Monday, April 9, 2018

On personhood in the Trinity

Dale Tuggy, who I have listened to since 2013 on his over 200 podcast, who is also Professor of Philosophy at the State University of New York at Fredonia, makes an interesting point on personhood in relation to the Trinity doctrine.

In his book, What is the Trinity, all he ask is to clearly define, unequivocally, The Trinity and all it's parts. "......Unable to pick, many theologians self-comfort with the falsehood that these differences about the number of divine selves are merely differences of emphasis. While there are differences of emphasis between various Trinitarian theologians, there are also substantial disagreements........Tuggy goes on to say: another device used to put these disagreements out of one's mind is to talk loudly and often about "the" doctrine of the Trinity, as something agreed on by all Christians, or nearly so. But the reality is more complex. The Trinity is either a self or not. It's a matter of logic that these can't both be true; there's exactly one divine self and there are exactly three divine selves."

"Until we decide what is meant by "Person" in the statement that "God is three Persons" we'll be unable to even search for reasons for or against, or to decide whether the claim (wich claim?) fits or misfits the Bible. One can't agree or disagree with an uninterpreted sentence. You may find such a sentence in your church's or denomination's creed, something like: The eternal triune God reveals Himself to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, with distinct personal attributes, but without division of nature, essence or being." See the Southern Baptist Faith and Message, Section II

"Himself"."So, the triune God is a single self, not a "they." But also, each of these has his own "personal attributes." Are there then four divine selves here-God, Father, Son, Holy Spirit? Or do the three turn out to be ways the one divine self is? Or despite the capitalized pronoun, is the triune god really not a self, but rather a group community, or collective of selves? Are we to flee here to contradictions or to obfuscation? The statement is indeterminate; it's vague enough to generate an unruly mob of clashing interpretations."

So will the true God stand up. Is it the trinity? Father? Son? Holy Spirit? Do we have a Quaternity?
When praying do you pray to the Trinity? Who did Jesus say was the True God? And who was Jesus' God? John 17.3: And John 5.44 where Jesus refers to his father as the only God. Monou Theou.

Where does the Bible clearly articulate the doctrine of the Trinity? Where does the Bible say that Jesus has two natures but is only one "person," even though each nature has conflicting sets of attributes with the other? And where does the Bible articulate the trinitarian distinction between "person" and "being"?

Sunday, April 1, 2018

"Satan entered into Judas" Luke 22.3

The question that is put forth, is, 'In what sense Satan entered into Judas?  The Greek has it: "Eiselthen de Satanas eis Ioudan. Although the Greek word used here could and has been in reference to demon possession  it is likely meant here in a figurative sense. "At this time “Satan entered into Judas,” likely in the sense that the traitorous apostle gave himself in to the will of the Devil, allowing himself to be a tool to carry out Satan’s design to stop Christ." Insight Vol 2 pq. 130

A Translator's Handbook On The Gospel of Luke states: "Exegesis: eiselthen de Satanas eis Ioudan 'then Satan entered into Judas',i.e. 'took possession of J.' elsewhere in the sense of demon possession but here in a somewhat weaker sense, since Judas does not henceforth appear as a demoniac who is not acting of his own will." pg. 681

Also note John 13.2: "So, while the evening meal was going on, the Devil having already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot....... Thus indicating it was not possession but he 'entered into him' in a figurative sense. Into his heart. Also note 13.27 where the same Greek expression occurs.

J.M.Creed  who wrote: The Gospel of Luke The Greek Text with Introduction, Notes, and Induces said concerning the Lukan text: "The prince of evil, who had been foiled in his previous attempts upon the Son of God, now makes Judas his instrument to compass his death." pg 260