Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/5/84; site reed.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!harvard!talcott!panda!genrad!decvax!tektronix!reed!purtell From: purtell@reed.UUCP (Lady Godiva) Newsgroups: net.religion.christian Subject: Re: Trinity Message-ID: <1785@reed.UUCP> Date: Fri, 9-Aug-85 13:17:20 EDT Article-I.D.: reed.1785 Posted: Fri Aug 9 13:17:20 1985 Date-Received: Mon, 12-Aug-85 07:20:33 EDT References: <135@lmef.UUCP> <326@aero.ARPA> Reply-To: purtell@reed.UUCP (Lady Godiva) Distribution: net Organization: Reed College, Portland, Oregon Lines: 65 I promised myself that I wasn't going to enter this discussion, but here goes... In article <326@aero.ARPA> homeier@aero.UUCP (Peter Homeier (MISD)) writes: >But for what it's worth, here are some >thoughts on this three-fold nature of our Lord. >Although the nature of the Trinity is most clearly expressed in the New >Testament, there are an abundance of references to this in the Old Testament as >well, beginning in Genesis 1:26, at the very beginning: "Then God said, 'Let >Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness;'". I was taught that in this verse God is speaking to the earth. Let us (God and the earth) make man. Which is just what God did. He made man from the earth, and then breathed his spirit into him. This explanation always seemed to make more sense to me. >in Genesis 3:22, "Then the Lord God said, 'Behold, the man has become like one >of Us, to know good and evil.'". (NKJV) In these scriptures God describes >himself as plural. Again, how do you know he was refering to only himself? Remember, the angels, and Satan were created before man, and they all knew about good and evil. In short - I see no evidence for the trinity in the Old Testament. The New Testament, however, does certainly suggest that there are at least multiple facets of God, but it never uses the word trinity, or anything close. Who are we to say that there are only three, and to define them so well? I think that by trying to define God down to a level like that diminutises him. >I would like now to turn to each member of the Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy >Spirit, and try to describe my meager understanding of the nature of each. I >welcome whatever help others can give me in adding to or correcting this. [paragraph about the father, then one about Christ that ends like this:] >Jesus is also the One who will come again >to establish His kingdom here on earth, and to sweep away all evil forces in >the battle of Armageddon. The last sentence is incredibly debatable, but the only thing that I would like to discuss less than the trinity is prophesy. [Line about the Holy Spirit] Basically I think that everything that you have said is good, with only a few exceptions, which I have pointed out. My opinion is that sure, God has many different aspects to his nature, we all do. But to label them "father" "son" and "holy spirit" and to call them the trinity is what I have problems with. My advice is don't get too wrapped up in the doctrine of the trinity. Believing in it, or not believing in it, is not going to save or damn you. Although I do know people who would disagree violently with that. cheers - elizabeth g. purtell (Lady Godiva)