Conclusions on the Trinity Review

In this article, I summarise my conclusions on the Trinity review.

For around 50 years I was a Christadelphian, being born into that faith, getting baptised at the age of 17. At the age of 48, I started a journey out of that faith, leaving as a 50 year old and now at 54 I am Baptist.

Trust me when I say that 50 years espousing a form of Unitarianism is not something that is easy to release. Every so often, I will be confronted by a doctrinal position and find myself momentarily confused while I consider it in the context of what I now believe.

Take for example the teachings of John Thomas on God Manifestation. 

In his book Phanerosis is a beautiful depiction of the work of Jesus in revealing God to us. I at one time lived deeply in that book. Ultimately, the book does contain a lot of beauty. The fact is generally, it is based on a false doctrine.

Jesus was God with us. He revealed the Godhead to us. In that, He manifest God to us. Just because a theory resonates doesn’t mean it’s truth. For example, many humanist belief systems resonate but they ignore God. Therefore they don’t have the full truth.

John Thomas puts forth a compelling argument but it seeks to prove something that is not true. It is therefore interesting but ultimately false.

What does the bible tell us plainly?  

It tells us clearly that Jesus is God in so many places. It claims the divinity of Jesus, it asserts the personhood of Holy Spirit. The bible clearly informs us of the work of each person of the Trinity.  

The doctrine of Trinity is not Pagan. The incarnation of Jesus did not represent a change in God. His incarnation fulfilled the promise of Jesus.

Fundamentally, much of the Unitarian argument is an argument to logic. The problem is that most of these arguments are based on forcing the Trinitarian doctrine into a mold that it is not so that they can effectively counter it.

For example, Unitarians argue that the trinitary can’t be true because Jesus prayed to God. God praying to God. Or that in Revelations, God gave the revelation to Jesus, God handing something to God.

This argument only stands up if one represents Trinity as being one God in different modes. This is an incorrect representation. 

The debate across this subject is mammoth and I accept that the scope here is limited.

I am happy to debate this subject face to face, but here all I can do is present some basic concepts. Perhaps in Paul’s words, we can say we have planted, another may water, God will bring an outcome in you.  

I have presented here my conclusions on the trinity review in summary. It feels incomplete, but I am not sure that there is a lot of value in pursuing this further. I may add to the articles further at another time, but I want to move onto another subject and leave this one for now.

May the Trinity convict you and show you truth.