Who Invented The Trinity ?

Trinity in the Bible

References in the Bible to a Trinity of divine beings are vague, at best.

In Matthew 28:19, we find Jesus telling his disciples to go out and preach to all nations. While this "Great Commission" does make mention of the three persons who later become components of the Trinity, the phrase "...baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost" is quite clearly an addition to Biblical text--that is, not the actual words of Jesus-- as can be seen by two factors:

1) baptism in the early Church, as discussed by Paul in his letters, was done only in the name of Jesus; and

2) the "Great Commission" was found in the first gospel written, that of Mark, bears no mention of Father, Son and/or Holy Ghost--see Mark 16:15.

The only other reference in the Bible to a Trinity can be found in the Epistle of I John 5:7. Biblical scholars of today, however, have admitted that the phrase "... there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one" is definitely a "later addition" to Biblical text, and it is not found in any of today's versions of the Bible.

It can, therefore, be seen that the concept of a Trinity of divine beings was not an idea put forth by Jesus or any other prophet of God. This doctrine, now subscribed to by Christians all over the world, is entirely man-made in origin.


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Tertullian invented the term trinity (trinitas) if I remember correctly, but he didn't describe it the same as the trinity that is believed in today. Those beliefs came from greek philosophers such as Plato.

flysky said:

Trinity in the Bible

References in the Bible to a Trinity of divine beings are vague, at best.

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Well, I would agree that the Bible does not teach the doctrine of the Trinity -- at least as the word is described in the 4th and 5th century Creeds. On the other hand, I think there is some pretty good evidence that a belief in the "Godhead" was taught by Jesus' Apostles and was accepted by 1st century Christians.

It can, therefore, be seen that the concept of a Trinity of divine beings was not an idea put forth by Jesus or any other prophet of God. This doctrine, now subscribed to by Christians all over the world, is entirely man-made in origin.

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The doctrine of the Trinity may be subscribed to by Christians all over the world, but it is not subscribed to by all Christians all over the world.

i'm not sure who came up with a trinty, but i am aware that celtic, hindu and other traditions also speak of a trinty

Perhaps it began in Genesis when God referred to Himself in the plural, "And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us..." Gen. 3:22

This idea is also found in the New Testament in the words of Jesus, "Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness."

flysky said:

Who Invented The Trinity ?

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God.

Thanks for asking.

Scott

Scott1 said:

God.

Thanks for asking.

Scott

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:biglaugh: Fruballs.

I belive the concept of the Christian Holy Trinity was offically adopted, and the parameters of "Father, Son, & Holy Spirit" set by, the Council of Nicea in 325 AD. The idea was around before then, but that is where it was offically made part of the Orthodox Christian theology.

You say I John 5:7 ..and there are three that bear witness in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost; and these three are one. is not in the original manuscripts, but you are wrong! Of the 3,509 surviving Greek texts, only 2 of them disagree with the others, unforunately tranlators of some of the modern versions went with the 2 (vaticanus and sinaticus) manuscripts that were corrupted. All the others agree with each other, those 2 have many errors, but because of their age, modern translators gave them precedence, which was incorrect. The 3,507 manuscripts that do agree with each other 100% of the time, make up what is called the Received Text (textus receptus) from which the KJV was translated. The modern translations agree with the KJV 95% of the time, and where they differ is from these 2 corrupted texts. Don't buy into them, I will take the majority of manuscripts that agree over the 2 horribly corrupted vaticanus and sinaticus.

John 1:1-4 In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him;and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

Colossians 1:13-17 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear SON: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins; Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature; For by him were all things created that are in heaven, and that are in earth...all things were created by him and for him; And he is vefore all thingd, and by him all things consist.

Notice here, the word is Christ, he was with God in the beginning, and made everything, and by him all things consist, and he is light, as he said I am the light of the world, I am the way, the truth, and the light, there is the father and the son. We see Jesus constantly referring to God as his Father and himself as God's son. We see him tell the disciples to wait for the Holy Spirit, that he would not leave them comfortless. The Bible teaches the doctrine of the trinity all through if one only reads it.

Nowhere in Bible does it state that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit should be combined into one Holy Trinity, it mearly suggests that the Lord has many aspects. Here is an intreasting link to save my fingers some work http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trinity

spacemonkey said:

Nowhere in Bible does it state that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit should be combined into one Holy Trinity, it mearly suggests that the Lord has many aspects. Here is an intreasting link to save my fingers some work http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trinity

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I John 5:7 states it quite plainly. It is standard doctrine.

The Latin word "trinitas" wan't coined untill around 200 AD and does not appear in the Bible untill later traslations added it.

So? MANY doctrines are not named specifly in the Bible, but are taken from our reading about it in the Bible. The doctrines of the virgin birth, the blood atonement, the deity of Christ, the Death, Burial, and Ressurection of Christ, the Rapture, the Second Coming, Justification by faith, and on and on are doctrines we (most of us christians)follow from our reading of the scripture. When reading the Bible, it is clear that our God is in three forms, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and these three are one, so what is the big deal?

The question was who invented the Trinity. Before the council of Nicea the concept of the Holy Trinity was only a CONCEPT that SOME christians believed in. It was at the council that the Trinity was made offical doctraine.

We believe in one God, the Father All-sovereign, maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible;

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, and the only-begotten Son of God, Begotten of the Father before all the ages, Light of Light, true God of true God, begotten not made, of one substance with the Father, through whom all things were made; who for us men and for our salvation came down from the heavens, and was made flesh of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and became man, and was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered and was buried, and rose again on the third day according to the Scriptures, and ascended into the heavens, and sits on the right hand of the Father, and comes again with glory to judge living and dead, of whose kingdom there shall be no end:

And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and the Life-giver, that proceeds from the Father, who with the Father and Son is worshipped together and glorified together, who spoke through the prophets:

In one holy catholic and apostolic church:

We acknowledge one baptism unto remission of sins. We look for a resurrection of the dead, and the life of the age to come.

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This is the Nicean Creed, which became the basis of the Holy Trinity and of the whole Orthodox Christian belief, including Roman Catholiscm.

Yes, I am familiar with, and accept the Nicene Creed. Again, the doctrines established therein were from careful study of the holy scripture, so what is the big deal?

I was just answering the question posed in the thread

joeboonda said:

So? MANY doctrines are not named specifly in the Bible, but are taken from our reading about it in the Bible.

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You'd think that God would have wanted such an important concept included in the book. I stand by my beliefs that the concept of the trinity came from Greek philosphers and not the bible.

spacemonkey said:

Nowhere in Bible does it state that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit should be combined into one Holy Trinity, it mearly suggests that the Lord has many aspects. Here is an intreasting link to save my fingers some work http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trinity

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I like it when I find out I'm right.

The word Trinity comes from a Latin abstract noun which most literally means "three-ness" (or "the property of occurring three at once"). The term Trinity does not appear in the Bible, and indeed did not exist until about AD 200 when Tertullian (who eventually converted to Montanism) coined it as the Latin trinitas and also probably the formula Three Persons, One Substance as the Latin tres Personae, una Substantia itself from the Greek treis Hypostases, Homoousios in the early third century.

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Always glad to help!