In your own words~~~~~

John 5:39,40- 39You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, 40yet you refuse to come to me to have life.

John 6:44-51-

43"Stop grumbling among yourselves," Jesus answered. 44"No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day. 45It is written in the Prophets: 'They will all be taught by God.' Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me. 46No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God; only he has seen the Father. 47I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life. 48I am the bread of life. 49Your forefathers ate the manna in the desert, yet they died. 50But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which a man may eat and not die. 51I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world."
 
john 10:30 and 38-
30I and the Father are one."
38But if I do it, even though you do not believe me, believe the miracles, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father."
 
John 14:9-11- 9Jesus answered: "Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? 10Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. 11Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves.

John 14:16,17- 16And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— 17the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.
 
John 20:17-17Jesus said, "Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, 'I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.' "
 
I have studied Oneness Pentecostalism in school.
I am no expert by any means, but I may be able to help.

Oneness Pentecostals do believe in God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Well,... That's the trinity. Right?

Not exactly.

Oneness Pentecostalism is a derivation of Arminianism, especially with regard to the doctrine of salvation.

The belief is that God revealed Himself as the Father in the Old Testament. He later revealed Himself as God the Son in Christ Jesus. After Christ's Ascention God reveals Himself as God the Holy Spirit.

I know that sounds alot like trinitarianism, but it really is not. The difference is this: As a trinitarian, I could easily be falsely accused of worshiping three Gods by someone who does not fully understand trinitarianism.

A oneness Pentecostal could not be accused of that.

In addition to that, oneness believers deny predestination and maintain that it is completely up to the individual to decide whether or not he wants to be saved.

In contrast, we profess that we are all spiritually dead and therefore we cannot by our own strength believe in God the Son, nor can we go to Him without the will of God the Holy Spirit.
This is based on 1 Cor. 2:14 Eph. 2:1 Romans 8:7 Eph. 2:8-9 and 1 Cor. 12:3

Also I must add. It is my prayer that I have offended no one with this post, and that I have accurately, and lovingly explained the diversity between these two understandings.

If I have misrepresented anyones belief, or if I have offended anyone, I sincerely apologize. My intention was only to share my own personal understanding of the Trinity. :groupray:

Thankyou.
I have always believed that 3 are 1.
I recently decovered, through studing the history of christaninty that there were all these differences. It saddens me, truthfully.
When Jesus says that He and the Father are one, I believe this.
Part of my testimony is the relization of who Jesus was. With a Catholic background, what little I knew, a Father and a son. Didn't really know anything about the spirit. When I read for the first time, "Footprints in the sand", a light bulb went on! I knew that I knew that I knew who Jesus was, in an instant. No one had to explain a thing!
The mystery of the Godhead is just that, a mystery. It can only be internally understood by God himself. I had not yet been baptised nor had I recieved the Holy Spirit yet. So who revealed this revelation to me? God did. This realization was the answer to a dream/vision I had at the age of 15. When I asked God if he was real and if he loved me. Perhapes later I will share that dream.

I also do not wish to step on anyones toes...blessing to all
 
What is Trinity ? What is Non-Trinity ?

Of course the word "Trinity" to represent the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, was coined in the third century by Tertullian, but the equivalent word, which is in the New testament, is "Godhead" which also means Trinity.

[FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Geneva]Ac 17:29 Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device. [/FONT]
[FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Geneva]Ro 1:20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: [/FONT]
[FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Geneva]Col 2:9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. [/FONT]
 
The plan thing is the main thing and the main thing is the plain thing

We have a creator, God, our father in heaven.

We need and have a saviour. Christ Jesus, born of a virgin, was crusified and resurected on the third day. Assended to heaven and now sits at the right hand of the father.

We need and have a councelor and comforter, the Holy Spirit.

The three are in complete unity of thought and purpose.

In the practice of the faith we as Christians should;

Pray to the father

Honor/ follow the Son

And listen to the Holy Spirit.

While to some the nature of the relationship between the three hold a measurable significance, it is neither fully undertsandable nor a salvational issue.


Sincerely His
Cliff
 
I have heard someone describe to me the trinity as similar to the triple point of water, where all three states of water exist and that they are merely different forms of the same water.

The father I believe is God in His natural purest form. I don't know what the exact scripture it is, but no human is allowed to see God in his true form. I know Jesus was allowed, and I think there was a scripture where Moses got to see God from behind, but that was it.

Jesus seems to have all the wisdom and power of God, but is in the form of man. God sent his perfect son to earth to show us what it means to live a perfect life and do nothing but good. When people reject jesus, it means that they reject God, for Jesus did the works of God. God himself could not have come down for we are not allowed to see the Father, we would die if we saw His glory.

Here's a quote from God addressing Moses:

19And the Lord said, "I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the lord, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. 20But," he said, "you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live." (Exodus 32:19-32:20)

(The next verses describe how Moses saw God from behind)

Jesus brings this up again:

"No on has seen the Father except the one who is from God; only he has seen the Father." (John 6:46)

I'm no expert on the holy spirit (or any of this for the matter), but I think the holy spirit is simply the spirit of righteousness that comes from God and abides in us when we follow in His path. It gives us inspiration and helps us say what God wants us to say. I guess it is God working through us.

Here's a quote about the holy spirit as Jesus addresses it:

10And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.
11"When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, 12for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say." (Luke 12:10-12:12)

I guess what I conclude from all this is that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are different entities and yet one in the same. They are all equal in goodness, but they appear to be different forms of God, and the Son and Holy Spirit apear to both come from the Father.

Jesus was brought down to this earth by the Father to live a perfect life to help show us the way to God and to sacrifice himself for our sins. Jesus is a part of God and followed the path God set for him and was perfect in his virtues, just as God is. But Jesus had the form of man and suffered as man did, and it's logically impossible for the perfect Father to do that. Therefore, it seems Jesus was a part of God, an entity of God, but not quite equal to the Father's glory. Even Jesus said it himself, "...If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I." (John 14:28)

The holy spirit is sent to guide all of us when we seek to follow in God's ways. It seems to be a part of God which comes to us to give us divine inspiration. But God the Father apears to be the original. I guess what I'm saying is that Jesus and the Holy Spirit are both a part of God, but that the Father is the whole from which they stem. Jesus as the perfect son in human form, and the holy spirit as God's divine inspiration working in us.

Correct me if I'm wrong on any of this. This is all just my assumption.
 
Again One but seperate and distinct:
1Co 15:27 For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him.
1Co 15:28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.

Jesus conversed continually with the Father and at the end of all things (as demonstrated above) they will still be distinct and seperate personalities.
The Father sent the Holy Spirit to the church on Pentecost. Jesus was baptized in the Holy Spirit ( as the Holy Spirit descended on Him like a dove) - again seperate and distinct and all three in the same time frame.
 
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