Best way to show someone that "The Trinity" is Biblical Truth

Discussion in 'Bible Chat' started by Scooby_Snax, Sep 4, 2017.

  1. Scooby_Snax

    Scooby_Snax Rut-Roh

    I have a co-worker that is not convinced about The Trinity. Are there a few key scriptures I could give him to show that the Trinity is Biblical? I just have never written down the specifics myself.
     
  2. Athanasius

    Athanasius Life is not a problem to be solved Staff Member

    Is this co-worker a Christian?
     
  3. devilslayer365

    devilslayer365 Wazzup?!

    I must admit that the Trinity is a bit confusing. I've seen scriptures that seem to support the doctrine BUT I've also seen scriptures that seem to contradict it as well.
     
  4. Athanasius

    Athanasius Life is not a problem to be solved Staff Member

    There is nothing in Scripture that (actually) contradicts the doctrine of the Trinity -- just poor understandings, as with Christology.
     
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  5. hisleast

    hisleast FISHBEAT!

    I don't know. A few years back I decided to read the bible all over again with fresh eyes to see if it said half the stuff I was told it said.
    Its shocking how few of the cherished doctrines stand out in bold text when you read it cover to cover without a study guide.

    Consider this though... if after the end of this thread you can't prove it to yourself enough to prove it to someone else... is it even provable?
     
  6. Scooby_Snax

    Scooby_Snax Rut-Roh

    The question fits with how I thought, after posting, I would personally begin discussion...about Jesus.
    I am not really certain what his beliefs are? I know he is religious-- but perhaps an obscure religion.
     
  7. Scooby_Snax

    Scooby_Snax Rut-Roh

    I don't really have a desire to prove anything? I felt honored he asked me anything about my understanding of Christianity..one day we had a small talk. I can say The Holy Spirit spoke most that day ( I have a lot of stress in my life, but for whatever reason that day peace, and flowing praise for God is what came through)
    This co -worker had a severe heart attack at work about 6 months ago-- He was close to death. His health has not been the same since. I think maybe he asked me because I am not going to be dishonest...perhaps he has been in discussions with someone else, or reading himself about Christian beliefs?
     
  8. Scooby_Snax

    Scooby_Snax Rut-Roh

    I guess I need to clarify-- My co-worker asked me if I studied the Bible a while back. I said yes. Then we talked about Mercy and Justice one day-- He asked me (if I had time) to show him in The Bible about the Trinity because he said the word Trinity is not actually in there, and I said, agreed, it is not, the Trinity is a doctrine.

    When I work on weekends there can be some downtime, but during the week usually we are wide open too busy to have conversations about anything but work. I have been praying though, and will look for some key scriptures that uphold the doctrine of The Trinity because he did ask.
     
  9. Athanasius

    Athanasius Life is not a problem to be solved Staff Member

    I'd call his bluff, and not focus on the Trinity. It's can be terribly confusing for the majority of people who study it, and if he's challenging you on the Trinity because 'the word isn't in the Bible', then there's something else going on. No one needs to believe in the doctrine of the Trinity to be saved (I think they're grossly mistaken if they don't), so it's more a question of where is your co-worker coming from?
     
  10. פNIʞƎƎS

    פNIʞƎƎS Connoisseur of Memes Staff Member

    I was gonna say the same thing.
     
  11. Scooby_Snax

    Scooby_Snax Rut-Roh

    Yes, I think more information in needed about where he is coming from.
    Asking what he believes about God, Jesus and The Holy Spirit would be helpful.
    If he really is searching for God currently not knowing Him, I ask for prayer for him to know when he is on the right track. :)
     
  12. Scooby_Snax

    Scooby_Snax Rut-Roh

    The enemy is at work distracting....prayer needed.
     
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  13. פNIʞƎƎS

    פNIʞƎƎS Connoisseur of Memes Staff Member

    You got it Scooby.
     
  14. Dani

    Dani You're probably fine.

    I approach the whole thing more relationally than intellectually. Which means I have a Father in God, but I also have a Brother and also Savior in Jesus who is also God, and I also have God's Presence and Power always with me, which is the Holy Spirit who is also God. I don't know if I regard "them" as different Personas or whatever ... my brain will honestly break if I think about it too much, and I find it distracting to be overly analytical instead of just keeping it basic and enjoying my relationship with God for what it is. I think even the word "Trinity" is a poor explanation. I don't honestly think there is an adequate explanation, because how to you explain the unexplainable?

    I can't get on board with the Oneness teaching that claims God's throne was empty when Jesus became man and then died on the cross. How can God not be? How can God not be God? That makes no sense to me. Evidently Jesus prayed to somebody other than Himself during His time spent as man here.

    I was always taught to pray to the Father in Jesus' name, empowered by the Holy Spirit, but there have been many times I talked to Jesus directly, and He's always responded, so I don't think God is as hung up about the matter as we often are. As long as we do pray and we do relate, He is able to give us grace to cover our poor understanding and bridge whatever gaps we have. Which my gaps are huge, but that's never stopped me from drawing close to God and it's never stopped God from drawing close to me.

    I personally don't think you can prove a "Trinity", and I don't think you can disprove a "Trinity". At best you can get a sense that God is *somehow* multifaceted while also being One in essence. He certainly has revealed Himself to us in certain ways. Those ways certainly don't define Him exhaustively; not by a long shot. When God reveals Himself, He does so to help us relate to Him and build our faith and trust Him in a way that maybe we didn't before ---- certainly the goal is not for us to sit around and try to analyze God, as if He ever tasked us with such a thing ...

    The "Trinity" to Christians seems to be similar to the many names of YHWH to the Jews. It's simply man's response to the many ways in which God revealed Himself to His people during certain times. So we try to express that by ascribing certain characteristics or titles or names or what-have-you. So now we have Father, Son and Holy Spirit, whereas the Jews have Jehovah Jireh and Adonai and Jehovah Rapha and etc. etc. etc. It's still all one God in the end; we're simply attempting to express our understanding of the Divine as best we can based on certain events we have experienced. I think we do well to incorporate the Jewish understanding into our dialogue because getting overly hung up on a "Trinity" robs us of the richness of revelation of God in the OT, and that richness is part of our inheritance also.

    Excuse the word salad, I hope you can appreciate what I'm trying to get at ... :)
     
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  15. devilslayer365

    devilslayer365 Wazzup?!

    I know it's simplistic, but the way I think of God as being a triune God is the egg example. There are 3 "parts," for lack of a better term. There is a shell, egg white, and a yolk. These 3 separate components combine, are in unity with each other, to form 1 egg. Similarly with God, He is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. 3 beings that form 1 God. Sure, it's simplistic, but it helps me to at least not beat my head against the wall trying to figure out EXACTLY how the Trinity works. It gives me SOME sense of comprehension. In the end, if that's NOT quite accurate, does it really even matter? For me, it's not a matter of "if you can't comprehend the Trinity that means you aren't truly saved and you're going to hell." I've seen nothing in scripture that states that or even remotely hints at that, either.
     
    Last edited: Nov 17, 2017
  16. RabbiKnife

    RabbiKnife Open the pod bay door, please HAL. Staff Member

    Because someone had to do it...

     
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  17. IMINXTC

    IMINXTC Time Bandit

    HaHaHa!
    Modalpartialarianism.:D
     
  18. devilslayer365

    devilslayer365 Wazzup?!

    What the freak was THAT?! :confused: :p
     
  19. TrustGzus

    TrustGzus What does this button do? Staff Member

    A great theological video.
     
  20. Dani

    Dani You're probably fine.

    Literalists tryin ta do analogies .... and instead proclaiming "heresies".

    Some folk just shouldn't do analogies because they can't even. :DSmacking you with a fish.
     

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