Holy Trinity I

The Most Holy Trinity.

#I.

The Oneness of God

The MostHoly Trinity is the core Teaching of Christianity. It is the One thing that links all Mysteries of Faith and Life to one another.

"The mystery of the MostHoly Trinity is the central mystery of Christian faith

and life. It is the mystery of God himself. It is therefore the source of all the other

mysteries of faith, the light that enlightens them. It is the most fundamental and essential

teaching in the "hierarchy of the truths of faith" (General Catechetical Directory 43)."

I will do my best in this letter to explain the Dogma of the Catholic Church's

Teaching on the Most Holy Trinity. I will be using the Catechism of the Catholic Church,

writings and letters of the early Church Fathers and my bit of understanding of all this.

I'm not a theologian nor am I an expert on any of this at all. I am learning as I go and I am loving every bit of it. And because I am not an expert on these things, it would be wrong to blam the Church's teachings on my misunderstanding.

The Dogma of the Catholic Church has been one of great studies on behalf of

those who learned the Truth. It has developed throughout the 2014 years of the Church's

existence. This is not a dogma that just came out of nowhere. It came from great men that

did some serious deep thinking and studying. This Dogma is seen within both Scripture

and Tradition. One should look at both the Whole Bible and the Church for a better

understanding of the Word of God and the Revelation of the Most Holy Trinity.

I will begin with some Scripture.

There are many clues within the text of both the Old Testament and New

Testament that point to The Most Holy Trinity. It is very interesting that there are verses

that link both the OT to the NT together. As St. Augustine said, "The New Testament lies

hidden in the Old Testament and the Old Testament is unveiled in the New Testament".

We are first looking at the Book of Revelation which is link to Exodus, Isaiah, and

Jeremiah. A Catholics does not look only at one verse to understand Scripture nor do we

use Scripture alone. Here I will use the New Testament first.

Here is the first Scripture we will look at, Rev. 1:8, 17-18; 21:6 and 22:13 in these

verses we are seeing the "Alpha and the Omega". One will not find a reference to the

"Alpha and Omega" in the OT and for the reason that they are the first and the last letters

of the Greek alphabet. The OT was written primarily in Hebrew. So this here will not be

seen in the OT.

Rev 1:8, "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God,who is and who

was and who is to come, the Almighty." {Of course this verse speaks of God the Father.}

Rev 21:6, "And he said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the

beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give water without price from the fountain of

the water of life." {God the Father and Jesus Christ who gave us water from His side}

Rev 22:13, "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning

and the end." {Now this verse is speaking of Jesus The Christ.}

Now when one looks at Rev 1:8, "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the

Lord God" Yes here one can say it is speaking of God Father. But this verse does not

stand alone if one keeps reading down to verses 17&18 one reads, "When I saw him, I

fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand upon me, saying, "fear not, I am

the first and the last, 18 and the living one; I died, and behold I am alive for evermore,

and I have the keys of Death and Hades." {Who was it that died here??? Of course it was

Jesus The Christ, because God the Father has never and can never die.}

So in verse 8 one sees God identifying Himself as the "Alpha and the Omega",

and in verse 17 as , "the first and the last". But in verse 18 as I understand it says this, "I

died, and behold I am alive for evermor e." And reading on to Rev 2:8 we read, "And to

the angel of the Church in Smyrna write: ‘The words of the first and the last, who died

and come to life,'"ç{Jesus The Christ}.

Yes, Our Lord God is "the first and the last, the Alpha and the Omega". But

who is the One they speak of that Died and came to Life??? It was Jesus The Christ.

The Book of Revelation is very interesting when it is read in context. St. John is

instructed to write to the Churches of Smyrna and Thyatira in (Rev 2:8-11 and 2:18-29),

one can see the Trinity being identified: Rev 2:8, "The words of the first and the least

ç{God the Father} who died and came to life ç{Jesus}". 2:11, "He has an ear, let

him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."ç{Holy Spirit}

And Rev 2: 18, 23,29, , "And to the Angel of the church in Thyatira write: ‘

The word of the Son of God ç(Jesus), who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose

feet are like burnished bronze…23.,I am he who searches mind and Hearts ,"ç{God

the Father} 29 Whoever has ears ought to hear what the Spirit says to the churches."

ç{Holy Spirit} To Catholics and those who believe in the most Holy Trinity see these

verses a very Trinitarian.

Farther in Rev 2:18,23, one reads, "And to the Angel of the church in Thyatira

write: ‘The word of the Son of God ç(Jesus), who has eyes like a flame of fire, and

whose feet are like burnished bronze ç(This to me kind of sounds like something in

the OT, Book of Daniel) …23.,I am he who searches mind and Hearts ," ç{God the

Father}

Verse 18 clearly is speaking of Jesus Christ and in verse 23 if we keep reading

Jesus is speaking as God did which is seen in the OT in Jeremiah 17:10, "I the LORD

search the mind and try the heart,…". ç{God the Father}

In this letter I use my first link that connects the NT to the OT. Both Jesus and

God the Father are One of the same Divine Nature and yet they are two distinct persons.

They both speak as one another did thus they speak as One and are One in God.

Now let me go back just a bit to the Alpha and Omega and work on linking those

to the OT.

Revelation 21:6, "And he said to me, "It is done! I Am the Alpha and the

Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give water without price

from the fountain of the water of life."

Rev 22:13, "I Am the alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the

beginning and the end."

Now these verses speak of the Alpha and the Omega which link the two Rev 1:8

with 21:6 together. Rev 1:8 speaks of God the Father while Rev 21:6 speaks of Jesus The

Christ. In Rev 22:13 one sees something different from the other verses which is, "the

first and the last". This verse is linked to Rev 2:8 and that is linked to the OT Is 41:4;

44:6; 48:12.

Is 41:4, "Who has performed and done this, calling the generations from the

beginning? I, the LORD, the first and the last: I am He."

Is 44:6, "Thus says the Lord, Israel king and redeemer, the Lord of hosts: I

am the first and I am the last; there is noGod but me."

Is 48:12, "Listen to me, Jacob Israel, whom I named! I, it is I who am the first

and also the last am I."

Rev 2:8 "And to the angel of the Church in Smyrna write: ‘The words of the

first and the last, who died and come to life,'"

Rev 22:13, "I Am the alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the

beginning and the end."

So now that one sees and know that God the Father and Jesus Christ are both, the

Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, one can keep going now.

Let's look at the verse in Revelation 22:12-13 much closer, "Behold, I am

coming soon ç{Jesus Christ}, bringing my recompense, to repay every one for what

he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and

the end."

Verse 12 is most definitely speaks of Jesus Christ and when we keep reading

verse 16 stats, "I Jesus have sent my angel to you with this testimony for the churches.

I am the root and the offspring of David, the bright morning star."

SO through all this one sees that Jesus The Christ is given the same title of "Alpha

and Omega" as God the Father in Rev 1:8 thus showing us that He too is of the same

Divine LORD.

Questions, are their two Alphas and Omegas? NO and are their two creations???

NO. It only makes sense here that their is only One Alpha, The First and Omega, The

Last and ONLY ONE Creator, One that Beginnings it all and One that Ends it all things.

He is the One God of everything visible and invisible. So if God the Father and Jesus

Christ are both Alpha and Omega and Creator the conclusion then should be One in

essence/nature/being. God's Oneness -His Unity- is a Mystery to men it is something that

our minds can not grasp in its fullness here on earth.

So now that one sees that both Jesus and God the Father (with the Holy Spirit) are

both Alpha and Omega… and so on, I will now try to look at why is God One in Three

Persons. Catholics call His Oneness, substance or nature and in Greek consubstantial. In

the Old Testament one sees that God is Only One and so to in the New Testament. The

verses are Deut 6:4, Mk 12:29, 1 Cor 8:4-6 and 1 Tim 2:5.

Deut 6:4, "Hear, O Israel ‘The LORD our God is One LORD,"

Mk 12:29, "Jesus answered, "The first is, Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the

Lord is One,"

1 Tim 2:5, "For there is One God, and there is One mediator between God and men,

the man Christ Jesus,"

1 Cor 8:4-6, "Hence, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that an idol

has no real existence, "and that there "there is noGod but One," For although there

may be so called gods in heave or on earth -as indeed there are many "gods" and

"lords" yet for us there is One God the Father, from whom are all things and for

whom we exist, and One Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and

through whom we exist ."

(Note from my Catholic Bible study pg. 298), "8:6 One God… One Lord: St Paul

distinguishes the Christian faith from paganism, which venerated many gods, and from

Judaism, which declined to accept the messianic Lordship of Jesus. St. Paul alludes to the

monotheistic creed of Deut 6:4, but he applies its two divine titles to two distinct Persons,

"God" is linked with the Father, the divine Source from whom all creation originates, and

"Lord" is linked with Christ, the divine Mediator through whom all things were made.

This is one of the clearest Pauline passages to assent both the deity and the divine activity

of Jesus Christ (Col 1:15-17)."

Col 1:15-17, "Heç{Jesus} is the Image of the invisible God, the first born of

all creation; for in the him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible

and invisible, whether thrones of dominions or principalities or authorities all things

were created through himç{Jesus} and for himç{Jesus}. Heç{Jesus} is before all

things, and in himç{Jesus} all things hold together."

Col 1:18-20, "Heç{Jesus} is the head of the body, the Church; heç{Jesus} is

the beginning the first-born from the dead, that in everything heç{Jesus} might be

pre-eminent. For in himç{Jesus} all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and

through Himç{Jesus} to reconcile to himself all thing, whether on earth or in

heaven, making peace by the blood of hisç{Jesus} cross."

(These next to paragraphs are from my Catholic Bible study note pg366.) "Col 1:15-20,

An ancient hymn that extols Christ's deity and supremacy over creation Emphasis is

placed on His role as Creator, (Which there is only One Creator), through whom all

things were made (Col 1:15-17), and as Redeemer, who renews all things with His Grace

(Col 1:18-20). As the preeminent Lord, Christ is enthroned far above every power on

earth and every order of angels in heaven. He has neither rival nor peer, and his

redeeming work transforms the old creation into a new creation through His Body, the

Universal Church (Col1:18; 2Cor5:17; Gal 6:15). The preexistence of Christ from

eternity and his active role as Creator together recall biblical poetry that personifies God's

"Wisdom" as the divine architect of heaven and earth (Prov8:22-31; Wis7:22-28). St. Paul

associates Christ with "wisdom" also in Col2:3 and 1Cro1:24,30 (CCC299)."

"Col 1:15 He is the image: Christ makes visible the life and love of the invisible God (Jn

1:18; Rom 5:8). His humanity is thus the sacrament that brings the Father into view (Jn

14:9). Although man was created in God’s image something more is said of Christ, who is that image in the most perfect sense (2Cor4:4; Heb1:3). ·The hymn may allude to the

creation of Adam, the first man to bear the image of God (Gen 1:26) and pass it alone to

his progeny (Gen 5:3). Because the image Adam bequeathed to the human family was

damaged and disfigured by sin, Christ comes to reverse what Adam did by reshaping our

image in likeness of his own (Col 3:10; Rom 8:29; 1 Cor 15:49). ·Christ is the image

because He is of one substance with the Father. He comes from the Father, and not the

Father from him, since the nature of an image is to copy the original and to be named

after it (St. Gregory Nazianzen, Orations 30). The first born: The term for an elder child,

with the emphasis on his legal right of inheritance (Deut 21:15-19). Since Christ is the

first and the only (natural) Son begotten of the Father, he is the designated heir of the

Father's estate, which is the entire cosmos (Heb 1:2). St. Paul's point is not that Jesus is

noblest part of creation, but that Jesus has the filial right to possess all of creation as his

inheritance. ·The apostles call him the first-born of all creation. Notice he says first-born,

not the first created, that we may believe he is begotten in virtue of his nature and first in

virtue of his eternity (St. Ambrose, on the Faith 1, 7)."

Now that one knows that God is One, and only One, these next verses make more

sense when read in Context with the other verses. So here are some more verses that show us that Jesus and God the Father are One (consubstantial). Ex 3:14, John 1:1,14; 8: 5,58; 10:30; 20:28. There are more verses like Mt 1:23 and 28:8 and others like them that make sense when read properly. Let me get this straight before I keep going, God is One with Three distinct Persons. God is Father Son and Holy Spirit. God the Father is not Jesus the Son nor is He the Holy Spirit and the Son is not the Father nor is He the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit is neither the Father nor the Son. This here is why it is a mystery to us men and our mind can not grasp this well.

John 8:5 Jesus speaks and says, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham

was, I am." Here Christ invokes and applies to Himself the personal name of God the

Father seen in Ex3:14. One also sees in St. John Gospel 20:28 St. Thomas falls down in

front of Jesus saying, "My Lord and My God!" in the Greek langue one reads, "Ho

Kurios mou kai ho Theos mou- which literally should be translated to this, "The

Lord of me and the God of me!" (http://www.catholic.com/tracts/the-divinity-ofchrist),

(http://www.angelfire.com/space/thegospeltruth/trinity/verses/Jn20_28.html)

Verses such as Mt 1:23, "Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and

his name shall be called Emmanuel" which means, God with us." The name

Emmanuel is perfectly fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Because He is the Incarnation His

ongoing presence in the world is both ecclesial (Jn 18:20; 28:20) and Eucharistic (Jn

26:26). John 1:1, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and

the Word was God." {Jesus} And then in John 1:14, "And the Word became flesh and

dwelt among us, {Jesus} full of grace and the Truth; we have behold his glory, glory

as of the only begotten Son from the Father." John 10:30, "I and the Father are

One." {When this is read in context with everything else, we see the One as One in

being, essence, substance or nature thus equal to one another.} John 16:15, "All that

the Father has is mine; therefore I said that He will take what is mine and declare it

to you." Jesus puts Himself equal the Father. John 17:5. "And now, Father, glorify me

in your own presence with the glory which I had with you before the world was

made." {Only Jesus Christ preexisted.}

The Church sees in these verses the Unity of the Godhead while at the same time

recognizing the distinction of the God-head. I agree with, and accept the Church's

teachings on the Holy Trinity. Everything I have written so far points to there being One

God only. Now to me all these verses explain the Oneness of God. Yet as Catholic,

Orthodox and all main-line Protestants believe in a Trinity. Which means God is One in

Three persons. So Catholic, Orthodox and All main-line Protestants believe in the Most

Holy Trinity. Now lets look at the Three distinct Persons of God. God is Father, Son and

Holy Spirit. All Three are God not three separate gods but One. Now lets look at His

distinctions. The Oneness Pentecostals who believe that God has no distinctions at all, is

a heresy.

Holy Trinity II

The Most Holy Trinity

#II.

The distinctions of God the Father Son and Holy Spirit are

seen within Scripture. It is reasonable and right to see the

distinctions between God The Father, God The Son and God

The Holy Spirit because it is how Love is shown to us.

I most say that God does NOT have separation between

Himself, but that their is distinction between God The Father,

God the Son, and God The Holy Spirit. Distinction is what

makes God One in nature and gives us The Oneness of the

God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Distinction is not mean

separation.

God the Father is not the Son and the Son is not the Father

and neither are the Holy Spirit. Yet the Father is God, the Son

is God and the Holy Spirit is God. There are not three Gods

but one God.

The idea of God not being Three Persons in One nature

(Oneness Pentecostals and others) hurts this point of whom

God is. And the other extreme of those that believe Jesus is

not God or of the Trinity (J/W, Mormons and some

Jewish/Christian and others) also hurt the point of whom God

Truly is.

We must accept that God can not be fully understood with

Human minds alone. He is a Mystery to us. This is not to say

we can not understand who God is. Some of the things We as

Catholics believe in are believed by Faith and not by sight.

We accept them to be True because it has already been reviled

to us through the Church and Her Teaching and guided by the

Holy Spirit through the thousands of years of its existence.

For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the

Word (Jesus The Christ), and the Holy Ghost: and these three

are one. And there are three that bear witness in earth, the

Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in

one. If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is

greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified

of his Son. He that believeth on the Son of God hath the

witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a

liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his

Son. (1 John 5:7-10 KJV)

These are beautiful verses that show that they are One and yet

that their is distinction in the Godhead.

We must remember that our human mind can not fully

understand the concept of God. Thus He is a mystery to us. A

mystery that allows us to go deeper into His Love for us, if we

are willing to and wanting to know Him better.

Here we will look at the Persons of God. Like I've said, God

is One in Nature with Three Persons, He is God the Father,

God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. We must be quite

accurate: the three persons are distinct, but not separate; and

they do not share the divine nature, but each possesses it

Totally.

Let me give you what is meant by nature and person. Nature

says what we are, person says who we are. Nature is the

source of our operations, person does them.

Our nature is Human, Gods is the Divine Nature. Their is only

One Divine Nature that everything comes from and that is

God's.

Let's look at Scripture and the three distinct persons of the

Trinity.

The Father, The Person of God the Father.

Do ye thus requite the Lord, O foolish people and unwise? is

not he thy father that hath bought thee? hath he not made thee,

and established thee? (Deuteronomy 32:6 KJV)

That ye may be the children of your Father which is in

heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the

good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. (Matthew

5:45 KJV)

But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when

thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret;

and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do:

for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth

what things ye have need of, before ye ask him. After this

manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven,

Hallowed be thy name. (Matthew 6:6-9 KJV)

If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your

children, how much more shall your Father which is in

heaven give good things to them that ask him? (Matthew 7:11

KJV)

But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the

angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.

(Mark 13:32 KJV)

For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord

Jesus Christ, Of whomthe whole family in heaven and earth

is named, (Ephesians 3:14, 15 KJV)

One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all,

and in you all. (Ephesians 4:6 KJV)

He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his

God, and he shall bemy son. (Revelation 21:7 KJV)

The Son, the Person of Jesus The Christ.

And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be

fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,

Out of Egypt have I called my son. (Matthew 2:15 KJV)

And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son,

in whom I am well pleased. (Matthew 3:17 KJV)

And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the

Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. 6.And

saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down:

for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning

thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any

time thou dash thy foot against a stone. (Matthew 4:3, 6 KJV)

And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with

thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment

us before the time? (Matthew 8:29 KJV)

All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man

knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the

Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will

reveal him. (Matthew 11:27 KJV)

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God;

11.And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my

beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. (Mark 1:1, 11 KJV)

And unclean spirits, when they saw him, fell down before him,

and cried, saying, Thou art the Son of God. (Mark 3:11 KJV)

And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost

shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall

overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be

born of thee shall be called the Son of God. (Luke 1:35 KJV)

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten

Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but

have everlasting life. (John 3:16 KJV)

And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to

the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:

(Romans 1:4 KJV)

For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among

you by us, even by me and Silvanus and Timotheus, was not

yea and nay, but in him was yea. (2 Corinthians 1:19 KJV)

Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed

into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our

profession. (Hebrews 4:14 KJV)

Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God

dwelleth in him, and he in God. (1 John 4:15 KJV)

And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These

things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a

flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass; (Revelation 2:18

KJV)

The Holy Spirit, the Person of the Holy Spirit.

And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 17.Even the

Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it

seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he

dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. (John 14:16, 17 KJV)

Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I

go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter (Holy Spirit )

will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto

you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin,

and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because they

believe not on me; Of righteousness, because I go to my

Father, and ye see me no more; Of judgment, because the

prince of this world is judged. I have yet many things to say

unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the

Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for

he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear,

that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He

shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew

it unto you. (John 16:7-14 KJV)

But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to

lie to the Holy Ghost , and to keep back part of the price of the

land? 32.And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is

also the Holy Ghost , whom God hath given to them that obey

him. (Acts 5:3, 32 KJV)

And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of

the Spirit , because he maketh intercession for the saints

according to the will of God. (Romans 8:27 KJV)

And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of

the Spirit , because he maketh intercession for the saints

according to the will of God. (Romans 8:27 KJV)

So in all these verses we see Scripture is clear of God's

distictions between God the Father, God the Son, and God the

Holy Spirit. To say their is No distiction between Him is to

say God is not Love.