trinity/unitarian scripture comparisons

[tateziwin]

I would be interested in reviewing scriptures that trinitarians and non-trinitarians use to back up their beliefs.

Also, would it be right to say that unitarians/non-trinitarians believe that there is - God the Father, Jesus his Son and the Holy Spirit their Helper, 3 separate and distinct persons.

Would it also be correct to say - Trinitarians believe that God, Jesus & Holy Spirit are 3 distinct persons but one in unity being God (sum total).

I am encountering evidence for both and want to know which is the Truth.

Thanks in advance for your most helpful replies! (as always!):clap:

[Rechtgläubig]

Also, would it be right to say that unitarians/non-trinitarians believe that there is - God the Father, Jesus his Son and the Holy Spirit their Helper, 3 separate and distinct persons.

Would it also be correct to say - Trinitarians believe that God, Jesus & Holy Spirit are 3 distinct persons but one in unity being God (sum total).
Non-trinitarians come in many forms. You listed unitarian, which is one form of non-trinitarianism. That would be more along the lines of saying that God is one person, there is no distinction between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God shows Himself in three different ways, but they are the same person.


Arianism is another form of non-trinitarianism. That is the belief that the Son is not true God and not eternal. Mormons and Jehova's Witnesses would fall under this catergory.

These are the first heresies that come to mind when I hear the word non-trinitarian.

For the definition of the Trinity, I always fall back on the Athanasian creed http://bookofconcord.org/creeds.html

I know it is wordy and complex, but it does an excellent job of describing the Triune God.


As for supportive text, I am sure someone will post a link to a web page for you. There are many passages supporting the Trinity, too many for me to type out lol, but there are many web pages out there that have done it already (I just can't think of one right now lol). Arianists generally rely on scripture passages that demonstrate Jesus Humility, Him praying to The Father in Heaven, or saying things like - "only the Father in Heaven is good". Oness and unitarians would rely heavily on texts that demonstrate there is 1 God.

Hope this helps get you started Tateziwin!

:D

[tateziwin]

It is interesting to read the Athanasian Creed as in one sense a person's mind is going - this is too insane to be comprehesible 1+1+1=1 and yet in another sense it seems reasonable enough to believe - God IS incomprehensible so why not 1+1+1=1 !

I will be very interested to read the scriptures that are used to support the non-trinitarian theory and see how they are countered by the trinitarian scriptures.

[Rechtgläubig]

It is interesting to read the Athanasian Creed as in one sense a person's mind is going - this is too insane to be comprehesible 1+1+1=1 and yet in another sense it seems reasonable enough to believe - God IS incomprehensible so why not 1+1+1=1 !

I will be very interested to read the scriptures that are used to support the non-trinitarian theory and see how they are countered by the trinitarian scriptures.Yeah it is confusing yet so simple at the same time. Just know that the Father is God Almighty, the Son is God Almighty, and the Holy Spirit is God Almighty. 3 seperate persons, 1 God.

As far as non-trinitatian "proof" passages, they would show you a verse like, "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." (Mark 13:32) and say, "If Jesus was really God, He would know the day and hour!" This is one example of Jesus' Humility that I mentioned earlier. Some mistakenly think it means that He became human. What His Humility means is that He didn't always make use of His divine powers. Picture a giant with immense strength at his disposal, but not using it, that's what it means.

Another "proof" might be Jesus praying to the Father in Heaven. Some will point at that and say, "Aha! Jesus is not God! Is He praying to Himself???". They simply miss the fact that the Trinity means the Father and Son are different persons, not the same person.

Non-trinitatians will sometimes say the Trinity was created at the Council of Nicea, LOL. Read the creation account in Genesis, that is a beautiful record displaying the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit working in unity.

God Bless Tateziwin!

[JVAC]

Greetings fellows in Christ;

Before I hop on over to the Ol' Church, I am going to post a few things:

Galatians 3:20 "A mediator, however, does not represent just one party; but God is one."
1Corinthians 8:6 yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.
Deuteronomy 6:4 "Hear, O Israel, The Lord our God is one Lord" [Shema Yisrael, YHWH elohenu YHWH echad] (YHWH= most holy name of God given to Moses on Sianai; elohenu a plural name for God; echad a unity in plurality] It is repeated in Mark 12:29

Then there is John's Gospel 10:29-38, 17:21-22 and 14:9-14.

I like to think of it as 1*1*1=1^3 or one cubed :D it is the mathematician in me!

-James