The Trinity Explained The Central Mystery of Church

Transcription

1 The Trinity Explained The Central Mystery of Church

2 Describing God: Divine Adjectives GOD is: TRIUNE

3 God is Triune: A Matter of Revelation God in PLURALITY: Genesis 1:26 Let us make man in our own image, in the likeness of ourselves

4 God is Triune: A Matter of Revelation God in PLURALITY: Genesis 3:22 Then the LORD said, See, the man has become like one of us, with his knowledge of good and evil.

5 God is Triune: A Matter of Revelation God in PLURALITY: Genesis 11:7 Come, let us go down and confuse their language on the spot so that they can no longer understand one another.

6 God is Triune: A Matter of Revelation God in PLURALITY: God and His son throughout the Psalms Processions of God from the Book of Wisdom

7 God is Triune: A Matter of Revelation God in THREENESS: Genesis 18:1-2 The LORD appeared to him He looked up and saw three men standing near him.

8 God is Triune: A Matter of Revelation God in THREENESS: John 10:30 The Father and I are one. John 15:26 the Spirit of truth who issues from the Father

9 The Fundamental Relationship, the Fundamental Reality This triune relationship is the reality that exists at all times, even before time: John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word: the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things came to be, not one thing had its being but through him.

10 The Fundamental Relationship, the Fundamental Reality This triune relationship is the reality that exists at all times, even before time: Genesis 1:26 Let us make man in our own image, in the likeness of ourselves, and let them be masters

11 The Athanasian Creed: Making Sense of Three in One Whosoever will be saved, before all things it is necessary that he hold the catholic Faith. Which Faith except every one do keep whole and undefiled; without doubt he shall perish everlastingly. And the catholic Faith is this: That we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity; Neither confounding the Persons; nor dividing the Essence. For there is one Person of the Father; another of the Son; and another of the Holy Ghost. But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, is all one So the Father is God; the Son is God; and the Holy Ghost is God. And yet they are not three Gods; but one God to acknowledge every Person by himself to be God and Lord; So are we forbidden by the Catholic Religion; to say, There are three Gods, or three Lords So there is one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons; one Holy Ghost, not three Holy Ghosts. And in this Trinity none is before, or after another; none is greater, or less than another. But the whole three Persons are coeternal, and coequal. So that in all things, as aforesaid; the Unity in Trinity, and the Trinity in Unity, is to be worshipped. He therefore that will be saved, let him thus think of the Trinity.

12 Clear as Mud: We worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity; Neither confounding the Persons; nor dividing the Essence So There is one Divine Essence in Three Persons God = 1 & 1 = (x + y + z)

13 Clear as Mud: We worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity; Neither confounding the Persons; nor dividing the Essence So Each person is wholly Himself. x=x, y=y, z=z & x y z x

14 Clear as Mud: the Father is God; the Son is God; and the Holy Ghost is God acknowledge every Person by himself to be God and Lord So Each person is God. x=god, y=god, & z=god

15 Okay, so Math 101: (God = 1) & (x=god, y=god, & z=god) THEREFORE: x=1, y=1, z=1 THEREFORE: (x + y + z = 3) HOWEVER: God = (x + y + z) = 1 & 1 3 FURTHER: 1 = 1, but x y z x, yet x=1, y=1, z=1

16 It s all Greek to me OUSIA: (Substance, Essence, Nature); the is-ness of the thing; what makes the thing the particular type of thing. HYPOSTASIS: (Person); the form taken; a form of existence which permits distinctions to be made. CCC 252

17 Still Clear as Mud: We worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity; Neither confounding the Persons; nor dividing the Essence So There is one Divine Essence this is an ousia claim.

18 Still Clear as Mud: We worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity; Neither confounding the Persons; nor dividing the Essence So There is one Divine Essence in Three Persons this is a hypostatic claim

19 Still Clear as Mud: the Father is God; the Son is God; and the Holy Ghost is God acknowledge every Person by himself to be God and Lord So Each person is God. this is a claim that each hypostases has the same ousia and in each hypostases is the entire ousia.

20 Still Clear as Mud: 3 Hypostases, 1 Ousia 3 Persons, 1 Essence Orthodox Position

21 Still Clear as Mud: 3 Hypostases, 1 Ousia The multiple hypostases are RELATIONS within the one ousia.

22 Still Clear as Mud: 3 Hypostases, 1 Ousia The hypostatic distinctions are simply relations of origin that exist within the one ousia.

23 Erroneous Equivalences: (God = 1) & (x=god, y=god, & z=god) THEREFORE: x=1, y=1, z=1 THEREFORE: (x + y + z = 3) HOWEVER: God = (x + y + z) = 1 & 1 3 FURTHER : 1 = 1, but x y z x, yet x=1, y=1, z=1

24 Erroneous Equivalences: (God = 1) God is one Divine Essence, which is an OUSIA claim. What is the OUSIA? Divinity. What is Divinity? Pure Act. What is pure act? INFINITE. (God = )

25 Proper Equivalences: (God = ) & (x=god, y=god, & z=god) THEREFORE: x=, y=, z= THEREFORE: (x + y + z = ) BECAUSE: if ( ) represents pure act, then there is no possibility for anything to be greater than it (else it is not pure act).

26 Three Hypostases, One Ousia Confounding at times? Yes. There remains a certain element of MYSTERY. But it is sound according to both Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition.

27 Three Hypostases, One Ousia CCC 234: The Trinity points to all other revealed truths which God has done (Creation, Sanctification, Redemption) and to who God is (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit).

28 Three Hypostases, One Ousia CCC 258: The whole divine economy is the three divine persons.

29 Three Hypostases, One Ousia CCC 254: God is one but not solitary. Bl. John Paul the Great: God in His deepest mystery is not a solitude, but a family, since He has in Himself fatherhood, sonship, and the essence of family, which is LOVE.

30 A Thomistic View of the Trinity

31 A Communion of Love The Trinity described as a glorious love affair G.K. Chesterton which according to the Church is the ultimate end of Man. CCC 260

32 A Communion of Love If anyone loves me he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we shall come to him and make our home with him. John 14:23