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Discussion » Questions » Religion and Spirituality » If God is a trinity, shouldn't it be mentioned in the Bible?

If God is a trinity, shouldn't it be mentioned in the Bible?


Shouldn't statements that flat out say that the Father is the only true God be considered spurious and not in every manuscript and translation?
Saying our everlasting life has something to do with coming to know the Father, who is the only true God seems a bit confusing if the only true God is Father, Son and a Holy Ghost.

(John 17:3) This means everlasting life, their coming to know you, the only true God, and the one whom you sent, Jesus Christ.
(1 Corinthians 8:5, 6) For even though there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth, just as there are many “gods” and many “lords,” 6 there is actually to us one God, the Father, from whom all things are and we for him; and there is one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things are and we through him.
(1 Corinthians 11:3) But I want you to know that the head of every man is the Christ; in turn, the head of a woman is the man; in turn, the head of the Christ is God.
(John 3:16) “For God loved the world so much that he gave his only-begotten Son, so that everyone exercising faith in him might not be destroyed but have everlasting life.

 
When the nation of Israel received the Law covenant, which forms part of the Bible, they were commanded: “You must never have any other gods against my face.” (Deuteronomy 5:7) How many persons were speaking here? Without any confusion, Deuteronomy 6:4 reads: “Listen, O Israel: Jehovah our God is one Jehovah”​—not three in one. Israel had just been liberated from Egypt, where Osiris, Isis, and Horus —one of a number of triads of gods—​were worshipped. Therefore, Israel was commanded to worship just one God. How important was it for people to understand this command? According to Dr. J. H. Hertz, a rabbi: “This sublime pronouncement of absolute monotheism was a declaration of war against all polytheism . . . The Shema excludes the trinity of the Christian creed as a violation of the Unity of God.”

This is not in the Bible:
2 Nephi 31:21
21 And now, behold, my beloved brethren, this is the way; and there is none other way nor name given under heaven whereby man can be saved in the kingdom of God. And now, behold, this is the doctrine of Christ, and the only and true doctrine of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, which is one God, without end. Amen.

Posted - May 4, 2020

Responses


  • 5391

    The manifest confusion amongst generations of His self-satisfied believers to fail to agree on what is actually to be believed. Awfully capricious of a deity to seed such a level of uncertainty. 

    What we see in scriptures are mixed, contradictory, ambiguous and even incoherent messaging, such that regardless of which version you embrace, millions of your fellow humans will oppose you. Even unto murder. Hardly the hallmarks of divine instruction, but more of ignorant, bigoted men with agendas presuming to speak for, and about a divine consciousness they couldn’t fully agree about either. (Hence the Trinity nonsense).

    Surely the Omnipotent Creator of the Universe could have made a much better case for Itself, but didn’t.
    Too bad.




     

      May 6, 2020 4:10 PM MDT
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  • 2657
    So what did I take out of context?
    What is ambiguous or incoherent about this?
    (John 17:3) This means everlasting life, their coming to know you, the only true God, and the one whom you sent, Jesus Christ.
    (1 Corinthians 8:5, 6) For even though there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth, just as there are many “gods” and many “lords,” 6 there is actually to us one God, the Father, from whom all things are and we for him; and there is one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things are and we through him.
    (1 Corinthians 11:3) But I want you to know that the head of every man is the Christ; in turn, the head of a woman is the man; in turn, the head of the Christ is God.
    (John 3:16) “For God loved the world so much that he gave his only-begotten Son, so that everyone exercising faith in him might not be destroyed but have everlasting life.
    (John 20:31) But these have been written down so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and because of believing, you may have life by means of his name.

    Is this hard to understand?
    (1 Timothy 4:1-3) However, the inspired utterance says definitely that in later periods of time some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to misleading inspired utterances and teachings of demons, 2 by the hypocrisy of men who speak lies, marked in their conscience as with a branding iron; 3 forbidding to marry, commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be partaken of with thanksgiving by those who have faith and accurately know the truth.
    (2 Timothy 4:3-4) For there will be a period of time when they will not put up with the healthful teaching, but, in accord with their own desires, they will accumulate teachers for themselves to have their ears tickled; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, whereas they will be turned aside to false stories.

    Are you upset that what the Bible said would happen came true?
      May 6, 2020 4:44 PM MDT
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  • 5391

    Again with the scads of handpicked scripture. Smh. You really don’t get it. Not one bit. Apparently the concepts I imparted are just too far beyond your ken. Cannot teach. ‘nuff said.

    (...and No, Tex, don’t flatter yourself; I could not care any less what the Book of Old Jewish Fairy Tales allegedly “predicts”.) 

    This post was edited by Don Barzini at May 6, 2020 5:16 PM MDT
      May 6, 2020 5:12 PM MDT
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  • 2657
    Yet you are always talking about the Bible. I don't believe in pink unicorns and you won't find me spending years frequenting conversations about them. Maybe I can learn from your example?

    Quote: "Again with the scads of handpicked scripture." So when I post relevant scriptures to your taunt of "Too bad an omniscient creator-deity couldn’t have foreseen and prevented the confusion." you complain about handpicked scripture? Should I have quoted the whole Bible, would that make you happy happy happy?

      May 6, 2020 6:01 PM MDT
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  • 1305
    1) Yes, I believe the Father is the only God there is. 
    2) God's name in Hebrew is Yhwh, having read about the use of Jehovah and where that came from I would rather use the Hebrew form.
    3) Christ humbled himself by removing his human ego, and so allowing the Father to give him the fullness of himself.

    (Colossians 2:8) Look out that no one takes you captive by means of the philosophy and empty deception according to human tradition, according to the elementary things of the world and not according to Christ; (I agree with this wholeheartedly)

    The reason I don't agree with the NWT is because it removes Jesus' name on many occasions and even whole verses.

    I don't think you understand the Trinitarian doctrine.


      May 7, 2020 5:40 PM MDT
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  • 2657
    I know that trinitarians are confused by their understanding of the trinity. They assert one thing but then have to contradict themselves when other similar verses are brought up.


    The older more reliable manuscripts reveal many errors of the KJV. That is why some verses have been removed from many modern translations like the NWT, NASB, ESV,


    For example 1 Tim 3:16. Even modern trinitarian translations know "God" is not in that verse in the older manuscripts.
    https://www.blueletterbible.org/nasb/1ti/3/1/t_conc_1122016

    1 Tim 3:16 (ESV) Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness:
    He[fn] was manifested in the flesh,
    vindicated[fn] by the Spirit,[fn]
    seen by angels,
    proclaimed among the nations,
    believed on in the world,
    taken up in glory.

    1 Tim 3:16 (NASB) Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness:
    He[fn] was manifested in the flesh,
    vindicated[fn] by the Spirit,[fn]
    seen by angels,
    proclaimed among the nations,
    believed on in the world,
    taken up in glory.

    That error is probably one you wish was true.



    1 John 5:7 is another attempt at proving the 4th century trinity.

    https://www.blueletterbible.org/nasb/1jo/5/7/t_conc_1164007

    1 John 5:7 (ESV) For there are three that testify

    1 John 5:7 (CSB) For there are three that testify

    1 John 5:7 (KJV) For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.
      May 7, 2020 7:25 PM MDT
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  • 1305
    With reference to the accuracy of bible translations, it is known that the KJV is more accurate in it's translation but loses readability, where as the NLT is not word for word accurate, but easier to read due to it's use of slang.
      May 10, 2020 8:47 AM MDT
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  • 2657
    "it is known that the KJV is more accurate in it's translation"
    More accurate than what? If you are talking just about the NLT, although the NLT is based off of more accurate manuscripts than the KJV, it
    More popular does not equal more accurate.
     
    https://bible.ovu.edu/terry/interpretation/translat.htm
    English Bible Translations
    (rated on a scale of 1 to 10 as to literalness)



    https://www.apbrown2.net/web/TranslationComparisonChart.htm
    Chart of Bibles rated from "word for word" to "thought for thought" (paraphrase)
      May 10, 2020 9:20 AM MDT
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  • 1305
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Living_Translation

    Quote

    The New Living Translation used translators from a variety of Christian denominations. The method combined an attempt to translate the original texts simply and literally with a dynamic equivalence synergy approach used to convey the thoughts behind the text where a literal translation may have been difficult to understand or even misleading to modern readers. A part of the reasoning behind adapting the language for accessibility is the premise that more people will hear the Bible read aloud in a church service than are likely to read it or study it on their own.

    It has been suggested that this "thought-for-thought" methodology, while making the translation easier to understand, is less accurate than a literal (formal equivalence) method, and thus the New Living Translation may not be suitable for those wishing to undertake detailed study of the Bible.

    This post was edited by kjames at May 10, 2020 10:33 AM MDT
      May 10, 2020 10:29 AM MDT
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  • 2657
    Oh yes, I know it is not a very literal translation, just based off better manuscripts than the KJV. I got interrupted when I was replying earlier. I haven't edited it yet so you can see there was something missing from my previous comment: [If you are talking just about the NLT, although the NLT is based off of more accurate manuscripts than the KJV, it
    More popular does not equal more accurate.]

    The KJV is based off of later manuscripts with more errors in them and the translators added words in some cases that even some of the corrupt manuscripts did not have.

    KJV people should be handling poisonous snakes to show that they believe. (*Not recommending that you try snake handling.)

    Mark 16:17, 18, KJ: “These signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.”
      May 10, 2020 11:04 AM MDT
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  • 1305
    The NLT captures thought, not accuracy of word for word like the KJV, hence it's easier to understand, but isn't as accurate.
      May 10, 2020 12:20 PM MDT
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  • 2657
    I am not a big fan of the NLT. A little better than it's predecessor the Living Bible but still not as accurate as the NWT, NASB, ESV and many others.

    KJV tanslates sheol as hell, grave and pit, based on the preconceived idea of a literal hell fire. Someone good dies, grave, someone bad dies, hell and not even consistent on that.


    EDIT: (The link is somehow separated. If you click on the second part of the link, it appears to work?)
    I think I posted this before with some of the trinitarian flavored errors?
    https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20John%205:7-8;1%20Timothy%203:16;John%203:13;Colossians%202:2;John%201:18&version=NASB;HCSB;NKJV;NLT;NIV


    This post was edited by texasescimo at May 12, 2020 7:33 AM MDT
      May 12, 2020 7:27 AM MDT
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  • 13251
    Kind of ironic to use Hebrew, the language of Judaism, to push the Christian trinity concept that Jews don't buy into.
      May 5, 2020 8:28 PM MDT
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  • 1305
    You appear to be claiming that there are no Jewish believers in Christ, there are, and Paul was Jewish.
      May 7, 2020 5:41 PM MDT
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  • 13251
    Adherents of Messianic Judaism call themselves Jews, but that is highly questionable. Jewish theology rejects the idea that the Messiah, or any human being, is a divinity. Belief in the Trinity is considered idolatrous by most rabbinic authorities. Further, Judaism does not view the role of the Messiah to be the salvation of the world from its sins, an integral teaching of Christianity and Messianic Judaism.
      May 7, 2020 7:18 PM MDT
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  • 2657
    No trinity but Messianic prophecies foretold that the Messiah would have to suffer and die to cover the sins of others. (Isaiah 53:5; Daniel 9:24, 26)
    Just as the Mosaic law had


    (Isaiah 53:4, 5) Truly he himself carried our sicknesses, And he bore our pains. But we considered him as plagued, stricken by God and afflicted.  5 But he was pierced for our transgression; He was crushed for our errors. He bore the punishment for our peace, And because of his wounds we were healed.

    (Leviticus 16:21, 22) Aaron will lay both his hands on the head of the live goat and confess over it all the errors of the Israelites and all their transgressions and all their sins, and he will put them on the head of the goat and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a man designated to do this. 22 The goat will carry upon itself all their errors into a desert land, and he will send the goat away into the wilderness.

    (Hebrews 10:1-10) For since the Law has a shadow of the good things to come, but not the very substance of the things, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered year after year, make those who approach perfect. 2 Otherwise, would not the sacrifices have stopped being offered, because those rendering sacred service once cleansed would have no consciousness of sins anymore? 3 On the contrary, these sacrifices are a reminder of sins year after year, 4 for it is not possible for the blood of bulls and of goats to take sins away. 5 So when he comes into the world, he says: “‘Sacrifice and offering you did not want, but you prepared a body for me. 6 You did not approve of whole burnt offerings and sin offerings.’ 7 Then I said: ‘Look! I have come (in the scroll it is written about me) to do your will, O God.’” 8 After first saying: “You did not want nor did you approve of sacrifices and offerings and whole burnt offerings and sin offerings”—sacrifices that are offered according to the Law— 9 then he says: “Look! I have come to do your will.” He does away with what is first in order to establish what is second. 10 By this “will” we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all time.
      May 7, 2020 7:32 PM MDT
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  • 13251
    Jewish organizations and the Supreme Court of Israel have ruled against the claim that Messianic Jews are Jews and not Christians in regard to the Law of Return, and instead consider Messianic Judaism to be a form of Christianity. This post was edited by Stu Spelling Bee at May 7, 2020 7:52 PM MDT
      May 7, 2020 7:52 PM MDT
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  • 32527
    But Jews are not just those who follow Judaism.  Being a Jew can mean religious or heritage or being from Israel (Judea).   
    Did they rule secular or atheist Jews were not Jews? 
      May 7, 2020 8:47 PM MDT
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  • 13251
    While they consider Messianic Judaism to be a form of Christianity, I believe they ruled that the Law of Return covers anyone born to a Jewish mother, presumably not having converted out or otherwise renounced the religion.
      May 7, 2020 8:55 PM MDT
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  • 2657
    A guy that did some sheetrock work for me years ago told me that he was  Jew. His father was mexican and his mother was Jewish. He said that since the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple and all of the records from the paternal houses in 70C.E. that they now count their heritage maternally rather than paternally. Haven't confirmed that myself but no one can fully establish from what tribe they are from now. Those records were at least kept long enough for the Messiah to come in 33C.E. Daniel 9:24-27
      May 7, 2020 11:35 PM MDT
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  • 13251
    The Christian Messiah. Judaism does not recognize any human as a divinity. That's one of the reasons Messianic Judaism is actually a form of Christianity.
      May 7, 2020 11:39 PM MDT
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  • 2657
    I don't recognize any human as "a divinity" either. That does not negate the fact that according to the Jewish scriptures, angels have materialized and an angel was able to pardon transgressions. Angels are divine (depending on your understanding of divine) but they are not the Divine being himself.

    That was not the point of my post your replied to though, it was that the Hebrew scriptures pointed to someone that would atone for the sins of the people, similar to how the priest had to sacrifice goats and such for atonement.



    (Exodus 23:20, 21) “I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you on the way and to bring you into the place that I have prepared. 21 Pay attention to him, and obey his voice. Do not rebel against him, for he will not pardon your transgressions, because my name is in him.

    (Isaiah 53:4, 5) Truly he himself carried our sicknesses, And he bore our pains. But we considered him as plagued, stricken by God and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgression; He was crushed for our errors. He bore the punishment for our peace, And because of his wounds we were healed.

    (Leviticus 16:21, 22)

    (Daniel 9:24-27) “There are 70 weeks that have been determined for your people and your holy city, in order to terminate the transgression, to finish off sin, to make atonement for error, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up the vision and the prophecy, and to anoint the Holy of Holies. 25 You should know and understand that from the issuing of the word to restore and to rebuild Jerusalem until Mes·siʹah the Leader, there will be 7 weeks, also 62 weeks. She will be restored and rebuilt, with a public square and moat, but in times of distress. 26 “And after the 62 weeks, Mes·siʹah will be cut off, with nothing for himself. “And the people of a leader who is coming will destroy the city and the holy place. And its end will be by the flood. And until the end there will be war; what is decided upon is desolations. 27 “And he will keep the covenant in force for the many for one week; and at the half of the week, he will cause sacrifice and gift offering to cease. “And on the wing of disgusting things there will be the one causing desolation; and until an extermination, what was decided on will be poured out also on the one lying desolate.”

    (Genesis 32:24-30; Judges 6:14-22)
      May 8, 2020 12:12 PM MDT
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  • 32527
    I was told by a Rabbi that while under Roman rule the soldiers sometimes would rape the Jewish women so this caused a question of paternity so the Mother is used for Jewishness (I guess that is a word).  As there is not question of who is the Mother. 
      May 8, 2020 6:28 AM MDT
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  • 32527
    Ok. So the a secular or atheist Jew would not be considered applicable to the Law of Return. 

    That is good that they are being consistant then. 
      May 8, 2020 6:23 AM MDT
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  • 1305
    From what I understand many modern day Jews read the Talmud and follow Kabbalah, it is easy to see the similarities between Christ and the Kabbalah, and many Kabbalah following Jews see Christ being the gate manifested on earth in the flesh, representing among many the sefirot. They are Keter (Crown), Hokhmah (Wisdom), Binah (Understanding), Hesed (Lovingkindness), Gevurah (Might) or Din (Judgment), Tiferet (Beauty), Hod (Splendor), Netzah (Victory), Yesod (Foundation), and Malkhut (Sovereignty) or Shekhinah (the Divine Presence).
    After all the aim of the Kabbalah is to seek union with God, just as Christianity is to seek reconciliation.


    This post was edited by kjames at May 10, 2020 12:26 PM MDT
      May 10, 2020 9:03 AM MDT
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