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On Trinity
I believe God is Trinity, Tri-Unity, Three-in-one. That God might break the laws of mathematics that tell us 3 is not equal to 1, I believe that since God is the author of those laws, God is not bound by them in the way we are.
However, I do not believe that Trinity is the sum total of what is revealed about God in Christ Jesus, nor the most fundamental. So, though I would defend the doctrine of Trinity against its detractors, I do not use the doctrine of the Trinity as a foundation for all doctrine nor even to shape disciplines for Christ (as for example the Relational approach tries to do).
Let me explain.
- The word "Trinity" is not found in the New Testament (but nor are many other words).
- Nor even is the sharply-defined concept of Trinity that is defended in much Christian apologetics (though the concept is consistent with most of the Christian Scriptures - except perhaps for the verse about seven Spirits of God).
- The notion of Trinity was worked out by the Early Church, according to Greek ways of thinking, namely to try to define entities and their properties in a way that is logical. I do not believe that that way of thinking has absolute authority, so any concept or notion resulting from it is itself non-absolute. Only Scripture is absolute.
- The idea of Trinity does express several important 'aspects' of God, but does not express them all, and there are some other important aspects of God, such as "God is love", which do not logically emerge from Trinity
- "Tri" implies God is social, relational.
- Unity" implies aesthetic harmony, as in the playing of a symphony by multiple players.
- But neither of these requires Love. I remember speaking with a Christian who was once member of a world-famous quartet. They had social relationships and, when they played, wonderful harmony resulted. But he told me that the relationships among them were very sour and bitter.
- So the mere idea of Trinity does not guarantee "God is love".
- Love tends towards sociality and harmony but they do not tend necessarily towards love. I believe that agape love of God is more fundamental and even more important than Trinity.
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Created: 8 July 2024
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