with his form of tritheism and Athanasius with the orthodox doctrine of the Trinity. The Nicene Creed that resulted from this council overthrew the heresy of Arius and tritheism with an anathema at the end of the creed.32 By the time of the Council of Nicaea, both modalism, especially that of Sabellius, and tritheism had been defeated.
The book - Modalism, Tritheism, or the Pure Revelation of the Triune God
by Ron Kangus
https://contendingforthefaith.org/en/modalism-tritheism-or-the-pure-revelation-of-the-triune-god/
Trinity Is Not A Christian Idea:
One idea that became popular among Christians around the fourth century was that of a trinity of gods. It was not, however, a new idea conceived by Christians, for there is much evidence of widespread belief in similar ideas throughout earlier recorded history.
Many scholars believe that the Trinity, as taught by Christians, comes from Plato as suggested in the Timaeus, but the Platonic trinity is itself merely a rearrangement of older trinities dating back to earlier peoples.(3)
In Indian religion there is the Trinitarian group of Brahma, Vishna, and Shiva; in Egyptian religion there is the group of Kneph, Phthas, and Osiris. In Phoenicia the trinity of gods were Ulomus, Ulosuros, and Eliun. In Greece they were Zeus, Poseidon, and Aidoneus.
In Rome they were Jupiter, Neptune, and Pluto. In Babylonia and Assyria they were Anos, lllinos, and Aos. Among Celtic nations they were called Kriosan, Biosena, and Siva, and in Germanic nations they were called Thor, Wodan, and Fricco.(4)
Trinities of gods existed in other cultures as well, including, but not limited to, those of Siberia, Persia, Japan, Scandinavia, and Mexico.
We can see, therefore, that although the Trinity is characteristic of the Christian religion, it is by no means peculiar to it.
http://www.auburn.edu/~allenkc/trinity.html
@sonship saidSonship,
@divegeester
Who is the One who is the Eternal Father ?
He is the one who is and who was and who is coming. (Rev. 1:4).
Who is the One coming on the clouds who was pierced and whom all the tribes of the Holy Land will see?
He is the "Almighty" ... who is, and who was, and who is coming.
Death and Hades are thrown into the lake of fire in the last judgm ...[text shortened]... he earth.
To Him who loves us and has loosed us from our sins by His blood." (Rev. 1:5) [/quote]
Will your version of God, the man Jesus Christ make me endure eternal suffering because I reject the teaching of the trinity?
If so then I need to know as I would have the opportunity to reconsider.
@ghost-of-a-duke saidThe truth from the mouth of an atheist. Better that the mouth of a donkey I suppose.
GOD – A SINGLE ENTITY AND NOT A TRINITY
A balanced view of God:
To get a balanced and consistent view of who and what God is we must surely, have to take the whole of the Biblical record into account. We shall start with some references from the beginning of the Bible to see what the early believers in God wrote.
“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD” D ...[text shortened]... ly said he is one being.
http://www.the-gospel-truth.info/bible-teachings/god-unity-or-trinity/
http://www.auburn.edu/~allenkc/trinity.html
Lazy cut and paste nonsense there.
You're not even being consistent in your cut and pasted criticisms now.
Just "Whatever sticks to the wall" wild knee-jerk opposition to Christians.
Tell you what. I'm moving on. You and Dive just stay there where you like to hang out.
You're not hurting me. You're not hurting the church of God.
You're not hurting the truth.
@ghost-of-a-duke saidForgive me, but you think there is a god for the OT, and a different god for the NT.
The Trinty is not biblical.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=93giRf74gjI
Now you want to correct me and others on the doctrine of the Trinity. You didn't
defend your first assertion about dual gods of the OT and NT when we started
talking about it. Outside of stating your position as if that were enough you didn't
stick around to see that discussion through. Having someone say online that
Christianity would have you believe X but its not true isn't a compelling argument
either.
Divegeester,
The New Testament says that the factious man, after the first and second admonition refuse.
Maybe some will congratulate you on being a very good "factious man".
Maybe some will notice your repetitive nonsensical questions and bestow on you the "factious man award of the year" for trying to force others to be as sectarian as you are.
The Recovery Version translates the passage well.
"A factious man after the first and second admonition, refuse,
Knowing that such a one is perverted and is sinning, though he is condemend by his own self." (Titus 3:10,11 RcV )
You're a factious man who doesn't want to be refused. You want to be a factious man who challenges others 'Well am I going to be damned because I am a factious man."
Maybe you would relish being pronounced one who is to perish for some weird reason.
Sorry to disappoint you by not letting you corner me into pronouncing you unsaved.
I just say you're a factious man - they can be a dime a dozen. Big deal.
The word facetious describes something you don't take seriously. ... The word factious looks a lot like its cousin faction, which is a small, sometimes rebellious group. Factious, then, is easy to remember, as the adjectival form of the noun faction. To be factious is to act like a faction.
Derived from "a FACTIOUS man" in Titus 3:10
Some other translations -
Christian Standard Bible
Reject a divisive person after a first and second warning.
Contemporary English Version
Warn troublemakers once or twice. Then don't have anything else to do with them.
New American Standard 1977
Reject a factious man after a first and second warning,
Weymouth New Testament
After a first and second admonition, have nothing further to do with any one who will not be taught;
World English Bible
Avoid a factious man after a first and second warning;
Young's Literal Translation
A sectarian man, after a first and second admonition be rejecting,
I expect you to keep it up with
"Well, am I damned yet?
Well, am I damned yet?
Well, am I damned yet?
Well, am I damned yet?"
Whatever perverted pleasure it gives you to try to force other Christians to pronounce you rejected by Christ, I don't know. But you can be a stubborn, divisive, factious, argumentative man who fancies himself a framer of hard questions, and still be a brother in the Lord - IF you are indeed a believer. I take you at face value of your confession.
You don't hurt me by being a factious man. Now I'll leave this post with a fuller quote from the RcV on "a factious man".
But avoid foolish questionings and genealogies and strifes and contentions about the law, for they are unprofitable and vain.
A FACTIUS MAN, after the first and second admonition refuse,
Knowing that such a one is perverted and is sinning, though he is condemned by his own self."
Don't bother to argue that you are not talking about the law or geneologies. The PRINCIPLE is the same in talking about anything else from the Bible.
@kellyjay saidThe “trinity” is not in the bible.
Forgive me, but you think there is a god for the OT, and a different god for the NT.
Now you want to correct me and others on the doctrine of the Trinity. You didn't
defend your first assertion about dual gods of the OT and NT when we started
talking about it. Outside of stating your position as if that were enough you didn't
stick around to see that discussion through. ...[text shortened]... ne that
Christianity would have you believe X but its not true isn't a compelling argument
either.
Not once, at all.
@sonship saidIs that a yes, or a no?
Divegeester,
The New Testament says that the factious man, after the first and second admonition refuse.
Maybe some will congratulate you on being a very good "factious man".
Maybe some will notice your repetitive nonsensical questions and bestow on you the "factious man award of the year" for trying to force others to be as sectarian as you are.
The Rec ...[text shortened]... s that you imagine, that is the true and righteous judging and judgments told us in the word of God.
The “trinity” is not in the bible.
Not once, at all.
KellyJay,
Do you believe that Christ died a substantiationary death for your sins?
KellyJay, do you believe Jesus died as a substitute for you on the cross?
I believe Christ died as a substitute for me on the cross.
Interesting, the word "substitute" I don't think I can find anywhere in the New Testament.
The truth is there.
The actual word I may not be able to locate.
@sonship saidYou sound like you are demanding loyalty and obedience to you personally. Why don't you refer to divegeester's beliefs as "germs" or "faeces" and see if that brings him around to your way of thinking. Can a "factious man" be "saved" or do you believe he will be tortured for eternity?
Divegeester,
The New Testament says that the factious man, after the first and second admonition refuse.
Maybe some will congratulate you on being a very good "factious man".
Maybe some will notice your repetitive nonsensical questions and bestow on you the "factious man award of the year" for trying to force others to be as sectarian as you are.
The Rec ...[text shortened]... out the law or geneologies. The PRINCIPLE is the same in talking about anything else from the Bible.
@sonship saidThere are a lot of words not in the Bible, chess, cars, airplanes, trucks, and so on.The “trinity” is not in the bible.
Not once, at all.
KellyJay,
Do you believe that Christ died a substantiationary death for your sins?
KellyJay, do you believe Jesus died as a substitute for you on the cross?
I believe Christ died as a substitute for me on the cross.
Interesting, the word "substitute" I don't think I can fin ...[text shortened]... nywhere in the New Testament.
The truth is there.
The actual word I may not be able to locate.
Translations from one language to the next use all types of words to work out
various meanings across divers people's. Sometimes they use words that in later
years wouldn't be used due to time and alterations of each language. We don't
speak in King James English anymore or at least most of us.
It isn't that the word Trinity isn't in the Bible that is important but the meaning
assigned to that word. Rapture may not be in scripture but the event we have
assigned to the event is.
With respect to substitute He did it for us and that is all that matters to me.
Romans 5:8
but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
@kellyjay saidIn what way are the words "chess", "cars", "airplanes", "trucks" said by any serious people to be absolutely central to the nature of God and a supposedly definitive explanation of a fundamental religious doctrine?
There are a lot of words not in the Bible, chess, cars, airplanes, trucks, and so on.