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Originally Posted by Mxxxx
The teaching of the trinity is not a doctrine of Christ, it is one proferred by men.

Again, your lack of understanding history is really hurting you. The doctrine of the "trinity" developed due to a claim by Arius that Jesus Christ was a created "being" and not God. This ran contrary to what had been handed down and what the vast majority of Christians believed and the rest shall we say is history. Once one comes to understand Christ is indeed God, the Holy Spirit follows close behind. The major argument regarding the nature of who Christ indeed led to the development doctrine of the trinity. You really ought to get your facts straight. The presupposition in the Evangelist's statement is the denial God came in the flesh, you know the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. The doctrine of Christ is that He was and is indeed God in the flesh.

Pa---

Follow up response to the highlighted above.


Originally Posted by Mxxxx
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Or perhaps a Jehovah's Witness, or a Jew? Or a Mormon who thinks everybody gets to be God - everbody but apparently Jesus that is.

The denial of Christ's deity comes because they do not accept nor believe the gospel. If they believe what IS required for saving faith, the revelation that Jesus is God will be given them.

The Greeks on Mars Hill did not receive this revelation (Jesus as their Judge), because they did not believe the resurrection. Therefore they did not believe the gospel, and did not see that the Unknown God Paul was telling them about was Jesus - which btw Paul never clearly said that to them either. Rather he pointed them to the Creator. Had they believed what he did tell them about the resurrection, no doubt the truth that Jesus is the Logos would have been revealed to them as well.

The creeds are trying to make this trinitarian doctrine the requirement for saving faith without first laying the groundwork for what saving faith requires. And most who put this creed in their statement of faith, put it first - when it probably ought to be the last thing to be considered (if at all).

Setting up a creedal statement by which heresy can then be determined is antithetical to how men are to be brought to saving faith. As men try to improve upon the simple gospel that converts the hearts of men and actually make it more difficult for men to believe in Christ from the record we have been given.

Which is no surprise either that TULIP theology came as the result, as any atheist will tell you is a mischaracterization of the very God we claim to serve. If we would just stick to the record without trying to embellish it, we would no doubt discover more men have been soundly saved and we would be less worried about the heretics we have produced from our meddling.



Note ; Hymies are in the quote box, the orthodox response in red.

Last edited by Hitch; Thu Jan 29, 2009 8:29 PM.