Is Three-in-one-gods Polytheism?

[Zzyzx]

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From another thread:

The Doctrine of the Trinity is not "three-gods-in-one". In fact, that is precisely what it is NOT, since Christians begin from the fundamental premise that "there is only one true God". Rather, it is an effort to define the inter-relation of the person, being and substance of the three divine Persons mentioned in the Bible.

According to Christian literature and dogma:

1) Is Jesus, "the son of god" a "god" or is "he" not?

2) Is "god the father" a "god" or is "he" not?

3) Is the "holy spirit" (whatever that means) a "god" of is "he" not?

Does 1 + 1 + 1 = 1 in Christendom?????

Does "creative math" (or creative imagination) avoid polytheism?

[ThatGirlAgain]

Water can be in three different forms, solid (ice) Gas and liquid yet the makeup is the same. It is just the form.

The three forms of water do not co-exist simultaneously in the same group of H2O molecules, although ice may float in water. The Trinity doctrine is that God is always three co-existing persons. An alternative form of trinitarianism that was condemned as a heresy by the early church is Sabellianism, also called modalism, in which the three persons are really only three modes in which a single God might be perceived.

[teddy_trueblood]

1. God is Jehovah (YHWH in Hebrew text) Alone.
2. Jehovah is the Father Alone.
3. The Father (Jehovah) is the God of the Messiah.
4. The Father (Jehovah) is God Alone.
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Bible students should know, as basic information, that most English Bibles have misused God's only personal name as "LORD" over 6000 times. This name, YHWH in the Hebrew OT text, is properly transliterated into English as "Jehovah" (ASV, MKJV, Young's, etc. and in a few places such as Ps. 83:18 in KJV and Exodus 3:15 in MLB, LB, etc.) or "Yahweh" (JB, NJB, Rotherham, etc.). This name is found in Hebrew as:

http://www.studylight.org/lex/heb/brows ... n=101&pn=6 (see 03068 - ‘Transliterated word’ and ‘Phonetic spelling’)

It is important to have this knowledge in order to better understand exactly who is the only true God.

1. God Alone = Jehovah (YHWH in Hebrew text) - Ps. 83:18; 86:10; Is. 37:16, 20 (and numerous Israelite personal names like 'Elijah' which mean 'God is Jehovah).

Psalms 83:18 That they may know that thou alone, whose name is Jehovah (YHWH), Art the Most High over all the earth. - ASV.

Ps. 86:10 For thou art great, and doest wondrous things: Thou art God alone. 11 Teach me thy way, O Jehovah (YHWH); I will walk in thy truth: Unite my heart to fear thy name. - ASV.

Is. 37:16 O Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, that sittest [above] the cherubim, thou art the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; thou hast made heaven and earth. - ASV.

Ps. 150:6 Let everything that hath breath praise Jehovah. Praise ye Jehovah." - ASV

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2. Only Jehovah = the Father in heaven - Ps. 2:7 (Acts 13:33); Is. 64:8 (and numerous Israelite personal names like 'Abijah' which mean 'The Father is Jehovah')

Psalms 2:7 I will tell of the decree: Jehovah said unto me, Thou art my son; This day have I begotten thee. -ASV.

Acts 13:33 that God hath fulfilled the same unto our children, in that he raised up Jesus; as also it is written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee. - ASV.

Isaiah 64:8 But now, O Jehovah, thou art our Father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.

But there are no personal names in scripture which mean "Jehovah is the Son" or "Jehovah is the Messiah," or anything else to indicate that the firstborn son of God is Jehovah or is God.
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3. The Father (Jehovah) is the God of the Messiah

Micah 5:2-4 2 And thou, Beth-Lehem Ephratah, Little to be among the chiefs of Judah! From thee to Me he cometh forth--to be ruler in Israel, And his comings forth [are] of old, From the days of antiquity. 3 Therefore he doth give them out till the time She who bringeth forth hath brought forth, And the remnant of his brethren return to the sons of Israel. 4 And he hath stood and delighted in the strength of Jehovah, In the excellency of the name of Jehovah his God - Young's.

Ro. 15:6 so that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. - NASB.

2 Corinthians 11:31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, He who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying. - NASB.

Revelation 1:6 and He [Jesus Christ in heaven] has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father--to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. - NASB.


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4. The Father (Jehovah - see above) = only true God

John 17:1, 3 "Father, .... 3 "This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. - NASB.
Also see Jeremiah 10:10, ASV.
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Therefore,

The Father (Jehovah) = only God for Christians - 1 Cor. 8:6

1 Corinthians 8:6 yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist. - RSV.

1 Corinthians 8:6 yet there is for us only one God, the Father, who is the Creator of all things and for whom we live; and there is only one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things were created and through whom we live. - TEV.

Ephesians 4:6 one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all. - NASB.

[Flail]

Calvinsbulldog is correct. Theopoesis also explained this well. And I have tried.

They are not each a god, they are each persons in one God. They be one. Whether philosophically sound or mythically symbolic, Christian trinity, the triune god, is a singular godhead. Not three god's. Although people have misread it for millennia.

It's not about math, but rather about personhood, and very specific philosophic meanings of terms invoked to give account of experience and the mythic inheritance (scripture). Its development as a doctrine makes interesting reading as a study of the intersection of philosophy, experience, and tradition , and how in the end it became humble mystery.

Advanced students and professionals get it, and children swallow it. In between are 4 non-expert adult groups: 1) faithful who defer to their educated leaders, 2) people who don't think about it, 3) people who choose to study philosophy in order to better understand it, and 4) people who dismiss it because it doesn't conform to their modern positivist, rationalist, and materialist assumptions.

It is worthless and useless to discuss in any meaningful way the trinity from the perspective of math and science, and divorced from philosophy, theology, and participation in a scriptiure-oriented tradition and linguistic community. It is a term that must be understood in context.

Although I understand this concept philosophically, to me it is both unsound and contrived. It appears to have been conjured for the purpose of coherence in mandating a Christian 'taking of Jesus as a condition precedent to God the Father'; otherwise, requiring that one accept Jesus before one gains favor from God the father would violate the Commandment: 'thou shall take no other God before me'. So we concoct a three headed God to get out of this box. In other words, it's just more Christian nonsense.

[Relative]

Interestingly enough, it seems the Christians can't even agree if the three in one God is true, the verses in 1 John 5:7–8, the part of there being the Spirit, the son, and the father is an interpolation, and is in no version of the oldest Greek versions of the bible.

[1213]

Because you are all focused here to trinity question, I’d like to ask your opinion about this:

Imagine that I work in company that makes for example electric lights. When I have produced one light in that company, was it the company that produced it, or was it me? If it was me, am I the company?

[David 2.0]

I have a Swiss army knife with three blades.

Is it three knives or one knife with three blades?

[Goat]

I have a Swiss army knife with three blades.

Is it three knives or one knife with three blades?

Yes.

[McCulloch]

I have a Swiss army knife with three blades.

Is it three knives or one knife with three blades?

Is God a composite entity, made up of three parts: Father, Son and Spirit? Or is God a unified entity with three different faces?

If your Swiss army knife had seven, two or even one blade, it would still be a knife, but without a handle, it is merely a blade, not a knife.

[David 2.0]

I have a Swiss army knife with three blades.

Is it three knives or one knife with three blades?

Is God a composite entity, made up of three parts: Father, Son and Spirit? Or is God a unified entity with three different faces?

If your Swiss army knife had seven, two or even one blade, it would still be a knife, but without a handle, it is merely a blade, not a knife.

The blade can also be a screwdriver.