hatsoff

From the perspective of an inerrancy believer, is the Trinity Biblical? At first, I thought not, but the more I investigated the more I could not explain some of the texts any other way except through a Trinity doctrine.

The way I see it, the Trinity is Biblically demonstrated in two steps: 1) the divinity of Christ; and 2) the linking of the "Spirit of God," the "Spirit of Christ" and the "Holy Spirit."

The divinity of Christ is pretty simply given in John 1. I know there are some objections, but even from an atheist/agnostic perspective it doesn't seem like they hold up.

The "Spirit of God" is used interchangably with the "Spirit of Christ" in Romans 8:9 and 1 Peter 1:11-12, and the "Holy Spirit" in 1 Corinthians 12:3 and Ephesians 4:30. This linking, when taken in conjunction with an inerrancy presupposition, seems unexplainable any other way than the Trinity.

Any thoughts?

Chris Weimer

John 1.1 does not support the actual Trinity, i.e. that Jesus and God the Father and the Holy Spirit are the exact same thing. The modern concept of the Trinity as we know it is ancient, but I don't think it's exactly Biblical, regardless of the strong tendencies to think along those lines. In John 1.1, Jesus certainly is divine.

hatsoff

Oh, I wouldn't argue otherwise. But, since John 1:1 demonstrates the divinity of Jesus, if you are to then equate the "Spirit of God" to the "Spirit of Christ" and "Holy Spirit," then suddenly we seem to have the Trinity. I suppose what I'm asking is whether there is another explanation which hasn't occurred to me. If the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Christ and the Holy Spirit are one and the same, doesn't that more or less prove the Trinity (given inerrancy, that is)?

J-D

What about Sabellianism?

Chris Weimer

"The Spirit of God" is *not* God the Father. So...no.

jakejonesiv

No, the Trinity is not found in the New Testament texts. It is the result of later development, e.g. the Athanasian Creed

It is the result of harminization, the attempt to put a polytheistic belief structure into monotheistic trappings. You end up with a bunch of illogical, self-contradictory statements, but you will go to hell if you don't believe it.

Jake Jones IV

hatsoff

What I'm saying is that "the Spirit of God" is treated as interchangable with "the Spirit of Christ." If the two are the same, does that not tie God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit together into one Godhead?

Chris Weimer

No. The Spirit of God is not God himself, nor are either of them the Holy Spirit.

hatsoff

Let's focus on that last bit, first: Is the "Spirit of God" the "Holy Spirit"? 1 Corinthians 12 seems to say so:
1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant: 2 You know that you were Gentiles, carried away to these dumb idols, however you were led. 3 Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.
4 There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. 6 And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. 7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: 8 for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.

Here "the Spirit of God" and "the Holy Spirit" are implied to be "the same Spirit," are they not?

Clivedurdle

Is the son equal to the father?