The True God

[Soapy]

I'll go with Augustine's answer in his quest for God, 'Can God be understood and known by reason alone?, 'if you understood him, it would not be God'.

There is a difference between 'defined' and revealed. Jesus himself, we believe, through his life, death, resurrection, is the revelation of God for Christians. I think it is pure arrogance for anyone to state that God may be defined. God is a Mystery.



. The concept of person in the doctrine of God

What we today understand as person, in common everyday language, is not the language understood in the origin of the trinitarian formula.
It was Tertullian who gave to the West its formula for expressing the Christian idea of God. God is "una substantia-tres personae," one being in three persons. It was here that the word "person" entered intellectual history for the first time with its full weight.

Joseph Ratzinger. Concerning the Notion of Person in Theology. Communio 17 (Fall 1990) (communio-icr.com)



The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God who In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. ' And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.'



Yes, One God

Yes Pearl, God is a mystery to Trinitarians.

Trinitarians also declare their three -One God as ‘Incomprehensible’….

Yes, to Trinitarians, their God is an incomprehensible God… A mystery beyond definition.

But the God I am asking you to define is the God of the Israelites, the one true God that Jesus spoke of and the apostle declared as ‘The Father’:

• ‘For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus,’ (1 Tim 2:5)
  • This verse declares Jesus Christ as the mediator (a SINLESS MAN) BETWEEN our God and us as (SINFUL) mankind.
• “yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live;and one Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor 8:6)
  • This verse declares God as the Father… and declares Jesus as ‘Lord’… ‘Lord’ is a lesser title than ‘God’!
• “Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” (John 17:3)
  • Jesus is praying to the Father. Yahweh is called ‘Only true God’ BY Jesus. Jesus Christ says he was SENT by YAHWEH.

Can you explain to me how you read these verses differently to what the scriptures says?

 

[pearl]

Can you explain to me how you read these verses differently to what the scriptures says?

I do not read them differently. When addressing God, it always the Father. The Son is never the Father.

But the God I am asking you to define is the God of the Israelites,

God is beyond human comprehension, but that has not stopped Jewish thinkers from attempting to describe God. The Jewish God is referred to with many names and euphemisms, though God’s scriptural names are traditionally only pronounced during religious activities. Belief in one God is one of Judaism’s defining characteristics. Nonetheless, some parts of the seem less monotheistic than others. In addition, there are minor currents of thought within Judaism that play down the importance of belief in God.
God 101 | My Jewish Learning

 

[`mud]

I pray for a solution of who's `god` to worship,

I kinda like the `Ghost`, `cause it was before anything,

The `Ghost` hovered over the waters, didn't it ?

And created `God` from heaven dust.

And we all know about Mary, don't we ?

And the preaching kid named Jesus.

 

[Soapy]

I do not read them differently. When addressing God, it always the Father. The Son is never the Father.



God is beyond human comprehension, but that has not stopped Jewish thinkers from attempting to describe God. The Jewish God is referred to with many names and euphemisms, though God’s scriptural names are traditionally only pronounced during religious activities. Belief in one God is one of Judaism’s defining characteristics. Nonetheless, some parts of the seem less monotheistic than others. In addition, there are minor currents of thought within Judaism that play down the importance of belief in God.
God 101 | My Jewish Learning

So if the Father is the only true God, how does trinity work?

 

[pearl]

So if the Father is the only true God, how does trinity work?

God is one, within that one God there is unity.

 

[Soapy]

God is one, within that one God there is unity.

You mean that the Father (the one true God) is a unity within himself (the one true God)… a unity of three, which includes himself (the one true God)?

 

[pearl]

You mean that the Father (the one true God) is a unity within himself (the one true God)… a unity of three, which includes himself (the one true God)?

If you are looking for a trinitarian formula in Scripture, it does not exist. However, there is reference to a duality within God in both Hebrew and Christian Scripture and in the Christian Creed. "Let us create man in 'our' image', baptize in the name of the 'Father, Son and Holy Spirit', in the Creed we state we believe in 'God creator.....', and in his Son...., 'and in the Holy Spirit.......'.
Trinity Proof Texts: Genesis 1:26; 3:22; 11:7; Isa 6:8 (bible.ca)

Early Christian interpretations of Hebrew Scripture
Early Christian faith on Trinity, deity of Christ, personality of the Holy Spirit (bible.ca)

Personally, I do not believe in any 'proof' for the trinity, as I do not believe in any proof for God, it is all on faith.

 

[Soapy]

If you are looking for a trinitarian formula in Scripture, it does not exist. However, there is reference to a duality within God in both Hebrew and Christian Scripture and in the Christian Creed. "Let us create man in 'our' image', baptize in the name of the 'Father, Son and Holy Spirit', in the Creed we state we believe in 'God creator.....', and in his Son...., 'and in the Holy Spirit.......'.
Trinity Proof Texts: Genesis 1:26; 3:22; 11:7; Isa 6:8 (bible.ca)

Early Christian interpretations of Hebrew Scripture
Early Christian faith on Trinity, deity of Christ, personality of the Holy Spirit (bible.ca)

Personally, I do not believe in any 'proof' for the trinity, as I do not believe in any proof for God, it is all on faith.

I believe you have no idea what you are talking about.

I can’t get any sense out of what you are saying.

‘A duality’?

What does ‘Let us create…’ mean in terms of a ‘unity in God’ ifGod is one? There would be no need of any sort to say, ‘us’ or ‘we’, in a unity of God as One.

Yet show me scriptures where ‘else’ God says ‘Us’ or ‘We’ for anything… or even Jesus saying ‘Us’ and ‘We’ in regard to a three-(or two)-Some unity?

Answer: there is no such text in scriptures.

And, GOD… was talking to the angels, specifically the Angel that later came to be known as Satan.

So if you are going to say that ‘Us’ and ‘We’ are God talking to himself then you are including Satan in your ‘unity’…!!

 

[pearl]

What does ‘Let us create…’ mean in terms of a ‘unity in God’ ifGod is one? There would be no need of any sort to say, ‘us’ or ‘we’, in a unity of God as One.

But according to Scripture, He did, referring to a dialogue within God.

 

[muhammad_isa]

But according to Scripture, He did, referring to a dialogue within God.

It is more complicated than that.

Jesus' preaching was not all about him being God, or dying and rising.
That is an agenda that evolved amongst gentiles.

 

[pearl]

Jesus' preaching was not all about him being God, or dying and rising.

True. It is very difficult to discern which are Jesus' words from those of the writers that enjoyed the benefit of post resurrection faith. Jesus preached the Kingdom of God.

 

[`mud]

Ahhhh...if he'd written anything......so sad.....so lost in memories