Re: If Jesus is God, how is he called God's only begotten so
neologist wrote:petros wrote:neologist wrote:The word 'trinity' does not appear in the bible. Why is it such an important belief?
"TRINITY" is just one of many variant forms of the same word as "THREE". According to rules of phonetic change, it is quite likely that both of these words have developed from either Hebrew "SHALOWSH" (meaning "THREE") or a cognate word.
Anyways, "TRINITY", "THREE", and "SHALOWSH" (which is in the Hebrew of the Bible) mean the same thing.
In Genesis 18, the Passage begins by announcing that none other than YAHWEH appeared to Avraham by the terebinths of Mamre, as Avraham sat in the tentdoor in the heat of the day.
Then, in describing the manner of this, without introducing further persons, the Narrative says that this is what Avraham saw in this Vision of YAHWEH: "SHELOSHAH `ANASHIYM" ["THREE PERSONS"]. To the THREE he prostrated himself to the ground, and all THREE gave him the same short reply to his request at once.
Earlier in the same Book, three times GOD says "US" of Divine Acts. The third word in the whole Book is "`ELOHIYM", meaning literally "GODS".
When Avraham gets Lot and those captured along with him back from an enemy army, he is helped by three friends in addition to 318 fighting men of his household. It was 318 Bishops that made it to the Council of Nicea where the Doctrine of the TRINITY was vindicated against Arius, whose name derives from the nation of "Arian" [now "Iran"], where the antitrinitarian religion of Zoroastrianism was prevalent. Interestingly enough, this same nation also had some proximity to the nation of the king that Lot was rescued from, Chedarlaomer, king of Elam.
In the Aaronic Blessing in Numbers 6, the NAME "YAHWEH" is invoked three times. To Moses YAHWEH called HIMSELF the `ELOHIYM of Avraham, the `ELOHIYM of Yitsaac, and the `ELOHIYM of Jacov, which resulted in a threefold formula.
Even the famous words in English, "Hear o israel, the LORD your GOD is one LORD", consists of three DIVINE NAMES in a row, followed by a word indicating Unity: "YAHWEH `ELOHEINUW [your `ELOHIYM] YAHWEH `ECHODH".
Isaiah hears GOD (ch. 6) saying, "Who will go for us?"
I need to get up early tomorrow - I will add to these comments tomorrow.
I've shown your post to Joe Sixpack. He's still in the library looking up your words.
Very impressive. You obviously have studied much. Why then did you not tell us that the word ELOHIM was also used by the Jews to designate pagan deities such as Dagon (1 Samuel 5:7) and Marduk (Daniel 1:2)? That ELOHIM is a plural word is significant only in that it is a designation of 'majesty'.
You folks are still unable to logically answer the question of who resurrected Jesus.
Hi Neologist,
Interesting that you should mention the resurrection of Christ as it relates to our own eventual resurrection.
The Bible states in I Cor 4:14 knowing that he who raised Jesus up will raise us up also together with Jesus and will present us together with YOU.
And Christ has stated:
John 6:39 This is the will of him that sent me, that I should lose nothing out of all that he has given me but that I should resurrect it at the last day. 40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone that beholds the Son and exercises faith in him should have everlasting life, and I will resurrect him at the last day."
So who will raise us up in the resurrection? Christ has stated that He would. He emphasizes the point by repeating it.
The apostle indicates that it will be He who raised Jesus that will also raise us up.
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Christ also stated John 10:17 This is why the Father loves me, because I surrender my soul, in order that I may receive it again. 18 No man has taken it away from me, but I surrender it of my own initiative. I have authority to surrender it, and I have authority to receive it again. The commandment on this I received from my Father."
Here it is that He states it was God's command that He (Christ) should lay down His own life and He (Christ) should take it up again. He had the authority to do so, and He did so.
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Christ was even more straightforward when He said in John 2:19 In answer Jesus said to them: "Break down this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." 20 Therefore the Jews said: "This temple was built in forty-six years, and will you raise it up in three days?" 21 But he was talking about the temple of his body.
Here again Christ plainly says that He (Christ) will raise up the body that is put to death.
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This may not satisfy your desire for a "logical" answer, but it is a scriptural one. We may not always understand what God does or how He does so.
That doesn't make God "illogical" it simply highlights our finite understanding.
