What do you think of this web article that defines and explains the doctrine of trinity?

Question

http://www.bible-reviews.com/topics/trinity-introduction.php

For people who are familiar with the doctrine of trinity: does the article accurately define and explain the doctrine of trinity? If not, please point out any error, plus if possible a supporting source document.

For all people: can you understand the article? Are the explanations clear? If not, please point out any difficult spots. Also please point out any grammar or spelling errors.

For people who want a different article, something like:
- What is the Biblical basis for the doctrine of trinity?
or
- What is the history of the doctrine of trinity?

Please be aware that this article does NOT address those issues, nor is it intended to do so.

Many thanks in advance to all who spend the time to evaluate this article and especially to those who leave an answer here that identifies a problem with the article!

OPsaltis · Accepted Answer

Pretty good, though it gets a bit fuzzy on the concept of the origin of the Holy Spirit, at least as far as the Eastern Orthodox are concerned. Part of the problem is the translation of "ekporevete ἐκπορεύεται" in "...which proceedeth from the Father, ... " (John 15:26). The Latin term "procedit" carries a sense of sending, while the Greek does not, but rather more of essential origin. When the creed says "..who proceeds (ekporevomenon) from the Father...", the East sees a parallel to the begetting of the Son, though we cannot say how proceeding and having been begotten are different. But the Son is begotten, the Spirit proceeds "ek" out of the Father (and of course not also out of the Son.)

Forgive me.

/Orthodox (Eastern/Greek)

Forgive me.
/Orthodox (Eastern/Greek)

skeptik · Answer

What I think is that repeating contradictory claims multiple times using different words doesn't make them non-contradictory.  And that claiming that the words you are using have different meanings than those everyone else understands, then continuing to use them in PRECISELY THE SAME WAY is idiotic at best, dishonest at worst.

Or, as Thomas Edison put it 201 years ago:
"Ridicule is the only weapon which can be used against unintelligible propositions. Ideas must be distinct before reason can act upon them; and no man ever had a distinct idea of the trinity. It is the mere Abracadabra of the mountebanks calling themselves the priests of Jesus."

? · Answer

The trinity is biblical and Jesus Christ is God.

Olive Garden · Answer

St Augustine on Holy Trinity God:
Chapter 1.— This Work is Written Against Those Who Sophistically Assail the Faith of the Trinity, Through Misuse of Reason. 
They Who Dispute Concerning God Err from a Threefold Cause. Holy Scripture, Removing What is False, Leads Us on by Degrees to Things Divine. What True Immortality is.
 We are Nourished by Faith, that We May Be Enabled to Apprehend Things Divine.

Anonymous · Answer

Nothing about Christianity makes any sense. The Trinity is minor compared to the non-sacrifice of Jesus who is in paradise for eternity.

dewcoons · Answer

The article does a good job of explaining the basic doctrine as held by the majority of Christians.

Personally I look to explain the same ideas a little different.

In Genesis we are told that God made man in his image.  He created a 1)body from the elements of the earth, breathed into it a 2)spirit, and their union formed a living 3)soul.  God made man to have three different natures or "persons".  Each touches a different realm (physical, spiritual and mental), and serves a different purpose.  But a human is still only one "human" and not three different "humans".

So God also appears as a "person" or nature in each of the three realms that man touches.  He is God the Father in the spiritual realm.  He is God the Son in the physical realm (as Jesus) .  He is God the Holy Spirit when in indwells the hearts and minds of men.  The Father is just as much "God" as the Son or the Spirit, but the Father is not the Son or the Spirit.  Just as your body is just as much "you" as your mind or your spirit.  BUt your body is not your mind or spirit.

There are times when we as humans "act" as if we are more than one "person".  We tell our mind to pay attention or our body that it does not need to hit the snooze button for the ninth time.  And there are times when God "acts" as if he is more than one "person".  Such as when the Son prayed to the Father or the Father spoke from heaven and the Holy Spirit appeared at the baptism of the Son.  And then there are also times when we function as a single "person."  And there are times in the Bible when God acts and speaks of himself as "one person" or "one God."

Funny how we see that three-fold nature in humans all the time and do not get confused.  But we say that God. in whose image we are made, as a three fold nature, we get all mixed up and confused and don't know what to think.

mark · Answer

I didn't go through the entire article but from what I saw it looks like it's pretty spot-on. Basically the Trinity is a compilation of all of scripture and it puts it all together to give us an idea of the nature of God. No the word Trinity does not exist in the Bible. It's just a concept but an accurate one.

Anonymous · Answer

Well that was one man's version

The divine triune nature of God is far beyond our grasp, so any explanation would be am approximation at best

We can apprehend the idea that God is a triune being but we cannot comprehend it

What do you think of this web article that defines and explains the doctrine of trinity?

8 Answers