Trinity vs One God?

Question

Atheist people: Okay, I get it. You don&rsquo;t believe, just as there is nothing I can do to convince you to believe there is also nothing you can do to convince me not to believe. If you actually have an answer that can shed light to my confusion then by all means go ahead but if you are just gonna go an insult and disrespect my faith because it is different from yours, please don&rsquo;t. Thanks!

Question: 
Okay, So I have always been raised in the Trinitarian way of thinking (One God = Three persona: God the father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit). I have always thought that this was one of the essence of Christianity and I never thought that there is an argument about this issue until I have joined a new Christian group (You see, I moved to another country and was looking for a Christian group). 

In this group they pretty much teach the same teaching as any other Christian group I&rsquo;ve joined. Love, humility, mercy, live in the Spirit, all those good things, except they teach a teaching that is COMPLETELY different from the teaching I grew up in. Don&rsquo;t get me wrong, they teach that there is only One God too&hellip;but in a way that is different from a Trinitarian One God? I can&rsquo;t explain it. 

In certain ways both groups teach that there is only God. Except Trinitarians believe that there&rsquo;s one God three persona. This one believes there is only one God period. Jesus is one with God the father and that He is OmniPresent. 

To add to the confusion, I have researched this issue and found a website that discuss how the Trinitarian concept was born from pagan beliefs (Egyptians believing in three gods) and then another website discussing that although Trinity was never mentioned in the bible it is still real when studying the gospel as a whole. 

Everything I thought I knew has been shattered and I can&rsquo;t believe I know so little about my God. I need to know the truth. John 3:16 states that For God so loved the world He gave us His only Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life. I believe this, all the while that I was believing this my thoughts were Jesus is different from the father as He is the son. Then we stumble this onto this: "I and my Father are one." (John 10:30) &ndash; and I believe this too. But as you can see, it&rsquo;s confusing me. What exactly Should I believe? That when He sent his Son, He sent himself or Jesus is really different from God the Father? I don&rsquo;t know&hellip;help me.

Also, I know there will probably be different answers here. So Could you provide a reason underneath as to why you are more of a credible answer? (Like, you've been a pastor for how many years or you've been studying the gospel, or you are baptized in water and Spirit, I don't know...just something?)

Answer

Sounds like you're questioning your own belief system.... it's a start.

Answer

Well from what I know, Jesus Christ and God was one, but God sent his son Jesus to go to the world to pay the sins of the human for us to be saved. But I think they are both different to each other tho, Jesus is the son, God is the creator.

I don't believe this tho.. It makes no sense for me. God made us, if we don't believe to him he sends us to hell.. What's good about that?

Answer

I would say that the difference is that in Trinitarian there IS a difference between the three, but they are still the same. In the second one, I guess what there are saying is that either a.) there ISN'T any difference between the three and they are the same, which can't be right because god can't be his own son, unless reincarnation or whatever the term is, or b.) Jesus and the Holy Spirit aren't god but rather his disciples. Probably option b is more likely, but this question is still pretty confusing.

Answer

This question can be answered by the examination of the scriptures. The really does harmonize. I have found that when I have come across something that I did not understand, it was a lack of understanding on my part not God or the bible. I find that many people feel that if it doesn't make sense to them, then the bible is wrong or God is wrong. Never thinking there is an adjustment that needs to be made on their part. I am happy to know that you are interesting in know what the truth actually is. 

I have been a student of the bible for more then 25years and I am an ordained minister. I am one of Jehovah's Witnesses.

When looking at John 10:30, the complete context of what is being said must be considered it would harmonize with everything else he was teaching and said as well.  In verse 36 he mentions that he stated he was God's son. Can you be the son and the father at the same time? If you wanted to illustrate an equal relationship using the family arrangement, would you use father and son, or maybe twins, or children. A father and son are never equal in time, experience.

You get a clearer understanding as well when you hear him constantly say that he came to his father's will, meaning what his father wanted. That he was "sent", that is father is greater than he is. How is always in subjection to his father... things like these statements that are all through his ministry while on earth gives you the confluence that they are not one literally. They are two separate people, BUT are one in purpose, they are in unity. Remember when he prayed to his father saying that he wanted his apostles to be one just as the father and I are one. Was he asking that the apostles become God? Further confluence of what he meant when using the term we are one. He wanted the apostles to be unified in God's purpose the way he was. 

Yes he was given a great deal of authority by his father. But in no way does that mean that he has taken over his father's position. If you would like to further discuss this using your bible I would be happy to discuss this with you.

Answer

Like you, I was taught from an early age that God is 3 in 1.  I accepted this until I was in my 20s and then began to question this doctrine.  For example, how could God and his Son, be one and the same.  

Questioning my vicar on this, his response was that it was a mystery and that God would reveal all when we go to Heaven.  Then I began to question Heaven and Hell. How could a God who loves mankind (John 3 v  16) put people into eternal torment in a burning fire.

I began to question my religion and eventually found one that gave me the answers.
Jesus said that &ldquo;the true worshipers will worship the Father with . . . truth.&rdquo; (John 4:23) That truth has been recorded in the Bible. (John 17:17) Does the Bible teach that the Father, the Son, and the holy spirit are three persons in one God?

For one thing, the Bible does not mention the word &ldquo;Trinity.&rdquo; For another, Jesus never claimed to be equal to God. Instead, Jesus worshipped God. (Luke 22:41-44) On line of evidence concerns Jesus&rsquo; relationship with his followers. Even after he was raised from the dead to the spirit realm, Jesus called his followers &ldquo;my brothers.&rdquo; (Matthew 28:10) Were they brothers of Almighty God? Of course not! But through their faith in Christ&mdash;God&rsquo;s preeminent Son&mdash;they too became sons of the one Father. (Galatians 3:26) 

With reference to John 10 v 30.  The oneness to which Jesus referred must be understood in harmony with the context of his statement. He was speaking of his works and his care of the &ldquo;sheep&rdquo; who would follow him. His works, as well as his words, demonstrated that there was unity, not disunity and disharmony, between him and his Father, a point his reply went on to emphasize. (Joh 10:25, 26, 37, 38;) 

I am still studying the Bible even after 30 years and in response to Jesus' command at Matthew 28 v 19 & 20, I help others to come appreciate the truth of the Bible.

To find out more you can look at the website www.jw.org.

Answer

Jesus and Jehovah are, definitely, two individuals. First off, Jesus and Jehovah have two separate minds (1 Corinthians 2:16). Next, Jesus learned everything he knew from Jehovah (John 8:28). Jesus also does not know everything. He does not know the day or the hour when the events of Matthew 24 will start to happen (Matthew 24:36). Third, Jesus is subordinate to Jehovah (Hebrews 5:8; John 8:29). Jesus was given his authority by Jehovah (Matthew 28:19, 20; Romans 13:1). And, after the thousand  year reign, Jesus will give his authority up. Giving it back to Jehovah (1 Corinthians 15:25-28 ;Revelation 20:7-15).

Trinity vs One God?

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