Steve Ray has a list of more than 35 loaded Questions for "Bible Christians" (quotation marks his)(link to the whole list). I originally planned to respond to just 35 of them, but the series seems to have been of interest, so in this extension, I'm responding to three more numbered questions in his list, plus fourteen "bonus questions" that take the form "Where does the Bible say ... ." I'm trying to provide the answers in the same common format as the original series, for easy reference. This is number 9/17.
Where does the Bible . . .
. . . explain the doctrine of the Trinity, or even use the word “Trinity”?
Simple Answer(s):
1) The Bible doesn't use the word "Trinity."
2) The Bible doesn't have a special section called "Explanation of the Trinity" though the entire Bible reveals the Trinity to us.
3) The triune name is given in Matthew 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Important Qualification(s):
We could write, and many fathers of the church - from ancient to modern times - have written, a huge treatise on the Trinity from Scripture. Among the many verses that we would and they have relied on would be:
John 15:26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:
Matthew 3:16-17
And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: and lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
Mark 1:9-11
And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan. And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him: and there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
John 1:32-34
And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.
- TurretinFan
Monday, February 22, 2010
2 comments:
Comment Guidelines:
1. Thanks for posting a comment. Without you, this blog would not be interactive.
2. Please be polite. That doesn't mean you have to use kid gloves, but please try not to flame others, even if they are heretics, infidels, or worse.
3. If you insult me, I'm more likely to delete your comment than if you butter me up. After all, I'm human. I prefer praise to insults. If you prefer insults, there's something wrong with you.
4. Please be concise. The comment box is not your blog. Your blog is your blog. If you have a really long comment, post it on your blog and post a short summary of it here.
5. Please don't just spam. It's one thing to be concise, it's another thing to simply use the comment box to advertise.
6. Please note, by commenting here, you are relinquishing your (C) in your comments to me.
7. Remember that you will give an account on judgment day for your words, including those typed in comment boxes. Try to write so you will not be ashamed if it is read back before the entire world.
8. Stay on topic. If your comment has nothing to do with the post, email it to me (my email can be obtained through my blogger profile), or simply don't post it.
9. Don't post as "Anonymous." If you are going to post anonymously, at least use some kind of recognizable "handle," so we can tell you apart from all the other anonymous folks. (This is moot at the moment, since recent abuse has forced me to turn off "anonymous" commenting.)
10. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you; and abstain from doing to others what you would not wish upon yourself.
Of course, the doctrine of development isn't supposed to add anything to the deposit of faith. Even in Catholicism, the age of public revelation came to an end in the 1C.
ReplyDeleteDevelopment is only supposed to find what is already there. If, therefore, Catholics can't find the Trinity in the Bible, but must add crucial ingredients from tradition, then they violate the deposit of faith and contradict the doctrine of development.
Besides where our understanding should bring us when reading the Book of Genesis, 2 Samuel 7 and a counter almost identical chapter 17 of 1 Chronicles open up the Trinity if one understands that the Prophets were speaking forth as the Holy Spirit led them, you can see King David at Psalm 110 and 143 is certainly implying his understanding of the Trinity.
ReplyDeleteWe see it clearly too with the writings of Paul the Apostle in this verse:
2Co 13:14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
Of course, if one saw these things, we would know it was a miracle from God Himself seeing He hides Himself everywhere and in everything! :)