BLESSED TRINITY

Dear bloggers,

Welcome back for another discussion session. In this third post, we will be on the topic of the trinity. This is definately a subject or a concept that is impossible for any human to FULLY UNDERSTAND, let alone explain. However this does not imply that this teaching is false or not biblical. Here are some questions that we can dig into to further our understanding about The Trinity. Below each questions, i will provide my views on those questions.

• What is Trinitarianism? Did the Bible teach on Trinity? Is the word Trinity found in the Bible?

Trinity is a term that is used to attempt to describe the triune God. What is the triune God? There are 3 coexistent, co-eternal persons that make up God. Understand that this is NOT in any way suggesting 3 Gods. Many Christians have used various examples to bring out this fact. One of the examples is the egg illustration. It has 3 different component, as in the egg shell, the egg white and the yoke but it is not 3 eggs. It is one single egg. Though the BIble does not have the term “Trinity”, there is still nothing wrong with using the term “Trinity” even though the word is not found in the Bible. It is shorter to say the word “Trinity” than to say “3 coexistent, co-eternal persons making up 1 God.” If this presents a problem to you, consider this: the word “grandfather” is not used in the Bible either. Yet, we know there were grandfathers in the Bible. Abraham was the grandfather of Jacob. What should be of real importance is that the concept that is REPRESENTED by the word “Trinity” does exist in Scripture.

• Jesus in numerous occasions seem to suggest that he is lower than God? Can you please explain this?John 5:19
  Jesus gave them this answer: “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.John 5:30
  By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.
  Matt 24:36
  “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.

 At times we can find in the Scriptures which implies that Jesus is “lower” than the Father. In my opinion i think Jesus is “lower” than the Father only in that He is eternally begotten of the Father and will always serve and obey Him. However, He is not “lower” in a hierachy sense because Jesus is also the Father’s equal. He and the Father share the same beings as God and possessing all divine attributes, including omnipotence, omniscience, omnipresence, and the In John 10:30, Jesus said, “I and the Father are One.” The Bible did mentioned of Jesus, being made lower than the heavenly beings or angels “for a little while. This is where Christ has to leave His glory but yet He remained fully God, but he took a form of a human (humans are lower than God) to suffer death on our behalf. But after His resurrection, Christ was exalted once again, now glorified.
 

• Are the persons of the Godhead in heaven one or still remains three?

Its really mysterious coming to this questions but I believe that the fact of Three persons and one Godhead remains but according to the Scriptures John saw only one person sitting on the throne in Revelation 4:2. Hence it must be through this one person, that the Godhead is revealed.

HOW CAN WE KNOW GOD?

General revelation is a theological term which refers to a universal aspect of God, of God’s knowledge and of spiritual matters, discovered through natural means, such as observation of nature (the physical universe), philosophy and reasoning, human conscience or providence or providential history.

Special revelation is a theological term that states a belief that knowledge of God and of spiritual matters can be discovered through supernatural means, such as miracles or the scriptures, a disclosure of God’s truth through means other than through man’s reason.
Theologians use the term “special revelation” to describe God’s intervention to make God’s will and knowledge available that would not otherwise be available through general revelation.

~How can we know God?~

This second question we shall be dealing with the issue of General revelation and Special Revelation

• Can a person be saved through general revelation?
• What happens to those who have never heard about Jesus?

In my humble opinion, general revelation is sufficient to know of God’s existence and his fundamental attributes.General revelation is also reasonably sufficient for one to know he is a sinner and he needs salvation. This is because of the fact that human conscience is a form of general revelation that shows men right and wrong, and men thereby find their need for salvation.Having now shown that general revelation provides for knowing the existence of God and recognizing the need for salvation, therefore hypothethically i believe that somehow a person can be saved through general revelation.

Sadly there are many souls who have rejected general revelation. So would it be just for God to condemn those who throughout history have never had the opportunity to read the Bible or to hear the teachings of Jesus? There is no injustice with God, and there are some actions of God which make no sense to mortal man, but I find great comfort in knowing that in God’s grace and mercy, everyone has had some chance to believe. Nevertheless, I thank God for missionary work which takes the gospel to the far corners of Earth.

The main purpose for making this post is to help me clarify my own thinking on the subject and to get feedback from others so that I can mold and conform my thinking to the correct teaching of the Bible on the topic. Again, I am very much open to discuss on this issue, and my desire is to get feedback to test my thoughts.

IS THERE A GOD?

Everyday, unknowingly, our lives are surrounded by great wonders. The sun, moon and stars are up in the skies in the most amazing way. Beyond that spacious skies is a vast universe with a beauty way beyond our comprehension. And down here on the planet earth, every living creature lives and moves in a unique way. If that does not awe you then take a look into the mirror. The image of yourself in the mirror speaks loud enough that there must be an intelligent designer behind all this creation.

Many religion claim the existence of God. Here are some questions I would appreciate if my readers would take some time to think through and respond to them:

• Does God exist?
• Can we proof his existence?
• There are so many Gods, which is the true God?
• How do we define a true God?

There have traditionally been four basic arguments to prove God’s existence. Cosmological (creation), teleological (design), axiological (moral law), and ontological (being).

• Comological arguments says – the universe needed a cause at its begininng and it needs a cause right now to continue existing
• taleological argument says – there must be a Great Designer of the universe
• Axiological argument says – the cause of the universe must moral too besides being poerful and intelligent.
• Ontologial argument says – God must exist by definition. If God exists He must exists and cannot not exists.

looking at all the 4 arguments, if we smuggle in the comological argument, it clearly shows that there is a God. There is an ultimate cause of every life, substance, elements and cells in the universe. And it must be a cause that has always existed. That leaves us with no other options but God.

Now with so many gods in the world today. which is true and how do we define a true God??

here’s a quote by Theologian, R. C. Sproul, “Moses could meditate on the law; Muhammad could brandish a sword; Buddha could give personal counsel; Confucious could offer wise sayings; but none of these men was qualified to offer an atonement for the sins of the world…Chirst alone is the worthy of unlimited devotion and service.”

many Christians claim theirs is the one and only true God. But there are also many other religions who claim radical exclusivity. But the difference here is, no man spoke like Jesus, no one ever answered the questionsthe way he answered, not onlu pospositionally but also in His person. If anyone is an honest skeptic, this is not calling you to a feel good feeling experience, it is calling you to a REAL PERSON.

This truth claim of the existance of God and that He is the true God, is exclusive. It excludes what is contrary. Because if it does not exclude it is just an opinion.