“Trinitas Unitas” (Latin) = “three in One” = “three persons in One God” and “Unitas Trinitas” = One God in three persons”. (from the Athanasian Creed, developed in the west though the Latin theology of Tertullian and Augustine. more below)
The doctrine of the Trinity began with Scriptural verses and content.
1. The first truth is that there is only One God. (Mark 12:29, Deut. 6:4-5; 1 Timothy 2:5; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Isaiah chapters 40-48)
2. Secondly, there are texts which show us there are three persons in the One God: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Matthew 28:19 – “baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit”
2 Corinthians 13:14 – “The love of God” (the Father), & “the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, & “the fellowship of the Holy Spirit”
Matthew 3:16-17 (voice of the Father from heaven, the Holy Spirit coming down in the form of a dove, Jesus Christ the eternal Son of God being baptized.)
1 Peter 1:2 [ “foreknowledge of God the Father”, & “sanctifying work of the Spirit”, & “to obey Jesus Christ” (The Son)]
Ephesians 4:4-6 (“one Spirit”, & “One Lord”, & “One God and Father”)
I Corinthians 12:4-6 (“same Spirit”, & “same Lord” & “same God”)
3. Thirdly, there are passages that clearly teach the Deity of Christ:
Mark 14:60-64; Matthew 2:1-12; Luke 1:34-35; John 1:1-5; 1:14, 5:17-18; 8:24; 8:56-58; 10:30-38; 18:1-6; 19:1-7; 20:28; Hebrews 1:3, 6, 8; Colossians 1:15-20; Philippians 2:5-8; Romans 9:5; and many others. (see more verses in the books recommended below.)
4. Fourthly, there are clear verses in Scripture that show that there is a personal relationship and interaction between the persons in the Trinity, and this is the reason for the “person” category. (“The Father loves the Son”, “the Father sends the Son”, “The Son loves the Father”, “the Father sends the Son”; “the Spirit testifies to the Son”, “do not grieve the Holy Spirit”; “the Son prays to the Father”; etc. The Greeks called this concept “hypostasis” (‘υποστασις ) [the Cappodocian fathers * see about hypostasis below] and in Latin it was “persona”.
* “The Cappadocians worked to bring these semi-Arians back to the orthodox cause. In their writings they made extensive use of the (now orthodox) formula “one substance (ousia) in three persons (hypostaseis)”.[4]”
5. Fifth: there are clear verses on the Deity of the Holy Spirit: Genesis 1:2; Acts 5:3-5
So in church history, the doctrine of the Trinity was “fleshed out” by wrestling with all these verses together in a harmonized way that does not contradict one another.
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In the first video below –
Todd Friel of “Wretched TV/radio” takes the hilarious video of Lutheran Satire on the Trinity and breaks it down.
“Trinitas Unitas” (Latin) = “three in One” = “three persons in One God” and “Unitas Trinitas” = One God in three persons” (Latin word “trinitas” to describe the three persons from Matthew 28:19, 2 Corinthians 13:14, Matthew 3:16-17 is first used by Theophilus of Antioch, 180 AD; developed more by Tertullian 200 AD, developed further by Augustine (died in 430 AD), Athanasian Creed (5th or Sixth Century).
The Athanasian Creed: “The most likely time frame is in the late fifth or early sixth century AD – at least 100 years after Athanasius. The theology of the creed is firmly rooted in the Augustinian tradition, using exact terminology of Augustine’s On the Trinity(published 415 AD).[8]”
It is very important to help others understand the distinction between nature/substance/essence vs. person; and that these are 2 different categories.
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One God in nature/substance/essence – Unitas ousias Three persons- Trinitas – persona – hupostasis
see previous article on this I wrote at the other blog I am a part of.
See also here: “Man-Made Religion tries to make God more understandable”
and here:
Incarnation, Atonement, and Trinity
Some good books that are helpful in getting a grasp on the doctrine of the Trinity:
The Forgotten Trinity, by James White
Why You Should Believe in the Trinity, by Robert Bowman
Delighting in the Trinity, by Michael Reeves
Is the Father of Jesus the God of Muhammad?, by Timothy George
The Lord of Glory, by B. B. Warfield
Athanasius, “Contending for Our All” – John Piper – audio message, with text also.
Apologetics and Agape 
Ken, check this video about the trinity out
Yahya – you are ignorant. The doctrine of the Trinity is not based on only one verse. Ehrman knows this also, but it is what he doesn’t say that is the problem. Your 2 minute sound bite cannot cover such a vast and deep subject.
We all know about the Comma Johanneum (1 John 5:7-8 in the King James Version) that it was not in any Greek manuscript until after 500 AD and even then it was only in Latin.
Athanaisus (300-373 AD), was at the Council of Nicea in 325 AD, and defended the Deity of Christ and the Deity of the Holy Spirit and the doctrine of the Trinity based on Alexandrian type Greek texts. Athanasius was from Alexandria and not a Gnostic. He was a great hero of the faith. He was exiled 5 times for his stand for the Deity of Christ and the Trinity. He did not have the King James Version of 1 John 5:7-8 in Greek, because it did not exist in Greek and he defended the Trinity. King James Version of 1 John 5:7-8 says, “There are three that witness in heaven, the Father, the Word and the Holy Ghost, and these three are one.” The verse is truth; but it is non-existant in all Greek manuscripts until after 500 and only then, it is only in Latin for several centuries. The doctrine of the Trinity can be defended from all the other verses we have that are there in the older manuscripts, like Matthew 28:19; 2 Cor. 13:14; John 1:1-5; 1:14, 5:17-18; 8:24; 8:56-58; 10:27-36, 18:1-6; 19:1-7; John 20:28; Colossians 1, Hebrews 1:3, 6, 8, 10-12; Philippians 2, Revelation 5, etc.
Ignatius (107-117 AD), Justin Martyr (around 150 AD); Irenaeus (wrote 180-200 AD), Tertullian ( wrote 180-220 AD), all defended Deity of Christ and Tertullian defended the Trinity.
So you are just wrong and ignorant.
Most of this information I have learned from listening to James White and reading his book, “The King James Only Controversy”. If you are interesed in ordering this excellent book, go to the link below. It helps gives you confidence in the Bible and the Greek manuscript copies and helps you understand the history of the King James Bible.
http://store.aomin.org/christian-controversy/books/the-king-james-only-controversy.html
Even 1 John 5:7-8 King James Version does not use the word “person”, so Ehrman is wrong to say that that verse does explicitly teach the whole doctrine of the Trinity. No one verse explicitly teaches all of the doctrine; but the doctrine is there after you study all of the relevant passages. God is one. the Father is God, Jesus is God, the Holy Spirit is God. The Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit in personal spiritual relationships with each other from all eternity past – love, sending, communication, etc.
Matthew 28:19
and
2 Cor. 13:14
come close, but the doctrine is not dependent on one verse alone. Lots of verses together make the doctrine – as I proved in the article.
Three main confusions of Trinitarians:
(i) Confusion between God and flesh.
2Jn 1
3 From the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father,
1Jn 4
3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist.
If Jesus were Lord (or god) and Jesus comes in the flesh (man), then God is in the flesh.
(ii) Confusion between God and man.
Rom 10
9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus.
Rom 5
15 Which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.
If Jesus were Lord (or god) and Jesus is one man, then God is a man.
(iii) Confusion between spirit and man.
2Cor 3
17 Now the Lord is that Spirit.
1Cor 15
47 The second man is the Lord from heaven.
If Jesus were Spirit and Jesus is the second man, then Spirit is a man.
The eternal Son (John 17:5) and Word(John 1:1-5) became flesh/human in history. (John 1:14; Philippians 2:5-8) Only the Son/Word became flesh; the Father did not become incarnate, and neither did the Holy Spirit. So there is no confusion.
“God is man” – no; the Father is not man and the Spirit is not man. The Son/the Word became Man (Jesus the Messiah), and has two natures; He is both God and Man. So, no confusion there.
“the Spirit is man” – no; the Holy Spirit is Spirit and also Lord-God, but He did not become flesh/man. The Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit are God and Lord and eternal and ONE by nature/substance/essence; but they are 3 in person, and only the second person of the Trinity, the Son / the Word became a human.
So, there is no confusion.
The loss of appreciation on Holy Ghost in the New Testament.
1. Appreciation of performing the miracles goes to Jesus instead of Holy Ghost.
2. Appreciation of producing virgin birth goes to Mary as her personal miracle instead of Holy Spirit’s.
3. Appreciation of having fathered Jesus just goes to the Father instead of Holy Spirit. It contradicts Gospel of Matthew that confirms Jesus was fathered by a person of Holy Ghost:
Mt 1
18 She was found with child of the Holy Ghost. 20 For that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.
4. Holy Ghost is responsible of leading Jesus into Devil’s temptation. It becomes a partaker or collaborator of Devil’s action.
Mt 4
1 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.
That contradicts other New Testament verses that prohibit the fellowship with Devil.
Eph 4
27 Neither give place to the devil.
1Cor 10
20 But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils.21 Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils.
The Spirit of God can lead Jesus into the wilderness in order to be tempted by the devil, without doing the temptation itself.
God is sovereign over sin and allows sin and evil to take place, but NEVER does the sin. God is NOT a sinner and cannot sin and cannot lie.
“God cannot lie” – Titus 1:2
God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. 1 John 1:5
God cannot be tempted by sin and cannot sin. James 1:13-14
“Your eyes O God are too pure to look upon evil with approval” – Hab. 1:13
The Spirit of God and the Father are the same substance/essence/nature, and they are unified in their purposes, so there is no contradiction of Jesus being the Son of God the Father and conceived by the Holy Spirit – both point to the unity of the substance/essence of God – only One God.
Trinitarians have a great difficulty to find any proof of divinity of Jesus in Tanach but they find the abundant proofs for their Spirit’s alleged divinity. However, weirdly a mystery remains: Why do Jews and Jewish Prophets – such as Isaiah – never worship Holy Spirit despite so many citations that pointed out Spirit’s alleged divinity?
(i) Spirit pre-existed prior to the works of old (Gen 1:2, “Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.”)
(ii) Along with Jehovah’s breath, he co-creates people such as Jesus and Job (Job 33:4, “The Spirit of God has made me.”), but weirdly he is not a bit divine for Jews.
(iii) Along with Jehovah, he sent a Prophet such as Isaiah (Isa 48:16 “now the Lord GOD, and his Spirit, hath sent me.”)
Why do Jews and Jewish Prophets – such as Isaiah, David, and Jeremiah – never worship Holy Spirit despite so many citations that pointed out Spirit’s alleged divinity?
(i) Because Spirit is created:
Amos 4
13 For, lo, he that formeth the mountains, and createth the Spirit, and declareth unto man what is his thought, that maketh the morning darkness, and treadeth upon the high places of the earth, The LORD, The God of hosts, is his name.
(ii) Spirit does not fill every place, it departed when an evil spirit came, hence it is not omnipresent.
1Sam 16
14 But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him.
But Jehovah is omnipresent:
Jer 23
24 Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the LORD. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the LORD.
(iii) Weakness of Spirit.
Spirit cannot endure God’s anger.
Isa 57
16 For I will not contend for ever, neither will I be always wroth: for the Spirit should fail before me, and the souls which I have made.
Spirit that God lends to man’s nostril cannot also stay longer in a mortal body.
Gen 6
3 And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh.
God is Spirit and the only way to truly get connected with Him is through spiritual realm, this is also affirm by the principles of the way of Sufi
There’ are four steps in Islamic spiritualism:
1. of “Shari’ah”, i.e., of strict obedience to all ritual laws of Islam, such as prayer, fasting, pilgrimage, almsgiving, ablution, etc., which is the lowest degree of worship, and is attainable by all
2. of Ṭariqah, which is accessible only to a higher class of men who, while strictly adhering to the outward or ceremonial injunctions of religion, rise to an inward perception of mental power and virtue necessary for the nearer approach to the Divinity
3. of “Ḥaḳikah”, the degree attained by those who, through continuous contemplation and inward devotion, have risen to the true perception of the nature of the visible and invisible; who, in fact, have recognized the Godhead, and through this knowledge have succeeded in establishing an ecstatic relation to it; and
4. the “Ma’arifah”, in which state man communicates directly with the Deity.
More or less the spirituality level of Jewish saints/prophets of old is at 3th and 4th step, and almost as same as Sufism the inward practice of contemplation in spiritual realm IS PRIVATE MATTER and not EASILY shared nor written within the official Aqeedah. And even so the practice wasn’t so perfect since The Holy Spirit was just accompanying and not INDWELLING.
Not until the full revelation of indwelling of Holy Spirit within all believers in NT then the ability to connect to God spiritually has finally open to be implemented for anyone who wants to.
Holy Spirit is Divine, because He is OMNIPRESENT the proof is simply read
Psalm 139:7, Whither do I go from Thy Spirit? And whither from Thy face do I flee?
Amos 4:13 does not mean “the Holy Spirit” – rather, in context, it means “wind”. Although the Hebrew word is Ruakh,
רוּחַ
it can mean either “wind” or “spirit”, and in context, it obviously means “wind” in this case.
For behold, he who forms the mountains and creates the wind,
and declares to man what is his thought,
who makes the morning darkness,
and treads on the heights of the earth—
the Lord, the God of hosts, is his name!
The Deity of the Holy Spirit is revealed in the NT. The hints in the OT are “the Spirit of Yahweh” pointing to the LORD Himself.
As the Deity of the Son is revealed in the NT. The Incarnation (John 1:1-5; 1:14; Luke 1:34-35; Phil. 2:5-8)
We understand Genesis 1:2 – “the Spirit of the LORD was hovering over the waters” in light of the NT passages that teach us about the Deity of the Holy Spirit.
It is not a contradiction of Monotheism, since there is only one God in substance/essence, and the 3 persons are NOT three separate gods, but only One God.
“Ken Temple says: It is not a contradiction of Monotheism, since there is only one God in substance/essence, and the 3 persons are NOT three separate gods, but only One God.”
A mystery remains: Why do Jews and Jewish Prophets never worship Holy Spirit despite so many citations that pointed out Spirit’s alleged divinity?
Attribution of “New divinity” via the New Testament does not make the Word and the Spirit a God at all.
Dt 32
17 They sacrificed unto devils, not to God; to gods whom they knew not, to new gods that came newly up, whom your fathers feared not.
Jud 5
8 They chose new gods; then was war in the gates:
Doctrine of Trinity from the Salafy understanding:
FIRST PERSON of Allah , on THE THRONE ABOVE THE HIGHEST HEAVEN
The Most Gracious (Allâh) rose over (Istawâ) the (Mighty) Throne (in a manner that suits His Majesty) (Surah Taha 20:5) .
SECOND PERSON OF Allah, AT THE LOWEST HEAVEN
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The Lord descends every night to the lowest heaven when one-third of the night remains and says: ‘Who will call upon Me, that I may answer Him? Who will ask of Me, that I may give him? Who will seek My forgiveness, that I may forgive him?’” Sahih Muslim **QUDSI**
Everyone knows that the earth globe is ROTATING 24 HOURS, this means as 1/3 of the night passes in Bangladesh then India is becoming 1/3 of the night, and as India passes then Pakistan, and as Pakistan passes then Afghanistan, after Afghanistan then Emirate Arab then so on, meaning THE SECOND PERSON of Allah is ALWAYS AT THE LOWEST HEAVEN
.
.
THIRD PERSON of Allah, IS RUNNING TO AND FRO
while the 1th PERSON IS STEADILY ON THE THRONE, and the 2th PERSON IS STEADILY AT THE LOWEST HEAVEN , ……
Q: Is Jogging (Harwala) an attribute of Allah?
A: Yes, as it has been shown in the Hadith Qudsi al-Shareef ….. “… and if he comes to Me walking, I go to him RUNNING.” Narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim.
[ Lajnatud-Da’imah lil-Buhuthul `Ilmiyyah wal-Ifta / The OFFICIAL Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Fatawa (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia]
THE 3TH PERSON of Allah runs to and fro
That’s it, whatsoever definition they would like to call it but AT LEAST Allah is THREE PERSONS according to Salafy Sunni
There are 2 usual figurative passages “descended into the lowest world” and “mounted upon the Throne” in Hadith and Qur’an.
A phrase “Descending into the lowest world” refers to either the “hearkening” or the “giving ear” unto one’s praying.
Deut 1
45 And ye returned and wept before the LORD; but the LORD would not hearken to your voice, nor give ear unto you.
1Kgs 8
28 Yet have thou respect unto the prayer of thy servant, and to his supplication, O LORD my God, to hearken unto the cry and to the prayer, which thy servant prayeth before thee to day:29 That thine eyes may be open toward this house night and day, even toward the place of which thou hast said, My name shall be there: that thou mayest hearken unto the prayer which thy servant shall make toward this place.52 That thine eyes may be open unto the supplication of thy servant, and unto the supplication of thy people Israel, to hearken unto them in all that they call for unto thee.
the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Our Lord DESCENDS every night to the lowest heaven ==Hadits QUDSI
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said concerning this matter:
“The correct view is that He DESCENDS and that He does not vacate the Throne
The Salafy believes Allah DESCENDS LITERALLY and not METAPHORICALLY
Are u still consider yourself a Salaf ?
The Salafy believes
1) Allah is always on the throne at the highest heaven.
2)Allah always on the lowest heaven every 1/3 of nights (since the globe rotates 24 hours meaning Allah is always at the lowest heaven.
3)Allah always RUNS to and FRO …and if he comes to Me walking, I go to him RUNNING.” QUDSI Narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim
We read in Fatawa al-Aqida by ibn Uthaimin, page 112: “What could forbid us from believing that Allah performs JOGGING?”
This shows Allah at least is THREE PERSONS
And the Salafy hypocirtically claims they don’t believe in Trinity ? LOL
Son of God as “Adon”, not Adonay.
Verses John 9:35-38 are Biblical inference that negates the divinity of “Son” (John 10:35), in which Jesus defines “Son of God” as a mortal Lord “Adon” rather than a divine “Adonay”:
Jn 9
35 Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God?36 He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him?37 And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee. 38 And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him.
The word “Lord” in John 9:36 for “Son of God” in John 9:35 must be “Adon” in Hebrew because it just correlates with “Proskuneo” in John 9:38.
“Adon” is a title of mortal reverence. It is used to Abraham husband of Sarah, Prophets, Kings, Angels, et cetera.
Non-divine Glory.
Jesus’ preexistent glory is taken or held by the Father when Jesus is on the earth, hence:
(i) It violates the “distinction rule” of the Trinity.
Jn 17
5 And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.
(ii) It proves Jesus and the Father are not truly “one” unlike Trinitarians insist on. Jesus still needs to pray to the Father before getting back his preexistent glory. For certain, Jesus lost an ability to retake or regain a glory that once belonged to him.
If they were “one” already, Jesus would not have prayed for it.
(iii) Afterward shockingly Jesus gives his preexistent glory to Disciples. How can a supposed divine glory be shared to some other mortals?
Jn 17
22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:
vs.
Isa 42
8 I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another.
Arabian version of the Trinity which Qur’an mentions involves the Father (which Qur’an rejects), the Son (which Qur’an rejects) and Allah as the third of Three.
No; the Greek word underlying the English “LORD” is kurios, which is also how they translated Yahweh in the OT.
John 17:22 and Isaiah 42:8 show that God is One in glory, that the 2 persons in John 17 (Father and Son) share the same glory, and Isaiah 42:8 shows their Unity / Oneness in substance/nature/essence.
Qur’an thought the Trinity was Father, Son, and Mother – Surah 5:116; 72-75; 6:101; 112 – it is obvious. Obviously, it was not inspired by God, since God would know what the doctrine is, since it was 600 years old in the NT (by 100 AD) and explicitly defined since 200 AD (Tertullian – One substance in three persons) and the Council of Nicea in 325 AD.
Allah is called the third of the three by Trinitarians of Arabia per Q.5, v.73 so how can Mary be set as the third ?
According to the ridiculous Trinitarian reading, Jesus has many persons too. That’s why he is called “Elohim” in Pss.45:6 instead of El.
Elohim (plural Jesus) gets anointed by Elohim (plural Father and Spirit).
Hence Jesus has some (plural) brethren as well, that are the plural Holy Spirit, that don’t get anointed, nor chosen as king.
Heb 1.
9 Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore *God* (plural Jesus), even thy God (plural Father and Spirit) hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows (plural Spirit).
I think the unproductive polemic on the plurality or singularity of the Hebrew word “Elohim” should be put to an end by Trinitarians, lest they believe or argue that Jesus has many persons.
Ps 45:6 Kis’akha Elohiym olam waed shevet miyshor shevet mal’khutekha.
Ps 45:7 Ahav’ta Tzedeq watis’na resha al-ken m’shachakha Elohiym Eloheykha shemen sason mechavereykha.
Literally:
Ps 45:6 Thy throne, O *gods*, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre.
Ps 45:7 Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore *gods*, thy God hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.
For Islam, the content of Matt 28:18 is not specifically referring to the Trinity, hence not a real problem, because nowhere it say the idolatrous creed “Son is God”, or the “Spirit is God”. After all, the Name of the Father referred by the verse doesn’t necessarily point to another God either, since the city of Jerusalem and each believers shall be named as the Father as well in Rev 14:1.
What is rejected by Islam is very precise, that is the sin of idolatry, not a mere hollow title “Son” or “Spirit” without any spiritual weight. In Qur’an, Jesus denies an idolatry of himself, namely by a passage “God is the Word” on the Trinitarian version of John 1:1. Jesus denies the Trinitarian John 1:1 in a very effective way of Q.5, v.72:
Q.5, v.72. They have disbelieved who say, God is the Messiah, the son of Mary, while the Messiah has said, O Children of Israel, worship God, my Lord and your Lord. Indeed, whosoever associates others with God, God has forbidden him Paradise, and his refuge is the Fire. And there are not for the wrongdoers any helpers.