Equally important to the understanding of the Trinity is the belief that the Holy Spirit is God. The third person of the Trinity is fully and equally God. The Jehovah Witnesses will argue that the Holy Spirit is not a person, but rather God’s power in action, a “force.” For example, in Luke 1:35 the … Continue reading The Holy Spirit is a Person – The Trinity in Scripture
Trinity
Jesus is God – The Trinity in Scripture, Part 2
There is a great deal of evidence in Scripture that tells us that Jesus is God. Perhaps no passage is clearer than this one: John 1:1-3,14 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God; all things were made through … Continue reading Jesus is God – The Trinity in Scripture, Part 2
Jesus is God – The Trinity in Scripture, Part 1
Central to the dogma of the Trinity is who Jesus Christ is. Those who believe in the Trinity believe that Jesus Christ is God, the second person of the Trinity who assumed a human nature and walked among us. Those who do not accept the Trinity as truth will often point to passages in Scripture … Continue reading Jesus is God – The Trinity in Scripture, Part 1
Jesus and the Father are Separate Persons – The Trinity in Scripture
The next group of Scriptures we’ll review are those that show the Father and Jesus are clearly two separate persons. These Scriptures stand in direct contradiction to a belief in modalism, the idea that God is one person who has simply expressed Himself to us in three different ways. Modalists will often point to John … Continue reading Jesus and the Father are Separate Persons – The Trinity in Scripture
God is One – The Trinity in Scripture
The groups that oppose the dogma of the Trinity will often point to the many Scriptural passages that tell us that God is “one.” Passages from the Old Testament that speak to this include Deuteronomy 6:4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord,” and Isaiah 45:5 “I am the Lord, and there is … Continue reading God is One – The Trinity in Scripture
Other Ancient Heresies
It seems to me that if you want to commit heresy, the surest and easiest way is to try to explain the Trinity. The catechism in CCC2089 defines heresy as “the obstinate post-baptismal denial of some truth which must be believed with divine and catholic faith, or it is likewise an obstinate doubt concerning the … Continue reading Other Ancient Heresies
The Development of Christian Doctrine
In my last post I reviewed how the dogma of the Trinity came to be more formalized. This is an example of how Christian doctrine has developed over time. The dogma of the Trinity as articulated by Christians today is not explicitly spelled out in Scripture. In fact, the word “Trinity” is nowhere to be … Continue reading The Development of Christian Doctrine
The Arian Heresy, or Arianiam
The more formal development and decree of the dogma of the Trinity we see in use in most Christian groups today is directly the result of the Arian heresy. This heresy erupted within Christendom in the early fourth century. Arius was an eastern priest who began to teach that Christ as the son of God … Continue reading The Arian Heresy, or Arianiam
The Dogma of the Trinity
A good first step is to review exactly what the dogma of the Trinity is, and is not. The Catechism of the Catholic Church has a lot to say about the subject, but in my view these are some of the most important passages to help our understanding. CCC253 The Trinity is One. We do … Continue reading The Dogma of the Trinity
Introduction to the Trinity
Over the next several posts I’ll be covering the topic of the Trinity. In the life of a Christian, when we consider the nature of God, there is nothing more essential or basic than the understanding that God is three persons, in one God. This dogma is so foundational and important for Christians it usually … Continue reading Introduction to the Trinity
Between the Farm and the Cross 