Question about the Trinity

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G

GWH

Groovy
#121
Oct 19, 2024
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#121
Dino246 said:
I disagree strongly. Dimensions are purely physical, and as such, physical/material space is encompassed in the first three. Time is usually (but not always) counted as the fourth dimension (and is also physical). The spirit realm, not being physical, is not one of the dimensions.


The creation is not anything "manifesting God"; it is the result of God's creative words. Jesus' incarnation is God's appearance within creation as a physical, mortal being.


While the Flatland analogy is useful for illustrating both higher dimensions and the spiritual realm, it fails (as all analogies do) to represent wholly and accurately the nature of the Trinity.


Here we agree: while some measure of understanding is necessary, belief where understanding fails is an appropriate response to God. :)
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The spirit realm, not being physical, is not one of the spiritual dimensions.

If Jesus' incarnation is God's appearance within creation as a physical, mortal being, then there is no good reason to think creation is not God's appearance as physical, material things.

While the Flatland analogy is useful for illustrating both higher dimensions and the spiritual realm, it fails (as all analogies do) to represent wholly and accurately the nature of the Trinity, which is why "we may have trouble understanding the concept of Trinity fully from a human point of view".

IOW, we agree while some measure of understanding is necessary, belief where fallible understanding fails is an appropriate response to God.
 
Dino246

Dino246

Senior Member
#122
Jun 30, 2015
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#122
GWH said:
The spirit realm, not being physical, is not one of the spiritual dimensions.
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Would you care to rethink that sentence?

GWH said:
If Jesus' incarnation is God's appearance within creation as a physical, mortal being, then there is no good reason to think creation is not God's appearance as physical, material things.
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Yes, there is a good reason: ?In the beginning, God created...." That strongly implies that God existed prior to and outside of the creation. Nowhere does Scripture say that God made creation as an extension of Himself, nor as an image of Himself. It does say that man is made in the image of God, but not that the rest of creation is.

GWH said:
IOW, we agree while some measure of understanding is necessary, belief where fallible understanding fails is an appropriate response to God.
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Exactly.
 
G

GWH

Groovy
#123
Oct 19, 2024
2,263
538
113
#123
Dino246 said:
Would you care to rethink that sentence?


Yes, there is a good reason: ?In the beginning, God created...." That strongly implies that God existed prior to and outside of the creation. Nowhere does Scripture say that God made creation as an extension of Himself, nor as an image of Himself. It does say that man is made in the image of God, but not that the rest of creation is.


Exactly.
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Oops! Yes, can't blame it on the wassail either! :^)

The spirit realm, not being physical, is not one of the physical dimensions.

Yes, nor does it say creation exists where God is not present.
 
C

ChristRoseFromTheDead

Well-known member
#124
Nov 1, 2024
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#124
GWH said:
I think God is One Being who is everywhere and who relates to humanity as 3 persons + 1 impersonal creation.
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God is everywhere, but God, the father, isn't except through his spirit and word, but those are still God
 
C

ChristRoseFromTheDead

Well-known member
#125
Nov 1, 2024
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#125
GWH said:
Well, as a former English teacher IMO you yourself are reading out of the text and semantics what you yourself don't want to see, but why you don't want to see the orthodox doctrine of God's omnipresence sustaining creation is beyond me!
)
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That's what exegesis is, which is the proper hermeneutical method. Eisegesis is reading what you want to see into the text, a big no-no

God is omnipresent through his spirit and word
 
G

GWH

Groovy
#126
Oct 19, 2024
2,263
538
113
#126
ChristRoseFromTheDead said:
That's what exegesis is, which is the proper hermeneutical method. Eisegesis is reading what you want to see into the text, a big no-no

God is omnipresent through his spirit and word
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So I guess what you do is exogesis. Interpreting the OT in light of the Gospel as the NT authors did and correctly applying our God-given reasoning ability to believe the Scriptures I cited teach God's omnipresence are NOT eisegesis.
 
B

Boughtwithaprice

New member
#127
Dec 28, 2024
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#127
Crazyjmill said:
From what I understand God, Jesus, and the Holy spirit are one and the same. My own personal take on it is Jesus is the right hand of God and perhaps the Holy Spirit His left hand. To me asking if Jesus is God is like asking is God his right hand or his left? Is God his head or His toes. The question doesn't make sense because God is all His parts, He is one. Perhaps Jesus was the finite image of God we needed to comprehend His infinity. Do you think I am in any way right in this thinking?
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It is scriptural to think of the Holy Spirit as God's 'right hand,' as He is referred to as such in the OT. Though Jesus shouldn't be thought of as the left hand, but is the visible "glove" of that invisible "right hand."

The Holy Spirit is an extension of God, an arm/hand. (The part of God that reaches down to us) For God to dwell with us, His "Set Apart" (translated as Holy) Spirit had to take on a human form. Jesus is God in(side) human flesh.

You are correct that He is One, and not three separate beings; likewise, as my arm/hand are not separate from me.
 
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