(Continued from part 2 of "Refuting 'The Human Jesus')
One way that I have used to try and explain the trinity is that of a man who can be a father, a son and a husband all at the same time. Such an explanation is good but limited. A human is finite and mortal. A human can only be in one place at one time, but God is immortal and infinite. He is not limited to one place. He is not limited to space. Since God is omnipresent (everywhere at once) it isn’t a stretch to say that He can reveal himself as three persons at one time. A man can’t do this because a man is unipresent. He can only be in one place at one time.
While here on the earth, in the form of Jesus, God still had to maintain the universe. If God is everywhere then it is possible for him to maintain the universe and at the same time be an incarnated man and still have a Spirit that is active throughout the world. The argument against the trinity only stands when those arguing try to fit God into a mold that denies his true nature.
A couple of other arguments that are presented are; if Jesus is God, then why doesn’t He know when He is coming back, and if He is God then how can He die?
The first argument does perplex a person. If Jesus was God then why was his knowledge limited? For instance, why did he not know when He was going to come again? I think Paul answers this in his letter to the Philippians. He says,
"Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross!" (Philippians 2:5-8).
Once again, we are talking about a God whose nature cannot be fully explained except through what He has revealed. Paul understood, to the extent he could (or for that matter we can), that Jesus was God but that during His time on earth He had given up the right to completely exercise his godhood. He limited himself by subjecting Himself to the Father. Why? Because he knew we needed an example to follow.
The second argument pretty much states that if Jesus was God and He died then we Christians must believe in a mortal god. This is false logic. Jesus obviously died a physical death, but He did not die a spiritual death. The God-man had a physical body. His death was a physical death. His body ceased to live, but He himself did not cease to exist. Peter tells us that during the time His body was not active He was still alive and doing the work He came to do. His spirit did not die and, on the third day He reanimated his body.
Again, the problem with Unitarian logic is that everything has to be explained in terms of nature and humanity. God created nature. He created humanity. God is outside of His creation and can choose to do whatever He wants. Therefore, God is greater than that which nothing greater can be conceived.
One way that I have used to try and explain the trinity is that of a man who can be a father, a son and a husband all at the same time. Such an explanation is good but limited. A human is finite and mortal. A human can only be in one place at one time, but God is immortal and infinite. He is not limited to one place. He is not limited to space. Since God is omnipresent (everywhere at once) it isn’t a stretch to say that He can reveal himself as three persons at one time. A man can’t do this because a man is unipresent. He can only be in one place at one time.
While here on the earth, in the form of Jesus, God still had to maintain the universe. If God is everywhere then it is possible for him to maintain the universe and at the same time be an incarnated man and still have a Spirit that is active throughout the world. The argument against the trinity only stands when those arguing try to fit God into a mold that denies his true nature.
A couple of other arguments that are presented are; if Jesus is God, then why doesn’t He know when He is coming back, and if He is God then how can He die?
The first argument does perplex a person. If Jesus was God then why was his knowledge limited? For instance, why did he not know when He was going to come again? I think Paul answers this in his letter to the Philippians. He says,
"Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross!" (Philippians 2:5-8).
Once again, we are talking about a God whose nature cannot be fully explained except through what He has revealed. Paul understood, to the extent he could (or for that matter we can), that Jesus was God but that during His time on earth He had given up the right to completely exercise his godhood. He limited himself by subjecting Himself to the Father. Why? Because he knew we needed an example to follow.
The second argument pretty much states that if Jesus was God and He died then we Christians must believe in a mortal god. This is false logic. Jesus obviously died a physical death, but He did not die a spiritual death. The God-man had a physical body. His death was a physical death. His body ceased to live, but He himself did not cease to exist. Peter tells us that during the time His body was not active He was still alive and doing the work He came to do. His spirit did not die and, on the third day He reanimated his body.
Again, the problem with Unitarian logic is that everything has to be explained in terms of nature and humanity. God created nature. He created humanity. God is outside of His creation and can choose to do whatever He wants. Therefore, God is greater than that which nothing greater can be conceived.
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