Against Modalism 4: Not One God and Three Gods, nor Three Persons and One Person
To continue clearing some ground, some Unitarians laugh and say, "Trinitarians are ridiculous! How could there be three Gods and yet one God?"
It would be illogical to say that there is one God and three Gods, or one person who is three persons (A = 3A or B = 3B), but the Trinitarians do not oppose the rules of logic. We nowhere state such things. This is the fallacy of category.
We say that there is one God in three persons. “God” and “person” are different categories, so this true representation of Trinitarianism is logical (A = 3B). For example, is it illogical to say that I am one person, but have two constituents: a body and a soul? (Although the being of God is not absolutely analogous to this.)
God is unique and beyond our experience and comprehension. We should not seek to mould him to our own experience, but humbly submit to His self-revelation.
Continued...
It would be illogical to say that there is one God and three Gods, or one person who is three persons (A = 3A or B = 3B), but the Trinitarians do not oppose the rules of logic. We nowhere state such things. This is the fallacy of category.
We say that there is one God in three persons. “God” and “person” are different categories, so this true representation of Trinitarianism is logical (A = 3B). For example, is it illogical to say that I am one person, but have two constituents: a body and a soul? (Although the being of God is not absolutely analogous to this.)
God is unique and beyond our experience and comprehension. We should not seek to mould him to our own experience, but humbly submit to His self-revelation.
Continued...
Labels: False Teaching, Theology Proper
posted by Timothy Davis | 12:59 am
4 Comments:
No scriptural proof again.
The common saying that God is unique and beyond our experience is the fall back on weak doctrine.
Didn't God clothe himself in human flesh. Didn't God walk for some 3 years on earth? Didn't God invite us to reason together with Him?
You say that we cannot experience God, yet throughout scripture, God invites us to do just that!
Taste of the Lord, the prophet says. See that He is good. Experience Him!
We cannot comprehend those things God that we cannot see, however, even nature reveals to us the goodness of God. The Apostles experienced God and yet so many today are afraid to do so.
Polycarp,
Thank you for your comments and the spirit in which you have written them.
Please bear with me as I deal with the fallacies which are very prevalent.
To say that God is unique and beyond our experience is not to fall back on weak doctrine. God has revealed Himself in Scripture and we do experience and personally relate to Him, but the point is that we must not apply our experience to God and say, "Conform to that!"
God is transcendent. The God of both Trinitarianism and Modalism is supernatural and beyond normal experience.
Scripture is coming...
You said: God is transcendent. The God of both Trinitarianism and Modalism is supernatural and beyond normal experience.
Not too sure I agree with that, but we might just be arguing semantics. I fully recognize that I cannot easily apply my human experience to God and say because it is such and such for me then it is such and such for Him.
With that said, I still think that you experience God through His Spirit.
I agree.
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