The Lord Jesus Christ and The Divine Trinity

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

The Lord Jesus Christ and The Divine Trinity

 

The Teachings of Swedenborg

Concerning

The Lord Jesus Christ and The Divine Trinity

by Philip N. Odhner

The One Infinite God.

Swedenborg teaches that there is one Infinite Supreme Being who created the universe and all things in it out of His Divine Love and Wisdom.

The human mind can see that God is infinite. For if God were finite, or limited, there would have to be something that made Him finite and limited. And in that case that thing which made Him finite and limited would be the real source and origin of all things, and thus would be the real God. So also the human mind can see that God is eternal. For if God were not eternal, then He had a beginning in time. And if He had a beginning in time, then there was something previous to Him from which He had origin, and that previously existing thing would be God.

Because God is infinite and eternal He is one. There cannot be two infinite Beings. If there were two or more supposedly infinite Beings, one would limit and finite the other, and thus neither would be infinite. To think or speak of two or more infinite Beings is a contradiction in itself. Such an idea cannot enter the understanding of man.

That the one infinite God is Wisdom can be seen by man from a view of the starry heavens, in which the suns and planets can be seen held in a wonderful order. It can be seen also from a view of anything in nature in its smallest parts. For the microscope reveals the most wonderful order in the least things of creation, even as the telescope reveals such an order in the greatest things.

God is Love. This can be acknowledged by man from the fact that the order existing in the created universe bespeaks a Divine Purpose therein. And especially can it be seen that God is Love in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who showed forth the most perfect love for the eternal salvation of the whole human race.

The Divine Purpose in Creation.

God is Love and Wisdom. In all that He does His Love and His Wisdom are present. Everything that exists is therefore part of His Purpose in creation. But what is the Divine Purpose in creation? Can this be expressed in a way that the human mind can grasp? Swedenborg teaches as follows: “There are two things that make the Essence of God. Love and Wisdom; but there are three things that make the essence of His Love: to others outside of Himself, to will to be one with them, and to bless them from Himself. . . . These things of the Divine Love were the cause of the creation of the universe, and are the cause of its conservation.” (The True Christian Religion, 43, 46.)

It is the nature of love to love others outside of self, to will to be conjoined with them in love, and to make them happy. This is evident in all true human relationships. It is preeminently true of God. In Him is all life, all love and all wisdom. His will therefore is to create others outside of Himself whom He can bless with the gift of His Life, His Love, His Wisdom. His will is to give to others that which is in Him. This is the cause of all creation.

But God, being infinite, cannot create another infinite Being, or another God or gods, to receive His Love and Wisdom. It is impossible for there to be two or more infinite Beings. If there were a God from God, that God from God would either have to be not infinite and not eternal, and thus not a real God, or He would have to be infinite and eternal and thus absolutely one with the first God. For God to create and love another God would thus be God loving Himself in Himself. And this is contrary to the essence of God, which is to love others outside Himself.

God could not create others who have life and love and wisdom in themselves, but He could create finite beings who could be formed into vessels of His Life and Love and Wisdom. For this reason God first created the physical universe. Out of His own Love and Wisdom, which are the origins of all life and motion, He made the physical universe and the dead and inert matters therein. Some idea of how God so created the physical universe out of His Love and Wisdom can be gathered from the discoveries of modern science, in which it is seen that the dead and inert matters of the earth are in fact composed of things in the highest motion.

Out of the dead and fixed things of nature God formed vessels which can receive His Life. These vessels are men, the human race. These vessels God gifts with liberty and rationality, so that they can if they will receive understanding from God in ever increasing measure, and by the perfection of their lives receive the Love of God in ever increasing measure. These vessels can become images and likenesses of God. In such images and likenesses of God the Divine Purpose of creation can find its fulfillment, for such beings can receive God’s love and wisdom freely, can feel them to be their own, and can freely return the love of God. Between the infinite God and such beings there can be eternal conjunction. In this way a true and everlasting relationship can be established between God and those created by Him outside of Himself. But because God’s Love is infinite therefore He looks to an eternal increase of those who can receive His life, and out of them He forms for Himself an eternal Heaven in an eternal world, which is the Spiritual World. In this Heaven those who have become images and likenesses of God advance forever in the understanding and love of God and their neighbours.

Consider carefully the Divine Purpose of creation here set forth. It means that God’s Purpose in creating you is to make you an image and likeness of Himself, to make you an angel of heaven, to give you into eternity an increasing understanding of Him and an increasing love of what is good and true from Him. That is His interest and concern with you and with everyone in the human race.

Consider whether there can be any other cause of creation, or any other reason for your existence? Have you heard of any other explanation that is in agreement with the Scriptures and with the dictates of your own reason concerning God?

The Advent of the Lord into the World.

Swedenborg teaches that mankind in their first state of creation were as children, innocent and obedient. From the influx of the Love of God into their minds they were able to perceive the truths concerning God in all things of creation. They loved God and they loved their neighbour. This is the state of mankind that is described in the Bible as the Paradise of Eden.

But as the knowledge and the natural understanding of mankind increased they began to feel and believe that they could lead themselves in all matters of faith and wisdom. They began to believe that they were good and wise, and denied the truth that they were only vessels of good and of wisdom from God. This is represented in the Scriptures by the eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Because of this disorder men fell from their state of love and wisdom. More and more they removed themselves from the influx of God into their souls and minds. Finally the human race came into a state in which the Divine Purpose of creation was threatened and the human race itself was threatened with spiritual destruction.

Because of the removal of man from his first state of reception of the Love of God, it was necessary that a new kind of conjunction between God and man should be established. This was accomplished by the coming of God the Creator into the world.

In the Scriptures of the Old Testament, which were Divinely inspired and given to men by God during man’s gradual decline from his first state, it is foretold and promised many times that He who created the world would come into the world to redeem and save mankind.

We here quote a few such places from the Old Testament:

“For thus saith the Lord (Jehovah) that created the heavens; God Himself that formed the earth and made it; He hath established it, He created it not in vain. . . . He formed it to be inhabited: I am the Lord (Jehovah) and there is none else.” (Isaiah 45:18.)

“Behold the Lord God (Lord Jehovih) will come with a strong hand, and His arm shall rule for Him.” (Isaiah 40:10.)

“Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion; for lo, I come and will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the Lord (Jehovah). (Zechar. 2:10.)

“Behold, the days come, saith the Lord (Jehovah), that I will raise up unto David a just Branch . . . and this is His Name whereby He shall be called, THE LORD (Jehovah) OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.” (Jeremiah 23:5,6.)

“And all flesh shall know that I Jehovah am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.” (Isaiah 49:26.)

“For I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that He shall stand in the latter day upon the earth.” (Job 19:25.)

“Let Israel hope in Jehovah … He shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.” (Ps. 130:7,8.)

“Yet I am Jehovah thy God from the land of Egypt . . . and thou shalt know no other God but me; for there is no Saviour beside me.” (Hosea 13:4.)

From these passages it is clear that the Old Testament teaches that there is one God, who is called Jehovah God, and that this God calls Himself the Saviour and the Redeemer, as well as the Creator. But now consider the following passages from the Old Testament, which foretell the Coming of the Creator into the world, and which clearly refer to the Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ:

“The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord (the way of Jehovah), make straight in the desert a highway for our God.” (Isaiah 40:3.) It is said in the New Testament that this is a prophecy of John the Baptist, who prepared the way for the Lord Jesus Christ. Here, in the Old Testament, the one for whom John prepared the way is called Jehovah and “our God.”

“Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a Son, and shall call His Name Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14.) This prophecy is quoted in Matthew with reference to the birth of the Lord, and it is there added about the name Immanuel, “which being interpreted is, God with us.” (Matt. 1:23.) Here therefore the Lord is called God with us, in both the Old and the New Testaments.

“Lo, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He will save us: this is the Lord (this is Jehovah) ; we have waited for Him, we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation.” (Isaiah 25:9.)

“Unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His Name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6.)

From the above passages from the Old Testament it is clear that the one infinite and eternal God, Jehovah God, the Creator of the universe, promised that He would come into the world, and that this promise refers to the Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Swedenborg in his works shows not only that the Old Testament prophesies the coming of the Creator into the world, but also that the New Testament teaches that the Lord Jesus Christ is that Creator come into the world. This is taught in John, as follows:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (or, God was the Word.) The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made . . . And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” (John 1:1-3, 14.)

How the Incarnation of God Took Place.

But how did God come into the world, and what did He do here that brings about the Redemption and salvation of the human race and makes possible again the conjunction of mankind with Him in the reception of His Love and Wisdom?

Swedenborg teaches that God came into the world by taking on a human body by means of birth from the virgin Mary. Consider what is said in the New Testament concerning the conception of the Lord Jesus Christ:

“And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Spirit 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.)

This teaching can mean nothing else than that the one Infinite God was Himself the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Lord had no human father, as do all other human beings, but the infinite and eternal God was His Father. This means that the Lord had that in Him which was infinite and eternal, that which was life in itself. But because the Infinite cannot be divided as can the finite, this also means that God Himself was in Jesus Christ.

In the Lord Jesus Christ when He was first born into the world there were two distinct natures: that which He derived from Ilis Father, which was infinite and Divine, and that which He derived from Mary, which was merely human and which had within it the heredity of the human race.

Because the Lord had with Him that heredity from Mary He had with Him that which was mortal and vulnerable. In the heredity from Mary was the heriditary evil of the human race. He thus took on Himself the sins and iniquities of us all, and in His life in the world He overcame those evils in Himself. In that maternal heredity, which Swedenborg calls the maternal human of the Lord, the Lord met and conquered the evils which had taken possession of human minds and bodies. Through that maternal human the hells could attack His Divine Love for the salvation of the human race, and in it the Lord from His Divine soul met and conquered that attack.

Swedenborg teaches that two things took place by the incarnation of the Divine in the Lord Jesus Christ. First, the evil of the human race, hell itself, was subjugated by the Lord. The second thing was that the Lord during His life in the world reordered that human mind and body which He assumed through Mary, and conjoined and at length united it to His own Divine soul which He had from conception. This is what is called the Lord’s glorification. Through His glorification the Lord put off what He had derived from Mary and put on a new Human, the Divine Human, from His own Divine soul. Thus He made His Human Divine, and the Divine Human in Himself. Even as to the Human He became Life itself, Love itself and Wisdom itself.

As to His very soul, and also as to those things of His mind and body which the Lord had made one with the Divine, Jesus Christ was altogether one with the Father. As to those things of His human which had not yet been made Divine, He was as another person. This is why the Lord sometimes spoke of Himself as one with His Father, and at other times spoke as if the Father were another than Himself. But at His Resurrection the process of the glorification of His Human was complete, and then He was altogether one with the Father as to person and essence.

This may be illustrated in the following diagrams:

The Lord in His Human made Divine (D) is not another person than the Father, or another infinite and eternal God, but is the Father Himself clothed with the Human made Divine.

The Lord’s soul was Divine from conception. It was the Father in Him. And this is why the Lord taught that the Father was in Him. As the Lord glorified His Human, so that Human also was made Divine, and this is why the Lord says that He is one with the Father.

The one infinite and eternal God, now clothed in His Divine Human, is the Lord Jesus Christ glorified. He is God made Man, and Man made God. And in His Divine Human He has power over all things in heaven and on earth, as the Lord Himself says in Matthew:

“All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.” (Matt. 28:18.)

In the Divine Human the one infinite and eternal God has so embodied and accommodated His Divine Love and Wisdom that He may be seen and approached by man in man’s fallen state. In His Divine Human He can inflow into our minds and influence us in the love of what is good and true in spite of the heriditary corruption of our nature. And in the Divine Human we can if we are willing come to the idea of God in a truly rational human form. Thus through His incarnation we can see Him and understand Him and love Him in a way that is far superior to anything that ever existed previous to His Advent into the world. For in His Divine Human the Lord is seeable, approachable, able to be understood and loved.

These things God has done out of His infinite Mercy and Love for the human race, to make possible again His Divine Purpose with men, that He might bless them with eternal life and be conjoined with them in Love.

These things are meant by this in John:

“No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him.” (John 1:18.)

The Fruit or result of the Advent and Glorification of the Lord may be illustrated in the following diagrams:

1. A represents the Love and Wisdom of the one Infinite God flowing into men.
    B is the interior mind of man, into which the Lord could inflow before the fall.
    C. is the conscious or external mind of man into which the Lord also inflowed through the interior mind with those before the fall.
2. After the fall of man the interior mind was blocked up with evils, and the influx of God into man was obstructed.
3. A here represents the infinite Love and Wisdom clothed in the Divine Human. By means of this accommodation God can inflow directly into the conscious mind of man and enlighten it with truth and affect it with good. Through this man receives from the Lord the ability to fight against and remove the evils obstructing the interiors of his mind.

The Divine Trinity.

The New Testament speaks of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Many have understood this to mean that God is in three Divine Persons, each of whom is infinite and eternal, and each of whom is God and Lord. But the New Testament does not speak of Persons in God at all, much less of three Divine Persons existing from eternity.

It is admitted by many that the question of how three persons make one God is past all human understanding. And because of this mystery many people do not think deeply about God, believing that their minds are not capable of entering into such thought.

What does Swedenborg teach concerning the Divine Trinity?

From what has gone before in this lecture it can be seen that the Father, the one infinite and eternal God, is not one Divine Person and the Son another Divine Person. but that they are one. as soul and body are one. The Son. the Divine Human, is the Divine Body, and the Father is the Divine Soul in that Divine Bodv. Even as the soul and body of a man are not two people, but one person, so the Father and the Son, the Divine and the Divine Human of the Lord are one Divine Person.

But what then of the Holy Spirit?

Swedenborg teaches that the Holy Spirit is the Lord’s own Divine Spirit going forth from Him to men and angels. It is the Divine Love and Wisdom proceeding out of the Divine Human of the Lord to work the regeneration and salvation of mankind. This can be seen perfectly represented in the Gospel of .John:

“And when He had said this. He breathed on them and said. Receive ye the Holy Spirit.” (John 20:22)

This was said after the Lord’s Resurrection. The Holy Spirit is there represented as the Breath of the Lord. His Breath is His Divine Truth going forth from Himself to men. Swedenborg calls this the Divine Proceeding, or, the Divine Operation.

That the Holy Spirit is the Divine proceeding from the glorified Human of the Lord is also taught in these passages from the New Testament: “But this He spake of the Spirit, which they that believe on Him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.” (John 7:39.) The original Greek reads “The Holy Spirit was not yet, because that Jesus was not yet glorified.”

“It is expedient for you that I go away; for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him unto you.” (John 16:7.)

After the Lord was glorified, that is, after His Human was made Divine, the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, which leads men into all truth, could come to men, because through the Divine Human the Divine Good and Truth can inflow into our minds.

The conclusion therefore is that the Divine Trinity is not a Trinity of Persons, but that it is a Trinity of essentials in the one Divine Person, our Lord Jesus Christ. The Father is the Divine itself, present in Him as the Soul. The Son is the Divine Human, which is the Body of that Divine Soul, and the Holy Spirit is the Divine Operation, the Divine Good and Truth proceeding from God to men.

This is taught also by Paul, in these words concerning the Lord:

“For in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.” (Col. 2:9.)

If you see God as one Divine Person, one Divine Man, and the Trinity in Him as Soul, Body and Proceeding, you will have an understandable idea of God and of the Divine Trinity in Him. This teaching is that which is given in the Old Testament and in the New Testament. It is the Supreme Truth concerning the Lord.

This truth may be summarized thus: That the Lord Jesus Christ is the one God of heaven and earth, that He is Jehovah, the Lord from eternity, that He is the Creator from eternity, that He is the Redeemer in time, that He is the regenerator into eternity, and thus that He is at the same time the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

The Lord Jesus Christ is our God. There is no other. To Him we owe all that is good and all that is true. All power in heaven and on earth is His. To Him alone should we pray. To Him alone should be our worship, our love, and the service of our lives.

109 thoughts on “The Lord Jesus Christ and The Divine Trinity”

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  11. Its like you read my mind! You appear to know so much about this, like you wrote the book in it or
    something. I think that you can do with a few pics to drive
    the message home a bit, but instead of that, this is excellent
    blog. An excellent read. I will certainly be back.

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  14. Interesting theology. Based on a belief that Jesus was literally the same being as God the Father. I believe that Jesus is 1/3 of the Godhead, alongside the Father and the Holy Ghost (the Father being a body of flesh and bones and the Holy Ghost being a spirit). I’m trying to adapt my understanding of theology to mesh with this theology you have posted. But I know that Jesus was a spirit before he received a body of flesh and bones! Anyway, thanks for this. It was a long read well worth it.

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  18. the source i posted was informative rational and thought provoking,your comment did not really set my post on fire, then again why would i expect anything postive from you when your an atheist,even christians find it difficult to say Good things,if you people would pay closer attention to scripture you would notice a big different,.anyways thanks for the comment,take care and God bless.

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    • to whom it may concerrn
      the purpose of this post was to add rationality,based on scripture
      and to compare it to the understanding of the old system of belief,
      which is based on a vague conception of God.

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  19. This is a conflation of several early Christian traditions that were ruled heresy at various ecumenical councils.

    The first is modal monarchianism. This states that God put on a human outfit to be Jesus, much as I would don a different mask at different Halloween parties.

    The second is Nestorianism, which denies the hypostatic Union of God and man in the person of Christ.

    The third is pneumatomachianism, which removes the Holy Spirit from the essence of God.

    I don’t especially care what you choose to believe, since I’m an atheist, but I would recommend going back a bit earlier if you want to espouse these alternate Christian theologies. Your source has said nothing new.

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    • Hi verona
      Sorry for the long wait to reply to your comment,i just noticed it now,
      Im glad you find it informative, praise the lord.
      Thank you for sharing your wonderful thoughts,take care and God bless.

      Like

  26. Thanks for stopping by my site today and liking the post about me being the featured luminary tomorrow on InspireMeToday.com
    I hope you will read my essay and then share it with your readers.
    I also hope to see you on my site again in the future.
    God Bless

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  28. So… drama, drama eh Havau22? I like the coloring book drawings. I must ask… what makes you right and others wrong? Why do you think you have the understanding and wisdom to see clearly what other don’t? If there is one thing that can be said it is that you are passionate! So this Swedendorg guy, He thought “The Last Jugdement” was in 1757… any thoughts on that?

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    • I suggest you read the book and draw your own conclusion,and see for yourself if there’s any truth to it, to me its all rational compared to the old system of belief,ok then what makes others right and me wrong,explain it to my readers if you have a better system of understanding.

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  29. Soul, Body, and Activity in Man

    There is still another approach to the understanding of the Trinity. God created man in His own image and likeness. (Genesis 1:26,27) If, then, there is a trinity in God there is a trinity in man. This we find to be the fact. For in man we discover the trinity of soul, body, and use; the finite image and likeness of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Let us look at this trinity in man. What is it that is the architect of the child that is growing in the womb of the mother? Our Writings say that it is the invisible soul given by the father, which, after it has produced conception, orders the destiny of the multiplying cells, giving to some the office of neural canal, to some the formation of a primitive heart, causing some to form bones, and others skin. The soul of man directs all this. Thus the soul builds for itself a body, a palace to dwell in, a temple into every minutest part of which it is able to enter.

    The soul is always on a higher plane than the body. It can never be seen by the natural eye any more than the Lord could show Philip’s natural eye the Father. “No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him.” (John 1:18) Dissect the body as cleverly as you can, you will never find the soul; weigh the body immediately before and after death, you cannot find the weight of the soul; yet the soul is there and we may know of it by the work that it does in the body. The soul in each one of us, invisible though it be, governs all of our organs, all of those things that go on unconsciously – the beating of the heart, the respiration, the digestion of our food, the circulation of our blood, the thousands of muscular contractions that are necessary to perform any movement – all of these are ruled by the soul, the invisible soul of man.

    The Writings tell us that this invisible soul is to the trinity in man, what the Father is to the trinity in the Lord. The infinite Divine Father is invisible in His universe. Only by taking on a body from Mary did He become visible on earth. So we say the Lord Jesus Christ reveals the Divine, just as we say our body reveals our soul.

    The Divine Embodiment

    When Gabriel appeared to Mary and said, “Blessed art thou among women” (Luke 1:28) and told her that she was to become the mother of the Messiah, Mary was the first to doubt the virgin birth. She said, “How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?” (Luke 1:34) Gabriel answered, “The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing that shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.” (Luke 1:35)

    The Divine flowed into Mary without any finite, limiting, separating vessel so that the soul of the Lord Jesus Christ, which caused the growth of His body, just as our soul has caused the growth of our body – that soul of His was Father to His body in that relationship, just as truly as our soul has been father to our body. But our soul has been cut off from the human father from whom we sprung, whereas the Divine Substance is continuous and cannot be separated. The Lord’s soul, therefore, flowed in and was never cut off from the Divine Soul which still governed the universe. That Divine – Jehovah from eternity – was always present as the soul of the Lord Jesus Christ. So the Father always dwelt in Him, and the Son more and more manifested the Father, so that at the end of His life in this world He could say to Philip, “He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father.”

    The Lord said, “No man hath seen God at any time.” The Father, the Infinite Divine within all nature, is above man’s poor power to comprehend. “No man hath seen God at any time.” The God that Abraham spoke with was an angel filled with the spirit of Jehovah. The God that Gideon saw, and the God that called to and spoke with Moses was also an angel filled with God’s spirit. “No man,” the Lord said, “hath seen God at any time.” The “Only Begotten”, because when the Lord came down into the world through the instrumentality of the Virgin Mary, that was the only vessel that had been prepared to receive the Divine, and to manifest the Divine on earth. “The Only Begotten Son hath declared Him.” That is, the Babe, the Lord Jesus Christ alone has declared the Father and through His many deeds and words manifested Him in this world.

    When we first meet somebody, and see only his body, we see little of the real person. But as we get to know him and live with him and see how he reacts to sorrow and in the presence of joy; and how he meets adversity and how the various vicissitudes of life affect him, more and more we forget the body, and more and more we see the soul through the body, so at length we can say to our friends and quite truly: “You have never seen my soul, but all of my soul that you ever will see you will observe in the actions of my body.” We can never see the soul of anyone apart from the character manifested by the deeds of his body. Think of a man like Lincoln, for example. If we knew nothing of his character and his life, and we saw a picture of him we might say, “What an ugly man!” But when you and I look at a picture of Lincoln we do not say that because we know the soul of the man through his deeds and these we see shining through the features of his face. His mighty spirit irradiates his body.

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    • The Holy Spirit

      What about the Holy Spirit, which has also been called a separate person? It is truly difficult to understand how men could have thought of that as a separate person! After the Lord had risen from the dead, He appeared unto ten of His disciples and said, “Peace be unto you: as My Father hath sent Me, even so send I you.” And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said unto them, “Receive ye the Holy Spirit.” (John 20:21,22) His breath, His Divine majestic magnetism which has swept down through the ages, and has made men change their lives because of His teachings. He breathed on them and so He gave them His spirit, which, because He was holy, was the Holy Spirit.

      The Trinity in Man

      What about the trinity in man? What is there in him that corresponds to this breath of the Lord? It is what we do; it is the use we perform; it is our influence among the people with whom we live, our effect on other men; it is the spirit that goes forth from each one of us. We can often see the effect of man’s spirit when we contemplate the lives of the great men of the earth.

      The story of Napoleon comes to mind. He had been exiled to the Island of Elba in the Mediterranean Sea. After a hundred days he conspired to come back to France and land in the southern portion with a handful of men. Louis XVIII sent an army to capture him. When this army met Napoleon he stepped out before it and said, “Capture me, or fall in behind me.” So great was his magnetic personality that they fell in behind him. This happened four times on his way north to Paris and by the time that he got there all of Louis’ soldiers were Napoleon’s. Such was the spirit that went forth from that man!

      We are in the image and likeness of God. As He has the Father within Him, so we have our soul. As He had the body from Mary to manifest that Father, so we have our bodies by which we show to the world the quality of our character. And as the Lord’s presence with us is called the Holy Spirit, because it is His spirit, so we, by our spirit, exert an influence among the men with whom we live.

      A Trinity in Nature

      But we can see the Trinity in an even simpler way than this. Because the Lord is the Creator of all, He has left an image of Himself in all things of creation. There is nothing that exists that does not have an invisible soul, a visible body, and a use. Take for example a watch: the invisible soul is the idea of it in the mind of its inventor. Its body is the materials that have embodied the inventor’s idea. Its use is indicating time. As long as someone’s idea is not embodied it remains invisible. We cannot see it. But when it is worked out and given a body, we can say of it, “Now I see what its inventor had in mind.”

      The Father, like the idea, is invisible, but if you have really seen the Son you have seen the Father, just as when you have seen the finished object you have seen the idea which was in the mind of its inventor. The Lord came on earth that men might see Him, and through Him see the Divine Spirit that moves the universe, and having seen Him, that they might be inspired to receive the Holy Spirit, the Spirit or inspiration of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

      Thus, if Philip had really seen the Lord, he would have seen the Father also. Had the Jews understood the Old Testament, they would have seen the Father, their God, in the Lord Jesus Christ. If we understand the trinity of soul, body, and use in ourselves we will understand the Trinity in God, and we will come to see that there is not a created thing in the universe which does not declare the trinity of an invisible idea, a material body, and a continuing use. The all pervading likeness of the Creator can be seen everywhere, by those who have eyes to see.

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    • to whom it may concern
      You assume that God is three Persons. You also assume that Scripture communicates nothing more than the literal sense of its words.

      Even so, Scripture makes it clear (if you are paying close attention) that Jehovah God and Jesus are the same Person. I will quote just one passage out of many:

      “Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and His name shall be called Wonderful . . . the mighty God, the Father, the Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6)

      In the traditional Trinitarian doctrine that portrays God as three Persons, Father and Son are distinct and play distinct roles. So how can the Saviour and Prince of Peace be the Father (Hypostatic union doesn’t cut it)?

      One more point, if the term “begotten” is used to indicate rank how can each distinct God be equally God? If they are not equal they cannot all be God, who alone is Infinite and has nothing lacking.

      You have dropped onto a blog that is promoting a paradigm shift in Christian theology.
      my comment was taken,from edward sylvia thegodguy.love is the ultimate science.

      Liked by 1 person

  31. Universe is infinite, since imagining a wall where it all ends is silly. Then what would be behind the wall?

    A God is something that is worshipped. Money can be someones God.

    When pure love, truth and oneness is our God this leads to infinite prosperity for all, also for nature and our animals.

    Worshipping the growth of population and money usually leads to the opposite in the end. Therefore any religion that try to over-populate is not pure love, is not true, is not oneness and does not lead to prosperity for all, but the opposite, since it will destroy balance with nature.

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    • thank you for sharing your wonderful thoughts,i agree,i alway’s believed serving the lord is a way of life, not some empty ritual,it’s the quality of life we lived that we must answer to, when we reach the other side, no one will ask us what your religion was, most religions serve a connection to god,and the whole purpose of religion is to do good to wish the neighbor well, and really mean it. amen. god bless.

      .ONE’S HEART SPEAK’S LOUDER THEN ONE’S INTELLECT. WITHOUT THE RICH HEART WEALTH IS AN UGLY BEGGER,

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  32. Well said and an excellent summary of Swedenborg’s teaching on the Trinity. Yep there can’t be anything other than ALL there is. Humility of ignorance is the best way to approach anyones teaching. If we could only take it ALL in but no we are left with scraps from the table of the divine. It is unfortunate some wish to fight over their piece. Bless you bro and thanks for sharing.

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  33. In the beginning, you state there is only One infinite being but later on (I scrolled down to make sure), you mentioned Jesus’ 2nd Coming so you meant no Being outside the Holy Trinity is infinite right? Thanks for stopping by my page. 🙂

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    • all im saying is that God is jesus in the flesh,and the holy spirit is the divine proceeding which comes forth from the lord him self, and that father son and the holy spirit are essentials of one God not separate beings.only God is infinite thats right, your welcome take care and God bless.

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  34. We find the “Godhead” mentioned in Acts 17:29, Romans 1:20, and Colossians 2:9. Colossians 2:9 states it all so well… “For in Him [Christ] dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.” Literally, the Godhead came to this earth incarnate in the man Christ Jesus. Jesus was 100% man, and 100% God. Jesus did not give up His deity when He came to the earth. According to Hebrews 5:8, Jesus humbled Himself to the Father in Heaven, even being obedient unto death (the crucifixion).
    We plainly read in Matthew 28:19-20, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” Here we see all three individual members of the Godhead. Again in Luke 3:22 we see all three individual members of the Godhead, “And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.”

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    • Jehovah God is Love itself and Wisdom itself, or Good itself and
      Truth itself. He came down in the form of Divine Truth, which is the Word and
      which was God with God, and took upon Himself human form, so as to reduce to
      order everything in heaven, in hell and in the church. For at that time the
      power of hell was stronger than the power of heaven, and on earth the power of
      evil was stronger than the power of good, so that utter damnation stood
      threatening at the gates. This impending damnation was removed by Jehovah God by
      means of His Human, which was Divine Truth, and thus angels and men were
      redeemed. Afterwards He united in His Human Divine Truth with Divine Good, or
      Divine Wisdom with Divine Love, and so returned into the Divinity which was His
      from eternity, together with and in His glorified Human. This is the meaning of
      the passage in John: [New Testament Sacred Scripture]
      The Word was with God
      and the Word was God; and the Word was made flesh. John 1:1, 14.

      Here there is an explanation about the New Testament Sacred Scripture saying that “the Word was God … And the Word was made flesh.” The Word” = Divine Truth or Divine Speech = God the Divine Human. “Was made flesh” = incarnation in a physical body on earth. That this was God who incarnated is clear from the statement that “the Word was God’ and that the Word was made flesh. Hence it was God who incarnated in a physical body on earth. This is the Divine Child

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    • The Trinity in God

      There is not the least shadow of a doubt that there is a trinity in God. That is not the point. The point is: Is God a trinity of Persons, or is God one Person in whom dwelleth a trinity of attributes? The New Church believes that He is not a trinity of persons. A belief in a trinity of persons must lead inevitably, although perhaps not explicitly, to a belief in three separate Divine Beings, which amounts to a belief in three Gods, because to each Person in the Trinity is assigned a different office or function to perform, as that the Father is the Creator, the Son is the Redeemer, and the Holy Spirit is the Sanctifier. The New Church believes in a trinity, but it believes that it is a trinity of functions that cluster about one Personality who is the Lord Jesus Christ.

      It is impossible to maintain the trinity of persons from Scripture. In the first place, there is no mention of a trinity of three persons. The Father is mentioned, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, but they are never called separate persons. They represent real relationships. If we were inclined to specious reasonings, we might even note that every man has many aspects. For example: to my father I was a son, to my son I am father. Thus I am both father and son according to the relationship in which I find myself, but I am never two persons. In respect to the Divine from eternity, the Divine born in time as Jesus was certainly its Son, but not a separate person, because the Divine dwelt in Him and was His soul; thus it is easy to see the Oneness of God when we think of Christ’s soul as the Father, His body as the Son, and His influence among men as the Holy Spirit, but how can one who believes in three Divine persons explain such passages as “I and My Father are one”, (John 10:30) “He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father”, (John 14:9) “Before Abraham was, I am”, (John 8:58) “Believe Me that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me.” (John 14:11) A true religion will be able to understand and explain all of these passages.

      In the first part of this chapter, I have endeavored to show that if Philip had really seen the Lord, he would have seen the Father in the Divine and mighty acts which the Lord did. I then endeavored to show that in the Old Testament there is a solidarity of teaching to the effect that there is one God in one Person, and that when His advent into the world was foretold by Isaiah he leaves no shadow of a doubt but that the Son and the Father were one in the Lord Jesus Christ.

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  39. I like that you’re seeking truth – which is what each of us should do. The best way to do that is to go to the source: Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life” so you can’t go wrong using Him as your authority.

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  41. This is the first time for me to hear of this man, Swedenborg. In all humility, without even checking who Swedenborg was (although I have), I would ask you not to talk of what “Swedenborg teaches” because we have the Bible and the Holy Spirit. Thank you.

    Liked by 1 person

    • That’s pretty closed minded. A belief means nothing without. It’s a fictional self ‘truth’ that fills the void of not knowing the real truth. Beliefs are based on emotions and fear based egotism and equal ignorance. It’s the same as saying we have the Koran and Allah, it just doesn’t mean anything. What’s needed is open minded skepticism to derive intuitive self knowledge of the Source and how life really works. Buddhism is great at doing this, especially Zen, or even Taoism. Christianity has been too corrupted to having any mainstream significance. Only the Gnostics got it (so they were killed). To ask another to not mention other’s teachings is not only rude but exposes you as closed to anything new, thus unteachable.

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    • it dose’nt matter who swedenborg is, the bible makes it clear that jesus is god, swedenborg just adds rationality to it, and also god said the wisdom of this world is foolishness to him, after all you said it really comes down to jesus christ the god of heaven and earth, thank you for your comment,and defending peopels rights, take care and God bless,

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    • my comment was in regards to the other guy, not to you,i dont really understand your comment get well soon, i did thank you for defending me in regards to what the other guy said.

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    • ok no problem my friend,my mistake, take care and i hope all goes well in your life,God bless, i did read some of your post in regards to your personel life.

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  43. Wow, this was really informative. I learned a lot. Also thank you for liking my first blog post. This is all exciting. Bless you… Harriee.x

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  44. Don’t you think the Roman orthodox and literalism has been a real bummer? I see everything in the bible as allegorical with Astrotheology as the bases. I get so much more meaning from the symbolism hidden beneath the exoteric story. What do you think of the Nag Hammadi Library discovery? I fancy myself a Gnostic of the modern kind. I study comparative religion and see all religions saying the exact same thing, but using different mythology. Anyway, just curious.

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  47. CRAP AS ANYTHING THAT DENIES THAT THERE ARE 3 PERSONS ON ONE BEFORE EARTH’S CREATION IS STILL CRAP.. and it also indicates you are holy spirit ignorant, not yet filled with the Holy Spirit.. GET FILLED//

    Liked by 1 person

    • DEVIL ALSO QUOTES THE BIBLE AND TRHE HE VERSE YOU QUOTED PROVES NOTHING.. GOD WAS A TRINITY FROM THE BEGGINNING OF TIME.. It is essential for us to understand from the outset that our one great God exists in three persons.Scripture reveals that there are, in that one divine essence, three eternal distinctions. Those distinctions seem best described as persons, known as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. All three have identical attributes, however, and therefore they are one—not merely one in purpose, but one in substance. To possess all the exact same attributes is to be one in essential nature. Three persons with identical sovereignty, for example, would be one sovereign. Three persons with identical omnipotence would be one omnipotent being. We humans may have characteristics similar to others, but not identical to them. If we were absolutely identical to another person in every way, the two of us would actually be one. The three persons of the Godhead possess identical attributes. They are one in substance and one in essence, and therefore they are one God.What is the Biblical testimony to the doctrine of the trinity? While the primary emphasis of the Old Testament is on the unity of God, the indications of His triunity are clearly seen even there. We need not read very far to find the first one: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). While the verb create is singular and thus should have a singular subject, Elohim, the Hebrew name for God in this verse, is plural. That may not prove the Trinity, but it definitely points to plurality of persons in the Godhead. There was no other logical reason to choose a plural name. Some have maintained that it is a plural of majesty, but that projects something to ancient Hebrew minds that they never considered. They addressed their kings in the singular. So, as startling as it may seem, the first time we meet God in the Old Testament there is evidence of plural personal distinctions in Him.

      We are not surprised, then, to hear Him say a short time later, “Let Us make man in Our image” (Genesis 1:26). The plural pronouns could not refer to angels because they were never associated with God in His creative activity. Consequently, more than one divine person was evidently involved. The plural pronouns make no sense otherwise (cf. Genesis 3:22; 11:7).

      There are other Old Testament indications of plurality in the Godhead, such as references to the Angel of Jehovah, who is sometimes identified with Jehovah and yet at other times distinguished from Him. But one of the clearest statements was recorded by the prophet Isaiah. The Lord is speaking, the one who calls Himself the first and the last, the one who created the heavens and the earth (Isaiah 48:12-13). Here is what He says:

      Come near to Me, listen to this: From the first I have not spoken in secret, From the time it took place, I was there. And now the Lord GOD has sent Me, and His Spirit (verse 16).

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    • father son and holy spirit are the three essentials of the one GOD, like body soul and operation in man. see it as you please. jesus is the God of heaven and earth.

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    • The Scriptural Evidence
      Let us contemplate the idea of the Trinity from what is revealed in the Old Testament, from the idea that the Messiah, God Himself, was to come into the world…. [In a discussion once, a minister] handed me a…volume on the Trinity, and I will never forget the first sentence. It read: “There is very little evidence in the Old Testament for a trinity of Persons.” That theologian was correct, for there is no real evidence at all in the Old Testament for a trinity of persons. Search it as you will, the only things you may seize upon to confirm a trinity are the words, “Let us make man in our image” and the three angels that appeared to Abraham to tell him of Isaac’s birth. The first one is dearly a plural of majesty, for it goes on to say, “So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him.” (Genesis 1:27) It does not say, “created They him!”

      In regard to the occasion when three angels appeared to Abraham, if we argued from this that there were three persons in God, we might just as well argue that God is a multitude, for a multitude of angels appeared to the shepherds in Bethlehem on Christmas night. Furthermore, in the next chapter of Genesis only two angels appeared to Lot. If they represented the trinity, who was left out?….

      But let us look at the other side of the picture from the Old Testament. What evidence of God in one person does it give? We find it full of statements which declare this truth. “Hear, Oh Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord.” (Dent. 6:4) This is so definite, so positive, so clear. Or consider Isaiah 43:11, “I, even I, am the Lord; and beside Me there is no Savior.” Imagine, if there had been a trinity of persons from eternity, the Father looking and seeing no Savior, passing by the Son as if He did not exist. Yet according to the Athanasian Creed, which all Christian orthodoxy swears by, “The Father is God, the Son is God, the Holy Spirit is God; the Father is Lord, the Son is Lord, the Holy Spirit is Lord, yet there be not three Gods and three Lords, but one God and one Lord.” (AE 1091)

      Let us turn to a positive statement in Isaiah’s prophecy concerning the Trinity. “Unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given, and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.” (9:6) There has been no doubt in the Christian mind that the Child concerning whom Isaiah prophesied was the Lord Jesus Christ. Certainly Handel, in his beautiful oratorio “The Messiah” so interpreted it. He uses that passage to great advantage and he leaves no shadow of doubt but that the Son who was to be born into the world was the babe that was born in Bethlehem on the first Christmas night.

      “Unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder.” What government? The government of the universe, all government, the laws and order of all creation. “The government shall be upon His shoulder, and His name shall be called . . .” Whose name? The Lord Jesus Christ’s name. He actually was called “Jesus”, but the prophet said that in addition He should be called “Wonderful.” He was the Wonder-Child, the child born without human father – the mystery of the ages. His name shall be called “Counselor.” He was to give man the truth that should guide him and make him free. But He should also be called “The Mighty God”, and furthermore He was to be called “The Everlasting Father.” I do not know whether you ever thought about it before, or noticed it, but here in the Old Testament, when it is being foretold that the God of heaven would come upon the earth, in the same sentence He is called Son and Father, “a Son shall be given us” who “shall be called the Everlasting Father.” That Son was the Lord Jesus Christ, and He was called by Isaiah “the Everlasting Father.” What could more clearly indicate that there is one Person in God, and that the Everlasting Father is the soul of the Lord Jesus Christ? Therefore, we find this great harmony between the Old and the New Testaments, for in each the one Person who is God is called both Son and Father.

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    • I’m gonna back my brother Pkbulo here. Genesis 1:26, “Let us make man in our image.” havau22 and Michael Servatius have a similar view. I would encourage you to look up what happen to Servatius at the start of the reformation for having such an unbiblical view. He was burned at the stake. I don’t agree with how they handled it, but it was a different time period that took heresy really serious. Now we live in a Pagan filled culture where anything goes religion, here in lies one problem….We have a standard to live by called the Bible. I would encourage you also to look at the first mention principle in biblical interpretation. This will clear up alot more issues you have on the heretical view you have of Jesus Christ, and man after death.

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    • its all pagan religion who are tha real hereticals my friend, the old system has nothing to offer,its very vague with very little conception of God, i would also encourage you to speak more rational on the topic.

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    • Imputation not known in the Apostolic Church
      Posted on May 8, 2014 by havau22

      0

      Imputation not known in the Apostolic Church

      The faith imputative of the merit of Christ was not known in the Apostolic church, which preceded; and is nowhere meant in the Word. The church which preceded the Nicene council is called the Apostolic church. That it was a great church, and extended into the three parts of the globe, Asia, Africa, and Europe, is evident from the fact that the Emperor Constantine the Great was a Christian, and a zealot for religion; and from his dominion over not only the region afterwards divided into the many kingdoms of Europe, but also over the neighbouring regions out of Europe. Wherefore, as was said before, he convoked the bishops of Asia, Africa, and Europe at his palace at Nice, a city of Bithynia, that he might banish from his empire the scandalous dogma of Arius. This was done of the Lord’s Divine Providence; since if the Divinity of the Lord is denied. the Christian church dies, and becomes as a sepulchre inscribed with the epitaph—”Here lies.” The church that existed before that time is called Apostolic; and the eminent writers of that church are called the Fathers, and the true Christians at their side, brethren. That this church did not acknowledge three Divine Persons, nor therefore a Son of God from eternity, but only the Son of God born in time, is evident from the creed which from their church is called Apostolic, where we read these words: “I believe in God the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, His only Son our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary… believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy Catholic church; the communion of saints.” From which it is plain, that they acknowledged no, other Son of God than the one conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, and by no means any Son of God’ born from eternity. This creed, like the two others, has been acknowledged as genuinely Catholic, by the whole Christian church to this day…. That in that primeval time all in the then Christian world acknowledged that the. Lord Jesus Christ was God, to whom was given all power in heaven and on earth, and power over all flesh, according to His very words (Matt. xxviii. 18; John xvii. 2), and that they believed in Him, according to His command from God the Father (John iii. 15, 16, 36; vi. 40; xi. 25, 26), is also very manifest from the convocation of all the bishops by the Emperor Constantine the Great, for the purpose of convicting and condemning, from the sacred Scriptures, Arius and his followers, who denied the Divinity of the Lord the Saviour born of the virgin Mary. This indeed was done; but in avoiding the wolf they fell upon a lion; or, as it is said in the proverb, eager to avoid Charybdis, they fell upon Scylla,—by inventing a Son of God from eternity, who descended and assumed the Human; believing that they should thus vindicate and restore Divinity to the Lord. Not knowing that God Himself the Creator of the universe descended, that He might become the Redeemer, and thus the Creator anew,—according to these plain declarations in the Old Testament; Isaiah xxv. 9; xl. 3, 5, 10, 11; 14; xliv. 6, 24; xlvii. 4; xlviii. 17; xlix. 7, 26; lx. 16; lxiii. 16; Jer. 1. 34; Hos. xiii. 4; Psa. xix. 14. To these add John i. 14. (TCR n. 636, 637)

      That no faith imputative of the merit of Christ is meant in the Word, clearly appears from the fact that that faith was not known in the church until after the Nicene council introduced the three Divine Persons from eternity; and when this faith had been introduced and pervaded the whole Christian world, every other faith was cast into the shade. (ibid. n. 6

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    • John the Baptist, The Apostle John, and Paul would strongly disagree with your statements about Jesus and The Father being one. The Nicene Council just gave it a name, trinity. Saying Trinitarianism didn’t exist before the nicene council is correct in the area of terminology only. But friend there is no quarrel here. You are a blind man walking into a wall. No man can come unto the Father unless the father first draws him.

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    • john makes it perfectly clear in the gospel, who jesus is,as far as being blind is concerned,i would suggest you look into the scriptures a bit longer.its the understanding that open up the eyes,not the eyes that open up the understanding.jesus also said to his disciples i speak to you in figurative speech, but the time will come when i speak plainly of the father to you,i have many more things to say to you but you can’t bear it all right now, but when the spirit of truth comes he will lead you into all the truth… explain it to my readers why the concept of three Gods makes more sence then the concept of one God, i know were i stand,i made my point,try and convince my readers in a rational and logical way.
      The conclusion therefore is that the Divine Trinity is not a Trinity of Persons, but that it is a Trinity of essentials in the one Divine Person, our Lord Jesus Christ. The Father is the Divine itself, present in Him as the Soul. The Son is the Divine Human, which is the Body of that Divine Soul, and the Holy Spirit is the Divine Operation, the Divine Good and Truth proceeding from God to men.
      (This is taught also by Paul, in these words concerning the Lord:

      “For in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.” (Col. 2:9.)

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    • Jehovah God is Love itself and Wisdom itself, or Good itself and
      Truth itself. He came down in the form of Divine Truth, which is the Word and
      which was God with God, and took upon Himself human form, so as to reduce to
      order everything in heaven, in hell and in the church. For at that time the
      power of hell was stronger than the power of heaven, and on earth the power of
      evil was stronger than the power of good, so that utter damnation stood
      threatening at the gates. This impending damnation was removed by Jehovah God by
      means of His Human, which was Divine Truth, and thus angels and men were
      redeemed. Afterwards He united in His Human Divine Truth with Divine Good, or
      Divine Wisdom with Divine Love, and so returned into the Divinity which was His
      from eternity, together with and in His glorified Human. This is the meaning of
      the passage in John: [New Testament Sacred Scripture]
      The Word was with God
      and the Word was God; and the Word was made flesh. John 1:1, 14.

      Here there is an explanation about the New Testament Sacred Scripture saying that “the Word was God … And the Word was made flesh.” The Word” = Divine Truth or Divine Speech = God the Divine Human. “Was made flesh” = incarnation in a physical body on earth. That this was God who incarnated is clear from the statement that “the Word was God’ and that the Word was made flesh. Hence it was God who incarnated in a physical body on earth. This is the Divine Child

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