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Author Topic:   The Meaning Of The Trinity
Rob 
Suspended Member (Idle past 5839 days)
Posts: 2297
Joined: 06-01-2006


Message 8 of 1864 (376841)
01-13-2007 10:45 PM
Reply to: Message 1 by sidelined
01-13-2007 6:10 PM


I have long wondered just what the notion of a trinity was supposed to explain if the common understanding requires that the three are one.
I also would ask what the explanation is for the pregnancy experienced by Mary {wife of Joseph} if it is the case that the trinity are all the same since this would make Jesus the father of himself.
I have never attempted to explain the virgin birth. I am not even going to touch it.
But on the Trinity, I offer you a link rather than try to explain it myself: C.S.Lewis. Mere christianity
If you scroll down about two thirds of the page you'll easily find the first three chapters of book IV. Beyond Personality: Or First Steps In The Doctrine Of The Trinity
1. Making and Begetting
2. The Three-Personal God
3. Time And Beyond Time
If you have read Lewis already then forgive me. The chapters are not long, but are very readable for an intelligence such as yours. Good sound theology.
I don't know how available the link is... but it was up as of this reply.
A sample from that suggested reading:
It is quite true that if we took Christ's advice we should soon be
living in a happier world. You need not even go as far as Christ. If we did
all that Plato or Aristotle or Confucius told us, we should get on a great
deal better than we do. And so what? We never have followed the advice of
the great teachers. Why are we likely to begin now? Why are we more likely
to follow Christ than any of the others? Because he is the best moral
teacher? But that makes it even less likely that we shall follow him. If we
cannot take the elementary lessons, is it likely we are going to take the
most advanced one? If Christianity only means one more bit of good advice,
then Christianity is of no importance. There has been no lack of good advice
for the last four thousand years. A bit more makes no difference.
But as soon as you look at any real Christian writings, you find that
they are talking about something quite different from this popular religion.
They say that Christ is the Son of God (whatever that means). They say that
those who give Him their confidence can also become Sons of God (whatever
that means). They say that His death saved us from our sins (whatever that
means).
There is no good complaining that these statements are difficult
Christianity claims to be telling us about another world, about something
behind the world we can touch and hear and see. You may think the claim
false; but if it were true, what it tells us would be bound to be
difficult-at least as difficult as modern Physics, and for the same reason.
Edited by scottness, : No reason given.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 1 by sidelined, posted 01-13-2007 6:10 PM sidelined has not replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 179 by Phat, posted 04-02-2016 5:56 PM Rob has not replied

  
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