Guido writes:
Up until now I've always had a problem with the concept of the trinity. I am still not sure that I fully comprehend it.
Phat writes:
Not too many people DO understand it, Guido. The concept explains God both in unity and in diversity yet it is not contradictory or paradoxical. Historicallly, God is known to be One in essence yet three in personality. On the one hand, the Bible affirms Gods unity (Deuteronomy 6:4)
My personal perspective on the trinity is that there are three persons equal in authority and power made of the same substance and forming one God head: The Father, The Son, The Holy Spirit.
Phat writes:
Yes. Three personalities of One essence. There are two main heresies that challenge the Orthodox position, however.
ModalismThe error that there is only one person in the Godhead who manifests himself in three forms or manners: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
and
TritheismTritheism is the teaching that the Godhead is really three separate beings forming three separate gods. This erring view is often misplaced for the doctrine of the Trinity which states that there is but one God in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
My questions are this:
1) Does each of these three persons have a seperate free will and consciousness? Do they each have a seperate soul?
Phat writes:
Both the Son and the Spirit proceed (originate from) the Father, according to Orthodox tradition. The Catholics maintained another view,
expressed here. In fact, google will shed some light on church positions.
2) If the three each have a seperate consciosness, then is there a fourth wich is the collective consciosuness of the three? Is there a collective person that is the three persons combined?
Phat writes:
I don't think there is a need for a "forth". The Father has full awareness.
3) Does God exist in the trinity simply because that is the way it is or did God chose to be a trinity?
Phat writes:
I think you answered your own question: Thats the way it is, according to Christian belief.
4) Was God always a trinity or did God become a Trinity at one point?
Phat writes:
Well, Jesus coexistwed "In the beginning" with the Father, according to Orthodox Christian belief. I am assuming that the Trinity always was. The comforter was sent to the earth, yet the comforter (Holy Spirit) was not created by God.
I assume that if 3 is choice and 4 is became that means God could make decisions across time.
5) Does each member of the trinity have a specific purpose that was there since eternity past?
Such as
1. The Father creates.
2. The Son redeems.
3. The holy spirit sanctifies.
Phat writes:
Thats the way I read it, also. The Father initiates creation and redemption, the Son redeems the creation, and the Holy Spirit regenerates and sanctifies..applying redemption to us.
I would really like an answer to my questions, ones that are based on scripture.
Phat writes:
These are the sources I found: Matthew 3:16-17, Matthew 28:19, 2 Corinthians 13:14, 1 Peter 1:2 and of course the Deuteronomy one. There are more, of course.
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